Theory:

The Positioning Of Phrases and Clauses in Complex Sentences

The previous sections have explained how sentences can go from the very SIMPLE, with only one idea, to the COMPLEX COMPOUND, with several inter-related ideas.

It is important to remember that the function of any sentence is to be clearly understood by the reader, and if a sentence becomes difficult to understand, because it is too complicated, it should be re-worked into two or more sentences. Unnecessary complexity for the sake of being complex has no value.

All the elements in a sentence do not have the same value. The elements at the beginning of a sentence have more importance than those at the end. That is why the subject comes at the beginning and not at the end.

The writer often wants to focus on a particular element, and different techniques are used for this, such as INVERSION, CLEFT SENTENCES, FRONTING and NOMINALISTAION.
- I like to swim. (the subject I is the most important element.)
- SWIMMING is what I like. (here swimming is given more importance than 'I')
- What I really like is Swimming. (Even more importance is now given to 'swimming')

These techniques and their value will be discussed in the next sections.