1、Once you have located the verb(s) in a sentence, the next step is to find the subject. Finding the subject is as easy as asking the question Who or what is doing that action? Just as verbs have a few exceptions so do subjects. In this chapter you will learn about prepositional phrases and their role
2、 in a sentence. Chapter 1 also looks at complex word order and how to identify the subjects and verbs in a sentence when the word order is a little unusual.Once you have mastered the basic building blocks of a sentence you will be ready to start writing sentences in various ways that will make your
3、writing interesting. Chapter 2: Beyond the Simple SentenceThis chapter is about how to move past using simple basic sentences into using compound sentences. When sentences are combined they give a natural flow and rhythm to your writing that using all short sentences doesnt create. Compound sentence
4、s are created through coordination. Coordination is taking two or more independent clauses and putting them into the same sentence using either a conjunction or a semicolon or both. The most important element to making coordinated sentences is to be certain that you are joining two independent claus
5、es instead of clauses and phrases. In addition to studying the conjunctions, you will also study the punctuation patterns for compound sentences. This chapter will cover three different methods for combining sentences: using a coordinating conjunction, using a conjunctive adverb, or using just a sem
6、icolon. By the time you have completed this chapter you should be able to write sentences that varying in length so that your writing has a more flowing style.Chapter 3: Avoiding Run On Sentences and Comma SplicesAs your book tells you, if you put two independent clauses together without proper punc
7、tuation, you have made an error called a run-on sentence. Another name for this error is a fused sentence. Chapter Three explains techniques for figuring out if you have made this error in your writing, and if you have, how to fix it. Chapter Three will review much of what you learned in Chapter Two
8、 about coordination. Run-ons are generally created when you attempt to coordinate sentences and dont use the correct punctuation. In addition to run-ons, you will review how to correct comma splices. Comma splices are created when you attempt to join two complete sentences with just a comma and no c
9、oordinating conjunction.Chapter 4: Beyond the Simple Sentence: SubordinationSo far you have studied how to put two sentences together by coordinating them, that is keeping them equal. Chapter Four explores subordination which is putting sentences together by turning one of them into a dependent clau
10、se. A dependent clause is still a clause; it has a subject and a verb, but does NOT make sense by itself. A dependent clause depends on another independent clause in order to make sense. Dependent clauses are created by using subordinating conjunctions to join the two sentences. The subordinating co
11、njunction can be added at either the beginning of the first sentence or between the two sentences you are joining. This sentence pattern of one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses is called a complex sentence. Punctuating complex sentences is fairly simple. If the dependent clause b
12、egins the sentence then a comma is used at the end of the dependent clause. If the independent clause begins the sentence, then no comma is necessary. Using subordination and coordination helps your writing by giving it variety and interest in the sentence structures.Chapter 5: Combining Sentences:
13、A Review of Your OptionsAs you learned in Chapter Two, sentence variety is crucial to good writing. Using nothing but short simple sentences makes writing seem choppy. You learned to create sentence variety with compound sentences. The compound sentence is made through coordination using one of the
14、three methods of sentence combining covered in Chapter Two. These methods included using a comma and a coordinating conjunction to join two independent clauses (sentences), using a semicolon, using a conjunctive adverb which is punctuated with a semicolon and a comma. In Chapter Four, you learned an
15、other method of combining sentences using subordination. Subordination changes an independent sentence into a dependent clause and joins the two sentences together to create one complex sentence. A sentence is changed into a dependent clause by adding a subordinating conjunction to the beginning of
16、one of the sentences. The two sentences are joined together by putting the dependent clause either at the beginning or the end of the independent sentence. Chapter Five reviews these five options for sentence combining and gives you the list of all the types of conjunctions in a handy chart. Chapter
17、 6: Avoiding Sentence FragmentsA sentence is defined as a group of words containing a subject, a verb, and a complete thought. If any of these elements is missing, then the group of words isnt a sentence. A fragment is a group of words that is punctuated like a sentence and that is trying to functio
18、n as a sentence, but one of the necessary elements is missing. There are several ways to find and correct fragments. Any group of words functioning as a sentence should be checked for the basics. Does it have a subject? Does it have a verb? Does it start with a subordinating conjunction or a relativ
19、e pronoun that keeps the thought from being complete? If the answer to any of the questions is no, it is a fragment. Correcting fragments is fairly simple and you have several options. For a fragment that is missing a subject or verb, add the missing element. If the problem is a subordinating conjun
20、ction, the conjunction can be removed which would make the fragment a complete sentence. Another option is to join the fragment to another sentence either before it or after it in the paragraph creating a complex sentence. No matter how you choose to correct the fragment, it is important for you to
21、eliminate them from your writing. Fragments are considered to be a major grammatical error in writing because they indicate that the writer isnt sure what a sentence is. Readers will often not pay attention to the point a writer is making if the reader thinks the writer doesnt even understand how to
22、 write a complete sentence. Chapter 7: Using Parrallelism In SentencesParallelism is achieving balance in sentences. When you present similar points in a sentence, those points should have similar structure. This means that if you have a list of adjectives, that each word you use in the list is an a
23、djective. If you are presenting a series of verbs, the verbs all use the same form and tense. When sentences arent parallel they are often very awkward and difficult to read. Readers should not be distracted from the meaning of your writing because your sentences arent understandable. Parallelism is
24、 achieved by finding the list within a sentence and then checking to see what type of structure best suits your meaning. Sometimes a preposition can introduce a list of three objects; at other times, each object will need its own preposition. You make those decisions when you evaluate the sentence y
25、ou are trying to make parallel. Chapter 8: Using Adjectives and AdverbsAdjectives and adverbs are the words we use to describe. Adjectives describe nouns and pronouns and adverbs describe verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. Without adjectives and adverbs we would not have the ability to distinguis
26、h between similar items. Adjectives generally appear before the word they describe. They can also appear after a being verb like is, are, was, were, am, has been as well as other being verbs like feels, looks, seems, smells, and sounds. When adjectives are used with being verbs they will follow the
27、verb rather than appearing before the noun or pronoun. Adverbs describe verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. Adverbs answer questions like How? How much? How often? When? Where? and Why? Adverbs can appear either before or after the word they describe. There are a few adjectives and adverbs that ca
28、n be confused such as good and well and bad and badly. Good and bad are adjectives; well and badly are adverbs. It is also important not to confuse adjectives when you are making comparisons. When you are comparing two items, you use the comparative form in which the adjective ends with -er as in co
29、lder or has the word more in front of it as in more intelligent. The superlative form compares three or more items and uses either -est or the word most to create its form. Adjectives and adverbs are often used in making comparisons because adjectives and adverbs are the tools we use to distinguish
30、one item from another. Chapter 9: Correcting Problems with ModifiersAdjectives, adverbs, and prepositional phrases are all part of a group of words, clauses, and phrases that are modifiers. Modifiers describe nouns, pronouns, and verbs in a sentence. Modifiers help to make your writing vivid, clear,
copyright@ 2008-2022 冰豆网网站版权所有
经营许可证编号:鄂ICP备2022015515号-1