Grammar Basics Sentence Parts and Sentence Structures

The job of grammar is to organize words into sentences, and there are many ways to do that. (Or we could say, Words can be organized into sentences in many different ways.) For this reason, describing how to put a sentence together isnt as easy as explaining how to bake a cake or assemble a model plane. There are no easy recipes, no step-by-step instructions. But that doesnt mean that crafting an effective sentence depends on magic or good luck. Experienced writers know that the basic parts of a sentence can be combined and arranged in countless ways. So as we work to improve our writing, its important to understand what these basic structures are and how to use them effectively. Well begin by introducing the traditional parts of speech and the most common sentence structures. For practice in shaping these words and structures into strong sentences, follow the links to the practice exercises, examples, and expanded discussions. 1.  The Parts of Speech One way to begin studying basic sentence structures is to consider the traditional parts of speech (also called word classes): nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. Except for interjections (ouch!), which have a habit of standing by themselves, the parts of speech come in many varieties and may show up just about anywhere in a sentence. To know for sure what part of speech a word is, we have to look not only at the word itself but also at its meaning, position, and use in a sentence. 2.  Subjects, Verbs, and Objects The basic parts of a sentence are the subject, the verb, and (often, but not always) the object. The subject is usually a noun—a word that names a person, place, or thing. The verb (or predicate) usually follows the subject and identifies an action or a state of being. An object receives the action and usually follows the verb. 3.  Adjectives and Adverbs A common way of expanding the basic sentence is with modifiers—words that add to the meanings of other words. The simplest modifiers are adjectives and adverbs. Adjectives modify nouns, while adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. 4.  Prepositional Phrases Like adjectives and adverbs, prepositional phrases add meaning to the nouns and verbs in sentences. A prepositional phrase has two basic parts: a preposition plus a noun or a pronoun that serves as the object of the preposition. 5. Four Basic Sentence Structures There are four basic sentence structures in English: A simple sentence is a sentence with just one independent clause (also called a main clause): Judy laughed.A compound sentence contains at least two independent clauses: Judy laughed and Jimmy cried.A complex sentence contains an independent clause and at least one dependent clause: Jimmy cried when Judy laughed.A compound-complex sentence contains two or more independent clauses and at least one dependent clause: Judy laughed and Jimmy cried when the clowns ran past their seats. 6.  Coordination A common way to connect related words, phrases, and even entire clauses is to coordinate  them—that is, connect them with a basic coordinating conjunction such as and or but. 7.  Adjective Clauses​ To show that one idea in a sentence is more important than another, we rely on subordination—that is, treating one word group as secondary (or subordinate) to another. One common form of subordination is the adjective clause—a word group that modifies a noun. The most common adjective clauses  begin with one of these relative pronouns: who, which, and that. 8.  Appositives An appositive is a word or group of words that identifies or renames another word in a sentence—most often a noun that immediately precedes it. Appositive constructions offer concise ways of describing or defining a person, place, or thing. 9.  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Adverb Clauses Like an adjective clause, an adverb clause is always dependent on (or subordinate to) an independent clause. Like an ordinary adverb, an adverb clause usually modifies a verb, though it can also modify an adjective, an adverb, or even the rest of the sentence in which it appears. An adverb clause  begins with a subordinating conjunction—an adverb that connects the subordinate clause to the main clause. 10.  Participial Phrases A participle is a verb form used as an adjective to modify nouns and pronouns. All present participles end in -ing. The past participles of all regular verbs end in -ed. Irregular verbs, however, have various past participle endings. Participles and participial phrases can add vigor to our writing as they add information to our sentences. 11.  Absolute Phrases Among the various kinds of modifiers, the absolute phrase may be the least common but one of the most useful. An absolute phrase, which consists of a noun plus at least one other word, adds details to an entire sentence—details that often describe one aspect of someone or something mentioned elsewhere in the sentence. 12.  Four Functional Types of Sentences There are four main types of sentences that can be distinguished by their function and purpose: A declarative sentence makes a statement: Babies cry.An interrogative sentence poses a question: Why do babies cry?An imperative sentence gives instructions or expresses a request or demand: Please be quiet.An exclamatory sentence expresses strong feelings by making an exclamation: Shut up!

Effects Of Substance Dependence On A Person s Brain

Nearly everyone knows someone who is dependent upon drugs or alcohol. Substance dependence is an issue, with lifetime alcohol dependence from 2001-2002 in the United States alone being 12.5%, and lifetime drug dependence on drugs being 2.6%. (Fleury, Grenier, Bamvita, Perreault, and Caron 204). Risk for substance dependence varies from one person to another; there are so many factors that can influence it, including just personality and certain attitudes people have. The psychology of a person’s brain is so complex that it would be impossible to determine every single thing that affects a person’s risk for substance dependence. There are some factors, however, that can be studied and measured - and studies have been done on those factors†¦show more content†¦6). These studies show that although not everyone with a family history of substance dependence becomes an addict themselves, it does put them at a significantly greater risk of developing a dependence upon any type of substance they may abuse in their lifetime. â€Å"For the individual with a history of substance dependence in his or her family, even occasional or sporadic abuse should be viewed with more concern that if family substance dependence were not present† (Margolis and Zweben 67). Those with parents and grandparents that have had a substance addiction should be extra cautious when using drugs and alcohol, because it can affect them very differently. â€Å"Just trying it once† could turn into a lifetime reliance upon the substance. The biology of this is not fully understood though one hypothesis is that it has to do with having a fewer number of dopamine receptors in the brain, meaning they might not be absorbing as much dopamine as normal people do (Casey, Benkelfat, Cherkasova, Baker, Dagher, and Leyton 23). This may cause a desire to increase the amount of dopamine in the brain through certain types

John Stuart Mill, Berlin, And Sartre - 2059 Words

Name Professor Course Date Positive and Negative Freedom: According to Augustine, Mill, Berlin, and Sartre As one of the most important concepts in philosophy, freedom always attracted the attention of the thinkers. Such outstanding philosophers as Saint Augustine, John Stuart Mill, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Isaiah Berlin provide valuable responses to the problem of freedom, which are still actual. For instance, Isaiah Berlin can be considered the true ideologist of dialectic of freedom, dividing this issue into positive and negative one. According to Isaiah Berlin, positive and negative freedom are closely connected with social and political development of human civilization. Precisely the way people evaluate and define their freedom influences political and social regime, which can develop in such society. Using the brilliant examples from the history of philosophical thought, Berlin provides the direct instances of negative and positive freedom existence. Each type of freedom premises a separate way of living, social structure, and role of individuality. Defining negative and positive freedom as almost absolutely different concepts, Berlin makes the emphasis that both determine personal activity. Negative freedom is freedom from other people interference. As the philosopher mentions, negative freedom answers the question â€Å"What is the area within which the subject – a person or group of persons – is or should be left to do or be what he is able to do or be, without

Tropical Africa Food Production And The Inquiry M Essay Example For Students

Tropical Africa: Food Production And The Inquiry M Essay odel Hunger is the result of disasters such as drought, floods, the changing of the jet stream patterns and other natural disasters. They are beyond our control.It has been estimated that one third of the land in Tropical Africa is potentially cultivable, though only about 6% of it is currently cultivated. However, to change farming from a low-input, low-yield pattern to a high-input, high-yield pattern necessitates the use of more fertilizer and the planting of high-yielding varieties of crops.There are a number of environmental factors, related mostly to climate, soils and health, resisting easy developmental solutions. Hunger is the result of disasters such as drought, floods, the changing of the jet stream patterns and other natural disasters. They are beyond our control. It has been estimated that one third of the land in Tropical Africa is potentially cultivable, though only about 6% of it is currently cultivated. However, to change farming from a low-input, low-yield pattern to a high-input, high-yield pattern necessitates the use of more fertilizer and the planting of high-yielding varieties of crops. There are a number of environmental factors, related mostly to climate, soils and health, resisting easy developmental solutions. Rainfall reliability is closely connected to rainfall quantity. The rainfall in the equatorial heart is very plentiful and reliable. However, there is much less rainfall towards the outer edges of the rain belt. Periodic and unpredictable droughts are a characteristic feature of these border zones. There are three climatic zones in Tropical Africa: 1. a region of persistent rain at and near the Equator, 2. a region on each side of this of summer rain and winter drought, and 3. a region at the northern and southern edges afflicted by drought. All the climates listed in the previous paragraph are modified in the eastern parts of Tropical Africa by the mountains and monsoons. The soils of Tropical Africa pose another problem. They are unlike the soils of temperate areas. Soils are largely products of their climates, and tropical soils are different from temperate soils because the climate is different. Because of the great heat of the tropics tends to bake the soils, while on the other hand, the rainfall leaches them. The combined heat and moisture tend to produce very deep soils because the surface rock is rapidly broken down by chemical weathering. All this causes the foods rate of growth to slow down or maybe even stop and as a result food production wont even come close in catching up to the rate of population increase; therefore starvation and hunger is present. In the process of a flood and drought, the roots of trees are shallow and virtually no nutrients are obtained from the soil. The vegetation survives on its own humus waste, which is plentiful. If the vegetation is cleared, then the source of humus is removed and the natural infertility of the soils becomes obvious. As being another factor, this will cause the soil to produce wasteful and useless products which in turn will decrease the production. To conclude this essay, the climates in Tropical Africa take a big role as being factors that could endanger or destroy the process of plantation. On the other hand, it could also bring good fortune if climatic regions are fairly good. .