Unlocking the Power of Language (sentence)

 A sentence is a group of words that express a complete thought. There are three types of sentences.

Simple sentences 

Complex sentences

Compound sentences

Each of these sentences is defined by the use of independent and dependent clauses, conjunctions, and subordinators. 

 Simple sentences

A simple sentence is an independent clause with no conjunction or dependent clause 

It is made up of a subject + a verb + possibly an object. This sentence structure is sometimes represented as SVO

I           broke          my arm

         Subject                         object

                          Verb

James      went      home

Subject-verb       object

Complex sentences

A complex sentence consists of an independent clause plus a dependent clause. (A dependent clause starts with a subordinating conjunction or a relative pronoun, and contains a subject and verb, but does not express a complete thought.)

We missed a plane because we were late.

Independent clause                               dependent clause

Subject +verb+ object                           s/conjuction +subject +verb

  We       missed    a plane                    because             we           were late            

Compound sentences.

A compound sentence is two or more independent clauses joined by a conjunction or semicolon. Each of these clauses could form a sentence alone.

I like porridge but my wife likes tea.

Independent clause coordinating conjunction    independent clause

  Subject+verb+object subject+verb+object

    I            like    porridge    but    my wife    likes    tea

a) Substitution – it is the replacement of one or more items by a pro form put in a place where one element was, to avoid repeating the previously used word.

Mary cried in the presence of Mary’s children. (repetition) 

Mary cried in the presence of her children. (substitution)

b) Pro-forms- it is a type of function word or expression that stands in for (expresses the same content as) another word, phrase, clause, or sentence where the meaning is recoverable from the context.

My pupils played a match and they didn’t win.

They played it and they didn’t win.

            c) Recoverability- refers to instances where what has been reduced can be recovered. The most important types of recoverability are: 

Situational recoverability- the full form is recoverable from the extra-linguistic situation.

Structural recoverability- the full form is recoverable not through knowledge of context, but simply through knowledge of grammatical structure. A reduced form such as the pronoun ‘she’ may be said to presuppose knowledge on the part of the hearer, as well as the speaker, of its independent referent. 

Textual recoverability- the full form is recoverable from a neighboring part of the text. To this, we add two lesser kinds of recoverability that do not contribute directly to the cohesion of the text.

             d) Ellipsis- it is the process of condensing sentences by omitting removable elements.

Someone called for you yesterday, but I do not know who called for you. (unedited)

Someone called for you yesterday, but I do not know who. (elliptic)

According to the x-bar theory, every phrase has a head. The head is the terminal node of the phrase. It is the node that has no daughters. Whatever category the head is, determines the category of the phrase. 

For example, in the noun phrase: The big book of poems with the blue cover.

The head is a book

NP

N

D                   N

    The           Adj P                                      pp

           Adj               N                  p                        NP

          big       N               pp       

       book      p          NP             D         Adj P                     N

       of           N             the          adj      

     poems    with          blue                   cover