A series of sentences is a combination of main sentences, which are connected by conjunctions, commas or semicolons. Principal sentences are sentences that can stand alone. They are usually made up of subject, predicate, and object (see sentence members). A series of main series can also be used as stylistic means. This is then called Parataxe or referred to as a paratactic sentence structure. If, however, the main sentence is subordinated, this is a sentence structure.
Main clauses
In order to understand what a sentence series is exactly, it must first be clarified, which is at all a main point. Principals are sentences that are grammatically complete. They can therefore stand alone and consist mostly of subject, predicate and object. An example:
The boy is eating a bread because he is hungry.
The above example is a sentence structure consisting of a main sentence and a subordinate sentence. The main sentence is formed from the subject, the predicate, and the object. The main point is that it is grammatically complete and works independently.
This means that he can stand alone and is still complete. This does not apply to a subordinate clause. This can not stand alone and always needs a supplement. In addition, one can see a main sentence in German, that the finite verb form is always second or first place – with a subordinate sentence it is at the last place. In any case, in most cases.
In the above example the finite verb is consumed in the first part in the second place, which also makes sense alone – thus it is a main sentence. In the second part, the finite verb form is again at the last place and the sentence can not function independently – so this is a subordinate clause.
The boy is eating a bread and he drinks a juice because he is hungry.
This example consists of two main sets, which are connected by the conjunction. This is followed by a subordinate clause. The two main sentences are formed by subject, predicate, and object, and the finite verb form is also found here in the second place. In the subordinate subordinate clause, this is at the last place. This series could be represented by HS + HS + NS.
Note: In the above text, the main records were explained fairly and concisely, whereby fundamental things were assumed. If you are not yet familiar with individual content, it is advisable to look it up in the index directory. It is scarcely possible to recognize a series of sentences if it is unclear what are the principal and subsidiary propositions and what they consist of.
→ Articles: main clause, subordinate clause, clause
Set series from main sets
If we are dealing with a set of sentences, this means that several main sets have been lined up and linked with commas, semicolons, or an associative conjunction. Such adjunctual conjunctions combine equivalent words, phrases, and sentences (eg: and, or, but, but, …).
The dress is very good,
+ but
the pants are better for her
+ and
the skirt does not stand at all.
The above example is a series of sentences, because three main sets were connected with secondary conjunctions. All these propositions could therefore stand alone, and thus are not subordinate to any of the other propositions. Let us look at another example:
I love you
+ and
(I want to kiss you.
This example also shows two main sets, which were connected by means of conjunction. This can also be referred to as a series of sentences, since this only has to consist of two main sentences in order to be regarded as such. As described, there are many other ways to link principal records together and form a set of sentences. Further examples can be found in the following fold-out box.
Further examples of main series (expand!)
Style: Parataxe
A rhetorical stylistic device is referred to as the Parataxe. Parataxes are spoken of when a text is characterized by an accumulation of main sentences. The counterpart of the parataxis is the hypotaxis. This means the fact that in a text many secondary sentences are subordinate to the main sentences.
In texts that are paratactic, main sets can be separated by commas, semicolons, or conjunctions. Then they also form sentence series. The Parataxe also means that several main records, which are separated by a dot, appear in a text. Thus, a paratactic text can consist of sentence series, but not every paratax is a series of sentences.
Our daughter can run.
Our son can not walk.
The bike is in the corner.
Our children can not cycle.
The above example does not show a row of sentences since the four main sets are separated by a period. However, such an aggregation of main sentences in a text would be extremely striking, which is why this is called “Stilmit”