1. Introduction
English is one of the most widely used languages in the world, with various grammar rules and structures.
Among them, how sentences are constructed is an important factor in improving English, particularly writing skills.
This article will detail two important concepts in English sentence construction: ‘Coordinating Clauses and Parallel Structure,’
as well as the punctuation marks commonly used in sentences such as commas, colons, dashes,
parentheses, and semicolons.
2. Coordinating Clauses
Coordinating clauses are units that connect two or more clauses (units containing a subject and a verb) with the same level of importance.
To create coordinating clauses in English sentences, conjunctions such as ‘and’, ‘but’, ‘or’, ‘nor’, ‘for’, ‘so’, ‘yet’ are primarily used.
These conjunctions allow two clauses to be equally connected, supplementing or contrasting each other’s meanings.
For example, let’s examine the following sentence:
She loves to read, and he loves to write.
In the above sentence, ‘She loves to read’ and ‘he loves to write’ are both independent ideas, but they are connected
through the conjunction ‘and’ to form a single sentence. Thus, coordinating clauses make the flow of the sentence natural and
enhance the connectivity of meanings.
3. Parallel Structure
Parallel structure is a sentence structure used when multiple elements in a sentence are arranged in the same form.
It typically appears when expressing lists or enumerated ideas and actions,
where each element should be formally consistent to make the sentence smoother and easier to understand.
For example, let’s look at the following sentence:
She enjoys swimming, biking, and hiking.
In this sentence, the three actions ‘swimming’, ‘biking’, and ‘hiking’ are all unified in the ‘-ing’ form.
This contributes organically to the rhythm and balance of the sentence.
Furthermore, parallel structure can be used together with coordinating clauses to make sentences richer and more diverse.
For example:
She likes to read novels, watch movies, and travel around the world.
This structure allows readers to easily digest information, thereby enhancing the clarity of what the writer aims to emphasize.
4. The Role of Punctuation
In English sentences, punctuation plays a crucial role in clarifying the meaning of the sentence and defining the relationships
between different parts.
The punctuation marks discussed below—commas, colons, dashes, parentheses, and semicolons—are particularly important in constructing sentences.
5. The Use of Commas ( , )
Commas serve various functions in sentences and are primarily used in the following cases:
- To connect coordinating clauses: e.g., He likes apples, and she likes oranges.
- To list items: e.g., We bought apples, bananas, oranges, and grapes.
- For pauses and breaths: to facilitate natural breathing in long sentences. e.g., After a long day at work, I like to relax at home.
- At the beginning of adverbial or relative clauses: e.g., When I arrived, they were already waiting for me.
- When quoting directly: e.g., She said, “I will be there soon.”
Due to these diverse uses, commas play a vital role within sentences.
6. The Use of Colons ( : )
Colons are primarily used in the following cases:
- To add explanations: e.g., She has three hobbies: reading, writing, and painting.
- To introduce quotations or lists: e.g., He mentioned two things: first, a lack of time; second, a lack of motivation.
- To emphasize specific content: e.g., There is one thing I know for sure: hard work pays off.
Colons usually appear in the middle or at the end of a sentence, helping to convey information more clearly.
7. The Use of Dashes ( — )
Dashes are primarily used to add information or provide explanations.
In English sentences, dashes are used in the following cases:
- To introduce a change in thought or to provide additional information: e.g., I was going to the market — but then I changed my mind.
- To emphasize a point: e.g., The movie — though criticized by some — received multiple awards.
Dashes allow readers to momentarily pause the flow of the sentence and highlight additional information.
8. The Use of Parentheses ( )
Parentheses are used to provide additional information or supplementary explanations.
For example:
My brother (who lives in New York) is visiting us next week.
In this sentence, the information within the parentheses is not essential to the main sentence (subject and verb), but it
helps the reader gain more information about the sentence.
9. The Use of Semicolons ( ; )
Semicolons are primarily used to connect two independent clauses.
This helps create a natural flow in the sentence and indicates that each clause is closely related.
For example:
I have a big test tomorrow; I can’t go out tonight.
In this sentence, the two clauses (‘I have a big test tomorrow’ and ‘I can’t go out tonight’) are related to each other, and
they are smoothly connected by a semicolon.
Semicolons can effectively combine various short sentences, making them highly useful in writing.
10. Conclusion
Various elements that compose English sentences — coordinating clauses, parallel structure, and various punctuation marks —
play a significant role in writing. Proper sentence structure and the use of punctuation enhance
the clarity and comprehension of sentences, helping readers easily grasp the message.
Therefore, for anyone studying English, it is important to develop a deep understanding of these elements
and to enhance the ability to construct sentences through various practices.