Sentence Analysis

 

A sentence analysis is an analysis of the elements of a complete sentence. The elements of a sentence include the main clause, the subordinate clauses, and the modifihg phrases witing the clauses.The purpose of a sentence analysis is to better understand how all the elements work together.

Why Conduct a Syntactic Analysis?

If you want to improve your reading comprehension and writing skills, then you need to improve your understanding of the parts of a sentence. Words, phrases, and clauses make up a sentence. These complete sentences make complete thoughts. Thus, the core element of good communication is the sentence.

How to conduct a Syntactic Analysis

All sentences must have at least one main clause with a unique subject/predicate pair. Other subordinate clauses with their own subject/predicate pairs can modify elements in the main clause or other clauses. If you can identify every conjugated verb in the sentence, then you are able to disect the sentence into its clauses. Thus, to begin a syntactic analysis, count the conjugated verbs in the entire clause.

Next identify the subject and predicate of each conjugated verb.

A conjugated verb may have multiple subjects. For example, in the clause, “Jack and Jill went up the hill”, the conjugated verb (the predicate) is went. Both Jack and Jill preform the action. Thus, the clause contains a plural subject.

A clause may have multiple conjugated verbs. “Jack fell down and broke his crown”. Jack, a singular noun preforms two actions, fell and broke. No comma is needed in this phrase because it is a simple sentence.

The full sentence, “Jack fell down and broke his crown, and Jill came tumbling after, is a compound sentence because with two subjects and two predicates. Jack is the subject of the verb, fell, while Jill is the subject of the verb, went running. Since the sentence is a compound sentence, the comma is needed to separate the two independent clauses.

Next, determine the purpose of each clause. If the clause can make sense by itself, then it is an independent clause. This is the main clause of the sentence (Keep in mind that  a compound sentence may contain more that one main clauses). If the clause serves to modify something in another clause, then the clause is a subordinate clause.

Once you have identified all the clauses and determined their purpose, identify each phrase in each clause to determine its purpose. If the phrase modifies a noun or pronoun in the clause, then the phrase is an adjective phrase. If the phrase modifies a verb, then the phrase is an adverbial phrase.

A good practice is to keep the modifier close to the word it modifies. However, this is not always the best choice. Reading and rereading a sentence will be the best way to determine where to place the modifiers

If the phrase is necessary to the meaning of the clause, then commas should not separate the phrase. For example, the clause, the street with the stoplight will be your destination, contains an adverbial phrase that modifies the noun, street.  The sentence, the street will be your destination, is incomplete since it says nothing about the street. However, the clause, Main Street is your destination, will make sense. One could also write, Main Street, with its diverse shops and restaurants, is your destination. The phrase, with its diverse shops and restaurants, modifies the noun, Main Street. Since the phrase, with its diverse shops and restaurants, is superfluous, it should be separated by commas.

Next, pay attention to transitional words and phrases. They are important to make the text flow and to help with pace. Adverbs such as however, in addition, therefore, thus, accordingly, help with the flow of sentences. Furthermore, many premise and conclusion indicators provide clarity to the sentence by indicating whether the following content is a supporting premise or a conclusion.

Premise indicators include words such as since, because. For example, since premise indicators indicate that the sentence is a premise to support a conclusion, they are called premise indicators. In other words, premise indicators indicate that the following content will be a premise, and therefore, they are called premise indicators.

Conclusion indicators include words such as therefore, thus, accordingly.  Conclusion indicators indicate that the following text is a conclusion. Therefore, they are called conclusion indicators.

Identify any conjunctions and relative pronouns. Relative pronouns relate a subordinate clause to another clause. The subordinate clause modifies a noun in another clause.

Identify any other conjunctions. If the conjunction is a coordinating conjunction such as and, but, or or, then the clause it connects is an independent clause. If the conjunction is a subordinating conjunction, then the clause modifies either a noun or verb in another clause.

 

After having completely deconstructed the sentence, you will have a deeper understanding of the purpose and meaning of the sentence. If you have written the sentence, yourself, then you can reconstruct the sentence to improve its purpose and meaning. If someone else has written the sentence, you will have a better understanding of the quality of the sentence.

Dereck Sunderland 2023