Guide to Sentence Structure Expansion and Punctuation

HomeButton.png THE RHYTHM OF SENTENCES

HomeButton.png THE SIMPLE SENTENCE: NP (Noun Phrase) + VP (Verb Phrase) John hates the rain. He loves her. She broke his heart. Listen to the rain. Do you love the sound of rain?

HomeButton.png EXPANDING THE SIMPLE SENTENCE Expand a simple sentence by adding to the NP or to the VP, one of the these: 1) a prepositional phrase: John listened to the rain at night by the window in his room. 2) modifiers such as adjectives or adverbs The pouring rain soaked his best shirt. The rain poured relentlessly all through the week.

HomeButton.png 3. By compounding the subjects or the verbs: John and Mary sat silently at the dinner table. The lovers wondered and worried about each other s feelings.

HomeButton.png THE COMPOUND SENTENCE: NP + VP + NP + VP John hates the rain, but he loves cloudy days. He loves her, yet she broke his heart. Listen to the falling rain, for it can drown out sorrow. Is your love stronger than steel, or will it shatter like glass?

HomeButton.png Memorize these 7 coordinating conjunctions: AND BUT FOR NOR OR SO YET

HomeButton.png Punctuating the Compond Sentence 1. Use a comma and a coordinating conjunction: He wanted to propose to her, but he didn t have the courage. She hoped to hear from him, so she sat by the phone for months. Are you afraid of love, or do you prefer to live alone?

HomeButton.png Punctuating the Compound Sentence 2. Use a semi-colon alone or with a conjunctive adverb or transitional phrase He wanted to propose to her;he didn t have the courage. She hoped to hear from him; consequently, she waited ten years. John had never dated in high school; as a result, he didn t know anything about girls.

HomeButton.png NOTE: A semicolon MUST be used whenever a coordinating conjunction does NOT appear between independent clauses. Using only a comma - or a comma and a conjunctive adverb or transitional phrase creates an error known as a comma splice.

HomeButton.png Common Conjunctive Adverbs Accordingly, also, anyway, besides, certainly, consequently, conversely, finally, furthermore, however, indeed, instead, likewise, meanwhile, moreover, nevertheless, next, nonetheless, now, otherwise, similarly, specifically, still, subsequently, then, therefore, thus

HomeButton.png COMMON TRANSITIONAL PHRASES After all, as a matter of fact, as a result, at any rate, at the same time, even so, for example, for instance, in addition, in conclusion, in fact, in other words, in the first place, on the contrary, on the other hand

HomeButton.png TEST YOUR UNDERSTANDING Identify the simple sentences and the compound sentences: A) He lives all alone in the house on the hill. B) John never asked Mary for a date, so she finally married Tom. C) Love can be cruel and painful. D) Don t fall in love, for love will swallow you up. E) How much do I love you? Let me count the ways.

HomeButton.png COMPLEX SENTENCE: NP + VP + Subordinating conjunction + NP + VP John loves Mary because she reminds him of his mother. Mary decided not to marry John even though she loved him. The rain stopped when the sun came out. John proposed to Mary after they had been dating only three weeks. NOTE: You do not use any punctuation when the subordinating conjunction joins these two phrases. The subordinating conjunction makes the second phrase a dependent clause.

HomeButton.png COMPLEX SENTENCE WITH DEPENDENT PHRASE FIRST What happens when the order of the complex sentence is reversed? Because Mary reminded John of his mother, he fell in love with her. Even though Mary loved John, she turned him down. When the sun came out, it was still raining in his heart. After dating only three weeks, they decided to get married. Note: a comma separates the dependent clause from the main clause.

HomeButton.png A LIST OF COMMON SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS Although, after, as, because, before due to , even though, even if, If, since, though, until, when, while

HomeButton.png THE COMPOUND-COMPLEX SENTENCE This sentence is as complex as you can get! It must, however, follow the rules for forming both compound sentences and complex sentences, using proper punctuation. Mary didn t understand John, but she wanted to know him better because he seemed funny and charming.

HomeButton.png Even though he d known her for over a year, he felt something missing between them; his intuition told him that they were not meant to be together, so he never called her again. Single s Day is not just for singles to celebrate their singleness but for everyone else to remember the day when love touched them and their single status changed forever.

HomeButton.png Test your understanding Which sentences are simple, compound, complex, or compound-complex? Because John was so shy, he couldn't find the courage to talk to Mary. Finding your partner in life can be a very difficult task. If you love someone, you better let that person know.

HomeButton.png Love may surprise you, but you must recognize it when it does. The rain fell, love failed, so John lived an unfulfilled life while Mary moved on with Tom.