Essay
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Workshop on Sentence Structure
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Did you know?
International English tests like IELTS and TOEFL look carefully at a writer’s ability to be flexible with both vocabulary and grammatical structures. They also look for grammatical accuracy. Simple and compound sentences are a great foundation for your essay. In addition, try setting some goals to compose more complex sentences (ex. a sentence with a noun clause).
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Simple sentence structure
- an effective way to communicate complicated medical procedures.
S V meaning
meaning: may be the object, or an adjective, for example.
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What is a fragment error?
S V meaning
S V meaning
Fragments are missing a subject or verb. They are extremely confusing to the reader!
To prevent fragments, proofread your sentences. Circle the subject(s) and underline the verb(s) that should follow.
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Compound Sentence
-combine two independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction
S V meaning, and S V meaning
and or but so for yet nor
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Add transitions to guide your reader, signal your process, and increase the flow of ideas.
In the beginning, S V M
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Elicit time transitions, time period transitions (after three months)…
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Add an adverb clause to signal a time relationship.
s v m
After the doctor considers the patient’s symptoms, S V M
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adverb clause
s v m
Once the CT scan reveals a tumour, S V M
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adverb clause
s v m
While the patient is recovering from surgery, S V M
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Write a ‘that’ noun clause to add emotion to a fact.
Fact:
Globally, 500, 000 children die annually from pneumonia.
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‘that’ noun clause
The fact that 500,000 children around the world die annually from pneumonia is tragic.
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now you can explain your reasons
The fact that 500,000 children around the world die annually from pneumonia is tragic because…
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Fact:
Women suffer from general anxiety disorder twice as often as men.
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‘that’ clause
That w omen suffer from general anxiety disorder twice as often as men is not surprising.
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‘that’ clause
That w omen suffer from general anxiety disorder twice as often as men is not surprising because…
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Simple sentence.
In the biopsy, laboratory technologists will examine the tissue sample.
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‘whether’ clause
In the biopsy, laboratory technologists will examine the tissue sample and determine whether or not the tumor is malignant.
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Active voice
In the biopsy, the lab technician examines the tissue sample with a microscope.
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Passive voice
- Use it to bring more attention to the object (of the active voice statement)
In the biopsy, the tissue sample is examined under a microscope.
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These are just a few examples of complex sentence structures.
To improve your writing, goal-setting to use these structures is the key.
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