SENTENCE BASICS Chapter -1 A Clear and Logical Sentence

A clear and correct sentence is easily understood. The statement that is inherent in every sentence conveys facts and ideas that usually answer certain essential questions posed by the five Ws and the one H. Who? What? Where? When? Why? and How? A. Thousands of people jam lotto outlets throughout Metro Manila every Wednesday and Saturday in a last minute rush to buy tickets for the days draw. Who jam the lotto outlets ? Where are these outlets? When does this happen? What do the people want to buy? B. Anybody can be a millionaire by winning the lotto jackpot. Who can be a millionaire? How can anybody be a millionaire? If the sentence gives confusing answers, it should be rewritten. The sentence must be clear, direct, logical. A sentence with mixed ideas not only confuses the reader but also blurs the main point. Therefore, you may have to spot what exactly is the main idea and delete the irrelevant details. Cause and Effect Relationship Confusion may arise when two unrelated ideas are mixed together in one sentence. Its time to dust off those bathing suits or swimming trunks because summer is here and the terrorist are back. (There is no connection between the coming of summer and the return of the terrorist.) If you see her, she is beautiful. (This implies that if you do not see her, she is not beautiful.) Sweeping Statements These are statements that make use of faulty generalizations with the use of words as all, always, never. Example: Some Filipinos have become so ultra-modern today that they now favor living-in or trial marriage. Corrected: Some Filipinos, especially the youth, have become so ultra-modern today that they now favor living-in or trial marriage. Use of Idioms and Figurative Language The use of clinch in an effort to be colorful may lead to non-originality or a dead language. What is worse is when it results in confusion and creates utter misunderstanding between writer and reader. Confusing: He is a nut hard to crack and life is no bed of roses. Corrected: He is a strong-willed fellow who knows about lifes harsh realities.
As taken from the book Writing in the Discipline by Eleanor S. Jimenez 1

THE GOOD SENTENCE

Chapter - 2 A Unified Sentence This is a sentence which has only one particular purpose. Whatever component parts a sentence may have, everything results in only one particular intention or impression. With simple sentences achieving unity may not be so difficult. All that may be done are: Once a subject is used, see to it that the predicates talks about it. Make the verb agree with the subject and the pronoun with its antecedent. Put in parallel and uniform structures compounded subjects, verbs and objects. A Coherent Sentence This means that a sentence should have all its component parts hold on to each other. From word to word, phrase to phrase, clause to clause, between or among them, proper relationships must always establish. Success in unity leads to coherence. But more than that, particularly in compound, complex and compound complex structures, tense and voice. This also requires proper coordination and subordination of clauses as well as proper positioning of modifiers to establish good relationship. An Emphatic Sentence Emphasis here means only one focus. Whatever units of thought a sentence may contain, everything must be so properly tied to reflect only one developed thought. Whatever grammatical parts it may contain everything must be so positioned that the most important part comes out dominant and the least important one subordinated. Again, in simple sentences, observance of this may not be as much of a problem as that in the compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences, because as it is generally gives one major thought. In compound sentences, in as much as both or all the clauses involved are equal of rank, parallel and uniform structuring is very important. In complex sentences, there should be a proper play-up of the more important thought over the less important one through the use of effective sliding words. As defined, the above characteristics appear very much related to one another. The achievement of one appears to be the achievement of the other. An Accurate Sentence Accuracy here refers to the sentence grammatical correctness according to standard English yardstick. This calls again for agreement of subject and verb, of the verb tense and the adverb of time, of pronoun and its antecedent and other pertinent considerations. An Appropriate Sentence A good speech requires appropriateness. So does a good sentence. This means speaking or writing in sentences which consider well status, age, sex, of the person talked to, and the occasion, connection with appropriacy is that what may be taken as appropriate in one given communication situation may not be so in another. Some typical examples are the following: While in a Laboratory Room Jenny can say: Alice, look at the worms. They all enjoy nipping the flesh of the durian. Let us scoop a couple of them and examine them through the microscope. In a dining room before the dining table during mealtime. Jenny must not say anything like that. That would be inappropriate.

Continuation An Appropriate Sentence While Terry can say: Fely, come join me, because Fely is his friend, of his age, and a fellow student., he cannot just say so the same to Miss Vasquez because she is his teacher. The appropriate approach would be: Would you care to join me, Miss Vasquez?

An Acceptable Sentence It can be safely said that an appropriate sentence is likewise an acceptable sentence. Between and among bosom friends, anything said, wise or otherwise, may just be acceptable but in many instances, it may not be so. Example of this may be as follows: While Wilson can say, Youre really crazy, to Rene and Rene may not mind it at all, because they are old friends, definitely Wilson cannot say that to Lawrence, a new officemate. To say You look younger in short skirts, is acceptable than to say, You look older in long skirts.

Important Ways to a Good Sentence

This sentence, being rated here as good, is that which is not only complete in thought but also in part. Excluded here are those words, phrases, and clause sentences can just be accepted as appropriate, acceptable, and accurate, depending on time, place, occasion, and other communication circumstances. Recommendations to make a good sentence are following: 1. Guard the sentence against being fragmentary. 2. Guard against run-on, over loaded or empty. 3. Do not shift into different perspectives. 4. Avoid misplaced and dangling modifiers. 5. Observe parallel and uniform construction. 6. Observe proper coordination and subordination.

1. Guarding against being Fragmentary

The ability to recognize sentence fragments will help you write good sentences. As sentence fragments not only break, grammatical rules but also raise barriers to clear communication, ones ability to recognize said fragments can prevent his falling into this communication barriers. A sentence fragment is a part of the sentence that is punctuated as if it were a complete sentence. Often these fragments sneak into your speech or writing and act as confusing breaks to the smooth flow of your sentence. Sentence fragments may be one of the following types: a. The statement that results from the dependent clause is punctuated as though it were a complete sentence. Sentence: Changed is a way of life. Sentence: Because change is a way of life. This may be corrected in two ways: by eliminating the dependency word or by adding an independent clause to make a complete sentence.
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Continuation ... Guarding against being Fragmentary / Sentence fragments may be one of the following types: Possible corrections: Change is a way of life. Because change is a way of life, let us learn how to adapt to it. b. A group of words that has no subject or predicate or both. Incorrect : Correct : Incorrect : Correct : Incorrect: Correct: The office where my father works. The office where my father works is spacious and beautifully furnished. Hoping that youre enjoying your vacation. Hoping that you are enjoying your vacation, heres some extra money for more souvenirs, Or, I hope you are enjoying your vacation. To see you looking happy. To see you looking happy is enough to make me happy too. Or, My one wish in life is to see you looking happy.

c. A long infinitive phrase may sometimes be mistaken for a complete sentence. Incorrect : This is my dream. To see your prosper. Correct : My dream is to see you prosper. d. An which two sentences are run together without any punctuation, and the comma splice in which two sentences are linked with a comma. appositive phrase may sometimes be written incorrectly as a complete sentence. Fragment: My health, the only precious possession I have in this world. Sentence: My health is the only precious possession I have in this world. Fragment: Sentence: Jocelyn, my very optimistic friend. Jocelyn is my very optimistic friend.

Fragments with ing ed, verb forms but with no predicate verbs are the trickiest kinds of fragments to identify, in place of a verb a participle is used. Fragment: Raffy dribbling the ball in the hardcourt. Sentence: Raffy is dribbling the ball in the hardcourt.

2. Guard against run-on, over loaded or empty

2.1 A run-on sentence is a sentence with two or more sentences written as one sentence. If a sentence fragment is less than a sentence, a run-on sentence is more. There are two kinds of run-on sentence. The fused sentence in which two sentences are run together without any punctuation, and the comma splice in which two sentences are linked with a comma. a. Two simple sentences may make up a run-on sentence. Fused Sentence: The laughter drowned out the speaker we could hardly hear him. Comma Splice: The laughter drowned out the speaker, we could hardly hear him. b. A compound sentence can be run into a simple sentence. Fused Sentence: She teaches literature and he teaches humanities they seldom see eye to eye. Comma Sentence: She teaches literature and he teaches humanities, they seldom see eye to eye.
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c. A complex sentence can also be incorrectly combined with a simple or compound sentence. Fused Sentence: When insurgency first started in this country, people were not keen on the havoc it would bring they simply ignored it. Comma Sentence: When insurgency first started in this country, people were not keen on the havoc it would bring, they simply ignored it Here are some ways to correct each of these three errors: Divide the run-on into separate sentences. a) The laughter drowned out the speaker. We could hardly hear him. b) She teaches literature and he teaches humanities. They seldom see eye to eye. c) When insurgency first started in the country, people were not keen on the havoc it could bring; they simply ignored it. 2. You could use a semi-colon instead of a period if the sentences are closely related. a)The laughter drowned out the speaker; we could hardly hear him. b)She teaches literature and he teaches humanities; they seldom see eye to eye. c)When insurgency first started in the country, people were not keen on the havoc it could bring; they simply ignored it. 3.You could also correct a run-on sentence by adding a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or,) between clauses. a)The laughter drowned out the speaker and we could hardly hear him. b)She teaches literature and he teaches humanities but they seldom see eye to eye. c)When insurgency first started in the country, people were not keen on the havoc it could bring and they simply ignored it.
*Words like however, also, therefore, and thus, are conjunctive adverbs. Use a semi-colon before a conjunctive adverb and a comma after it when it comes between two independent clauses.

The laughter drowned out the speaker; therefore, we could hardly hear him. 4. In some cases you add a dependency word and make one of the sentences a dependent clause. a) Because the laughter drowned out the speaker, and we could hardly hear him. 2.2 An Overload Sentence When you try to cram too much information into one sentence, the result is an overloaded sentence. Overloaded sentences are so crowded that too often important thoughts are almost lost. The readers attention is pulled in all directions and he becomes distracted by the many ideas presented to him To fix such sentences, study the following suggestions: a) Decide on the main ideas. b) Decide which of them can be combined into one sentence. c) Write these ideas in one sentence. d) Write a separate sentence for the other ideas. e) Write simply and clearly, avoiding wordiness.
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The following sentences try to say too much. Notice the revisions and be sure you understand the reason for the changes. Overload: To me sleeping is fascinating because I consider it as a time of sweet dreams that can come in a very special place or it may be a place I am thinking of, it may be a place that does not exist at all. Revised: To me sleeping is fascinating because I consider it as time of sweet dreams. These dreams can come in a very special place or I happen to be thinking of. They may even be a place that does not exist at all. Overload: I love all kinds of books, and it makes no difference to me whether other people consider a book. I may choose a drab, as long as I like it. Revised: I love all kinds of books. It makes no difference to me whether other people consider my choices as drab. * Wordiness We should eliminate words that add only weight to our sentences and make them redundant and boring. Look at these examples. at eight P.M. in the evening return again next week in my opinion, I think green in color a former ex-soldier three-sided triangle the surrounding environment school drop-outs now of school unmarried single girl ancient antiques for sale

Some common phrases may also be eliminated because they are considered burdensome and need some substitutions. Study this list taken from the McGraw-Hill
Handbook: at the present time in the present circumstances at this point in this day and age at that point in time in those days in that period in many cases in some cases in exceptional cases in most cases consider as/consider as being I consider a college degree as being necessary to success Despite the fact that Regardless of the fact that
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use now, today or nowadays

use then use often sometimes rarely, usually use: I consider a college degree necessary to success. use: although

 Due to the fact that For the purpose of By virtue of the fact that The reason is because In the nature of Things of that nature Refer back She is of a generous nature The car is of green color The weather condition is bad Traffic conditions are congested

use: because

use: like or things like that use: refer she is generous the car is green the weather is bad traffic is congested

2.3 An Empty Sentence This is a sentence that says too little. Grammatically, it is complete but it is lacking in ideas, in substance. It contains words that repeat the idea found elsewhere in the sentence. Here the writer apparently does not take the trouble to think about what he wants to say; therefore he actually ends where he has started. Empty: The Filipino teenager prefers rock music to the kundiman because he really enjoys modern music Revised: The Filipino teenager prefers rock music to the kundiman because he likes rock beat and its lyrics express his feelings. Clear sentences are a result of clear thinking. Successful writers are people who have made efforts to write sentences with sense. Their thoughts and ideas are expressed in sentences that are neither overloaded nor empty. The facts and ideas that are conveyed are logically arranged in compact statements which are just right because the relationships of words are beyond questions. Empty sentences are a result of haste or careless thinking. If you intend to be effective in your sentences, fill in the empty ideas with logic and reason.

3. AVOIDING SHIFTING IN PERSPECTIVES

This refers to a shift in voice, tense, person, and number. It creates an imbalance that is clearly related to faulty parallelism. An abrupt shift can cause confusion and should, therefore, be avoided. 3.1 Shift from Active to Passive If a sentence begins with the active voice, it should finish in the active. 3.2 Shift from Past to Present Tense For clearness and consistency, a sentence that starts in the present tense should continue in the present. A sentence that uses the past tense in the beginning should end with the past. Confusing: I was reading my book quietly when the stranger sits down next to me and starts whistling. Clear: I was reading my book quietly when the stranger sat down next to me and started whistling.

Confusing: Dodong was a strong farm boy who falls in love and got married when he is only seventeen. Clear: Dodong is a strong farm boy who falls in love and gets married when he is only seventeen. 3.3 Shift From Singular To Plural You should also observe consistency in number. Confusing: When a person is in trouble, they are usually uncommunicative. Clear: When a person is in trouble, he is usually uncommunicative. Confusing: If the ladies do not come on time, she will be left behind. Clear: If the ladies do not come in time, they will be left behind. 3.4 Shift From One Person To Another You should not shift needlessly from one person to another. Confusing: We love freedom but one does not always cooperate to attain it. Clear: We love freedom but we do not always cooperate to attain it. 3.5 Shift From Statement to Question Confusing: In the story Footnote to Youth, Dodong had to decide whether he should give Blas permission to marry or should he stop him. Clear: In the story Footnote to Youth, Dodong had to decide whether he should give Blas permission to marry or whether he should stop him. These shifts tend to occur most often in narrative writing when you are asked to write a piece of fiction, an autobiographical account, a prcis or summary of someone elses ideas, or a plot summary.

4. Avoiding Misplaced And Dangling Modifiers

These weaknesses in sentence building arise from defective ordering of grammatical structures in a sentence, particularly the ordering of the objectives and adverbs in their word, phrase or clause forms. Carelessness in positioning any of the modifiers results in confusing and sometimes funny unintended meanings. MISPLACED MODIFIERS Adjective Modifiers these are words, phrases or clauses that modify a noun or pronoun. The general rule here is that the word adjectives are placed immediately before the noun or the pronoun being modified while the phrase or the close adjective is placed immediately before the noun or the pronoun being modified while the phrase or the clause adjective is placed immediately after. Examples: Television stations reported the good news. Radio stations in the provinces broadcast the news that may did not like. The house which Joker built was sold to the Japanese businessman. A case of a misplaced modifier therefore comes out when any of these words, phrases or clauses are placed distant from the noun or pronoun meant to be modified. Consider this example: Radio and television stations reported the news that the hijackers had freed their prisoners all over the world. Because the student who wrote this sentence separated the modifier all over the world from the noun (stations) it is supposed to modify, this sentence implies that the hijackers had freed prisoners all over the world.
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The corrected sentence would look like this: Radio and television all over the world reported the news that the hijackers had freed their prisoners. If you read your sentence carefully, you can spot most of the misplaced word, phrase, or clause errors. It is very important that you make sure your sentences say exactly what you want them to say. Adverb Modifiers these are also words, phrases, or clauses that modify the verb, the adjective, or another adverb. Adverb modifiers of adjective and another adverb also stand close or immediately before said adjective and adverb. But adverb modifiers of a verb find themselves in several junctions in the sentence either after the object of the verb or between the subject and the verb. Look at the following examples: Examples: I read an amazingly interesting book. The terribly difficult question in the test caused a headache. The guest arrived early. We met in the Conference room. They often clash about principles. I always feel the pressure of my major examination. Surprisingly, he showed up at the party. Eventually, the moment of truth will come. Cindy buys her stockings in Tokyo. She sips her morning juice by the poolside of Manila Fiesta Pavillion. Clause adverbs are actually subordinate clauses in the sentence; they may be placed before or after the main clause. Examples: When the shooting started, we stopped the car. We stopped the car when the shooting started. There is no difference in the basic meaning between these two sentences. The important difference between the two is the creation of suspense in the first sentence. When several clauses are used in one sentence, place them one after another or one clause within another. The reader, though, must store in his memory, the beginning of the clause so that he can integrate the whole concept. Dangling Modifiers When a part of the sentence is left hanging in the air, we have a dangler. A dangler modifier is a participle, an infinitive, or an elliptical clause that does not refer clearly to any word or phrase in the sentence. The dangling construction which relates to words it cannot logically modify not only embarrasses the writer but also misleads the reader. Observe these sentences: Dangling Participle Reading the newspaper, the telephone rang. (This sentence says that the telephone was reading the newspaper)

Dangling Infinitive To understand the subject the book must be studies carefully. (This sentence says that the book must understand the subject.) To correct a dangling elliptical clause, supply the missing words that made the clause elliptical. Wrong: While waiting for a ride, the rain poured. Correct: While Jimmy was waiting for a ride, the rain poured.

5 . Observing Parallel And Uniform Construction.

Parallelism In any context, it suggests similarity of angle, direction, and form. When the parts of a sentence match grammatically and uniform structures can be identified as a repetition of words, phrases, or clauses, it can be appropriately pointed out here that not all repetitious writing is bad. It is not the monotonous or needless repetitions that you should avoid. Repetition of grammatical patterns to express sameness of ideas so that parallel ideas appear in parallel form is desirable. It makes your writing effective. Observe the parallel and uniform construction in the following illustrations: In Word: - Filipinos love freedom and democracy. - If we wish to succeed, we should be diligent, conscientious, patient, and persevering. In Phrase: - I learned three things this semester: how to organize a research, how to write a term paper, and how to type a manuscript. -Beth is a popular with her friends, with her teachers, and with her relatives. In Subordinate Clause : - Because you have been a good athlete, and because you have done your best, you deserve a medal at the end of the tournament. - If I finish my work early, if you promise to pick me up, and if it does not rain, I will come to your concert. In Predicates: - She ran upstairs, turned on the radio, gathered her favorite magazine and settled on the sofa. - The man entered the bar, demanded a glass of whiskey, drank it hurriedly, and left without paying the bartender. In Independent Clause : - I came, I saw, I conquered. - When we get sick, we want an uncommon doctor. - When we go to war, we yearn for an uncommon general or admiral. - When we choose the president of a great university, we want an uncommon educator. Faulty Parallelism: The coordinating conjunctions and but and or join structures of equal grammatical value: that is noun and noun, verb and verb, phrase and phrase, clause and clause and so forth. When the elements of a sentence are not grammatically balanced faulty parallelism results.

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Faulty: Cecile wants loyalty form her friends and to be appreciated for her efforts. Correct :Cecile wants loyalty from her friends and appreciation for her efforts. Faulty: Everyone needs love and to be attended. Correct: Everyone needs love and affection. Faulty: Julie requested that I help her with her Math problems and another explanation to the procedure. Correct: Julie requested that I help her with her Math problems and that I explain the procedure again. Certain contexts, especially those that involve comparison or contrasts, call for parallel and uniform structures. A series of elements separated by commas within a sentence should be parallel. Faulty: The general was tall, intelligent, and Correct: The general was tall, intelligent, and respectable. he was respected by all.

The two halves of a compound sentence should be parallel. Faulty: Stevan Javellana wrote Without Seeing the Dawn and Tree is by F. Sionil Jose. Correct: Stevan Javellana wrote Without Seeing the Dawn and F. Sionil Jose wrote Tree.Without Seeing the Dawn is by Stevan Javellana and Tree is by F. Sionil Jose. Certain sets of words or phrases signal a series of related statements and call for parallel and uniform structure. not only but also first second both and either or neither nor Faulty: Correct: The President not only vetoed the bill but also he was against too much government spending. The President not only vetoed the bill but also warned against too much government spending.

To achieve parallelism and uniformity, you need to match verbs, nouns, prepositions, phrases or other elements of your sentence. See this work in examination questions and classified ads. Example of an examination question: - Discuss each characters emotional problems, - describe his or her attempts to cope with them, - and evaluate the success of those attempts. Example of classified ad: Wanted: College students with desire to learn sales technique in cosmetics industry, ability to make phone contacts, and interest to travel some key cities.

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6. Observing Proper Coordination And Subordination

Sentences are composed of a series of words, phrases or clauses. The relationships between these elements should be made clear to reader. When these words, phrases, or clauses come in equal rank or importance, they should be coordinated. Coordination therefore, is the process used when structures of the same kind are joined in a sentence. The joiner word is called a coordinating conjunction. To link the coordinate elements of your sentence, you may use the coordinating conjunctions and, or, but, nor, yet; the correlative conjunctions both, and, eitheror, neithernor, so, not onlybut also, weatheror; the conjunctive adverbs accordingly, also, besides, consequently, nevertheless, namely, indeed, therefore. Coordinating Conjunctions Words: Phrases: Their business is buy and sell. She loves ice cream and chocolates. He came running down the corridor and into the Conference Room. All she wanted was to go home and to brush her teeth.

Although the exam was difficult and although I was feeling sick, I got a passing grade. Since we are good friends and since she has no one to turn to, I invited her to stay with me. Correlative Conjunctions Either you sell your land or you give it free. Not only is he intelligent but also good looking. Conjunctive Adverbs o The boy is sick; therefore, he must rest. o I think you are right; nevertheless; I will not do as you say. Coordinating Subordinate Clauses Coordinating conjunctions may also link two or more subordinate clauses. They work the same way for subordinate clauses as they do for phrases or for independent clauses. Observe the following examples: o Although I believe you are right and although everyone also thinks so, I dont think I will follow your suggestions. o Not only the way you speak but also the way you walk make your appear very sexy. o After you finish college or after you become financially independent, you may do as you please. o In front of our house but behind the school building is the childrens playground. Coordinating conjunctions connect similar sentence parts: o and but or for nor yet Correlative conjunctions are used in pairs: o not onlybut also eitheror bothand whetheror o Conjunctive adverbs are used to join main clauses. They are preceded by a semicolon and followed by a comma. o Accordingly consequently furthermore o Hence however moreover o Nevertheless otherwise than o Therefore yet also
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Clauses:

Subordination Subordinate Conjunctions are used to introduce adverb clauses and link them to the main clauses. They make clear what exactly the relation between the two clauses. The chief relation they show are time, place, cause, result, exception, condition and alternative. o after although as as long as o as though because if o in order that provided as if o so that than though o till before unless o until whatever when o since whenever where wherever Materials of less importance are subordinated (or put in their proper place) by the use of clauses, participial phrases and appositives. Subordinating conjunctions introduce the adverbial clauses. Writing the correct subordinating conjunction as a substitute for the meaningless makes effective and meaningful sentences. Weak: Bert knew all the answers and he recited confidently. Better: Knowing all the answers, Bert recited confidently.(participle) Weak: Better: Rita was the prettiest and the most intelligent and she easily won the Binibining Pilipinas title. Since Rita was the prettiest and the most intelligent, she easily won the Binibining Pilipinas title. (adverb clause)

Subordination may also be used to join related sentences: Fair : The computer machine is a big office aid. It makes an ordinary job exciting. Improved: The computer machine, which is a big office aid, makes an ordinary job exciting. (appositive) Fair: Erick wants to become a soldier. He studies at the Philippine Military Academy. Improved: Erick, who wants to become a soldier studies at the Philippine Military Academy. (adjective clauses) Instead of writing short, choppy sentences, choose one idea for the sentence of independent clause, and subordinate the other ideas. Choppy : The Philippines, discovered in 1521, is a series of islands, the three biggest of which are Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Subordination : The Philippines, discovered in 1521, is a series of islands, the three biggest of which are Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Choppy : Joey dela Cruz is the union president. Joey dela Cruz is furious. He will lead a protest. The furious union president, Joey dela Cruz, will lead a protest.

Subordination :

Faulty subordination results when an important idea placed in the subordination clause. Faulty : Dick suffered a big disappointment, flunking his exams. Improved : Flunking his exams, Dick suffered a big disappointment.
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