Time for your medicine

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Time for your medicine!
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Sentence Elements Simplified

• Sentences contain words that function in a
  variety of roles. We assign words to a word
  class, depending on the role it is performing in
  a sentence.
• Nouns name persons, places, things, ideas.
• Verbs express action or state of being.
• Adjectives describe or modify nouns.
• Adverbs describe or modify verbs, adjectives,
  other adverbs, and entire sentences.
• There are also phrases clauses that correspond
  to each of these word classes, e.g., noun phrase,
  noun clause.
• The diligent students discussed freedom in class
  today.
• Their conscientious professor is at a conference
  this week.

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Phrases

• A phrase is a group of words that functions as a
  single part of speech. For example, a
  prepositional phrase (PP) can function as an
  adverb
• The diligent students discussed freedom in class
  today.
• Here, the phrase in class answers this question
  Where did the students discuss freedom today?
• The subject of the sentence is a noun phrase
  (NP) the diligent students.

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Clauses

• A clause has a subject and a predicate (the
  predicate is the verb and its modifiers). If the
  clause can stand alone, we call it an independent
  clause (IC). If it cant because it is preceded
  by a subordinating conjunction, we call it
  dependent (DC).
• The diligent students discussed freedom in class
  today while the teacher was away at a conference.

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Sentence Elements, cont.

• Pronouns take the place of nouns.
• Prepositions introduce prepositional phrases (PP)
  that express the relationship between two
  sentence elements (e.g., direction, time,
  location, manner).
• Articles (the, a, an) introduce a noun phrase
  (NP) and mark nouns as definite (the book) or
  indefinite (a book).
• Conjunctions connect sentence elements.
• Interjections are exclamatory utterances Ouch!
• The diligent studentsNPdiscussedV freedomN in
  classPP todayADV.
• Their conscientious professorNP isV at a
  conferencePP this weekAdvP.
• SheP will returnVP soonAdv andConj shareV what
  she learnedNP with her studentsPP.

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Subordinating Conjunctions connect sentence
elements of unequal value. They introduce
dependent clauses, which cannot stand alone.

Here are a few After unless Before if Though
since While as Because whereas When although
Notice that some of them function as prepositions
when theyre followed by a noun phrase.

• Examples
• After class, I /studied in the library.
  (prepositional phrase)
• After the teacher /dismissed class, I /studied in
  the library. (subordinatealso known as
  dependent--clause)
• The independent clause I studied in the library
  carries more weight.

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Coordinating Conjunctions connect sentence
elements of equal value. They introduce
independent clauses and can begin a sentence.

• FANBOYS
• For
• And
• Nor
• But
• Or
• Yet
• So

The princess kissed the brave feline, and he was
instantly transformed into a handsome prince.
For the good fairy had heard his wish to become
human.
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Transition Words, also known as conjunctive
adverbs, join independent clauses and introduce
sentences.

• Here are some familiar ones
• Besides otherwise
• Likewise in addition
• Moreover as a result
• Consequently also
• Then meanwhile
• Therefore hence
• Nevertheless thus
• However on the other hand
• Hes absent frequently therefore, his grade is
  low.

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Four Basic Sentence TypesForm

• Simple
• Complex
• Compound
• Compound/Complex

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Simple Sentence One IC

• Subject/Predicate (verb modifiers)
• In the examples below a slash separates the
  subject from the predicate.
• The noisy students and their dogs/ disturbed the
  English teacher.
• The students /studied in the library.
• (you) /Go!

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The Complex Sentence Only one IC at least one
DC

• After the noisy students /disturbed the English
  teacher, they /sneaked out of the room before the
  class /was dismissed.
• The diligent students /completed the assignment
  before the teacher /asked for it.

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Compound Sentence At least two ICs and NO DCs

• The noisy students /tormented the teacher, but
  the quiet ones /inspired her.
• The noisy students /tormented the teacher
  however, the quiet ones /inspired her.
• The noisy students /tormented the teacher the
  quiet ones /inspired her.

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Compound/Complex Sentence At least two ICs at
least one DC

• The screeching cat /chased her tail, and the
  confused dog /yelped, while their guardian/ slept
  soundly.
• Before he /left for work, the man /opened a can
  of tuna for breakfast, but it /tasted funny, so
  he /gave it to his cat.

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Sentence Fragments

• . . . little pieces of sentences that are
  punctuated as complete sentences

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Avoid writing inappropriate sentence fragments!

• In the house.
• She worked in the house.
• Before he left for work.
• Before he left for work, he walked the cat.
• Because I like to read.
• Because I like to read, I enjoy my solitude.
• Which they already had heard.
• The boss told his employees the big news, which
  they already had heard.

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Run-Together Sentences

• ifwewrotewithoutpunctuationtheworldwouldbeaverycon
  fusingplaceandheavenknowsitsconfusingenoughasitis

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Dont write run-together sentences.

• The lazy cat slept all day it was no surprise
  that he prowled the house all night.
• The lazy cat slept all day, so it was no surprise
  that he prowled the house all night.

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How would you fix this?

• Sometimes students enroll in too many courses in
  one quarter they dont enjoy learning then they
  may eventually drop out.
• Sometimes students enroll in too many courses in
  one quarter, so they dont enjoy learning. Then
  they may eventually drop out.

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You must be feeling better by now. Have fun!