Sentence Structure in English Writing

4. The Four Sentence Types in English Writing

Clauses of different types can combine to form the four types of sentences in English writing. Good
writers use a variety of sentence types at varying lengths to make their writing more interesting
and dynamic. Remember to use proper punctuation and a variety of connectors to make logical
connections both within and between sentences.

1. A simple sentence is composed of a single independent clause and no dependent clauses.

We had a great visit to Paris and Berlin last September.

2. A compound sentence is composed of two or more independent clauses which may be

connected by a coordinating conjunction ( and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet), a semicolon alone, or a
semicolon and a conjunctive adverb (also called transition).
We visited Paris last September, but my sister visited Berlin last summer.

Most people enjoy visiting European cities; few do not.

Most people enjoy visiting European cities; however, few do not.

3. A complex sentence is composed of one independent clause (the main clause) and one or
more dependent clauses. In the following examples, the independent clause is in bold.
While we were walking through the Louvre, we suddenly met our neighbor John and his
family.
[dependent adverb clause starting with while; independent clause starting with we]

While we were walking through the Louvre, which is one of the most famous museums in the
world, we suddenly met our neighbor John and his family, who were also on vacation in Paris.
[dependent adverb clause starting with while; dependent adjective clause starting with which;
independent clause starting with we; dependent adjective clause starting with who]

4. A compound-complex sentence combines a compound sentence with a complex sentence. It

contains two or more independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses. In the following
examples, the independent clauses is in bold.

While we were walking through the Louvre, which is one of the most famous museums in the
world, we suddenly met our neighbor John with his family, and all of us went out for lunch
at a splendid bistro.
[dependent adverb clause starting with while; independent clause starting with we; independent
clause starting with all of us]

While we were walking through the Louvre, we suddenly met our neighbor John with his
family, and all of us went out for lunch at a splendid bistro, located in a narrow street on the
smaller island in the river Seine.
[dependent adverb clause starting with while; independent clause starting with we; independent
clause starting with all of us; dependent elliptical adjective clause starting with located]

*Watch out !
1. Remember to use a comma before a coordinating conjunction which connects two independent
clauses.
2. Use semicolons between independent clauses which themselves contain commas or are very
long.

Sentence Structure: Summing it up

As our brief article shows, sentence structure rules are the basic building blocks of English writing.
If you know the basics, you will be able to make your writing more complex as you advance your
writing skills. While we cannot all be expected to know the rules of English grammar, tools like the
WhiteSmoke English Writing Software can ensure that our use of sentence structure and other
grammar points is always correct. With WhiteSmoke technology checking your grammar,
punctuation and spelling, your writing will always be perfect.

Sentence Structure in English Writing

1. Basic Clause Structure
Right or Wrong ?
In the park a young boy yesterday a black snake bit.

Wrong !The reader of the above sentence may not understand who or what bit what or who. In
order to make sure that it is a snake who bit a young boy, the words have to be placed in a certain
order, which in English is usually fixed. In addition, phrases describing place and time, also adhere
to a certain order. The correct sentence is therefore:
A black snake bit a young boy in the park yesterday.

If you want to know more, read the grammar rules for basic clause structure below.
If you are ready to read other sentence structure topics, click here for the index.

The Grammar Rules for Basic Clause Structure in English

Before we begin our review of the rules, you should know that sentences can be defined according
to their purpose:

1) A declarative sentence
-can make a positive statement
Some birds fly south in winter.

-can make a negative statement

These birds do not fly south in winter.

2) An interrogative sentence asks a question

Do these birds fly south in winter ?

3) An imperative sentence gives a command

Fly south this winter !

4) An exclamatory sentence expresses a strong feeling

Oh ! I just love these cute birds !

5) A subjunctive sentence can convey a condition, wish, or preference which are contrary to fact
or reality.
I wish these beautiful birds didn't fly south this winter (but in reality they will).

1. A basic sentence is composed of at least one independent clause. A clause is composed of a

minimum of a subject and a predicate. Without one of these elements, the clause is
ungrammatical.

2. A subject of a clause is an entity such as a person, a place, an object, or an abstract concept,

which acts, is described or is acted upon. The subject usually answers the question Who/What is
the sentence about?
The subject in the "right or wrong" example is "a black snake."

The lion roared.

[The subjects acts]

The lion is beautiful.

[The subject is described]

The lion was hunted.

[The subject is acted upon]

3. A simple subject is the word or group of words acting as a subject. A complete subject is the
simple subject and its modifiers. A compound subject consists of two or more nouns or
pronouns, linked by either and or or. A complete compound subject includes the compound
subject and its modifiers.
The lion roared.
[The lion = simple subject]

The big lion roared.

[The big lion = complete subject]

The lion and the lioness roared.

[The lion and the lioness = compound subject]

The big strong lion and the beautiful lioness roared.

[The big strong lion and the beautiful lioness = complete compound subject]

4. The subject usually precedes the predicate but not always.

The lions ran off.
[subject precedes predicate]

Off ran the lions.

[predicate precedes subject]

Under the tree lay a pride of lions.

[predicate precedes subject]

Why did the lions run ?

[predicate element precedes subject in questions]

5. A predicate of a clause gives information on the subject, either describing it or identifying the
action it performs or that is performed upon it (its predicament). The predicate contains the verb in
the sentence and objects that are affected by the subject's actions. It usually answers the question
What happens/ is described?
The predicate in the "right or wrong" example is bit a young boy in the park yesterday,  the verb is
bit, the (direct) object in the above example is a young boy.

The lion roared.

[The predicate tells what the subject does]

The lion is beautiful.

[The predicate describes the subject]

The lion was hunted.

[The predicate tells what was done to the subject]

6. A simple predicate consists of only the verb. A complete predicate consists of the verb and
its modifiers. A compound predicate consists of two or more verbs with or without objects, or a
verb with one object or more, linked by either and or or. A complete compound subject includes
the compound predicate and its modifiers.
The lion roared.
[roared = simple predicate]

The lion roared loudly.

[roared loudly = complete predicate]

The lion roared and growled at the foxes.

[roared and growled at the foxes = compound subject]

The lion roared and growled at the small foxes loudly.

[roared and growled at the small foxes loudly = complete compound subject]

7. A direct object is a noun, pronoun or group of words acting as a noun that receives the action
of a transitive verb without a linking preposition. A direct object answers the question whom? Or
what?
The teacher read the story.
[the story = direct object]

8. An indirect object is a noun, pronoun or a group of words acting as a noun that answers the
question to whom/what ? or for whom/what ? the action expressed by a transitive verb was done.
The teacher read the story to the students.
[the story = direct object, to the students = indirect object]

9. In sentences where the indirect object follows the word to or for, always put the direct object
before the indirect object. If the indirect object does not follow to or for, put the indirect object
before the direct object.
Yes: The teacher gave an assignment to the students.
No: The teacher gave to the students an assignment.
Yes: The teacher gave the students an assignment.
[the verb give can be used without to]

10. When a pronoun is used as an indirect object, some verbs require to or for before the pronoun,
while others do not. Consult a dictionary if you are unsure (the best place to look this up is in the
example sentences within the entry of the verb in the dictionary).
The teacher explained the grammar rule to the students.
No: The teacher explained them the grammar rule.
Yes: The teacher explained the grammar rule to them.
[the verb explain follows only one pattern, with to]

The teacher gave an assignment to the students.

Yes: The teacher gave an assignment to them.
Yes: The teacher gave them an assignment.
[The verb give follows both patterns, with and without to]

12. When both the direct object and the indirect object are pronouns, put the direct object before
the indirect object and use to or for with the indirect object.
The teacher gave an assignment to the students.
No: The teacher gave them it.
Yes: The teacher gave it to them.
Yes: The teacher gave them an assignment.
[the verb give can also be used without to before indirect object]

13. A typical word order for an English one-clause-sentence would therefore be:
Subject-Verb-Direct Object-Indirect Object
The teacher gave an assignment to the students.

14. To expand the basic one-clause-sentence, you can add manner (how?), place (where?) and
time (when?how often?) modifiers. These usually appear in the above mentioned order. An easy
formula to help you remember the basic word order for a basic English sentence is:
Subject-Verb-Object-Manner-Place-Time, or conversely the acronym SVOMPT (pronounced
like swamp). You usually do not have to include all six parts, but if you do, this order is
recommended.
The teacher gave an assignment to the students quickly in class yesterday.
[subject] [verb] [direct object] [indirect object] [manner] [place] [time]

15. A complement is an element appearing in the predicate that renames or describes a subject
or an object. A subject complememt is a noun, pronoun, or adjective that follows a linking verb
(e.g. b e, look, appear). An object complement follows a direct object and either renames or
describes it.
This student is a 12th-grader.
[ is = linking verb, a student = subject complement]

This student refers to himself as "Professor X."

[ refers = verb, himself = direct object, Professor X = object complement]

16. A modifier is a word or group of words that describes or limits other words. Modifiers can
appear in both the subject and the predicate of the sentence. Modifiers may be single words,
phrases or whole clauses.
The best student got an A on the biology test.
[the adjective best modifies the noun student, the noun biology modifies the noun test]

The students in class were very excited when the teacher read the story funnily.
[ the preopositional phrase in class modifies students, the adverb very modifies the adjective
excited, the adverb funnily modifies the verb read]

Consequently, the teacher continued reading the story. He did not finish it because the lesson
ended.
[the adverb consequently modifies the independent clause the teacher continued reading the story,
the dependent clause because the lesson ended modifies the independent clause he did not finish
it]

17. An appositive is a word or group of words that renames the noun or pronoun preceding it.
When an appositive is not essential to identifying what it renames (when it is non-restrictive), use
a comma to separate it from the rest of the sentence.
Berlin, the capital of Germany, is developing rapidly.
[the appositive the capital of Germany renames Berlin]

The student talked to Mr. Smith, his counselor.

[the appositive his counselor renames Mr. Smith]

Sentence Structure: Summing it up

As our brief article shows, sentence structure rules are the basic building blocks of English writing.
If you know the basics, you will be able to make your writing more complex as you advance your
writing skills. While we cannot all be expected to know the rules of English grammar, tools like the
WhiteSmoke English Writing Software can ensure that our use of sentence structure and other
grammar points is always correct. With WhiteSmoke technology checking your grammar,
punctuation and spelling, your writing will always be perfect.
Sentence Structure in English Writing

3. Clauses

Right or Wrong ?
Consider this, is the following a grammatical sentence ?
Because we visited both the Paris and Berlin zoos.

Wrong ! The reader of the above line may mistake it for a sentence, but in fact it is not. Even though
it answers to the basic requirement for a sentence, which is having both a subject and predicate, it
does not stand on its own as it presents the reason for something else. It is in fact a dependent
adverb clause. Dependent clauses modify independent clauses and therefore must appear beside
them. The above dependent clause gives the reader a feeling that there is more to come, but nothing
follows. The result is a mistake called a sentence fragment.

If you want to know more, read the grammar rules for clauses below.
If you are ready to read other sentence structure topics, click here for the index.

The Grammar Rules for Clauses in English

1. A clause is a group of words that contains both a subject and a predicate but cannot always be
considered as a full grammatical sentence. Clauses can be either independent clauses (also called
main clauses) or dependent clauses (also called subordinate clauses).

2. An independent clause (or main clause) contains both a subject and predicate, can stand alone as
a sentence (a simple sentence), or be a part of a multi-clause sentence. Coordinating conjunctions (
and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet) are used to connect elements of equal weight such as two independent
clauses, using a comma before the conjunction .
We visited Paris last September.
[independent clause functioning as a full sentence]

We visited Paris in September, and then we visited Berlin in October.

[two independent clauses connected by the coordinating conjunction and preceded with a comma]

3. A dependent clause (or subordinate clause) contains both a subject and a verb but cannot stand
alone as a sentence. It must always be a part of a sentence, on which it depends for meaning.
Reading a dependent clause on its own leaves the reader wondering where the rest of the
information is. The following sections describe the different kinds of dependent clauses.

4. An adverb clause or adverbial clause (also called a subordinate clause) is a type of dependent
clause which starts with a subordinating conjunction (e.g. because, although, when, if, until, as if
etc.). It indicates a dependent relationship with information elsewhere in the independent clause
that it modifies. Similarly to adverbs, adverb clauses usually answer questions such as: Why ? How ?
When ? Under what circumstances ? When the adverb clause is written before the independent
clause, separate the two with a comma.

In the following example pairs ,see how the same information is given using a word, phrase or a
clause.
We ate dinner at the hotel bistro.
[the adverbial phrase modifies the verb ate; it answers the question where?]

We ate dinner where all the locals usually go to.

[The adverb clause modifies the verb ate; it answers the question where?]

We wanted to go to the Louvre early.

[The adverb modifies the verb phrase wanted to go; it explains when?]

We wanted to go to the Louvre as early as we could.

[The adverb clause modifies the verb phrase wanted to go; it explains when?]

We visited Paris last September due to a business meeting.

[The adverbial phrase explains why?]

We visited Paris last September because we wanted to see the Mona Lisa at the Louvre museum.
[The adverb clause modifies the entire independent clause; it explains why?]

5. An adjective clause (also called a relative clause), just like an adjective, modifies the noun or
pronoun preceding it (also called the antecedent). It starts with a relative pronoun (e.g. who , which ,
that , where , when , whose , whom , whoever etc .) which is also the subject of the clause.

In the following example pairs ,see how the same information is given using a word, phrase or a
clause.
This is a great museum.
[the adjective amazing modifies the noun museum]

This is a museum that we visited last year.

[The adjective clause modifies the noun museum; that is a relative pronoun referring to the
antecedent museum]

In Paris, we met good friends.

[the adjective good modifies the noun friends]

In Paris, we met friends whom we haven�t seen for years.

[the adjective clause modifies the noun friends; whom is a relative pronoun referring to the
antecedent friends]

6. Use who, whom, whoever and whomever when the adjective clause refers to a person or an animal
with a name. Use which or that when the adjective clause refers to a non-person (thing) or an animal
that is not a pet.
The French lady who was our tour guide turned out to be a distant relative of ours.
[ the French lady is a person; who is used]

Our hotel , which was built in 1830, had an excellent bistro.

[ our hotel is a thing; which is used]

7. When an adjective clause is non-restrictive (gives an extra piece of information not essential to the
overall meaning of the sentence), separate it with commas from the rest of the sentence. Do not use
that with non-restrictive adjective clauses.
The hotel that was built in 1830 has an excellent bistro
[The adjective clause is restrictive; only the hotel built in 1830 has an excellent bistro. The adjective
clause is essential to the meaning of the sentence]

The hotel , which was built in 1830, had an excellent bistro.

[The adjective clause is non-restrictive; there may be more hotels with excellent bistros. The
adjective clause merely adds extra information]

8. A noun clause functions as a noun, meaning that it can be a subject, object or complement in a
sentence. It starts with the same words that begin adjective clauses: that, who, which, when, where,
whether, why, how.
The Louvre museum was amazing !
[ The Louvre museum = noun phrase as subject of sentence]

What we saw at the Louvre Museum was amazing.

[ What we saw at the Louvre Museum = noun clause as subject of sentence]

We loved what we saw at the Louvre museum.

[ what we saw at the Louvre museum = noun clause as object of the verb like]

The best thing we liked was what we saw at the Louvre museum.
[ what we saw at the Louvre museum = noun phrase as complement of the verb was]

9. Do not confuse between adjective and noun clauses, as they begin with the same words. A word
starting an adjective clause has an antecedent to which it refers, whereas a word starting a noun
clause does not.
Our French friends know that we saw the new exhibition at the Louvre.
[ that we saw the new exhibition at the Louvre = noun clause as object of the verb know]

The new exhibition that we saw at the Louvre was amazing.

[ that we saw at the Louvre = adjective clause referring to the antecedent exhibition]

10. An elliptical clause may seem incorrect as it may be missing essential sentence elements, but it is
actually accpeted.grammatically. As these clauses must appear together with complete clauses which
contain the missing words, repetition is avoided by leaving the same words (or relative pronoun) out
in the elliptical clause. This conciseness actually adds to the flow of the text and promotes writing
that is more elegant.

In the following wxamples, the omitted words are given in parenthsis.

The Louvre museum was one of the sites (that) we did not want to miss.
[The relative pronoun that is omitted from the adjective clause]

After (we visited) the Louvre, we went out to dinner at a French bistro.
[subject and verb omitted from adverb clause]

The French make better croissants than the American (make or do).
[second half of comparison omitted]

Though (they) sometimes (appear) impatient and somewhat assertive, most French people are
actually kind and warm-hearted.
[subject and verb omitted from adverb clause]
  

Sentence Structure: Summing it up

As our brief article shows, sentence structure rules are the basic building blocks of English writing. If
you know the basics, you will be able to make your writing more complex as you advance your
writing skills. While we cannot all be expected to know the rules of English grammar, tools like the
WhiteSmoke English Writing Software can ensure that our use of sentence structure and other
grammar points is always correct. With WhiteSmoke technology checking your grammar,
punctuation and spelling, your writing will always be perfect.