Unit-1: Sentence Skills

Introduction
A sentence is a complete set of words that conveys meaning. A sentence can communicate:
. a statement (I am studying.)
. a command (Go away.)
. an exclamation (I’m so excited!)
. a question (What time is it?)
1.1. Parts of a Sentence
a) subject፡ is the person or thing about which an assertion is made or a question is asked .Subjects
can either be "simple" , "compound" or "complex“.
Simple , Complex & Compound subjects
 Simple subjects: are composed of a single pronoun, noun or noun phrase)
Examples: . Helen looked at the chalkboard
. The meteorologist was correct in her prediction.
 Complex subjects: consist of a noun phrase and any words, phrases or clauses that modify it.
Examples:
. The old man who lives near our house is very generous.
. The woman we greeted at the restaurant works at the Ethiopian Airlines.
. The superior performance of the Ethiopian National Team pleased the fans.
 Compound subjects: consist of two or more pronouns or noun phrases (and their modifiers if
any) joined together with a coordinating conjunction.
. The man and the woman walked slowly.
. Neither the teachers nor the students are in the school.
. The leaders of the kebele and the residents are committed to work much harder.
. Pens, pencils, and pads are available in any stationery.
. He and I are intimate friends.
b) Predicate: s the part of the sentence which makes a statement about the subject. The predicate
always contains a verb. In other words, predicate = Verb + other elements
Examples:
. He smiles. . Teddy has done all his assignments. . She killed a snake.
. Jessica is pleased. . She is writing a letter to her family. . He is happy.
C) Object: receives the action of the subject or doer. It can also be simple, complex or compound.
Examples:
. Simple object: . I know her very well. I met them this morning.
. Complex object: . He chose the small puppy shivering over in the corner of the cage.
. I finally bought the jeans I had tried on at least thirty times.
. Compound object: . Mary hates the flies and the spiders.
. I need neither your advice nor your help.
d) Complement: competes the meaning of a sentence.
. Subject complements
. The lake is tranquil. . He is a teacher/student/clever/happy. • The driver seems tired.
. Object complements
. • I consider the driver tired. • Paint it black.
• The judge ruled her out of order. • He dyed his hair blonde.
• I saw the Prime Minister sleeping. • The students elected him president.
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1.2. Types of Sentences
1.2.1. Functionally
a. Declarative sentences/statements
. They are working hard for the progress of their country.
. I have completed all the assignment.
. Affirmative action is a compensation mechanism.
. She doesn’t like alcohols, etc.
b. Interrogative sentences/questions
. Can you speak Arabic/French fluently? . Have you ever seen a lion?

. Will you come tomorrow? . Are they coping with the challenges?

. Did he break the table yesterday?, etc.

c. Exclamation/exclamatory sentences
. Congratulations on your success! . What a beautiful bird!
. Well done! We’re proud of your success. . What an ugly insect!
. Wow! This dress is very attractive.
d. Imperatives (Commands & Requests)
 Commands
. Open the door. . Tell me the truth. . Do it neatly. . Inform him about the situation, etc.
Requests
. Help me, please.
. Please, open the drawer, etc.

1.2.2. Structurally
There are four types of sentences: simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex.
a. Simple Sentences
A simple sentence has one independent clause.
Simple Sentences
- Most commonly, a simple sentence contains a subject and a verb, but not always.
- It expresses a single complete thought that can stand on its own.
Examples: ⃰ The team flew to Chicago. (a subject and a verb)
⃰ The car stopped on the street. (a subject and a verb)
⃰ The baby cried for food. (a subject and a verb)
N.B: A simple sentence can have more than one subject and more than one verb, but it has
only one independent clause. Examples:
1. The students completed and submitted their homework. (a subject and two verbs, but still one
complete thought)
2. Rogers and Rose ate too much and felt sick. (two subjects and two verbs, but it is still a simple
sentence because both verbs share the same subjects and express one complete thought. )
3. The team and the coach flew to Kenya and won the debate. (Similar with No-2, above)

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b. Compound Sentences
A compound sentence contains two or more independent clauses joined by a semi-colon (;)
or a coordinating conjunction with a comma.
A compound sentence is an example of coordination, that is, two independent clauses are linked
together using a coordinating conjunction abbreviated as FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so.
A cpd sentence has more than one principal/main clause but no subordinate/dependent clauses.
 A cpd sentence is always balanced; both ideas are equally important and related to one another.
 A semi-colon is used to join two independent clauses that are related in meaning.
 Basically, a compound contains two simple sentences.
Example: . The art gallery has closed for the day; it will open tomorrow morning.
. He studied hard, but didn’t succeed in the exam.
. I like all sports, but swimming is my favourite.
. The thief had stolen clothes, so he ran once he saw the police.
. They spoke to him in Spanish, but he responded in English.
. The art gallery was closed for the day; it will be opend tomorrow morning.
c. Complex Sentences
A complex sentence consists of one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses.
N.B: A dependent/subordinate clause does not express a complete thought.
- Complex sentences always have subordinators/ subordinating conjunctions (as, because, since,
after, although,unless, while, when, whenever, who,whoever, that, which, whichever, until, where,
wherever, if, even if, etc.).
Examples:
. Although the gallery was closed for the day, it will be opend tomorrow morning.
. The car stopped on the street when the traffic light turned red.
. After doing my homework, I went out for a walk.
. Women are given affirmative actions that enhance their competitiveness.
. Nelson Mandela, who was the former president of S. Africa, was the most popular leader.
. Although I like every fruit, I like mangoes most of all.
. I will see you before you leave.
. The doctor recognised the man who entered his office.
. Unless you book in advance, you won’t get any beds during the holiday.
d. Compound-Complex Sentences
- A Cpd-cx sentence has two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause.
1. Go to the shop and get some biscuits until I bake you some bread.
2. After the two soccer players lost their game, they joined their other teammates for lunch, and
they went to the movies.
3. The man believed in the system, and he knew that justice would prevail after the murderer was
sent to jail.

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4. When I got home, the back door was open and the dog had gone.
5. I missed the bus and I overslept as my alarm clock did not ring.
6. When I came in, Sara was reading a fiction and Eden was doing her assignment.
Exercise
Match the exemplary sentences under column “A” with their structural types of Sentences Under
column “B”.
“A” “B”
____1. Until September, every school will be closed. A. Simple Sentence
____2. The teacher collected and marked the papers. B. Compound Sentence
____3. You can borrow whichever book you like. C. Complex Sentence
____4. I didn’t study, so I didn’t pass the exam. D. Compound-Complex Sentence
____5. Go to the nearby shop and buy some food until I cook your dinner.
____6. Daniel and Rahel enjoyed their vacation.
____7. Whenever you face a problem, don’t be hopeless, but try to overcome it wisely.
____8. I like playing football and watching English TV programs.
1.3. Sentence Combination
A conjunction (also called a connective) is a word such as and, because, but, for, if, or, and when.
Conjunctions are used to connect phrases, clauses, and sentences.
There are three main kinds (types) of conjunctions.

a. Coordinating conjunctions

They join items that are of equal importance in a sentence:

• You can have ice cream or strawberries.

• He plays football and cricket. • The weather was cold but clear.

b. Subordinating conjunctions

They connect the subordinate clauses to the main clause of a sentence:

 I waited at home until she arrived.  He went to bed because he was tired.

 Unless you work hard, you won’t pass the exam.

c. Correlative conjunctions

. These include: both… and, either… or, neither…nor, not only… but also, so…that ,etc.

 He not only clever but also polite student.

 Neither Tesfay nor Daniel arrived on time. (Both of them were late)

 Both Shewit and Lemlem are classmates.

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 He has worn a white gown. Therefore, he is either a teacher or a doctor.

 She is so intelligent that she can join a university, etc.

Exercise:
Match the exemplary sentences under column “A” with the types of conjunctions under column “B”.

“A” “B”

____1. She is rude although she is gorgeous. A. Coordinating Conjunction

____2. The tea is too hot to drink. B. Subordinating Conjunction

____3. He can’t run fast as he is wounded. C. Correlative Conjunction

____4. She missed the train for she was late.

____5. He as wise as Solomon.

____6.While I was reading a book, she was doing her assignment.

1.4. Basics of a Sentence

a. Complete thought
Any sentence should impart a complete & meaningful idea/message.

E.g. 1. The tall boy who sits next to Helen very genius. (Incomplete thought)

 The tall boy who sits next to Helen is very genius. (complete thought)

2. He watched carefully. What? (Incomplete thought)

 He watched the film carefully. (complete thought)

b. Subject
Every sentence should bear a subject. Remember that even imperatives have (hidden) subjects.

E.g. . Malnutrition affects our health seriously. . Monday is the first day of the school days.

. The beautiful round brown wooden table is made in Ethiopia.

. (….) Submit the assignment before May 20. (Imperative-subject: You)

. (….) Thank you so much for your help. (Imperative-subject: I)

c. Verb/predicate
Every sentence should also consist of at least a verb. After the verb, other elements (objects and
complements (adjectives & adverbs)) could also exist.

 The verb & other elements in a sentence are known as predicate. Examples:

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. The baby cries. (Only a verb − Simple predicate)

. The baby cries bitterly. (A verb & an adverb of manner as a complement − Complex predicate)

. The girl was crying bitterly early in the morning. (A verb, an adverb of manner & time adverb as a
complement − Complex predicate)

. We know the man very well. (A verb & an object − Complex predicate)

d. Capital letters
The initial letter of any sentence should be written in a block (capital) letter. E.gs:

 the students are late to class due to heavy rain. (incorrect)

 africa is a beautiful young continent. (incorrect)
e. Ending punctuation
She was born in 1980 in Egypt (incorrect)

The chairperson is wise man He predicts the challenges and identifies their solutions (incorrect)

1.5. Common Errors in Sentence Construction

A. Subject-Verb Disagreement
This error occurs when the verb does not match in number with the singular or plural subject of the
sentence or clause.

1. INCORRECT: Vitamin supplements improves your love life.

* CORRECT: Vitamin supplements improve your love life.
2. INCORRECT: There is only blue jelly beans left.
* CORRECT: There are only blue jelly beans left.
3. INCORRECT: The Whale Shark, the largest of all sharks, feed on plankton.
* CORRECT: The Whale Shark, the largest of all sharks, feeds on plankton.
4. INCORRECT: Bacteria is harmful.
CORRECT: Bacteria are harmful.
5. INCORRECT: The number of students are less.
CORRECT: The number of students is less.
6. INCORRECT: A number of students is coming.
CORRECT: A number of students are coming.
1. INCORRECT: The author, and the musician likes luxury.
CORRECT: The author, and the musician like luxury.
2. INCORRECT: The author and musician like luxury.
CORRECT: The author and musician likes luxury.

Exercise:
1. Incorrect: The students was late for class.
Correct: __________________________________________________.
2. Incorrect: Jessica take the bus to school.
Correct: _________________________________________________
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3. Each student have a book.
Correct: _________________________________________________
4. Neither the students nor the teacher are coming.
Correct: _________________________________________________
5. Either the teacher or the students is coming.
Correct: _________________________________________________

B. Verb Tense Error

The verb tenses with a piece of writing shift inappropriately from one time frame to another:

1. INCORRECT: While Brazil looks to ecotourism to fund rainforest preservation, other South
American nations relied on foreign aid and conservation efforts.

CORRECT: While Brazil looks to ecotourism to fund rainforest preservation, other South
American nations rely on foreign aid and conservation efforts.

2. INCORRECT: Alex has seen several wild animals last month.

CORRECT: Alex saw several wild animals last month.

3. INCORRECT: Today, the Semien Mountains Park was one of most popular tourist attractions.

CORRECT: Today, the Semien Mountains Park is one of most popular tourist attractions.

Exercise: correct the following errors.

1. Bacteria existed everywhere. ___________________________________________

2. We complete our assignment tomorrow. ______________________________________

3. Ato Bereket taught English for many years. He improves his teaching methods frequently.

_________________________________________________________________________

C. Verb Form Error

1. INCORRECT: My comment hurted my roommate’s feelings.

CORRECT: My comment hurt my roommate’s feelings.

2. INCORRECT: She flied to Los Angeles for Chinese New Year.

CORRECT: She flew to Los Angeles for Chinese New Year.

3. INCORRECT: I confuse about what you just said.

CORRECT: I am confused about what you just said.

D. Singular and Plural Noun Pndings Error

1. INCORRECT: The student in the class were asking question.

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 CORRECT: The students in the class were asking questions
2. INCORRECT: You should seek advices when you are making an important decision.
 CORRECT: You should seek advice when you are making an important decision.

3. INCORRECT: Some of the milks has gone sour.

 CORRECT: Some of the milk has gone sour.

E. Sentence Structure Error

1. Incorrect: My cousin probably a very rich man in Vietnam. (verb is missing)
Correct: My cousin was probably a very rich man in Vietnam.
2. Incorrect: My roommate he works a part-time job when he is not busy with his school work.
Correct: My roommate works a part-time job when he is not busy with his school work.
3. Incorrect: In the article, “Vitamin C Under Attack” by Mario Nevares, explains some possible
negative effects of taking large doses of vitamin C.
Correct: In the article, “Vitamin C Under Attack”, Mario Nevares explains some possible
negative effects of taking large doses of vitamin C. Or
.The article, “Vitamin C Under Attack” by Mario Nevares, explains some possible
negative effects of taking large doses of vitamin C.

F. FRAGMENTS A sentence fragment is a sentence that is missing one or more of the parts required
in a good sentence. Generally, this means that the sentence is missing the subject and/or verb or does
not contain a complete thought. Correct a sentence fragment by adding the missing information.

 Fragment: Agreeing or disagreeing with the speaker’s statements.

 Correction: Whether they agreed or disagreed with the speaker’s statements, Paul and Jodie
both felt they benefited from attending the conference.
 Fragment: The tall boy who sits next to beautiful girl.
 Correction: The tall boy who sits next to beautiful girl is my intimate friend.
Exercise
1. Fragment: The students in this class.
Correction: _______________________________________________________.
2. Fragment: I gathered the books from all of the campus libraries. Including magazines and
newspapers.
_______________________________________________________________________.
______________________________________________________________________.

G. COMMA SPLICES: A comma splice occurs when two or more independent clauses are joined
by a comma without a coordinating conjunction.

Correct this type of error by using a comma + conjunction, a semicolon, or a period.

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 Comma splice: The train stops here, it is always late.
 Correction: The train stops here, but it is always late. The train stops here; it is always late.
The train stops here. It is always late.
Comma splice: The baby is in his crib, he is sleeping.
 Correction: The baby is in his crib; he is sleeping. OR
The baby is in his crib, so he is sleeping.

 Comma splice: The train stops here, it is always late.

 Correction: The train stops here, but it is always late. OR
The train stops here; it is always late. OR
The train stops here. It is always late.
Exercise
1. Comma Splice: Marie Curie discovered radium, she applied her work to medicine.

Correction: _________________________________________________________.
_________________________________________________________.
_________________________________________________________.

2. Jake does not realize his illness is serious, he needs to alter his diet.

Correction: _________________________________________________________.
_________________________________________________________.
_________________________________________________________.

3. My car would not start, I went to get it fixed.

Correction: _________________________________________________________.
_________________________________________________________.
_________________________________________________________.

H. Run-Ons
A run-on occurs when one sentence runs into another one. A run-on sentence occurs when
independent clauses are not joined correctly. Run-on sentences are occasionally referred to as fused
sentences. In a fused sentence, the two independent clauses are joined with no punctuation mark or
coordinating conjunction.

To correct a run-on, consider using a comma + conjunction, a semicolon, or a period.

 Run-On: I like rock music I don’t like jazz.

 Corrections:
 I like rock music, but I don’t like jazz.
 I like rock music; I don’t like jazz.
 I like rock music. I don’t like jazz.
Run-On: The rain was going to last for a while dark clouds covered the entire sky.
 Correction: The rain was going to last for a while as dark clouds covered the entire sky.
Run-On: The test is going to be very difficult just do the best you can on it.
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 Correction: The test is going to be very difficult, so just do the best you can on it.
Run-On: We visited the park yesterday morning we went to the museum this afternoon.
 Correction: We visited the park yesterday, but/then we went to the museum
this afternoon.
Run-On: Delina is good looking she is outstanding.
 Correction: Delina is good looking and outstanding.
Run-On: The family drove to the beach it was a beautiful day.
 Correction: The family drove to the beach; it was a beautiful day. OR
The family drove to the beach, and it was a beautiful day. OR
The family drove to the beach. It was a beautiful day.

Exercise
3. Run-on: The commercial was funny it was about a clown.
Correction:_________________________________________________
4. Run-on: Jake was sick he went to the doctor.
Correction: _________________________________________________
5. Run-on: Maria took a trip to Florida she had a lot of fun.
Correction: _________________________________________________
6. Run-on: The computer was broken I tried to fix it.
Correction: _________________________________________________
7. Run-on: My parents love to travel I go with them sometimes.
Correction: _________________________________________________
8. Mulu is smart She is good looking She is married.
Correction: _________________________________________________

I. Misplaced Modifiers
A modifier is an adjective, an adverb, a phrase, or a clause acting as an adjective or adverb. A
modifier provides the reader with further information about the word of phrase a modifier modifies.
Misplaced Modifiers occur when it is unclear what the modifier is modifying. It is important to make
sure the meaning of modifiers is clear when forming a sentence. It can lead to misreading and
ambiguity.

They are often found some distance away from the word hey describe. Hence, they often confuse the
meaning of the sentence. To avoid this confusion, place the modifier as close as possible to what they
describe.

Limiting modifiers: limit or restrict the meaning of a word or phrase within the sentence. These
modifiers should be placed directly in front of the word they modify. Common limiting modifiers include
only, even, almost, nearly, and just.

Example: We go out for ice cream only when we win the game.

A split infinitive: occurs when a modifier is placed between the two parts of an infinitive. When the
modifier is a long word or phrase, splitting the infinitive can create an awkward sentence.

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Incorrect: I hope to soon see the document.
Correction: I hope to see the document soon. Or I hope soon to see the document.

 Acceptable Split Infinitive: I plan to really enjoy my vacation.

However, “I plan to enjoy really my vacation,” would be awkward.

Examples of Misplaced Modifiers:

Misplaced: The chair won’t arrive for weeks that you just ordered.

Revised: The chair that you just ordered won’t arrive for weeks.

Misplaced: The miners reached home long after dark tired and hungry.

Revised: The miners reached home tired and hungry long after dark. Or

Tired and hungry, the miners reached home long after dark.

Misplaced: George couldn’t drive to work his beautiful small car with a broken leg.

Revised: George, with a broken leg, couldn’t drive to work his beautiful small car. Or

With a broken leg, George couldn’t drive to work his beautiful small car.

Misplaced: Many tourists visit Arlington National Cemetery, every day from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.,
where veterans and military personnel are buried.

Revised: Many tourists visit Arlington National Cemetery, where veterans and military personnel are
buried, every day from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

Exercise
1. Misplaced: He nearly brushed his teeth for 2o minutes every night.

Revised: __________________________________________________________________.

2. Misplaced: The treatment is expensive, lengthy and painful for implanting hair.

Revised: __________________________________________________________________.

3. Misplaced: The man teaches English who lives next to your house.

Revised: __________________________________________________________________.

4. Misplaced: They wash on the rocks of the shallow water all of their clothes.

Revised: _________________________________________________________________.

5. Misplaced: My sister is very clever who is learning at Admas University.

Revised: _________________________________________________________________.

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J. Dangling Modifiers
A modifier that opens a sentence must be followed immediately by the word it meant to describe.
Otherwise, the modifier is said to be dangling, and the sentence takes on an unintended meaning.

In other words, word groups that do not immediately follow or precede the noun it describes are
dangling modifiers.

Examples:

Dangling: Taking the exam, the room was so stuffy that Paul almost fainted.

Correction: Taking the exam, Paul almost fainted because the room was so stuffy. Or

Taking the exam, Paul found the room so stuffy that he almost fainted.

Dangling: Walking on the beach, the water touched my feet

Correction: While I was walking on the beach, the water touched my feet.

Dangling: When writing a proposal, an original task is set for research

Correction: When writing a proposal, a scholar sets an original task for research.

Exercise
1. Dangling: Sitting around the dinner table, the discussion was lively.

Correction: __________________________________________________________.

2. Dangling: Driving down the street, the house came into view.

Correction: __________________________________________________________.

K. Faulty Parallelism /Unparallelism

Be sure you use grammatically equal sentence elements to express two or more matching ideas or
items in a series. In other words, we place sentence parts of equal rank in the same grammatical form,
i.e. nouns are matched with nouns, adjectives with adjectives, active verbs with active verbs, passive
verbs with passive verbs, present verbs with present verbs, past verbs with past verbs, continuous
tenses with continuous tenses, phrases with phrases, clauses with clauses etc. This balance is called
parallelism. However, if we violate this rule, it becomes faulty parallel or unparallelism.

Examples:

Unparallel: The candidate’s goals include winning the election, a health program, and education.
Parallel: The candidate’s goals include winning the election, enacting a national health program, and
improving the educational system.
Unparallel: I spent most of my time at work, at school, or at home.
Parallel: I spent most of my time at work, school, or home.

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Unparallel: I searched for the letter on the table, and drawer.
Parallel: I searched for the letter on the table, and in the drawer.
Unparallel: Complainers find themselves powerless, prescriptive, and full of perfection.
Parallel: Complainers find themselves powerless, prescriptive, and perfect.
Unparallel: I enjoy listening to music, taking long walks, and also like to solve puzzles.
Parallel: I enjoy listening to music, taking long walks, and solving puzzles.
Unparallel: The students wrote the dialogue and the music was written by the professor.
Parallel: The students wrote the dialogue and the professor wrote the music. Or
The dialogue was written by the students and the music was written by the professor.

Unparallel: It is better to do school work throughout the semester than cramming the night
before an exam.
Parallel: It is better to do school work throughout the semester than to cram the night before an exam
or
Doing do school work throughout the semester than cramming the night before an exam.

Unparallel: David has been outstanding not only in drawings but also in playing football.
Parallel: David has been outstanding not only in drawing pictures but also in drawing football. or
David has been outstanding not only in drawings but also in football.

Exercise
1. Unparallel: I emptied the waste basket and she washes the dishes.
Parallel:_____________________________________________________________ or
_____________________________________________________________
2. Unparallel: The new staff assistant is eager, dedicated, and has much knowledge.
Parallel: _____________________________________________________________
3. Unparallel: My students are honest and of great courage.
Parallel: _____________________________________________________________
4. Unparallel: To run a company profitably and treating the environment responsibly need not be
conflicting goals.
Parallel:_________________________________________________________________ Or
____________________________________________________________________.
5. Unparallel: Her favourite hobbies are running, reading, and to swim.
Parallel: ____________________________________________________________

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