Okay, we're going to work with prepositional phrases again this week, as the majority of you did not demonstrate an ability to master the concept.
Most of you got the idea of the subject-verb agreement, which means that your verb tense depends on what the subject of the sentence is. BUT, that's not all of what the assignment asked you to do.
What I want you to get from this is that when we write, we sometimes stick prepositional phrases between the subject and the verb of the sentence. When this happens, it's very easy to have the wrong verb tense because we match the verb to the last word of the prepositional phrase, not the subject of the sentence. Take a look at this:
The birds that sit on the tree branch sings all morning long.
The subject is the birds, so the verb should be sing, as in "The birds sing..." But it's easy to make the mistake of matching the verb to the last word in the prepositional phrase (in this case it's branch) because the words are right next to each other.
Corrected, this sentence should read:
The birds that sit on the tree branch sing all morning long.
Also, please make sure that phrase that separates your subject and verb is a prepositional phrase. To make sure, you'll want the phrase to begin with a preposition:
about
above
across
after
against
along
among
around
at
before
behind
below
beneath
beside
between
beyond
but
by
despite
down
during
except
for
from
in
inside
into
like
near
of
off
on
onto
out
outside
over
past
since
through
throughout
till
to
toward
under
underneath
until
up
upon
with
within
without
Your assignment: You will write two responses. For each response, create three sets of sentences. Each set will feature a sentence with a prepositional phrase and a mismatched subject-verb, along with a sentence with a prepositoinal phrase and a proper subject-verb agreement.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Monday, April 12, 2010
Prepositional Phrases
Prepositions are words that show how a something exists in relation to the rest of the sentence - usually when or where.
Some examples of common prepositions are:
about
above
across
after
against
along
among
around
at
before
behind
below
beneath
beside
between
beyond
but
by
despite
down
during
except
for
from
in
inside
into
like
near
of
off
on
onto
out
outside
over
past
since
through
throughout
till
to
toward
under
underneath
until
up
upon
with
within
without
A prepositional phrase is the preposition and the rest of the description. In the following examples, the prepositional phrase is in bold.
The books on the table are missing pages.
In this example, the prepositional phrase separates the subject of the sentence (the books) and the predicate of the sentence (are). This is why it's important to be aware of prepositional phrases: When they separate the subject and the verb, it's easy to accidentally conjugate the verb based on the last word of the prepositional phrase, as opposed to conjugating the verb based on the subject, which is correct. For example, in this sentence, the verb is conjugated incorrectly:
The beings from outer space was green.
If you remove the prepositional phrase, you'll see that the simple subject-verb-object sentence for this example is: The beings were green. Therefore, when inserting the prepositional phrase, we still need to make sure that the verb conjugation matches the subject, not the last word of the prepositional phrase (in this case, space). So, the correct version of this example is:
The beings from outer space were green.
Your assignment: Create two responses. Each response will feature three pairs of sentences with prepositional phrases separating the subject and the verb. The first sentence in each pair will show the incorrect verb conjugation, and the second sentence in each pair will show the correct conjugation.
An example of what each response should look like is:
Incorrect: The students of Riverhead Middle School is funny.
Correct: The students of Riverhead Middle School are funny.
Incorrect: The house with four windows look pretty.
Correct: The house with four windows looks pretty.
Incorrect: Literature regarding teenagers tend to be about individuality issues.
Correct: Literature regarding teenagers tends to be about individuality issues.
Some examples of common prepositions are:
about
above
across
after
against
along
among
around
at
before
behind
below
beneath
beside
between
beyond
but
by
despite
down
during
except
for
from
in
inside
into
like
near
of
off
on
onto
out
outside
over
past
since
through
throughout
till
to
toward
under
underneath
until
up
upon
with
within
without
A prepositional phrase is the preposition and the rest of the description. In the following examples, the prepositional phrase is in bold.
The books on the table are missing pages.
In this example, the prepositional phrase separates the subject of the sentence (the books) and the predicate of the sentence (are). This is why it's important to be aware of prepositional phrases: When they separate the subject and the verb, it's easy to accidentally conjugate the verb based on the last word of the prepositional phrase, as opposed to conjugating the verb based on the subject, which is correct. For example, in this sentence, the verb is conjugated incorrectly:
The beings from outer space was green.
If you remove the prepositional phrase, you'll see that the simple subject-verb-object sentence for this example is: The beings were green. Therefore, when inserting the prepositional phrase, we still need to make sure that the verb conjugation matches the subject, not the last word of the prepositional phrase (in this case, space). So, the correct version of this example is:
The beings from outer space were green.
Your assignment: Create two responses. Each response will feature three pairs of sentences with prepositional phrases separating the subject and the verb. The first sentence in each pair will show the incorrect verb conjugation, and the second sentence in each pair will show the correct conjugation.
An example of what each response should look like is:
Incorrect: The students of Riverhead Middle School is funny.
Correct: The students of Riverhead Middle School are funny.
Incorrect: The house with four windows look pretty.
Correct: The house with four windows looks pretty.
Incorrect: Literature regarding teenagers tend to be about individuality issues.
Correct: Literature regarding teenagers tends to be about individuality issues.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Compound Predicates
Predicate is the fancy word for the verb or the action of a sentence. For example:
Mary walked through the park.
The predicate in this sentence is walked.
Sometimes, a sentence has two verbs, so this is a sentence with a compound predicate. For example:
Mary walked then ran through the park.
In this example, walked and ran are the predicates.
Your assignment: This week will require two responses. In each response, you will create three pairs of sentences with single predicates, then combime those sentences to create a sentence with a compound predicate. Each of your responses should look like this:
SP: Jane thinks about animals.
SP: Jane writes about animals.
CP: Jane thinks and writes about animals.
SP: Billy throws well.
SP: Billy catches well.
CP: Billy throws and catches well.
SP: Rachel swept the floor.
SP: Rachel mopped the floor.
CP: Rachel swept and mopped the floor.
Mary walked through the park.
The predicate in this sentence is walked.
Sometimes, a sentence has two verbs, so this is a sentence with a compound predicate. For example:
Mary walked then ran through the park.
In this example, walked and ran are the predicates.
Your assignment: This week will require two responses. In each response, you will create three pairs of sentences with single predicates, then combime those sentences to create a sentence with a compound predicate. Each of your responses should look like this:
SP: Jane thinks about animals.
SP: Jane writes about animals.
CP: Jane thinks and writes about animals.
SP: Billy throws well.
SP: Billy catches well.
CP: Billy throws and catches well.
SP: Rachel swept the floor.
SP: Rachel mopped the floor.
CP: Rachel swept and mopped the floor.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Compound Subjects
The subject of a sentence is who or what the sentence is about, or who or what is doing the action.
For example: Mary went to the store.
In this sentence, Mary is the subject.
Some sentences have more than one subject, and these are called compound subjects.
For example: Mary and Louise went to the store.
In this sentence, the compound subject is Mary and Louise.
Your assignment: You are to create three pairs of sentences. Each pair will have a sentence with a single subject and a sentence with a compound subject.
For example:
SS: Math is my favorite subject.
CS: Math and science are my favorite subjects.
SS: Nemo belongs in the ocean.
CS: Nemo and his dad belong in the ocean.
SS: I went to the beach.
CS: Tracy and I went to the beach.
IMPORTANT NOTE: I meant to assign two responses, but that wasn't specified the way I wrote the assignment. Oops! So, if you do two responses this week, I will give you extra credit in homework.
For example: Mary went to the store.
In this sentence, Mary is the subject.
Some sentences have more than one subject, and these are called compound subjects.
For example: Mary and Louise went to the store.
In this sentence, the compound subject is Mary and Louise.
Your assignment: You are to create three pairs of sentences. Each pair will have a sentence with a single subject and a sentence with a compound subject.
For example:
SS: Math is my favorite subject.
CS: Math and science are my favorite subjects.
SS: Nemo belongs in the ocean.
CS: Nemo and his dad belong in the ocean.
SS: I went to the beach.
CS: Tracy and I went to the beach.
IMPORTANT NOTE: I meant to assign two responses, but that wasn't specified the way I wrote the assignment. Oops! So, if you do two responses this week, I will give you extra credit in homework.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Relative Clauses
A relative clause is inserted into the middle of an independent clause and it acts as an adjective: it gives a description about the subject of the independent clause.
The three words that most often start a relative clause are that, which and who.
When starting a relative clause with "that," there is no need for commas. For example:
IC: The book is really good.
IC with RC: The book that I'm reading now is really good.
However, when starting a relative clause with who or which, you do need to separate the relative clause from the rest of the sentence with commas. For example:
IC: Johnny runs faster than anyone I've ever seen.
IC with RC: Johnny, who won the state championship last year, runs faster than anyone I've ever seen.
IC: Mom-mom is coming over for dinner.
IC with RC: Mom-mom, which is what I call my grandmother, is coming over for dinner.
Your Assignment:
Create two responses. Each response will feature three independent clauses and then create an independent clause with a relative clause from the independent clause, justu like I did above. So, two responses, three examples in each response.
The three words that most often start a relative clause are that, which and who.
When starting a relative clause with "that," there is no need for commas. For example:
IC: The book is really good.
IC with RC: The book that I'm reading now is really good.
However, when starting a relative clause with who or which, you do need to separate the relative clause from the rest of the sentence with commas. For example:
IC: Johnny runs faster than anyone I've ever seen.
IC with RC: Johnny, who won the state championship last year, runs faster than anyone I've ever seen.
IC: Mom-mom is coming over for dinner.
IC with RC: Mom-mom, which is what I call my grandmother, is coming over for dinner.
Your Assignment:
Create two responses. Each response will feature three independent clauses and then create an independent clause with a relative clause from the independent clause, justu like I did above. So, two responses, three examples in each response.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Clauses
THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED BY PURDUE UNIVERSITY'S WEBSITE
Identifying Independent and Dependent Clauses
Summary: This handout defines dependent and independent clauses and explores how they are treated in standard usage.
When you want to use commas and semicolons in sentences and when you are concerned about whether a sentence is or is not a fragment, a good way to start is to be able to recognize dependent and independent clauses. The definitions offered here will help you with this.
Independent Clause
An independent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and verb and expresses a complete thought. An independent clause is a sentence.
Ex: Jim studied in the Sweet Shop for his chemistry quiz.
Dependent Clause
A dependent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and verb but does not express a complete thought. A dependent clause cannot be a sentence. Often a dependent clause is marked by a dependent marker word.
Ex: When Jim studied in the Sweet Shop for his chemistry quiz . . . (What happened when he studied? The thought is incomplete.)
Dependent Marker Word
A dependent marker word is a word added to the beginning of an independent clause that makes it into a dependent clause.
Ex: When Jim studied in the Sweet Shop for his chemistry quiz, it was very noisy.
Some common dependent markers are: after, although, as, as if, because, before, even if, even though, if, in order to, since, though, unless, until, whatever, when, whenever, whether, and while.
Your assignment:
This week, you will create two responses. Each response will include three independent clauses and three sentences that begin with dependent clauses created from each of the independent clauses.
For example:
IC (independent clause): I went to the beach.
DCS (dependent clause sentence): After I went to the beach, I stopped for ice cream.
IC: Mark went to the museum.
DCS: Because Mark went to the museum, he developed an interest in sculpture.
IC: I babysit to earn money.
DCS: Until I babysit to earn money, I can't afford an iPod.
Identifying Independent and Dependent Clauses
Summary: This handout defines dependent and independent clauses and explores how they are treated in standard usage.
When you want to use commas and semicolons in sentences and when you are concerned about whether a sentence is or is not a fragment, a good way to start is to be able to recognize dependent and independent clauses. The definitions offered here will help you with this.
Independent Clause
An independent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and verb and expresses a complete thought. An independent clause is a sentence.
Ex: Jim studied in the Sweet Shop for his chemistry quiz.
Dependent Clause
A dependent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and verb but does not express a complete thought. A dependent clause cannot be a sentence. Often a dependent clause is marked by a dependent marker word.
Ex: When Jim studied in the Sweet Shop for his chemistry quiz . . . (What happened when he studied? The thought is incomplete.)
Dependent Marker Word
A dependent marker word is a word added to the beginning of an independent clause that makes it into a dependent clause.
Ex: When Jim studied in the Sweet Shop for his chemistry quiz, it was very noisy.
Some common dependent markers are: after, although, as, as if, because, before, even if, even though, if, in order to, since, though, unless, until, whatever, when, whenever, whether, and while.
Your assignment:
This week, you will create two responses. Each response will include three independent clauses and three sentences that begin with dependent clauses created from each of the independent clauses.
For example:
IC (independent clause): I went to the beach.
DCS (dependent clause sentence): After I went to the beach, I stopped for ice cream.
IC: Mark went to the museum.
DCS: Because Mark went to the museum, he developed an interest in sculpture.
IC: I babysit to earn money.
DCS: Until I babysit to earn money, I can't afford an iPod.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Compound Sentences
A compound sentence is a sentence that is created by joining two or more independent sentences with a conjunction and, in many cases to prevent a run-on sentence, a comma.
Examples of conjunctions:
F A N B O Y S
for and nor but or yet so
Other examples:
before
since
because
although
while
if
unless
whether
THE MAIN THING ABOUT A COMPOUND SENTENCE IS THAT WHAT'S ON EITHER SIDE OF THE CONJUNCTION COULD STAND ALONE AS A SENTENCE.
Example:
Peter went to the store, but he did not go to the post office.
Non-example:
Peter went to the store but not the post office. ("Not the post office" is not a complete sentence - there's no verb.)
Example:
I did my homework, and I also did all of my chores.
Non-example:
I did my homework and all of my chores.
Example:
I should have been allowed to go to the movies since I did all of my chores.
Non-example:
I should have since I did all of my chores.
YOUR HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT:
You are to post two responses. Each response should contain three examples and three non-examples of compound sentences. Unoriginal responses (copied or too close to someone else's post) will not receive credit.
Examples of conjunctions:
F A N B O Y S
for and nor but or yet so
Other examples:
before
since
because
although
while
if
unless
whether
THE MAIN THING ABOUT A COMPOUND SENTENCE IS THAT WHAT'S ON EITHER SIDE OF THE CONJUNCTION COULD STAND ALONE AS A SENTENCE.
Example:
Peter went to the store, but he did not go to the post office.
Non-example:
Peter went to the store but not the post office. ("Not the post office" is not a complete sentence - there's no verb.)
Example:
I did my homework, and I also did all of my chores.
Non-example:
I did my homework and all of my chores.
Example:
I should have been allowed to go to the movies since I did all of my chores.
Non-example:
I should have since I did all of my chores.
YOUR HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT:
You are to post two responses. Each response should contain three examples and three non-examples of compound sentences. Unoriginal responses (copied or too close to someone else's post) will not receive credit.
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