Sentence Structure, Patterns of Syntax, & Sentence Types
Description: The Love of Words
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1. Noun (subject)+Verb+(Adverb),
2. Noun+Verb+Prepositional Phrase,
3. Noun+Transitive Verb (action verb with a noun to receive the action)+Noun (direct object),
4. Noun+Transitive Verb+Noun (indirect object)+Noun (direct object),
5. Noun+Intransitive Verb (linking verb)+Adjective (predicate adjective, links back & describes subject),
6. Noun+Intransitive Verb+Noun (predicate noun, links back and renames subject)
Sentence structure, or sentence types, can be categorized into seven distinct categories. These categories are described below:
1. Simple Sentence (independent clause): I studied for the test. It has a one subject and one verb (predicate). An independent clause is a set of words that can stand alone as a sentence. It can be a sentence in and of itself or it can be part of a more complex sentence. If it is part of a more complex sentence, it may be connected to a dependent, or subordinate, clause. This type of clause can\'t stand alone as a sentence. Its job is to provide additional information in the sentence.
2. Compound Sentence, IC+CC+IC (independent clause plus coordinating conjunction plus independent clause): I studied for the test,, and I aced it. (Coordinating conjunctions are words that link one independent clause to another to form a compound sentence. These words include for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so.)
3. . Compound sentence, IC+S+IC (independent clause plus semicolon plus independent clause): I studied for the test; I aced it.
4. Compound sentence, IC+AC+IC (independent clause plus adverbial conjunction plus independent clause): I studied for the test; consequently, I aced it. (Adverbial conjunctions are adverbs that serve, when following a semicolon, to link independent clauses. They include consequently, however, moreover, nevertheless, therefore, and thus.)
5. Complex sentence, DM+C+IC (dependent marker plus clause plus independent clause): Because I hoped to pass the test, I studied hard for it.
(Dependent markers are words that provide a relative context for a subordinate clause. They include after, although, as, as if, because, before, if, since, though, until, when, where, whether, and while.)
6. Complex sentence, RP+C (relative pronoun plus clause): Whatever doubts I had about passing the class dissipated when I earned a high mark on the test. (Relative pronouns are pronouns that relate a subordinate clause to the noun it modifies. They include who, whom, whose, whoever, whosoever, whomever, which, what, whatever, and sometimes that.)
7. Compound-complex sentence, DC+IC+CC+IC (dependent clause plus independent clause plus coordinating conjunction plus independent clause): As I headed in to take the test, my doubts about doing so dissipated, and I was relieved by the high grade. There are, of course, many variations to these patterns; even a simple sentence, for instance, can begin with the object in the example converted to the subject of another simple sentence: A walk was my next order of business.
There are four basic sentence types. These are described below:
1. Declarative: This sentence type is a statement. Its end punctuation is a period (.).
2. Interrogative: This sentence type is a question. Its end punctuation is a question mark (?).
3. Imperative: This sentence type is a command or request. Its end punctuation is a period (.).
4. Exclamatory: This sentence type is one that expresses strong emotion or excitement. Its end punctuation is an exclamation point (!).
