Grammar: Sentences (IELTS Writing Prep)

Grammar: Sentences
(IELTS Writing Prep)

By Fachrina Azura

​Unit	​Example
​Essays	​
Paragraphs​	​
Sentences​	​
​C _ _ _ _ _ s	​
​P _ _ _ _ _ s	​
​Words	​
​Letters	​a, b, c,

Clauses

are the building blocks of sentences.

A clause is a group of words that contains (at least) a subject and a verb.

Examples

to protect the environment

after working all day

Not Clauses

ecology is a science

because pollution causes cancer

Clauses

• begins with a subordinator (e.g. when, while, if, that, who)

• does not express a complete thought

• cannot stand as a sentence on its own

Dependent Clauses (DC)

• contain a subject and a verb

• expresses a complete thought

• can stand as a sentence on its own

• formula: S + V + Complement

​

Independent Clauses (IC)

There are 2 kinds of clauses:

Examples

Exercise 1

Decide if the followings are independent or dependent clauses!

Multiple Choice

Globalization means more travel for businessmen and businesswomen

• Independent clause

• Dependent clause

Multiple Choice

As business executives fly around the globe to sell their companies' products and services

• Independent clause

• Dependent clause

Multiple Choice

Jet lag affects most long-distance travelers

• Independent clause

• Dependent clause

Multiple Choice

Which is simply the urge to sleep at inappropriate times

• Independent clause

• Dependent clause

Multiple Choice

During long journeys through several time zones, the body’s

inner clock is disrupted

• Independent clause

• Dependent clause

Multiple Choice

For some reason, travel from west to east causes greater jet lag

than travel from east to west

• Independent clause

• Dependent clause

Multiple Choice

Also, changes in work schedules can cause jet lag

• Independent clause

• Dependent clause

Multiple Choice

When hospital nurses change from a day shift to a night shift,

for example

• Independent clause

• Dependent clause

Multiple Choice

Although there is no sure way to prevent jet lag

• Independent clause

• Dependent clause

Multiple Choice

There are some ways to minimize it

• Independent clause

• Dependent clause

Kinds of Sentences

A sentence is a group of words that you use to communicate your ideas. Every sentence is formed from one or more clauses and expresses a complete thought.

​Sentence structure grammar rules

1. The first letter must be capitalized.

2. End a sentence with a period, question mark, exclamation point, or quotation marks.

3. Most of the time, the subject of the sentence comes first, the verb comes second, and the objects come last. (Subject -> Verb -> Object)

4. If the subject is singular, the verb must also be singular. If the subject is plural, the verb must be plural. This is known as subject-verb agreement.

The four basic kinds of sentences in English are simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex. The kind of sentence is determined by the kind of clauses used to form it.

​A simple sentence is one independent clause.

1. Simple Sentences

Notice that the second sentence has two verbs, boils and freezes. This is called a compound verb. The third sentence has both a compound subject and a compound verb. All three examples are simple sentences because they have only one clause.

Open Ended

Write one simple sentence with one subject and one verb.

Open Ended

Write one simple sentences with two subjects and one verb.

2.Compound Sentences

A compound sentence is two or more independent clauses joined together.

There are three ways to join the clauses:

1. With a coordinator

   Salt water boils at a higher temperature than freshwater, so food cooks faster in salt water.

2. With a conjunctive adverb

   Salt water boils at a higher temperature than freshwater; therefore, food cooks faster in salt water.

3. With a semicolon

   Salt water boils at a higher temperature than freshwater; food cooks faster in salt water.

Compound Sentences with Coordinators

A compound sentence can be formed as follows:
Independent clause, + coordinator + independent clause

Example:
Salt water boils at a lower temperature than freshwater, so food cooks faster in salt water.

Coordinators: FANBOYS

For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So

Exercise 2

• You will see two sentences.

• Form a compound sentence by joining them using a coordinator that best fits the meaning.

• Use each FAN BOYS coordinator once.

• Don't forget to punctuate them correctly.

Example

Nuclear accidents can happen. Nuclear power plants must have strict safety controls.

Nuclear accidents can happen, so nuclear power plants must have strict safety controls.

Open Ended

The accident at the nuclear power plant at Three Mile Island in the United States created fears about the safety of this energy source.

The disaster at Chernobyl in the former Soviet Union confirmed them.

Open Ended

Solar heating systems are economical to operate.

The cost of installation is very high.

Open Ended

Energy needs are not going to decrease.

Energy sources are not going to increase.

(Use nor and question word order in the second clause, deleting the word not).

Open Ended

Burning fossil fuels causes serious damage to our planet.

We need to develop other sources of energy.

Open Ended

Ecologists know that burning fossil fuels causes holes in the ozone layer.

People continue to do it.

Open Ended

Developing nations especially will continue this harmful practice.

They do not have the money to develop “clean” energy sources.

Open Ended

All nations of the world must take action.

Our children and grandchildren will suffer the consequences.

Compound Sentences with Conjunctive Adverbs

A second way to form a compound sentence is as follows:
Independent clause; + conjunctive adverb, + independent clause

Example:
Salt water boils at a higher temperature than freshwater; therefore, food cooks faster in salt water.

Exercise 3

• You will see two sentences from the previous exercise.

• Form a compound sentence by joining them using a conjunctive adverbs that best fits the meaning.

• Don't forget to punctuate them correctly.

Example

Nuclear accidents can happen. Nuclear power plants must have strict safety controls.

Nuclear accidents can happen; therefore, nuclear power plants must have strict safety controls.

Open Ended

The accident at the nuclear power plant at Three Mile Island in the United States created fears about the safety of this energy source.

The disaster at Chernobyl in the former Soviet Union confirmed them.

Open Ended

Solar heating systems are economical to operate.

The cost of installation is very high.

Open Ended

Ecologists know that burning fossil fuels causes holes in the ozone layer.

People continue to do it.

Compound Sentences with Semicolons

A third way to form a compound sentence is to connect the two independent clauses with a semicolon alone:

This kind of compound sentence is possible only when the two independent clauses are closely related in meaning. If they are not closely related, they should be written as two simple sentences, each ending with a period.

3.Complex Sentences

A complex sentence contains one independent clause and one (or more) dependent clause(s).

In a complex sentence, one idea is generally more important than the

other. We place the more important idea in the independent clause and the less important idea in the dependent clause.

Three kinds of dependent clauses

1. Complex Sentences with Adverb Clauses

2. Complex Sentences with Adjective Clauses

3. Complex Sentences with Noun Clauses

Complex Sentences with Adverb Clauses

An adverb clause acts like an adverb; that is, it tells where, when, why, and how. An adverb clause begins with a subordinator, such as when, while, because, although, if, so, or that. It can come before or after an independent clause.

Complex Sentences with Adjective Clauses

An adjective clause acts like an adjective; that is, it describes a noun or pronoun. An adjective clause begins with a relative pronoun, such as who, whom, which, whose, or that, or with a relative adverb such as where or when. It follows the noun or pronoun it describes.

Complex Sentences with Noun Clauses

A noun clause begins with a wh- question word, that, whether, and sometimes if. A noun clause acts like a noun; it can be either the subject or an object of the independent clause.

In the first example, That there is a hole in the ozone layer of Earth’s atmosphere is the subject of the verb is. In the second example, what caused it is the object of the verb know.

Exercise 4

1. Underline the independent clause of each sentence.

2. Italicize the dependent clause. One sentence has two dependent clauses.

3. Bold the subordinator. Refer to the list of subordinators on page 163.

Example

Because the cost of education is rising, many students must work part time.

Open Ended

When students from other countries come to the United States, they often suffer from culture shock.

Open Ended

Because financial aid is difficult to obtain, many students have to work part-time.

Open Ended

Engineers, who have an aptitude for drafting and mechanics, must also be artistic and imaginative.

Open Ended

While the contractor follows the blueprint, the engineer checks the construction in progress.

Open Ended

Since the blueprint presents the details of the engineer’s plans, it must be interpreted accurately by the contractor.

Open Ended

Students should declare a major by their junior year unless they have not made up their minds.

Open Ended

The government says that inflation is holding steady.

Open Ended

Economists are concerned that the rate of inflation will double if the government does not take immediate steps to control it.

4.Compound-Complex Sentences

A Compound-complex sentence has at least three clauses, at least two of which are independent. You can use almost any combination of dependent and independent clauses. Just be sure that there is at least one independent clause.

In the following examples, independent clauses are underlined with a solid line and dependent clauses with a dotted line.

Model Essays Comparison.pdf - Google Drive

You can open this webpage in a new tab.

Copy link

Open in new tab

Summary

There are two types of clauses: Independent (IC) and Dependent (DC).

There are four types of sentences:
1. Simple
2. Compound
3. Complex.
4. Compound-complex.

And that's a wrap!