Transcript Writing clear sentences

Writing Clear
Sentences
How to avoid sentence fragments and run-on sentences.
What is a sentence?
A sentence is a group of words that has
1. a subject
• person, place or thing doing an action
2. a verb
• an action
3. A capitalized first letter of the first word.
4. end punctuation
• period, question mark, exclamation mark
5. a complete thought.
Verb
What Jack did
End punctuation
Signals that the sentence is over.
Jack climbed the giant beanstalk.
Subject
Who did the climbing
Predicate (Optional)
“Jack climbed.” is a
complete sentence.
What Jack climbed
Jack climbed the giant beanstalk.
Is there anything we still need to know
about this sentence?
No? Then this sentence expresses a
complete thought.
Verb
What I did
End punctuation
Signals that the sentence is over.
I traded our cow for magic beans.
Subject
Who did the trading
Predicate (Optional)
“I traded.” is a complete
sentence.
What I traded
I traded our cow for magic beans.
Is there anything we still need to know
about this sentence?
No? Then this sentence expresses a
complete thought.
Verb
What I want you to do
Yo Stop!
u
Unstated
Subject
Who needs to stop
End punctuation
Signals that the sentence is
over. The exclamation point
adds emotion or excitement.
Yo Stop!
u
Is there anything we still need to know
about this sentence?
No? Then this sentence expresses a
complete thought.
Verb
Questions have two
verbs.
Did Jack win?
Subject
Who did the winning
End punctuation
Signals that the sentence is
over and that it is a question.
Did Jack win?
Is there anything we still need to know
about this sentence?
No? Then this sentence expresses a
complete thought.
Verb
State of being
End punctuation
Signals that the sentence is
over.
He is a sneaky boy.
Subject
Who is a sneaky boy
Predicate (Optional)
“He is.” is a complete
sentence.
He is what?
He is a sneaky boy.
Is there anything we still need to know
about this sentence?
No? Then this sentence expresses a
complete thought.
Now let’s look at sentences that are
missing something.
What’s missing?
Who chased Jack down the
beanstalk?
The giant chased Jack down the beanstalk.
Subject
Who did the chasing?
Without a subject, the
group of words is called
a sentence fragment.
What’s missing?
His parents did not what?
His parents did not him.
That’s better.
Verb
His parents did not believe him.
Without a verb, the
group of words is called
a sentence fragment.
What’s missing?
Does the sentence tell us everything
we need to know?
After Jack stole the goose.
No, it doesn’t. We need to know
more about what Jack does after he
stole the goose.
That’s better.
After Jack stole the goose, he snuck past
the giant.
Without a complete
thought, the group of
words is called a
sentence fragment.
DO NOT WRITE
IN BOOKS.
Page 1, #1-10
1. Identify
each group of
words a
sentence (S) or
sentence
fragment (SF).
2. For each
fragment, rewrite
the fragment as a
complete
sentence.
(Hint: There are 5 fragments.)
Run-on
Sentences
When sentences try
to say too much at
once.
What is a run-on sentence?
A run-on sentence is actually one or
more sentences run together without
proper punctuation and/or
conjunctions.
They usually happen when you are
rushing to get your ideas down, but
can be easily fixed.
Tarzan was raised by gorillas, he
learned to swing on vines.
Tarzan was raised by gorillas, he
learned to swing on vines.
Tarzan was raised by gorillas, he
learned to swing on vines.
How can we fix this run-on sentence?
By changing the comma to a
period, the two thoughts become
two separate sentences.
Tarzan was raised by gorillas. He
learned to swing on vines.
Notice that both sentences
now have a subject, a verb
and end punctuation.
What are they?
Tarzan is a great adventurer, he
has wrestled a crocodile, he saved
Jane from a sorcerer, he has many
other adventures.
Tarzan is a great adventurer, he
has wrestled a crocodile, he saved
Jane from a sorcerer, he has many
other adventures.
Tarzan is a great adventurer, he
has wrestled a crocodile, he saved
Jane from a sorcerer, he has many
other adventures.
Tarzan is a great adventurer, he
has wrestled a crocodile, he saved
Jane from a sorcerer, he has many
other adventures.
Tarzan is a great adventurer, he
has wrestled a crocodile, he saved
Jane from a sorcerer, he has many
other adventures.
Tarzan is a great adventurer, he
has wrestled a crocodile, he saved
Jane from a sorcerer, he has many
other adventures.
How can we fix this run-on sentence?
Tarzan is a great adventurer. He
has wrestled a crocodile. He saved
Jane from a sorcerer. He has
many other adventures.
Change the commas to periods, making
each thought its own sentence.
Tarzan is a great adventurer, he
has wrestled a crocodile, he saved
Jane from a sorcerer, he has many
other adventures.
What is another way can we fix this run-on
sentence?
Tarzan is a great adventurer. He
has wrestled a crocodile, and
saved Jane from a sorcerer. He
has many other adventures.
Change some of the commas to periods.
Connect the thoughts with “and”.
The story of Tarzan is very
popular, some people do not
think that Tarzan is a good story
for children, there is racism and
sexism.
How can we fix this run-on sentence?
The story of Tarzan is very
popular, some people do not
think that Tarzan is a good story
for children, there is racism and
sexism.
The story of Tarzan is very
popular, but some people do not
think that Tarzan is a good story
for children. There is racism and
sexism in the story.
Connect the thoughts with “but”.
Change one of the commas to a period.
Now it’s time
for you to
practice.
In the skinny blue
book.
Page 244, #1-15
Stringy Sentences
When too many ideas are strung
together in one sentence.
What is a stringy sentence?
A stringy sentence is a type of run-on.
It has too many ideas stuck together
with and, but or or.
They don’t give the reader a chance to
pause between ideas.
The ostrich is the largest living bird, and
it stands nearly eight feet tall, and it
weighs over three hundred pounds when
it is fully grown, and this speedy bird can
run up to forty miles an hour!
How many different ideas
are there in this sentence?
The ostrich is the largest living bird, and
it stands nearly eight feet tall, and it
weighs over three hundred pounds when
it is fully grown, and this speedy bird can
run up to forty miles an hour!
1
The ostrich is the largest living bird, and
it stands nearly eight feet tall, and it
weighs over three hundred pounds when
it is fully grown, and this speedy bird can
run up to forty miles an hour!
2
The ostrich is the largest living bird, and
it stands nearly eight feet tall, and it
weighs over three hundred pounds when
it is fully grown, and this speedy bird can
run up to forty miles an hour!
3
The ostrich is the largest living bird, and
it stands nearly eight feet tall, and it
weighs over three hundred pounds when
it is fully grown, and this speedy bird can
run up to forty miles an hour!
4
The ostrich is the largest living bird, and
it stands nearly eight feet tall, and it
weighs over three hundred pounds when
it is fully grown, and this speedy bird can
run up to forty miles an hour!
Notice how the 4 ideas are
all stuck together with and.
There are several better
ways to say this.
The ostrich is the largest living bird. It
stands nearly eight feet tall. It weighs
over three hundred pounds when it is
fully grown. This speedy bird can run up
to forty miles an hour!
Giving each idea its own
sentence is the easiest
way. But…
The ostrich is the largest living bird. It
stands nearly eight feet tall, and it weighs
over three hundred pounds when it is
fully grown. This speedy bird can run up
to forty miles an hour!
…keeping the middle two
together is better.
Why?
Ideas that are closely
related should be
linked together.
It makes it easier for
the reader to see
how those ideas are
related.
Make sure the ideas are
strongly connected.
If not, each idea should be in its
own sentence.