Guide to Sentence Composition
1. Introduction to Sentence Composition
● A well-structured sentence conveys clarity, unity, and coherence.
● Understanding sentence structure helps in writing clearly, avoiding confusion, and
ensuring proper communication.
● This section covers sentence types, structure, clarity, and unity, along with common
mistakes and how to fix them.
2. Sentence Structure
A. Components of a Sentence
1. Subject – The person, place, thing, or idea performing the action.
○ The cat sleeps. (The cat = subject)
2. Predicate – The action or state of being in the sentence.
○ The cat sleeps. (sleeps = predicate)
3. Objects – Receive the action in a sentence.
○ She gave him a gift. (gift = direct object, him = indirect object)
B. Types of Sentences by Structure
1. Simple Sentence – Contains one independent clause.
○ She reads books.
2. Compound Sentence – Contains two or more independent clauses joined by a
conjunction.
○ She reads books, and she writes essays.
3. Complex Sentence – Contains one independent clause and one or more dependent
clauses.
○ Although she was tired, she finished her homework.
4. Compound-Complex Sentence – Contains two or more independent clauses and at
least one dependent clause.
○ Although she was tired, she finished her homework, and she went to bed early.
C. Sentence Fragments and Run-Ons
● Sentence Fragment – An incomplete sentence missing a subject or verb.
○ Because she was late. → (Incorrect)
○ She was late because of traffic. → (Correct)
● Run-On Sentence – Two independent clauses joined incorrectly.
○ I love reading I read every night. → (Incorrect)
○ I love reading, and I read every night. → (Correct)
3. Sentence Clarity
A. Avoiding Ambiguity
● Ensure the meaning of a sentence is clear by using precise wording.
● Example:
○ Flying planes can be dangerous. (Unclear: Is the speaker talking about planes
flying or flying a plane?)
○ Flying a plane can be dangerous. (Clear)
B. Subject-Verb Agreement
● The verb must agree with the subject in number (singular/plural).
● Example:
○ The book on the table belongs to me. (book is singular, so belongs is correct)
○ The books on the table belong to me. (books is plural, so belong is correct)
C. Avoiding Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers
● Misplaced Modifier:
○ She almost drove her kids to school every day. (Incorrect)
○ She drove her kids to school almost every day. (Correct)
● Dangling Modifier:
○ Walking through the park, the flowers looked beautiful. (Incorrect – Who is
walking?)
○ Walking through the park, I saw beautiful flowers. (Correct)
4. Sentence Unity
A. Keeping Sentences Focused
● A sentence should express one main idea.
● Example:
○ She loves reading because books help her learn new things and expand her
imagination. (Too broad)
○ She loves reading because it helps her learn new things. (More focused)
B. Parallel Structure
● Use the same grammatical structure in lists or comparisons.
● Example:
○ She likes running, swimming, and to bike. (Incorrect)
○ She likes running, swimming, and biking. (Correct)
C. Avoiding Redundancy
● Example:
○ She woke up at 6 a.m. in the morning. (Incorrect – a.m. already implies morning)
○ She woke up at 6 a.m. (Correct)
