Use The Word Slot In A Sentence

Use The Word Slot In A Sentence Average ratng: 9,1/10 195 votes

A preposition describes a relationship between other words in a sentence. In itself, a word like 'in' or 'after' is rather meaningless and hard to define in mere words. For instance, when you do try to define a preposition like 'in' or 'between' or 'on,' you invariably use your hands to show how something is situated in relationship to. Again, it will be useful to use a few examples to illustrate the grammatical ideas. Accidents happen. These clauses are all simple sentences consisting of only two words each. The first element in each sentence is called the Subject, while the second is the Verb. (Notice that I am using a. The words we've compiled here probably look familiar: they are the 100 most frequently written words in the English language. As an added bonus, we have some helpful suggestions for more interesting synonyms (or words with similar meanings) that you might want to try instead.


For Example

Lesson Topic: Introducing Examples (Using 'For Example' and Phrases Like 'For Example')

Good writers explain their ideas well. One way they explain their ideas is to include examples which make the writer's thoughts much more concrete, practical, and comprehensible to the reader. Without good examples, the reader is left with just theories that are too difficult to use and apply. Look at the following paragraph:

It is apparent that when a person desires to learn a second language, he must study and use that language outside of the formal classroom setting. If he does not use his new mode of communication, he will never truly progress to a proficient level. He must seek as many opportunities as possible to employ that new language in 'real' situations. There are many things a student can do to supplement his learning and second language acquisition.

After reading these ideas, were you waiting for anything? Most writing teachers would scream if the student wrote this and stopped. What is missing?

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Before we answer that question, here is another question: Do you know what the main idea of this paragraph is? Yes. The author wants you to know that a person can do many things outside of the classroom to improve second language skills. The problem with this type of writing is that it is all theory. The writer says, 'There are many things a student can do to supplement his learning and second language acquisition.' However, he neglected to explain what kinds of things a student can do. In short, there are no specific examples.

So, this is what our lesson this month is about: introducing examples in writing. There are several phrases that are commonly used. These phrases are often used incorrectly.

for example

for instance
such as
e.g.

These phrases essentially have the same meaning, but they are not used in the same way. For our purposes, let's break them up into 2 groups: phrases used within a sentence and phrases used to begin a new sentence.

Group 1: Phrases Used Within A Sentence

Each phrase can be used within a sentence when it is followed by a list of items which elaborate on or show examples for the main idea of the sentence. Here are examples:

I can play quite a few musical instruments, for example, the flute, the guitar, and the piano.
I can play quite a few musical instruments, for instance, the flute, the guitar, and the piano.
I can play quite a few musical instruments, e.g., the flute, the guitar, and the piano.
I can play quite a few musical instruments, such as the flute, the guitar, and the piano.

Look at the last sentence with such as. Do you see anything different with this sentence as compared to the first three? Such as does NOT have a comma after it; the first three phrases have commas before and after them.

The phrase such as can be used in the middle of a sentence without any commas. Take a look at this example:

Car companies such as Toyota and Ford manufacture their automobiles in many different countries around the world.

You may be wondering why there are no commas. The answer is simple: the words after such as are necessary and essential to the meaning of the sentence. If you take out those words, the meaning will change. Let's take out such as:

Car companies manufacture their automobiles in many different countries around the world.

What does this sentence mean? It could mean ALL car companies manufacture their automobiles in many different countries around the world. This is not true because some companies produce their cars in just one or two countries. Therefore, the phrase such as Toyota and Ford is necessary. If these words are necessary, do not use commas.

Group 2: Phrases Used To Begin A New Sentence

Usually only for example and for instance can begin new sentences. Each can begin a new sentence when the phrase is followed by a complete idea or sentence (not a list of items).

My father loves going to restaurants which serve exotic foods. For example, last week he went to a restaurant which serves deep-fried rattlesnake.
My father loves going to restaurants which serve exotic foods. For instance, last week he went to a restaurant which serves deep-fried rattlesnake.

So, how can we make the above paragraph better? Let's use the phrase for example.

It is apparent that when a person desires to learn a second language, he must study and use that language outside of the formal classroom setting. If he does not use his new mode of communication, he will never truly progress to a proficient level. He must seek as many opportunities as possible to employ that new language in 'real' situations. There are many things a student can do to supplement his learning and second language acquisition. For example, students can attend churches where the target language is spoken. They can make many friends and attend numerous gatherings for free. Through these interactions, students are guaranteed opportunities to learn and practice the new language.

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Quiz

Directions:The following sentences use the phrases in this lesson. If a sentence is correct, put a check () next to it If a sentence is incorrect, fix it.

1. When I go camping, I bring lots of things. For example, a fishing rod, matches, and a sleeping bag.

2. There have been many leaders in history who have tried to rule the entire world. For instance, Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great.

3. Do you have any hobbies, e.g., collecting stamps or baseball cards?

4. Food, such as, pizza and hamburgers are not really junk food; they contain a lot of protein and vitamins.

5. Heesun has met many famous people. For example: one time she met Jacques Chirac.

6. When I visit Korea, I want to go to many cities such as Seoul and Taegu.

7. Evelyn has taken many psychology classes e.g. Behavior Psychology 102, Child Psychology 223, and Group Dynamics 301.

8. I love old TV shows, for example, The Twilight Zone and Gilligan's Island.

9. Joyce has studied many Asian languages for instance Korean, Chinese, and Thai.

10. Juan loves rock musicians from the 1970s such as Jimmy Hendrix and Janis Joplin.

Answers are in RED

1. When I go camping, I bring lots of things. For example, a fishing rod, matches, and a sleeping bag.

When I go camping, I bring lots of things, for example, a fishing rod, matches, and a sleeping bag.

2. There have been many leaders in history who have tried to rule the entire world. For instance, Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great.

There have been many leaders in history who have tried to rule the entire world, for instance, Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great.

3. Do you have any hobbies, e.g., collecting stamps or baseball cards? √ correct

4. Food, such as, pizza and hamburgers are not really junk food; they contain a lot of protein and vitamins.

Food such as pizza and hamburgers are not really junk food; they contain a lot of protein and vitamins. (no commas are necessary)

5. Heesun has met many famous people. For example: one time she met Jacques Chirac.

Heesun has met many famous people. For example, one time she met Jacques Chirac. (there must be a comma after for example--not a colon!)

6. When I visit Korea, I want to go to many cities such as Seoul and Taegu.

When I visit Korea, I want to go to many cities, such as Seoul and Taegu.

7. Evelyn has taken many psychology classes e.g. Behavior Psychology 102, Child Psychology 223, and Group Dynamics 301.

Evelyn has taken many psychology classes, e.g., Behavior Psychology 102, Child Psychology 223, and Group Dynamics 301.

8. I love old TV shows, for example, The Twilight Zone and Gilligan's Island. √ correct

9. Joyce has studied many Asian languages for instance Korean, Chinese, and Thai.

Joyce has studied many Asian languages, for instance, Korean, Chinese, and Thai.

10. Juan loves rock musicians from the 1970s such as Jimmy Hendrix and Janis Joplin.

Juan loves rock musicians from the 1970s, such as Jimmy Hendrix and Janis Joplin.

Rules to Remember!

1We recommend that you study some of our other lessons that are related to this topic:
  • colons (:)
  • semicolons (;)
  • commas (,)
2e.g. stands for exempli gratia (Latin)
3Though the phrases above all have the same meaning, they are not used in the same way.

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Use The Word Slot In A Sentence

Sentence and Predicate Modifiers

At times when reading, we come away with little, if any, understanding. We see the trees, but not the forest.

We may miss the meaning for a number of reasons. We may not know the meaning of certain words or the concepts to which they refer. Even when we understand the words, we may come away with little understanding because the writing itself is particularly complex. In this latter instance, it is often helpful to apply grammatical analysis, to consciously attempt to break the sentence into meaningful units.

A Model Of English Sentence Structure

All English sentences follow the same basic formula. All speakers of the language are familiar with that formula, and yet this model is rarely if ever taught. (1) The discussion here lays that formula out.

The discussion of noun phrases demonstrated the need to recognize grammatical constructions as complete units. There we were concerned with a single grammatical construction irrespective of where it appeared within a sentence.

This section looks more broadly at the sentence as a whole. It identifies various positions or slots within the sentence and discusses how constructions appearing within these slots shape the meaning of the sentence as a whole. In so doing, the discussion shows you how to make sense of complex sentences when you come across them in your reading, and how to construct them in your own writing.

Simple, Compound, and Complex Sentences

Simple sentences contain a subject and predicate--a topic and a statement about that topic. More complicated sentences can be formed by stringing elements of a simple sentences together to make compound sentences or by adding other elements to make a complex sentence . These pages focus on three ways of expanding a simple sentence into a complex sentence: For background discussion of simple and compound sentences, see Simple Sentences .

Review: Sentence and Predicate Modifiers

We read all sentences with a dual awareness of both meaning and structure. We break each sentence into meaningful chunks and figure out their grammatical relationships: Recall our three model sentences:
1. The boy ate the apple in the pie.
2. The boy ate the apple in the summer.
3. The boy ate the apple in a hurry.

We can now see how we analyze these sentences differently to find meaning. Using the notation above, we now see the following structures:

1. The boy ate the apple in the pie.

*

2. The boy ate the apple [ in the summer.

3. The boy ate the apple { in a hurry }

To understand each sentence, we must analyze the relationship of its parts. That process is made easier with a knowledge of and a feeling for the various possible relationships: here noun modifiers, sentence modifiers, and predicate modifiers.

Remember the sentence

He did not marry her because he loved her.

The two meanings stem from two equally legitimate analyses. In the analysis

He did not marry her [ because he loved her

they are not married. The phrase

because he loved her

is in the end sentence modifier slot that modifies the remainder of the sentence. We can test this by shifting the final construction from the end to the front slot.

He did not marry her because he loved her

Because he loved her , he did not marry her

Note the addition here of the comma when the front slot is filled.

In the analysis

He did not marry her because he loved her

they still might be married for other reasons. The phrase

because he loved her

is determined to be in the predicate modifier slot, indicating a reason for marrying.

He did not marry her { because he loved her }

Examples

Other instances of grammatical ambiguity typically appear in headlines, as the following.

Lung Cancer in Women Mushrooms

We can now read this as a reference to a certain disease

Lung Cancer in Women Mushrooms

*

Female mushrooms have cancer! Or as an event

Lung Cancer in Women Mushrooms

*

Cancer in women is increasing—obviously the intended meaning!.

Analyze the following yourself.

· Reagan Wins on Budget, But More Lies Ahead

· Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant

Use The Word Slot In A Sentence Phrase

· Two Sisters Reunited after 18 Years in Checkout Counter

· Squad Helps Dog Bite Victim

· Hospitals are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors

· Killer Sentenced to Die for Second Time in 10 Years

Other examples can be found in 'The Lower case' section of the Columbia Journalism Review : (5) :

Thai Hospital Admits Starving Refugee Babies

The Cambodia Daily , 2/26/98

Salad still good after 50 years

Tribune-Star (Terra Haute, Ind.) 3/11/98

Transportation department to hold public meetings on I-49

The Times (Shreveport, La.) 3/19/98

MEDIA: Some Fear Coverage Reflects Judgment

Los Angeles Times 1/29/98

Can you distinguish between ambiguity of word meaning and grammatical ambiguity?

Implications For Reading

What does the above analysis do for us? To find meaning in a sentence, we must break it into meaningful parts, and we must understand how those parts are related to each other.

When we group words into larger constructions, we accomplish two goals. First. we reduce the complexity of the sentence as a whole into smaller, more manageable parts. In so doing, we group words to identify complete references. The meaning we come away with depends on how we break up (analyze) a sentence.

The best strategy is to initially break the sentence into a few parts. Locate a basic simple sentence and identify how any remaining constructions are related to that basic simple sentence. The slot model offers a template for that effort.

Earlier we recognized King's full dream. Within the construction defining that dream we can now recognize a time, a location, and an event:

one day

on the red hills of Georgia

the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slaveowners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood.

Use The Word Slot In A Sentence

We find a complex sentence consisting of two front sentence modifiers followed by a simple sentence with a predicate modifier at the end

one day ] on the red hills of Georgia ] the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slaveowners will be able to sit down together { at a table of brotherhood.

Finally, consider the following sentence:

When Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee met in the parlor of a modest house at Appomattox Court House, Virginia to work out the terms for the surrender of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, a great chapter in American life came to a close and a greater chapter began.

At first, this appears to be a long and complex sentence. When we draw on the notions reviewed above, however, we see that its structure is really simple. We have a front sentence modifier

When Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee met in the parlor of a modest house at Appomattox Court House, Virginia to work out the terms for the surrender of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, ]

Use The Word Sow In A Sentence

a great chapter in American life came to a close and a greater chapter began.

followed by a series of simple sentences

a great chapter in American life came to a close and

a great new chapter began

To test this analysis, try shifting the modifier:

A great chapter in American life came to a close, and

a great new chapter began.

[ when Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee met in the parlor of a modest house at Appomattox Court House, Virginia to work out the terms for the surrender of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia.

The large construction passes the test for a sentence modifier. While that large construction may be the most interesting piece of the sentence, it is not the most crucial to the meaning. The main idea of the sentence is about great chapter(s) beginning and ending. The large construction does not identify or describe those chapters; it only says when the shift came.

Use The Word Slot In A Sentence Fragment

Implications For Writing

Use The Word Solute In A Sentence

The 'slot' model of sentences developed above offers a template into which to fit constructions in the effort to make sense of sentences. The same model offers writers opportunities to qualifying references and ideas in terms of place, quality, time, purpose, type, extent, or conditions. Writing that does not make use of the sentence modifier, predicate modifier, and insert slots can be decidedly childlike in expression and simplistic in thought.

Use The Word Set In A Sentence

(1) The discussion is based on Robert L. Allen, English Grammars and English Grammar , Scribner's, Scribner's, 1972. Out of print.

(2) Letter to Editor, The New York Times , May 8, 1998 (Printed May 12, 1998), by Charlton Heston, NRA First Vice-President

(3) William H. Dunlop, Letter to the Editor, The New York Times , Austin edition, June 10, 1998, p. A28.

(4) Pete Hamill, Twenty Seven Words-The Bloody Problem of the Second Amendment , (Mightywords, 2000), www.mightywords.com, p. 4.

Use The Word Slot In A Sentence Answers

(5) The examples from March/April and May/June 1998 issues.