English for Legal
Advocacy
Module 1
What is a Sentence?
A sentence is a word or
group of words that
expresses complete
thought or idea.
Lesson 1:
The Essential Elements
of a Sentence
Essential Elements of a Sentence
The Subject
Simple
Paul owns a shop in Laguna.
Projects were submitted last May.
Boats dock at Toledo port today.
Essential Elements of a Sentence
The Subject
Complete
The careful writer chooses his
words for prose.
The photo album is filled with their
summer escapades.
Her entire family left for a tour.
Essential Elements of a Sentence
The Subject
Compound
Prose and poetry were my favorites
in college.
Airplanes or ships can bring you to
the farthest island in the country.
Essential Elements of a Sentence
The Predicate
Simple
The organizers of this event left.
That medicine heals.
The patient survived.
Essential Elements of a Sentence
The Predicate
Complete
The organizers of this event left
early.
That medicine heals all kinds of
pains.
The patient amazingly survived the
surgery.
Essential Elements of a Sentence
The Predicate
Compound
The brothers fought and divided
the property between the two of
them.
The newly-weds would either travel
abroad or celebrate with their
relatives here.
Lesson 2:
Sentence Structures
Sentence Structures
1. Simple
2. Compound
3. Complex
4. Compound-Complex
Simple Sentence
The happy candidate addressed the
crowd enthusiastically.
Tom’s friends saw the latest movie.
Compound Sentence
Tom read the novel, and his friends
saw the movie.
Charles gave the correct answer, but
the bell has already sounded.
Complex Sentence
The supplies will be delivered when
the ship docks at the port.
Customers enjoyed big discounts
because they purchased in bulks.
Compound-Complex Sentence
Mr. Santos has been a teacher for 10
years, and his wife has been into
business for five years when good
fortune struck them.
Lesson 3:
Basic Sentence
Patterns
Basic Sentence Patterns
Linking Verb Patterns
Transitive Verb Patterns
Intransitive Verb Patterns
Linking Verb Patterns
S+LV+SC (noun)
Aida is a corporate lawyer.
S+LV+SC (adjective)
Aida is very smart.
S+LV+Adverb
Aida is in the court now.
Transitive Verb Patterns
S+TV+DO
Martin loves fishing and hunting.
S+TV+IO+DO
Martin gave Aida a nice painting.
S+TV+DO+OC (noun)
Aida considers Martin a faithful friend.
S+TV+DO+OC (adjective)
Martin’s friends find him truly honest.
Intransitive Verb Patterns
S+IV
Helen sleeps.
S+IV+Modifier
Helen sleeps very soundly all
throughout the day.
Lesson 4:
Problems with Structures:
A. Sentence Fragments
Sentence Fragment
A fragment is a word or a group of words
that does not express complete thought
because it lacks essential elements of a
sentence.
Examples:
The first quarter of the fiscal year 2019
Before he built that house he had lived in
Queens
Edward and Fritz swimming in the river
Collecting stamps of Ireland
Memories from World War II
A. Phrase Fragments
Noun Phrase The hungry beggar
Verb Phrase Grabbed and ate
Infinitive Phrase To pay his debts
Participial Phrase Addressing the crowd
Prepositional Phrase By the corner
Noun Phrase
A thought of revenge lurks in the back of my
mind.
There is a thought of revenge that lurks in
the back of my mind.
I keep a thought of revenge in the back of my
mind.
Verb Phrase
My horse ran into the forest.
Andrew constructed a magnificent replica of
a World War I biplane.
Shennell was honored in high school as a
scholar-athlete.
Keith looked spectacular in the Big River.
Kathryn got disappointed for not getting the
job.
Infinitive Phrase (to+verb+object)
To see the Northern lights in person is
incredible.
My dog needs to take a walk.
My greatest experience on the trip was to
swim in the deep river.
Grizzly bears are impressive animals to see
in the wild.
To identify the location of objects around
them, dolphins use echolocation.
Participial Phrase
Removing his pants, Ron jumped into
the water to save the child.
Theresa observed her father jogging
along the path.
Tots interested in music early develop
powerful intellectual skills.
Having been a pole vaulter, Gale knew
the importance of exercise.
Prepositional Phrase
(preposition + object)
Look at the boat with the blue sail.
Please hand me the pen next to the
telephone.
Have him move the truck with the trailer.
The coyote runs after the rabbit.
The car stalled despite the tune-up.
The team won without the starting
quarterback.
B. Clause Fragments
Clause – group of words having a
subject and a predicate
Main Clause (Sentence)
The owners of this property went to London.
Dependent Clause (Non-sentence)
When the owners of this property went to London…
Main/Principal/Independent Clause
He took the train.
The tornado struck the small town.
You know the answer.
We go to the zoo or not.
The actress forgot her lines.
Dependent/Subordinate Clause
after he took the train
when the tornado struck the small town
because you know the answer
whether we go to the zoo or not
the actress who forgot her lines
Correcting Phrase Fragments
Supply Missing Elements
The hungry beggar The hungry beggar grabbed and
ate the sandwich.
By the pool They dined by the pool.
Traveled this summer We never traveled this summer.
Will walk into the The President will walk into the
room room.
To frighten little There are many ways to
brothers frighten little brothers.
Correcting Clause Fragments
Remove the the actress who forgot her
subordinator. lines
The actress forgot her lines.
Add a main because you know the answer
clause.
Because you know the answer,
you will be the group reporter.
(complex sentence)
Lesson 4:
Problems with Structures:
B. Comma Splice /
Fused Sentences
Comma Splice
A comma splice results when two
independent clauses are joined using a
comma alone.
The weather forecaster asked everyone to
remain indoors, a storm was heading our
way.
Julie is a real hypochondriac when her
stomach hurts, she is certain that she has
a bleeding ulcer.
Fused Sentences
Fused sentences result when two
independent clauses are joined into a
compound sentence without using any
punctuation between them.
Maria excels at learning new languages
she is fluent in seven.
My cat sleeps on top of the television his
tail swipes the screen like a windshield
wiper.
Correcting Comma Splice &
Fused Sentences
1. by adding an
appropriate coordinating conjunction.
Comma Splice Fused Sentences
The CEO received a Meredith looked at the cartoon
subscription to his favorite a wide smile broke out on her
magazine, it arrived in the mail face.
within two weeks.
The CEO received a Meredith looked at the
subscription to his favorite cartoon, and a wide smile
magazine, and it arrived in broke out on her face.
the mail within two weeks.
Correcting Comma Splice &
Fused Sentences
2. by changing the comma to a semi-
colon
Comma Splice Fused Sentences
The new stereo sounds Meredith looked at the cartoon
wonderful, it is too big for this a wide smile broke out on her
small space. face.
The new stereo sounds Meredith looked at the
wonderful; it is too big for cartoon; a wide smile broke
this small space. out on her face.
Correcting Comma Splice &
Fused Sentences
3. by changing the punctuation and adding an
appropriate conjunctive adverb
Comma Splice Fused Sentences
The CEO received a subscription to Meredith looked at the cartoon a
his favorite magazine, it arrived in wide smile broke out on her face.
the mail within two weeks.
The CEO received a subscription to Meredith looked at the cartoon;
his favorite magazine; in fact, it then, a wide smile broke out on her
arrived in the mail within two face.
weeks.
Correcting Comma Splice &
Fused Sentences
4. by subordinating one clause to
another.
Comma Splice Fused Sentences
The CEO received a Meredith looked at the cartoon
subscription to his favorite a wide smile broke out on her
magazine, it arrived in the face.
mail within two weeks.
The CEO received a After Meredith looked at the
subscription to his favorite cartoon, a wide smile broke
magazine because it arrived out on her face.
in the mail within two weeks.
Lesson 4:
Problems with Structures:
C. Faulty Parallelism
Faulty Parallelism
Faulty parallelism is a construction in which
two or more parts of a sentence are equivalent
in meaning but not grammatically similar in
form.
• Incorrect: The candidate's goals include winning
the election, a national health program, and the
educational system.
• Correct: The candidate's goals include winning the
election, enacting a national health program, and
improving the educational system.
Example:
Faulty: Samantha likes to run, jumping around in
the backyard, and played with her friend Jorge
yesterday.
Correct: Samantha likes running and jumping
around in her backyard; in fact, yesterday she played
there with her friend Jorge.
Example:
Faulty: Stress makes it difficult to exercise
regularly, have relationships that are stable, and be
eating food with benefits to one’s health.
Correct: Stress makes it difficult to maintain
regular exercise, stable relationships, and healthy
diet.
1. Use parallel structure with elements
joined by coordinating conjunctions.
Faulty: In the restroom, Tisha was brushing her
hair and freshened her lip with a gloss.
Correct: In the restroom, Tisha brushed her hair
and freshened her lip with a gloss.
Faulty: Your company and what its potential is are
of great value to me.
Correct: Your company and its potential are of
great value to me.
2. Use parallel structure with elements
in lists or in a series.
Faulty: Celine looked behind the toilet, in the
laundry basket, and checked under the bed.
Correct: Celine looked behind the toilet, in the
laundry basket, and under the bed.
Faulty: The tribes emphasized collective survival,
mutual aid, and being responsible for one another.
Correct: The tribes emphasized collective survival,
mutual aid, and responsibility for one another.
3. Use parallel structure with elements
being compared.
Faulty: I like swimming better than to dive.
Correct: I like swimming better than diving.
Faulty: Dennis preferred the old yellow
jacket than to wear the moss green suit.
Correct: Dennis preferred to wear the old
yellow jacket than the moss green suit.
4. Use parallel structure with elements
joined by a linking verb/verb of being.
Faulty: To succeed is opening a new
opportunity.
Correct: To succeed is to open a new
opportunity.
Faulty: Fishing in the river is to relieve
stress.
Correct: Fishing in the river is stress
relieving. (relieving stress)
5. Use parallel structure with elements
joined by a correlative conjunction.
Faulty: Claire not only wants money but also fame.
Correct: Claire wants not only money but also
fame.
Faulty: Dennis will bring either a dozen roses or he
also purchased a box of chocolates.
Correct: Dennis will bring either a dozen roses or a
box of chocolates.
Test 1: Improve the following sentences.
1. The audience moved by his dramatic performance.
2. As we rounded a bend in the river
3. Talking over plans for the afternoon.
4. I love watching movies I am a regular customer at Blockbuster.
5. It was raining hard there was a strong wind.
6. John is a good swimmer, Jane is a good runner.
7. Mary opened the door, Jack went for the snacks.
8. I am allergic to the dog’s hair and how it smells.
9. The class valued respect, honesty, and being on time in a
teacher.
10. When the weather outside is cold and starting to get windy, I
like to be indoors.
Test II. Paragraph Writing
Give one legal principle or maxim that you
have encountered and explain it in a paragraph of
10 sentences.
Be sure to observe correct sentence structures in
your paragraph.