1. Sentences: Elements, Patterns, Types
Chapter 3
Sentences:
Elements, Patterns, Types
Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition

2. Sentences: Elements, Patterns, Types
Objectives
Recognize subjects and predicates
Convert fragments into complete sentences
Recognize basic sentence faults such as comma splices and run-on sentences
Complete sentences in three basic patterns
Punctuate statements, commands, questions, and exclamations
Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition

3. Canadian Business English, Fourth Edition
Sentences are ...
Groups of words that express complete thoughts.
Composed of two essential elements:
1. Subject - is the person or thing being talked about (noun or pronoun).
2. Predicate - What the subject is
What the subject is doing
What is being done to the subject
Canadian Business English, Fourth Edition

4. Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition
Subject Elements
A Sears representative has been calling you.
What or who is being talked about?
A Sears representative = complete subject
What is the subject doing?
has been calling = predicate
The complete subject of the sentence includes the subject (a noun) plus all the words that describe or limit the subject (modifiers).
Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition

5. Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition
Subject Elements
A Sears representative has been calling you. What is the simple subject?
The heart of the complete subject is the simple subject (Manager).
A Sears representative has been calling you.
\_______/
simple subject
Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition

6. Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition
Subject Elements
A Sears representative has been calling you. What is the simple predicate? \____________/ simple predicate
Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition

7. Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition
Helping Verbs
Most frequently used helping verbs:
am is are was were been
have has had must can will
do did does ought might could
would should
Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition

8. Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition
Sentence Elements
To be a sentence, a group of words must make sense.
A set of instructions was issued.
\______________/ \________/
complete subject complete predicate
This sentence has a complete subject and a complete predicate and the sentence makes sense.
Note: Groups of words are often written and passed off as sentences; when in fact, they are incomplete thoughts that do not make sense.
Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition

9. Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition
Sentence Elements
To be a sentence, a group of words must make sense.
Being used to print the new manuals.
…does not make sense.
It’s a fragment.
Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition

10. Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition
Check your skill...
Select the complete subject. My new office is equipped with wireless Internet connection. \__________/ complete subject
Try your skill with these sentences.
First, does this sentence make sense?
Select the complete subject and then the complete predicate.
Select the complete predicate.
My new office is equipped with wireless Internet connection.
\_________________________________/ complete predicate
Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition

11. Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition
Check your skill...
Select the simple predicate.
My new office is equipped with wireless Internet connection.
\_______/ simple predicate
Select the simple subject.
My new office is equipped with wireless Internet connection.
\__/ simple subject
Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition

12. Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition
Check your skill...
Select the complete subject.
Our unit manager fired one of our best designers.
\_____________/
complete subject
Select the complete predicate.
\_______________________/ complete predicate
Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition

13. Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition
Check your skill...
Select the simple subject. Our unit manager fired one of our best designers. \_______/ simple subject Select the simple predicate. \___/ simple predicate
Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition

14. Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition
Sentence Faults
Three Types
Fragment
Comma Splice
Run-on Sentence
Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition

15. Sentence Faults: Fragments
A fragment is only part of a sentence.
When followed by a period, it is still a fragment, i.e. a grammatically incorrect sentence.
Which will be answered when we discuss the next chapter.
A student who won honours at graduation.
Fragments are groups of words broken off from preceding or succeeding sentences.
The words can’t function as a complete sentence.
To avoid fragments, be sure that each sentence has a subject and a verb and makes sense by itself.
Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition

16. Sentence Faults: Fragments
A fragment is only part of a sentence.
To correct this sentence fault, add the missing sentence elements.
This is one of the points which will be answered when we discuss the next chapter.
The student who won honours at graduation later went on to found her own successful business.
Fragments are groups of words broken off from preceding or succeeding sentences.
The words can’t function as a complete sentence.
To avoid fragments, be sure that each sentence has a subject and a verb and makes sense by itself.
Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition

17. Sentence Faults: Comma Splice
A comma splice results when two complete
sentences are incorrectly joined with a comma.
Stan took his vacation in June, Erin will take hers in July.
Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition

18. Sentence Faults: Comma Splice
A comma is not “strong” enough to splice two complete sentences together. The result, as here, is a comma splice.
Stan took his vacation in June, Erin will take hers in July.
Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition

19. Sentence Faults: Comma Splice
You can correct a comma splice by creating two separate sentences with a period that replaces the comma.
Stan took his vacation in June. Erin will take hers in July. 
Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition

20. Sentence Faults: Run-on
A run-on sentence (or fused sentence) results when two complete sentences are run together without punctuation.
We can’t continue to rely on oil and gas for our energy needs their supplies are finite.
Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition

21. Sentence Faults: Run-on
To correct a run-on (or fused) sentence, create two separate sentences by using a period at the end of the first complete thought.
We can’t continue to rely on oil and gas for our energy needs. Their supplies are finite. 
Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition

22. Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition
Check your skill...
Select the sentence fault.
1. If you approve of this expense.
a. Fragment
b. Comma Splice
c. Run-on Sentence A
Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition

23. Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition
Check your skill...
Select the sentence fault.
2. The stock market rallied briefly on Friday, the market did not reopen until Tuesday.
a. Fragment
b. Comma Splice
c. Run-on Sentence B
Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition

24. Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition
Check your skill...
Select the sentence fault.
3. Which was very considerate of them.
a. Fragment
b. Comma Splice
c. Run-on Sentence A
Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition

25. Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition
Check your skill...
Select the sentence fault.
4. Our panel is in the afternoon of the first day his panel is on the morning of the second.
a. Fragment
b. Comma Splice
c. Run-on Sentence C
Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition

26. Sentence Patterns Three Types of Sentence Patterns Subject – Verb
Subject – Action Verb – Object
Subject – Linking Verb – Complement
Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition

27. Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition
Sentence Patterns
Pattern No. 1
Subject Verb
She joined us later.
Somebody brought the coffee.
All the panellists spoke well.
Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition

28. Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition
Sentence Patterns
Pattern No. 2a
Subject Action Verb Object
She drove a convertible.
Somebody carried the message.
All the members marked their ballots.
The object usually answers the question WHAT? or WHOM?
Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition

29. Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition
Sentence Patterns
Pattern No. 2b
Subject Action Verb Indirect Direct
Object Object
Jim brought us the forms.
The dealer offered Sue a good price.
The basic sentence pattern may also employ an indirect object that usually answers the question TO WHOM?
Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition

30. Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition
Sentence Patterns
Pattern No. 3
Subject Linking Verb Complement
The treasurer is Ms. Andrews.
The visitor may have been he.
Their files are complete.
A complement is a noun, pronoun or adjective that renames or describes the subject. A complement completes the meaning of the subject.
A complement is a noun, pronoun, or adjective.
Ms. Andrews -- noun
he -- pronoun
neat -- adjective
Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition

31. Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition
Sentence Patterns
Sentences are said to be in inverted order when the verb precedes the subject.
Inverted Order: Approaching us slowly was my younger aunt.
Normal Order: My younger aunt was approaching us slowly.
In questions, the verb may precede the subject or may be interrupted by the subject.
In sentences beginning with HERE or THERE, the normal word is also inverted.
Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition

32. Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition
Check your skill...
Normalize the verb-subject order of this sentence.
Leading the charity drive is Renée Cornell.
Renée Cornell is leading the charity drive.
The office is closed, announced Sally.
Sally announced the office is closed.
Here are the materials.
The materials are here.
Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition

33. Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition
Sentence Types
Four Types
Statement
Question
Command
Exclamation
Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition

34. Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition
Sentence Types
Statement Jill opened the plenary session. Question Will Assaf speak later at the conference? Command Tell me who is next. Exclamation What an excellent presentation that was!
Canadian Business English, Fifth Edition