El Nino

Recently, scientists have begun studying an ocean event who is the cause of drastic changes in weather around the world. This event is an increase in the temperature of the Pacific Ocean that appear around Christmas off the coast of Peru. Hence, the Peruvian fishermen whom first noticed it named it El Nino whose its name means “the Christ child” in Spanish. The cause of this rise in ocean temperature are unknown, but its effects are obvious and devastating.

One of El Nino’s far-reaching effects is that it threatens Peru’s vital anchovy harvest, which could mean higher prices for food. The warm water of El Nino keeps the nutrient-rich cold water which provides anchovies with food down at the bottom of the ocean. Anchovies are the primary source of fish meal which is the main ingredient in livestock and chicken feed. In addition, guano from birds who feed off the anchovies is a major source of fertilizer for farmers. As a result of decreasing supplies of anchovies and guano, the price of chicken fed, livestock feed, and fertilizer rises. This causes farmers who they must pay more for feed and fertilizer, to charge more for the food that they produces. The price of eggs, meat, and even bread has scared as a result of El Ninos in past years.

El Nino has other global effects. It can cause heavy rains, floods, and mudslides along the coasts of North and South America and droughts in other parts of the world. In the 1982-83 El Nino, West Africa suffered a terrible drought which caused crop failures and food shortages. Lack of rain also created problems for Indonesia whose forests burned for months during the 1997-98 El Nino. Winds spread smoke from these fires as far north as Malaysia and Singapore, resulting in choking smog, that closed schools and caused pedestrians to don masks.

Indeed, El Nino is an unpredictable and uncontrollable phenomenon of nature, that we need to study it and understand it in order to prepare for and perhaps lessen its devastating effects in the future.

5. A compound-complex sentence is a combination of two or more independent clauses and one (or more) dependent clauses. Many combinations are possible, and their punctuation requires careful attention.

1. I wanted to travel after I graduated from college; however, I had to go to work immediately.

2. After I graduated from college, I wanted to travel, but I had to go to work immediately.

3. I wanted to travel after I graduated from college, but I had to go to work immediately because I had to support my family.

4. I couldn’t decide where I should work or what I should do, so I did nothing.

You punctuate the compound part of a compound-complex sentence like a compound sentence; that is, use a semicolon/comma combination (sentence 1), or put a comma before a coordinator joining two clauses (sentence 2,3, and 4).

You punctuate the complex part like a complex sentence. With adverb clauses, put a comma after s dependent clause (sentence 2) but not before them (sentence 3). With noun clauses no commas (sentence 4).

Compound Sentences (Coordination) versus Complex Sentences (Subordination)

Good writing requires a mixture of all four kinds of sentences: simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex. An essay or composition with only short, simple sentences is boring and ineffective, as is writing that uses too many compound sentences. Writing with complex sentences that use subordination is generally considered more mature, interesting, and effective in style.

Practice III Compare the two models. The first model is an example of over coordination, or writing with too many compound sentences. In the second model, some of the coordination has been replaced by subordination – complex sentences.