Download Back To Basics grammar practice

Back To Basics- Grammar Review
Listed below are the basic sentence types. Provide an example of each type of sentence in the space provided.
1. Simple sentence: A sentence with one independent clause and no dependent clauses.
Sean hates liberals.
2. Compound Sentence: A sentence with multiple independent clauses but no dependent clauses.
Josh ate pizza; he really wanted to eat curry.
3. Complex Sentence: A sentence with one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.
While at the animal shelter, Brittany found a 15 year old cat.
5. Complex-Compound Sentence: A sentence with multiple independent clauses and at least one dependent clause.
Maddi yearned for a smaller car, one that had leather interior and great gas mileage, she wanted a car that would not
break the bank.
6. . Natural Order Sentence – Involves constructing a sentence so the subject comes before the predicate.
Sean hates liberals.
7. Inverted Order Sentence – Involves constructing a sentence so the predicate comes before the subject. This is a device
in which typical sentence patterns are reversed to create an emphatic or rhythmic effect.
Liberals are what Sean hates.
8. Loose (Cumulative) Sentence – a basic statement with a string of details (modifying phrases) added to it, the
independent clause appears first and the dependent clause is second.
Riley was chased by a bear; a big, brown, hairy, angry bear.
9. Periodic Sentence – additional details placed before a basic statement, the dependent clause is first and the
independent is second. Sense is made only after the end of the sentence is reached.
A big, brown, hairy, angry bear chased Riley down the trail.
The remainder of the grammatical terms are NOT defined for you. Use the myriad of online resources available to help
you complete the following tasks.
10. Highlight the subject of your sample sentence below.
SEAN hates liberals.
11. Highlight the predicate of your sample sentence below.
Sean HATES LIBERALS.
12. Write a sentence that contains a transitive verb; underline the transitive verb.
Halie SHOT the gun.
13. Write a sentence that contains an intransitive verb; underline the intransitive verb.
Daelin RAN faster than Matt.
14. Write a sentence that contains a helping verb; underline the helping verb.
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is, am, are, was, were
be, being, been
has, have, had
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do, does, did
will, shall, should, would
can, could
may, might, must
15. Write a sentence that contains a linking verb; underline the linking verb.
Common linking verbs are generally preceded by to: feel, taste, look, smell, appear, grow, remain, stay, turn, seem, sound,
become, prove
16. Write a sentence that contains a pronoun and an antecedent.
Candace read the book in a day; she is a fast reader.
17. Write a sentence that contains a predicate adjective; underline the predicate adjective
The book is RED.
18. Write a sentence that contains an adverb that modifies an adjective; underline the adverb.
I am VERY tired.
19. Write a sentence that contains all three articles; underline each.
THE book is A big book and AN odd book.
20. Briefly explain why knowing parts of speech and sentence types helps one write a solid rhetorical analysis essay.
Back to Basics Grammar #2
1. Write a sentence with a preposition (or a prepositional phrase). Underline the preposition.
A preposition is a word that lets the reader know of the location of the direct object in the sentence. A prepositional
phrase is the preposition and the group of words that follow the preposition.
Ms. Widdop’s new dog crawled under the table.
2. Write a sentence and underline the direct object in the sentence.
The main subject of the sentence…the direct object is often what the sentence is about.
Ms. Widdop’s new dog crawled under the table.
3. Write a sentence and underline the indirect object in the sentence.
The indirect object precedes the direct object and can be found by asking who or what received the direct object.
Ms. Widdop’s new dog crawled under the table.
4. Write a sentence in active voice and follow it up with a sentence in passive voice.
Active voice uses an action verb to denote the action in the sentence. Passive voice takes the action out of the
sentence…it generally includes “to be” verb forms or uses “was.”
Marielle ran after Emily.- Active voice
Marielle was running after Emily.- Passive voice
*when writing we want to use an active voice. The Columbia Guide to Standard American English (1993): Active voice
makes subjects do something (to something); passive voice permits subjects to have something done to them (by
someone or something). Some argue that active voice is more muscular, direct, and succinct, passive voice flabbier,
more indirect, and wordier. If you want your words to seem impersonal, indirect, and noncommittal, passive is the
choice, but otherwise, active voice is almost invariably likely to prove more effective.
5. Write two sentences and shift verb tenses. Underline the verbs and the shifts.
Xianyang died peacefully in his sleep. He is resting in peace.
6. Include a gerund in a sentence of your own. Underline the gerund.
Gerunds are verbs that act as nouns.
Hitting is Dylan’s favorite part of baseball.
7. Write a sentence containing a dependent clause. Underline the dependent clause.
Dependent clauses are not complete sentences- they lack a subject (noun) or predicate (verb +++)
During class, Celeste ate an entire cake.
8. Write TWO sentences containing TWO DIFFERENT conjunctions. Underline each conjunction.
A conjunction combines two independent or dependent clauses in a sentence.
Rachel and Ryann sang beautifully and scratched their armpits while doing so. Ryann found it funny but Rachel was
embarrassed and could not stop.
9. Write a sentence containing a dangling modifier. Underline the dangling modifier.
Dangling modifiers are words or phrases that modify a word or phrase not clearly stated in the sentence.
Having finished his homework, Nick drank milk. Nick drinking milk has nothing to do with the fact that he finished his
homework.
Back to Basics Grammar #2
NAME: _____________________
1. Write a sentence with a preposition (or a prepositional phrase). Underline the preposition.
2. Write a sentence and underline the direct object in the sentence.
3. Write a sentence and underline the indirect object in the sentence.
4. Write a sentence in active voice and follow it up with a sentence in passive voice.
5. Write two sentences and shift verb tenses. Underline the verbs and the shifts.
6. Include a gerund in a sentence of your own. Underline the gerund.
7. Write a sentence containing a dependent clause. Underline the dependent clause.
8. Write TWO sentences containing TWO DIFFERENT conjunctions. Underline each conjunction.
9. Write a sentence containing a dangling modifier. Underline the dangling modifier.