Sentence Structure
Which of the following sentences is correct?
1. In our Level 6 Grammar class we go to computer lab every Wednesday morning
after that we go back to class.
2. In our Level 6 Grammar class even though it meets only two days a week spend
about one hour in the lab.
3. Pat takes us to the computer lab once a week, we learn a variety of skills
there.
4. Pat takes us to computer lab on Wednesdays; she gives us a lot of different
activities there.
If you picked number 1, that is an incorrect answer. In example one there are two separate sentences that in some way have to be separated or combined.
Example 2 is also incorrect. There is no subject.
Like number 1, this is also an example of two sentences written as one. The difference is that there is a comma, but that doesn't make it correct.
Number 4 is correct. There are two sentences that are separated by punctuation.
Why are those sentences incorrect?
In order to have a sentence, there must be a subject and a verb, and it must be
a complete idea. If one item is missing, then it isn't a sentence.
Example number 2 is a case in point. There is NO SUBJECT, so it is only
part of a sentence. It is called a fragment.
When there two sentences written as if they were one, it
is called a Run-On sentence. There is too much information in this
sentence. Therefore, there has to be a way of either separating them or
combining them.
Example 2 has no separation. The easiest way although not the best is to
separate each sentence with a period. Another way which is better than the
first is to separate the two sentences using the conjunction and.
Corrected Sentence:
In our Level 6 Grammar class we go to computer lab every Wednesday morning.
After that we go back to class.
In our Level 6 Grammar class we go to computer lab every Wednesday morning, and
after that we go back to class.
Like number 2, number 3 is also an example of a sentence that in reality is two sentences. The difference here is that the writer has incorrectly separated them using a comma. This kind of sentence is called a Comma Splice. Like number 2, it can be corrected using the same methods.
Mistakes in sentence structure are a major problem for both ESL and American students when they are writing academic essays. In addition, they are also a major error as opposed to misspelling a word. In order to better understand sentence structure, it is necessary to know what a sentence is.
How many kinds of sentences are there?
There are three kinds of sentences: Simple, Compound, and Complex.
What is a Simple Sentence?
A simple sentence is one complete idea with a subject and a verb although both
the subject and verb may be compounded. This sentence is also called an
Independent Clause.
Examples: ESL 064
is a required course for ESL students. (One subject)
ESL 064 and ESL 065 are required
courses for ESL students. (Two subjects)
The students in Level 6 study grammar.
(One verb)
The students in Level 6 review and study
grammar. (Two verbs)
ESL students and American students
review and practice grammatical structures.
(Two subjects, two
verbs, but only one sentence)
What is a Compound Sentence?
A compound sentence is a sentence that is made up of two Independent
Clauses, but they have been connected using a conjunction. (FANBOYS)
Examples: ESL 064 is a required
course for ESL students, and they have to
pass it to take credit
courses. (Two sentences and one conjunction)
ESL 064 is a required course for ESL students,
so they have to pass it to take credit
courses. (Two sentences and one conjunction)
What is a Complex Sentence?
A complex sentence is only one sentence, but it has two parts: an
Independent Clause that is the main part of the sentence and a Dependent
Clause that is a fragment. The dependent clause needs the main clause
for meaning.
Examples: ESL
064 which is a required course for ESL students
runs for 14weeks.
(One independent clause and
one dependent clause)
Because students have to pass ESL 064 to take credit
courses, ESL 064 is a
required course for ESL students. (Independent
and Dependent Clauses)