Chapter 01 : Writing with appropriate grammar and vocabulary

Constructing grammatically correct sentences

A sentence is a complete set of words that conveys meaning. A sentence may be composed of one or more clauses. A clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a predicate. In the sentence: “I don’t like ocean because sharks scare me,” the words “I don’t like the ocean” make an independent clause, and the words “because sharks scare me” form the dependent clause.

An independent clause (or main clause) is a complete thought, and it can stand by itself to make sense. A dependent clause (or subordinate clause) is an incomplete thought, and it cannot stand by itself to make sense. You can spot a dependent clause by identifying a subordinating conjunction. The subordinating conjunction creates a dependent clause that relies on the rest of the sentence for meaning. The following are some examples of subordinating conjunctions.

1. after           
2. as             
3. before
4. though
5. while
6. unless
7. although
8. because   
9. even though
10. since
11. when
12. whereas

Types of sentences

A sentence can serve various purposes, such as making a statement (e.g., “I’m studying.”), giving a command (e.g., “Go away!”), expressing an exclamation (e.g., “I’m so excited!”), or asking a question (e.g., “What time is it?”). In a written text, sentences used to form paragraphs can be classified as simple, compound, or complex. Below is a description of each of these sentence types, along with relevant examples.

Simple sentences

A simple sentence consists of a single independent clause. The sentences below illustrate this structure:

(i) Juma went to the party last night.
(ii) Who is your best friend?
(iii) She ate her lunch early.

In English, simple sentences commonly follow the Subject–Verb–Object (SVO) word order. This structural pattern is illustrated in the table below.

Activity 1.2

Walk around your school environment and explore noticeboards, posters, classroom signs, and announcements. Then do the following:

1. Write down five simple real-life sentences that you find.
2. Rewrite each sentence using the Subject–Verb–Object (SVO) pattern, even if the original sentence does not follow this structure. Then practise saying the sentences aloud.
3. Compare your rewritten sentences with the original ones and identify the structural differences.
4. Construct one sentence for each of the following types of subjects: a pronoun, a noun, a gerund, a to-infinitive, and a wh-clause.
5. Read aloud each sentence you have written.

Some verbs can take two objects in sequence. The object that appears closer to the verb is known as the indirect object, while the one that appears farther from the verb is called the direct object. Semantically, the indirect object typically functions as the recipient, beneficiary, or addressee of the action. By contrast, the direct object denotes the entity that is acted upon or changes state. Sentences containing both an indirect and a direct object follow the structural pattern Subject – Verb – Indirect Object – Direct Object, as illustrated in the table below.

Exercise 1.1

Rearrange the words to form correct sentences using the double-object structure.
Example: my mother / a birthday cake yesterday / me / baked
→ My mother baked me a birthday cake yesterday.

1. the woman / has bought / her daughter / some crayons
2. the police officer / the driver / his driving license / has just shown
3. the patient / gave / some medicine / the nurse
4. brought / me / a bunch of flowers last week / my uncle
5. the shopkeeper / the customer / paid / two hundred shillings
6. that brave girl / her uncle / built / a house
7. my mother / my sister’s child / is teaching / English
8. has just written / a letter / the girl / me

Sometimes, an indirect object - namely, the recipient, beneficiary, or addressee of an action - is introduced by a preposition, resulting in the pattern Subject - Verb - Direct Object - Indirect Object. In such cases, the indirect object appears farther from the verb and is realised as a prepositional phrase, that is, a group of words headed by a preposition.

Exercise 1.2

Rewrite the following sentences by changing the word order from Subject – Verb – Direct Object – Indirect Object to Subject – Verb – Indirect Object – Direct Object.

Example:
My brother showed his new wallet to me.
My brother showed me his new wallet.

1. The postman brought a letter to her yesterday.
2. The dog owner gives a bone to his dog every day.
3. The students sent a present to their teacher.
4. The gardener handed some flowers to me.
5. My mother has prepared a cup of coffee for my father.

Compound sentences

A compound sentence consists of two independent clauses. These clauses are commonly joined by a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so), which is usually preceded by a comma.

The following are examples of compound sentences.

1. She wanted to go home early today, so she finished her work quickly.
2. I called you several times, yet you didn't answer.
3. They wanted to travel to Zanzibar, but they didn't have enough money.

Complex sentences

A complex sentence contains one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses. A subordinating conjunction connects the clauses in a complex sentence. Every complex sentence must include at least one subordinating conjunction. Common subordinating conjunctions used to form complex sentences include although, because, when, if, and while. The following are examples of complex sentences.

(i) She went to class, although she was sick.

(ii) When John arrived at work, he realised that he had forgotten his phone.

(iii) While I enjoy classical music, I prefer rock and roll because I play the drums.