This document discusses the hierarchy of linguistic units from smallest to largest: letter, word, phrase, clause, and sentence. It provides examples and definitions for types of phrases (noun phrase, prepositional phrase), clauses (independent clause, dependent clause), and sentences (simple, compound, complex, compound-complex). The purpose is to explain the structure of language from individual components to complete thoughts.

1. FROM WORD TO
SENTENCE
— Ahmad Faiz, LIK, Universitas Nurul Jadid
”
“

2. SENTENCE
CLAUSE
PHRASE
WORD
LETTERsmallest
largest
Rodney Huddleston, “Syntactic Overview”, The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language, (Eds.), Rodney Huddleston and
Geoffrey K. Pullum, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012), 44.

3. a sign in writing or printing that represent a
speech sound
LETTER

4. a group of letters that are used together with a
particular meaning
WORD

5. a group of words that make up parts of a
sentence
PHRASE

6. A Noun Phrase is a group of words that all
belong with the noun and tell us more about it.
universitya civilised
Look at these examples:
universitya big civilised
universitya big civilised with thousand students
university

7. A Prepositional Phrase is the preposition and
the following noun or pronoun together.
classin the
Look at these examples:
class
tableon the
table

8. Other types of phrases are
verb phrase : will study
adjective phrase : more difficult
adverb phrase : too slowly

9. a group of words that contains a subject and a
verb
CLAUSE

10. An Independent Clause is a clause that can
stand alone in a sentence. So, it can also work as
a sentence on its own.This kind of clause is also
called Main Clause.
Look at this example:
I have to learn English

11. A Dependent Clause is a clause that cannot
stand alone in a sentence. A dependent clause
needs an independent clause to form a sentence.
Dependent clause is also called Subordinate
Clause.
Dependent clauses often begin with conjunctions
such as after, before, because, as, when, while, if,
since, and although.These conjunctions are called
subordinating conjunctions.

12. Look at these examples:
Because I will study abroad
I have to learn English.Because I will study abroad,
Before I graduate
Before I graduate, I want to have a job.

13. A sentence is a group of words that make
sense on their own.A sentence always begins
with a capital letter, and it ends with a period, a
question mark, or an exclamation point.
SENTENCE

14. A Simple Sentence is a sentence that contains
one independent clause only.
Look at this example:
I have to learn English.

15. A Compound Sentence consists of two or
more independent clauses.The clauses in a
compound sentence are often linked by
conjunctions called coordinating conjunctions.
Look at this example:
I have to learn English and I have to get a
scholarship to study abroad.

16. A Complex Sentence consists of one
independent clause and one or more dependent
clauses.
Look at this example:
I have to learn English because I will study abroad.

17. A Compound-Complex Sentence consists of
two independent clauses and one or more
dependent clauses.
Look at this example:
I have to learn English and I have to get a
scholarship to study abroad before I graduate.

18. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Colman, R. 2011. “The Briefest English Grammar and Punctuation Guide
Ever!”. Sydney: University of New South Wales Press Ltd.
Dignen, S. 2017. “DK Visual Guide to Grammar and Punctuation”. New York:
Dorling Kindersley Limited
Greenbaum, S. 1996. “The Oxford English Grammar”. New York: Oxford
University Press Inc.
Huddleston, R. 2012. Syntactic Overview. In Rodney Huddleston and Geoffrey
K. Pullum (Eds.). “The Cambridge Grammar of the English
Language” (pp. 43-70). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Humphrey, S., Love, K., and Droga, L. 2014. “Working Grammar: An
introduction for secondary English teachers”. Sydney: Pearson
Australia
Leech, G. 2006. “A Glossary of English Grammar”. Edinburgh: Edinburgh
University Press Ltd.