ES1103 Week 6 _ 2 Conjunction and Clause complex -LM

Complex Sentence Structures and conjunction

By the end of this section, you will
be better aware of the ways ideas can be expressed and linked through various types of
clauses and conjunction
be able to use conjunction more deliberately
understand better the ways complex sentences are formed

For some of you, there might still be some difficulties in producing grammatically correct
complex sentences. One way to build accuracy is to start noticing the various blocks used by
good academic writers. This lesson will help you revise the main clauses used in sentences and
how they can be joined together.
More importantly, this lesson will help you link your ideas and make the meaning relations
between ideas clear to your reader. The purpose is not for you to just learn about language, it
is for you to know enough about language so that you can notice and emulate good writers in
your own writing at University and beyond.

Before class:
Read the handout.
Visit the Write Site website and read Using Conjunctions
http://writesite.elearn.usyd.edu.au/m3/m3u5/m3u5s6/m3u5s6_1.htm
In the same website, the following pages can be used to check syntax errors (sentence
structure errors) such as fragment and run-on:
http://writesite.elearn.usyd.edu.au/m1/m1u1/index.htm

I Conjunctions

Different types of conjunctions show different meaning relation.

Addition: Furthermore, in addition, moreover, further (besides is not recommended in
academic writing)
Alternative: or, alternatively
Comparison, contrast and concession: in the same way, likewise, just as, bothand
But, however, in contrast, on the contrary, instead, nevertheless, yet, still, even so,
neithernor.
Concessive conjunctions: though, despite, in spite of, notwithstanding, whereas, while.
Concessive conjunction is very useful when reporting evidence from sources and to
show you are distancing yourself.

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Even though funding has been allocated to improving local school facilities
(Brown, 2010), Branson (2011) argues that very few schools have actually seen
any concrete changes in their infrastructure.
Exemplification and restatement: for example, to illustrate this, such as, for instance.
That is, to sum up, in brief, in other words.
Cause and condition: for this reason, as, because, because of this, therefore, thus, hence,
as a result, consequently, since, so.
Unless, ifthen, that being so.
Conjunctions of time: before, previously, prior top, to the present, at present, currently,
first and foremost, first..then.

Task 1: Read the 2 texts below and highlight the conjunctions. How is each conjunction adding to the
cohesion and meaning of the text?

Text 1 from:
https://proxylogin.nus.edu.sg/libproxy1/public/login.asp?logup=false&url=http://www.tandfonline.com
/doi/full/10.1080/03075079.2015.1127908

Since the UK government identified students as customers (Dearing 1997 ), higher education
institutions (HEIs) in England have increasingly had to operate under forces of marketisation which
demand competitiveness, efficiency and consumer satisfaction (Lesnik-Oberstein 2015). Moreover, this
consumer identity appears to be increasingly recognised by students, who demand more from the
higher education sector than ever before (Kandiko and Mawer 2013; Tomlinson 2014 , 2016). But, while
a rich tradition of research has investigated how we can predict academic performance (for reviews see
Poropat 2009; Richardson, Abraham, and Bond 2012) there remains a paucity of research on the extent
to which today's students express a consumer orientation and how this may affect academic
performance. In order to address this shortfall, this paper looks at traditional factors predicting
academic performance, namely learner identity and grade goal, and the interplay with consumer
orientation and gives evidence that consumer orientation mediates or influences traditional predictors
of academic performance: the more that students expressed a consumer orientation, the poorer their
academic performance.

Text 2, from
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17482790601005017?scroll=top&needAccess=true

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Note:
Conjunctions are used to link ideas within and across sentences. However, some conjunctions
cannot be used to join ideas in one single sentence. However and also cannot be used to link
two clauses in the same sentence:
*The results showed that the levels had improved, however, this was not confirmed in
all districts.

A sentence that used a conjunction needs to have two clauses. You are linking two ideas, so
there should be two clauses. Errors concerning this are called sentence fragment
*Whereas the evidence points to the contrary.
*Before they started the task.

Complete the task on the Write site:

http://writesite.elearn.usyd.edu.au/m3/m3u5/m3u5s6/m3u5s6_8.htm

The case of AS, While and SINCE:

These conjunctions can be problematic because they can carry several meanings. When you use
them, you must ensure that the meaning you intend is very clear or your reader will be
confused.

Task 2: check concordance to understand how As, While and Since are used.

As can mean when and because.

Check a concordancer to see how AS is used. What meaning does it bring in the following
sentences?
http://www.lextutor.ca/cgi-bin/conc/wwwassocwords.pl

While can mean when, in contrast, or although.

Check the different meanings of While:
http://www.lextutor.ca/cgi-bin/conc/wwwassocwords.pl

And with SINCE (which can mean because, and indicate a time frame):
http://www.lextutor.ca/cgi-bin/conc/wwwassocwords.pl

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II complex sentence structure

Task 1a Read the information about sentence structure and answer the questions

A. Simple sentences: these are also called independent clauses.

Ex: Students often work late before exams.
S V
They must contain a verb. They usually have a subject and a complement.
(Subject) +Verb +(Complement)

In a text, find a simple sentence (hint: look for a simple SVO sentence structure). Underline the main
verb and circle the subject.

B. Compound sentences: These are not very common in academic English.

Two or more simple sentences are linked by a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor,
but, or, yet, so) = FANBOYS.

Ex: Students often work late before exams but they rarely do so at the start of term.
Clause 1 Coordination Clause 2

Both sides of the coordination are parallel (//). This means they have the same
grammatical form. In the example above, the verbs work and do in the present simple.

In the same text, find a compound sentence. What is the coordinating conjunction used? Note the
parallel structure on each side of the conjunction. Highlight the conjunction, underline the verbs and
circle the subject group(s).

Task 1c Skim through the information below before completing the guided analysis.

Complex sentence: an independent/main clause + one (or more)

dependent/ subordinate clauses.

Ex: [Although the course was challenging], students did well.

Subordinate clause Main clause

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C. Complex Sentence Structure: Overview

Very common in academic English

Essential to express complex ideas when writing
Essential to understand complex ideas when reading.
There are only a few subordinate clause types in English. Being aware of the different
clauses a writer has used can help you to decode readings faster and more accurately.
You should also try to use a variety of clauses in your writing.

Below is an overview of the basic subordinate clause types with examples and
important information to note. First, spend a few minutes to go over the different
clauses. You will become familiar with the 4 subordinate clauses below as you explore
the text to find some examples and as you consciously try to use them in your writing.

You do not need to study this in detail now; just refer to the summary table
when you complete the analysis task.

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1) Adverbial clauses
Purpose: to show logical link between ideas (see below)

Ex: [As Professor Chan said], (tweens) are highly influenced by adverts.
Sub Adv Cl S main verb

Cannot be used on their own

Used with a subordinating conjunction (as, although, because, even though,
while, since) Try making a word like FANBOY (as for compound sentences)!
Express various clause relationships/logical link between ideas:
To express:
Purpose: in order to
Ex: In order to get back on time, well set off before noon.

Comparison and contrast: whereas, while

Ex: Academic articles often start with an abstract, whereas journalistic articles
start with an anecdote.

Concession: as, although, even though, despite

Ex: Although the conditions were challenging, the team finished the race.

Cause: as, because, since

Ex: Since teenagers like working in groups, we have assigned them to teams.

Condition: if, provided that, unless

Ex: Provided that all the documents are included, the assignment will be
graded before the end of the week.

Time: when, before, after, as long as, as soon as, once

Ex: As long as governments do not take drastic steps, the problem of pollution
will not get solved.

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2) Relative clauses
Purpose: to define and add information
Cannot be used on their own
Introduced by relative pronouns (who, that, which) which refer to a word in the
previous clause (antecedent)
Can be identifying or non-identifying:
o Identifying (essential information)=NO commas
Ex: I know the person [who can help me with this problem].

(who can help meis essential to the sentence, without it, the sentence become
meaningless: I know the personWHO???)

o Non-identifying (non essential information, it can be taken out), commas

Ex: The friend Anne, who loves animals, has decided to become a vet. (who loves
animals is not essential to the sentence: the sentence makes sense without the
relative clause)
In non-identifying, we cannot use THAT (only which or who)
that/which can be omitted when they replace the Object in the clause:
Ex: Sarah appreciated the remark that the teacher made. Or: She appreciated the
remark the teacher made.
= the teacher made a remark.
Object

3) Noun clauses
Very common in academic English (especially after reporting verbs)
Cannot be used on their own
Can be replaced by a noun
Can start with that (often after a reporting verb), what, why, which(these do
NOT refer to a noun in the previous clause, unlike in relative clauses)
Ex: They believed [that the plan would certainly fail.]
Ex: I know [which course I want to take!]
Often found after words like the notion that, the idea that
Ex: (The fact [that we found the door open]) reassured us.

4) Participle clauses
Cannot be used on their own
Contain a past or a present participle.

Ex: We saw a monkey [climbing up a tree].

Ex: [Having given his opinion], he left.

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Clauses can be embedded (like Russian dolls)

A relative clause embedded into an adverbial clause (forming an adverbial

group):

[As Professor Chan, [who studies the issue at the University] said], tweens are highly influenced
Sub Adv cl Rel cl S V
by adverts.

A relative clause embedded into a relative clause (forming the subject group of
the sentence):
(The student [who wrote the essay [that won the prize]]) received (his classmates
Subject group Rel cl Rel cl V Object group
praises with an embarrassed smile).

A summary table to conduct the analysis activity:

Subordinate clause types:

1) Adverbial clause Although, since, whereas Although the weather was

2) Relative clause
awful, we went out for a
walk.
Who, that, which The boy who has just joined
the class is from South
America.

3) Noun clause That, which(can be The research reported that

4) Participle clause
replaced with a noun)
-ing or eg form
the results would be
published soon.
The research team reported
the results.
The furniture stolen from the
house last week has been
found.

For the following activities, use the summary table above as reference. You can also consult the detailed
pages before if you need to.

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ES1103 Week 6 _ 2 Conjunction and Clause complex -LM

Task 1c Guided analysis

Work with a partner and find the following clauses in the passage below. Draw brackets around the
clauses:

1. A relative clause. What does the relative pronoun refer to?

2. A '-ing' participle clause

3. An -ed' participle clause

4. An adverbial clause (of time). Where does the clause stop (where do you close the brackets)?

5. The first sentence in paragraph 2 contains a noun clause. Can you find it? Look at the notes in the
table above. Why is this a noun clause? Go back to The Value of a College Degree text and find
some noun clauses.

As the morning rain stops in Accra, the capital city of Ghana, and the sun heats the

humid air a terrible-smelling black smoke begins to rise above the vast Agbogbloshie

Market. Past the vegetable and tire merchants is a scrap1 market filled with piles of old

and broken electronics waste. This waste, consisting of broken TVs, computers, and

smashed2 monitors, is known as e-waste. Further beyond the scrap market are

many small fires, fueled by old automobile tires, which are burning away the plastic

covering from valuable wire in the e-waste. People walk through the smokea highly

poisonous mixture of chemicalswith their arms full of brightly-colored computer wire.

Many of them are children.

Israel Mensah, 20, explains how he makes his living here.

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ES1103 Week 6 _ 2 Conjunction and Clause complex -LM

Task 1d Group analysis

Now, you are going to analyse whole sentences without any prompting. Work in pairs; use the clause
summary table as a reference to help. When you have finished, circulate around the room to see
whether your classmates have found the same elements in the sentences.

Follow these steps to break down the different parts of the sentence:

1. Find and underline the main verb (= the verb of the main/independent clause)

2. Find and draw brackets () around the subject: is it one word or a whole group? What is the group
made of (it might be a long noun phrase; there might be a relative clause, a participle clause)

3. Look at the rest of the sentence: are there other verbs? These usually signal other clauses: what are
they? Relative? Adverbial? Noun clause? Participle? Label them and draw arrows to antecedents
(words they refer to) in the case of a relative and participle clause.

Follow the steps above. Label the elements you can recognize, dont worry about parts of a sentence
you cannot analyse: some sentences are more complex than others, but as you practise you will get
better at recognizing main elements.

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ES1103 Week 6 _ 2 Conjunction and Clause complex -LM

Work in pairs to analyse the following sentences (taken from the text).

a. Computers and other electronic equipment become obsolete in just a

few years, leaving customers with little choice but to buy newer ones to

keep up.

b. Unfortunately, in most of the world, the bulk of all this waste ends up in

landfills, where it poisons the environment - e-waste contains a variety

of toxic substances such as lead, mercury and arsenic that leak into the

ground.

c. Recycling is in many ways the ideal solution to the problem.

d. The problem is that a large percentage of e-waste that is dropped off

for recycling in wealthy countries is sold and diverted to the developing

world -to countries like Ghana.

e. Although the ban hasn't yet taken effect, the European Union, where

recycling infrastructure is well-developed, has already written it into

their laws.

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Sentence analysis:

Helpful for reading:

a. Academic sentences are often really long. Being able to find the main verb, the
subject, and the subordinate clauses can help your reading comprehension. Using the
steps above is really useful, so you can always look at a sentence with the same
systematic approach.

Helpful for writing:

b. Writing is made easier when you know these building bocks. When you write, start
thinking about the patterns you could use, and build your sentences with a similar
approach: you need one main verb; your subject group could contain a participle or a
relative clause for more information; you need to use adverbials to express complex
relationships between ideas

Task 2
Practice

You will find many websites to practice writing these clauses.

Task 2a Avoiding fragments.

Fragments occur when you use a subordinate clause as a full sentence (on its own). This is an error
because, as we have seen, subordinate clauses cannot be used on their own; they must be used with a
main clause.

Read the text below, which contains fragment errors. Locate and correct the errors. You may discuss
the best way to fix the error so that your meaning is more logically expressed.

Creativity is extremely important in the modern business world. Because companies

need to design new products and marketing campaigns. Creative employees add
value to corporations by thinking of innovative ideas, which they apply them to
existing problems. Although creativity is essential. However, some people believe it
cannot be taught. While others maintain that training can bring out the hidden
creativity that exists in all people. So that they can broaden their thinking. This is
beneficial for both employees and their employers.

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http://writesite.elearn.usyd.edu.au/m1/m1u1/m1u1s1/m1u1s1_2.htm
More practice on avoiding fragments.

Task 2b Linking ideas using adverbial clauses

Read the pair of sentences below and link them with the subordinating conjunction given.

1. Use even though

a) John studied very hard during the semester.
b) He failed one of his exams.

2. Use provided that

a) We apply before the 25th October.
b) We should be able to get an internship place in the summer.

3. Use unless
a) We will not complete the work.
b) We push back the deadline.

http://grammar.about.com/od/basicsentencegrammar/a/sbadvclauses.htm
More practice in linking sentences using adverbial clauses.

Task 3
Writing practice- Choose one topic below and write one paragraph, trying to use all the
subordinate clause types we have seen.

the best way for Singapore to manage its e-waste

the best way of dealing with e-waste throughout the world
whether countries should be permitted to export e-waste
Post your paragraph on the Discussion Forum and give some feedback to one of your classmates.

Preparation for next tutorial:

- Gather all the notes and knowledge about writing you have covered so far in ES1103
and consciously apply this to your Essay Draft 1. Write a complete first draft between
900 and 1000 words.
- You should upload your Draft 1 by Sunday 26 February (10 pm) in the IVLE folder.
- Come to class in Week 7 Tutorial 1 to conduct the peer review task.

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