Sentence Builder

Theoretical Part

1. A compound sentence contains two or more independent clauses joined by a coordinator. The structure of a compound sentence sends certain messages to readers. First, it tells readers that the sentence contains two ideas, each one deserving its own independent clause. Second, it tells readers that these two ideas are approximately equal in importance, since they are balanced as a pair.

A number multiplied by zero is zero, and a number multiplied by one is the same number.

Число, умноженное на ноль, равняется нулю, а число, умноженное на единицу, равно самому себе.

2. Compound sentences can be formed in three ways:

a) by using coordinating conjunctions (and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet) or a or by a set of correlatives (either-or, neither-nor, not only-but also, both-and). Except for very short sentences, coordinators are always preceded by a comma.

They may take our lives, but they will never take our freedom.

Они могут убить нас, но не могут забрать нашу свободу.

Not only do our parents encourage us to work hard, but also they reward us when we succeed.

Наши родители не только побуждают нас работать усердно, но и поощряют нас, когда мы добиваемся успеха.

b) by using the semicolon, either with or without conjunctive adverbs (also, besides, hence, for example, however, meanwhile, then, so, finally, as a result, earlier, that is, in fact, however, thus).

The apples weren't selling very well; so he decided to have a sale.

Яблоки покупали плохо, поэтому он решил устроить их распродажу.

Note. When two independent clauses are joined by a long linker (consequently, therefore, henceforth, however, moreover, nevertheless, as a result) there is a semicolon in front of that linker and a comma behind it. When only a semicolon is used to link independent clauses, the clauses should be thoroughly parallel in structure and word choice.

I can recite lists of irregular verbs any time of the day or night; therefore, I am idolized by my students.

Я могу в любое время перечислить все неправильные глаголы, поэтому мои ученики боготворят меня.

October days are often beautiful; November days often aren’t.

Дни в октябре красивы часто, в ноябре – никогда.

c) by using the colon instead of a semicolon between two sentences when the second sentence explains or illustrates the first sentence and no coordinating conjunction is being used to connect the sentences.

Rabbits make good pets: they don’t make too much noise and they are clean.

Кролики – хорошие домашние животные: они чистоплотны и не сильно шумят.

3. The semantic relations between the clauses making up the compound sentence depend partly on the lexical meaning of the conjunction uniting them, and partly on the meanings of the words making up the clauses themselves:

a) copulative conjunctions (and, neither…nor) express the addition of the meanings:

You would hardly ever see a cat walking outside of the house with its master, nor would you see a teenager in public with his or her parents very often.

Вряд ли ты сможешь увидеть кота, гуляющего по улице со своим хозяином, ты также не часто можешь увидеть на людях подростка в сопровождении своих родителей.

b) disjunctive conjunctions (or, otherwise, either…or) form a connection of the clauses with distinct alternatives of their meanings.

You can make a big poster, or you can make a little clay statue.

Ты можешь сделать или большой плакат, или можешь сделать маленькую глиняную статую.

c) adversative conjunctions (but, yet, still, nevertheless, however) form a connection of the clauses with opposition or antithesis of their meanings.

The boy didn’t want to practice playing the violin, yet he was afraid to disobey his mother.

Мальчик не хотел играть на скрипке, и в то же время он боялся ослушаться мать.

Language Focus

Exercise 1. In the following sentences find compound sentences and explain how they are formed.

1. Tides constitute a change in the level of water in the oceans and are caused by the gravitational interaction between heavenly bodies. 2. The Great Depression serves as an example of dramatic fluctuations in the balanced wage rate. 3. Ulysses wants to play for UConn Huskies, but he has had trouble meeting the academic requirements. 4. My grandmother has stayed up late four nights in a row; as a result, she cannot seem to get well. 5. Harold wants the Boston Red Sox to win the World Series, yet his favorite team is the Baltimore Orioles. 6. The union leaders wanted to strike, for the union members were not being paid a living wage. 7. Your resume looks quite promising, so we are anxious to hire you. 8. The President’s recommendation called for a tax increase; very few senators will vote for it. 9. Rocky, my orange tomcat, loves having his head scratched but hates getting his claws trimmed. 10. Kyle refused to eat the salad served with the meal, nor would he touch any green vegetable put on his plate. 11. At a red light, Maria jumped out of Gino's car and slammed the door because she could not tolerate one more minute of the heavy metal music that Gino insisted on blasting from the stereo. 12. Toolmakers not only help to construct elaborate tools but also test them for reliability and utility. 13. Florida has not yet ratified the Equal Rights Amendment, and neither have several other states. 14. She wanted to serve some coffee to her guests; however she did not have much sugar.

Exercise 2. Match the parts of the given compound sentences and translate them.

Exercise 3. Divide the following adverbial conjunctions into seven groups according to their meaning: 1. Addition; 2. Contrast; 3. Comparison; 4. Exemplification; 5. Intensification; 6. Result; 7. Time.

instead, in addition, likewise, moreover, meanwhile, consequently, nevertheless, comparatively, on the contrary, incidentally, thereafter, subsequently, for instance, otherwise, furthermore, undoubtedly, accordingly, certainly, conversely, similarly, therefore, for example, additionally, henceforth, finally, similarly, indeed, however, likewise, as a result, on the other hand, namely, then, next, at the same time, notably, in fact, that is, still, also, now

Exercise 4. Peruse the given statements and select the word from the box below that best completes the sentence.

nevertheless; but; consequently; as a result; or; however; so; for instance; and; furthermore; for; otherwise; finally; moreover

1. She must have been tired, … she fell asleep the moment she inclined her head. 2. Rembrandt was forced to declare bankruptcy in 1656, … his possessions were sold. 3. They have waited very patiently; … the day has arrived. 4. At this restaurant, patrons order food a la carte, … they buy a complete dinner. 5. I want to own my own company; …, I want to pay all my workers a lot of money. 6. I have paid all of the dues; …, I expect to receive all the privileges listed in the bylaws. 7. Everyone knows how to talk, hardly anyone knows what to say. 8. I telephoned at least ten times yesterday; …, the line was never free. 9. Jane is a conservative; …, she voted for a liberal Democrat in the last election. 10. You should put antifreeze in your car’s radiator each fall; …, your radiator might freeze and ruin your car’s engine. 11. Oscar does not study or get enough sleep; …, he will probably do poorly in school. 12. Fatty foods are high in calories; …, butter contains 108 calories per tablespoon. 13. She saw a cat run in front of her, … she fell down while roller-skating. 14. The raging forest fires consumed much of the timberland; …, they threatened the houses of the people living near the forests.

Exercise 5. Connect two simple sentences with different coordinators and adverbial conjunctions and explain how the use of them alters the relationship between the two clauses.

Model:

Tom played chess. Ann went shopping.

a) Tom played chess, so Ann went shopping. "Tom played chess" first, and as a consequence, "Ann went shopping".

b) Tom played chess, for Ann went shopping. "Ann went shopping" first, "Tom played chess" because, possibly, he didn't have anything else to do, because "Ann went shopping."

1. Mark did very well on his job interview. He didn't get the position. 2. We thought we might go to see a film. We might have dinner out. 3. The dictionary contains definitions of words. It also contains a great deal of other information. 5. Some animals are endangered. Many people are working to protect them. 6. I have studied German for many years. My German-speaking friends can chat easily with me now. 7. The doctors looked at the x-rays. They decided to operate on the patient. 8. John invested a lot of money in the business. The business went bankrupt. 9. We needed some food for the week. We went to the supermarket. 10. Janet doesn't like sushi. She doesn't like any kind of fish. 11. The students didn't prepare for the test. They didn't realize how important the test was. 12. You are quite intelligent. However, you don’t think before you act. 13. Peter doesn't need to buy a new car. He also doesn't need to go on vacation. 14. The library is a quiet place to study. 15. Many students prefer to study at home. We wanted to visit our friends, but we didn't have enough money to get a flight. 16. Mary thinks she should go to school. She wants to get qualifications for a new profession. 17. The dangers of smoking are well known. Many people continue to smoke anyway. 18. Angela said she might buy him a watch. She might give him a gift certificate. 19. He must have lost his key. He knocked on the door for us to let him in. 20. Wear your seatbelt. You might be injured.

Exercise 6. In most of the lines in the following text, there is a punctuation mistake. Find the mistakes and correct them. Write the correct punctuation mark in the space provided. If you think a line contains no mistake, put a tick (√) next to it.

Exercise 7. Insert the punctuation marks into the sentences below.

1. Some readers contribute funds to private libraries these readers use the library without charge. 2. The power failed for the third time that day and once again we sat in darkness. 3. The handwriting was almost illegible the spelling was very poor throughout the paper. 4. The ancient spirit is not dead old times are still breathing there is still strength and dignity in life. 5. You have to write that paper tonight or you will almost certainly lose points for turning it in late. 6. Most house plants prefer lots of sun and plenty of water others like shade. 7. I have been in the meadows all day and I have gathered there these beautiful flowers. 8. He did not take the money for it was not the right thing to do. 9. Debby left home early but she wasn't able to make it to her class on time because the buses were running late. 10. Some say that all of us want change jobs about every ten years meanwhile we should make the best of our present employment. 11. It was still cold but the rain had stopped. 12. Lewis had been well trained by scientists in Philadelphia and he was a curious man by nature. 13. Mike has a talent for fixing bicycles likewise his brother is very proficient at building motorcycles. 14. My daughter wants to be a computer programmer so she spends all her spare time on the computer. 15. Linda wanted to see Chinatown yet her husband chose Granville Island. 16. They couldn't make it to the summit and back before dark so they decided to camp for the night. 17. The dog came rushing in so the cat ran upstairs.

Exercise 8. Use each of the compound sentences below as the model for a new sentence of your own. Ask your group to translate them.

Model:

It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.

It was a dark, snowy morning in Watertown, and the schools were closing for the day.

1. You will face many defeats in your life, but never let yourself be defeated. 2. Nick had plenty of ideas, besides he knew what to do with them. 3. The days were hot and dry; the nights were extremely cold. 4. I hadn't seen my nieces and nephews for ages, so I went overboard on buying them Christmas gifts. 5. Do you want to stay behind, or will you come with us? 6. Some people did not like the rain, nor did they like the fog. 7. The boys walked down the road and their parents waved from the house. 8. That movie was extremely funny; nevertheless, it was a bit too tasteless for me. 9. Only one choice remained: he must confront his enemy. 10. Everyone knows how to talk, but hardly anyone knows what to say. 11. Every year thousands of salmon swim up the stream near my house, yet I have scarcely ever seen one. 12. Life is full of loneliness and misery and suffering and unhappiness, and it's all over much too quickly. 13. Many tourists visit British Columbia, for they enjoy its natural beauty. 14. Gillian did not like to read, as a result, she was not very good at it. 15. Dogs are obedient animals, in contrast cats are their own bosses. 16. The doctor told him to lose weight; in addition, she advised him to stop smoking. 17. Spelling is hard for many people; nonetheless, there are techniques for improving it.

Exercise 9. Translate the following sentences into English.

1. Вы хотите повести детей в зоопарк, или было бы разумнее пойти с ними в парк? 2. Мы не сможем навестить наших друзей этим летом, а они не смогут приехать к нам. 3. Мы готовились к этому тесту много часов, но так и не сдали его. 4. Они остались на праздник дома, так как им нужно было работать. 5. Мои друзья Аня и Петр недавно переехали в новую квартиру, и они уже заметно преобразили ее. 6. Ваш сын может учиться музыке в следующем году, или же он может вместо музыки изучать драматургию. 7. Ежедневник помогает людям организовать свою жизнь, поэтому вам следует попробовать вести его. 8. Во второй половине дня хлынул проливной дождь, но нам все же удалось устроить пикник. 9. Туристы потратили кучу денег на билеты, иначе они бы не попали на это шоу. 10. Давай пойдем на речку, в доме очень жарко. 11. Я хотел купить щенка тойтерьера, так что начал копить деньги. 12. Этот ребенок снялся во многих фильмах, хотя ему еще нет и пяти лет. 13. Мы закончили ужинать, а потом дети убрали со стола. 14. Позвоните мне завтра, и я дам вам ответ. 15. Я буду рад помочь вам, вдобавок, я люблю готовить. 16. Я люблю гулять по пляжу; кроме того, я надеюсь, что когда-нибудь буду жить рядом с океаном. 17. Сентябрь имеет отличительную особенность: это одновременно и начало, и конец. 18. Многие подростки знают о компьютерах больше, чем их родители; действительно, им они часто приходится учить взрослых пользоваться Интернетом. 19. Мой компьютер сломался, так что я потерял все задания к семинару. 20. Изменение климата влечет за собой резкие колебания температуры, и растения часто не выдерживают подобный стресс.

Exercise 10. In the following text about Whitney Houston, turn the sentence pairs into single compound sentences, each with a coordinating conjunction. You can rearrange or add words in the sentence to make it sound better, but only if it's necessary.

Model:

As a teenager, Whitney Houston performed as a back-up singer for Chaka Khan. She also had a successful modeling career by the time she was twenty.

As a teenager, Whitney Houston both performed as a back-up singer for Chaka Khan; and she had a successful modeling career.

As a teenager, Whitney Houston performed as a back-up singer for Chaka Khan. She also had a successful modeling career by the time she was twenty. In nineteen eighty three, Clive Davis, the head of Arista records, heard Whitney Houston singing in New York City. He offered her a recording agreement soon after. The album “Whitney Houston” had seven number one hit singles. It remains the biggest-selling first album by any artist. The singer followed that success with another. Her album “Whitney” sold twenty million copies. It also made her the first female artist to enter the Billboard Top Two Hundred at number one. Whitney Houston was clearing a path of recognition for women artists. However, her next professional move was her most important. She recorded the soundtrack for and starred in “The Bodyguard,” in nineteen ninety-two. Kevin Costner played opposite White Houston in the movie. It is the story of a relationship between a pop music star and a former secret service agent who protects her. The movie was a big hit, making more than four hundred million dollars in ticket sales worldwide. But the film’s popularity did not even come close to the success of the album that went with it. “The Bodyguard” is the fourth highest selling album of all time. Forty-four million copies have been sold. Among the singles is “I Will Always Love You,” a song written and recorded earlier by Dolly Parton. Whitney Houston’s version sold many more copies. In nineteen ninety-two, Whitney Houston’s personal life also grew. She married singer Bobby Brown, of the band New Edition. The marriage surprised many people both in and outside the music industry. Bobby Brown was considered an industry “bad boy.” Meanwhile Whitney Houston had an innocence that led to her nickname the “prom queen of soul.” She and Bobby Brown had a daughter, Bobbi Kristina, in nineteen ninety-three. In the late nineteen nineties, Whitney Houston’s professional behavior began to come under question. She began to cancel shows and was late for important events. Her appearance changed; she lost weight and looked unhealthy. Her voice also was suffering. Many reports said she was abusing drugs and alcohol.

Exercise 11. Also, try writing your own compound sentences using different coordinating conjunctions. For additional practice, use new vocabulary from a recent class.

Exercise 12. Tell what you like and dislike most of all, using ten simple sentences. Tell the same story, using ten compound sentences.