Sentence Development

Sentence Development Milly Grillone FAO Junior Consultant

Some Hints… • Word Order (Subject-Verb-Direct Complement-Other Complements) • Avoid Lists!!!! Transform the list into a logical sentence • Sentence Structure (links through conjunctions) • Word Choice • Punctuation

First Considerations • English sentences shorter than Arabic ones • Brackets () or slashes //: Use when appropriate. Remember that what you write in brackets must be droppable without compromising the meaning of the sentence The share of agriculture in GDP is (25%).

Simple Rules • No comma between subject and verb Agriculture, is one of the main component of GDP • Subject-Verb Agreement: the subject and the verb must agree in number, both must be singular or both plurals (≠ Arabic!) Syria have a comparative advantage The media was biased in it’s reporting of the event

SENTENCE DEVELOPMENT Why would you want to develop your sentences? • Connect: Join ideas and build bridges between thoughts. • Define: Clarify terms that your readers may not understand. • Describe: Supply your readers with clear, vivid images which convey your meaning. • Explain: Further elaborate on ideas which need development.

Techniques For Sentence Development • Coordination - Links related ideas Example: Ideas separated: He knows that he cannot physically fight. He defends himself with words. Ideas combined: He knows that he cannot physically fight, so he defends himself with words.

Techniques For Sentence Development (2) • Subordination - Illustrates dependency of one idea upon another Example: Ideas separated: The women's rights movement has improved life for the women of today. They are still fighting for equal rights. Ideas combined: Although the women's rights movement has improved life for the women of today, they are still fighting for equal rights.

Sentence Components That Can Further Develop Ideas Adjective Clause - Further defines nouns or pronouns using the words which, that, who, whose, and whom. Example: Wesley, who speaks only a few words in the beginning of the movie, learns the art of fencing and, above all, the art of rhetoric. Adverb Clause - Further defines verbs and other adverbs using words such as because, although, since, even if, in order that, if, whereas, after, before, and when. Example: The little boy groans with disgust when he opens the present- a book.

Appositive - Allows more description by renaming nouns and pronouns. Example: Vizzini, a small, bald-headed criminal, believes his intellect is above all. • Prepositional Phrase – Provides additional description in a sentence. Example: As I watch the novel unfold before my eyes on the television screen, I imagine the Sophists sitting beside me. Example: Studies show that television may affect children's perception of aging and increase the negative stereotypes of the elderly.

Participial Phrase – Modifies sentences by changing words commonly used as verbs to adjectives. Example: To write a well-developed sentence, one should try to use participial phrases. Example: Judging Carl by the look of his wrinkled shirt and messy hair, Suzanne assumed he had been partying all night. Example: Developed fully, the essay was extremely informative and enticing

Use of Conjunctions Conjunctions are those connectors we use to tie words, phrases, clauses or sentences together. Here is a list of other conjunctions: and, but, or, when, while, since, until, after, before, later, because, since, as, now that, so, although, and though. In a series of three or more terms with a single conjunction, use a comma after each term except the last one Syria exports chickpeas, cotton, lentils and olives Exceptions: • co-ordinate clauses, • grammatically separated sentences, • the presence of another and mentioned before, which can compromise readability. Women generate additional income through cottage industries, collect firewood and water, and perform household chores including the processing and cooking of foods.

Pay attention to…. • THAT ≠ WHICH • WHICH (separating a noun from its relative pronoun) The idea which Asma put forward was interesting (NOT The idea was interesting which Asma put forward) • Which referring to a whole clause He went back to Italy a year later, which surprised everybody (NOT Sheep and goats accounted for 3% in 1989-90 and up to 8% in 1998-99 because bella race was imported while awas race was exported to the Gulf countries, which is demanded there -where it is demanded)

Final Suggestion…. • Learn from your own mistakes and try not to repeat them…….

Sentence Development