1 Units of language
It is helpful to look at the organisation of texts by dividing language into six units: the word, the word group, the clause, the sentence, the paragraph and the text.
The table below illustrates each of these units with examples taken from the essay you read in Week 4.
| Unit | Example |
word | lives |
verb group | fully independent lives
can lead |
clause | they can no longer lead fully independent lives |
sentence | The residents have all had to come to terms with the fact that, for reasons such as age or infirmity, they can no longer lead fully independent lives, but can happily accept this compromise. |
paragraph | Paragraph 5: In a good residential home … happily accept this compromise. |
text | The whole essay written by Fred |
You have already looked at the way in which a whole text and its paragraphs are organised. You now need to focus on ways to organise word groups and sentences accurately so that you can use them to express ideas and convey information clearly and concisely.