08/10/2021
* Writing *
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How to write better sentences
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(I) Simple Sentences
(II) Compound Sentences
(III) Complex Sentences &
(IV) Compound-complex Sentences
(I) Simple Sentences
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- A simple sentence has a subject and a verb.
1) I am a teacher.
subject= I / verb = am
2) We go to school.
subject = we / verb = go
- A simple sentence is also called an independent clause. (It can stand alone.)
* Basic Sentence Patterns*
(1) S + Vi.
(2) S + VL + C.
(3) S + Vi + A.
(4) S + VM + D.O.
(5) S + VD + I.O + D.O.
(6) S + VC + D.O + C.
(7) S + Vt + D.O + A.
(1) S + Vi.
Svbject + intransitive Verb.
- The birds fly.
- Water flows.
- He is laughing.
(2) S + VL + C.
Subject + Linking Verb + subject Complement.
*some common linking verbs are. .
- Be (am, is, are, was, were)
- become, remain, turn, continue, grow, look, appear, seem, sound, keep, . .
(sometimes, in the meaning of Be)
- I am a teacher.
- Ko Ko looks weak.
(3) S + Vi + A.
Subject + Verb + Adverbial.
- They are coming from Mandalay.
- He lives in a hut.
* prepositional phrases = adjective phrase or adverb phrase (adverbial)
(4) S + VM + D.O.
Subject + monotransitive Verb + Direct Object.
- We know your parents.
- That dog bit me.
*Some common monotransitive verbs
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accomplish, achieve, address, begin, bother, continue, create, damage, end, favor, fear, finish, hate, like, loathe, love, maintain, prefer, start,
(5) S + VD + I.O + D.O.
Subject + Ditransitive Verb + Indirect Object + Direct Object.
- He gave her the letter.
- She told me a story.
( S + VD + D.O + to/for I.O.)
*Some common ditransitive verbs
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accord, afford, allocate, allow, appoint, ask, assign, assure, award, bake, bet, bring, build, buy, call, catch, cause, charge, cook, cost, cut, deal, deliver, deny, design, do, draw,
drop, earn, feed, find, fine, forgive, get, give, grant, guarantee, hand, hunt, keep, leave, lend, lose, make, name, offer, order, overpay, owe, pass, pay, permit, play, prescribe, profit, promise, purchase, quote, read, refuse, render, save, sell, send, serve, set, show, spare, supply, take, teach, tell, throw, win, wish, write,
(6) S +VC + D.O + C.
Subject + Complex transitive Verb + Direct Object + Object Complement.
(NP/AP)
- They called me U Nyan.
- I found the pot uncovered.
*some common complex transitive verbs
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believe, consider, declare, elect, find, judge, keep, know, label, make, name, presume, pronounce, prove, rate, regard, think
(7) S + Vt + D.O + A.
Subject + transitive Verb +
Direct Object + Adverbial(Adunct).
(prepositional phrase )
( M/P/T/Rp)
(S V O M P T Rp.)
- We saw her in the garden.
- Ko Ko killed the tiger at one blow of his fist in the forest last night.
(II) Compound Sentences
simple sentence (IC) + CC + simple sentence (IC) = Compound Sentence
CC = Coordinating conjunction
F * for
A * and
N * nor
B * but
O * or
Y * yet
S * so
- Cats are good pets, for they are clean.
- They got there early, and they got really good seats.
- I have never been to Japan, nor have I visited America.
- I really need to go to work, but I am too sick to drive.
- Should we start class now, or wait for everyone to get here?
- I am counting my colories, yet I really want dessert.
- He ran out of money, so he had to stop playing poker.
* Semicolon *
- The sky is clear; the stars are twinkling.
- The waves were crashing on the shore; it was a lovely sight.
* Conjunctive adverbs after the semicolon *
common conjunctive adverbs
however, besides, therefore, meanwhile, . . .
- It was a difficult assignment; however, he was up to the challenge.
( Add a comma after the conjunctive adverb.)
(III) Complex Sentences
# A sentence that contains an independent clause and one or more dependent clause #
Independent clause = simple sentence ( it can stand alone & make sense.)
- The cat is sleeping. (IC)
Subordinate Conjunction + (IC) = Dependent Clause (DC)
( It cannot stand alone and need more information to make sense.)
- When the cat is sleeping (DC),
* Common Subordinate
Conjunctions *
after, although, as, as if, as long as, as though, because, before, even if, even though, if, if only, in order that, now that, once, rather than, since, so that, than, that, though, till, unless, until, when, whenever, where, whereas, wherever, while, why, . . .
(DC), (IC) = Complex sentence
(IC) + (DC) = Complex sentence
- The cat is sleeping. (IC)
- The mice will play. (IC)
*When the cat is sleeping (DC), the mice will play (IC). [ complex]
The mice will play when the cat is sleeping. [ complex sentence]
- I was watching TV. (IC)
- My mom was cooking supper. (IC)
*While I was watching TV (DC), my mom was cooking supper (IC).
My mom was cooking supper while I was watching TV.
(IV) Compound-Complex Sentences
# A compound-complex sentence has at least two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause. #
* (IC) + (DC), (Cc) + (IC). = Compound-complex sentence
- The dog ran off when I chased him, but I didn't care.
- It is important to vote when the time comes, or you won't get a say in new laws.
* (DC), (IC), (Cc) + (IC).
- When I went to the store, my parents wanted me to pick up some milk, but I didn't have enough money.
- Though my mother says it doesn't matter, I am tall, and she is short.
* (IC), (Cc) + (IC) + (DC).
- Aye Aye loves her brother, and he loves her too because she pays his bills.
- The dog needed a new leash, and he couldn't go for a walk until he had one.
# Note that #
- The dependent clause can be at the beginning, middle, or end of a compound-complex sentence.
- You need to put a comma before the coordinating conjunction.
- You need to put a comma after the dependent clause when it occurs at the beginning of the compound-complex sentence.
# Sentence Expanding #
Sentence expanding is the process of adding one or more words, phrases, clauses to the main clause (or independent clause).
# 1 # Expanding sentences with adjectives and adverbs
# 2 # Expanding sentences with prepositional phrases
# 3 # Expanding sentences with appositives
# 4 # Expanding sentences with adjective clauses
# 5 # Expanding sentences with adverb clauses
# 6 # Expanding sentences with absolute phrases
# 1 # Expanding sentences with adjectives and adverbs
- The cat rested on the windowsill.
The ( old black ) cat rested ( fitfully ) on the windowsill.
# 2 # Expanding sentences with prepositional phrases
- The candles flickered. ( Where were the candles?)
The candles on the handles of my bicycle flickered.
- He sat. (Where did he sit? With whom did he sit?)
He sat on the mat with his friend.
- Last night I watched a You Tube video. (What was the video about?)
Last night I watched a You Tube video about green kangaroos.
# 3 # Expanding sentences with appositives
- An appositive is a word or group of words that concisely identifies or renames another word in a sentence.
- U Zaw, our great teacher, teaches us English.
- I like Nay Toe, an actor and TV star.
# 4 # Expanding sentences with adjective clauses (relative clauses).
- Adjective clauses are dependent clauses, and usually begin with a relative pronoun (which, that, who, whom or whose) or a relative adverb (where, when, and why).
*Two main types of adjective clauses*
* Nonrestrictive Adjective Clauses
* Restrictive Adjective Clauses
* Nonrestrictive Adjective Clauses
An adjective clause (that is) set off from the main clause by commas*
- My new running shoes, which cost more than 30,000 Ks, fell apart during the marathon.
- I lent some money to Sandar, whose house was destroyed in the flood.
(Nonrestrictive adjective clauses must always be introduced by "which" and never by "that".
*Restrictive Adjective Clauses
An adjective clause that is not set off by commas
- The umbrella (which/that) I bought last week is already broken.
- The woman who visited me in the hospital was very kind.
# 5 # Adverb clause (Adverbial Clause)
- it is a dependent clause
- used as an adverb within a sentence
- modify the whole sentence, as well as verbs, adverbs, and adjectives
- show aspects such as time, reason, concession, or condition
- start with subordinating conjunctions such as while, if, because, when . . .
- If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there.
- Life is what happens when you are making other plans.
6 # Expanding sentences with absolute phrases
absolute phrases
Noun + (a word or phrase that describe the noun)
Adj / V3 / Ving / past participle phrase / present participle phrase / prepositional phrase
An absolute phrase contains a noun that is followed by a word or phrase that describes the noun. An absolute phrase
The noun of an absolute phrase can be modified by an adjective.
Their shoes muddy, the children were not allowed into the house.
The noun of an absolute phrase can be modified by a past participle.
His keys lost, Bobby searched his apartment frantically.
Its wings spread, the eagle circled above the lake.
The noun of an absolute phrase can be modified by a past participle phrase.
Her house destroyed by a tornado, Daw Mya moved in with her sister.
Hes baby daughter calmed by a bottle, Ko Oo continued to clean the kitchen.
The noun of an absolute phrase can be modified by a present participle.
Its tires screeching, the car came to a stop before crashing.
His heart racing, Zwe asked his girlfriend to marry him.
The noun of an absolute phrase can be modified by a present participle phrase.
Their son walking across the stage. U Ba and Daw Hla applauded proudly.
Confetti fluttering to the ground, the crowd celebrated the new year.
The noun of an absolute phrase can be modified by a prepositional phrase.
Her mother at work, Mu Mu let herself go in the room.
His car in the shop, Ko Ko took the bus to work.
As the above examples show, absolute phrases that are followed by commas come at the beginning of a sentence.
An absolute phrase that is surrounded by commas can also come after the subject of the clause.
U Ba and Daw Hla, their son walking across the stage, applauded proudly.
Zwe, his heart racing, asked his girlfriend to marry him.
The eagle, its wings spread, circled above the lake.
An absolute phrase that is proceeded by a comma can also come at the end of the clause.
U Ba and Daw Hla applauded proudly, their son walking across the stage.
Zwe asked his girlfriend to marry him, his heart racing.
The eagle circled above the lake, its wings spread.
U NYAN HLAING (MONYWA)
