After you have reviewed parts of speech and punctuation, you can now use the information to analyse how sentences in English are put together — by breaking them apart.
In grammar, a sentence is typically divided into two main parts: the subject and the predicate. These are fundamental in analyzing sentence structures because they help to clarify who or what is performing an action and what action is being performed.
Subject Group (or Subject):
The subject of a sentence is the person, place, thing, or idea that is doing or being something. The subject group can consist of a single noun (or pronoun) or a complex structure with modifiers.
For example, in the sentence "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog," "The quick brown fox" is the subject group. It tells us what the sentence is about or who is performing the action.
Predicate Group (or Predicate):
The predicate expresses the action or state of being of the subject and usually contains a verb. The predicate group can include the verb, objects, complements, and other modifiers.
In the sentence "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog," "jumps over the lazy dog" is the predicate group. It tells us what the subject is doing.
These groups help analyze sentence structure by breaking down the sentence into its functional components, making it easier to understand and manipulate grammatically.
Below, you will find an example of breaking down sentences in the very short story: Chasing Chase (Draft).
You can review more examples in Grammar.in.Stories. Also review the information at the end of this article which describes sentence structures that give people the most trouble.
Trouble Spots
Review some sentence structures that give people trouble.
Common problems with
subject verb agreement.
When the subject is plural, (the quantity is greater than 1), the verb must take the plural form. Sounds easy; right? Find the subject in the sentence, examine the case, then check that the subject case matches the verb form. (A pronoun form must also match the subject case.)
The list of items is long. His lists are always long. They are always long and tedious.
Cabbage, lettuce, and spinach are planted in the garden. They are planted each spring.
Cabbage, lettuce, or spinach is planted in the garden. One is planted each spring.
Samuel and Ruth own a car. I see their car in the driveway. Samuel and Ruth's car is parked in the driveway.
Samuel and Ruth both own a car. I see their cars in the driveway. Samuel's and Ruth's cars are parked in the driveway.
Below the bowing trees, the path winds north to the castle.
I spoke to the doctor today. The news is bad.
other verb forms.
Check that the subject case matches the verb form and also check that the verb tense is correct. The verb tense changes based on time: does the action happen now; is the action happening now; did the action happen in the past; in the past, does the action routinely happen; or will the action take place in the future. The verb tense also changes when the verb is acting has a helper for another verb. There are six verb tenses:
Present tense: Anna sits near the window.
Present participle: Anna is sitting near the window right now.
Past tense: Anna sat near the window yesterday.
Past participle: Anna has sat beside that window countless days.
Future tense: Anna will sit beside that same window again tomorrow.
Infinitive form: She wants to sit there every day for the rest of her life.
Choose the tense that matches what you are describing and make sure the tense stays consistent throughout the description.
choice or placement of pronoun.
Pronouns refer to a noun from a previous sentence or clause. Pronouns can be subjective, possessive, or objective. The form may change depending how the word is used.
Subjective Forms: I, you, he, she, we, they
I see Samuel studying. Do you?
He often studies in the library.
Is she with him today? They always study together.
Ask not for whom the bell tolls. It tolls for thee.
He calls her every Sunday.
It is our decision for whom we vote. It is up to us to decide.
When you use a pronoun, double check the form and be clear to whom it refers.
choice of modifier.
Adjectives provide additional information about nouns. Adverbs describe verbs. A modifier describing an noun may take a different form than the same modifier describing a verb. For example:
Samuel is a hard worker. He works hard for his grades.
Samuel is an exceptional student. Samuel studies exceptionally long.
Samuel is a quick study. Samuel learns quickly.
Amber combs her lovely red hair each night before bed. She tends the garden lovingly each morning.
Often, but not always, you add the ending 'ly' to a word to make it an adverb. If you are unsure which form of a modifier to use, check the dictionary; that's its purpose. Remember an English language word can take many forms, as in the word love.
Noun: Love is kind.
Verb: I love mornings.
Adjective: Amber combs her lovely red hair.
Adverb: She wrapped the gift lovingly.
Word meaning and usage can stretch over time. Look up the word run and light in the dictionary. How many ways can these words be used?
sentence fragmentation.
Fragmentation occurs when an incomplete sentence or phrase is punctuated as a stand-alone sentence. For example:
He grabs his hair gel and runs downstairs to join Dad. Who is leaving for work.
The clause, who is leaving for work, in this context, is not a complete sentence. It is a subordinate clause of the previous sentence. Possible revisions are:
He grabs his hair gel and runs downstairs to join Dad, who is leaving for work.
He grabs his hair gel and runs downstairs to join Dad before he leaves work.
Dad is leaving for work. Sam grabs the hair gel and runs downstairs to help him get ready.
If posed as a question, this clause can be a complete sentence.
Who is leaving for work? Dad is leaving for work. Sam runs downstairs to help him get ready.
Remember, the goal is clarity. Read your sentence out loud. Is the meaning clear? Write down different ways of expressing the same idea. Choose the revision that best expresses your intended meaning.
slicing or joining sentences.
You should not join two main clauses together with only a comma or no comma at all. At the very least, use a conjunction to indicate why/how the actions are joined. For example;
Samuel studies in the library, the girls are studying beside him.
These clauses are not joined together properly. The meaning is unclear. Possible revisions:
Samuel studies in the library. The girls are studying beside him.
Samuel studies in the library with the girls, who sit beside him.
Samuel and the girls study together in the library.
Whenever Samuel studies in the library, the girls are studying nearby.
Make sure the meaning is clear when you join two sentences. You achieve clarity by choosing the best conjunction.
A writer of prose can bend a few grammar rules in the name of style (as we often do in casual conversations), but always use complete sentences when you write a formal report; double check that subject and verbs agree; use consistent verb tenses; ensure modifier forms match usage; and make sure the reader knows to whom or what a pronoun refers.
Sources
Textbook: Andrews, Deborah C., and Blickle, Margaret D. Technical Writing, Principles and Forms. Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., NY, NY 1982.
Textbook: Hodges, John. C., and Whitten, Mary E. Harbrace College Handbook, Cdn Ed. Longman Canada Ltd., Don Mills, ON 1977.
