INTRODUCTION
To write well in English Language and literature, students and other language and literature learners
have to master how to put sentences together. Students have to exercise their
writing skills in their exercise books, diaries and other note taking tools. By mastering
various grammatical sentence structures, the students and other learners will
keep themselves on the right track of professionalism as far as language and
literature are concerned. In this article, we will discuss four kinds of
sentences by structure in English Language.
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other articles about English sentences, visit the following:
KINDS OF SENTENCES BY STRUCTURE
There are four kinds of sentence by considering the
structure. These are:
1. Simple
sentence
This
sentence structure consists of one independent clause only (Remember: Clause is a group of words that contain
a subject and a verb plus other information)
Examples:
John is reading a book.
Asha is a good student.
All
these two sentences are independent because each one can stand alone, that is,
it can convey a complete thought by itself)
(See also other
types of clauses)
2. Compound
Sentence
This
sentence structure contains two or more independent clauses that are joined
together. Clauses in compound sentences are joined by a comma and a
coordinating conjunction: FAN BOYS:
For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, and So.
Some Meanings and Examples of FANBOYS:
For (conj.)
= since/because/seeing that. I need rain boots for it is raining. I agree with
you for you are a good friend.
And:
Juma is a carpenter and Asha is a nurse. We will study and our teacher will
prepare lessons for us.
Nor
(conj.) it’s used negatively to introduce the second member in the series.
Although it is often used with ‘neither’, it can also be used alone as in: She
won’t talk to you nor to me. They won’t wait for you, nor for anybody.
But:
Some shoes are cheap but they are not durable.
Or:
You should study hard, or you will fail exams.
Yet (conj.)
=though/still. You can study hard, yet you should have a time to revise. It is
raining, yet we played the match.
So (conj.)
=in order that/with the result that. It is raining, so we should stay home.
Write carefully, so you don’t make mistake.
Also
sentences or clauses are joined by a semicolon and conjunctive adverbs such as: therefore, however, moreover,
nevertheless, consequently, etc. For examples:
Our team lost; however, we played well.
It was raining; therefore, no one went to the farm.
Chameleons are slow; nevertheless, they hunt steadily.
All these
sentences are independent and they are just joined by conjunctive adverbs: 'It was raining' and 'no one went to the farm' are all
independent clauses joined together by conjunctive adverb 'therefore'.
3. Complex
Sentence
This
is sentence structure that contains an independent clause and one or more
dependent/subordinate clauses. These sentences are joined by subordinators or
subordinating conjunctions such as: although,
however, even though, in spite of, despite, notwithstanding, etc.
Examples:
Although it was raining, we went to the farm.
Notwithstanding the bad roads, our bus driver drove
well.
Despite the rain, we played football.
In
these sentences or clauses, 'we went to
the farm' is an independent clause. 'Although
it was raining' is a dependent or subordinate clause that can't stand alone
and it needs an independent clause to be able to bring the sense.
Most dependent
clauses are introduced or contain a subordinate word/subordinator.
4. Compound-Complex
Sentence
This
sentence structure consists of two or more independent clauses and one or more
subordinate clauses. Compound - complex is simply a compound sentence with a
subordinate clause. For example:
Although they live at Kapalamsenga village, Asha
studies at Karema Secondary School and John is Ikola Secondary School student.
We won the match although we had injured players and
some players were I'll.
THE TEXT
Ask the student to read the following passage and ask
them:
- To identify any five simple sentences
- To identify any compound sentences
- To identify any complex sentences
- To identify any compound – complex sentences
Despite the fact
that discipline is always a cornerstone to the students' success at school,
colleges, or universities, commitment to the students' goals is important as
well. Whether you agree or not, your good discipline is your only way to reach
your goals. Despite being intelligent, a student who lacks discipline will make
no impact when it comes to studies. I like to advise students that there is a
certain point in the life of a person when someone should sacrifice for the
better future. One of those points in life is education. The young people like
you should sacrifice for your better future through studying hard. Don't ask
yourself foolish questions like; will mere ownership of the phone get me
expelled from school? How can fighting with my enemies at school get me
suspended? Notwithstanding the strength you have, you are always obliged to
obey the school rules and regulations. And in order to accomplish your studies,
your good discipline is vital. Ask yourself questions: Is it really necessary
to have the phone? Is it necessary to fight? Or do I really have the time to
waste breaking school rules and regulations? Although you may make various
mistakes at school, you will still have the chance to learn from your mistakes
and swear not to repeat the same mistakes for one more time. As a student, you
have to spend your time studying or refreshing your minds in various acceptable
activities like sports and games. Teachers and students should cooperatively
work together. So, students should make sure they follow teacher’s guidance
properly. Though teachers teach you, you and your parents, should work
cooperatively. You can consult them any time before deciding on the things that
can retard your progress at school. Being a student does not free you from
committing human mistakes, but it is possible to refrain from doing bad things
at school for the sake of your future. Although teachers are your guides at
school, you still need your own commitment to school rules and laws. Stop
misbehaving! Stay calm and committed. Your success is at your own hands. You
may choose to succeed or fail by your own decisions.
GROUP QUESTIONS
Ask students to
form four groups. Each group should identify and discuss examples of all kinds
of sentences they have found in the passage. The answers of each group should
be presented before the class and the class should ask questions from the
presenting group in case they need more clarification on the presented answers.
Note: A teacher can use any text that can be appropriate and use it to test
students on identifying the particular sentence structures. The teacher should
scan the text first to see if it contains the right or target grammatical
practice for students. It may be a passage from the newspapers, and online
content, or any excerpt of the book.
CONCLUSION
The writing process starts when you start thinking
about writing. You think about the subject, about the words, about the kind of
writing (description, composition, letter, e-mail, report, essay), about the
best way to put the words together.
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more on how to study & teach English Language topics, visit the following
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Resources
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