Download Sentence Writing Strategies

Sentence Writing
Strategies
Simple Sentence
One independent
clause.
Clause
Has a subject
and a verb
Independent Clause
Contains a subject and
a verb and makes a
complete statement—
can stand alone.
Subject of a Sentence
The subject is the:
person
place
thing
quality
idea
that the sentence is about.
Nouns
Examples of Subjects
John went for a walk.
Towns are quiet after
snowfalls.
Eggs rolled off the counter.
Silence is golden.
Peace is at hand.
(Person)
(Place)
(Things)
(Quality)
(Idea)
Verbs
A verb is a word that shows the
action
or
state of being
of the subject of the sentence.
Examples of verbs
Sally sneezed.
(Physical action)
John thinks.
(Mental action)
Jesse is my friend. (State of being)
Helping Verbs
Am
Are
Can
Could
Has
Have
Had
is
do
does
did
be
been
being
may
might
shall
should
was
were
will
would
Verb-Subject
Identification Procedure
Step 1: Look for the action
or state-of-being word
to find the verb.
Example: Kevin reported the
theft.
Verb-Subject
Identification Procedure
Step 2: Ask yourself, “Who or
what (verb)?” to find
the subject.
Example: Paula is an astronaut.
Phrase
A group of words
that functions as one
part of speech and
DOES NOT have a
subject and verb.
Noun Phrases
A noun phrase is when
several words, two or
more, are used for the
subject.
Noun Phrases
•
•
A noun phrase is the complete
subject.
The noun in the phrase is the simple
subject.
-It is the most important word in the
complete subject.
-The simple subject is the one word that
tells what the sentence is about.
Noun Phrases
Examples:
The old gray mare limped down the
lane.
The silver-winged plane soared.
The first three girls giggled.
The chairman of the meeting left
early.
Verb Phrases
A verb phrase is when
several words, two or
more, form the verb.
Verb Phrases
 These
words form the complete
verb.
 The one verb that shows the action
or state of being is called the main
verb.
*Verb phrases are formed by
putting one or more helping
verbs in front of the main verb.
Helping Verbs
Am
Are
Can
Could
Has
Have
Had
is
do
does
did
be
been
being
may
might
shall
should
was
were
will
would
Verb Phrases
Examples:
The bus must have gone by now.
The light green grapes have been
eaten.
Steven’s aunt is not following her new
diet.
The rickety wagon should not have
been filled to the top.
Inverted Simple Sentences
In some simple sentences, the
verb comes before the subject
of the sentence.
Example: Onto the stage danced the
performers.
Will you go to the movie this
weekend?
Infinitives
Sometimes words in the
sentence show action without
being the main verb of the
sentence.
Example: Jason hoped to go
skateboarding.
Infinitives
 Any
verb that has the word ‘to’
in front of it is an infinitive.
An infinitive is not the main verb
of the sentence.
– When you have a sentence with
several action words in it, check
for the word ‘to’.
–
Compound Subjects
•
•
So far we have seen simple
sentences with one subject and one
verb ( S V ).
The next kind of simple sentence
contains two or more subjects and
one verb ( S S V ).
* We call two or more subjects in a
simple sentence a compound subject.
Compound Subjects
Examples:
Paul and Marci want to go to the mall.
The slopes and the buildings were
covered with snow.
Ty, Shane, and Christine went to buy
some new clothes.
Are the car and truck getting new
rims?
Compound Verbs
 When
a simple sentence has one
subject doing more than one
action, the sentence contains a
compound verb ( S V V ).
– Like compound subjects,
compound verbs are separated
by the word ‘and’.
Compound Verbs
Examples:
Bobby surfed and skated all day.
Mary sailed and skied at the lake.
The dogs barked all day and slept all
night.
Children should not be allowed to
watch television and should be
encouraged to play.
Compound Subjects and
Compound Verbs
Some simple sentences can have
both a compound subject and a
compound verb ( S S V V ).
Compound Subjects and
Compound Verbs
Examples:
Jack and his father camped and fished
at the campground.
Radio towers and tall buildings must have
lights and must be visible at night.
The graduates and their parents posed
for pictures and celebrated with a
party.
Simple Sentence Formulas
1)
2)
3)
4)
S
SS
S
SS
V
V
VV
VV
Examples: Simple
S V
I have a cat.
S
S
V
James and Cara have a cat.
Examples: Simple
S V
V
I fed and walked the dog.
S
S
V
V
Laura and Shirley fed and walked the
dog.
Steps for Sentence Writing
 Step
1: Pick a Formula
 Step 2: Explore Words to
Fit the Formula
 Step 3: Note the Words
 Step 4: Search and Check
Search and Check
 Search:
–
–
Look for the action or state-of-being
word(s) to find the verb(s).
Ask the “Who or What Question” to find
the subject(s).
 Check:
–
–
–
Capital letter
End punctuation
Makes sense
Compound Sentence
Two independent
clauses joined together
with a coordinating
conjunction or a
semicolon.
Compound Sentences
 The
students finished class, and
they went to lunch.
 Kevin did not want to hurt Kathy’s
feelings, so he said nothing about
her mistake.
 I want to see my sister soon, for
she has been in Vail snowboarding
for five months.
Comparing Compound Sentences
to SSVV Simple Sentences
Simple Sentence
The men and women met at the station
and went to dinner.
Compound Sentence
The men met at the station, and the
women went to dinner.
Comparing Compound Sentences
to SSVV Simple Sentences
Simple Sentence
The ducks and geese squawked and
fluttered their wings.
Compound Sentence
The ducks squawked, and the geese
fluttered their wings.
Coordinating Conjunctions
A word that is used with a comma
to join two independent clauses.
,For
,But
,And
,Or
,Nor
,Yet
,So
Coordinating Conjunctions
 Examples:
-Baseball is my favorite sport to
watch, but football is my
favorite sport to play.
-We did not see Mike at the
movie, nor did we see him at
the restaurant.
Semicolons
 Semicolons
(;) can also be used to
join the two independent clauses of
a compound sentence.
Semicolons
Examples:
-Susan loves to swim; her
brother likes to drive.
-The meeting was over; it was
already midnight.
-Jason was highly respected; he
always stood up for people who
were being picked on.
Examples: Compound
I ; I
We went to the movies; my parents
went to the mall.
I,c I
We went to the movies, but my
parents went to the mall.
Complex Sentence
One independent
clause and one or more
dependent clauses.
Dependent Clause
Contains a subject and
a verb but CANNOT
stand alone; a
subordinating
conjunction is used.
Subordinating Conjunctions
Subordinating conjunctions
are words that show the
relationship of the
dependent clause to the
independent clause.
Subordinating Conjunctions
After
so that
Although
than
As
when
Until
while
Subordinating Conjunctions
Because
when
Before
since
If
even though
Unless
though
Sequencing
Complex Sentences
 Dependant
Clause First
(Comma needed)
D,I
EX: When I get to Phoenix, you will be
sleeping.
 Independent
Clause First ID
(Comma not needed)
EX: You will be sleeping when I get to
Phoenix
Examples: Complex
ID
I love dogs because they do not
judge anyone.
D,I
Because they do not judge anyone, I
love dogs.
Complex Sentences
 We
could play video games since
we have an Xbox downstairs.
 Although you have to go soon, we
could play one game of “Grand
Theft Auto.”
 Since you are my best friend, I will
tell you about when he called me.
Complex Sentences
 Even
though he told me he did not like
me, David passed me a note asking to
go me to the movies.
 Tiger Woods will soon be considered
the best golfer of all times because he
will eventually surpass Jack Nicholas’s
major tournament win record.
Compound-Complex
Sentences
A compound-complex sentence has two or
more independent clauses and at least
one dependent clause.
Examples:
When you are ready, I will call the
store, and we can talk to Tim.
Before the trick-or-treaters came,
Megan made candied apples; they were
delicious.
Sequencing CompoundComplex Sentences
Dependent clause first:
After the party was over, Jean had
a headache, so Paul cleaned up the
house.
Dependent clause second:
Jean had a headache after the
party was over, so Paul cleaned up
the house.
Sequencing CompoundComplex Sentences
Dependent clause third:
Jean has a headache, so Paul
cleaned up the house after
the party was over.
Compound-Complex
Sentences
 Floyd
planned to go to the game
even though it was snowing;
Helen wanted to stay home.
 Helen wanted to stay home;
Floyd wanted to go to the game
even though it was snowing.
Compound-Complex
Sentences
 Kevin,
who had been late many
times before, came late to class
today; his teacher gave him a hard
time after class was over.
 The players who had been invited
came to our house after the game
was over; they celebrated the win.