The Sentence
(Warriner, 181-206)
Parts of the Sentence
A sentence is a group of words expressing a complete thought.
Every sentence has two main parts: the subject and the predicate.
The subject of the sentence is the part about which something is being said.
The main word in the complete subject is called the simple subject.
The first prize is a gold medal.
COMPLETE SUBJECT: the first prize
SIMPLE SUBJECT: prize
The predicate of a sentence is the part that says something about the subject.
The main word or group of words in the complete predicate is the simple predicate.
The nurse lifted the patient carefully.
COMPLETE PREDICATE: lifted the patient carefully
SIMPLE PREDICATE: lifted
A compound subject is two or more subjects that have the same verb. The parts of the compound subject are most often connected by “and” or “or”.
Minneapolis and St. Paul are called “The Twin Cities”.
COMPOUND SUBJECT: Minneapolis and St. Paul
A compound verb is made up of two or more connected verbs that have the same subject.
Barbara sings or hums all day.
COMPOUND VERB: sings or hums
Independent and Dependent Clauses
A clause is a group of words that contains a verb and its subject and is used as a part of a sentence.
An independent (or main) clause expresses a complete thought and can stand by itself as a sentence.
Example: I thought we would go shopping, so I finished all my homework.
A dependent (or subordinate) clause does not express a complete thought and cannot stand alone as a sentence. Dependent clauses begin with subordinate conjunctions, such as after, although, as, before, if, since, that, unless, until, when, & while.
Example: I thought we would go shopping when I finished all my homework.
The meaning of a dependent clause is complete only when the clause is attached to a dependent clause.
Simple, Compound and Complex Sentences
Sentences may be classified, or grouped, according to structure.
A simple sentence has one independent clause and no dependent (or subordinate) clause. A simple sentence has one subject and one verb (either or both of which could be compound).
Examples: Freda and Paulo are from Brazil.
Lucia enjoys dancing and skiing.
A compound sentence has two independent clauses (two or more simple sentences) joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction, such as and, but, or, nor, for, yet, & so.
Examples: Jack climbed the beanstalk, and he met the giant.
Madge made the meat loaf, but Carl and Herman would not eat it.
A complex sentence has one independent clause and at least on dependent (or subordinate) clause. Each clause has at least one subject and one verb. Dependent (or subordinate) clauses often begin with subordinating conjunctions, such as after, because, before, if, that, when, where, & while.
Examples: If we do not hurry, we will be late.
Betty chose the chocolate fudge before she saw all the flavors.
Types of Sentences - Purpose
A declarative sentence makes a statement and ends with a period.
Patrick Henry lived in Virginia.
An imperative sentence gives a command or makes a request. It may end with a period or an exclamation point.
Go live in Virginia!
Pick up the book about Patrick Henry.
An interrogative sentence asks a question and ends with a question mark.
Where did Patrick Henry live?
An exclamatory sentence expresses strong feeling and ends with an exclamation point.
What a statesman Patrick Henry was!
Fragments and Run-Ons
(Warriner, 151-159)
A fragment is a separated part of a sentence that does not express a complete thought.
As you look at a group of words to determine whether or not it is a sentence, ask yourself the following questions:
*does the group of words have a verb and its subject?
Example: As well as phone messages. (does not have a verb and its subject)
*does the group of words express a complete thought?
Example: When Pete Rose made hit number 4,192. (does not express a complete thought)
Common types of fragments:
*containing a word ending in -ing (example: Waiting to perform)
*beginning with a subordinate conjunction, like after, although, because, if, since, unless, when, while (example: If she passes the test)
A run-on sentence consists of two or more sentences separated only by a comma or no mark of punctuation.
Example: The fire spread quickly, it burned down three houses.
OR
The fire spread quickly it burned down three houses.
Run-ons can be corrected in several ways.
Door #1: insert a semicolon (;)
Example: The fire spread quickly; it burned down three houses.
Door #2: insert a period, then capitalize the first word after it.
Example: The fire spread quickly. It burned down three houses.
Door #3: insert a comma and conjunction (or conjunction only, if the comma is there already)
Example: The fire spread quickly, and it burned down three houses.
Door #4: Be creative!
Nouns and Pronouns
(Warriner, 207-216)
A noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, or idea.
A proper noun names a particular person, place, thing, or idea and begins with a capital letter.
A common noun does not name a particular person, place, thing, or idea and does not begin with a capital letter.
A pronoun is a word used in place of one or more nouns. It may also stand for a person, place, thing, or idea.
Personal Pronouns
First Person
Singular: I, me, my, mine
Plural: we, us, our, ours
Second Person
Singular/Plural: you, your, yours
Third Person
Singular: he, him, his, she, her, hers, it, its
Plural: they, them, their, theirs
Pronouns ending with -self or -selves are called reflexive pronouns.
Personal pronouns use to show ownership are called possessive pronouns.
Possessive Pronouns
First Person
Singular: my, mine
Plural: our, ours
Second Person
Singular/Plural: your, yours
Third Person
Singular: his, her, hers, its
Plural: their, theirs
Adjectives
(Warriner, 216-224)
An adjective is a word that modifies a noun or a pronoun.
Adjectives answer the questions:
* What kind? (gentle, foggy)
* Which one? (these, sixth)
* How many? How much? (two, full)
A proper adjective is formed from a proper noun. (Canadian, Alaskan).
Verbs and Adverbs
(Warriner, 225-238)
A verb is a word that expresses action or state of being.
An action verb expresses action or otherwise helps to make a statement.
A linking verb is a verb that does not show action. It connects the subject with a word in the predicate. Besides forms of the verb be (is, are, was, were . . .), linking verbs are words like: appear, become, feel, seem, grow, look, remain, smell, sound, stay, and taste.
Depending on its use, the same verb can be either action or linking.
The soup tastes delicious.
verb: tastes - linking
I will taste the soup later.
verb: taste - action
A helping verb helps the main verb to express action or make a statement. Commonly used helping verbs include: am, is, are, was, were, be, been, has, have, had, do, did, does, may, might, must, can, would, should, shall, could, will.
Sometimes a verb phrase is interrupted by another part of speech (like the adverbs "not" or "always").
Suzanne should not call so late.
verb phrase: should call
verb: call
helping verb: should
Verbs can also be classified as transitive and intransitive. A transitive verb has a receiver of its action; an intransitive verb does not.
Remember the question to ask: verb who or what?
I grabbed the bag of chips from Harold.
verb: grabbed
grabbed who or what? bag of chips
Since there’s an object receiving the action, it’s a transitive verb.
I grabbed at the bag of chips on the counter.
verb: grabbed
grabbed who or what? can’t be answered
Since there’s no object receiving the action, it’s an intransitive verb.
An adverb is a word that modifies a verb, an adjective, or an adverb. Adverbs answer the questions: Where? When? How? How often? and To what extent?
The dog ran away.
The adverb away tells where the dog ran.
I will call you later.
The adverb later tells when I will call.
I softly shut the door.
The adverb softly tells how I shut the door.
She always reads horse books.
The adverb always tells how often she reads horse books.
He was too tired to watch tv.
The adverb too tells to what extent he was tired.
-tions
(Warriner, 239-245)
A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and some other word in the sentence.
Prepositions include words like: aboard, above, about, across, after, against, among, along, at before, behind, below, beneath, beside, between, by, down, during, for, from, in, into, like, of, off, on, since, through, to, under, until, up, with . . .
Your math book is underneath your coat.
The driver behind us honked his horn.
A preposition is always part of a prepositional phrase. It is used with a noun or a pronoun, which is referred to as the object of the preposition.
He poured sauce over the pizza.
preposition: over
object of preposition: pizza
The flea collar is for cats and dogs.
preposition: for
objects of preposition: cats and dogs
If you see a word that could be a preposition, but does not appear within a phrase with a noun or a pronoun, it is acting as an adverb.
I came aboard the skiff.
prepositional phrase: aboard the skiff
preposition: aboard
object of preposition: skiff
I came aboard.
adverb: aboard
A conjunction is a word that joins words or groups of words. The most frequently used conjunctions are the coordinating conjunctions or "fanboys": and, but, or, nor, for, yet, so.
Another type of conjunction, the subordinating conjunction, or "wibsaw" appears in complex sentences as the beginning of a dependent (subordinate) clause. These are words like since, although, as, while, when . . .
An interjection is a word that expresses strong feeling. It is frequently followed by an exclamation mark.
Examples: Aha! Oops! Alas! Hooray! Ouch! Whew! Wow! Yippee! Oh!
The Prepositional Phrase
(Warriner, 247-260)
A phrase is a group of words that is used as a part of speech. A phrase does not contain a subject and a verb.
Phrases cannot stand alone. They must be used with other words as part of a sentence.
A prepositional phrase is a phrase that begins with a preposition and ends with a noun or pronoun. A prepositional phrase may be used as an adjective or as an adverb.
EX: I met them at the bus stop.
“at the bus stop” is a prepositional phrase.
An adjective phrase modifies a noun or a pronoun, and it answers certain questions: What kind? Which one? How many? Or How much?
EX: He ordered a dinner of boiled shrimp.
“of boiled shrimp” is a prepositional phrase.
Because it describes the dinner, it is acting as an adjective.
A number of paintings by that artist show farm scenes.
“of paintings” is a prepositional phrase.
Because it describes number, it is acting as an adjective.
“by that artist” is a prepositional phrase.
Because it describes the paintings, it is acting as an adjective.
An adverb phrase modifies a verb, an adjective, or an adverb, and it answers certain questions: Where? When? How? How often? and To what extent?
EX: We sang at the local hospital.
“at the local hospital” is a prepositional phrase.
Because it describes where we sang, it is acting as an adverb.
I will go to the library in the morning.
“to the library” is a prepositional phrase.
Because it describes where I will go, it is acting as an adverb.
“in the morning” is a prepositional phrase.
Because it describes when I will go, it is acting as an adverb.
Agreement
(Warriner, 278-291)
When a word stands for one person or thing, it is singular in number. When a word stands for more than one person or thing, it is plural in number.
A verb agrees with its subject in number:
1) Singular subjects take singular verbs.
2) Plural subjects take plural verbs.
3) When a sentence has a verb phrase, the helping verb agrees with the subject.
Problems in Agreement:
Phrases between subject and verb
NOTE: The number of a subject is not changed by a phrase
following the subject.
EX: All shades of blue are my favorite colors.
Compound subject
Subjects joined by "and" take a plural verb.
EX: Reda and blue are the school’s colors.
Subjects joined by "or" or "nor" take a verb that agrees with the nearer subject.
EX: A new statue or fountain has been planned for the
park.
EX: A new statue or fountains have been planned
for the park.
Subject After the Verb
When the subject follows the verb, find the subject.
Then make sure that the verb agrees with it.
EX: Here is the overdue book about reptiles.
“book” is the subject--”is” agrees with it.
The Contractions Don’t and Doesn’t
The contraction don’t is used with all plural subjects
and the pronouns I and you.
EX: I don’t have it.
Dogs don’t meow.
The contraction doesn’t is used with all singular
subjects except the pronouns I and you.
EX: He doesn’t have it.
Using Verbs Correctly
(Warriner, 292-308)
The four principal parts of the verb are the infinitive or present (ex: wear), present participle (ex: wearing), past (ex: wore), and the past participle (ex: [have] worn).
Tenses are forms of verbs showing time. The principal parts of verbs help us to create the various tenses.
The conjugation of a verb is a list of its tenses.
A regular verb forms its past and past participle by adding -d or -ed to the infinitive form. NOTE: Regular verbs are called regular because the spelling of the main part of the verb does not change, except for the endings.
An irregular verb is one that forms its past and past participle in some other way than a regular verb (either by changing a vowel--sing, sang, have sung, by changing a vowel and consonants--go, went, have gone, or by making no change--burst burst, have burst).
Three pairs of verbs in particular are often misused.
Sit and Set:
Sit means “to rest in a seated position” or “to take one’s
seat” as in a chair. The principal parts are sit, sitting, sat,
and have sat.
Set means “to place something” or “to put.” The principal
parts are set, setting, set, and have set. Set usually takes an
object (noun or pronoun).
EX: Sit here.
Set the books on the chair. (“the books” is the object being placed)
Rise and Raise:
Rise means “to go in an upward direction” or “to get up.”
The principal parts are rise, rising, rose, and have risen.
Raise means “to lift up” or “to move something in an upward direction.”
Like the verb set, raise usually has a direct object (noun or pronoun).
The principal parts are raise, raising, raised, and have raised.
EX: I rise from my chair when the bell rings.
Raise your hand if you have a question. (“your hand” is the object being raised)
Lie and Lay:
Lie means “to recline,” “to rest,” or “to stay in a reclining
position.
The principal parts are lie, lying, lay, and have lain.
Lay means to “put down” or “to place something.”
The verb usually takes a direct object (noun or pronoun).
The principal parts are lay, laying, laid, and have laid.
EX: The cat always lies on that rug.
Lay the mail on the table. (“the mail” is the object being placed)
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