Professional Documents
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SENTENCE
STRUCTURE
EXAMPLE
A) I went home and ate a sandwich.
B) I ate a sandwich and went home.
2.2. What is a sentence?
2.7.1 Coordinator
Example: The conventional method is
unreliable, and the maintenance cost are too
high.
2.7.2 Semicolon
Example: The materials is very susceptible to
contamination; it requires pure hydrogen and
oxygen.
2.7.3 Conjunctive Adverb
Example: The high temperature makes
reliability a problem; however, it has a
2.7.4 Understanding Coordination
Coordination Links Equal Ideas
Do not use So, in the beginning of a sentence in
research writing.
Although you may find examples of sentences
beginning with and, it is quite rare in research
writing, and should only be used for emphasis.
Generally avoid using But at the beginning of a
sentence in engineering writing. It is a more casual
expression. Use However, Instead.
Antoher important point that helps to make the
logic of a sentence clearer is putting a comma after a
coordinator that joins two main clauses.
In the sentences that are short people tend to omit
the comma, however. In addition, if the subject of
both sentences is the same we tend not to repeat
the subject and we dont need the comma.
TIP
This almost perfect growth of each individual pore is a consequence not only o
pattern but also of the orientation of the silicon single crystal.
Source: Rmer et al.: J. AM. CHEM. SOC. 9 Vol. 126, No. 49, 2004 p.16268 200
Semi Colon; Vs Colon:
Semi Colon; Colon:
A semi-colon joins two clauses the colon signals a definition or a
closely list.
The experiment was a disaster; we You may be required to bring
had to start again. many things: sleeping bags, pans,
utensils, and warm clothing.
Punctuating a list with a colon.
X : The new cell phone design has three areas of improvement: cost, color
and design and clarity and reception.
CORRECT: The new cell phone design has three areas of improvement: cost, color
and design, and clarity and reception.
comma
Lists of choices
In negative lists or choices, or is
used rather than and.
EXAMPLE
Do you want coffee, tea, or coke
to drink?
Do you want coffee, tea, and coke
to drink?
SENTENCE STRUCTURE
PUNCTUATION ERRORS IN
COORDINATION
X: We need to design a new system, it must be three times faster than
the current one.
Coordination solutions
CORRECT: We need to design a new system, but it must be three times faster than the
current one.
CORRECT: We need to design a new system; it must be three times faster than the
current one.
CORRECT: We need to design a new system; however, it must be three times faster than
the current one.
Separate sentences
CORRECT: We need to design a new system. It must be three times faster than the
current one.
2.8. Subordination structures
Imagine that a friend came up to you and said, Because the soccer game is on. It would be very difficult for you to
reply because the clause does not make sense without more information.
In fact, when writing, it is a serious grammar mistake. We call this a fragment because it is only a piece of a
sentence.
However, if he said, I want to go home now because the soccer game is on, it would make
sense because it is a complex sentence.
2.8.1 Adverb clauses
Adverb clauses give information about when, where, why, and how
something happens.
Main clause
Subordinator Subordinate clause, (comma)
After ,
Although As
Because
Before
If
Since
Unless
Until When
Whenever
Whereas
While
3
If a complex sentence begins with a subordinator, it must have a period at the end of the
clause.
If the subordinate clause is at the end of the sentence, it does not need a comma.
Both arrangements of the clauses are possible.
EXAMPLE
Because the material could not withstand the intense heat, we had to look for an alternative.
We had to look for an alternative because the material could not withstand the intense heat.
no comma
How then do you choose where to place the adverb clause in the sentence?
In English, the focus of the sentence is at the end.
Therefore, if your focus is on the alternative, the first example would be better.
If your focus is on the heat, then the second example would be better.
We cannot mix subordination and coordination unless we have a compound-complex sentence, however.
EXAMPLE
X: Although the method is effective, so it requires a great deal of computation time.
O: Although the method is effective, it requires a great deal of computation time.
Relative
clause
Restrictiv
e
Non-
Restrictiv
e
2.9 Review of connecting clauses
EXAMPLE
In this paper, we describe two technologies for making a
wireless multimedia communication system energy-
efficient while ensuring QoS. The first technology is an
energy-efficient protocol,
The word technology is repeated to make sure the
reader can follow the development and organization of
the paragraph. Repeated key nouns help the reader to
follow the development of your paragraph.
2.13.2 Repeat key words rather than risk
unclear pronouns
EXAMPLE [MODIFIED]
In this paper, we describe two technologies for making a
wireless multimedia communication systemenergy-efficient
while ensuring QoS. [It] is an energy-efficient protocol,
Multimode Adaptive Power. Saving (MAPS).
EXAMPLE
The information data rate is another factor that affects
transmission power. In general, a higher data rate yields
higher transmission power.