The Sentence
A sentence is a word or group of words expressing a single and complete thought.
Requirement:
1. It should express a complete thought
2. It should express only one thought or form a unit.
Principles of Sentence Structure:
1. Learn to express yourself in complete sentence.
Use the basic sentence pattern: Subject - Verb - Object/Complement
Mark ate apples
S V O
2. If two ideas do not belong together separate them.
The boy ran away down Rizal Avenue which was named after our hero, Jose Rizal.
3. Sentence unity may be destroyed by the inclusion of words, phrases or clause that have no direct bearing on the principal thought of the sentence. A sentence of this type has ‘too much.’
My uncle, short of temper out of breath, eighty years old at his time, and his hair entirely white, shouted at the stranger.
4. Overloading with details obscure unity.
We were going to see the game which was to be played at the gymnasium and we walked and chatted and laughed gaily and when we reached the gymnasium, the game had begun and we were disappointed.
5. Avoid expressing in short, choppy sentences or ideas which can be expressed more precisely in one sentence.
The program was over. I rose to go out. I was very nervous. I had to sit down again. Soon I grew calmer.
Coherence in a Sentence
“Sticking together”
The parts of a sentence must be cut and shaped to fit smoothly at the joints, laid in place to do their appointed tasks, and then fastened or bound with connectives so as to stay together and carry the ideas clearly to the reader.
1. Place all modifier, whether words, phrases or clause as near as possible to the word modified.
Word modifier:
I only need ten pesos.
I need ten pesos only.
Phrase modifier:
He began to lose his desire to go mountain climbing after an hour.
After an hour, he began to lose his desire to go mountain climbing.
Clause modifier:
When you are a child, do you remember all the toys you received?
Do you remember all the toys you received when you are a child?
Review:
Pronoun
A pronoun is a substitute for a noun. It refers to a person, place, thing, feeling, or quality but does not refer to it by its name. The pronoun in the following sample sentence is bolded.
The critique of Plato's Republic was written from a contemporary point of view. It was an in-depth analysis of Plato's opinions about possible governmental forms.
Antecedent
An antecedent is the word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers, understood by the context. The antecedent in the following sample sentence is bolded.
The critique of Plato's Republic was written from a contemporary point of view. It was an in-depth analysis of Plato's opinions about possible governmental forms.
While the pronouns I and you can be replaced by nouns, the context of a sentence does not always require the nouns to make clear to which persons I and you refer. However, the third person pronouns (he, she, it, they) almost always derive their meaning from their antecedents or the words for which they stand.
Remember that pronouns in the third person communicate nothing unless the reader knows what they mean:
It is the best source available. What source is that?
Agreement
A pronoun must agree with its antecedent in three ways:
1. Person refers to the quality of being.
2. Number is the quality that distinguishes between singular (one entity) and plural (numerous entities).
3. Gender is the quality that distinguishes the entities as masculine or feminine.
2. The antecedent of pronoun in a sentence should be immediately clear to the reader.
Vague: I remember that I met many people but I did not enjoy it very much.
Clear: I remember that I met many people but I did not enjoy the occasion very much.
3. Ideas which are parallel in meaning should have parallel form:
Faulty: Arcilla’s stories appeal to me because they are plausible and sound plot.
Better: Arcilla’s stories appeal to me because they are plausible and well-plotted.
4. Avoid ‘dangling’ modifier.
Dangling: Arriving there late the train had left.
Clear: We arrive late and found that the train had left.
5. Avoid ‘squinting’ modifier.
Squinting: After we stopped at a gasoline station, with the help of the attendant, we…
6. Avoid overloading your sentences with too many details.
Too many details:
Military training teaches a person to stand up straight and walk with his head up and this will help him in future life because it will become a habit and so many people have the bad habit of walking stooped leading to poor health and poor appearance.
Clear:
Military training teaches a person to stand erect and walk with his head up. Good posture becomes habitual and leads directly to better health and appearance.
