Sentence Structure for Students and Teachers

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A TEACHER'S GUIDE TO Judgement Structure

The purpose of this commodity is to inform teachers and students about writing peachy sentences for all text types and genres. I would also recommend reading our consummate guide to writing a great paragraph here. In both of these articles, you will notice some neat communication, teaching ideas, and resources.

WHAT IS Sentence STRUCTURE?

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When we talk about 'sentence structure', nosotros are discussing the various elements of a sentence and how these elements are organized on the page to convey the desired issue.

Writing well in terms of sentence structure requires our students to become familiar with various elements of grammar, too as the various types of sentences that exist in English.

In this commodity, nosotros volition explore these areas and discuss various ideas and activities y'all can use in the classroom to help your students on the road to mastering these unlike sentence structures. This volition assist to brand their writing clearer and more interesting in the process.

TYPES OF Judgement

In English, there are 4 types of sentences that students need to become their heads effectually. They are:

  • Uncomplicated sentences
  • Compound sentences
  • Complex sentences
  • Chemical compound-complex sentences

Mastering these iv types of sentences will enable students to clear themselves finer and with personality and style.

Achieving this necessarily takes plenty of practice, just the process begins with ensuring that each student has a firm grasp on how each type of sentence structure works.

But, before nosotros begin to examine these different types of construction, we demand to ensure our students empathize the difference between independent and dependent clauses. Agreement clauses and how they work will arrive much easier for students to grasp the different types of sentences that follow.

A Consummate UNIT ON Judgement STRUCTURE

sentence structure unit

This completeSENTENCE Structure UNIT is designed to take students from zero to hero overFIVE STRATEGIC LESSONS to ameliorateSENTENCE WRITING SKILLS throughPROVEN Education STRATEGIES. Covering

  • Clauses
  • Fragment or Sentence?
  • Simple Sentences
  • Compound Sentences
  • Circuitous Sentences
  • Compound-Complex Sentences
  • FANBOYS with Run-ons

SENTENCE CLAUSES

Contained Clauses

Put just, clauses are parts of a sentence containing a verb. An contained clause tin can stand by itself every bit a complete sentence. It expresses a complete thought or thought and contains a subject and a verb  – more than on this presently!

Dependent Clauses / Subordinate Clauses

Dependent clauses, on the other hand, are non complete sentences and cannot stand up by themselves. They do non limited a complete idea. To go complete, they must be attached to an independent clause. Dependent clauses are too known equally subordinate clauses.

A adept fashion to illustrate the difference between the ii is by providing an instance that contains both.

For example:

Even though I am tired, I am going to piece of work tonight .

Every bit the non-underlined portion of the sentence doesn't piece of work as a judgement on its own, information technology is a dependent clause. The underlined portion of the sentence could operate as a judgement in its own correct and it is, therefore, an independent clause.

Now we've got clauses out of the way, nosotros're ready to take a look at each blazon of judgement in plow.

Elementary Sentences

Simple sentences are, unsurprisingly, the easiest blazon of sentence for students to grasp and construct for themselves. Often these types of sentences volition be the first sentences that children write by themselves and they follow the well-known Subject areaVerbObject or SVO blueprint.

The subject of the sentence will exist the noun that begins the judgement. This may be a person, place, or thing, but, most importantly, it is the doer of the action in the sentence.

The action itself will be encapsulated past the verb, which is the action discussion that describes what the doer does.

The object of the sentence follows the verb and describes that which receives the action.

This is once more best illustrated by an example. Take a look at the elementary sentence beneath:

Tom ate many cookies.

In this piece of cake example, the doer of the activity is Tom, the action is ate, and the receiver of the action is the many cookies.

Therefore,

Subject = Tom

Verb = ate

Object = many cookies

After a piddling practise, students will become adept at recognizing SVO sentences and forming their ain. Information technology'south important to point out too that unproblematic sentences don't take to necessarily be curt.

For example:

This inquiry reveals that an active lifestyle can take a great impact for the good on the life expectancy of the average person.

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Despite this sentence looking more than sophisticated (and longer!), this is even so a elementary sentence as information technology follows the SVO structure:

Subject = research

Verb = reveals

Object = that an active lifestyle tin can take a not bad impact for the skilful on the life expectancy of the boilerplate person.

Though basic in structure, information technology is important to point out that the simple sentence is often the perfect structure to bargain with complex ideas. Simple sentences can exist an effective way to provide clarity and efficiency of expression breaking downwardly complex ideas into manageable chunks.

Simple Judgement Reinforcement Activity

To ensure your students have a strong grasp of the uncomplicated judgement structure, have them become through a photocopied text pitched at a language level suited to their age and ability.

On the kickoff run-through, accept students identify and highlight simple sentences in the text. And so, students should use various colors of pens to pick out and underline the field of study, the verb, and the object in each sentence.

This activity helps ensure a articulate agreement of how this structure works, also equally helping to internalize it. This will reap rich rewards for students when they come up to the next stage and it's time for them to write their own sentences using this basic blueprint.

Later students have mastered combining subjects, verbs, and objects into both long and curt sentences, they volition exist ready to motion onto the other iii types of sentence, the side by side of which is the chemical compound judgement.

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sentence structure | Sentence Structure: A Complete Guide (With Examples & Tasks) | literacyideas.com
FOLLOW THESE EXAMPLES TO MAKE SENSE OF SIMPLE, Circuitous AND Chemical compound SENTENCES

Reinforcement Activeness

Chemical compound SENTENCES

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While uncomplicated sentences consist of ane clause with a subject and a verb, chemical compound sentences combine at to the lowest degree 2 independent clauses that are joined together with a coordinating conjunction.

At that place's a useful acronym to assistance students remember these analogous conjunctions – FANBOYS .

For

And

Nor

But

Or

Yet

So

sentence structure | FANBOYS | Sentence Structure: A Complete Guide (With Examples & Tasks) | literacyideas.com

Some of these conjunctions volition be more frequently used than others, with the most commonly used being and, only, or, and so.

Whichever of the conjunctions the student is choosing to utilise, it volition connect the two halves of the compound sentence – each of which could stand up alone equally a complete sentence.

Compound sentences are an important way of bringing variety and rhythm to a piece of writing. The conclusion to join two sentences together into one longer compound sentence is made due to the fact that there is a strong relationship between the 2, but it is important to remind students that they need non necessarily be joined as they can remain as carve up sentences.

The decision to join or non is often a stylistic 1.

For case, the two uncomplicated sentences:

1. She ran to the schoolhouse.

ii. The school was closed.

Can exist easily joined together with a coordinating conjunction that reveals an important relationship between the 2:

She ran to the school, but the school was closed.

Equally a bonus, while working on chemical compound sentences, a convenient opportunity arises to introduce a right usage of the semicolon. Often, where two clauses are joined with a conjunction, that conjunction can exist replaced with a semicolon when the two parts of the sentence are related, for case:

She ran to the school; the schoolhouse was closed.

While y'all may non wish to muddy the waters by introducing the semicolon while dealing with compound sentences, more advanced students may benefit from making the link here.

Reinforcement Action:

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THESE BOOKS Incorporate RHYMING PATTERNS WHICH IS PERFECT FOR THIS Activeness

A good way for students to practice forming compound sentences is to provide them with copies of simple books from early on in a reading scheme. Books for emergent readers are oft written in simple sentences that form repetitive patterns that help children internalize various patterns of language.

Challenge your students to rewrite some of these texts using compound sentences where advisable. This will provide valuable do at spotting such opportunities in their own writing, as well as experience in selecting the appropriate conjunction.

Complex SENTENCES

In that location are various means to construct complex sentences, but essentially any complex judgement will incorporate at least one independent and one dependent clause. Withal, these clauses are not joined by coordinating conjunctions. Instead, subordinating conjunctions are used.

Hither are some examples of subordinating conjunctions:

after

although

every bit

as long as

considering

before

even if

if

in order to

in case

one time

that

though

until

when

whenever

wherever

while

Subordinating conjunctions join dependent and contained clauses together. They provide a transition between the two ideas in the judgement. This transition will involve a fourth dimension, identify, or a crusade and effect human relationship. The more important idea is contained in the sentence'southward main clause, while the less important idea is introduced by the subordinating conjunction.

For example:

Although Catherine ran to school , she didn't get there in time.

We can see that the outset part of this complex sentence (in assuming) is a dependent clause that cannot stand solitary. This fragment begins with the subordinating conjunction 'although' which joins it to, and expresses the relationship with, the contained clause which follows.

When complex sentences are organized this way (with the dependent clause showtime), you'll note the comma separates the dependent clause from the contained clause. If the construction is reorganized to identify the independent clause first, with the dependent clause post-obit, then in that location is no demand for this comma.

For example:

Yous will not do well if you decline to study.

Complex sentences can be great tools for students to not but bring variety to their writing, but to explore compex ideas, set up comparisons and contrasts, and convey cause and effect.

Reinforcement Action

sentence structure | 1 task done solid | Sentence Structure: A Complete Guide (With Examples & Tasks) | literacyideas.com

A useful way to practice writing circuitous sentences is to provide students with a subordinating conjunction and dependent clause and challenge them to provide a suitable independent clause to finish out the sentence.

For instance:

After returning home for work,…

or,

Although information technology was late,…

You may also flip this and provide the independent clause first, earlier challenging them to come up up with a suitable dependent clause and subordinating conjunction to cease out the sentence.

DOWNLOAD OUR 52 DIGITAL WRITING Periodical TASKS

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Our FUN X Infinitesimal DAILY WRITING TASKS will teach your students the fundamentals of creative writing across all text types. These 52 excellent Contained TASKS are perfect for DISTANCE LEARNING.

These EDITABLE Journals are purpose-built for DIGITAL DEVICES on platforms such as Google Classroom, SeeSaw and Function 365. Alternately you lot can print them out and use them as a traditional writing activity.

Compound-COMPLEX SENTENCES

Compound-complex sentences are, not surprisingly, the most difficult for students to write well. If, notwithstanding, your students have put the work in to gain a firm grasp of the preceding three judgement types, then they should manage these competently with a petty practice.

Prior to pedagogy compound-complex sentences, information technology'll exist worth request your students if they tin make an educated gauge at a definition of this type of sentence based on its title lonely.

The more astute among your students may well exist able to piece of work out that a compound-circuitous sentence refers to joining a compound sentence with a complex one. More than accurately, a compound-complex sentence combines at least 2 contained clauses and 1 dependent clause.

Since the school was airtight, Sarah ran abode and her mum made her some breakfast.

Nosotros tin can encounter here the judgement begins with a dependent clause followed by a compound judgement. We can as well see a complex sentence nestled in there if we look at just the bracketed content in the version below.

( Since the schoolhouse was closed, Sarah ran dwelling ) and her mum made her some breakfast.

As circuitous sentences go, this is a fairly straightforward example, but they can come in lots of guises, containing lots more data while nonetheless conforming to the compound-complex structure.

For example:

Because most visitors to the city regularly miss out on the great bargains available here, local companies effort to attract tourists to their businesses and to help them understand how to access the all-time deals the majuscule has to offer.

In that location is a lot going on in this sentence, but on closer examination, it follows the same structure as the previous one. That is, it opens with a dependent clause (that starts with subordinating conjunction) and is so followed by a compound sentence.

With practice, your students will soon exist able to quickly place these more than sophisticated types of sentence and also produce their own examples too.

Chemical compound-complex sentences can bring diverseness to a piece of writing and can assistance to clear complex things. Withal, information technology is important to encourage students to pay detail attention to the placement of commas in these sentences to ensure readers do non become confused. Encourage students to proofread all their writing, but specially when writing longer, more than structurally sophisticated sentences such equally these.

Reinforcement Activity:

sentence structure | 1 task done solid | Sentence Structure: A Complete Guide (With Examples & Tasks) | literacyideas.com

You could begin reinforcing student understanding of compound-complex sentences by providing them with a handout featuring a number of examples of this blazon of sentence.

Working in pairs or pocket-sized groups, have the students place and mark the independent clauses (more than than i) and dependent clauses (at least ane) in each judgement. When students tin practice this confidently, they can then begin to attempt to compose their own sentences.

Another adept activity that works well equally a summary to sentence structure work is to provide the students with a collection of jumbled sentences of each of the 4 types.

sentence structure | 1 sentence structure group work | Sentence Structure: A Complete Guide (With Examples & Tasks) | literacyideas.com

Challenge the students to sort the sentences into each of the 4 types. In a plenary, compare the findings of each group and examine together those sentences where the groups disagreed on their categorization.

In teaching judgement structure, it is important to emphasize to our students that though the terminology may seem quite daunting at first, they volition rapidly come to understand how each structure works and recognize them when they come beyond them in a text.

Often, especially for native English speakers, much of this is done by experience. Just as someone may exist a competent cyclist and struggle to explain the process verbally, grammer can at times feel like a barrier to the doing.

Be sure to make lots of fourth dimension for students to bridge the gap between the theoretical and the applied by offering opportunities to engage in activities that allow students to get creative in producing their own sentences.

WRITING CHECKLISTS FOR ALL TEXT TYPES

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WHAT IS A SENTENCE FRAGMENT?

A sentence fragment is a drove of words that looks similar to a sentence, but actually isn't a consummate sentence. Sentence fragments ordinarily lack a subject field or verb, or don't express a complete thought. Whilst a fragmented sentence tin be punctuated to appear similar to a complete sentence it is no substitute for a sentence.

Sentence fragment features:

These are the distinguishing features of a sentence fragment:

  • It lacks a subject area
    • Example: Jumped farther than a Kangaroo. (Who jumped?)
  • It lacks a verb or has the wrong verb class
    • Example: My favorite math teacher.  (What did the instructor do or say?)
  • Information technology is a remainder phrase
    • Instance: For amend or worse.  (What is improve or worse? What is it modifying?)
  • Information technology is an abased clause
    • Example: When my female parent married my male parent.  (What happened when "my female parent married my father?")
  • Information technology is an improper use of "such as, for instance, specially," etc.
    • Case: Such every bit, my blood brother was practicing martial arts.  (It is unclear; did something happen when my brother was practicing martial arts?)

The methods for correcting a judgement fragment are varied but essentially it will boil downwards to three options. Either to attach it to a nearby sentence, revise and add the missing elements or rewrite the unabridged passage or fragment until they are operating in sync with each other.

SENTENCE Construction VIDEO TUTORIALS

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The content for this page has been written past Shane Mac Donnchaidh.  A former principal of an international school and university English lecturer with 15 years of teaching and administration experience. Shane's latest Book the Complete Guide to Nonfiction Writing can be constitute here.  Editing and support for this article have been provided past the literacyideas team.