Sentence Builder

Александра Егурнова

Учебное пособие содержит упражнения по синтаксису английского языка и состоит из семи разделов, каждый из которых включает в себя лексико-грамматические упражнения на тренировку рассматриваемого грамматического явления в различных ситуациях иноязычного общения. Материал для упражнений подобран из аутентичных книг.Способствует формированию учебных умений и навыков, большей самостоятельности студентов. Может быть использовано при самостоятельной работе.

Complex Sentence

1. A complex sentence is a sentence composed of at least one main clause and one subordinate clause (that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence). A complex sentence is often used to make clear which ideas are most important, and which ideas are dependent.

Model:

The people slipped into dejection under the seemingly endless rain that pelted down day after day.

a) The people slipped into dejection under the seemingly endless rain (main idea); b) that pelted down day after day (subordinate idea).

2. The subordinate clauses function grammatically as subject, object, predicative, attribute or adverbial modifier in a main clause. Accordingly, there are five types of subordinate clauses: the subject clause, the predicative clause, the attributive clause, the object clause, and several types of adverbial clauses.

Models:

It is obligatory that we finish this assignment before class ends (the subject clause).

A law of physics is that energy in any system cannot be created or destroyed (the predicative clause).

Artificial intelligence is concerned with designing computer systems that perform such tasks as learning new skills (the attributive clause).

Robert Merton studied how society influences the development of science (the object clause).

Because the world is getting warmer, polar bears are in danger of becoming extinct (the adverbial clause).

3. Complex sentences can contain two or more subordinate clauses, besides the principal clause:

Model:

I knew a man, who believed that, if a man were permitted to make the ballads, he shouldn’t care who made the laws of the nation.

a) I knew a man (the principal clause); b) who believed (the attributive clause); c) if a man were admitted to make the ballads (the adverbial clause); d) that he shouldn’t care (the object clause); e) who made the laws of the nation (the object clause).

A subordinate clause may follow, precede or interrupt the principal clause:

Models:

Each bowler rolls the ball twice in each frame, unless a strike is bowled.

Before Richard Bennett accepted the appointment as the prime minister of Canada in 1930, he had achieved success as a lawyer.

William Hazlitt's essays, which were written in vigorous and informal style, appeared between 1821 and 1822.

Complex sentences are connected:

a) by means of conjunctions and connectives: that, whether, after, as, because, in order that, since, so that, although, whereas, while, even if, if, in case, provided that, unless, before, once, still, till, until, when, whenever, while.

Model:

Little land animals live in the polar regions which are covered with snow year round.

b) asyndetically:

Model:

Were a drop of water magnified to the size of the earth, the molecules composing it would be about the size of oranges.

Note. These conjunctions and connectives are often polysemantic and multifunctional, which may cause confusion in usage and understanding.

Models:

What is fairly gathered is roundly spent (the subject clause). This book was what is often referred to as an autobiographical novel (the predicative clause). I don’t know what you are talking about (the object clause).

4. A comma is generally not used between the main clause and the subordinate clause if the subordinate clause stands after the main clause. But a comma is used between them if the subordinate clause stands at the beginning of the sentence before the main clause.

Models:

The child is naughty only when he is concerned about being ignored by his brothers.

Although Connecticut occupies a small area, its weather can vary from one area to another.