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Sentence structure

Average: 3.8 (16 votes)
Thu, 08/01/2013 - 06:17 — Chris McCarthy

We can make a sentence longer by adding more information about the person, thing or action in the sentence. With the following sentences we cannot divide them into two parts and make two sentences.

  1. My brother found a wallet.
  2. My brother, who is often very lucky, found a wallet.
  3. My brother, who is often very lucky, found a wallet with a large sum of money.
  4. My brother, who is often very lucky, found a wallet with a large sum of money as he was walking home.
  5. My brother, who is often very lucky, found a wallet with a large sum of money as he was walking home, so he took it to the nearest police station.

The following parts of the sentences are not sentences by themselves.
who is often very lucky – with a large sum of money – as he was walking home – so he  took it to the nearest police station.
These statements do not make sense by themselves and need the 'main' sentence for that.

Lesson by Tristan, English teacher at EC Malta English school

Which of the following are correct:

  • 1) We watched a film on television. About how the industrial revolution changed the world.



  • 2) Mary turned off the light not realising that I was still in the room. She got a real fright when I shouted out.



  • 3) Yesterday John helped me to repair the leaking pipe in the bathroom. John's very good at odd jobs in the house.



  • 4) Susan was delighted. When the manager offered her a job in the office.



  • 5) We turned round an cycled back home. When we saw the sky was getting darker with black clouds.



  • 6) John made sure that his bike was in excellent condition. So that he could travel around the country with his friends.



  • 7) Put the tools back in their right places. When you have finished with them because I'll be needing them soon.



  • 8) Mrs Smith complained to the manager of the shop. Because her new watch stopped two days after she had bought it.