FUNDAMENTALS OF SENTENCE

STRUCTURE IN ENGLISH
SENTENCE STRUCTURE AND RELATED TERMS
The Oxford Learner’s Dictionary (online) defines a sentence as:
a set of words expressing a statement, a question or an order, usually containing a subject
and a verb. In written English sentences begin with a capital letter and end with a full
stop/period (.), a question mark (?) or an exclamation mark (!).
Independent clause - An independent clause can stand alone as a sentence. It contains a
subject and a verb and is a complete idea
Dependent clause - A dependent clause is not a complete sentence. It must be attached to
an independent clause to become complete. This is also known as a subordinate clause.
Subject - A person, animal, place, thing, or concept that does an action. Determine the subject
in a sentence by asking the question “Who or what?”
Verb - Expresses what the person, animal, place, thing, or concept does. Determine the verb
in a sentence by asking the question “What was the action or what happened?
Object - A person, animal, place, thing, or concept that receives the action. Determine the
object in a sentence by asking the question “The subject did what?” or “To whom?/For whom?”
SENTENCE STRUCTURE – YOUR EXAMPLES
Human rights are natural rights. S+V+O
Home language – manav adhikar prakritik adhikar hain – S+O+V
Right to life and right to liberty are natural rights. – SIMPLE/INDEPENDENT CLAUSE

COMPOUND – FANBOYS – for and nor but or yet so – Two independent clauses
Human rights are natural rights for they are given to us as we are born.
but we need to fight for it.
COMPLEX – INDEPENDENT + DEPENDENT CLAUSE
They are given to us as we are born.
As we are born, they are given to us.
 ENGLISH SENTENCE STRUCTURE
A new sentence begins with a capital letter.
She obtained her degree from TISS.
A sentence ends with punctuation (a period, a question mark, or an exclamation point).
She obtained her degree from TISS.
A sentence contains a subject that is only given once.
Anjali/She obtained her degree from TISS.
A sentence contains a verb or a verb phrase.
She obtained her degree from TISS.
A sentence follows Subject + Verb + Object word order.
She (subject) obtained (verb) her degree (object) from TISS (prepositional phrase).
A sentence must have a complete idea that stands alone. This is also called an independent clause.
She obtained her degree from TISS.
SENTENCES - SIMPLE
Basic elements that makes a sentence: a subject, a verb, and a completed thought.

Jo waited for the results.

"Jo" = subject, "waited" = verb

The session was late.

"The session" = subject, "was" = verb

Mary and Samantha took the assignment.

"Mary and Samantha" = compound subject, "took" = verb

I looked for Mary and Samantha at the cafeteria.

"I" = subject, "looked" = verb

Mary and Samantha arrived at the campus early but waited until noon for the library to open.
"Mary and Samantha" = compound subject, "arrived" and "waited" = compound verb
SENTENCES - SIMPLE
Simple sentence: A simple sentence conveys one complete thought or idea. It contains a subject
and a predicate.

We request you to attend the alumni meet.

Online classes will be conducted daily.
I request you to adhere to the new guidelines.
Your suggestion is precious to us.
SENTENCES - SIMPLE
Subject: We, Online classes, I, Your suggestion - are the doer/the agent in the sentence. These
are called the subject of a sentence.

Predicate: To understand predicate, it is important to know ‘verbs’. The words will be

conducted, request (again in sentence 3), and is-are called verbs. The part of a sentence
containing a verb that tells us more about the subject of the verb is called the predicate of a
sentence.

The subject and predicate together are called a clause (Subject + Predicate = Clause)
SENTENCES - COMPOUND
Jo waited for the librarian, but the librarian was late.

I looked for Mary and Samantha at the library, but they arrived at the cafeteria before noon
and left for the class before I arrived.

Mary and Samantha arrived at the cafeteria before noon, and they left for the class before I
arrived.

Mary and Samantha left for the class before I arrived, so I did not see them at the library.
SENTENCES - COMPOUND
Two independent clauses (or complete sentences) connected to one another with
a coordinating conjunction.

Coordinating conjunctions - "FAN BOYS": For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So

FANBOYS is a helpful mnemonic to remember the coordinating conjunctions for (reason or

purpose), and (addition), nor (negative), but (contrast), or (alternative), yet (contrast), so
(reason). Punctuation plays an important role in communicating meaning. In a compound
sentence, a comma (,) is placed before the coordinating conjunction.

A compound sentence can also be joined using a pair of words: whether…or; neither…nor;
either…or; such/that; not only…but also; both…and; just as…so; not…but
YOUR EXAMPLES
 SENTENCES - COMPLEX
An independent clause (main clause - a sentence that is complete in its meaning) + one or
more dependent clauses (depend on the main clause).
A dependent clause is similar to an independent clause, or complete sentence, but it lacks one
of the elements that would make it a complete sentence.
A subordinating conjunction links the dependent clause to the independent clause.
Complex sentences indicate a specific relation between two ideas where one of the two ideas
is more important.
 SENTENCES - COMPLEX
All the students are requested to strictly adhere to the safety and precautionary measures
until they receive further instructions from the office.

because Mary and Samantha arrived at the cafeteria before noon

while he waited at the main gate
after they left for the class
These are examples of dependent clauses.
SENTENCES - COMPLEX
subordinating conjunctions –
Cause/Effect: because, since, so that

Comparison/Contrast: although, even though, though, whereas, while

Place/Manner: where, wherever, how, however

Possibility/Conditions: if, whether, unless

Relation: that, which, who, whom

Time: after, as, before, since, when, whenever, while, until

SENTENCES - COMPLEX
The dependent clauses can go first in the sentence, followed by the independent clause.

Because Mary and Samantha arrived at the cafeteria before noon, I did not see them at the
library.
While he waited at the main gate, Jo realized that the librarian was late.
After they left for the class, Mary and Samantha realized that Jo was waiting at the main
gate.
SENTENCES - COMPLEX
The independent clauses can go first in the sentence, followed by the dependent clause.

I did not see them at the library because Mary and Samantha arrived at the cafeteria
before noon.
Jo realized that the librarian was late while he waited at the main gate.
Mary and Samantha realized that Jo was waiting at the main gate after they left for the
class.
DISCUSS - TASK
Identify the sentence structure that the author uses -

Development of ethnic groups in South Asian countries has remained a major

challenge. Efforts are being made by most of the countries in order to provide
education and ensure development among minority ethnic tribal groups. As these
groups constitute a small population in their respective countries of habitation, the
pace of development has remained very slow. More particularly education of the
women and girls has remained abysmally very low accounting for low literacy rate.

B. K. Panda. Education of Girls among Ethnic Tribal Groups in South Asia. Indian Anthropologist, Vol. 41, No. 2 (July-Dec. 2011), pp. 15-32
 RECAP
Simple Sentence – Independent Clause

Compound Sentence – Independent Clause, [FANBOYS] Independent Clause

Complex Sentence –
Independent Clause [subordinating conjunctions] Dependent Clause
Dependent Clause, Independent Clause