describing the basic sentence patterns of all varieties of a language. Then, generative grammar is primarily interested in discovering those principles of
sentence formation that are part of the human biological endowment, performance grammar is primarily interested in the effects of context and real-time limitations
on language use.
17
In the writer’s opinion, grammar can be divided into two main points; descriptive and prescriptive grammar that can be broken down again into many
different points with different point of views.
C. Sentences
Sentence is a set of words expressing a statement, a question or an order, usually containing a subject and a verb.
18
Before the conditional sentences are discussed, it may be necessary to know about the definition of sentence. A
sentence is a complete meaning. When we speak, our sentences may be extremely involved or even unfinished, yet we can still convey our meaning through
intonation, gesture, facial expression, etc. When we write, these devices are not available, so sentences have to be carefully structured and punctuated. In addition,
a written sentence must be begun with a capital letter and with a full stop ., a question mark ?, or an exclamatory mark .
19
1. The Definitions of Sentences
As Hornby states in his dictionary “Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary
of Current English” is not only the largest grammatical unit consisting of phrases, but also clause which is used to express a statement, question, command, etc.
Meanwhile, traditional grammar translates a sentence in one of two ways. First, it is defined by meaning. Sentence is a complete thought. Second, it is
defined by function, stating that sentence consists of a subject and a predicate. The definition that offers here includes both functional and formal characteristics
17
Kathryn Riley and Frank Parker, English Grammar: Prescriptive, Descriptive, Generative, Performance, Boston: A Pearson Education Company, 1998, p. 3.
18
A S Hornby, Oxford Advanced Learne r’s Dictionary 7
th
Edition., Oxford University Press, 2005, p. 1383.
19
L.G. Alexander, Longman English Grammar, New York: Longman Publishing, 1988, p. 2.
of a sentence; a sentence is a full prediction containing a subject plus a predicate with a finite verb.
20
In conclusion, sentences are defined as group of words consisting of subject and verb having a complete meaning.
2. The Types of Sentences
There are four types of sentences; simple sentence, compound sentence, complex sentence, compound complex sentence.
a. Simple sentence contains one full subject and predicate. It takes the form of:
1 A statement, e.g. He lives in New York.
2 A question, e.g. How old are you?
3
A request, e.g. Please close the door. The subject you is understood.
4 An exclamation, e.g. What a terrible temper she has
b. Compound sentence contains two or more sentences joined by:
1 Punctuation alone, e.g. The weather was very bad; all classes were
canceled. 2
Punctuation alone and a conjunctive adverb, e.g. The weather was very bad; therefore all classes were canceled.
3 A coordinate conjunction and, or, but, yet, so, far, e.g. The weather was
very bad, so all classes were canceled. When such sentences are joined coordinately, they are each called
independent clauses. c.
Compound sentence contains one or more dependent or subordinate clauses. A dependent clause contains a full subject and predicate beginning with a word
that attaches the clause to an independent clause called the main clause. Here are the clauses:
1 Adverbial clause, e.g. All classes were canceled because the weather was
bad. 2
Adjective clause, e.g. Children who are under twelve years must be
accompanied by their parents.
20
Marcella Frank, Modern English: A Practical Reference Guide, New Jersey: Prentice Hall Inc., 1972, p. 220.
