SENTENCES

Course : English Language

Lecturer : Yani Lubis, S.Ag., M.Hum

ARRANGED BY :

GROUP 1 ( IAT – 3A )

Aulia Rezki (0403232100)

Mhd. Taufiq (0403232087)
Ridho Wahyudi (0403232095)
Rizki Ananda Pratama Barutu (0403233235)

AL-QUR’AN KNOWLEDGES AND TAFSIR DEPARTMENT

FACULTY OF USHULUDDIN AND ISLAMIC STUDIES

STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF NORTH SUMATERA

2023/2024
 FOREWORD

We would like to express our gratitude for the presence of almighty God who
has bestowed his blessings, taufiq and guidance, so that we can complete our paper in the
English subject on time. We would also like to thank the supervisors who always provide
support and guidance.

We created this paper with the aim of fulfilling the value of an English
assignment. Not only that, we also hope that this paper can be useful for writers in
particular and readers in general. Even so, we realize than in preparing this paper there
are still many shortcomings. So therefore, we really hope for criticism and suggestions to
improve this paper.

Finally, we hope that our paper can provide useful information and knowledge
for all of us. We also express our thanks to the readers who have read this paper to the
end.

Medan, 21st September 2024

Group 1

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

FOREWORD .................................................................................................................... ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................ iii
CHAPTER I...................................................................................................................... 1
INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 1
A. Background .............................................................................................................. 1
B. Formulation of the Problem ..................................................................................... 1
C. Objective .................................................................................................................. 1
CHAPTER II .................................................................................................................... 2
DISCUSSION................................................................................................................... 2
1. Definition of Sentence ........................................................................................... 2
2. The Parts of The Sentence ..................................................................................... 3
3. Types of Sentences ................................................................................................ 5
4. Sentence Patterns ................................................................................................... 9
CHAPTER III ................................................................................................................. 11
CLOSING ....................................................................................................................... 11
A. Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 11
REFERENCES ............................................................................................................... 12

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 CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background

Like sign language, the beat of drums, or smoke signals, a sentence is a means of
communicating. A sentence expresses a complete thought and contains at least one
subject-verb combination. It may express emotions, give orders, make statements, or ask
questions. In every case, sentences are meant to communicate. Sentences serve crucial
functions in English, forming the foundation of effective communication. They convey
complete thoughts, express ideas, and structure information in a coherent manner.
Linguist David Crystal, in his book "The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English
Language" (2019), emphasizes that sentences are the primary units of grammatical
analysis and meaning.

A sentence is a group of words that expresses a complete thought. It begins with

a capital letter and closes with an end mark, either a period, a question mark, or an
exclamation point. Sentences are classified as declarative (a statement), interrogative (a
question), imperative (command or request), or exclamatory (for emphasis). This essay
will delve into the definition of sentence, its types, and its patterns in the language.

B. Formulation of the Problem

1. What is the meaning of sentence?

2. What are the parts of a sentence?
3. What is the type of sentences?
4. What are the patterns in sentence?

C. Objective

1. To know the definition of sentence.

2. To know the parts of a sentence.
3. To identify the types of sentences.
4. To identify the sentence patterns.

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 CHAPTER II
DISCUSSION

1. Definition of Sentence

A sentence is a series of words expressing one or more ideas. Each idea in a

sentence is expressed by a clause (Winter,1999:3). A sentence may express a complete
thought. According to Fleming (2006:1) a sentence is a group of words which contains at
least one clause, that is a sentence contains at least one subject and at least one finite or
main verb. In conclusion, a sentence is the basic unit of thought in English grammar which
consists of subject and verb and expresses a complete thought. A sentence is a
grammatical construction that has a clear beginning and ending, expresses a complete
thought or a question, and is understood by speakers (Loberger & Shoup, 2009).

A basic sentence also consists of a subject and verb (Keith, 2010:2). So, a simple
sentence consists of a clause. There are two types of clause: independent clause and
dependent clause. Independent clause can stand alone as a complete grammatical
sentence. It contains the main subject and verb of the sentence.1

On the other hand, dependent clause cannot stand alone as a grammatical sentence
because of an extra element that changes an independent clause into a dependent clause.
It must always be connected to independent clause. To understand the basic sentence
structures, we need to discuss clauses.

Clause: A clause is one of the basic units in English grammar and is a group of words
that contains a subject and a verb. Every sentence has at least one clause in it (because
the requirements for a sentence and a clause are the same). A clause, however, does not
necessarily complete a thought and therefore work alone as a sentence. There are two
types of clauses, and understanding both of them is important for students who are
learning to write in English for the first time.

1
Saragih, Willem, and Christine Hutajulu. "Types of sentences used by male and female writers in journal
article abstracts." LingLit Journal Scientific Journal for Linguistics and Literature 1.1 (2020): 1-11. page
230.

2
Dependent clause (subordinating clause): This is exactly what it sounds like: a clause
(or group of words containing a subject and a verb) that is dependent on other clauses. In
other words, a dependent clause would not work alone as a sentence because it needs
another clause for it to make sense. An example of a dependent clause is “because the
world is ending.” The only thing that makes this clause dependent is the word “because,”
which adds the implication of cause and effect to the sentence. We see the cause, but we
need the effect to complete the sentence.

Independent clause: An independent clause is a clause (group of words containing a

subject and a verb) that can exist by itself and be a complete thought and therefore
complete sentence. Every sentence contains an independent clause, and all simple
sentences are made up of one independent clause. An example of an independent clause
is “They went down to the bomb shelter.” The absence of subordinating word (“because”
in the dependent clause) makes this sentence work as a complete thought.2

2. The Parts of The Sentence

A sentence must minimally have a subject and a verb. Sometimes the subject can
be omitted if it is understood. Examples as follow : Bold for Subject and Italic for Verb.

Tom walks.

We met Susan.

They are washing the dishes.

Lisa will arrive soon.

There is food on the table.

The parts of the sentence are a set of terms for describing how people construct
sentences from smaller pieces. There is not a direct correspondence between the parts of
the sentence and the parts of speech -- the subject of a sentence, for example, could be a
noun, a pronoun, or even an entire phrase or clause.

2
Sashka Jovanovska. "A concept of writing in English language-basic sentence patterns." International
Journal on Integrated Education 2, no. 6 (2019): 55-57. page 56.

3
 Sentences consist of a number of parts, using different parts of speech. The most
important parts of speech are:

The subject, which is either a noun phrase or a pronoun. Normally the subject
comes before the verb phrase in a sentence. Examples :

▪ The girls had been swimming.

▪ The new teacher came in.
▪ They had finished.

The verb phrase, which includes the main verb and which may have auxiliary
verbs to go with it. Examples :

▪ The girls had been swimming.

▪ The new teacher came in.
▪ Rajiv was reading a new novel.

The object, which is a noun phrase or a pronoun. Examples :

▪ She used her old skateboard.

▪ Rajiv was reading a new novel.
▪ Josh found it.

Not all verbs need an object. When there is one, the object normally comes after
the verb phrase. Some verbs may also need an indirect object. Examples :

▪ Hamish gave me a party invitation.

▪ Ruth gave Lauren a nice bunch of flowers.

An adverbial, or adjunct, which is an optional part of the sentence. This may be:

▪ a single word, an adverb.

▪ Suddenly, it started to rain heavily.

An adverbial phrase, a group of words that functions as an adverb. Examples :

▪ In the morning, the sky was clear.

▪ You probably won’t notice it after a while.

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 An adverbial clause, a group of words including a verb, which functions as an
adverb. Examples :

▪ I’ll get some biscuits for you when I’ve poured the drinks.
▪ When I’ve poured the drinks, I’ll get some biscuits for you.
▪ Mark played while Isabel sang.

Though some adverbials have a fixed position, most can be added to a sentence in
several places. Any number of them can be added, limited only by the sense of the
sentence. Examples :

▪ In the winter, the roads get very slippery.

▪ The roads get very slippery in the winter.

A complement. With certain verbs, such as be and seem, a complement takes the
place of an object. A complement can be either an adjective or a noun phrase.
Complements provide further descriptive detail about the subject. Examples :

▪ He became a doctor in 2005.

▪ Andrew is a motor-mechanic.
▪ They became good friends despite the mistake.

3. Types of Sentences

Sentences are divided into four categories: simple sentences, compound

sentences, complex sentences, and compound-complex sentences.

1) Simple Sentences
A simple sentence is a sentence that consists of one independent clause with no
coordinate or subordinate clause. In addition, according to (Fabb, 2005), simple sentences
can be divided into several types. Examples:
• Johnny rode his bike to school.
• Who is your best friend?
• She ate her lunch, took a walk, and went back to work.
2) Compound Sentences

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 A compound sentence contains two independent clauses. A coordinating
conjunction often links the two independent clauses and is preceded by a comma.
Coordinating conjunctions are words that join two independent clauses or two equal
grammatical structures into a single sentence. FANBOYS is an acronym that stands for
"For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So." These are the seven coordinating conjunctions in
English, and they are used to connect words, phrases, and clauses in a sentence.
Examples:
• She wanted to go on vacation, so she saved up her money.
• I like apples, but my sister loves bananas.
• Tim loves to read, and he also loves to hike.
3) Complex Sentences
A complex sentence contains one independent clause and one or more dependent
clauses. A complex sentence will include at least one subordinating conjunction. When
the dependent clause is placed before the independent clauses, the two clauses are
separated by a comma; otherwise, no punctuation is necessary.
A subordinating conjunction is a conjunction that connects a dependent clause to
an independent clause in a sentence. Subordinating conjunctions show a relationship of
dependency between the clauses, indicating that the dependent clause cannot stand alone
as a complete sentence. The dependent clause provides additional information or sets the
context for the independent clause.
Here are the common subordinating conjunctions: after, although, as, as if, as long
as, as soon as, because, before, even if, even though, if, once, since, so that, though,
unless, until, when, wherever, and while. Examples:
• She went to class even though she was sick.
• As John was arriving to work, he realized he forgot his lunch.
• While I enjoy classical music, I prefer rock and roll because I play the drums.
4) Compound-Complex Sentences
A compound-complex sentence combines complex sentence and compound
sentence forms. A compound-complex sentence contains one or more independent
clauses and one or more dependent clauses. Examples:
• Although she felt guilty for missing her friend’s birthday, she took her out to dinner
the next day, and they had a great time.

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• I try to eat healthy food, but because fast food is so convenient, I cannot maintain a
healthy diet.
• If he got the job, he would have to commute 50 miles to work, so he decided the job
was not worth it. 3

The Functional Purposes of each Types of Sentence

Because each type of sentence can serve various functions, we should use the type
of sentence that best communicates the purpose of our idea.

• Choose the sentence type that will most clearly and accurately convey the logic of your
idea.
• Consider the amount of information your readers need, and consider the links the
readers need to process the information.
• Vary sentence structures to pace your readers through your argument.

a) Functions of Simple Sentences

Use simple sentences when presenting a limited amount of information. Although

simple sentences may be shorter, they are not any less academic than other sentence types.

1. To declare a direct statement. Examples :

• First, I will give background information about my project.
• This conclusion is supported by extensive evidence
2. To display a simple list. Examples :
• The researchers created their hypothesis, conducted some tests, and drew their
conclusions.
• My evidence comes from journal articles, periodicals, and books.
3. To give concise directions. Examples :
• Please consider my application for the internship.
• Turn to Table 1 in the appendix.
4. To ask a question. Examples :

3
Sarah Andersen. "Sentence types and functions." San Jose State University Writing Center. Retrieved June
26 (2014): 2016. page 2.

7
 • What is the true meaning of the poem?
• What will this study mean to medical research in a decade?

b) Functions of Compound, Complex, and Compound-Complex Sentences

Compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences can serve similar

purposes. The writer can tailor the amount of information he or she provides by adding
independent and dependent clauses to simple sentences.

1. To combine similar ideas. Examples :

• Compound: Recycling is an effective way of helping the environment, and
everyone should recycle at home.
• Complex: Since recycling is an effective way of helping the environment, everyone
should recycle at home.
• Compound-Complex: Since recycling is an effective way of helping the
environment, everyone should recycle at home; we can all work together to protect
our planet.
2. To compare or contrast ideas. Examples :
• Compound: Van Gogh was a talented and successful artist, but he had intense
personal issues.
• Complex: Although he was a talented and successful artist, Van Gogh had intense
personal issues.
• Compound-Complex: Although he was a talented and successful artist, Van Gogh
had intense personal issues; indeed, many say his inner turmoil contributed to his
beautiful art.
3. To convey cause and effect or chain of events. Examples :
• Compound: The researchers did not come to the correct conclusion, so they
restructured their hypothesis.
• Complex: Since the researchers did not come to the correct conclusion, they
restructured their hypothesis.
• Compound-Complex: Since the researchers did not come to the correct
conclusion, they restructured their hypothesis, and they will attempt the experiment
again.

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4. To elaborate on a claim or extend reasoning. Examples :
• Compound: Cell phones should not be permitted in class, for they distract students
and teachers.
• Complex: Since cell phones distract students and teachers, they should not be used
in class.
• Compound-Complex: Since cell phones distract students and teachers, they should
not be used in class, and I encourage faculty to forbid their use. 4

4. Sentence Patterns

There are five basic patterns for sentence structure in English, and they differ in
the elements that are present within the sentence. Any two sentences, however, no matter
how different they are, contain two things: a subject and a verb. For a sentence to work
there needs to be a person or thing that is doing or being something (subject) and an action
or state of being that they are committing or portraying (verb). Here are the five basic
sentence patterns in the English language:

1) Subject-verb (S-V): This is the simplest sentence pattern in the English language, only
containing the information that needs to be there. Examples:
• Mark ran.
• Maria slept.
• The dog plays.
2) Subject-verb-object (S-V-O): Sentences that follow this pattern are very similar to S-
V sentences except that an object has been added to the sentence. In an English
sentence, the object is what is being acted upon by the subject. In other words, the
noun (subject) is acting (verb) upon another noun (object). Here are a few examples of
sentences that follow the subject-verb-object pattern:
• Mark ran to the store
• Maria slept in bed.
• The dog plays outside.

4
Sarah Andersen. "Sentence types and functions." San Jose State University Writing Center. Retrieved June
26 (2014): 2016. page 3-4.

9
3) Subject-verb-adjective (S-V-Adj): This sentence pattern is similar to S-V-O except
that the object is not a noun; it is an adjective. Since an object must be a noun or an
entity that is being acted upon, when the verb acts as a state of being to set up a
description of the subject, you get an S-V-Adj sentence. Here are a few examples of
sentences that follow the subject-verb-adjective pattern:
• Mark is hungry.
• Maria was tired.
• The dog looks playful.
4) Subject-verb-adverb (S-V-Adv): To the untrained eye, this sentence pattern is the same
as the previous one, S-V-Adj. The difference between that pattern and this pattern,
however, is that while that structure saw the object turning into an adjective, this one
sees it turning into an adverb. In other words, the verb no longer acts as a state of being
to set up a description of the subject, but rather the words following the verb act as
modifiers to the verb. Here are a few examples of sentences that follow the subject-
verb-adverb pattern:
• Mark ran quickly.
• Maria slept peacefully.
• The dog plays loudly.
5) Subject-verb-noun (S-V-N): As you already know, the object of a pattern has to be a
noun. Just because there is a noun following the verb, however, does not mean that it
is the object of the sentence. In this sentence structure, the noun is not the object
because, as with S-V-Adj, the words following the verb describe the subject. Here are
a few examples of sentences that follow the subject-verb pattern:
• Mark is the store owner.
• Maria is a doctor.
• Jimmy became a lawyer.5

5
Sashka Jovanovska. "A concept of writing in English language-basic sentence patterns." International
Journal on Integrated Education 2, no. 6 (2019): 55-57. page 55-56.

10
 CHAPTER III
CLOSING
A. Conclusion

The conclusion of this paper that sentence is the basic unit of thought in English
grammar which consists of subject and verb and expresses a complete thought. A sentence
is a grammatical construction that has a clear beginning and ending, expresses a complete
thought or a question, and is understood by speakers.

A basic sentence also consists of a subject and verb. So, a simple sentence consists
of a clause. There are two types of clause: independent clause and dependent clause.
Sentences are divided into four categories: simple sentences, compound sentences,
complex sentences, and compound-complex sentences.

There are five basic patterns for sentence structure in English, and they differ in
the elements that are present within the sentence. Here are the five basic sentence patterns
in the English language: Subject-verb (S-V), Subject-verb-object (S-V-O), Subject-verb-
adjective (S-V-Adj), Subject-verb-adverb (S-V-Adv), Subject-verb-noun (S-V-N).

The conclusion should come with a summation of the rest of the argument to
solidify the ideas in the reader’s heads as well as a call to action or a last attempt to
convince the audience to understand and believe the argument. If we can master these
basic components of a strong argument, we will find it much easier to be convincing
whenever we are trying to persuade.

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 REFERENCES

Andersen, S. (2014). Sentence Types and Functions. San Jose State University Writing
Center.
Azkiyyah, H. N., & Purnamasari, Y. (2023). INVESTIGATING TYPES OF
SENTENCES ON SHORT STORIES FROM THE STORY WEAVER
WEBSITE. Jurnal JOEPALLT (Journal of English Pedagogy, Linguistics,
Literature, and Teaching), 11(2), 207-217.
Crystal, D. (2018). The Cambridge Encyclopedia of The English Language. Cambridge
University Press.
Fabb, N. (2005). Sentence structure: Second edition. In Sentence Structure: Second
Edition. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203977378
Fleming, J. (2006). The Sentences.
Jovanovska, S. (2019). A Concept of Writing in English Language-Basic Sentence
Patterns. International Journal on Integrated Education, 2(6), 55-57.
Keith, J. (2008). Phrase, Clause and Sentences.
Khayala Shahverdi Aliyeva (2016). About the Different Kinds of Meanings of a
Sentences. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, (6),1762-1766
Loberger, G., & Shoup, K. (2009). Webster’s New World English Grammar Handbook
(2nd ed.). Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Saragih, W., & Hutajulu, C. (2020). Types of Sentences Used by Male and Female
Writers in Journal Article Abstracts. LingLit Journal Scientific Journal for
Linguistics and Literature, 1(1), 1-11.

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