Transcript Grammar and other fun stuff you get to learn in school

Grammar
…and other fun stuff
you get to learn in school
Nouns

What is the name for something
you can hold or touch?
You may point to and
name as many nouns as
you can in the next ten
seconds.
Verbs

What is the name for
something you can do or see
being done?
You may act out your
most creative,
school-appropriate verb
now.
Will you ever use this stuff? What kind of job
do you want?
Which verbs describe your motivation?
Which roles do you play best?
Playable Verbs
One of Constantin Stanislavski's great revelations is the value of using a verb to identify the sub-textural qualities of a
performance. The simple value of this process is that it labels the actor's intention/purpose/"need" in an active mode rather
than a passive or a descriptive one. To be actively engaged in the drama is the actor's primary goal. Just look at the publicity
poster for any movie. The images they use are always the ones where the actor is actively focused.
What do you know about
types of sentences?
Start simple!
GRAMMAR RULE:
All sentences need a
minimum of one subject,
one predicate, and must
make sense.
Subject (S) =
What nouns can
become

Predicate (P)
What verbs can
become

Watch out for
“understood subjects”!
(You) take out the trash.
 (You) sit down.

Simple Sentences…

The squirrel laughed.

Tom swatted the bug.

The squirrel has a nut.
SP=Subject Predicate
You need a complete thought
that makes sense!
Declaration of Independence…
Another name for a complete
thought would be an independent
clause.
 If the clause needs help from
another part of the sentence, it is
dependent.

Claws vs. Clause…
Dogs slobber, yet nobody cares.
How many clauses?
Which one is independent?
Which one is dependent?
Phrase vs. Clause…
Both clauses and phrases are clusters of words.
If there is a verb=clause!
After the lions drank at the river, they slept.
No action=phrase!
The zebra ran to the river.
The zebra in the river was young.
The lion's attack caused the zebra to run toward
the river.
Running toward the river, the zebra escaped.
Attacking zebras was seldom successful.
Phrased Out?

When you are analyzing sentence
structure (in this class), you can
ignore the prepositional phrases
(in your assignments).
The man (in the red jumpsuit) created a
commotion (at the disco).
How do phrases act as
parts of speech?
A. Prepositional phrase - The zebra ran to the river.
Prepositional phrases function as adverbs or adjectives. In the example above, the
prepositional phrase is an adverb because it indicates where zebra ran (adverbs
indicate where, when, why, or how). In the following example, the prepositional
phrase is an adjective because it modifies a noun:
The zebra in the river was young.
B. Infinitive phrase - The lion's attack caused the zebra
to run toward the river.
C. Participial phrase - Running toward the river, the
zebra escaped.
D. Gerund phrase - Attacking zebras was seldom
successful.
a, an, the
Your job right now…

Using up to three articles,
construct a sentence on your paper
that follows this basic pattern:
Subject Predicate
Think Noun Verb!
Example: The man is walking.
Your next job:
You may write
down these
FANBOYS!
Using up to three articles,
and a coordinating
conjunction,
(for, and, nor, but, or ,yet, so)
construct a sentence that follows this
basic pattern:
S cc S P

Example:
The horse and the man were smiling.
Keep going…

SSSccSP
Compound
Subject
Items in a
series need a
comma
between
each!
Example: The teacher, boy, dog, and
the clown were laughing.
Your next job…

SPccP
Compound
Predicate
Example: The boys were laughing and
snorting.
Yet more torture…
Example: The boys were snorting snot bubbles.

SPO
Object
Ask yourself, “They were snorting WHAT?”
That direct question tells you the DIRECT OBJECT!
Your next job…

SPOccO
Compound
Object
Example: The girl was snorting snot bubbles
and milk.
What do these sentences
have in common?

Simple Sentences



SP
SPO
Simple Sentences with Compound Parts




SccSP
SPccP
SPOccO
S,S,S,ccSP
Double your trouble…
Compound Sentence Structure:
SP,cc SP
SPO,cc SPO
Independent clause, Fanboy
Rules:
Independent clause
(1) Always use a comma before the cc
connecting two independent clauses--unless the
clauses are extremely short.
(2) You cannot start a sentence with a cc.
Compound it…
Any of the sentence parts can also be compound.
SP,cc SP
SPO,cc SPO
How can you make
these compound?
Compound: more than one of anything
connected by a coordinating conjunction.
(for, and, nor, but, or ,yet, so)
Notice the internal punctuation…

S P, cc S P
Comma
Why do you think this is called a
compound sentence?
Example: We tried, but the villain got
away.
Test your skills…

Use the sentence skeleton to create
your own compound sentence.

SPO, cc SPO.
Other Compound Structures

Besides coordinating conjunctions,
COMPOUND SENTENCES may have
two independent clauses joined by

a conjunctive adverb (e.g. however,
therefore)
• Tom reads novels; however, Jack prefers
comics.

a semicolon alone
• Tom reads novels; his friend reads
comics.
Now what?

Are you ready for
complex
sentences?



SP sc SP
SPO sc SPO
Sc SP, SP
• inside out sentence
structure
Now we get complex…

S P sc S P
You may use an adv sc
NO Comma—
Unless the sentence
is inside out!
or an adj sc from your list!
Example: I panicked when he pushed the
button.
Complex continued…


SPO sc SPO
Example: He barked
obscenities because she
wouldn’t take direction.
Why bother?


Your coordinating
conjunctions can
totally change the
meaning of the
sentence.
Your sentences will
be more
interesting.

You can even go
backwards.

scSP,SP
Example: While the doctor operated,
I was snoozing.
Have you seen these
before? adv sc











after
although
as
as soon as
as though
because
before
even if
if
in order that
provided that












since
so that
than
that
though
unless
until
when
whenever
where
wherever
while
What are these called?











that
which
who
whom
whose
after
before
since
when
where
why
adj sc
What’s the difference?
Compound sentences are basically
two simple sentences joined by a
comma and a coordinating
conjunction.
 Complex sentences are two simple
sentences joined by subordinating
conjunctions.


No comma is used unless the sentence
is inside out.
The exception to the rule…
complex sentences with relative
pronouns.

Jack Smith, who reads comics, rarely reads
novels.

Use commas to set off the appositive. If you can
take it out without changing the meaning, you can
set if off with commas.

Independent, nonessential dependent clause, clause.

People who read comics rarely read novels.

Independent
essential dependent clause
clause.
Compound + Complex=
Compound Complex

A compound complex sentence is
simply a combination of the two.
Now we get even more
complex… Compound Complex!

S P, cc S P sc SP
No fanboy=
Comma!
no comma
Example: The teachers danced, but the
students slept because they had worked too
hard.
It all depends…

S P, cc S P sc SP
Comma!
Independent
Clause
Dependent Clause
Example: The teachers danced, but the
students slept because they had worked too
hard.
Inside out structure…

scSP , SP, cc SP
Independent
Clause
Dependent Clause
Comma!
Comma!
Example: Although the teachers danced, the
students slept, and they had nightmares
about homework.
Conjunction Junction…

Notice the compound complex
sentence uses both types of
conjunctions.
FANBOY-Coordinating conjunction
 Subordinating conjunction

Count your commas!
Remember that you DO NOT NEED
a comma next to the subordinating
conjunction in a compound complex
sentence.

Example: The teachers danced, but the students
slept because they had worked too hard.
cc=comma
sc=no comma
What is the structure--or
sentence skeleton?
1. The hyenas laugh.
2. Teachers danced, but students slept because
they had worked too hard.
3. Dogs slobber, but boys snort.
4. The boys were laughing and snorting.
5. The boys were snorting snot bubbles.
6. The hyenas, boys, dogs, and the clowns
were laughing.
7. The girl was snorting snot bubbles and milk.
8. The hyenas and the clowns were
laughing.
Is that it?
How about this?
 scSPO,SPO,ccSPO
 Backwards Compound Complex!

Example: Because they really need
high energy, teachers eat snacks
ravenously, and they drink tons of
water.
Review—
What does a sentence need?
A complete thought.
 Subject and Verb
A run-on is when
 “Sit.”

the thought is not
finished because
you…
A fragment is just
a piece of your
thought. Not
finished.
The Four Sentence Types
(1) Simple
 (2) Compound



(3) Complex


Uses one coordinating conjunction
Uses one subordinating conjunction
(4) Compound Complex

Uses one coordinating and one
subordinating conjunction
Adding meat to the bones…
Example:
Because they really
need high energy, teachers eat
snacks ravenously, and they drink
tons of water.
What affect do the words in gray have?
Adding Adjectives and Adverbs


Adjectives and
Adverbs provide
additional
information.
Because they really
need high energy,
teachers eat snacks
ravenously, and they
drink tons of water.
What kind of superhero
would you be?
Proofreading
You can look at conjunctions when
proofreading. cc=comma sc=no comma
 Does the sentence complete the
thought? If not = run-on or
fragment.

Things to Remember

Always use a comma before the cc
connecting two independent clauses.


I love school, but I love vacation too.
Always use a comma after a
dependent clause that precedes an
independent clause.

Whenever I have a vacation, I love to
sleep in.
Continued…

Items in a series need commas—
even before the coordinating
conjunction.


I love to play my guitar, make pottery,
and walk my dogs.
You cannot start a sentence with a
coordinating conjunction.

And then the fun started.
Your job as a writer…
Find out what sentence structure
you are using most.
 How can you add spice to your
sentences?

Special Thanks to:

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Mrs. Haberkorn’s Notecard Grammar
Mrs. Fornander’s Parts of Speech Notes/Warner’s Grammar
http://www.rehearsalroom.com/verb.htm
wwwnew.towson.edu/ows/sentencestruct.htm http://trc.ucdavis.edu/bajaffee/SAS90B/Course%20Conte
nt/Grammar%20Syllabus/subordination.htm