Essential/Nonessential Clauses Phrases
How can you tell if a clause or phrase is essential?
If it fundamentally changes the meaning of a sentence!
LT is the athlete whom I came to watch
LT is the athlete
What is a run-on sentence?
Marley likes pizza rolls Jeremiah likes corn dogs
Marley likes pizza rolls ,but Jeremiah likes corn dogs.
What is a theme?
A theme is the universal message about human nature or behaviors that a work is trying to convey.
What parts of speech does an adverb modify?
Adverbs modify adjectives, verbs, and other adverbs.
Send a teammate to rewrite this sentence:
My brother, Dylan drove me to the party.
Here, Dylan is an essential element. Thus, the sentence should be:
My brother Dylan drove me to the party.
How are nonessential clauses/phrases punctuated?
They are offset with commas on both sides
Baehr, the school's best Overwatch player, won the Overwatch League.
What are the three ways to correct a run on sentence?
Using a comma and a FANBOY
Using a semicolon
Breaking the clauses up with a period
Parker plays baseball Brody plays golf.
Parker plays baseball, but Brody plays golf.
Parker plays baseball; Brody plays golf.
Parker plays baseball. Brody plays golf.
How should flashbacks be treated when arranging the sequence of events for a story?
Sequence of events are chronological, so even if a flashback occurs at the end of a story, the event the flashback details should be placed earlier
Example: In What of this Goldfish, the story talks about Sergei's first two wishes near the end of the story, but those wishes happened five years before the main events of the story.
Is the following a dependent clause, independent clause, or phrase:
When it stops raining
Dependent clause
Send a teammate to rewrite the sentence:
Dominic wrecked his car on Saturday he shouldn't have been drinking that night.
Dominic wrecked his car on Saturday; he shouldn't have been drinking that night.
OR
Dominic wrecked his car on Saturday. He shouldn't have been drinking that night.
Is this italicized section essential or nonessential?
The newest movie directed by Martin Scorsese isn't very good.
Essential, its specifying what movie.
Is this sentence a run on?
Dominic ran through the street trying to pick up all of the newspapers that he dropped.
No, there's only one independent clause.
Is this a proper thematic statement?
The theme of 'Lifted' is that the little alien shouldn't be discouraged by his failure, because failing is part of learning
No, thematic statements shouldn't directly refer back to characters or settings in the work.
What type of sentence consists of two independent clauses linked together?
Compound
Send a teammate to rewrite this sentence:
I didn't study at all for this test it's remarkable I even passed.
I didn't study at all for this test, so it's remarkable I even passed.
I didn't study at all for this test; it's remarkable I even passed.
I didn't study at all for this test. It's remarkable I even passed.
Spot the essential/nonessential phrase in this sentence, then identify whether it is essential or nonessential.
Leslie, my older sister by five years, always helps me wash the dog.
My older sister by five years, nonessential appositive phrase
Send a teammate up to fix this sentence:
The Norman invasions of England had a huge effect on the English language you can blame the French if you’ve ever wondered why cow meat is called beef or queen is spelt with a Q!
The Norman invasions of England had a huge effect on the English language; you can blame the French if you’ve ever wondered why cow meat is called beef or queen is spelt with a Q!
Which of these five details is minor, and should be left OUT of a summary of Finding Nemo?
1) Marlin's son Nemo is abducted by divers.
2) Marlin and Dory meet vegetarian sharks
3) Nemo escapes the dentist's fish tank.
4) Marlin meets Dory, who can read the writing on the scuba mask.
5) Marlin allows Nemo to help the netted fish, showing he can trust him
2. 1 is the major inciting incident, 3 and 4 are major events that progress the plot, and 5 is the major resolution to the film's theme of trust. The shark scene is fun, but is ultimately a minor event.
In the following sentence, find the direct objects
In the second half of the game, Brian passed Areian the ball, finishing the game 4-2 and winning the season.
The ball, the game, the season
Send a teammate to rewrite this sentence:
Due to the long weekend the clinic will be closed next week we will be unable to take your calls.
Due to the long weekend, the clinic will be closed next week, so we will be unable to take your calls.
Due to the long weekend, the clinic will be closed next week. We will be unable to take your calls.
Due to the long weekend, the clinic will be closed next week; we will be unable to take your calls.
Send a teammate to rewrite this sentence to include a nonessential phrase:
My dog is very smart.
I hope you got it!
Example answers:
My dog, a Shiba Inu, is smart.
My dog, who we found on the street four years ago, is very smart.
Send a teammate up to fix this sentence:
Marcus trained for months to make the varsity team he knew it would be tough competition and his chances weren’t guaranteed but he stayed focused and pushed himself every day.
Marcus trained for months to make the varsity team; he knew it would be tough competition, and his chances weren’t guaranteed, but he stayed focused and pushed himself every day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNvkiopfUZ8
Watch this video and then give a 3-4 sentence summary.
A school is celebrating halloween in the meal hall. Some of the kids are discussing a girl crying in the bathroom. A man runs in screaming about a troll in the dungeon before fainting. The headmaster calls for order, sends the students back to their dorms, and goes to take care of the troll with the other teachers. Two boys, realizing the girl didn't hear about the troll, rush to save her.
This sentence needs commas. Consult with your team, and then send one teammate to add commas where needed.
According to the Smiling Friends Earth's supply of helium which is used in a wide range of things from balloons to MRI magnets will be depleted within the next 15 to 20 years.
According to the Smiling Friends, Earth's supply of helium, which is used in a wide range of things from balloons to MRI magnets, will be depleted within the next 15 to 20 years.
One of poet Robert Frost's most famous poems, Nothing Gold Can Stay, inspired one of the most famous lines in literature. The line "stay gold, Ponyboy" from S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders references the poem directly.
One of poet Robert Frost's most famous poems, Nothing Gold Can Stay, inspired one of the most famous lines in literature; the line "stay gold, Ponyboy" from S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders references the poem directly.