1. Basic Building Blocks: Clauses and Phrases
Sentences
Basic Building Blocks: Clauses and Phrases

2. Clause or Phrase? before I went to college
both Alexander and his younger sister Lisa
went to college in the U.S.
before school
because they wanted to learn English
because of the rain
in the morning
they worked part-time
there are several ways
working late into the night

3. Clauses groups of words that contain both a subject and a verb.
EXAMPLES:
before I went to college
because they wanted to learn English
they worked part-time
there are several ways

4. Phrases
groups of words that may have either a subject or a verb—but not both.
Examples:
both Alexander and his younger sister Lisa
went to college in the U.S.
because of the rain
in the morning

5. Combining Clauses & Phrases
Both Alexander and his younger sister went to college in the U.S. because they wanted to learn English.
They worked part-time in the mornings, and they took classes in the afternoons.

6. Two Kinds of Clauses: Independent and Dependent
Independent Clauses
- can stand alone / make sense on their own
- start with capital letters and end with periods
Dependent Clauses
- cannot stand alone / do not make sense alone
- must be connected to independent clauses
- often have subordinators

7. Independent Clauses EXAMPLES: They went to college in the U.S.
He’ll join us at the party.

8. Dependent Clauses EXAMPLES: because they wanted to learn English
after he gets off work

9. Combining Clauses
They went to college in the U.S. because they wanted to study English.
Independent clause: they went to college in the U.S.
Dependent clause: because they wanted to study English
He’ll join us at the party after he gets off work.
Independent clause: he’ll join us at the party
Dependent clause: after he gets off work

10. Four Basic Sentence Types
Simple
Compound
Complex
Compound-Complex

11. SIMPLE SENTENCES (independent clauses) S+V acomplete idea
S+S +V+V acomplete idea
It is raining right now.
I couldn’t understand the homework.
Marta and Yoshiko went to college and traveled in the U.S.

12. (two independent clauses joined together)
COMPOUND SENTENCES
(two independent clauses joined together)
S+V acomplete idea, conjunction S+V acomplete idea
The movie was boring, but we watched it anyway.
It was raining, so her children played inside.
They worked part-time in the mornings, and they took classes in the afternoons.

13. Conjunctions (FANBOYS)
IC , conjunction IC
for (reason)
and (alike)
nor (not this or that)
but (opposite, contrast)
or (choice, alternative)
yet (opposite, contrast)
so (result)

14. Conjunctive Adverbs IC + ; + conjunctive adverb + , + IC however
therefore
The movie was boring; however, we watched it anyway.
It was raining; therefore, her children played inside.

15. COMPLEX SENTENCES
(one independent clause and one dependent clause together)
S+V acomplete idea subordinator S+V acomplete idea
Subordinator S+V acomplete idea, S+V acomplete idea
They went to college in the U.S. because they wanted to study English.
After it stopped raining, they went outside to play soccer.

16. COMPOUND-COMPLEX SENTENCES
(at least 2 independent clauses and 1 dependent clause together)
They wanted to travel after they graduated from college, but they had to get part-time jobs instead.
independent clause: they wanted to travel
dependent clause: after they graduated from college
independent clause: they had to get part-time jobs

17. Common Sentence Errors
Fragments
Run-ons
Comma Splices

18. FRAGMENTS
Dependent clauses that are treated as if they are sentences. (incomplete idea)
INCORRECT: While I was eating breakfast.
CORRECT: I watched the news while I was eating breakfast. (put an IC in front of the fragment)
CORRECT: While I was eating breakfast, my boyfriend called. (add an IC after the fragment)

19. RUN-ONS
Two independent clauses written as one sentence without proper punctuation between the two ICs.
INCORRECT: They didn’t play outside it was raining.
CORRECT: They didn’t play outside because it was raining.
(add a subordinator to create a DC)
They didn’t play outside. It was raining.
(put a period between the two ICs)
They didn’t play outside, for it was raining.
(add a comma and a conjunction (FANBOYS)

20. COMMA SPLICES Two independent clauses connected only by a comma.
INCORRECT: They didn’t play outside, it was raining.
CORRECT: They didn’t play outside, for it was raining. (add a conjunction)