1. Grammar: Sentence Structure
This workshop will:
Refresh your understanding of grammar terminology
Cover subjects and objects of sentences; simple, compound and complex sentences; and different clause types for speakers of English
Provide on opportunity to practice and follow-on activities for you to be able to continue to improve your grammar.
Complete register and LHS grid on feedback sheet
Is aimed at Level 1 undergraduates
Louise Livesey
Academic Skills Adviser
11/21/2018
Academic Skills Advice

2. Academic Skills Advice
Today’s plan
Subjects and objects in sentences
Complete and incomplete sentences
What a clause is
Different types of clauses and sentences
All appear on one
1Basics to warm you up
2Basic parts of a sentence, and how clauses work in sentences
3Passive and active voices
4What to do and what to avoid
5Will ask you later what these are
11/21/2018
Academic Skills Advice

3. Academic Skills Advice
1.Subjects and objectives in sentences
A sentence must have a subject and a verb connected to it; it may also have an object.
A SUBJECT ‘does’ the ‘doing’ or action of a verb,
 e.g. The DOG bit the cat – DOG is the subject as it is doing the biting.
A VERB is the ‘doing’ part of a sentence,
 e.g. The dog BIT the cat – BIT is the verb as it is the action
An OBJECT is the one that is having the ‘doing’ or action ‘done’ to it,
 e.g. The dog bit the CAT – CAT is the object as it is the thing that is being bitten.
11/21/2018
Academic Skills Advice

4. 1.Subjects and objectives in sentences
Which is the subject, verb and object?
Bradford University attracts students from all over the world
Matt tidied his room and washed the breakfast dishes. It was Mothers’ Day and he’d forgotten to buy a card and present.
Click: ? And Bradford uni….
Click: Answer in colours
Click: Matt
Click: Answer Matt
11/21/2018
Academic Skills Advice

5. Academic Skills Advice
1.Subjects and objectives in sentences
11/21/2018
Academic Skills Advice

6. Academic Skills Advice
1.Subjects and objectives in sentences
Activity 1: Which is the subject and object?
30 English Language students were invited to participate in the study by their tutor.
Measuring the model’s speed proved difficult due to problems with the device the students developed.
The researcher injected the bacterium with solution A.
A high temperature in a patient can indicate the presence of many diseases or infections.
Click for each question and answer
11/21/2018
Academic Skills Advice

7. Academic Skills Advice
2.Complete and incomplete sentences
To be complete, a sentence needs a subject and a main verb. As such, it carries an idea and makes sense on its own. But a sentence does not need an object.
Example: The results of the experiment were recorded.
subject verb
(by me)
object
Click for by me/brace/object together
11/21/2018
Academic Skills Advice

8. Academic Skills Advice
2.Complete and incomplete sentences
Using statistics to confuse the reader as much as anything else.
expectation of main verb
Using statistics to confuse the reader is a deliberate ploy by the government.
expectation met ?
Click for first sentence with expectation and brace
Click for second sentence with expectation met and brace
Click for as much as anything brace and ?
11/21/2018
Academic Skills Advice

9. Academic Skills Advice
2.Complete and incomplete sentences
Incomplete sentence
In spite of all the changes that had taken place and how much the situation had altered in the intervening years, education is still the subject of debate regarding examination pass standards.
Activity 2: complete or incomplete?
Complete sentence
Approaches to some projects required fresh thinking with (meaning ‘due to’) the arrival of environmental engineering.
TP already there
One click for incomp (answer)
One click for answer
One click for Activity 1
One click for comp sentence
11/21/2018
Academic Skills Advice

10. Academic Skills Advice
3.What a clause is
A clause is just a building block of a sentence with each one adding to the overall detail of a sentence.
A clause is a group of words that may or may not have a complete meaning on their own.
A sentence may contain more than one clause, but must have one main clause.
Blank and then all appears on click
Ask students what a clause is.
11/21/2018
Academic Skills Advice

11. Academic Skills Advice
4.Different types of clauses and sentences
Main clauses:
a sentence must have one
a sentence may consist only of one clause
Co-ordinated clauses: a sentence may consist of two main clauses that make sense of their own, linked by a conjunction – this is a compound sentence.
Other clauses: a sentence may consist of a main clause and one or more other non-main clauses which would not make sense on their own; they may follow one another or one may be within another – this is a complex sentence.
Other information:
clauses are normally separated by commas
a main clause does not does not have to begin a sentence
a clause that is not a main clause does not have to have a verb or subject
All text appears on one click, (don’t click until gone through text) sound on another click
Talk through – are you bored yet?
See workbook for exercises on sentences and clauses and do 2 minutes worth
11/21/2018
Academic Skills Advice

12. Academic Skills Advice
4.Different types of clauses and sentences
The jury system is a central plank of the British legal system. A number of critics of it who say that it is outdated. Many cases too complex for ordinary members of the public. The result they feel that juries should not be used any longer.
TALKING POINT
The jury system is a central plank of the British legal system, although a number of critics of it say that it is outdated with many cases being too complex for ordinary members of the public. Therefore, they feel juries should not be used any longer.
Activity 3: Sentences and clauses
A number of reasons why the ruling party might lose the next election. The state of the economy is probably the top one. Many people are losing jobs and businesses are unable to attract investment. A growing loss of faith in the government.
 There are a number of reasons why the ruling party might lose the next election, with the state of the economy probably being the top one. Many people are losing jobs and businesses are unable to attract investment generating a growing loss of faith in the government.
TV watchers could not believe how many people the protest attracted. Despite one of the wettest days of the year. On every street in the city centre, hundreds of protestors. Carrying slogans and denounced the government’s policies.
 TV watchers could not believe how many people the protest attracted, despite it being held on one of the wettest days of the year. On every street in the city centre, hundreds of protestors carried slogans and denounced the government’s policies.
Click for each question and answer separately
11/21/2018
Academic Skills Advice

13. Academic Skills Advice
Question: who can you go to in the university for proof-reading, assignment checking or assisted editing?
Nobody
Question has click, answer has click
Finish feedback sheet, all resources will be online overnight, all workshops are listed on our website
11/21/2018
Academic Skills Advice

14. Academic Skills Advice
References
Clip art: alarm/tired/bricks/questions Cottrell, Stella (2008) The Study Skills Handbook, 3rd. edn. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Jakeman, M., Harrison, V. and Paterson K. (2012) Improve your Grammar. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan. Pet care tips; advice and information (2012) Cat bitten by dog. Available at: (Accessed )
11/21/2018
Academic Skills Advice

15. Academic Skills Advice Service
Where are we? Chesham Building B0.23. Give us a call or come speak to us Monday-Thursday 10am-12pm and 1pm-4pm
Who am I? Louise, the dedicated workshop adviser.
Who can help me with study and writing skills? Lucy and Russell run Instant Study Skills Advice sessions Monday-Thursday and Writing Skills Clinics twice a week. You can also access self-help resources on our webpage.
Who can give me maths advice? Helen and Michael specialise in Maths support for students though clinics and pre-booked appointments.
How do I get in touch? Telephone:
21/11/2018
Academic Skills Advice

16. Academic Skills Advice
Any questions?
Produced by Louise Livesey May 2014
11/21/2018
Academic Skills Advice