ENGLISH GRAMMAR

TAMANDANI SHIRLEY AKUDA

(takuda@mca.ac.mw)
 CONSTRUCTING SENTENCES

What Is a Sentence?
A sentence is a complete set of words that conveys meaning. A sentence can communicate
i. Declarative - states a statement of a fact (I am studying.)
ii. Interrogative – question (What time is it?)
iii. Imperative - command or request (Go away.)
iv. Exclamatory - Express strong feelings (I’m so excited!)

 A sentence is composed of one or more clauses. A clause contains a subject and verb.
CONSTRUCTING SENTENCES Cont’

Independent and Dependent Clauses

There are two types of clauses: independent clauses and dependent clauses. A sentence contains at least one
independent clause and may contain one or more dependent clauses.
i. An independent clause (or main clause)
 is a complete thought.
 can stand by itself.
ii. A dependent clause (or subordinate clause)
 is an incomplete thought.
 cannot stand by itself.
You can spot a dependent clause by identifying the subordinating conjunction. A subordinating conjunction
creates a dependent clause that relies on the rest of the sentence for meaning.
CONSTRUCTING SENTENCES Cont’

Examples of Independent and Dependent Clauses

Independent clause: When I go to the movies, I usually buy popcorn.
Dependent clause: When I go to the movies, I usually buy popcorn.
Independent clause: I don’t like the ocean because sharks scare me.
Dependent clause: I don’t like the ocean because sharks scare me.
 SUBJECT

The subject is what (or whom) the sentence is about. The subject can be a noun, a noun
phrase, a noun clause or a pronoun.
Examples:
a) Maria and her dog run on the beach every morning.
First find the verb and then make a question by placing ``who?'' or ``what?'' before it. (The
verb is run)
Therefore, the answer is the subject, Maria and her dog.
b) A piece of chocolate candy would taste great.
 VERB

 The verb expresses action or a state of being.

 Examples:
 a) The excited students spilled popcorn on the floor.
 b) Mother mopped and scrubbed the kitchen floor.
 TYPES OF SENTENCES

1. Simple sentences
A simple sentence contains a subject and a verb. It contains one independent clause.
It expresses a single complete thought that can stand on its own.
 Examples:
a) The baby cried for food.
 There is a subject and a verb that expresses a complete thought.
b) Professor Mulipa’s intelligent students completed and turned in their homework.
 A simple sentence does not necessarily have to be short. It can have adjectives. In this case, there
are two verbs “completed” and “turned in.” However, the sentence expresses one complete
thought and therefore is a simple sentence.
 TYPES OF SENTENCES CONT’

2. Compound sentences
 A compound sentence has two independent clauses. Use the compound sentence when you want to
express two independent ideas. An independent clause is a part of a sentence that can stand alone because
it contains a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought.
 Basically, a compound contains two simple sentences.

Example:
The shoplifter had stolen clothes, so he ran once he saw the police.
 Both sides of the conjunction “so” are complete sentences. “The shoplifter had stolen clothes”
can stand alone and so can “he ran once he saw the police.” Therefore, this is a compound
sentence.
 TYPES OF SENTENCES CONT’

3. Complex sentences
 A complex sentence is an independent clause joined by one or more dependent clauses. A
dependent clause either lacks a subject or a verb or has both a subject and a verb that does not
express a complete thought.
 A complex sentence always has a subordinator (as, because, since, after, although, when) or
relative pronouns (who, that, which).
Example:
After eating lunch at The Cheesecake Factory, Tim went to the gym to exercise.
 The independent clause is ‘Tim went to the gym to exercise.” The subordinating clause before
it is dependent on the main, independent clause. If one were to say “after eating lunch at The
Cheesecake Factory,” it would be an incomplete thought.
TYPES OF SENTENCES CONT’

4. Compound-Complex sentences
A compound-complex sentence has two independent clauses and at least one dependent
clause.

Example
After the two soccer players lost their game, they joined their other teammates for lunch, and
they went to the movies.
 If we remove the dependent clause “after the two soccer players lost their game,” we have
a compound sentence. The dependent clause makes this sentence compound-complex.
 WRITING BETTER SENTENCES

SUBJECT – VERB AGREEMENT

Subject - Verb agreement is the grammatical rule that the verb or verbs in a sentence must
match the number, person and gender of the subject
 RULES FOR SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

RULE 1 – A verb agrees with its subject in number.

 The subject and verb must agree in number. If the subject is singular then the verb must
also be singular. If the subject is plural then the verb is plural too. In the present tense
when the subject is in the third person singular you must add an –or –es at the end of the
verb.
 Examples:
The car (stays/stay) in the garage.
The flower (smells/smell) good.
 RULES FOR SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

RULE 2 – The number of the subject (singular or plural) is not changed by words that
come between the subject and the verb.
Examples:
One of the eggs (is/are) broken. Of the eggs is a prepositional phrase. The subject one and the
verb is are both singular.
 RULES FOR SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

RULE 3 – Some subjects always take a singular verb even though the meaning may seem plural.
These subjects always take singular verbs:
each someone
either anyone
neither nobody
one somebody
no one anybody
everyone everybody
Examples:
Someone in the game was (not were) hurt.
Neither of the men is (not are) working.
 RULES FOR SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

RULE 4 – Subjects joined by ‘and’ are plural. Subjects joined by ‘Or’ or ‘Nor’ take a
verb that agrees with the last subject.
Examples:
Bob and George (are/is) leaving.
Neither Bob nor George (are/is) leaving.
Neither Bob nor his friends (are/is) leaving.
 RULES FOR SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

RULE 5 – Expressions of time, money, measurement, and weight are usually singular when
the amount is considered one unit.
 Five thousand Kwacha is (not are) too much to ask.
 Ten days is (not are) not nearly enough time.
On occasion, however these terms are used in the plural sense:
 There were thirty minutes to countdown.
 RULES FOR SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

RULE 6 – Some nouns, while plural in form, are actually singular in meaning.
Examples:
Mathematics is (not are) an easy subject for some people.
Physics is (not are) taught by Prof, Baldwin.
Other nouns include:
Mumps, Home Economics, Social Studies, Economics, Measles, Calisthenics, Statistics,
Civics, Gymnastics, Phonics, News, Acrobatics, Aesthetics, Thesis.
 SENTENCE FRAGMENTS

A sentence fragment is an incomplete sentence because it lacks a subject, lacks a verb, or is a dependent
clause. Fragments usually begin with a subordinate conjunction or a relative pronoun. When sentences
begin with subordinate conjunctions or relative pronouns, they must be joined to a main clause.
Examples:
 Fragments
Although he wanted to go to the meeting.
Whoever goes to the meeting.
 Complete sentences
Although he wanted to go to the meeting, his doctor advised him to stay home.
Whoever goes to the meeting should bring back handouts for the rest of the group.
 SENTENCE FRAGMENTS CONT’

 Wrong: Looking forward to doing more business with you. (Missing subject)
 Correct: We look forward to doing more business with you.
 Wrong: Wishing you the best in your studies. (Missing subject)
 Correct: I wish you the best in your studies.
 Wrong: The students working in the computer laboratory. (Missing verb)
 Correct: The students were working in the computer laboratory.
 Wrong: The lecturer marking the assignments in the office. (Missing verb)
 Correct: The lecturer is marking the assignments in the office.

The first two examples do not have subjects. While the other two do not have complete verbs.
 RUN-ON SENTENCES

Run-on sentences are two or more sentences which are joined without a punctuation mark. Run-on
sentences usually occur as comma splices or fused sentences. A fused sentence occurs when independent
clauses are joined with no punctuation. A comma splice occurs when only a comma joins two independent
clauses.
Examples:
Wrong: John is a lazy student he does not submit assignments.
Correct: John is a lazy student. He does not submit assignments.
Wrong: The members of staff were given an increment they are not satisfied.
Correct: Although the members of staff were given an increment, they are still not satisfied.
Wrong: Mark is sick he did not report for duties.
Correct: Mark is sick. He did not report for duties.
 PARALLELISM

Parallelism is a balance of words or expressions which match each other in form and usage.
When words or expressions are used in a sentence, they should be consistent with one
another.
Wrong: He is strong and a competitor.
Correct: He is strong and competitive.
Wrong: John is hard working and can be trusted.
Correct: John is hard working and trust worthy.
 DANGLING MODIFIERS

The dangling modifier occurs when there is a modifier in a sentence without a

noun to be modified.
Wrong: After watching the game, the snacks were put away.
Correct: After watching the game, we put away the snacks.

Misplaced modifiers.
A misplaced modifier is when a modifier is placed far away from the noun it
modifies such that the meaning is distorted.
 Wrong: Chifundo only has K50, which is not enough for his bus fare
 Correct: Chifundo has K50 only, which is not enough for his bus fare
THE END