ATI TEAS ENGLISH AND LANGUAGE USAGE REVIEW SENTENCE STRUCTURE ATI TEAS ENGLISH AND LANGUAGE USAGE SENTENCE STRUCTURE Sentence Structure questions address clarity of UNDERSTANDING SIMPLE SENTENCES expression, subordinating conjunctions, and how to combine sentences into a single sentence. You must also A simple sentence has one independent clause and expresses be able to distinguish between simple sentences, complex a complete thought. sentences, compound sentences, and sentence fragments. Ezra went into the store. This sentence is considered simple because it expresses a complete thought and contains only one independent clause and no dependent clauses. The following sentence is longer, but it is also a simple sentence. Ezra went to the store and bought some chocolate milk for his sister. ATI TEAS ENGLISH AND LANGUAGE USAGE SENTENCE STRUCTURE UNDERSTANDING SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS In the review on punctuation, we will review the use of coordinating conjunctions. These are connecting words, such as and , but, so , and for , which may be used to join two independent clauses. Ezra went to the store, and he bought some milk. When a coordinating conjunction is used to join two independent clauses, as we saw earlier, the conjunction must always be preceded by a comma. Ezra went to the store and she bought some milk. Incorrect. Ezra went to the store, and he bought some milk. Correct.
ATI TEAS ENGLISH AND LANGUAGE USAGE SENTENCE STRUCTURE UNDERSTANDING SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS Independent clauses are considered independent because they can stand as complete sentences on their own. When Dependent Clauses we join two independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction, we are joining two clauses of equal weight. • Because she left early Neither is dependent on the other. • Although the package was heavy • While Mr. Galloway waited Dependent clauses , on the other hand, do not form • When the game was over complete sentences on their own. They start with • After the crowd dispersed connecting words known as subordinating conjunctions. ATI TEAS ENGLISH AND LANGUAGE USAGE SENTENCE STRUCTURE UNDERSTANDING SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS Subordinating conjunctions are connecting words used to start dependent clauses. They include the words because, although, Although pizza is high in calories, it’s my favorite food. while, when, after, before, until, since, as, if , and once , among others. Subordinating conjunctions can be used to join two While the teacher was away, the students talked loudly. clauses in a way that places emphasis on one of the clauses over the other. Until it started to snow, the weather had been gorgeous. Because its batteries had run low, the alarm clock suddenly stopped working. In the example above, the underlined clause is an independent clause. It is placed at the end of the sentence, after the dependent clause Because its batteries had run low . This combination and ordering of clauses emphasizes the information at the end of the sentence. Here are a few more examples. ATI TEAS ENGLISH AND LANGUAGE USAGE SENTENCE STRUCTURE UNDERSTANDING COMPLEX SENTENCES Complex sentences contain an independent clause and one or The following examples are all complex sentences, too. more dependent clauses. Although pizza is high in calories, it’s my favorite food. When Ezra went to the store, he bought some milk. While the teacher was away, the students talked loudly. In this example, the underline clause is an independent clause. The dependent clause is at the beginning of the sentence: When Until it started to snow, the weather had been gorgeous. Ezra went to the store . Each of these examples contains an independent clause (underlined) plus a dependent clause with a subordinating conjunction.
ATI TEAS ENGLISH AND LANGUAGE USAGE SENTENCE STRUCTURE UNDERSTANDING COMPOUND SENTENCES Compound sentences contain two or more independent clauses. They can be joined by a semicolon or by a comma and a coordinating conjunction. The professor gave a great lecture today; we thoroughly enjoyed it. The professor gave a great lecture today, we thoroughly enjoyed it. ATI TEAS ENGLISH AND LANGUAGE USAGE SENTENCE STRUCTURE UNDERSTANDING SENTENCE FRAGMENTS Sentence fragments can also be created if a sentence is A sentence fragment is a group of words that cannot missing its subject or its verb. stand on its own as a complete sentence. Sentence fragments often consist of solitary dependent clauses. Thinking it over in the middle of the afternoon. Fragment After Martin thought it over. Fragment Martin, who spent a lot of time thinking it over. Fragment This example is a fragment, because the clause After Martin Thought it over doesn’t provide enough information to stand on its own. We can change this fragment into a simple or complex sentence. Martin thought it over. Simple sentence After Martin thought it over, he decided to attend. Complex sentence ATI TEAS ENGLISH AND LANGUAGE USAGE SENTENCE STRUCTURE UNDERSTANDING SENTENCE FRAGMENTS As with the earlier sentence fragment, these examples do not stand as complete sentences on their own. One way to correct these examples would be to add a subject to the first sentence and a main verb to the second. Martin was thinking it over in the middle of the afternoon. Simple sentence Martin, who spent a lot of time thinking it over, eventually decided to attend. Simple sentence
ATI TEAS ENGLISH AND LANGUAGE USAGE SENTENCE STRUCTURE To correct a run-on sentence, you have four options: UNDERSTANDING RUN-ON SENTENCES 1. Separate the two independent clauses into two sentences. a) The cat likes milk. She drinks it as often as she can. A run-on sentence is a sentence in which two or more Correct . independent clauses are joined without an appropriate 2. Correctly join the two independent clauses with a semicolon conjunction or punctuation. There are two types of run-on or with a comma and coordinating conjunction. sentences: fused sentences and comma splices . A fused a) The cat likes milk; she drinks it as often as she can. sentence has two independent clauses joined together Correct . with no conjunction or punctuation. b) The cat likes milk, so she drinks it as often as she can. Correct . The cat likes milk she drinks it as often as she can. 3. Subordinate one of the two independent clauses so that you Incorrect . have a complex sentence. a) Because the cat likes milk, she drinks it as often as she A comma splice incorrectly joins two independent clauses can. Correct . with a comma. 4. Change the sentence into a simple sentence with only one independent clause. The cat likes milk, she drinks it as often as she can. a) The cat likes to drink milk as often as she can. Correct. Incorrect . ATI TEAS ENGLISH AND LANGUAGE USAGE SENTENCE STRUCTURE UNDERSTANDING DICTION Diction refers to the choice and use of words. In the reading section of my review, you learned about how writers choose words to achieve a certain tone in their writing. Writers also vary their diction according to their purpose and audience. Formal diction is used in formal situations such as business writing and scholarly works. Informal diction is used in informal situations such as writing to our friends. Colloquial diction uses words common in the everyday speech of a time and region. Slang is the use of words that are newly coined, very informal, or impolite. You will need to be able to distinguish between formal and informal modes of writing and identify slang.
Recommend
More recommend
