3.02: Chapter 9: The Basic Elements of a Sentence (2024)

  1. Last updated
  2. Save as PDF
  • Page ID
    134476

    \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash{#1}}} \)

    \( \newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)

    ( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\)

    \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\)

    \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\)

    \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\)

    \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\)

    \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\)

    \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\)

    \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\vectorA}[1]{\vec{#1}} % arrow\)

    \( \newcommand{\vectorAt}[1]{\vec{\text{#1}}} % arrow\)

    \( \newcommand{\vectorB}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\vectorC}[1]{\textbf{#1}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\vectorD}[1]{\overrightarrow{#1}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\vectorDt}[1]{\overrightarrow{\text{#1}}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\vectE}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash{\mathbf {#1}}}} \)

    \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash{#1}}} \)

    \(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)

    10

    Chapter 9: The Basic Elements of a Sentence

    Rebekah Bennetch, Corey Owen, and Zachary Keesey

    Learning Objectives

    By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

    • Recognize the difference between a clause and phrase
    • Distinguish between an independent clause and a dependent clause
    • Identify and explain the four different sentence structures (simple, compound, complex, compound-complex)

    Key Terms and Concepts

    • phrase
    • clause
    • independent clause
    • dependent clause
    • coordinating conjunction
    • subordinate conjunction

    Unsurprisingly, you are required to submit written assignments for this course. Your own level of comfort in this area will be different from that of other students, but like all skills, writing is improved through practice. All of us have strengths when it comes to writing, and all of us have areas we can improve.

    We’re going to start small right now and focus on sentence level issues that can harm your writing. This way, we have a common language as we discuss this topic. After that, you’ll have a chance to pick a common writing issue that is relevant to you.

    Let’s start by going over basic grammatical terms that you will need to know for this section.

    Exercise #1: Grammar Vocabulary Self-Assessment

    Below you will see some flash cards with grammatical terms. These are all terms that we will mention through out this technical writing section. Try to predict what you think these words mean. If you can’t define the word, can you come up with an example? If the definitions don’t make sense yet, that’s okay! We’ll go into these things later. This assessment is just for your to test your own knowledge.

    The original version of this chapter contained H5P content. You may want to remove or replace this element.

    When building anything, be it a car, a house, or even a sentence, it is important to be familiar with the tools you are using. For this course, grammatical elements are the main “tools” you use when when building sentences and longer written works such as reports. Thus, it is critical to have some understanding of grammatical terminology in order to construct effective sentences. If you would like to review some basic parts of speech (nouns, pronouns, articles, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, etc), see the Parts of Speech Overview at the Purdue OWL website. Now let’s get into it!

    The two essential parts of a sentence are the subject and the verb. The subject refers to the topic being discussed while the verb conveys the action or state of being expressed in the sentence. When you combine these two elements, you get a clause. All clauses must contain both a subject and a verb.

    Here are two simple examples of a clause.

    (1) I walk.
    (2) I eat food. Both sentences have a subject and a verb, so they are clauses. There are two types of clauses in writing: an independent clause and a dependent clause.

    There are also phrases, which lack either a subject or a verb, or both, so they need to relate to or modify other parts of the sentence. Don’t worry about that too much about phrases though. We are going to focus on clauses here.

    Independentclauses, also called main clauses, can stand on their own and convey an idea. Let’s look at some examples.

    Here is a sentence:

    The engineers stood around the table looking at schematics for the machine.

    Can you identify the subject, verb, clause, and phrase in that sentence? If not, that’s okay.

    Here’s a break down of the difference parts of the sentence.

    3.02: Chapter 9: The Basic Elements of a Sentence (1)

    Notice the independent clause [The engineers stood around the table] is a complete idea. If we took at the phrase, the independent clause would work as a complete sentence. The phrase [looking at schematics for the machine] is not. It has a verb [looking], but not a subject, which is why it isn’t a clause. It could not be a complete sentence on its own.

    Dependentclauses rely on another part of the sentence for meaning and can’t stand on their own.

    Here’s an example:

    After they discussed different options, they decided to re-design the the components.

    Can you identify the different parts we have discussed so far? Below is a break down of the sentence.

    3.02: Chapter 9: The Basic Elements of a Sentence (2)

    Sentence 2 has one dependent clause and one independent clause, each with its own subject-verb combination [“they discussed” and “they decided”]. The two clauses are joined by the subordinate conjunction, “after,” which makes the first clause subordinate to (or dependent upon) the second one.

    Being able to identify the critical parts of the sentence will help you design sentences that have a clear and effective subject-verb relationship.

    If you need some more guidance on clauses, please watch one or both of the videos below. The first video takes a humorous approach, while the second is more formal.

    3.02: Chapter 9: The Basic Elements of a Sentence (3)

    A YouTube element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here: https://pb.libretexts.org/effective/?p=55

    Link to Original Video: https://tinyurl.com/holidayclause

    3.02: Chapter 9: The Basic Elements of a Sentence (4)

    A YouTube element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here: https://pb.libretexts.org/effective/?p=55

    Link to Original Video: https://tinyurl.com/indepclauses

    Exercise #2: Identify the Clause

    In this activity, you will identify all the words in either the independent clause or dependent clause in a sentence. You must click on all the words that are part of that clause to get the points.

    For example, if you are supposed to identify an independent clause, and your sentence is

    I will go to work after I eat breakfast.

    you would click on “I” “will” “go” “to” and “work”

    If you are supposed to identify a dependent clause for the same sentence, you would click on “after” “I” “eat” and “breakfast”.

    The original version of this chapter contained H5P content. You may want to remove or replace this element.

    Sentence structures are how we combine independent clauses, dependent clauses, and phrases to create complete ideas in our writing. There are four main types of sentence structures: simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex. In the examples above, Sentence 1 is a simple sentence, while Sentence 2 is complex.

    We will go over each sentence structure now.

    SIMPLE SENTENCES have one main clause clause and any number of phrases. Below is the formula for a simple sentence.

    subject + verb

    The following are all examples of simple sentences:

    • A simple sentence can be very effective.
    • It makes one direct point.
    • It is good for creating emphasis and clarity.
    • Too many in a row can sound repetitive and choppy.
    • Varied sentence structure sounds more natural.

    Can you identify the subject, verb, and phrases (if any) in the above sentences?

    COMPOUND SENTENCES have two or more main clauses joined by coordinatingconjunctions (CC) such as and, but, for, yet, nor, or, so. A common acronym for remembering all of the conjunctions is FANBOYS. You can also connect them using punctuation such as a semi-colon or a colon. By coordinating the ideas, you are giving them roughly equal weight and importance.

    Please note that these coordinating conjunctions are different from subordinate conjunctions, which show a generally unequal relationship between the clauses.

    Below is the formula for a compound sentence:

    subject + verb, CC subject + verb

    The following sentences are all compound. The coordinating conjunctions are all in bold:

    • A compound sentence coordinates two ideas, and each idea is given roughly equal weight.
    • The two ideas are closely related, so you don’t want to separate them with a period.
    • The two clauses make up part of the same idea, so they should be part of the same sentence.
    • The two clauses may express a parallel idea, and they might also have a parallel structure.
    • You must remember to include the coordinating conjunction, or you may commit a comma splice.

    In formal writing, avoid beginning a sentence with a coordinating conjunction.

    COMPLEX SENTENCES express complex and usually unequal relationships between ideas. One idea is “subordinated” to the main idea by using a subordinate conjunction (like “while” or “although”). One idea is “dependent” upon the other one for logic and completeness. Complex sentences include one main clause and at least one dependent clause (see Example 2 above). Often, it is stylistically effective to begin your sentence with the dependent clause, and place the main clause at the end for emphasis.

    subord. conjunction + subject + verb (this is the dependent clause), subject + verb (this is the indendent clause)

    The following are all examples of complex sentences. Subordinate conjunctions are in bold.

    • When you make a complex sentence, you subordinate one idea to another.
    • If you place the subordinate clause first, you give added emphasis to the main clause at the end.
    • Subordinate clauses cannot stand on their own. Despite the fact that many students try to use them that way.x (fragment – replace the period with a comma to fix this error)

    Check out this link for a list of subordinate conjunctions if you would like to see more examples.

    COMPOUND-COMPLEX SENTENCES have at least two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause. Because a compound-complex sentence is usually quite long, you must be careful that it makes sense; it is easy for the reader to get lost in a long sentence. Given the complex nature of the structure, let’s look at a few examples and break them down into their parts

    Alphonse doesn’t like action movies because they are so loud, so he doesn’t watch them.

    Independent Clause #1: Alphonse doesn’t like action movies.

    Dependent Clause: because they are so loud

    Independent Clause #2: he doesn’t watch them.

    Although it will be close, I think we will meet the deadline, and we will complete the project.

    Dependent Clause: Although it will be close

    Independent Clause #1: I think we will meet the deadline

    Independent Clause #2: we will complete the project.

    While our supervisor can be a bit of a jerk at times, he genuinely cares about the work and he wants to see us succeed.

    Dependent Clause: While our supervisor can be a bit of a jerk at times

    Independent Clause #1: he genuinely cares about the work

    Independent Clause #2: he wants to see us succeed

    EXERCISE #3 Identifying Sentence Types

    Read the sentences below and identify which sentence structure is being used.

    The original version of this chapter contained H5P content. You may want to remove or replace this element.

    EXERCISE #4: Combining sentences

    Below are two sentences separated by a line ( | ). Combine the pair of sentences to make one idea subordinate to the other. You can do this by either writing them down, or thinking it in your brain. When you have an answer, click on the sentences to see two possible answers.

    Notice the impression you convey by how you subordinate one idea to another. If your combined sentence was a topic sentence for a paragraph, what idea would the reader expect that paragraph to emphasize?

    The original version of this chapter contained H5P content. You may want to remove or replace this element.

    Now that you have an idea of different sentence structures, let’s focus on specific issues that can damage your writing. Below, you will find links to other chapters, each with it’s own specific writing focus. Since everyone’s needs are going to be different, we want you to focus on one chapter that you think you need the most help with. Each section will have activities for you to do to check your understanding of the content.

    If you’re not sure which to choose, ask your self the questions below. If you don’t know the answer, then click the link to be taken to the appropriate section.

    • Are your sentences often too short, and not conveying complete ideas? (Sentence Fragments)
    • Do you write in long, confusing sentences and not know how to break them up? (Run-On Sentences)
    • When is it appropriate to use the passive voice? Is a nominalization a good thing? (Verb Tense)
    • Do you know how to use a semicolon or colon? (Punctuation)
    • Have you ever been told that your writing needs to be trimmed down? (Eliminating Wordiness)

    Key Takeaways

    • A sentence must have a subject and verb to form a complete idea.
    • A clause has both a subject and verb. There are two types of clauses: an independent clause (which can stand alone) and a dependent clause (which can not stand alone).
    • Using a variety of sentence types as well as using these types strategically to convey your ideas will strengthen your style. Keep the following in mind:
      • Simple sentences are great for emphasis. The make great topic sentences.
      • Compound sentences balance ideas; they are great for conveying the equal importance of related ideas.
      • Complex sentences, when you use them effectively, show complicated relationships between ideas by subordinating one idea to another.
      • Compound-complex sentences can add complexity to your writing, but you need be make sure it the writing doesn’t lose the reader.
    • Ultimately, using a combination of these structures will make your writing stronger.

    References

    Purdue Writing Lab. (n.d.). Parts of speech overview. https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/mechanics/parts_of_speech_overview.html

    Attributions

    This chapter is adapted from “Technical Writing Essentials” by Suzan Last (onBCcampus). It is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

    3.02: Chapter 9: The Basic Elements of a Sentence (2024)

    FAQs

    What are the basic elements of a sentence? ›

    Subject (S), Verb (V), Object (0), Complement (C) and Adverbials (A) are the basic elements from which dl sentences are made. V is never optional but A may often be optiond. Objects may be Direct or Indirect. The Direct Object is the one which is directly affected by the verb.

    What 3 elements make a sentence? ›

    Remember: Within a sentence, there are three main parts that make up a sentence: the subject, the verb, and the complement.

    What are the elements that make up a sentence? ›

    The subject and predicate make up the two basic structural parts of any complete sentence. In addition, there are other elements, contained within the subject or predicate, that add meaning or detail. These elements include the direct object, indirect object, and subject complement.

    What is the basic structure of a sentence? ›

    In English, our sentences usually operate using a similar pattern: subject, verb, then object. The nice part about this type of structure is that it lets your reader easily know who is doing the action and what the outcome of the action is. A subject performs the action in a sentence.

    What are basic elements? ›

    According to ancient science, the basic elements that were used to make all matter are earth, water, air and fire. At the present time, 118 elements (hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen etc) have been discovered so far, which make up all compounds that make up the matter.

    What are the four main elements in a sentence? ›

    Like a sentence has two parts, it has five main components that make up the structure of a sentence, and they are,
    • Subject.
    • Verb.
    • Object.
    • Complement.
    • Adjunct.

    What makes a sentence? ›

    What elements must a construction have for it to be a complete sentence? Answer: It must have a subject and a predicate. An example of a simple, complete sentence is “She sleeps.” She is the subject; sleeps is the predicate. In this instance, the complete predicate is the verb sleeps.

    What are elements 3 examples? ›

    Elements are things like oxygen, helium, sodium, hydrogen, gold, carbon, lithium, nitrogen, uranium, copper. Compounds and mixtures like water or stainless steel are not elements. But they are made of elements.

    What is element used in a sentence? ›

    Examples from Collins dictionaries

    Fitness has now become an important element in our lives. These reports clearly contain elements of propaganda. With its unique heating element it makes perfect coffee. The area where most refugees are waiting is exposed to the elements.

    How do you identify elements in a sentence? ›

    1. SUBJECT. ...
    2. VERB: The verb follows the subject, except the sentence is a question. ...
    3. OBJECT: The object of a sentence is the one that receives the action of the verb performed by the subject. ...
    4. COMPLEMENT. ...
    5. ADVERBIAL- The adverbial is the most moblile element of the sentence.

    What is the most important element in a sentence? ›

    We have mentioned the subject as an important element, because it denotes the person or thing about whom (which) a statement is made. The other basic elements, as they are now sometimes called,1 are the verb, the object(s) and the complement(s).

    What is the order of elements in a sentence? ›

    A sentence follows Subject + Verb + Object word order.

    What are the elements of a sentence? ›

    The two essential parts of a sentence are the subject and the verb. The subject refers to the topic being discussed while the verb conveys the action or state of being expressed in the sentence. When you combine these two elements, you get a clause. All clauses must contain both a subject and a verb.

    What are the parts of a sentence? ›

    The different parts of a sentence are a subject, predicate, object, complement, and modifier. These different parts of a sentence can add variety to your writing style—and depending on where you place each part, they can change the meaning of your words.

    What makes a complete sentence? ›

    A complete sentence or a full sentence is a sentence that has a subject-verb pair, a complete thought, a capital letter in the beginning, and a period at the end. Sentences can be incomplete if they lack any of the essential components of a complete sentence.

    What are the 5 basic sentences' patterns? ›

    This document discusses six common sentence patterns in English: 1) Subject + Verb 2) Verb + Subject 3) Subject + Verb + Direct Object 4) Subject + Verb + Complement 5) Subject + Verb + Indirect Object + Direct Object 6) Subject + Verb + Direct Object + Object Complement It provides examples and explanations of each ...

    What are the basics of writing a sentence? ›

    Lesson Summary. A sentence begins with a capital letter, has a subject and verb, and ends with a punctuation mark. The four parts of a sentence are capitalization, punctuation, subject, and verb.

    What are the 5 things a sentence must have? ›

    Five things sentences needed are: subject (noun), verb, capital letters, punctuation and finally must make sense. A simple, eye-catching reminder.

    What are the five parts of a sentence? ›

    The different parts of a sentence are a subject, predicate, object, complement, and modifier. These different parts of a sentence can add variety to your writing style—and depending on where you place each part, they can change the meaning of your words.

    Top Articles
    Latest Posts
    Recommended Articles
    Article information

    Author: Twana Towne Ret

    Last Updated:

    Views: 6230

    Rating: 4.3 / 5 (44 voted)

    Reviews: 91% of readers found this page helpful

    Author information

    Name: Twana Towne Ret

    Birthday: 1994-03-19

    Address: Apt. 990 97439 Corwin Motorway, Port Eliseoburgh, NM 99144-2618

    Phone: +5958753152963

    Job: National Specialist

    Hobby: Kayaking, Photography, Skydiving, Embroidery, Leather crafting, Orienteering, Cooking

    Introduction: My name is Twana Towne Ret, I am a famous, talented, joyous, perfect, powerful, inquisitive, lovely person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.