MCOM Sentence Structure

Question 1

Noun

Answer 1

Person, place, thing, or attribute

Question 2

Pronoun

Answer 2

• Word used in place of a noun
• Pronouns don’t have apostrophes (except for indefinite (not clearly expressed or defined; vague) pronouns such as anyone or everyone)

Question 3

Verb (Definition) + 2 Types of Verbs

Answer 3

• What the noun is doing or being
• Action Verb (transitive): requires a direct object (receiver of the action)
• State of Being Verb (intransitive): does not require a direct object (may have an indirect object), are often used as linking verbs

Question 4

Object + 2 Kinds of Objects

Answer 4

• is a noun
• Two Kinds: direct and indirect
• Direct: only present with TRANSITIVE verb, receives the action of the verb
• Indirect: may be present with either transitive or intransitive verb, usually describes a relationship

Question 5

Adjective

Answer 5

A word that modifies/describes a noun or pronoun

• May be combined with commas
• May be compounded with a hyphen (When compounded, both the adjectives only would not describe the noun and make sense but together they will. For ex: sharp-toothed bear)
• limit, describe, qualify, or make more exact the meaning of any noun, pronoun, or subject of a clause

Question 6

Adverb

Answer 6

A word that modifies/describes a verb, adjective, or other adverb. Describes when, how, how much, how long, how far, how well, how many (many end in “ly” or “y”)
-limit, describe, qualify, or make more exact the meaning of any verb, adjective, or other adverb

Question 7

Sentence

Answer 7

Group of words expressing an idea. Most sentences have three main elements:

• subject: the thing that is doing something or being something
• verb: what the subject is doing or beings
• complement: the completion of the idea started by the subject and the verb (everything after the verb)

However, a basic sentence only requires only a noun and a verb.

Question 8

Preposition

Answer 8

Describes relationships between nouns and other words (pre-positions a phrase)
A word that relates a noun or pronoun to some other word in the sentence.
Indirect objects are usually prepositional phrases. The preposition plus its following related words constitute a prepositional phrase.
EX: in, on, into, for, to, beside, at

Question 9

Conjunction

Answer 9

A connector between words, phrases, and clauses

-Two types: coordinating and subordinating

Question 10

Coordinating Conjunction

Answer 10

(and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet)
connect clauses of equal length (two independent clauses)
-The sequence of two clauses in a sentence can be reversed. If a coordinating conjunction is involved, it remains between the clauses.
EX: I will work for you on Saturday, and you can work for me next Tuesday.
You can work for me next Tuesday, and I will work for you on Saturday.

(only independent clauses?)
Always consider the conjunction before determining the type of clause.

Question 11

Subordinating Conjunction

Answer 11

EX: if, as, unless, although, when, after, because
Connect dependent clauses to their independent clauses.
The sequence of two clauses in a sentence can be reversed. If a subordinating conjunction is involved, the conjunction is moved with the sub clause
He will call to arrange an appointment AFTER you submit your forms.
AFTER you submit your forms, he will call you to arrange an appointment.

(independent plus dependent clause?)
Always consider the conjunction before determining the type of clause.

Question 12

Subordinating Conjunction (5 Categories)

Answer 12

Cause: because
Concession: although, even though
Condition: if, unless
Place: wherever
Time: after, before, since, when, while, until

Question 13

Jargon

Answer 13

• Words that are invented and/or specific to a job or profession (may have different meanings elsewhere)
• Either avoid them or define them (avoidance is preferable)

Question 14

Word Usage Guideline

Answer 14

Be efficient
Be specific
Be easily understood (don’t use big words & use the right word)
Be socially acceptable

Question 15

Phrase

Answer 15

A group of related words without a subject and verb
A group of words that performs one grammatical function within a sentence
Must contain: Noun or Verb or Adjective or Adverb or Preposition

To find the subject, ask who or what is doing something.

Question 16

Clause

Answer 16

Group of related words with a subject and verb
3 types: independent, dependent, and embedded
-sentence may have more than 1 main clause (independent clause) and more than 1 subordinate clause (dependent clause)

To find the subject, ask who or what is doing something.

Question 17

Independent Clause (Main)

Answer 17

a clause that conveys a complete idea and that can stand alone

Question 18

Dependent Clause (Subordinate)

Answer 18

an idea that cannot stand alone; it depends on an independent clause to complete its meaning

Question 19

Embedded Clause

Answer 19

a minor clause used within an independent or dependent clause (complement of the clause - has to have another noun/pronoun[subject] and verb)

Question 20

Sentence Expansion

Answer 20

Sentences can be expanded in many ways. In addition to adding clauses, there are a number of ways to expand sentences by adding words or phrases:

Subject Variation - could be adjectives describing the subject, or having more than one subject

Verb Variation - use adverbs to describe, compound verb phrases

Complement Variation - noun complement w/ or w/out modifiers, compound complement phrases

Introductory Phrases - phrase that occurs before the subject

Interrupting Phrases - phrase occurs between the subject and verb

Concluding Phrase - phrase occurs after the complement

Question 21

Sentence Types

Answer 21

Simple, Compound, Complex, Compound-Complex

Question 22

Simple

Answer 22

Contains ONE independent clause
May have compound subjects and objects
May have multiple phrases

Question 23

Compound

Answer 23

Contains TWO independent clauses and a connector

Question 24

Complex

Answer 24

Contains ONE independent clause and 1+ dependent clause

Question 25

Compound-Complex

Answer 25

Contains a minimum of TWO independent clauses and one dependent clause

Question 26

Sentence Guidelines

Answer 26

S, V, and C

S for Subject - Use strong subjects, Avoid nonspecific subjects

V for Verbs - Place verbs in the vicinity of subjects and use active voice

C for Complements - Keep sentence complements clear and uncluttered

Question 27

Sentence Guidelines: Subject

Answer 27

Subjects are the actors of sentences. Subjects may be nouns, pronouns, or even verb forms or other parts of speech acting as nouns.
Use strong, clear subjects in preference to vague “It is” and “There are” structures. Also, avoid nominalizations (verbs turned into nouns)

EX: There will be no classes on President’s Day.
No classes will be held on President’s Day.

(EX: Waiting for the parts to arrive took all day.
We waited all day for the parts to arrive.)

Question 28

Sentence Guidelines: Verbs

Answer 28

Verbs can indicate action being taken by the subject or can indicate the state/condition of the subject.
Place verbs in the vicinity of their subjects.

EX: The purpose of this report on the causes and effects of global warming is to educate the public.
The purpose of this report is to educate the public about the causes and effects of global warming.

EX: The member who kept voting against the budget increase, which canceled the project, was Kerry.
Kerry kept voting against the budget increase, which canceled the project.

In most cases, prefer the use of active-voice verbs.

Question 29

Sentence Guidelines: Verbs (Active Voice vs. Passive Voice)

Answer 29

Active Voice - a clause in which the actor is the subject of the sentence (Ex: Julie drove the car.)
Passive Voice - a clause in which the object of the action is the subject of the sentence (Ex: The car was drive by Julie.)
***only clauses w/ transitive verbs can be written in passive voice, clauses w/ intransitive verbs cannot

• **Use active voice when you want to EMPHASIZE the ACTOR or DE-EMPHASIZE the ACTION.
• **Use passive voice when you want to EMPHASIZE the ACTION or DE-EMPHASIZE the ACTOR.

Question 30

Sentence Guidelines: Complement (Parallelism)

Answer 30

-Use words of the same part of speech after parallel connectives (connective links)
Not only/but also, Both/and, Either/or, Neither/not
-For long parallel elements, repeat the connecting word as necessary to ensure clarity. Sometimes a better option is to identity long parallel items with letters, numbers, or bullets
-Use parallel parts of speech for words in a series

Question 31

Sentence Guidelines: Complement (Modifications)

Answer 31

• Use adjectives and adverbs correctly (good/well), (real/really), (sure/surely)
• Place modifying words and phrases close to the words they modify (Ex: I’ll ask ONLY for $100. NEVER: I’ll only ask for $100.)
• Avoid dangling (ambiguous) modifiers [Most common type: intro phrase that tells of an action, followed by a main clause whose subject does not tell who performed the action - should be the phrase followed by the subject of the phrase]

Question 32

How to tell the difference between active and passive

Answer 32

Draw an arrow from the verb to the object (receiver of the action)
If the arrow points to the end of the sentence, it’s active.
If the front of the sentence is pointed to by the arrow, it’s passive.