Grammar and Writing

September 25, 2018

Instructor: Zakir Zakawat

Objectives:

 A sentence
 A clause
 Types of clause
 Simple and Compound Sentences
 Practice ( manual and online)
 What is a sentence?
• A group of words that has at least a subject and verb and expresses a
complete meaning.
Ex:
1. Brian loves soccer.
2. She has a great sense of humor.
3. Alison wanted to buy a gift for John.
 Incorrect Sentences
1. Is very trustworthy. ( there is no subject)
2. The instructor strict. ( there is no verb)
3. When I finish my education. (the thought is not complete)
4. Enjoys sport, specially golf. ( there is no subject)
 What is a clause?
A group of words that has at least a subject and a verb. A clause sometimes
gives a complete meaning and sometimes not.
We have two types of clause in English:
 Dependent: It doesn’t make a complete sense, so it can not stand alone.
 Independent: It expresses a complete meaning, so it is a sentence.
 Types of Clause
Dependent Independent
1. Tara ate a cheese burger after she 1. Tara ate a cheese burger after she
watched TV. watched TV.
2. Although John is quite 2. Although John is quite intelligent, he
intelligent, he failed his driving failed his driving test five times.
test five times. 3. The cat chased the mouse.
3. Because my wife loves pizza.
Types of Sentences
There are basically four types of sentence in English.
 Simple Sentence
 Compound Sentence
 Complex Sentence
 Compound and Complex Sentence
Simple Sentence: A group of words that has at least a subject
and verb and makes a complete sense.

 He lost his bag.

 She is a graduate student.
 Are you ready now?
 My younger brother speaks English fluently.
Simple Sentences: pattern
Simple Sentences Pattern
1. My younger brother speaks English well. SV

2. My mother and father speak English well. SS V

3. My mother and father speak and write English well. SS VV

4. My brother doesn’t speak or write English well. S VV

Compound Sentences:
A Compound Sentence is a sentence that joins two simple sentences
together with a conjunction or semicolon.
Compound Sentence = Simple Sentence + Simple Sentence
1. The cat was happy.
2. He slept underneath the bed.

Compound Sentence: The cat was happy, and he slept underneath the bed.
Making Compound Sentences
There are two ways to combine independent clauses to make a compound
sentence:

1) Comma and Conjunction ( Coordinating)

2) Semicolon
3) Semicolon+ conjunctive adverbs + comma (smooth transition)
;therefore, ;meanwhile, ;besides, ;however,
Making Compound Sentences: using
Coordinating Conjunction
 There are seven coordinating conjunctions in English. Mnemonic : Fanboys
1. For : to show a reason ( similar to because)
2. And: Connects two words, phrases or two sentences.
3. Nor: Used to show an alternative negative idea to an already stated negative idea.
4. But: to show contrast
5. Or: to show choices or options
6. Yet: to show contrast
7. So: to show result/ consequence
Compound Sentences: Fanboys
1. She put on a sweater, for it was freezing outside.
2. He was tired, and he had a headache.
3. She doesn’t drink milk, nor does she eat butter.
4. Tom studied a lot, but he didn't pass the test.
5. You can buy the book, or you can borrow it from the library.
6. Tom studied a lot, yet he didn’t pass the test. ( same as but)
7. Maria was very exhausted, so she went to bed early.
Compound Sentences: Semicolon
• We can also use Semicolon to combine two simple sentences and make a
compound sentence if they logically relate to each other.
1. David loves Alaska; he fishes there.
2. Keely writes well; she loves to show off her story skills.
 Practice: fix the following sentences.
Choppy sentences:
I love studying in New York University.
I like my classes. I like my teachers. I enjoy going to volleyball games. I
don’t like the crowds of people at the games. I am in the band. I get into the
games for free.
 Did you get it?
I love studying in New York University.
I like my classes and teachers. I enjoy going to volleyball games, but I don’t
like the crowds of people there. I am in the band, so I get into the games for
free.
Practice makes perfect!
1. Complete the handout given by your instructor.
2. Go to the following link and do some online practice if you have the
time.
https://
www.khanacademy.org/humanities/grammar/syntax-sentences-and-clauses/t
ypes-of-sentences/e/simple-and-compound-sentences
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/grammar/syntax-sentences-and-cl
auses/types-of-sentences/e/rearranging-simple-and-compound-sentences