1. Chapter I: The Sentence Lecture 1: The basics
Learn to write
Chapter I: The Sentence
Lecture 1: The basics

2. The sentence Sentence sense Basic sentence patterns
Classification of sentences
Class work 1 2 3 4
Sentence

3. What is a “good”sentence?
There is too much space between “Horse” and “and” and “and” and “Cart”.
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.
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.
Sentence

4. What is a “good” sentence?
unity
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.
coherence
word order
completeness
Sentence

5. An effective sentence Unity Coherence Good order Completeness
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.
Sentence

6. Basic sentence patterns
Study the following sentences:
There was an old church there three years ago.
Up went the arrow into the air.
Happy is he who dedicates his life to mankind.
Terribly hot it certainly was.
Not a single word did he say.
Nothing would the little boy reply.
predicate
subject
predicative
1~2：主谓倒装
3~4：系表倒装
5~6：宾语倒装
object
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
Sentence

8. Basic sentence patterns
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
Sentence

9. Basic sentence patterns: Elements of sentences
Study the following sentences:
Please tell her as soon as you see her.
I have not a bench to sit on.
They tried to persuade her to go with them.
I saw them playing under the big peach tree.
Honestly speaking, I don’t like it at all.
adverbial of time
attribute
adverbial of manner
adverbial of place
independent element
adverbial of degree
Sentence

10. Basic sentence patterns: Elements of sentences
subject
predicate verb
Essential elements
the modified
object
appositive
predicative
object complement attribute
adverbial
Independent element
Secondary elements
modifiers
Sentence

11. Class work 1: Analyze the following sentences.
The sailor saw that the ship was sinking.
The thought that help was near kept our spirits up.
My opinion is that this story is false.
His education has made him what he is now.
The first thing I’m going to do this evening is to visit my former teacher.
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.
导入下张：其他影响 a good sentence的因素（不易看出的 errors）
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
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
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
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
Sentence

17. Classification of Sentences
Simple
Compound
Complex
Compound complex
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Sentence

24. Class work 3: Improve the following sentences.
Having no job and poor, the student had to drop out of school.
With the computer, one can do shopping, banking and read at home.
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
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
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
would
We can imagine what would happen if there were no electrical power.
Sentence

27. An effective sentence
Unity
Coherence
Good order
Completeness
Sentence

28. Basic sentence patterns
Subject + Verb
Subject + Verb Complement
Subject + Verb + direct Object
Subject + Verb + indirect Object + direct Object
Subject + Verb Object Complement
Subject + Verb Adverbial
Subject + Verb Object Adverbial
Sentence

29. Classification of Sentences
Simple
Compound
Complex
Compound complex
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
Sentence