大学英语语法15——句子ppt课件.ppt

College English Grammar:Grammar and Writing,By Zhu Xiangjun,Unit 15,Sentences Grammar:Sentences Writing:Correcting:Choppy/Stringy Sentences Rewriting:Variety in sentence structure,Sentences,A sentence is made up of a clause.A clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a predicate.Clauses can be put into two kinds:independent/main clauses and dependent/subordinate clauses.An independent/main clause consists of a subject and a predicate and can stand alone as a sentence.the president took a seatshe plays an important role in the game A dependent/subordinate clause starts with a subordinate words such as that,which,what,when,where,why,how,because,though,whether,if,etc.It can not stand alone as a sentence though it consists of both a subject and a predicate.when the president took a seatbecause she plays an important role in the game,1.Simple sentences The most basic type of sentence is a simple sentence.It can be as short as one word(when the subject“you”is understood):Run!Usually,a simple sentence contains one independent/main clause.To be complete,it must have at least one subject and one predicate.Both the subject and the predicate may have modifiers such as adjectives,adverbs,prepositional phrases,participial phrases,etc.All of the following are simple sentences,because each contains only one clause:Run!The policeman runs.The policeman runs fast.The policeman on duty runs fast towards the car.Receiving an emergent call from his men,the policeman on duty runs fast towards the waiting car.,A simple sentence may also have two or more subjects and/or predicates.The president and his men took seats.The president and his men took seats and discussed the problem.Notice:1)Simple sentences can be very effective for drawing a readers attention,but you have to use them with care:too many simple sentences can make your writing seem choppy and childish.2)In a simple sentence,no commas separate compound elements.,2.Compound sentences A sentence that has at least two or more main/independent clauses is called a compound sentence.All of the main clauses of a compound sentence have their own subject(s)and their own predicate(s)and these main clauses are of equal importance in grammar.Usually,a compound sentence is joined by1)a coordinating conjunction(for,and,nor,but,or,yet,so),2)a conjunctive adverb(e.g.however,therefore,thus,etc.),3)a semicolon alone.,My brother has never been abroad before.He is finding this trip very exciting.My brother has never been abroad before,so he is finding this trip very exciting.The lights were high up on the cliffs.She knew she was near the shore.The lights were high up on the cliffs;thus,she knew she was near the shore.The plane was late.Detectives were waiting at the airport all morning.The plane was late;detectives were waiting at the airport all morning.,3.Complex sentences A sentence that has one main/independent clause(MC)and one or more subordinate clauses(SC)is called a complex sentence.A subordinate clause is headed by a subordinate conjunction(after,before,when,if,though,etc.)or a relative pronoun(that,which,who,whom,and whose),functioning in the sentence as a noun,an adjective or an adverb.There are four punctuation patterns:1)SC+,+MC.2)MC+SC.3)Main+,+nonessential SC+,+clause.4)Main+essential SC+clause.,We are all very excited.We are looking forward to the Olympic Games.We have never been held Olympic Games before in our country.We are all very excited and are looking forward to the Olympic Games because they have never been held before in our country.The fish has been sent to a museum.In the museum,a scientist is examining it.The fish is called an oarfish.The fish,which has been sent to a museum where it is being examined by a scientist,is called an oarfish.,4.Compound-complex sentences A sentence that has two or more main clauses(MC)and at least one subordinate clause(SC)is called a compound-complex sentence.It is merely a combination of a compound sentence and a complex sentence.The punctuation of compound-complex sentences follows the rules given below for compound and complex sentences.Generally,two main clauses may be joined by1)Coordinating conjunctions:MC+,+and+MC.2)Conjunctive adverbs:MC+;+therefore+,+MC.,A subordinate clause may be introduced by1)Subordinate conjunctions(for adverb clause)SC+,+MC.or MC+SC.2)Relative pronouns(for adjective clause)Main+essential SC+Clause.or M+,+non-essential SC+,C.3)Relative pronoun or adverbs(for noun clauses)Usually,no punctuations is needed for noun clauses.,He looked at his watch.He saw that it was one oclock.The bell struck thirteen times.Then it stopped.Looking at his watch,he saw that it was one oclock,but the bell struck thirteen times before it stopped.The cat looked very well.It was rather thirsty.It drank half a bottle of milk.The cat looked very well although it was rather thirsty,for it drank half a bottle of milk.,Combine the simple sentences in each set into a compound sentences,a complex sentence or a compound-complex sentence.,1.Daniel heard the news.He was most surprised.Daniel was most surprised when he heard the news.2.The god has the head of a cow.It was usually placed inside a mummy.This god which has the head of a cow was usually placed inside a mummy.3.A week before,he had completed an overland flight.Flight was successful.During the flight he covered twenty-six miles.A week before,he had completed a successful overland flight during which he covered twenty-six miles.,4.Robert and I went into the living room.There we talked.Our talk lasted for a couple of hours.Robert and I went into the living room where we talked for a couple of hours.5.He returns home at night.He always finds this.Someone has parked a car.The car is outside his gate When he returns home at night,he always finds that someone has parked a car outside his gate.6.A light plane flew off course.The plane carries passengers.It crashed in the mountains.Its pilot was killed.When a light passenger plane flew off course,it crashed in the mountains and its pilot was killed.,Choppy/Stringy Sentences,Choppy sentences and stringy sentences are two opposite extremes.Both are considered as poor style that you should endeavor to avoid using them in your writing.Choppy sentences are sentences that are too short.They are the result of using too many short and simple sentences,like those that follow.The wall was extremely narrow.The man was unable to move.The fire fighters cut a huge hole in the wall.They were eventually able to free him.,Choppy sentences are easy to correct.Just combine two or three short sentences to make one compound or complex sentence.Your decision to make a compound or a complex sentence should be based on whether the ideas in the short sentence are equal or whether one idea is dependent on the other.In this way,we can improve the choppy sentences above as follows.As the wall was extremely narrow,the man was unable to move,but the fire fighters were eventually able to free him by cutting a huge hole in the wall.,Stringy sentences are sentences that are too long.They are the result of using too many clauses which are connected with coordinating conjunctions(and,but,so,etc.),subordinating conjunctions(because,after,before,when,etc.)or relative pronouns(that,which,who,etc.),forming one very long sentence,like the one that follows.My old friend who was called Harrison had lived in the Mediterranean for many years before he returned to England,in which he had often dreamed of retiring and had planned to settle down,so he had no sooner returned than he bought a house and went to live there.,To correct a stringy sentence,break the sentence into two or more sentences or turn some of the complete thoughts into phrases or subordinate clauses.My old friend,Harrison,had lived in the Mediterranean for many years before he returned to England.He had often dreamed of retiring in England and had planned to settle down in the country.He had no sooner returned than he bought a house and went to live there.,Correct the following choppy or stringy sentences.,Pollution is the price.We pay for the price for our planet.It is overpopulated.It is over industrialized.We took a path.It led out of the town.We crossed a few fields.We came to a dense wood.The path continued on the other side.We could see that.How could we get across the stream?We had no idea.I looked up.I saw some children.They were in rags.They surrounded us.They were silent.They were looking at us.They saw us eating.After I had had lunch at a village pub,I looked for my bag,but now it wasnt there though I had left it on a chair beside the door.Towards evening,the boat struck a rock and the girl jumped into the sea and then she swam to the shore after she had spent in the water the whole night,during which she covered a distance of eight miles.,Keys:Pollution is the price we pay for an overpopulated,over industrialized planet.Taking a path which led out of the town,we crossed a few fields until we came to a dense wood.We could see that the path continued on the other side,but we had no idea how we could get across the stream.Looking up,I saw that we were surrounded by children in rags who were looking at us silently as we ate.After I had had lunch at a village pub,I looked for my bag.I had left it on a chair beside the door and now it wasnt there!Towards evening,the boat struck a rock and the girl jumped into the sea.Then she swam to the shore after spending the whole night in the water.During that time she covered a distance of eight miles.,Assignment：,The exercise in this section is to create effective passages by combining the short sentences which you think is related into longer,more complex ones.If there are some mistakes,correct them.Passage 1(Adapted from Lesson 3,New Concept English III by L.G.Alexander)Not long ago,on the Aegean island of Kea,archaeologists made an interesting discovery.There was a temple in an ancient city on the promontory of Ayia Irini.An American team explored it.The city must be prosperous for a period of time.It once had a high level of civilization.Houses generally had three storeys high.They were made of stone.Rooms inside were very big.Walls were decorated beautifully.The city even laid out a drainage system.Under the narrow streets,people found a lot of pipes.They were made of earth.,The archaeologists explored the temple.People used the temple for prey and worship from the fifteenth century B.C.to Roman times.In the most holy room of the temple,people found pieces of fifteen statues.They all were made of earth.Each of them stood for a goddess.Once they were painted.Among them there was a statue.People found its body among the historic relics of the fifteenth century and its head among the relics of the fifth century.Its head must be found in Classic times and they protected it delicately.Even in those days,it was still a very precious thing of long history.Archaeologists put these broken pieces together again.They were surprised to find.The goddess looked very modern.She had three feet high.Her hands placed on her hips.She wore a long dress.The dress touched the ground.Although she was old,her body was elegant indeed.However,up to now archaeologists can not make sure who she was.,