Sentences

Kinds of Sentences There are four kinds of sentences: Declarative sentences – make a statement. Imperative sentences – give a command or a request. Interrogative sentences – ask questions. Exclamatory sentences – express strong emotion.

Examples I have four pets. Two of my pets are dogs. Get off the table. Declarative sentences usually end with a period, but CAN sometimes end with an exclamation point. You need to read the context of the sentence. These are the most common sentences we use. Get off the table. Holly, please leave the cat alone. With imperative sentences that give no specific name, the implied subject is you. These sentences too, usually end with a period but CAN sometimes end with an exclamation point. Read the context!

How many pets do you have? Do you like dogs? These sentences will almost always end in question marks. It can end with an exclamation point if the question expresses strong emotion, but that is very rare. She is such a beautiful dog! Don’t chew on that! What do you think you’re doing! When writing, use exclamatory sentences sparingly so as not to detract from their effectiveness.

Simple and Compound Sentences We can also classify sentences by their structure. Two kinds of sentence structure are: Simple sentence – contains only one main or independent clause and no subordinate or dependent clauses. Simple sentences do not necessarily need to be short to be ‘simple’. They can contain a compound subject or predicate, can have adjective, adverb, prepositional phrases, appositives, or verbals.

Examples: Stories entertain. Stories and riddles entertain and amuse. (compound subject and predicate.) Stories about the Old West entertain adults and children alike. (prepositional phrase, direct object, and adverb.)

Compound Sentences A compound sentence contains two or more main or independent clauses. We join independent clauses in any of four ways: 1. Usually they are joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, so, nor, yet, for). Ex. Stories about the Old West are entertaining, and stories set in foreign countries are interesting. Stories entertain me, and riddles amuse me, but poems are my favorite.

2. Independent clauses in a compound sentence may be joined by a semicolon used alone. Ex. Talented story tellers are rare; Spalding Gray is exceptional. 3. Main clauses in a compound sentence may also be joined by a semicolon and a conjunctive adverb (such as however, therefore, nevertheless). Ex. Stories entertain and amuse; however, poems are delightful. *Don’t forget to put a comma after the conjunctive adverb!)

4. Independent clauses in a compound sentence may be joined by a semicolon and an expression such as for example. Ex. Many authors write stories and poems; for example, Sherman Alexie is known for both his stories and his poems. *Again, don’t forget a comma after the expression!

Complex and Compound Complex Sentences A complex sentence has one independent clause and one or more dependent clause. Ex. I like Steinbeck’s stories because they have good characters. When I read his stories, I enjoy them.

A compound-complex sentence has two or more main clauses and at least one dependent clauses. Ex. I read Frankenstein, which Mary Shelly wrote, and I reported on it.

Sentence Fragments A fragment is an error that occurs when an incomplete sentence is punctuated as though it were complete. It doesn’t express a complete thought. There are three things to look for when you look for fragments. First, look for a group of words without a subject. Then, look for a group of words that do not have a complete predicate, especially ones with verbals or verbal phrases. Finally, be sure that a dependent clause hasn’t been punctuated as a complete sentence. Often you can correct a fragment by attaching it to a main clause, other times you may need to add words to make the sentence complete.

Examples Beck and Ally started the hike on the main trail. Wanted to explore a remote part of the park. The two weary hikers walking for hours. The concerned and tired hikers. When they stopped to rest. They checked their compass and trail guide.

Remember Sentence fragments can be used to produce special effects like adding emphasis or showing realistic dialogue. Remember that professional writers use sentence fragments carefully and intentionally. In most of your writing for school, you should avoid sentence fragments.

Run-On Sentences A run-on sentence is two or more complete sentences written as though they were one sentence. There are two types of run-on sentences. The first occurs when two independent clauses are joined by a comma only. This is called a comma splice. Ex. It rained the entire time Gary and Jeff were on vacation, they still enjoyed the trip.

The second type of run-on sentence occurs when two main clauses have no punctuation separating them. This can occur with or without a conjunction. Ex. It rained the entire time Gary and Jeff were on vacation they still enjoyed the trip. It rained the entire time Gary and Jeff were on vacation but they still enjoyed the trip.

Correcting Run-On Sentences You can correct run-ons in several ways. The method you choose depends on what you want your sentence to say or show. Add punctuation between the clauses and make two sentences. Separate the clauses with a comma and a coordinating conjunction. Separate the clauses with a semicolon. Add a semicolon and a conjunctive adverb between the clauses. Change one independent clause to a dependent clause. Add a comma if the dependent clause comes first.

It rained the entire time Gary and Jeff were on vacation It rained the entire time Gary and Jeff were on vacation. They still enjoyed the trip. It rained the entire time Gary and Jeff were on vacation, but they still enjoyed the trip. It rained the entire time Gary and Jeff were on vacation; they still enjoyed the trip. It rained the entire time Gary and Jeff were on vacation; however, they still enjoyed the trip. Although it rained the entire time Gary and Jeff were on vacation, they still enjoyed the trip.