Compose an exercise on selecting the order of sentence components

ARTICLE 1: PRACTICING SELECTING THE ORDER OF COMPONENTS IN A SENTENCE

1. Ordering in a Simple Sentence

1. Among the following sentences, which one expresses optimally and why?
A. This shirt is old but still in great condition, so buy it.
B. This shirt is still in great condition but old, so buy it.
C. This shirt is old, so buy it, but still in great condition.
D. This shirt is still in great condition, so buy it, but old.
- Sentence A is the most optimal. Emphasizing 'still in great condition' after 'old' serves the purpose, suitable for recommending buying the shirt.
- The writer highlights the shirt's condition, suggesting it's still in great condition and worth buying.

2. A middle school student hesitates between two ways of writing. Please help them choose the optimal way and explain the reason for the choice.
A. My friend is small but very intelligent. The teacher has chosen them for the gifted student team.
B. My friend is very intelligent, but small. The teacher has chosen them for the gifted student team.
- Choosing option A is optimal.
- The first sentence states the reason in the argument, and the second sentence is the conclusion.
- The reason sentence has two points: intelligence and small stature, with intelligence being more important, so it should come last for emphasis.
- Option B is not optimal as it fails to emphasize the intelligence, which is the focus of the argument.

3. Analyze the effects of arranging time phrases in the following excerpt:
One late night, Mị heard knocking on the wall [...]. As Mị stepped out, several people rushed in, stuffed a shirt in Mị's mouth, blindfolded her, and carried Mị away.
The next morning, Mị found herself sitting in Pá Tra... administrative house. (Tô Hoài, The Couple A Phủ).
- Time phrases can be placed at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence. Their position depends on the flow of the text and the author's intended emphasis.
- The time phrases above are placed appropriately: the opening sets the scene (late night), then the sequence of events is detailed. The following time phrase (the next morning) links to the previous events and thus belongs at the beginning of the sentence.

1. Sequencing in Compound Sentences

1. Read exercise 1a in Literature 11 textbook, volume one, page 158 and answer the following questions:
- Placing the cause clause (because that story reminded him of something very remote) after the main clause (He felt melancholic again) enhances the narrative as the main clause describes his introspection, followed by a specific event detailing the melancholy feeling: something very remote.
- Reversing the order disrupts the coherence and cohesion of the sentence, resulting in ambiguity and reader confusion.

2. Read exercise 1b in Literature 11 textbook, volume one, page 158 and answer the following questions:
- Regarding the concessive clause (although for Auntie...) as a subordinate clause placed after to modify the preceding main clause.
- While it's possible to reverse the order, the sentence loses tight coherence with the preceding clause and subsequent sentences.

3. Read exercise 2 in Literature 11 textbook, volume one, page 159 and determine which sentence is most suitable to fill in the blank:
- Sentence C: “In recent years, speed reading methods have become quite popular, but it's nothing new.”
- Selection criteria: based on formal and content relationships with the other sentences.
+ Regarding content: the other sentences express the idea that in different eras, many famous people have mastered and developed it. The content of the subsequent sentences specifies a main idea in the leading clause: speed reading methods are nothing new.
+ Regarding form: the adverbial phrase “In recent years” is positioned at the beginning of the sentence to contrast with the adverbial phrase “In various eras in the past” in the second sentence. The coherence here lies in the structural parallelism of syntax.

4. Regarding the passage below:
“The only concern of Van Minh, Mr. Van Minh, was to invite a lawyer to witness the death of his grandfather. From now on, that will put that wish letter into the practical phase rather than just a distant theory. He only worries about how to deal with Red Hair Xuân,... Xuân, though guilty of seducing one of his girls, accuses the other girl of lewdness but accidentally causes the death of an old man. Two small sins, one big favor...” (Vu Trong Phung, Số đỏ).
Is it possible to rearrange the italicized sentence in the above passage to: “Xuân accidentally caused the death of an old man, but he was guilty of seducing one of Mr. Van Minh's girls, accusing the lewdness of another of his girls”? Why?
- No, because such a change makes the sentence inappropriate for the speaker's purpose and attitude, even leading to ambiguity.

5. What is the significance of italicizing sentences in the passage above for the speaker's purpose and attitude?
- The arrangement as done by the author Vu Trong Phung in the above sentence aims to show forgiveness and gratitude of Van Minh towards Red Hair Xuân.
- Behind Van Minh's attitude is a mocking criticism of both Red Hair Xuân and Van Minh by the narrator.

6. In the compound sentence in the following excerpt, why is the italicized clause placed after the other clause?
“Thị saw him drinking, and while drinking, he cursed Thị's house for a long time. He wasn't used to waiting; because if he had to wait, he would drag out the wine, and drink to relieve his sadness. Once he drank, he had to curse, it's a habit!” (Nam Cao, Chí Phèo).
- Because it's a subordinate clause, explaining the cause. It stands after the main clause to clarify the meaning for the main clause.
- Furthermore, the main clause (in bold) comes first to continue talking about “him,” while the italicized clause comes later to create content linkage with the following sentence “Once he drank, he had to curse,...”.

7. In the compound sentence in the following excerpt, why is the italicized clause placed after the other clause? What changes in the content of the sentence and the flow of the passage when that clause is placed first?
“Sir, that's the family's private matter. It's up to the family to handle it. I have no right to intervene, though for the family and for the authorities, I remain grateful” (Khai Hung, Nửa chừng xuân).
- In this sentence, the italicized part is a subordinate clause to express the decision-making authority lying with the sister, added to clarify the preceding part's meaning.
- It's not possible to reverse the order of this section because the first clause is tightly linked to the preceding sentence, and this part is not the main part of the sentence.

8. The most appropriate sentence to fill in the blank at the beginning of the following passage, and why?
“... I remember the story of King Thuấn, because he wanted to personally listen and see if the people were satisfied with him, so he disguised himself as a farmer to search for talent throughout the country. I also recall the story of King Pie of Russia working as a laborer and working on construction sites in England. Among those great disguisers who want to delve into the lives of the people, today, there are still kings and princes, for their own convenience and for reasons less noble, also “travel incognito”” (Nguyen Ai Quoc, Travel Incognito).
A. I seem to still see the day when you and I, like those birds, perched on the dear old uncle's lap, listening to him tell fairy tales.
B. I seem to still see the day when you and I, like those birds, perched on the dear old uncle's lap, listening to him tell fairy tales.
C. I seem to still see the day when you and I, like those birds, listened to our dear old uncle tell fairy tales, perched on his lap.
D. Like those birds, we listened to our dear old uncle tell fairy tales, I seem to still see the day when you and I perched on his lap.
- Option A is the most suitable.
- Due to its logical order: including you and me, likened to birds, perched on the dear old uncle's lap to listen to stories. If this order is reversed, either the sentence lacks coherence (options B, C), or it becomes ambiguous (option D).

PREPARE LESSON 2: PRACTICE ON CHOOSING THE ORDER OF PARTS WITHIN SENTENCES

I. Order in simple sentences