Lengua Inglesa 3

Instituto Superior Lenguas Vivas

SENTENCE COMBINING
EMPHASIS AND VARIETY
Avoid loading sentences with a number of thoughts carelessly tacked together. Such
sentences are monotonous and hard to read because all the ideas seem to be of
equal
importance. Effective writing means not just putting down the first words that come to
your mind, but carefully revising and rewriting until you have expressed yourself in
the best possible way.

SENTENCE COMBINING

Just as simple sentences make complex ideas more digestible, a complex sentence
construction makes a series of simple ideas smoother and less choppy. As you
combine short, choppy sentences to form longer, more mature sentences, you will be
making choices with regard to sentence structure and emphasis. In general terms,
short sentences are good for emphatic, memorable statements. Long sentences are
good for detailed explanations and support. There is nothing inherently wrong with a
long sentence or even with a complicated one, as long as its meaning is clear and
direct. The ultimate purpose is that you can express exactly what you want to say in
such a way that you can feel comfortable knowing that you have achieved a fluent
writing style, rich in variety and interest. Combine short, related sentences by
inserting adjectives, adverbs, and prepositional phrases.
Note how the following three sentences are combined.

THREE SENTENCES
Juan Hernández was an engineer.
He was a mechanical engineer.
He was an engineer during last semester.

ONE SENTENCE
Juan Hernández was a mechanical engineer during last semester. To combine these
sentences, repetitive words have been deleted. An adjective, mechanical, has been
taken from the second sentence and inserted into the first sentence. A prepositional
phrase, during last semester, has been taken from the third sentence and inserted
into the first sentence. There may be more than one correct way to combine short
related sentences.

THREE SENTENCES The liquid evaporated.

Profesora: Sánchez Reinaffé, Mariela

 Lengua Inglesa 3
Instituto Superior Lenguas Vivas
It evaporated slowly.
It evaporated slowly in the flask.

ONE SENTENCE

The liquid evaporated slowly in the flask

Or

In the flask, the liquid evaporated slowly.

Although you often have some degree of choice in combining short, related
sentences, you may find that some combinations do not read smoothly, such as In
the flask, slowly, the liquid evaporated. These combinations should be avoided, as
well as those that change the meaning of the original sentences.

Combine closely related sentences by using participial phrases.

Like adjectives, participial phrases help you add concrete details to nouns and
pronouns in sentences. In the following example, the participial phrases are printed
in
boldface type. Notice how they describe the subject of the sentence, Ph candidates.

Prepared for the Toefl Test and having paid the fee, the Ph candidates went into
the
classroom.

Participial phrases are often a useful way to combine sentences and to express
ideas concisely.

TWO SENTENCES

The students rested at the cafeteria.

The students were tired by the test.

ONE SENTENCE
The students, tired by the test, rested at the cafeteria.

The second sentence has been turned into a participial phrase, tired by the test, and
attached to the first sentence. Unnecessary words have been deleted

Combine short, related sentences by using appositives or appositive phrases.

Profesora: Sánchez Reinaffé, Mariela

 Lengua Inglesa 3
Instituto Superior Lenguas Vivas
Appositives and appositive phrases add definitive detail to nouns or pronouns in
sentences by helping to identify or explain them.
Note how the appositive phrase in the following sentence helps identify the noun
zinc.

Zinc, a very malleable metal, is quite ductile.

Two sentences can often be combined in a variety of ways by using an appositive or

appositive phrase.

TWO SENTENCES
Juan Hernández published an article for the IIIE Journal.
Juan Hernández is a regular student at Cenidet.

ONE SENTENCE
Juan Hernández, a regular student at Cenidet, published an article for The IIIE
Journal.

or

A regular student at Cenidet, Juan Hernández published an article for the IIIE
Journal.

or

Combine short, related sentences by using compound subjects or

verbs or by writing a compound sentence.

Joining two subjects or two verbs by the conjunctions and, but, or or is common in
most writing, as is the joining of two independent clauses to make a compound
sentence.

• John and Helen will attend the conference. [compound subject]

• Helen will go to the conference but will join us later. [compound verb]

Two subjects or two verbs may also be joined by correlative conjunctions such as
either...or, neither...nor, and both....and

• Neither John nor Helen will attend the conference.

• They will either attend the conference or go to class.

Profesora: Sánchez Reinaffé, Mariela

 Lengua Inglesa 3
Instituto Superior Lenguas Vivas
Independent clauses are joined into a compound sentence by conjunctions such as
and, but, for, and or and by other connectives such as furthermore, yet, for example,
however, either...or, and neither...nor. The relationship of the independent clauses
determines which connective works best.

• John worked hard all night, but he could not finish the assignment. The assessment
committee has rejected the essay; furthermore, it has refused to give John a second
opportunity. [Notice the use of the semicolon.]

Ideas in separate sentences can be combined by using the appropriate connecting

words.

TWO SENTENCES

Helen showed early signs of interest.

She began engineering school when she was only eighteen.

ONE SENTENCE

Helen early signs of interest; for example, she began engineering school when she
was only eighteen.

Combine short, related sentences into a complex sentence by putting one idea into a
subordinate clause. Subordination is a technique that writers use to show, by the
structure of a sentence, the appropriate relationship between ideas of unequal
importance by subordinating the less important ideas to the more important ideas.

Beta Corporation now employs 500 people. It was founded just three years ago. [The
two ideas are equally important.]

Beta Corporation, which now employs 500 people, was founded just three years ago.
[The number of employees is subordinated.]

Beta Corporation, which was founded just three years ago, now employs 500 people.
[The founding date is subordinated.]

(1) Use an adjective clause to combine sentences.

Adjective clauses, like adjectives modify nouns or pronouns. In the following

sentence, the adjective clause is printed in boldfaced type.

The National Centre of Research and Technological Development, which offers

several post-graduate specialities, is in Cuernavaca, Mor.
Profesora: Sánchez Reinaffé, Mariela
 Lengua Inglesa 3
Instituto Superior Lenguas Vivas

To combine sentences by using an adjective clause, you must first decide which idea
to emphasize.

Then you must choose the correct relative pronoun to join the sentences.

RELATIVE PRONOUNS who, whom, whose, which, that, where

The adjective clause must always be placed next to the word or words it modifies.

TWO SENTENCES

I studied the book of Jeremy Stephens.

He worked in England with Thomas Leary.

I studied the book of Jeremy Stephens, who worked in England with Thomas Leary.

(2) Use an adverb clause to combine sentences.

Adverb clauses can express a relationship of time, cause, purpose, or condition

between two ideas in a single sentence.

EXAMPLE John and Helen both received high grades because they worked hard.
[Because they worked hard gives the cause of John’s and Helen’s receiving high
grades.]

To combine sentences by using an adverb clause, you must first decide which idea
should become subordinate. You must decide which subordinating conjunction best
expresses the relationship between the two ideas.

TWO SENTENCES

Professor Sánchez explained the problem once more.

The students finally understood.

ONE SENTENCE

When Professor Sánchez explained the problem once more, the students finally
understood.

TWO SENTENCES

Profesora: Sánchez Reinaffé, Mariela

 Lengua Inglesa 3
Instituto Superior Lenguas Vivas
You should buy that book.
It is convenient for you.

ONE SENTENCE You should buy that book because it is convenient for you.

(3) Use a noun clause to combine sentences.

A noun clause is a subordinate clause used as a noun.

Note the following examples of noun clauses and how they are used.

Whoever borrows a book from the library, must not write on any page or mark on any
part of it in any way. [noun clause used as subject]

In writing academic essays, the goal of writers is to construct sentences that

communicate their message clearly. They try to focus their readers’ attention on the
important ideas and convey information efficiently and effectively. The focus of this
chapter is on identifying the main elements of sentences: verbs, subjects, and
clauses. You will be looking for these sentence elements in the context of the
readings that make up the “Fast Food” assignment.

VARYING SENTENCE
OPENINGS
Give variety to your sentence structure by
varying the beginnings.

★ SUBJECT FIRST

The Institute of Electrical Research, engaged in energy research, is located in

Cuernavaca.

★ TRANSPOSED APPOSITIVE FIRST

Engaged in energy research, the Institute of Electrical Research is located in

Cuernavaca. Single-word Modifiers

★ SUBJECT FIRST

Profesora: Sánchez Reinaffé, Mariela

 Lengua Inglesa 3
Instituto Superior Lenguas Vivas
Many of the students’ papers have been accepted lately.

★ SINGLE-WORD MODIFIERS FIRST

Lately, many of the students’ papers have been accepted. Phrase Modifiers

★ SUBJECT FIRST

Many Of the students’ papers were rejected at the last meeting.

★ PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE FIRST

At the last meeting, many of the students’ papers were rejected.

★ SUBJECT FIRST

The examiners worked until late to finish correcting all the papers in one week.

★ INFINITIVE PHRASE FIRST

To finish correcting all the papers in one week, the examiners worked until late.

★ SUBJECT FIRST

The professor examined the paper carefully and then said it needed some
corrections.

★ PARTICIPIAL PHRASE FIRST

Examining the paper carefully, the professor said it needed some corrections.

Clause Modifiers

★ SUBJECT FIRST

The examiners accepted the paper after they had proofread the abstract.

★ CLAUSE FIRST

After they had proofread the abstract, the examiners accepted the paper.

Profesora: Sánchez Reinaffé, Mariela

 Lengua Inglesa 3
Instituto Superior Lenguas Vivas

Source: VIADES VALENCIA, L. A. (2002).Teaching Technical English Writing

82002) . CENIDET

Profesora: Sánchez Reinaffé, Mariela