analyzing and modifying the sentence.

[iboon14]

Hi Teachers,

I would like to use the sentence below to practise analyzing and modifying the sentence.

"Each sorbent carries its pros and cons with respect to cost, efficiency, and applicable climates, though the more recent reports favor using an amine because of its low temperature requirements when extracting the captured CO2 for storage purposes."

(This sentence comes from A literature review of CO 2 capture directly from ambient air, Joshua Fabian, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.)


A. Could you please check the structural sentence that I analyzed below:


1. "Each sorbent carries its pros and cons with respect to cost, efficiency, and applicable climates" is an independent clause.

1.1 "its pros and cons" is a possessive pronoun acting as a direct object.
1.2 "with respect to cost, efficiency, and applicable climates" is preposition phrase acting as an adjective modifier modifying "its pros and cons".


2. "though the more recent reports favor using an amine because of its low temperature requirements when extracting the captured CO2 for storage purposes." is the main subordinate clause.

2.1 "using an amine" is a gerund phrase acting as a direct object.

2.2 "because of its low temperature requirements" is the 2nd subordinate clause modifying an amine.

2.3 "when extracting the captured CO2 for storage purposes" is the 3rd subordinate clause modifying its low temperature requirements.


B. In my opinion, it is quite a long sentence. How many words should an ideal sentence (easy to read and avoid an ambiguity) contain?

C. Can I rewrite this sentence into two sentences: "Each sorbent carries its pros and cons with respect to cost, efficiency, and applicable climates, though the more recent reports favor using an amine." "Because it requires low temperature when extracting the captured CO2 for storage purposes."?

Thank you

 

[MikeNewYork]

1. Yes.
1.1. No. "Its" is a possessive adjective modifying "pros and cons". "Pros and cons" is the compound direct object of "carries"; it consists of two nouns connected by "and".
1.2. Yes. I would write the ending as: "is a prepositional phrase acting as an adjectival modifier of "its pros and cons".
2. I'm not sure of the terminology "main subordinate clause". It is a subordinate clause containing three subordinate clauses.
2.1. Yes. The phrase is the direct object of "favor"; "an amine" is the direct object of the gerund "using".
2.2. Partially correct. The first subordinate clause is "though the more recent reports favor using an amine". Your ending suggests that there are two subordinate clauses that modify "an amine". For me, the 2nd subordinate clause is an adverb (answering the question "Why?") modifying "favor". I would write that as "is the 2nd subordinate clause; it is an adverbial modifier of "favor".
2.3. Yes. But again for clarity, I would write: "is the 3rd subordinate clause; it is an adjectival modifier of "its low temperature requirements".

B. The sentence is complex but not too long, considering that it is scientific material. It is easily understandable. There is no limit to the number of words. That is guided by style and clarity.

C. No. In your revision the second "sentence" is not a sentence.