Becoming Savvy with Sentence Structures: Part Three
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Sentence structures are the beams of the building of composition. The stronger and better formed they are, the firmer our communication foundation will be.
Part One of our discussion introduced us to simple and compound sentences. In Part Two, we explored complex and compound-complex sentences. Let’s take a brief look at all four as a recap.
| Simple Sentence |
Compound Sentence |
| • |
one subject, one verb |
• |
at least two main (independent) clauses |
| • |
no dependent (subordinate) clause |
• |
joined by a conjunction and a comma or by a semicolon |
| • |
may include other parts of speech (e.g., adjectives, adverbs, objects) |
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Examples: Simple Sentence
Cats (subject) meow (verb).
The shepherd’s sheep (subject) have wandered (verb) away (adverb).
His fastball (subject) reaches (verb) ninety-nine miles per hour (direct
object).
Examples: Compound Sentence
Cats meow (main clause), and dogs bark (main clause).
The shepherd’s sheep have wandered away (main clause), but they will
not go far (main clause).
His fastball reaches ninety-nine miles per hour (main clause); his slider
hits eighty-eight (main clause).
| Complex Sentence |
Compound-Complex Sentence |
| • |
one main clause, at least one dependent clause (often starting with a word showing reliance, such as when, because, so, and that |
• |
at least two main clauses, at least one dependent clause |
Examples: Complex Sentence
When I grow up (dependent clause), I want to be an astronaut (main clause).
The roads are closed today (main clause) because it’s snowing so much
(dependent clause).
I have given you all of my money (main clause), so you will have to wait
until tomorrow for the rest (dependent clause).
Examples: Compound-Complex Sentence
When I grow up (dependent clause), I want to be an astronaut (main clause);
my sister wants to be a physician (main clause).
The roads are closed today (main clause) because it’s snowing so much
(dependent clause), but they might reopen if it stops (main clause).
I have given you all the money (main clause) that I have (dependent
clause), so you will have to wait until tomorrow for the rest (dependent
clause), and then I will owe no more (main clause).
To complete our review of sentence structures, we’ll next want to
consider how to use them together to achieve greater style in our writing.
Applying the Four Types
Good prose skillfully mixes the four sentence types. It also varies their
lengths.
Consider the following text using all simple sentences:
Bernice loves the rodeo. Her father was a rancher. Their family had many animals. She grew up around horses. Her father often let her ride them. She became very comfortable with them. In time she could even stay on the broncos. She also learned to rope calves.
This format is forthright, but an overuse of or overreliance on one
sentence type can make writing choppy and droning. Let’s see how
compound structures can help break the monotony.
Bernice loves the rodeo [simple]. Her father was a rancher, and their family had many animals [compound with conjunction]. She grew up around horses; her father often let her ride them [compound with semicolon]. She became very comfortable with them, and in time she could even stay on the broncos [compound with conjunction]. She also learned to rope calves [simple].
A little bit better. Now let’s look at adding a complex sentence for
enhancing effect.
Bernice loves the rodeo [simple]. Because her father was a rancher, their family had many animals [complex]. She grew up around horses; her father often let her ride them [compound]. She became very comfortable with them, and in time she could even stay on the broncos [compound]. She also learned to rope calves [simple].
Now let’s insert a compound-complex structure to complete our
transformation from a mechanical, repetitive paragraph to a more stylized
one with all four sentence types.
Bernice loves the rodeo [simple]. Because her father was a rancher, their family had many animals [complex]. She grew up around horses, and her father often let her ride them, which made her very comfortable with them
[compound-complex]. In time she could even stay on the broncos; she also learned to rope calves [compound].
Crisp composition can take many forms. You might have a short paragraph of
all simple sentences followed by one with a few complex sentences. You can
start content with two compound sentences and finish it with a
compound-complex sentence. The possibilities are endless: You need only
understand the four types and practice their combined sound and flow to
become a master of melodious writing.
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Wordplay
Spoonerisms, named after the Reverend William Archibald Spooner (1844-1930), are errors in which corresponding consonants, vowels, or morphemes are switched between two words in a phrase. According to Wikipedia, only one such spoonerism has actually been substantiated to originate from Reverend Spooner:
The weight of rages will press hard upon the employer. (The rate of wages will press hard upon the employer.)
Spooner himself admitted to only one:
The Kinkering Congs Their Titles Take. (The Conquering Kings Their Titles Take.)
One often attributed to Spooner, but unsubstantiated:
The Lord is a shoving leopard. (The Lord is a loving shepherd.)
A joke relying on spoonerisms:
Question: Why did the butterfly flutter by?
Answer: Because it saw the dragonfly drink the flagon dry.
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