Overview: Why Sentence Construction?
Some test questions in the English/grammar portion of the SAT, ACT, and other tests ask students to read a passage and find the best way to rewrite it, whether by combining sentences or correcting sentence fragments. The reason questions like this are asked is to test students’ ability to apply their editing skills and the rules of sentence construction. They are expected to read quickly and choose combinations that do not change the overall meaning of the passage, between alternatives that may or may not preserve meaning and formal, standard usage.
Is the Sentence Complete?
Every phrase presented as a sentence must be capable of standing on its own with a subject and verb, expressing a complete thought. Sometimes the verb might precede or follow the subject, and sometimes a form of to be is the main verb. Also, check to see if two or more sentences have been joined incorrectly as comma splices, presented without punctuation, or otherwise joined when they should not be.
What Are Phrases?
Phrases are groups of words that act as a unit without a subject or verb contained in them. One type of phrase is the prepositional phrase, which will give more information, but will not contain the subject or verb. A prepositional phrase such as “to the moon” contains a preposition, an article, and a noun. If it were elaborated further, as “to the airless, many-cratered moon” , it would still be just a phrase.
What Are Clauses?
Unlike phrases, clauses act as a unit, but they do contain a noun and a verb. Independent clauses are tricky because they can stand by themselves as separate sentences. Subordinate clauses add meaning, but they could not necessarily stand as separate sentences, even though they contain subjects and verbs. For example, “When the moon rose over the horizon” is a subordinate phrase that contains a subject and verb, but it could not be a separate sentence. Sentences with vague antecedents like “this” and “that” are usually also incorrect alternative choices unless other words in the sentence clearly state the relationship.
What Is Sentence Repetition?
One strategy to use when choosing answers from alternatives is to watch for repetition of words and phrases in consecutive sentences, as repetition can be a signal to combine sentences. The best way to combine sentences may eliminate the repetition by using a phrase or clause, or by making the subject or verb compound, while still preserving meaning. A sample illustrative passage might be , “Many people enjoy attending summer music festivals. There are festivals for almost every type of music, from rock to jazz to classical. ” An acceptable alternative might be, “Many people enjoy attending summer music festivals, which exist for almost every type of music, from rock to jazz to classical.”
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