SMASH - WRITING

Sentence Structure

100

True or False. A sentence must always have a dependent clause to be grammatically correct.

False: Each sentence must have an Independent Clause. An Independent clause is a complete sentence that stands alone. A dependent clause is an incomplete thought, but can be joined to a dependent clause to make the sentence grammatically correct.

200

True or False. A basic sentence contains a subject, a verb, and an object.

True. The subject is usually a noun (person, place or thing), followed by a verb (which describes the subject), and the object receives the action. For example, "Casey is reading her notes."

300

Which of the following is NOT a complete sentence... a) Go! b) The gasoline prices. c) Studying is hard work! d) My English instructor is awesome, but she makes me work too much.

and the correct answer is... b) "The gasoline prices" is not a complete sentence. It is a fragment.

400

What tip did we discuss in class to help recognize sentence fragments.

Can you remember the "I realize" tip? You can put the words "I realize" in front of any complete sentence to make a new grammatical sentence. (It still makes sense). In a fragmented sentence, adding "I realize" will not make sense.

500

Define the following terms. (You have one minute). a) Fused Sentence b) Comma Splice

A fused sentence has two independent clauses joined together with appropriate punctuation MISSING. A comma Splice is joining two independent clauses with only a comma. Both are types of run-on sentences! To fix these, either use a semicolon to separate sentences OR separate into two sentences.

Punctuation

100

True or False. A sentence does not need any punctuation to be grammatically correct.

False. Every sentence needs some form of punctuation.

200

True or False. There are only three ways to end a sentence. These punctuation marks are; question mark, comma, and period.

False. The three punctuation marks that end a sentence are; question mark, exclamation point, and period.

300

The most common use of a colon in a sentence is to; a) separate two independent clauses b) attach a dependent clause to an independent clause c) end the sentence d) introduce a list

d) introduce a list. Example: The females in this class are: Kayla, Casey, and Samantha.

400

What is a contraction AND when is it appropriate to use them? Can you give some examples?

A contraction is the shortened form of a word or a combination of words and is usually indicated by the use of an apostrophe ('). Contractions are most often used in informal writing, and generally must be avoided in academic writing.

500

Which sentence is NOT punctuated correctly? a) My sister has brown eyes. b) My friend, Chrisha, is the kindest person I know. c) Alan worked night-shift, Kayla babysat her cousin. d) Samantha said, "I love this class."

and the correct answer is...drum roll... c) The correct punctuation would be either a semicolon to separate the independent clauses OR add a conjunction. (while). The first sentence is a basic sentence and needs no further punctuation. Commas are placed in the second sentence because I added further identifiable information - but the sentence would still be grammatically correct without this information. The third sentence is correct also. If the sentences read "Samantha said that "I love this class" then no comma would be necessary. Check Punctuation Powerpoint.

Spot the Error

100

Spot the error... Can you help me find the remote!

It is a punctuation error. A question mark should be at the end of this sentence and not an exclamation point.

200

Spot the error...(hint: there is more than one) Bill said taht this is is favorite class, he wants to see all the students succeed.

Yes, I know you caught the spelling mistake. What about the punctuation? This sentence should be either split into two sentences, OR a semicolon in place of the comma, OR leave the comma in place but insert a coordinating conjunction.

300

Spot the error... The students in SMASH camp this summer are dedicated, and determined.

No comma necessary!

400

Spot the error(s)... when Comparing the bustling city of Edinburgh, scotland, to the rural city of Ashland, kentucky, there are several noticeable differences in lifestyle between the Two populations.

Did you spot all the capitalization errors? There are 5. WHEN, COMPARING, SCOTLAND, KENTUCKY, TWO.

500

Spot the error....and you must EXPLAIN why it is an error. All nursing students are required to purchase her own graduation materials.

Sexist language. There are two ways this sentence can be corrected. a) All nursing students are required to purchase THEIR own graduation materials; b) All nursing students are required to purchase his or her graduation materials.

Grammar

100

True or False. Nouns are the group of words we use to describe what is happening in a sentence.

False. Adjectives and adverbs modify the noun to provide the descriptive information.

300

FANBOYS is an acronym. What does it stand for? What is the name of the group of words that it refers to?

The acronym FANBOYS is a mnemonic device to remember the coordinating conjunctions. For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So.

400

Name two different types of pronoun.

There are several types of pronoun. The ones we have discussed in class are...the personal pronoun (I, me, we, us),...the relative pronoun (who, that, which),...and possessive pronouns (mine, his, theirs, ours).

500

Which of the following sentences are grammatically incorrect. HINT: Check rules of capitalization! a) How many cookies would you like, Kevin? b) My Mother baked me a Birthday cake. c) The Earth is square. d) Life is all about handbags and shoes.

Did I trick you? Sure, our beloved planet is not square, but the sentence IS grammatically correct! The incorrect sentence is b) -- There is no need to capitalize "Mother" and "Birthday." :-)

Common Confusion

100

True or False. Words that sound alike but have different meanings are one of the main causes of skipping errors in sentences.

Absolutely, it is true! Pay attention on your Compass Test!

200

True or False. This sentence is correct.. . "I felt feint before the exam, so I went two the store and purchased a light snack."

"feint" and "two" are wrong...do you know what the correct words would be? faint, and to would be the correct usage.

300

Explain the correct usage of... they're, there, and their.

Remember the apostrophe is an indicator that the word is a contraction of "they are." There indicates a PLACE, (over there). Their relates to possession. (I hope the SMASH students have all completed their homework!)

400

Which sentence indicates correct usage. a) I am glad that we have spent the summer altogether. b) These classes did not cost me a scent. c) It has been an enlightening experience. d) Y'all excellent students.

c) is correct. "altogether" is not the appropriate usage - should have read "all together." "scent" is incorrect, it should have read cent. "Y'all" is incorrect (remember the dialect matching game? This should have read "You are all."

500

List 5 more commonly confused words, and explain the correct usage. For full points, you need to be thorough...or is that through, threw, thru... (You Cannot use this example!)