Week 5 -Thursday The basic unit of written English is the sentence . - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Week 5 -Thursday

Subject Predicate Verb

 The basic unit of written English is the sentence.  A sentence is composed of a subject and a predicate.  The subject is the noun or noun phrase doing the action.  The predicate contains the verb that does the action and

(optionally) the object that it's done to.

 Example:

He took a sample of my pasta.

 There are three kinds of sentences in formal writing:

• Simple sentences, with a single subject and predicate
• Compound sentences, with two simple sentences joined together
• Complex sentences, with a simple sentence and a subordinate

clause

 Make sure you know which one of the three you're using

whenever you write a sentence.

 A simple sentence has one subject and one verb.  Example:

• I need some bread.

 In this example, "I" is the subject and "need" is the verb.  "Some bread" is the direct object of the verb "need."  Simple sentences are fine, but a collection of them sounds

childish and disjointed.

 Use a simple sentence to break up other, more complicated

sentences.

 Compound sentences join two simple sentences together.  With a comma and a coordinating conjunction:

• Walter cooks crystal meth, but Jesse wants a happy life.

 With a semicolon and (optionally) a conjunctive adverb:

• The sky is clear; the stars are bright.
• Peggy has great ideas; however, Don fails to give her credit.

 In compound sentences, the sentences being joined should be

related.

 To make a compound sentence with a comma and a coordinating

conjunction, remember FANBOYS when you're trying to remember which conjunctions are allowed:

• for
• and
• nor
• but
• or
• yet
• so

 Obviously "and" and "but" do the heavy lifting, but a few of the others can

be useful from time to time

 Complex sentences join a simple sentence with a subordinate

clause (using a subordinating conjunction).

 The subordinate clause cannot stand on its own.  Example:

• Although he ate a kitten for breakfast, he was still hungry.

 When the subordinate clause comes first, you must put a

comma between it and the simple sentence.

 When the subordinate clause comes after the simple

sentence, there's no need for a comma:

• She returned the computer because it smelled awful.

1.

As mentioned, before coordinating conjunctions that join two simple sentences into a compound sentence

2.

As mentioned, after a dependent clause that starts a sentence

3.

To mark appositives, phrases that act as synonyms or offer additional information:

• A mallard, a kind of duck, attacked me.

4.

To separate items in a series:

• Macadamias, almonds, walnuts, and pistachios are kinds of nuts.

5.

After introductory adverbs:

• Finally, I was able to wash my hair.

6.

Between adjectives that modify the same noun:

• Tell me more about that big, literate octopus.

 There are a few other cases for commas (separating numbers and addresses or

direct quotations), but these are the big ones.

 When three or more items are listed, you separate the first items

with commas, but do you put a comma before the "and" that precedes the last item?

 People disagree.  Using the "Oxford comma" means that you put that comma there:

• I'd like to thank my parents, Ayn Rand, and God.

 Leaving out the Oxford comma is more logical, but it can lead to

ambiguity:

• I'd like to thank my parents, Ayn Rand and God.

 Use either style, but be consistent.

 A run-on sentence improperly joins two independent clauses  A special kind of run-on sentence, a comma splice, joins two

independent clauses with a comma only

 A sentence fragment is missing either a subject or a predicate

 A run-on sentence improperly joins two independent clauses:

• I drink the blood of my enemies they are numerous.

 Fixes:

• I drink the blood of my enemies. They are numerous.
• I drink the blood of my enemies, yet they are numerous.
• I drink the blood of my enemies; however, they are numerous.
• Although I drink the blood of my enemies, they are numerous.

 A comma splice joins two independent clauses with a comma

• nly

 Example:

• John plays the banjo, he is a strange man.

 Fixes:

• John plays the banjo, and he is a strange man.
• John plays the banjo; he is a strange man.
• John plays the banjo. He is a strange man.
• John plays the banjo because he is a strange man.

 A sentence fragment is missing either a subject or a predicate  Example (missing subject):

• Shows no improvement in programming skills.

 Fix:

• Bill Gates shows no improvement in programming skills.

 Example (missing verb):

• The wombats, who were skilled in ninjutsu, which is a form of martial art.

 Fix:

• The wombats, who were skilled in ninjutsu, killed everyone in the village with

this form of martial art.

 There/they're/their  Its/it's  Could of/could have  Lie/lay  When in doubt, look it up:

• https://brians.wsu.edu/common-errors-in-english-usage/

 Project 2, the design document, is due next Friday  Assignment 3, the rough draft, is due the Friday after that