Lesson 4: Sentence Combining

Lesson FourSentence Combining

Neijiang Normal University - Week Five - Brent A. Simoneaux

The Writing AssignmentWrite one paragraph in which you describe your

future career goals and intellectual interests to the faculty of the English Department.

Write another paragraph in which you describe your future career goals and intellectual interests

to a Canadian third-year university student.Length: 200 - 300 words total

Writing Advice

As a four years student in English Department, the English level must achieve the certain degree. According to my character and interests, I have many plans for my career. After I graduate, the first two year I want to be a teacher in Middle school. Because when I was young, my wish is to be a teacher in my future.

Because my childhood dream was to be a teacher, I want to be a middle school teacher for the first two years after I graduate.

, from north to south, from west to east.

Writing Advice

After two years later, I will spend half an year traveling around the China

After that

From north to south, from west to east. The most place which I want to travel is Tibet, then Lijiang of Yunnan province. After I finish traveling, I'd like to get a guide certification. Then I can travel many places of interest freely.

.

I wouldobtain certification as a guide., thus allowing me to

Writing AdviceAccording to my character and interests, I have

many plans for my career. Because my childhood dream was to be a teacher, I want to be a middle school teacher for the first two years after I graduate. After that, I will travel around China from north to south, from east to west. The places that I most want to visit include Tibet and Lijiang in Yunnan Province. After I finish traveling, I would like to obtain certification as a guide, thus allowing me to travel many places of interest freely.

Writing AdviceI am glad to talk about my future career with

you. After I graduate, the first thing that I will do is to be a teacher. When I was young, I have a dream that is to be a teacher.

I'm glad to talk with you about my future career. Because my childhood dream was to be a teacher, the first thing that I'll do after I graduate is teach.

Writing AdviceI like students, I enjoy the feeling that students

respect you. I will gratitude that makes a student go from unknown to known. This is a sense of achievement.

I like students and I really enjoy the feeling of respect that they will give me. In addition, when students go from not knowing to knowing, I feel a sense of achievement.

What is the relationship between these sentences?

Writing Advice

The second thing that I want is to get a guide certification. Then I can travel many places of interests.

The second thing that I want to do is to get a guide certification which would enable me to travel many places of interest.

Writing AdviceOf course, the most reason is not that. The

real reason is that I like communication, I like communicate with people, I want to guide every traveller to enjoy their travelling.

But of course, that's not the most important reason I want to get certified. The most important reason is that I like communication. I like to communicate with people so that every traveler can enjoy their travels.

Review

A sentence base is the minimum required for a sentence. The most basic sentence contains a

noun phrase (NP) and a verb phrase (VP).

Sentence Bases

Sentence BaseWe can also add the following optional third

elements to the clause:

an object (O)a complement (C)

and/or an adverbial (AV).

We add these elements to the clause to make a more informative sentence

Sentence Expansion

Coordination means “being of equal structural rank.”

Coordination occurs when we use a coordinator (or, and, but, nor, yet, so) to connect parts of a

sentence together.

Sentence Expansion

Subordination means ‘being of lower structural rank.’

Words that are added to the bare sentence base are said to be subordinate because they are

grammatically secondary to the main elements.

Sentence Expansion

Subordination 1. Relative Clauses

2. Appositive Phrases 3. Adverbial Clauses 4. Participial Phrases 5. Absolute Phrases

Sentence Expansion 4. Non-restrictive Participial Phrases

Participial phrases are verb phrases headed by the –ing or the –en / ––ed form of the verb which

function as adjectives.

They enable you to work concrete details into your sentences without actually increasing the number

of sentences needed.

Sentence Expansion 4. Non-restrictive Participial Phrases

Example:

1. Brent stood next to Olivia.

2. Brent felt helplessly nervous.

Sentence Expansion 4. Non-restrictive Participial Phrases

We can combine these sentences:

Feeling helplessly nervous, Brent stood next to Olivia.

Sentence Expansion 4. Non-restrictive Participial Phrases

What happens when we move the participial phrase?

Brent stood next to Olivia, feeling helplessly nervous.

The focus of the sentence has shifted to the participial phrase.

Sentence Expansion 4. Non-restrictive Participial Phrases

It is important, however, to note that nonrestrictive participial phrases can open or close the sentence only if it modifies the subject—that is, when the subject of the participle is also the subject of the

sentence and is in regular subject position. Otherwise, the participle will “dangle.”

Sentence Expansion 4. Non-restrictive Participial Phrases

Dangling participle:

Feeling helplessly nervous, the scene was suspenseful, as if it had been taken directly out of a

movie.

Sentence Expansion 5. Absolute Phrases

An absolute phrase is a noun phrase—a noun headword with a post-noun modifier that adds

specific, concrete detail to the idea of the whole sentence.

Sentence Expansion 5. Absolute Phrases

You must remember the following about absolute phrases:

1. They can consist of just subject and a participle

2. They do not modify any particular word, but instead, they modify the entire sentence to provide more information to the reader.

Sentence Expansion 5. Absolute Phrases

Example:

Brent finally kissed Olivia, face blushing.

Legs running, Brent finally kissed Olivia.

Sentence Expansion 5. Absolute Phrases

Think of a movie camera focusing in on a specific detail in the scene.

Notice that the absolute phrase seems to be the focus of the sentence no matter where

we position it in the sentence.

The EndOlivia moved.

Sentence Combining Activity

1. The fire raced through the abandoned warehouse. The fire leveled it in an hour.

Example:

The fire raced through the abandoned warehouse, leveling it in an hour.

Next Week:Sentence Expansion & Sentence Combining

HomeworkFinish the Sentence Combing Worksheet. Write

your answers in you exercise book.

The Writing AssignmentIn your opinion, what are some important

characteristics of a good husband or wife? If you were looking for a spouse, what would you look for? Explain and support your opinion by giving

specific examples. I am your audience. Try to experiment with different sentence patterns

by creating more complex sentences than you would usually create. Try something new.

Length: 200 – 300 words

Office HoursEvery Tuesday 1:00 – 3:00 pm

Building 5, Second Floor

Radio showEvery Thursday 12:30 – 1:30 pm

Turn in your writing notebook.

Class 1

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Class 2

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Class 3

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Class 4

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Class 5

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Class 6

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