Unit 21: Sentence Combining
Chapter 21.1 Prepositional Phrases
o Prepositional Phrase: A group of words that starts with a preposition and
ends with a noun or pronoun.
Examples of prepositions include
Above
Across
By
In
Of
Since
Up
Until
With
According to
Because of
On account of
o The prepositional phrase would be moved to the sentence with the
same/similar subject, or without a preposition at all.
o Words like the, he, she, it, and others that describe the subject or
predicate will not be included along with the subject.
o Prepositional Phrases could also be used as an introductory phrase.
Examples
1(a) Strange sicknesses were in the human and animal
communities.
1(b) Doctors studied the strange sickness.
1(c) The doctors studies the strange sickness with the latest
medical tools.
o The doctors studied the strange sickness in the
animal and human communities with the latest
medical tools.
2(a) The vegetation was dead or dying.
2(b) The dying vegetation was beside the roads.
2(c) The dying vegetation was in the orchards.
o The dying vegetation beside the roads and in the
orchards was dead or dying.
3(a) People visited this town.
3(b) They came from miles away.
3(c) They came on account of the romantic beauty of this
special place.
o People from miles away visited this town on
account of the romantic beauty of this special place
Chapter 21.2: Appositives
o Appositive: An appositive is a noun placed next to another noun to
identify it or give additional information about it.
o Appositive Phrase: An appositive phrase includes an appositive and other
words that describe it. It must always be a phrase.
o The sentence that describes the subject will be the appositive and will be
next to the subject in the other subject.
o Examples
1(a) Maya Lin studied architecture at Yale University.
1(b) She was a valedictorian in high school.
Maya Lin, a valedictorian in high school, studied
architecture at Yale University.
2(a) During her visit to the site, Maya Lin envisioned the winning
design.
2(b) The site was in Constitution Gardens.
2(c) Maya Lin was an architecture student.
During her visit to the site, Constitution Gardens, Maya
Lin, an architecture student, envisioned the winning design.
3(a) The winner described her feelings to a Washington Post
writer.
3(b) Maya Lin was the winner.
3(c) The writer was Phil McCombs.
The winner, Maya Lin, described her feelings to a
Washington Post writer, Phil McCombs.
Chapter 21.3: Adjective Clauses
o Adjective Clause: a subordinate clause that modifies or describes a noun
or pronoun in the main clause.
o Adjective Clauses are usually introduced by a relative pronoun
That
Which
Who
Whom
Whose
Whoever
What
When
Where
o Adjective Clauses only modify verbs
o Examples
1(a) The girls had to rush back at seven-thirty.
1(b) The girls were released at seven for breakfast.
The girls, who were released at seven for breakfast, had to
rush back at seven-thirty.
2(a) Lyddie ran to the window for a breath of fresh air.
2(b) Lyddies eyes were filled with tears.
2(c) She needed the breath of fresh air so desperately.
Lyddie, who needed the breath of fresh air so desperately,
ran to the window with her eyes filled with tears.
3(a) By the end of the day, Lyddie was too tired to think about
regulations.
3(b) These were rules that all girls had to learn.
By the end of the day, Lyddie was too tired to think about
regulations that all girls had to learn.
Chapter 21.3: Adverb Clauses
o Adverb Clause: is a subordinate clause that modifies or describes the verb
in the main clause.
It tells
How
When
Where
Why
Under What Condition
o An adverb clause is introduced by a subordinating conjunction
After
Although
As
Before
Because
If
Since
Than
Though
Until
Unless
Who
Whoever
Where
Whereas
Wherever
o Examples
1(a) The narrator was at the right place at the right time.
1(b) He made his first basket.
As a result of the narrator being at the right time, he made
his first basket.
2(a) A basketball player is fouled in the process of making a shot.
2(b)He gets two foul shots, not one.
If a basketball player is fouled in the process of making a
shot, he gets two foul shots, not one.
3(a) The narrators teammates were happy and proud.
3(b) They had beaten a very rough team.
The narrators teammates were happy and proud because
they had beaten a very rough team.
