Sentence Flow Stumbling Blocks

Relative clauses are clauses with a relative pronoun (who, what, which, whomever, etc.)

Relative clauses are technically a dependent proposition, so they contain a subject, verb and possibly an object and other modifiers.

However they usually function like an adjective modifying a noun by using the entire proposition to describe the noun.

When you come across a relative clause, ask what word it modifies.

Your sentence flow should display the relative clause as a normal proposition, but place the whole clause under the term which is modified, to demonstrate that it describes this term.

Infinitives are the generic form of a verb expressed using the helping word to-. For instance: to run, to jump, to speak, etc. Be careful not to confuse an infinitive with a prepositional phrase which has the preposition to.

An infinitive may have modifying words and be part of a larger clause (e.g. it may have a direct object as in the second example below).

When you see an infinitive clause, first separate it from the rest of the sentence, and then ask how it functions.

Infinitives will typically have one of three functions:

If it functions as a noun, display it as a normal noun function.

If it functions with a verb in a complementary relationship, display it with the verb.

If it functions as a purpose clause, display it as a separate proposition modifying the main verb.

English often uses more than one word to say a single verbal idea.

Do not become confused by the helping verbs, but treat all the words as one idea.

Often, they can be broken up with the negative adverb not. Display them all as one verb (while separating out any words like not which are not a part of the verbal idea).

The if… proposition is always a dependent proposition, and the then… proposition is the main idea.

Occasionally this type of idea is communicated without explicitly using the if…then… conjunctions.

Display the then… statement as the main proposition and indent the if… proposition to show that it is dependent.

In many cases, there is more than one if… proposition connected together, or more than one resulting then… proposition.

In this case, display each then… proposition as a series of main propositions and each if… proposition as a series of dependent propositions.

Sometimes a sentence is not complete on its own because the larger context makes restatement of some parts unnecessary. To make full grammatical sense, words which are implied must be supplied from the context even though they are not written.

Various forms of the word be (e.g. is, am, are, etc.) are used:

It is helpful to think of a 'to be' verb as an equal sign equating the subject and object.

Participles are -ing verbs which function as a noun, adjective, or adverb.

Don't confuse a participle with a -ing form of the main verb. Often English uses a 'to be' verb with an -ing form of a verb such as I am writing.

A participle phrase does not typically have a subject or make sense on its own. A participle will often have an object and modifiers.

A participle will usually have one of three functions:

Not every proposition has a direct object. Do not feel you need to display a DO when the proposition does not have one.

Often, a prepositional phrase will be a tempting option to display as a DO because it often has the feel of 'completing' the idea of the verb.

However, a prepositional phrase can NEVER function as the DO and should never be displayed in that position. Rather, display the prep. phrase under the word it modifies (usually a noun or verb).

Passive verbs swap the relationship of the subject, object, and verb. With active verbs, the subject performs the action on the object. Sometimes an author will flip the sentence around into the passive construction, so that the subject receives the action of the verb. And the verb is changed to reflect the passive idea of receiving the action instead of doing the action.

A proposition is in the passive construction typically for one of the following reasons:

A compound sentence either has more than one subject doing the same action (verb) or the subject doing more than one action (verb).

If it is more than one subject doing the same verbal action, treat it as one proposition.

If it is the same subject doing more than one action, treat it as separate propositions.

The verbal actions determine the number of propositions.

Certain verbs (like 'think,' 'say,' 'know,' 'believe,' etc.) can be markers of discourse.

In these cases, the content of what is said or believed is like a separate sentence which functions as the direct object of the verb which marks the discourse. Sometimes it is connected with the conjunction that.

In other words, the content of what the subject 'thinks' or 'knows' is the direct object of that verb. But it is also a separate proposition on its own.

Display the content as a separate proposition, but somehow show that it all functions as the DO of the first proposition.

Certain verbs (like 'make,' 'call,' etc.) connect the direct object with another direct object almost as if there is an implied 'to be' verb.

They are both the direct object of the main verb. And they are connected to one another.

Display both of them as direct objects, but connect them to one another.

Sometimes a noun is a restatement of the same entity as another noun, giving further explanation of that noun, but with no grammatical markers of the connection.

The two words are usually next to each other, referring to the same thing, but with no explicit connection.

The connection must be inferred from the context.

Display both of them in the same place (function) showing that both nouns refer to the same thing.

Verbs that give a command or make a request are called imperatives.

The subject of imperative verbs is usually an implied you (the person who is being commanded).

There is also a special case where the imperative is in the form Let something happen where the subject is still an implied you, but there is also a complete sentence (with subj. vb. and objects) that is let to happen.

Comparative clauses (using a comparative 'like', or 'as') are used to explain other propositions by way of comparison.

Often times the verb in the comparative clause is implied from the main proposition, but not explicitly repeated in the comparative clause.

Occasionally, the author uses a name or title to address the readers directly. Or in dialog, a character may address someone else directly.

This can be a proper name, or a title like friends, brothers, etc.

This address is technically not part of the sentence, but a direct address independent of the sentence.

Display this address separate from the sentence (typically off to the left).

Sometimes a proposition which would normally be a separate idea is subordinated to another proposition with a subordinating conjunction (e.g. until, because, so that, etc.).

It is important to recognize the conjunction and therefore to recognize that the second proposition is not a main/separate idea, but rather modifies the first proposition.

The subordinate clause should be indented to show that it is not a main idea.