Learn to write

Chapter I: The Sentence

Lecture 1: The basics

2006 Sentence 2

The sentence

• Sentence sense

• Basic sentence patterns

• Classification of sentences

• Class work

1

2

3

4

2006 Sentence 3

What is a “good”sentence?

Study the following sentences:

• There is too much space between Horse and and and and and Cart.

• He said that that that that that girl used was wrong.

• If the sentence that had had had had had had, then it would be correct.

There is too much space between “Horse” and “and” and “and” and “Cart”.

He said that that “that” that that girl used was wrong.

If the sentence that had “had” had had “had had”, then it would be correct.

2006 Sentence 4

What is a “good” sentence?

Study the following sentences:

• We had a party yesterday, and Carl was ill.

• Walking along the street, a beautiful spring came into my view.

• The monkey amused the people in the cages at the zoo.

• The old man is too weak.

unity

coherence

word order

completeness

2006 Sentence 5

An effective sentence

• Unity– We had a party yesterday.

• Coherence– When I was walking along the street, I saw a

spring.

• Good order– The monkey in the cages amused the people at the

zoo.

• Completeness– The old man is too weak to walk that far.

2006 Sentence 6

Study the following sentences:(1) There was an old church there three years ago.

(2) Up went the arrow into the air.

(3) Happy is he who dedicates his life to mankind.

(4) Terribly hot it certainly was.

(5) Not a single word did he say.

(6) Nothing would the little boy reply.

subjectpredicate

predicative

object

Basic sentence patterns

2006 Sentence 7

Basic sentence patterns

Study the following sentences:

• Stephen apologized.

• Frank is clever/ an architect.

• My sister enjoyed the play.

• The firm gave Sam a watch.

• They made Sam redundant/ chairman.

• Joe leaped from the edge of his chair.

• American education owes a great debt to Thomas Jefferson.

Subject + Verb

Subject + Verb + Predicative

Subject + Verb + Object

Subject + Verb + indirect Object + direct Object

Subject + Verb + Object + Complement

Subject + Verb + Adverbial

Subject + Verb +Object + Adverbial

2006 Sentence 8

Basic sentence patterns

1. Subject + Verb

2. Subject + Verb + Predicative

3. Subject + Verb + Object

4. Subject + Verb + indirect Object + direct Object

5. Subject + Verb + Object + Complement

6. Subject + Verb + Adverbial

7. Subject + Verb + Object + Adverbial

2006 Sentence 9

Study the following sentences:(1) Please tell her as soon as you see her.

(2) I have not a bench to sit on.

(3) They tried to persuade her to go with them.

(4) I saw them playing under the big peach tree.

(5) Honestly speaking, I don’t like it at all.

adverbial of time

independent element

attribute

adverbial of place

adverbial of manner

adverbial of degree

Basic sentence patterns: Elements of sentences

2006 Sentence 10

Basic sentence patterns: Elements of sentences

Essential elementssubject

predicate verb

Secondary elements

objectappositive predicativeobject complement attributeadverbialIndependent element

modifiers

the modified

2006 Sentence 11

Class work 1: Analyze the following sentences.

1. The sailor saw that the ship was sinking.

2. The thought that help was near kept our spirits up.

3. My opinion is that this story is false.

4. His education has made him what he is now.

5. The first thing I’m going to do this evening is to visit my former teacher.

2006 Sentence 12

Class work 1: Analyze the following sentences.

6. To understand is easier, but to make others understand is not as easier.

7. We came to learn English.

8. The young man sat there, his hands crossed before him.

9. I have no bench to sit on.

10. One should be quick to act.

2006 Sentence 13

Classification of sentences

• Paul rides a bicycle to class.

• Both Mike and Jack like playing baseball.

• a sentence that consists of a single independent clause; this independent sentence may have a compound subject or a compound predicate.

• The simple sentence

2006 Sentence 14

Classification of sentences

• Paul rides a bicycle to school when it is fine.

• The car that Baker bought yesterday cost twenty thousand dollars.

• a sentence that contains one independent clause (the main clause) and one or more subordinate or dependent clauses

• The complex sentence

main clause subordinate clause

2006 Sentence 15

Classification of sentences

• They have put a new traffic light on the corner, but there are still a lot of accidents.

• Peter watches TV in the evening, and so does his brother.

• a sentence that contains two or more independent clauses

• The compound sentence

2006 Sentence 16

Classification of sentences

• Paul rides a bicycle to school when it is fine, but he drives his car when it is rainy.

• The man who is following the woman is a detective, and he is investigating a drug case now.

• a sentence that contains two or more independent clauses and at least one subordinate or dependent clause

• The compound-complex sentence

2006 Sentence 17

Classification of Sentences

• Simple

• Compound

• Complex

• Compound complex

2006 Sentence 18

Classification of Sentences

Study the following sentences:• He came in, took off his coat and went

into the inner room.• Tom and John saw Mary and went up to

her to tell her the good news. • Tom saw Mary and he went up to her to

tell her the good news. • He waited and waited but nothing

happened.

simple

simple

compound

compound

2006 Sentence 19

Classification of Sentences

• When they saw her, they went up to her.

• Seeing her, they went up to her.

• They waited for quite some time, and they went up to her as soon as they saw her.

• She likes to watch ants carrying food to their little home.

• Please tell me how to do it.

complex

simple

compound complex

simple

simple

2006 Sentence 20

Sentence transformation

a simple sentence a compound one• In spite of his great success, he is not

satisfied.

• She cleaned the windows and then she washed the floor.

• He has made great success, but he is not satisfied.

• After cleaning the windows, she washed the floor.

2006 Sentence 21

Sentence transformation

a complex sentence a simple one• His wish is to become a teacher.

• What he spoke at the meeting was encouraging.

• His wish is that he would become a teacher..

• His speech at the meeting was encouraging.

2006 Sentence 22

Sentence transformation

a complex sentence a compound one• He is old, but he works as a young man.

• Since you insist, I must go.

• Old as he is, he works as a young man.

• You insist so I must go.

2006 Sentence 23

Class work 2

• Combine the following two sentences at least in five different ways. We’ll see which pair can work out the most.

• His wallet was stolen.

• He didn’t have enough money to buy the book.

2006 Sentence 24

1. Having no job and poor, the student had to drop out of school.

2. With the computer, one can do shopping, banking and read at home.

3. What do the rich people know about disease, those who are hungry, and poverty?

Jobless and poor,

reading

those who are sick, hungry and poor

Class work 3: Improve the following sentences.

2006 Sentence 25

Class work 3: Improve the following sentences.

4. Narrow streets easily cause to happen many traffic accidents.

5. But it may occur some new problems.

6. Green trees can protect our air from polluting.

7. Opportunities are only belonged to those who work hard.

may occur

being polluted

2006 Sentence 26

Class work 3: Improve the following sentences.

8. In 1990 the consumption of grain has decreased by 20%.

9. Many students liked the lecture system because it helps them to learn quickly.

10. If there were no electrical power, we can imagine what will happen.

like

wouldWe can imagine what would happen if there were no electrical power.

2006 Sentence 27

An effective sentence

• Unity

• Coherence

• Good order

• Completeness

2006 Sentence 28

Basic sentence patterns

1. Subject + Verb

2. Subject + Verb + Complement

3. Subject + Verb + direct Object

4. Subject + Verb + indirect Object + direct Object

5. Subject + Verb + Object + Complement

6. Subject + Verb + Adverbial

7. Subject + Verb + Object + Adverbial

2006 Sentence 29

Classification of Sentences

• Simple

• Compound

• Complex

• Compound complex

2006 Sentence 30

Homework

• Read it:《奠基篇》 pp19-23.

• 《奠基篇》 Unit1 ， Part IV pp61-62.

• Write an essay around 120 words entitled “ I got a lot from my high school”

• Warning: delayed work will not be accepted