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Sentences – how to use them correctly

September 13, 2009 by Roy Johnson

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Sentences – definition

sentences A sentence is a group of words which is usually a grammatically complete statement.

redbtn It is often the expression of a thought.

redbtn In writing, sentences should begin with a capital letter and end with a full stop.


Examples
Command Keep left.
Question Is James joining us for breakfast?
Statement Smoking can damage your health.

redbtn A normal sentence in English usually contains at least three elements: a subject, a verb, and an object.

Subject Verb Object
The cat ate the goldfish
My friend wants your address
Some sheep have black fleece

Use

redbtn The sentence is a unit of meaning in both speech and writing.

redbtn We speak in sentences automatically from the time we first acquire language.

redbtn A sentence is defined as a grammatically complete unit, but it might need other sentences around it to make its meaning clear.

redbtn Constructing written sentences may be difficult. This is a skill which has to be learned.

redbtn Written sentences may be very short [‘Jesus wept’] or very long, but their underlying structure must follow grammatical conventions.

redbtn NB! Short sentences help to create clear expression. Keep them short. Keep them simple.

redbtn There are various kinds of sentences – simple, complex, and compound.

redbtn A simple sentence is one which contains phrases rather than clauses. A simple sentence contains one subject and one object or predicate. For example:

Subject Verb Predicate
I am the head of this department.
We won last Saturday’s match.
Jean is in the house.

redbtn In all the examples above, when the subject is removed we are left with a phrase – an utterance which has no finite verb.

redbtn The expressions ‘in the house’, ‘last Saturday’s match’, and ‘the head of this department’, are all phrases not clauses.

redbtn A complex sentence contains one or more subordinate clauses. In the examples which follow, the subordinate clause is emphasised.

The suspect denied that he had been in the neighbourhood.

You won’t persuade me to stay no matter how hard you try.

Despite the fact that I had ordered the meal, I left the restaurant when I saw him arrive.

I went out shopping, although it was raining, and bought a basket of fruit.

redbtn In all these examples, the removal of the main clause leaves another clause (an utterance with a finite verb) and not a phrase.

redbtn A compound sentence is one in which contains two or more co-ordinating parts.

It’s starting to rain // and I have left my deck-chair outside.

The film we saw last night // was interesting and enjoyable.

We have no red towels // but we have plenty of green ones.

redbtn The following terms can be used to classify types of sentences by their function.

redbtn A statement – grammatically defined by the position of the subject immediately before the verb:

The pen is mightier than the sword.

redbtn A question – grammatically defined by the initial element being ‘how’, ‘what’, ‘when’, ‘where’, or ‘why’:

How many spoons are in that box?

redbtn A command – grammatically defined by the initial positioning of the verb:

Go to the bus stop and wait for your father.

redbtn An exclamation – grammatically defined by an initial ‘what’, ‘how’, and the rest of the utterance being in statement form:

What a pity it’s raining for our picnic!

redbtn It is possible to have meaningful sentences which do not have all three normal elements:

[Subject – Verb – Object]

redbtn In such cases, any missing part is usually implied –

‘[I] thankyou’.

redbtn Many people lose grammatical control of their sentences because they use:

  • features from speech
  • conversational style
  • badly linked phrases
  • vague punctuation
  • faulty syntax

Self-assessment quiz follows >>>

© Roy Johnson 2004


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Sentences in essays

August 25, 2009 by Roy Johnson

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1. Short, clear, and simple sentences are usually more effective than those which are long and complex. Avoid piling up clause upon clause. In the majority of essays, you should aim for clarity and simplicity in your written style. If in doubt, remember this rule: Keep it short. Keep it simple.

2. Punctuate your work firmly, making a clear distinction in your writing between marks such as the comma, the semicolon, and the full stop.

3. Remember that all sentences without exception must begin with a capital letter and end with a full stop.

4. Remember that the common word order (syntax) of a simple sentence written in English is as follows:

subject – verb – object

The cat eats the goldfish
Elephants like grass
We are the best team

If you are in any doubt at all, follow this pattern. Sentences which go out of grammatical control often lack one of these elements, or they have them placed in a different order.

5. You should avoid starting sentences with words such as ‘Again’, ‘Although’, ‘But’, ‘And’, ‘Also’, and ‘With’. These words are called conjunctions, which normally belong in the ‘middle’ of a sentence, not at its beginning. Sentences which begin with a conjunction are very often left grammatically incomplete.

6. Remember that speech and writing are two different forms of communication. Avoid the use of a casual or conversational style when writing. For instance don’t string together clauses which are grammatically unrelated. This is quite normal in speech, but it should be avoided in formal writing.

7. What follows is an example of a statement which has too many unrelated clauses, which goes on too long, and which eventually skids out of grammatical control.

Less smoking would undoubtedly lead to redundancies in the tobacco industry, a consequent rise in the number of unemployed, more people dependent upon State benefits to be supported by a government with subsequently reduced income.

8. The same arguments can be expressed far more clearly and effectively by splitting them up into two separate and shorter sentences. (I have also made one or two minor changes to enhance the sense.)

Less smoking would undoubtedly lead to redundancies in the tobacco industry and a consequent rise in the number of unemployed. More people would then become dependent upon State benefits, which would have to be paid out by a government with a reduced income.

9. Most problems in sentence construction are caused by two or three closely related factors:

  • The sentence is much too long.
  • Too many unrelated clauses.
  • The sentence starts with its verb or object, rather than the subject.
  • The sentence start with a conjunction (‘although’, ‘because’).

10. The solution to this problem is worth repeating:

Keep it short. Keep it simple.

© Roy Johnson 2003

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