Chapter 22

Understanding the Sentence

M. Connelly 2012 adapted by M. Torres Almodvar

Chapter 22 Objectives

Realize that sentences express complete thoughts. Know the parts of speech. Understand the role of subjects and verbs. Recognize dependent and independent clauses.

M. Connelly 2012 adapted by M. Torres Almodvar

What is a Sentence?
A sentence is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb and states a complete thought.

M. Connelly 2012 adapted by M. Torres Almodvar

The Parts of Speech

Nouns: names of persons, places, things, or ideas Pronouns: take the place of nouns Verbs: express action; link ideas Adjectives: add information about nouns or pronouns Adverbs: add information about verbs, adjectives or other adverbs

M. Connelly 2012 adapted by M. Torres Almodvar

The Parts of Speech, continued

Prepositions: link nouns and pronouns, expressing relationships between related words Conjunctions: link related parts of a sentence

Interjections: express emotion or feeling that is not part of the basic sentence

M. Connelly 2012 adapted by M. Torres Almodvar

Subjects and Verbs

The two most important parts of any sentence are the subject and verb. The subject is the actor or main topic that explains what the sentence is about.

M. Connelly 2012 adapted by M. Torres Almodvar

Subjects and Verbs, continued

Subjects, which generally appear at the beginning of the sentence, may be a single word, several words, or a phrase.
Tanya drives a school bus. Tanya and Eric drive school busses. Driving a school bus requires skill.

M. Connelly 2012 adapted by M. Torres Almodvar

Gerunds as Subjects
Note: -ing verbs, called gerunds, can be used as subjects.
Swimming is fun. Smoking is unhealthy. Playing the piano takes practice.

M. Connelly 2012 adapted by M. Torres Almodvar

What are Nouns?

Nouns are names of people, places, ideas, or things:
Doctor (person) Basement (place) Liberty (idea) Television (thing)

Count nouns refer to things that may be singular or plural:

Car (singular) Cars (plural)

M. Connelly 2012 adapted by M. Torres Almodvar

What are Nouns?

Non-count nouns refer to things that have one form for both singular and plural.
Deer gymnastics

Nouns may be common or proper:

College (common) Triton Community College (proper)

M. Connelly 2012 adapted by M. Torres Almodvar

What are Pronouns?

Pronouns take the place of a noun and can be the subject, object, or possessive of a sentence:

Noun Doctor Students Computer

Pronoun He or she They It

M. Connelly 2012 adapted by M. Torres Almodvar

Types of Pronouns

Personal Relative Demonstrative Indefinite

M. Connelly 2012 adapted by M. Torres Almodvar

Personal Pronouns
Personal pronouns refer to people and have 3 forms depending on how they are used in the sentence:
Subjective works as a subject

Objective works as the object of a verb or preposition

Possessive shows ownership

M. Connelly 2012 adapted by M. Torres Almodvar

Personal Pronouns
Subjective Objective Possessive Plural Sing. Plural Sing. Plural Sing.
1st I person 2nd You person 3rd He person She We You They Me You Him Her Us You Them

My (mine) Our (ours) Your (yours) His (his) Her (hers) Your (yours) Their (theirs)

It

It

It (its)
M. Connelly 2012 adapted by M. Torres Almodvar

Relative Pronouns
Relative pronouns introduce noun and adjective clauses:
Who, whoever, whom, whose Which, whichever That, what, whatever

M. Connelly 2012 adapted by M. Torres Almodvar

Demonstrative Pronouns
Demonstrative pronouns indicate the noun they refer to (antecedent):
This That These Those

M. Connelly 2012 adapted by M. Torres Almodvar

Indefinite Pronouns
Indefinite pronouns refer to abstract persons or things:

Singular Another Everything Anyone Someone Anybody Somebody Anything Something Each No one Either Nobody Everyone Nothing Everybody Neither

Plural Both Few Many

Singular or Plural All Any More Most None Some

M. Connelly 2012 adapted by M. Torres Almodvar

Locating Hidden Subjects

Subjects dont always appear at the beginning of a sentence. Subjects are NOT possessive nouns, and they are NOT nouns in prepositional phrases. In inverted sentences, the subject follows the verb. Sometimes, the subject is the object of a possessive.
M. Connelly 2012 adapted by M. Torres Almodvar

Prepositional Phrases
Prepositions are words that express relationships Between ideas, usually regarding time and space.
About Above Across After Against Along Around Before Below During Except For From Inside Like Near Of Off Outside Over Over Past Since To Toward Under With Within Without
M. Connelly 2012 adapted by M. Torres Almodvar

Verbs
Verbs express action, link ideas, or help other verbs.
Action verbs show what the subject is doing. Linking verbs connect the subject to related ideas in the sentence. Helping Verbs assist the main verb by adding information.

M. Connelly 2012 adapted by M. Torres Almodvar

Verbs Also Tell Time

Past
She ran two miles yesterday.

Present
She runs two miles every day.

Future
She will run tonight.

M. Connelly 2012 adapted by M. Torres Almodvar

Verbs Are Either Singular or Plural

Singular:
She runs every day.
She is a runner.

Plural:
They run every day. They are runners.

M. Connelly 2012 adapted by M. Torres Almodvar

Verbs Must Agree With or Match their Subjects

Many subjects that look like plurals are actually singular:
Fifty dollars is not enough. The Senate is debating the new budget. United Technologies is a growth stock. The cost of oil is increasing.

M. Connelly 2012 adapted by M. Torres Almodvar

Building a Sentence With Independent and Dependent Clauses

Dependent clauses contain a subject and verb but do not express a complete thought
Because I take the bus to work Before Sara moved to Florida After they moved to San Antonio

M. Connelly 2012 adapted by M. Torres Almodvar

Building a Sentence With Independent and Dependent Clauses, continued

Independent clauses are groups of related words with a subject and verb that express a complete thought.
Because I take the bus to work, I never pay for parking. I wanted to have a party before Sara moved to Florida. After they moved to San Antonio, Sam and Dana opened a restaurant.

Every sentence contains at least one independent clause.

M. Connelly 2012 adapted by M. Torres Almodvar

Sentence Length
A sentence can consist of a single word if it expresses a complete thought.
Run!

In giving commands, the subject you is implied or understood.

Close the door.

Incomplete sentences phrases and dependent clauses are called fragments.

M. Connelly 2012 adapted by M. Torres Almodvar

A Note on Fragments

Incomplete sentences that fail to express a complete thought are called fragments. Although sometimes written for emphasis, fragments should be avoided in college writing.

M. Connelly 2012 adapted by M. Torres Almodvar

Points to Remember
1.

The sentence is the basic unit of written English. Sentences contain a subject and verb and express a complete thought.

2.

3.

Subjects explain what the sentence is about.

Verbs express action or link the subject to other words.
M. Connelly 2012 adapted by M. Torres Almodvar

4.

More Points to Remember

5.

Phrases are groups of related words that form parts of sentences.

6.

Dependent clauses are groups of related words with a subject and verb but do not state a complete thought. Independent clauses are groups of related words that contain a subject and verb and express a complete thought. All sentences contain at least one independent clause.
M. Connelly 2012 adapted by M. Torres Almodvar

7.

8.

Please see assignment to turn in for 214 online.

M. Connelly 2012 adapted by M. Torres Almodvar

Connelly, M. (2013). Get Writing: Paragraphs and Essays. Boston: Thomson Publishing Co.

M. Connelly 2012 adapted by M. Torres Almodvar