Transcript Here you go! - James B. Conant High School

Clauses and Phrases
Phrase = A portion of a sentence that is
missing a subject, a verb, or both.
Dependent Clause = A portion of a sentence
that contain both a subject and a verb, but
cannot stand alone.
Independent Clause = A portion of a sentence,
or an entire sentence, that contains both a
subject and a verb, and can stand on its own.
Comma Usages (6 Rules)
1) Words in a series = Separate series of three or more nouns,
adjectives, verbs, phrases, or clauses with commas.
2) FANBOYS
3) Interruptors
Words in a series
I walked, ran, drove, crawled, hitchhiked, skied,
and monkey-rolled my way from Chicago to
Memphis in only 4 days.
I like to go to my parents’ house, eat all of their
food, play with their dog, and beat them at
games.
Comma Usages (6 Rules)
1) Words in a series = Separate series of three or more nouns,
adjectives, verbs, phrases, or clauses with commas.
2) FANBOYS = Separate two Independent Clauses with a comma
and a conjuction.
3) Interruptors
F = For
A = And
Dan is Keith’s brother, yet
Dan shot him anyway.
N = Nor
B = But
O = Or
Y = Yet
S = So
Dan is regretting being
such a bad guy, but he
doesn’t quite know how to
be good.
Comma Usages (6 Rules)
1) Words in a series = Separate series of three or more nouns,
adjectives, verbs, phrases, or clauses with commas.
2) FANBOYS = Separate two Independent Clauses with a comma
and a conjuction.
3) Interruptors = Separate information that “interruptors” the flow
and idea of the sentence.
!!! Interruptors !!!
My mom, who has red hair, chased
after me seven times around the
dinner table after I made fun of
her haircut.
Abraham Lincoln, by the way, was
one of America’s best Presidents.
Commas Continued
4) Participial Phrases (-ing phrases) = Separate –ing phrases from
the rest of the sentence
Jacob avoided the police at the crime scene, sneaking away out the back door.
Sneaking away out the back door, Jacob avoided the police at the crime scene.
5) Introductory Words and Clauses = Isolate introductory words or
ABBI Phrases from the rest of the sentence.
INTRODUCTORY RULE:
James, do you act this dumb, or were
you just born that way?
In fact, many believe that dinosaurs
possibly coexisted with early man.
While getting ready for prom, Tina
noticed a huge zit on her nose.
As he waited for his date, he slowly
realized that she would never arrive.
DO YOU REMEMBER ABBI?
After
Before
Although
Because
If
When
Unless
Since
As
While
Whenever
Until
Commas Continued
4) Participial Phrases (-ing phrases) = Separate –ing phrases from
the rest of the sentence
Jacob avoided the police at the crime scene, sneaking away out the back door.
Sneaking away out the back door, Jacob avoided the police at the crime scene.
5) Introductory Words and Clauses = Isolate introductory words or
ABBI Phrases from the rest of the sentence.
6) City and Dates =Place a comma after a city but before its state or
country.
Place a comma after a day’s name, number, or a year.
Schaumburg, Illinois
Paris, France
Thursday, April
th
24 , 2008
Wednesday, June 5th, 2010
Semi-colon Rules
1)Separates Independent Clauses
Here are two independent clauses; the semicolon goes in between them.
2) Separates complex comma sentences
I want to go to Rome, Italy; Paris, France;
Geneva, Switzerland; and Beijing, England.
Colon Rules
1)
Time
2:30
2)
3)
3:43
10:16
Lists or Revelations

The following people were at my party: my mom, me, my pet fish.

The people at my party were my mom, me, my pet fish.

My favorite book begins with these words: “In the beginning…”
Subtitles
 J.R.R. Tolkien: The Man, the Myths, the Legacy
 Powdered Sugar: 10 Tricks on How to Get Yourself Hyped Up on Candy
“Quotation Marks”
 “Most Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving,”
Tricia said.
 Tricia added, “But I don’t like it at all.”
 “I’ll only eat turkey,” she continued, “if I were
starving and there was nothing else.”
 “But I usually fill up on rolls and sweets,” she
bemused. “I never go hungry on Thanksgiving.”
Pronouns and Antecedents
Singular matches singular
Plural matches plural
BOTH
FEW
MANY SEVERAL
Both of the dogs like their new master.
Everybody should remember to bring his own
lunch to school tomorrow.
Subject and Verb Agreements
Singular matches singular
Plural matches plural
BOTH
FEW
MANY SEVERAL
Few of my children realize the importance of
flossing.
Someone needs to come here right now.