Sentence Structure
Name three things a complete sentence must have.
A subject (who or what).
A predicate (what the subject is or does).
Express a complete thought.
Punctuation at the end.
What is a topic sentence?
A topic sentence states the main idea of a paragraph.
Which version of this sentence is correct...
The fundraising committee are meeting today.
The fundraising committee is meeting today.
BONUS: Do you remember what "fundraising committee" is an example of?
The fundraising committee is meeting today, is correct.
This is an example of a collective noun. Even though we know there are many people on the committee, we still use the singular verb "is" with it because we view it as one singular group. Another example of this would be team, or class.
I went to see my Uncle on wednesday. It was nice because I haven't seen him since the Fall. We went to Olive garden for dinner and then watched Harry Potter. I really like spending time with my Uncle Rick.
First uncle shouldn't be capitalized, as it is not a specific name.
Wednesday should be capitalized.
Fall shouldn't be capitalized.
Olive Garden should all be capitalized.
What is a comma splice? Bonus: How do you fix a comma splice?
A comma splice occurs when complete sentences are joined together with only a comma, and are missing a FANBOYS word. For example... I wanted to go to the mall, I couldn't get a ride.
You can fix this by adding a FANBOYS word. For example... I wanted to go to the mall, but I couldn't get a ride.
What does FANBOYS stand for, and when do you use it?
FANBOYS stands for for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so. These are coordinating conjunctions, or words that you use to connect two complete sentences to form a compound sentence.
True or false... A topic sentence is always at the beginning of a paragraph.
False! While this is usually the case, a topic sentence can be placed anywhere in the paragraph.
Name as many forms of this verb as you can think of...
Present form: Sing.
Sing, sang, sung.
Which is the correct use of commas when listing items?
A) I like eating pasta, pizza and tacos.
B) I like eating, pasta, pizza, and tacos.
C) I like eating pasta, pizza, and tacos.
C is correct. You must use a comma after every item in a list.
What is parallel structure?
Parallel structure means that all items in a sentence should be in the same form and match grammatically with the others.
For example... I cooked dinner, watched TV, and was playing video games. Using parallel structure means changing "was playing video games" to "played video games" to match the other items.
How could you join these two complete sentences to create a compound sentence?
Joe likes to read books. He isn't able to go to the library right now.
Joe likes to read books, but he isn't able to go to the library right now.
Write a topic sentence for this paragraph...
First, I get out of bed and feed my cat. I then shower. After that, I drink my coffee and eat some toast. Lastly, I brush my teeth and head out the door.
This paragraph is talking about someone's morning routine, maybe before work. A topic sentence could be... Every morning, I have the same routine. Or... Before I go to work, this is what I do.
What are the three simple verb tenses? Give an example of each.
Past: Happened before. For example, played.
Future: Happening in the future. For example, will play.
Fix any errors when using apostrophes in this sentence.
Jess' dog is so cute. Hes only 5 months old! I ca'nt believe how small he is. Its collar was blue with polka dots. I'm so excited to see him again!
Jess's should have an s after the apostrophe because it is singular.
He's should have an apostrophe to represent he is.
Can't should have the apostrophe after the n to represent the missing "n and o" in can not.
Its is correct because you don't use an apostrophe with possessive pronouns his, hers, its, ours, yours, theirs, and whose.
I'm is correct as the apostrophe takes the place of the missing "a" in I am.
What is a homonym?
Homonyms are words that sound alike but have different spellings and different meanings.
Create a complex sentence with these two sentences/sentence fragment.
Ila's soccer practice got cancelled. Because it rained.
Ila's soccer practice got cancelled because it rained.
Because it rained, Ila's soccer practice got cancelled.
Where should a new paragraph start?
Getting a high school education is very important for many reasons. It can help you get a job, give you knowledge, and lead you to post-secondary education. Having a high school education is important to many employers today. If you don't have a high school education, it may be harder to get a job. Many employers will accept either a high school diploma or a GED. You may need to show proof of this.
You should start a new sentence after "It can help you get a job, give you knowledge, and lead you to post-secondary education." After this, a new topic starts that is just talking about getting a job.
What is a personal pronoun? Give an example of a pronoun you could use for Frank.
A personal pronoun is a word that can be used in placed of the name of a person, animal, place, or thing.
A pronoun that can be used for Frank is he or him.
Select the sentence that uses the correct form of there/their/they're.
A) They're going to the bench over there.
B) There doing to the bench over their.
C) Their going to the bench over there.
D) They're going to the bench over their.
A is correct. They're means they are. They are going to the bench over there. There represents a direction. The bench is over there.
What is a run-on sentence?
BONUS: How can you fix a run on sentence?
A run-on sentence consists of two or more complete sentences that are joined incorrectly. Most times, you can tell if a sentence is running on because it keeps going on and on.
You can fix a run on sentence by adding punctuation (periods to separate sentences, commas or semicolons to separate ideas), or by using a comma and FANBOYS word.
What is a modifier? What are the two types of modifiers that must be fixed?
A modifier is a word used to describe something.
The two types of modifiers that must be fixed are...
Misplaced Modifier: Descriptive word is too far away from the word it's describing. Fix by moving it closer. For example... Luke threw the basketball into the net that he was bouncing. Fix by adding "that he was bouncing" closer to "basketball" (what it is describing)... Luke threw the basketball that he was bouncing into the net.
Dangling Modifier: There is no subject. Fix by adding a subject. For example... Going to the store, the rain started. Fix by adding a subject... As I was going to the store, the rain started.
What sentence(s) can be taken out of this paragraph?
My favourite sport is basketball. I like to play basketball and also watch it on the TV. My favourite basketball team is the Raptors, and I even went to see a game before! I've also been to a Toronto Maple Leafs game. I mostly play basketball with a group of friends at a park in our neighborhood. There is also a skating rink at this park. We all get together about once a week to play a game or two.
You can take out... "I've also been to a Toronto Maple Leafs game," and "There is also a skating rink at this park." Neither of these are related to basketball.
Which one is correct?
Bernice invited Jim and I to join her for coffee.
Bernice invited Jim and me to join her for coffee.
The correct answer is, Bernice invited Joe and me to join her for coffee.
Because Joe and me are objects of the verb "invited," you will use an object pronoun (me) instead of a subject pronoun (I).
Challenge... Use the words weather and whether in the same sentence.
An example could be... Whether we go to the beach or not depends on the weather.
What is the difference between a possessive and a contraction in how they use apostrophes?
A possessive shows possession over something, by adding either just an apostrophe (plural ending in s) or an apostrophe and an s (singular or plural not ending in s).
A contraction is a shortened way to write two words. The apostrophe takes the place of the missing letters.