Download Grammar ENG II

Grammar
Parts of Speech
▪ A noun is a person, place, thing, or idea
Ex: man... Butte College... house... happiness
▪ A verb expresses action or being.
Ex: jump... is... write... become
▪ An adjective modifies or describes a noun or pronoun.
Ex: pretty... old... blue... smart
▪ An adverb modifies or describes a verb, an adjective, or another
adverb.
Ex: gently... extremely... carefully... well
Parts of Speech Continued
▪ A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun.
Ex: She... we... they... It
▪ An interjection is a word used to express emotion.
Ex: Oh!... Wow!... Oops!
▪ A conjunction joins words, phrases, or clauses.
Ex: and... but... or... while... because
▪ A preposition is a word placed before a noun or pronoun to form
a phrase modifying another word in the sentence.
Ex: by... with.... about... until
Sentence Structure
▪ A simple sentence contains one independent clause.
▪ Independent clause: one subject followed by one verb or verb phrase. It
expresses a single idea.
▪ Examples of simple sentences:
–
–
–
–
I‘m happy.
Robert doesn’t eat meat.
My brother and I went to the mall last night.
This new laptop computer has already crashed twice.
▪ Notice that a “simple sentence” isn’t necessarily short. The subject can
be a single word like “I” or “Robert,” or it can be a double subject like “my
brother and I,” or it can be multiple words describing a single
person/object, like “This new laptop computer.”
Sentence Structure
▪ Compound Sentence: has two independent clauses joined by a linking
word (and, but, or, so, yet, however).
▪ Each independent clause could be a sentence by itself, but we connect
them with a linking word:
– I‘m happy, but my kids are always complaining.
– Robert doesn’t eat meat, so Barbara made a special vegetarian dish for
him.
– My brother and I went to the mall last night, but we didn’t buy
anything.
– This new laptop computer has already crashed twice, and I have no
idea why.
Note that each sentence has TWO subjects and TWO verb phrases.
Sentence Structure
▪ A compound-complex sentence contains 3 or more clauses: 2 independent and
at least 1 dependent clause.
▪ Dependent clause: group of words with a subject and a verb. It does not express
a complete thought so it is not a sentence and can't stand alone.
▪ I’m happy, even though I don’t make much money, but my kids are always
complaining since we can’t afford to buy the newest toys.
▪ Independent clauses: “I’m happy” and “my kids are always complaining”
▪ Dependent clauses: “even though I don’t make much money” and “since we can’t afford to buy the
newest toys”
▪ Linking word: “but”
▪ Robert, a friend I’ve known since high school, doesn’t eat meat – so Barbara
made a special vegetarian dish for him.
– Independent clauses: “Robert doesn’t eat meat” and “Barbara made a special vegetarian
dish for him”
– Dependent clause: “a friend I’ve known since high school”
– Linking word: “so”
Sentence Structure
Compound Complex Continued
▪ My brother and I went to the mall last night, while my sister stayed
home and studied because she has a test coming up.
– Independent clauses: “My brother and I went to the mall last night” and “my
sister stayed home and studied”
– Dependent clause: “because she has a test coming up”
– Linking word: “while”
▪ This new laptop computer, which I bought yesterday, has already
crashed twice; however, I have no idea why.
– Independent clauses: “This new laptop computer has already crashed twice”
and “I have no idea why”
– Dependent clause: “which I bought yesterday”
– Linking word: “however”
Commas
1. Items in a series.
I want peace on Earth, quality family time, and no
credit card debt for Christmas.
2. Introductory words or mild interjections.
Yes, I am unrealistic.
3. Set off words of direct address.
Bob, why don’t you help me.
Commas
4. Set off one or more words that interrupt the flow of a sentence.
Lebron James, as you can see in this video here, dominates all his opponents.
5. Set off nonessential items: clauses, participial phrases, appositives.
Barrack Obama, the President of the United States, might have a 4th of July hot
dog eating contest at the White House.
6. Insert between two independent clauses that are joined with a coordinating
conjunction.
My dog chased three rabbits out of the woods, but they all got away.
7. Separate subordinate clauses at the beginning of sentences.
Before eating three candy bars, I should have thought of the consequences.
Practice
▪ The dolphins leap out of the water for New Years but
the sharks prevented this year’s celebration. After
hundreds of miles of swimming the dolphins felt
scared. Flipper the head of the school prayed to the
Mighty Dolphin in the sky to avenge their misfortune.
Flipper promised the mighty dolphin he would change
his ways stop beating up sardines and send minnows
to starving dolphins off the coast of Somalia.
Comma Practice
▪
The dolphins leap out of the water for New Years,
but the sharks prevented this year’s celebration.
After hundreds of miles of swimming, the
dolphins felt scared. Flipper, the head of the
school, prayed to the Mighty Dolphin in the sky
to avenge their misfortune. Flipper promised the
mighty dolphin he would change his ways, stop
beating up sardines, and send minnows to
starving dolphins off the coast of Somalia.
Parallel Structure
- Involves putting together
elements of similar structure
to achieve balanced writing.
Parallel Structure
▪ Winston Churchill did not say:
“I have nothing to offer but
bleeding, toil, tears, and sweating.”
He said:
“I have nothing to offer but blood,
toil, tears and sweat.”
Parallel Structure
Poor: Betty has intelligence, honesty, and she is
funny.
Improved: Betty has intelligence, honesty, and
humor.
Poor: Good writing requires you to plan outlines,
write several drafts, and revision.
Improved: Good writing requires you to plan
outlines, write several drafts, and revise your work.
Parallel Structure
1. A good attitude, being on time, and
speaking effectively are her
attributes.
2. This proposal is profitable, timely,
and it helps us.
Parallel Structure
1. Having a good attitude, being
on time, and speaking
effectively are her attributes.
2. This proposal is profitable,
timely, and helpful.
Practice
Many gases are invisible,
odorless, and they have no taste.
Mr. Foster is not only an
excellent barber but also sings
well.
Parallel Structure
▪Many gases are invisible,
odorless, and tasteless.
▪Mr. Foster is not only an
excellent barber but also a good
singer.
Apostrophes
To show possession (e.g., one dog's kennel , two
dogs' kennel )
In time expressions (e.g., a day's pay , two weeks'
holiday )
In contractions (e.g., can't , isn't , don't )
Apostrophes are not used:
To show plurals (e.g., three cat's , two video's )
Randomly before the letter s (e.g., He like's pies. )
Practice
1. Whos the partys candidate for vice president this year?
2. The fox had its right foreleg caught securely in the traps jaws.
3. Our neighbors car is an old Chrysler, and its just about to fall
apart.
4. In three weeks time well have to begin school again.
5. Didnt you hear that theyre leaving tomorrow?
6. Whenever I think of the stories I read as a child, I remember
Cinderellas glass slipper and Snow Whites wicked stepmother.
Practice
1. Who's the party's candidate for vice president this year?
2. The fox had its right foreleg caught securely in the trap's jaws.
3. Our neighbor's car is an old Chrysler, and it's just about to fall
apart.
4. In three weeks' time we'll have to begin school again.
5. Didn't you hear that they're leaving tomorrow?
6. Whenever I think of the stories I read as a child, I remember
Cinderella's glass slipper and Snow White's wicked stepmother.
Quotations
- To identify previously spoken or
written words
- To signify so-called or alleged
- To highlight the name of things like
ships, books, and plays.
Quotations: So called or alleged
So, when are you and your
"girlfriend" leaving?
My "mates" drove off with my clothes,
leaving me in the lake.
Quotations: spoken word
George Bernard Shaw said: "When a
thing is funny, search it carefully for
a hidden truth."
Quotations: Highlight names of things
"The Herald of Free Enterprise" was a
passenger ferry which capsized moments
after leaving the Belgian port of
Zeebrugge on the night of 6 March 1987.
Did you watch "Billy Elliot" in the West
End?
Quotations: Punctuation
Place . and , inside quotations
"Bindle," to today’s youth, means "a small
pack of drug powder."
"Conquest, " said Jefferson, "is not in our
principles."
Obviously, don’t place a comma inside if it
introduces the quotation (like the one after
Jefferson).
Quotations: Punctuation
Place ! and ? inside or outside according to logic.
Did she really say, "I love you"?
("I love you" is not a question, but the whole sentence is.)
I heard him yell, "Do you love me?"
(The whole sentence is not a question, but the quotation is a
question.)
The second example is not a question, but it ends in a question
mark. For neatness, it is acceptable to use just one end mark. Under
US convention, you should only use one end mark.
Quotations: Punctuation
Don’t end a quotation with a period if it
doesn’t end the whole sentence.
"Get Out!" she yelled.
"Why me?" she asked.
"I’ll go." she said. INCORRECT
"I’ll go," she said.
Prepositions
A preposition is a word that shows
the relationship between a word in
the sentence and the word that is the
object of the preposition
Preposition
Which one: The flower in the vase is a
peony.
What kind: The umbrella with the polkadots is Mary Anne's.
Where: We will be going to the movies.
When: My lunch period is after science.
How: You are walking on your tiptoes.
Prepositions
Some Common Prepositions
Prepositions of time: after, around, at, before, between, during, from,
on, until, at, in, from, since, for, during, within
Prepositions of place: above, across, against, along, among, around,
at, behind, below, beneath, beside, between, beyond, by, down, in,
inside, into, near, off, on, opposite, out, over, past, through, to,
toward, under, underneath
Prepositions of direction/movement: at, for, on, to, in, into, onto,
between
Prepositions of manner: by, on, in, like, with
Other types of prepositions: by, with , of, for, by, like, as
Prepositions
Think of prepositions as arrows.
→ to, at, for...
← from, next to...
↔ with, between...
↑ above, on...
↓ in, inside, under, below...