Semestral San Marcos

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SEMESTRAL SAN MARCOS

THE SENTENCE

SENTENCE WORD ORDER

The order of words in an English sentence is very important. A change in word order often results in a change of meaning.Many
other languages use inflection, a change in the form of words, to show how the parts of a sentence function. English has very
few inflections, so the place that a word occupies in a sentence, its syntax, is the most important feature.

NEUTRAL WORD ORDER

Most sentences have a subject, and then something that is said about the subject, which is usually the rest of the sentence. This
divides the sentence into the subject and the predicate.

• John (subject) bought the tickets on Saturday (predicate).

• The wall (subject) was torn down (predicate).
• My elderly mother (subject) is rather deaf (predicate).

Most sentences put the information that they carry in this order. This is neutral word order. When this neutral order is changed,
the meaning of a sentence also changes.

• The cat killed the dog.

• The dog killed the cat.
• The child watched the rabbit.
• The rabbit watched the child.

THE SIMPLE SENTENCE

A simple sentence has the most basic elements that make it a sentence: a subject, a verb, and a completed thought.
Examples of simple sentences include the following:

1. Joe waited for the train.

“Joe” = subject, “waited” = verb

2. The train was late.

“The train” = subject, “was” = verb

3. Mary and Samantha took the bus.

“Mary and Samantha” = compound subject, “took” = verb

4. I looked for Mary and Samantha at the bus station.

“I” = subject, “looked” = verb

5. Mary and Samantha arrived at the bus station early but waited until noon for the bus.
“Mary and Samantha” = compound subject, “arrived” and “waited” = compound verb

TIP: If you use many simple sentences in an essay, you should consider revising some of the sentences into compound or com-
plex sentences (explained below).

The use of compound subjects, compound verbs, prepositional phrases (such as “at the bus station”), and other elements help
lengthen simple sentences, but simple sentences often are short. The use of too many simple sentences can make writing “cho-
ppy” and can prevent the writing from flowing smoothly.
A simple sentence can also be referred to as an independent clause. It is referred to as “independent” because, while it might
be part of a compound or complex sentence, it can also stand by itself as a complete sentence.

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THE COMPOUND SENTENCE

A compound sentence refers to a sentence made up of two independent clauses (or complete sentences) connected to one
another with a coordinating conjunction. Coordinating conjunctions are easy to remember if you think of the words “FAN
BOYS”:

• For
• And
• Nor
• But
• Or
• Yet
• So

Examples of compound sentences include the following:

1. Joe waited for the train, but the train was late.

2. I looked for Mary and Samantha at the bus station, but they arrived at the station before noon and left on the bus before I
arrived.

3. Mary and Samantha arrived at the bus station before noon, and they left on the bus before I arrived.

4. Mary and Samantha left on the bus before I arrived, so I did not see them at the bus station.

TIP: If you rely heavily on compound sentences in an essay, you should consider revising some of them into complex sentences
(explained below).

Coordinating conjunctions are useful for connecting sentences, but compound sentences often are overused. While coordi-
nating conjunctions can indicate some type of relationship between the two independent clauses in the sentence, they so-
metimes do not indicate much of a relationship. The word “and,” for example, only adds one independent clause to another,
without indicating how the two parts of a sentence are logically related. Too many compound sentences that use “and” can
weaken writing.

Clearer and more specific relationships can be established through the use of complex sentences.

TEXT 1

Gateway Arch
In 1948, Eero Saarinen won a contest to build a special monument to the spirit of westward expansion in St. Louis, Missouri. St.
Louis was the perfect place for such a monument. It was the starting point of the 1804 Lewis and Clark journey. On this journey,
William Clark and Meriwether Lewis explored the American west. Saarinen drew up plans for a 630 - foot - tall steel arch on the
banks of the Mississippi River, which flows through St. Louis. On October 28, 1965, 17 years after the project started, and four
years after Saarinen himself died, the arch was completed. Today, the Gateway Arch is one of America’s most famous symbols.
It is also America’s tallest monument and the world’s tallest arch. Four million people visit the arch each year.

1.- Why was St. Louis a good place for the Gateway Arch?

A. It was the home of Eero Saarinen

B. The Arch would be built on the river
C. St. Louis is an important city in westward expansion
D. Four million people visit it each year
E. St. Louis is a symbol of America

2.- What is NOT true about the Gateway Arch?

A. It is 630 feet tall

B. Four million people visit it every year
C. It is the tallest monument in the world
D. Eero Saarinen died four years after the arch was completed
E. It is one of the America’s most famous symbols

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3.- If an answer is “four million people visit each year,” what could the question be?

A. Why was the Gateway Arch built on the Mississippi River?

B. How do you know that people think the arch is important?
C. How many people did it take to build the Gateway Arch?
D. How many people live in St. Louis?
E. When was the arch built?

4.- What did Lewis and Clark have to do with westward expansion?

A. They were from St. Louis

B. They explored land that would be involved in westward expansion
C. They explored the land in which the Gateway Arch would be built on
D. They built a monument to the spirit of westward expansión
E. They drew up plans

5.- What is the text about?

A. Lewis and Clark journey

B. Mississipi River
C. Eero Saarinen biography
D. St. Louis City
E. A brief story of Gateway Arch

TEXT 2

Roadrunner
If you live in the southwestern United States, you’ve likely seen a roadrunner. These common birds are ground - dwelling
members of the cuckoo family. They are found in the American southwest and Mexico. Roadrunners are starting to spread
to the central United States as well. A roadrunner can grow to two feet in length. It is mostly brown with white markings. The
roadrunner has a large crest and a very long tail. In addition, it has long legs for chasing its favorite prey - lizards, scorpions,
and rodents. Roadrunners can reach speeds of more than 20 miles per hour and would rather run away from threats than fly.
Roadrunner sometimes show up in backyards and gardens!

1.- How would a roadrunner most likely escape from a predator?

A. It was run away

B. It was would fly away
C. It would hide in the bushes
D. It would try to attack
E. It would hide under the ground

2.- Which is not true about the roadrunner?

A. They are cuckoos

B. You can find them in Mexico
C. They eat scorpions
D. They live in the southeastern United States
E. They can grow to two feet in length

3.- What could be a title for this story?

A. The Roadrunner’s Diet

B. The Basics About Roadrunners
C. Birds of America
D. Cuckoos
E. The Speed of Roadrunners

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4.- Why do Roadrunners have long legs?

A. To chase their prey

B. To stay cool in the desert
C. To blend in to their environment
D. Because they don’t like to fly.
E. To show up in backyards and gardens.

5.- What is the roadrunner’s diet?

A. vegetables
B) fruit
C) birds and egg
D) other roadrunners
E) rodents, lizards and scorpions.