Writing Academic English 4th Edition

196 Part 111 I SentenceStructure

Sentences

Beginning

witb It

AWKWARD

BETTER

2.Aftercertainadjectives. Athatclausecanalsofollowcertainadjectives

suchashappy,glad,proud,pleased,sad,upset,worried,sorry,certain,

surprised,andsure.Theseadjectivesdescribeemotions.

r--INDEPENDENTCLAUSE---,1,.-------NOUNCLAUSE---------,

ADJECTIVE

Theclasswassurprisedthattheinstructorcanceledthefinalexam.

3. Aftercertainnouns. Athatclausecanfollowcertainnounssuchasidea,
   theory,thought,claim,assertion,statement,belief,notion,andopinion.
   .----INDEPENDENTCLAUSE---""'1'I-----NOUNCLAUSE-----,
   NOUN
   NoonebelievedGalileo'stheorythatEarthrevolvesaroundthesun.


4. Atthebeginningofa sentence. Athatclauseatthebeginningofa
   sentencefunctionsasthesubjectoftheindependentclauseverb.
   ,.------INDEPENDENTCLAUSE-------,
   r--NOUNCLAUSE(SUBJECT)----,V
   ThatEarthis gettingwarmeris certain.

Startinga sentencewitha nounclauseseemsawkwardtomanyEnglishspeakers,

sotheyoftenrewritesuchsentencesbyputtingitatthebeginningandmovingthe

nounclausetotheend.

ThatEarthisgettingwarmeriscertain.

ItiscertainthatEarthisgettingwarmer.

Inaddition,theverbfollowingit(exceptbeoranyintransitiveverblikeseemor

appear)is oftenwritteninthepassivevoice,especiallyinacademicwriting.

Itisbelievedthatcarbondioxideisresponsibleforglobalwarming.

It wasagreedthatthemeetingwouldbepostponeduntilnextweek.

It hasbeenproventhattheworld'sdesertsareexpanding.

Youcanalsowritethesesentencesintheactivevoice:

Manyscientistsbelievethatcarbondioxideis responsibleforglobalwarming.

Theparticipantsagreedthatthemeetingwouldbepostponeduntilnextweek.

Measurementshaveproventhattheworld'sdesertsareexpanding.

Note: Ingeneral,Englishwritersprefertheactivevoicebecauseitismoredirect.

However,theypreferthepassivevoiceinfivespecificsituations.

1.Youwanttoemphasizewhathappened,notwhodidit.

Jackwaspromotedlastmonth.

2.Theperformeroftheactionis unknown.

ThewheelwasinventedduringtheBronzeAge.