Varying Sentence Structure

The Simple SentenceA simple sentence has one independent clause (one subject and a verb):

I live in Gaza.

Subject

Verb

Compound Sentence

A compound sentence contains two independent clauses that are joined together.

She works in the city, but she lives in the suburbs.

Independent Clause

Independent Clause

Coordinating Conjunctions FANBOYS

Logical Relationship Coordinating Conjunction

Addition andContrast but, yetChoice or, norCause ForResult so

John cannot focus on his study

because there is so much noise outside.

Complex Sentences

A complex sentence contains at least one independent clause and one (or more) dependent clause.

Independent Clause

Dependent ClauseSubordinating Conjunction

after as soon as

before since

until when

whenever while

until unless

because

as

since

although

even though

where

wherever

Subordinators

1. Some people like to relax and do nothing when they take a vacation.

2. Other people like to travel, and still others like to have an adventure.

3. Unusual vacations are becoming popular.

4. For example, people go hiking in Nepal or river rafting in Ecuador.

5. Some people spend their vacations learning, and some spend their vacations helping others.

Activity 1: Identify the different types of sentences:

6. A friend of mine likes to help people, so he spent his summer helping to build a school in Bangladesh.

7. After he returned home, he wanted to go back to help build a medical clinic.

8. People may find the local scenery a little boring after they have climbed volcanoes in Guatemala or ridden camels in Egypt.

Activity 1: Identify the different types of sentences:

1. The weather is beautiful. It is supposed to rain today.2. You can hike the trail. You can hire a guide to take you on horseback. 3. You start college. You sometimes have to take a placement test.4. They want to compete in a marathon. They run every day.5. The teacher collected the tests. She dismissed the class.6. Huda studies hard. She does not get good grades.

Activity 3: Combine the following sentences using compound and complex sentences:

7. I tried to sleep. The thought of tomorrow's math exam kept me awake8. This diner has its own bakery. It has take-out service as well.9. I didn't have enough money to buy my parents an anniversary present. I offered to mow their lawn for the whole summer.10. My son can't eat peanut butter snacks or sandwiches. He is allergic to peanuts.

Adding Variety to Sentence Structure

To make your writing more interesting, you should try to vary your sentences in terms of length and structure. You can make some of your sentences long and others short.

- Simple Sentence

- Compound Sentence

- Complex Sentence

It was a dark and stormy night. The wind was high. The trees waved and crashed against the caravan. I looked around me. I saw that I wasn’t alone. A man stood behind me. He was tall. He was mean. He had a knife.  It was shining in the moonlight. He reached back. He stabbed with it.  I jumped out of the way.  I ran away.

Try it! Revise the following paragraph using compound and complex sentences

It was a dark and stormy night, and the wind was high. The trees waved and crashed against the caravan. When I looked around me, I saw that I wasn’t alone. A man, who was tall and mean, stood behind me. He had a knife which was shining in the moonlight. He reached back and stabbed with it, but I jumped out of the way and ran away.

Adjective ClausesAdjective Clauses

Adjective Clause

1. The adjective clause is used to modify a noun or a pronoun. They do what regular adjectives do – they describe nouns.

2. An adjective clause is a dependent clause that modifies or describes a noun.

3. It will begin with a relative pronoun (who, whose, whom, which, and that) or a subordinate conjunction (when, where, and since).

Examples:

1. The man who wants the book is here.

2. The book, which I like, is on the table.

3. The student whose hand was up gave the wrong answer.

4. The car that Ahmed is driving is not here.

Find the adjective clause in the following sentences and tell which word it modifies.

1. I play a kind of music that nobody likes.

2. The man whom you saw was not the famous actor.

3. I remember the day when I took my first airplane trip.

4. I have a neighbor whose parents live in Australia.

5. The book which I like is on the table.

Who and Whom are used only for people. Who is the subject of the clause. After Who

you should see a verb. Whom is the object of the clause. After

Whom you should see a noun or pronoun. Which is used for things. That is used for things (and people in

informal English). That can be both subject and object of the clause.

Whose is used to show possession

Use an adjective clause to combine the following sentences using

1. They followed the strange man. He had just come from the dark alley.

2. I bought Jim a book. The book is about magic.

3. The doctor examined the patient. The patient had fallen from a cliff.

4. The mechanic repaired my sister's car. The car had a broken window.

5. The restaurant has closed permanently. The customers loved to eat.

6. The parents had great respect for the teacher. The teacher had taught their children.

7. The teacher lives next door. The teacher gives the English classes.

8. The man was taken to the hospital. The man’s leg was broken.

9. This is the place. Here the accident happened.

10. He is the writer. I work for his wife.

11. That is the library. She works there.

12. He knew Sally. Sally arrived yesterday.

13. The company is in dire situation. The manager has resigned.

14. The house is old. He stays in the house.

Placement of Adjective Clauses In using an adjective clause, you should always

place it as near to the word it modifies as possible. If you misplace the adjective clause, the result is a

ridiculous sentence or one that is unclear.

1.1 The tall man was stopped by a police officer who had been acting suspiciously.

1.2 The tall man who had been acting suspiciously was stopped by a police officer.

2.1 We found the key under the couch that had been lost.

2.2 We found the key that had been lost under the couch.

Rewrite the following sentences placing the adjective clause in the correct place:

1. They drove to the lake in their new car where they love to fish for bass.

2. The large limousine pulled up to the curb which was loaded with students.

3. We showed the pictures to our friends that we had taken at the wedding.

4. We caught several fish with the new bait which we cooked for dinner.

5. She took the letter to the post office which she had written earlier.

6. The tanker sailed into the harbor which was carrying a load of oil.

Fragments 1 Fragments look like sentences but are missing a

subject or a verb, or don’t express a complete thought.

Fragment Error

1. told everyone to get out of the way.

No subject

2. However, they in the apartment. No verb

3. Before he answered the phone A dependent clause by itself

4. John working extra hard on his project lately.

No subject-verb relationship

Fragments 2 There is another kind of fragments when there is only a

noun and an adjective clause.

1. The children who had been lost

2. The place which was covered with grass.

3. The minute when Ahmed announced his travel plans.

4. The artist who was going to paint the portrait.

5. the photos which we showed to our friends

Correct the fragments in the adjective clauses:

1. The ride which I took at the amusement park

2. The place where the plane wrecked

3. The student who answered the question

4. The dress that the Queen is wearing

5. Our pizza that is in the freezer

6. The person who owns the car

7. The time when I broke my leg

8. the man whom you admire greatly

9. The man on your left who will be the next speaker