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Sir Syed Rizwan Shah

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 Previous Lectures
Parts of Speech
1. Articles

2. Use of Articles

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 Today’s Lecture
Basics of Grammar – Sentence Structure
1. What is a Sentence?

2. Basics of Sentence Structure

3. Basic types of a Sentence

4. Element of Sentence Construction

5. Phrases

6. Clauses

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 What is a Sentence?

• A sentence is a group of words that tells a complete thought.

• The words in the sentence should be in an order that makes sense.

(https://docs.google.com/viewer?)

• A sentence is the written expression of a complete thought.

(https://www.dlsweb.rmit.edu.au/lsu/content/4_WritingSkills/writing_tuts/sentences_LL/index.html)

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• Begin every sentence with a capital letter, and end it with the correct
end mark.

Examples:
• Hamza’s cat has white hair.
• Rimsha drew pictures of many animals.

(https://docs.google.com/viewer?)

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 Basics of Sentence Structure
• Sentence structure is the order and arrangement of the clauses in a
sentence, which is a group of words that express a complete
thought.

• Three of the most common types of sentence structure are simple,

compound, and complex sentences. Each of these can be identified
by the number and types of clauses found within them.

(http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-sentence-structure.htm)

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Sentence Structure

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Basics of Sentence Structure

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 Basic Types of a Sentence

There are 4 basic types of sentences.

• Declarative

• Interrogative

• Imperative

• Exclamatory

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 Contd.

Type of Sentence Use Punctuation Mark

Declarative Makes a statement Period

(.)

Interrogative Asks a question Question Mark

(?)

Imperative Gives a command or makes a request Period

(.)

Exclamatory Expresses strong feeling Exclamation Mark

(!)

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 Contd.
• Declarative Sentences are used to form statements.
Examples: "Mary is here.", "My name is Mary."

• Interrogative Sentences are used to ask questions.

Examples: "Where is Mary?", "What is your name?"

• Imperative Sentences are used for commands.

Examples: "Come here.", "Tell me your name."

• Exclamatory Sentences are used to express feelings.

Example: “Oh no, we lost the first game., Wow, That’s amazing!"

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 Elements of Sentence Construction
Subjects and Predicates

• Every complete sentence contains two parts: a subject and a

predicate. The subject is what (or whom) the sentence is about, while
the predicate tells something about the subject.
(http://www.writingcentre.uottawa.ca/hypergrammar/subjpred.html)

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• In the following sentences, the predicate is enclosed in braces ({}),
while the subject is highlighted.

• Alice {runs}.
• Alice and her dog {run on the beach every morning}.
(http://www.writingcentre.uottawa.ca/hypergrammar/subjpred.html)

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• The complete subject tells whom or what the sentence is about. For
example; The house, The red car, or The great teacher.

• The complete predicate tells what the subject is or does. For

example; (The house) is white, (The red car) is fast, or (The great
teacher) likes students.

• The house is white.

The car is blue.
The teacher likes students.
(http://www.myschoolhouse.com/courses/O/1/55.asp)

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 Phrases
A group of two or more grammatically linked words that do not
have subject and predicate is a phrase. For example:

Most common types of phrases are NP, VP, PP

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 Clauses
• The term "clause" simply refers to a group of words that form
an idea, somewhat synonymous with "sentence." An
"independent clause" is a phrase that includes a subject and
predicate and can stand on its own as a full statement. In
contrast to this, a "dependent clause" might have both a
subject and predicate but what it expresses is incomplete.
This distinction is important, as various types of sentence
structure are created by combining these two forms.
In an other words:
• A clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a
verb that have a relationship. This relationship is crucial; a
clause conveys information about what that subject is or is
doing, rather than simply being a random grouping of words.

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 Independent Clauses
• An independent clause is a clause that can stand on its own as a
distinct sentence.

For Examples:
• I love eating cookies.
• My dog barks a lot.
• The kids ate lunch.
• His truck is green.

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 Dependent Clauses
• In contrast, a dependent clause is not a complete sentence.
Dependent clauses are sometimes known as subordinate clauses.
As their name implies, these clauses depend on independent
clauses to clearly express ideas. Here are a few examples of
dependent clauses:
• When I grow up
• Although he sings well
• The mouse that was hiding
To turn these dependent clauses into full sentences, you need to
combine them with independent clauses:
• When I grow up, I want to be a doctor.
• Although he sings well, he hates karaoke.
• I searched through the basement and found the mouse that was
hiding.

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 References

• Basic English Sentence Structures. (2012). Retrieved December 24, 2012, from
http://www.scientificpsychic.com/grammar/enggram2.html

• Basic Sentence Structure. (2010).

http://www.eslgold.com/grammar/basic_sentence.html

• English Grammar 101: Sentences, Clauses and Phrases. Retrieved December 24,
2012, from http://www.dailywritingtips.com/english-grammar-101-sentences-clauses-
and-phrases/
• Grammar and Composition. (2012). Retrieved December 24, 2012, from
http://grammar.about.com

• Study Guide for Sentence Structure Test. Retrieved December 24, 2012, from
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:DIMWxb_YEuUJ:mysite.cherokee.k12.
• Sentences. (2005). Retrieved December 24, 2012, from
•
https://www.dlsweb.rmit.edu.au/lsu/content/4_WritingSkills/writing_tuts/sentences_LL/
index.html
• Sentences. (2011). Retrieved December 24, 2012, from
http://www.writingcentre.uottawa.ca/hypergrammar/subjpred.html
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