chapter 7: sentence variety – analyzing examples I

Now that we have analyzed an example passage for sentence  variety, let’s review a paragraph in context to reinforce the key  strategy that understanding sentence variety means recognizing all of  the independent and dependent clauses in each sentence:

Margot’s mind reeled. She could hear the listless,  scraping sounds of
fingertips against the door. It haunted her to  consider the sea of
faces outside. They were faces she once knew in a  different light, but
now they were putrid reflections of squalor and  decay. There was
nothing left for her to glean from their lifeless eyes  except the grim
reminder that she was alone. She tried to ignore the  thought, but it
was difficult to swallow when she was the last bastion  of humanity. And
only death awaited her outside.

First we separate the sentences:

1. Margot’s mind reeled. 
2. She could hear the listless, scraping sounds of fingertips against the door. 
3. It haunted her to consider the sea of faces outside. 
4. They were faces she once knew in a different light, but now they were putrid reflections of squalor and decay. 
5. There was nothing left for her to glean from their lifeless eyes except the grim reminder that she was alone. 
6. She tried to ignore the thought, but she was the last bastion of humanity. 
7. And only death awaited her outside.

From these seven sentences, we need to identify all clauses by finding the main verb phrases:

1. Margot’s mind reeled. 
2. She could hear the listless, scraping sounds of fingertips against the door. 
3. It haunted her to consider the sea of faces outside. 
4. They were faces she once knew in a different light, but now they were putrid reflections of squalor and decay. 
5. There was nothing left for her to glean from their lifeless eyes except the grim reminder that she was alone. 
6. She tried to ignore the thought, but she was the last bastion of humanity. 
7. And only death awaited her outside.

Once we know where the clauses are, we can proceed to analyze for sentence variety:

1. Margot’s mind reeled. SIMPLE
2. She could hear the listless, scraping sounds of fingertips against the door. SIMPLE
3. It haunted her to consider the sea of faces outside. SIMPLE
4. They were faces [THAT] she once knew in a different light, but now they were putrid reflections of squalor and decay. COMPOUND-COMPLEX
5. There was nothing left for her to glean from their lifeless eyes except the grim reminder that she was alone. COMPLEX
6. She tried to ignore the thought, but she was the last bastion of humanity. COMPOUND
7. And only death awaited her outside. SIMPLE

NOTE:

• SCRAPING is an adjectival present participle phrase modifying SOUNDS
• [THAT] she once know – nominal THAT-clause (with a deleted THAT) – nominal appositive (renames FACES)
• BUT is a coordinating conjunction, not a dependent marker
• NOW is an adverb, not a dependent marker
• ONLY is an adjective, not a dependent marker

Remember, use key markers to identify both independent and  dependent
clauses, then determine the combination used to make up the  sentence.

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chapter 7: sentence variety

Before we can move
on to effective and appropriate punctuation, it is important that you
are able to understand the patterns of sentence variety. There are four
basic forms  of sentence variety:
 

1. simple
2. compound
3. complex
4. compound-complex. 

We’ll examine each form with examples and conclude this chapter by analyzing a short passage.
 
As a reminder, remember that a sentence must have at least one
independent clause to be grammatically correct, but most sentences will
have more than one clause, so the goal is to identify the form of all of
the clauses in each sentence to determine its sentence variety.
 
As always, whenever you analyze for clauses, you first identify all
of the Main Verb Phrases, then find the subject. From there, you need
to determine if a dependent marker precedes the subject. You will then
determine if each clause is independent or dependent. Your analysis
concludes when you count the number of independent and/or dependent
clauses in the sentence to determine its variety form.

Simple – a sentence which contains one independent clause only
 
Example: In extending the reach of discourse analysis to
engage with written text, we would do well, however, to  remember some
of the lessons learned in analysis of spoken language.
 

• we would do well, however, to remember some of the lessons learned in analysis of spoken language. 
• One independent clause

NOTE: the introductory structure is not a clause (no main verb phrase).

• in extending the reach – prepositional phrase
• extending the reach – nominal gerund phrase (object of the preposition IN)
• of discourse analysis – prepositional phrase
• to engage – infinitive phrase
• with written text – prepositional phrase

ALSO:

• however – conjunctive adverb
• to remember some of the lessons learned – infinitive phrase
• learned – adjectival past participle phrase modifying LESSONS
• in analysis – prepositional phrase
• of spoken language – prepositional phrase
• spoken – adjectival  past participle phrase modifying LANGUAGE

Compound – a sentence which contains two or more independent clauses only

Example: Text analysis was  developed earliest within
scriptural religions, for people were highly  motivated to find meaning
from holy books such as the Bible, Talmud,  Koran, or Baghavad Gita. 

• Text analysis was developed earliest within scriptural religions
• people were highly motivated to find meaning from holy books such as the Bible, Talmud, Koran, or Baghavad Gita.
• Two independent clauses

NOTE: Comma preceding the coordinating conjunction (FOR) is a KEY MARKER for coordinated independent clauses.ALSO:

• within scriptural religions – prepositional phrase
• to find meaning – nominal infinitive phrase
• from holy books – prepositional phrase
• such as the Bible, Talmud,  Koran, or Baghavad Gita – prepositional phrase

Complex – a sentence which contains only one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses. Example: To understand  writing, we need to explore the
practices that people engage in to  produce texts as well as the ways
that writing practices gain their meanings and functions as dynamic
elements of specific cultural  settings.

• we need to explore the practices that people engage in 
  
• One independent clause

• that people engage in to produce texts – adjectival relative clause modifying PRACTICES
• that writing practices gain their meanings and functions – adjectival relative clause modifying WAYS
• Two dependent clauses

NOTE:

• to understand writing – adverbial infinitive phrase
• to produce texts – adverbial infinitive phrase
• as well as the ways – prepositional phrase
• as dynamic elements – prepositional phrase
• of specific cultural settings – prepositional phrase

Compound-Complex – a sentence which contains two or more independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses.

Example: The absence of attention to writing as  a  social and productive practice has come about for reasons we discuss  below, but the effect has been to severely limit the analysis of written  text, closing off many lines of inquiry into how and why texts come to  be as they are. 

• The absence of attention to writing as a  social and productive practice has come about for reasons we discuss below
• the effect has been to severely limit the analysis of written text
• Two Independent Clauses 
• [that] we discuss below – adjectival relative clause (deleted THAT) modifying REASONS
• how and why texts come to be – nominal interrogative clause (object of the preposition INTO)
• as they are – adverbial subordinate clause modifying the infinitive phrase TO BE 
• Three Dependent Clauses

NOTE: Comma preceding the coordinating conjunction (FOR) is a KEY MARKER for coordinated independent clauses.ALSO:

• THE ABSENCE is the subject of the first independent clause
• of attention – prepositional phrase
• to writing – prepositional phrase
• as a social and productive practice – prepositional phrase
• to severely limit the analysis of written text – nominal infinitive phrase (direct object of HAS BEEN)
• of written text – prepositional phrase
• closing off many lines of inquiry – adverbial present participle phrase
• of inquiry – prepositional phrase

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Chapter 7: introduction

This chapter examines our language at the sentence level. But to fully understand sentence variety, you need to be able to identify independent clauses and dependent clauses. As a reminder, an independent clause is a clause that is able to stand alone as a sentence, with the subject as the first element in the clause, with no dependent marker preceding it. A dependent clause has a DEPENDENT MARKER (subordinator, relative, interrogative, or THAT) preceding the subject of the clause. Your ability to recognize independent clauses and dependent clauses is the key to success in analyzing for sentence variety.

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