Commas & Complex Sentences

Follow the directions for each sentence.

COMPLEX SENTENCES

Add commas where they are needed.

1.       She did not eat the cookies nor did she chew the gum that Jane made for her.

2.       I am going to bed to read the book  that Elizabeth wrote.

3.       Paul is going to the movie  and may not come home until late.

4.       Did Mary go along with her parents to the game?

Put the independent clause in parentheses and underline the fragment. Insert commas where they are needed.

5.       George could not find his son’s bat or his glove that he had just bought for him.

6.       Because she wasn’t very hungry Julia only ate half of her sandwich.

7.       I was tired of doing homework even though I had only worked for fifteen minutes.

8.       Sue brought her books to class but Janet left hers in the car because she tends to be forgetful.

COMPOUND/COMPLEX SENTENCES

Insert commas where needed. Underline any subordinate/dependent clauses

1.       She wanted to go to bed and read her new book but she didn’t realize that it had fallen behind the sofa.

2.       Jack is going to the movie about World War II so he may be home late because it a three hour long movie.

3.       Denise was upset that she could not go to London but she chose to save her money in order to pay for college.

4.       I told her not to eat the fresh bread but she didn’t pay attention because she was so hungry.

Put the independent clause in parentheses and underline the subordinate/dependent clauses.  Add commas.

Note:  A compound sentence has two independent clauses.

5.       Chris had tried to find his puppy but it had run around the house and hid under a bush.

6.       My father told me that he was proud that I had improved my grades and I celebrated with pizza.

7.       Peter found a part-time job around the corner so it was easy for him to get to work.

8.       I am planning to take the children to the park so that we can have a picnic because their father has the day off.

Writing 2 Class Notes -- Week 5 (Sept. 19)

Greetings!

We worked this week and covered a lot of material in class.  As always, we started our day with a Quick Write. Yesterday was International Talk Like a Pirate Day (here is the official website and here is a Wikipedia article and here are the Muppets!)  Most of the students were unaware of this notable event.  As an alternative, they could write about super heroes.  I look forward to reading their responses.

This week's Words of the Day included:

valise-- noun -- fr. French, valigia, of obscure origin-  a small piece of luggage that can be carried by hand

autocratic-- adjective -- fr. Greek, autokratis, ruling by oneself-- characteristic of an absolute rule; tyrannical, despotic

unmollified-- fr. Latin, mollificare , to make soft--  to NOT be pacifed, calmed, or made more temperate.

candid -- fr Latin, candidus, white, shining -- to be open, frank, sincere

IMPORTANT NOTE:  I had told the students that there would be a test at the end of the semester for their words of the day.  Instead, we will have a test at the end of second semester for the second semester words.  The Words of the Day will include unusual foreign words and Latin roots. 

In connection with the returned homework, we discussed their Final Drafts of their Personal Essays.  As I grade the final drafts, I use a rubric for a more holistic look at their work.  (The rubric is attached and is on this blog post.)  For the first essay, I'm a pretty easy grader.  As we progress through the year, we will use these rubrics to set writing goals and students will use them to evaluate their own writing.  For example, in the Focus category, students will be thinking about whether their thesis statements are compelling and thought-provoking or simply a statement that combines the topic and opinion.

We did not take a lot of time for My Antonia this week.  (I wanted to cover a lot of ground with our grammar topics)  I checked in with the class about their book projects that they will complete and present at the end of the semester.  Some students are planning to work in groups, and some have already come up with individual project ideas.  The proposal form is not due until Week 8, so they have time to brainstorm.  When they know what they want to do, they should turn in the proposal (with a parent's initials) so that I can OK it.  There is some great positive energy about these projects, and I'm looking forward to seeing what they produce.

We spent the remainder of the time in Grammar discussion.  I've had the students do work sheets for Parts of Speech review, and we briefly discussed these.  Every word in every sentence falls into one of these categories:  interjections, verbs, adjectives, nouns, conjunctions, adverbs, pronouns, and prepositions.  When we are correcting or revising our own writing, we need to know what parts of speech might be causing problems.  Likewise, many parts of speech do the work of other parts of speech in a sentence, sometimes making grammatical structures more confusing.  (e.g. the verb "swimming" would be doing the work of a noun in this sentence:  Swimming is my favorite sport.)

Following our parts of speech review, we discussed the basic construction of a sentence, and I'm including some photos of "equations" that I use to explain sentence elements. 

 
A common writing error that students make is to think that dependent clauses are independent clauses because they have a noun and a verb.  However, because the clause began with a subordinating conjunction, it loses its sentence status and is not a "complete thought."  Another common error is to omit the comma before the conjunction in a compound sentence.  If you feel confused, it's because grammar can be awfully confusing and is not as straightforward as we would wish. 

Assignments for Next Week

-- Read pages 94 - 118 of My Antonia

-- 3 Reader Responses

-- 5 Vocabulary Words

-- My Antonia book project -- proposal due Week 8

-- FANBOYS worksheet

Links for This Week

Class Notes

Essay Rubric

International Talk Like a Pirate

Talk Like a Pirate Wikipedia

Muppets Talk Like a Pirate

Have a great weekend!

Blessings,

Mrs. Prichard

Sentence Combining Worksheet

Name:  ____________________________

Sentence Combining Worksheet

Combining into Compound Sentences

Directions

Combine the following sentences with a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so).

1)  She went to daycare.  She did not want to go.

2) The toddler could not decide which jacket to wear. She cried instead.

3) The teacher said she must wear her jacket. She must stay inside.

4)  Helping parents is hard. No one said helping parents with their children would be easy.

5)   The toddler would not give up the toy. He would not come inside.

6)  He loves to play outside during the day.  I will let him play after lunch.

7)  The girl was hungry.  She had not eaten since breakfast.

8)  The girls couldn’t think of anything better to do.  They decided to play in the art room.

9)  A book can be a lot of fun to read.  A book can be boring.

10)  Toddlers love to use their power. They use it whenever they can.

Sentence Combining Using Subordinating Conjunctions

Directions

Combine the following sentences with a subordinating conjunction (after all, although, while, because, before, however, therefore).  This may require a semicolon!

11)  They made plans to go to the school meeting.  They ended up not being able to make it.

12)  Professionals can view toilet training from an independence point of view. Parents can view it as a struggle.

13)  Babies like to put things in their mouths. Learning about objects in this way is how they use all of their senses.

14)  Parents often want to shower children with toys. Children learn from simple exploration of natural things, like sand and water.

15) One aspect of a child’s developing mind is using her imagination. They can use their imagination to make connections between perceptions and assumptions.

16)  Don’t give her a hard time.  She is just trying to be friends with you.

17)  We don’t believe children should be spanked.  Hitting teaches hitting.

18)  It’s going to rain today. You need to bring your raincoat to daycare.

19)  The two weren’t always this close.  When his sister went to kindergarten, he missed her.

20)  The boy refused to admit he took it.  He put the lunch box back on the shelf.

Sentence Combining with Subjects and Verbs

Directions

The following sentences share either the same subject or the same verb.  Combine the sentences into one sentence.

21)  Tommy and his mother walked to the store.  The store is two blocks away.

22)  The child is thirsty.  The child is not getting enough water.

23)  My mug was in the cupboard.  My mug is no longer in the cupboard.

24)  Drew’s dog jumped into the air.  Janine’s dog jumped into the air as well.

25)  The book fell to the floor.  It opened to a page I had never read before.

26)  Your face has freckles on it.  Your face looks friendly.

27)  The boy painted at the easel. The boy painted a rainbow. The rainbow arched colorfully.

28)  Everyone is being mean to me!  Everyone is tyring to keep me from joining in the game.

29)  Stop dancing like that.  No dancing in the classroom. Sit back down in your chair.

30)  The children sat in a circle. The children were quiet. The children waited for the teacher.

Sentence Combining in Paragraphs

Directions

Combine as many sentences as you can in the following paragraph, using the above examples to guide you.

The Sunshine Day Care Center is has sixteen children. To be eligible for Sunshine Day Care Center children have to be potty trained. Rudy’s mom is worried. Rudy needs daycare so her mom can take the full time job she is trying to get. Rudy is not potty trained yet. Rudy is three years old and insists on wearing diapers. The teacher at Sunshine Day Care Center told Rudy’s mom not to worry. She believed that once Rudy started at the center, she would see the other children using the toilet. Rudy would want to be a big girl. She would want to learn how to use the toilet, too. She would no longer be interested and diapers. The teacher encouraged Rudy’s mom to take Rudy shopping for big girl underwear. Rudy’s mom took Rudy shopping. Rudy picked out purple underwear with flowers on them. When they got home, Rudy’s mom said it was time to say goodbye to the diapers. Rudy was excited. She looked forward to being a big girl. She looked forward to going to Sunshine Day Care Center and using the big girl toilet, too.  Rudy’s mom looked forward to being able to take the full time job. She is proud of Rudy. She is glad Rudy is transitioning to child care so well.

Commas & Complex Sentences

Follow the directions for each sentence.

COMPLEX SENTENCES

Add commas where they are needed.

1.      She did not eat the cookies nor did she chew the gum that Jane made for her.

2.      I am going to bed to read the book  that Elizabeth wrote.

3.      Paul is going to the movie  and may not come home until late.

4.      Did Mary go along with her parents to the game?

Put the independent clause in parentheses and underline the dependent clause. Insert commas where they are needed.

5.      George could not find his son’s bat or his glove that he had just bought for him.

6.      Because she wasn’t very hungry Julia only ate half of her sandwich.

7.      I was tired of doing homework even though I had only worked for fifteen minutes.

8.      Sue brought her books to class but Janet left hers in the car because she tends to be forgetful.

COMPOUND/COMPLEX SENTENCES

Insert commas where needed. Underline any subordinate/dependent clauses

1.      She wanted to go to bed and read her new book but she didn’t realize that it had fallen behind the sofa.

2.      Jack is going to the movie about World War II so he may be home late because it a three hour long movie.

3.      Denise was upset that she could not go to London but she chose to save her money in order to pay for college.

4.      I told her not to eat the fresh bread but she didn’t pay attention because she was so hungry.

Put the independent clause in parentheses and underline the subordinate/dependent clauses.  Add commas.

Note:  A compound sentence has two independent clauses.

5.      Chris had tried to find his puppy but it had run around the house and hid under a bush.

6.      My father told me that he was proud that I had improved my grades and I celebrated with pizza.

7.      Peter found a part-time job around the corner so it was easy for him to get to work.

8.      I am planning to take the children to the park so that we can have a picnic because their father has the day off.

Commas & Complex Sentences Worksheet

Follow the directions for each sentence.

COMPLEX SENTENCES

Add commas where they are needed.

1.       She did not eat the cookies nor did she chew the gum that Jane made for her.

2.       I am going to bed to read the book  that Elizabeth wrote.

3.       Paul is going to the movie  and may not come home until late.

4.       Did Mary go along with her parents to the game?

Put the independent clause in parentheses and underline the dependent clause. Insert commas where they are needed.

5.       George could not find his son’s bat or his glove that he had just bought for him.

6.       Because she wasn’t very hungry Julia only ate half of her sandwich.

7.       I was tired of doing homework even though I had only worked for fifteen minutes.

8.       Sue brought her books to class but Janet left hers in the car because she tends to be forgetful.

COMPOUND/COMPLEX SENTENCES

Insert commas where needed. Underline any subordinate/dependent clauses

1.       She wanted to go to bed and read her new book but she didn’t realize that it had fallen behind the sofa.

2.       Jack is going to the movie about World War II so he may be home late because it a three hour long movie.

3.       Denise was upset that she could not go to London but she chose to save her money in order to pay for college.

4.       I told her not to eat the fresh bread but she didn’t pay attention because she was so hungry.

Put the independent clause in parentheses and underline the subordinate/dependent clauses.  Add commas.

Note:  A compound sentence has two independent clauses.

5.       Chris had tried to find his puppy but it had run around the house and hid under a bush.

6.       My father told me that he was proud that I had improved my grades and I celebrated with pizza.

7.       Peter found a part-time job around the corner so it was easy for him to get to work.

8.       I am planning to take the children to the park so that we can have a picnic because their father has the day off.

Sentences & Commas Worksheet

Insert the comma in the proper place.

1.      I am going to bed and I am planning on reading this book.

2.      She did not eat the cookies nor did she eat the candy.

3.      Paul is going to the movie and John is going but Sally is not going.

4.      Did Mom go to the concert or did Dad go alone?

5.      Debbie was upset for she wanted to go on that trip but her mother was sick.

6.      Melissa was sick so she left the party early.

7.      It was midnight but it did not seem so late so we went out for dinner.

8.      Cathy caught the heel of one of her shoes in a crack on the sidewalk and the heel broke off.

9.      Susan thought the lemonade was good yet it was a bit too sweet.

10.  Michael threw a fit for he was upset with the dog that had eaten his shoes.

11.  Did Paul go to the movie with Michael or did Michael ask John to go?

12.  Cathy had forgotten to set her alarm so she was late for work.

13.  Fred craves pizza every night but Faith would rather have popcorn.

14.  Nancy thought James had taken her phone but she realized that it was in her backpack.

15.  Mary had a little lamb and its fleece was white as snow.

FANBOYS Worksheet

      A Compound sentence is a sentence that has two simple sentences joined together. When a compound sentence is joined together with a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet so), add a comma before a coordinating conjunction.

Hint:  not all conjunctions join two simple sentences (independent clauses). If they are not joining two simple sentences, do not use a comma.

Examples of Comma Rule:

Jordan broke his arm, so he had to go to the hospital.
My dog chased a rabbit around the yard, but he couldn’t catch it.

Amelia opened her locker and grabbed her books for class.

Directions: Underline the FANBOYS in the sentence. If it is joining 2 sentences, insert a comma BEFORE the coordinating conjunction. If it is not joining 2 sentences, do not insert a comma.  On the line after the sentence, write S if it is a simple sentence or C if it is a compound sentence.

Exercises

1.    Roberta likes going to school but she does not like math class.  _______

2.    Jed and Joey put hot fudge and whipped cream on their ice cream.  _______

3.    Betty likes to eat pizza but she likes spaghetti better.  _______

4.    Eli sat down to do his homework but his sister ate it.   _______

5.    Snoopy went to his dog house to eat and take a nap.  _______

6.    Linus lost his blanket and started to cry.  _______

7.    Charlie Brown wanted to ask Lucy a question but she was too busy.  _______

8.    Students are eating spaghetti or deli subs today.  _______

9.    Sponge Bob took his notebook to class but he forgot his pencil.   _______

10. Sally went fishing last Saturday but we didn't catch anything.  _______

Writing Compound Sentences

Write 3 separate, simple sentences.

1.    __________________________________________________________________________

2.    __________________________________________________________________________

3.    __________________________________________________________________________

Using the sentences above, make them into compound sentences.

4.    __________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

5.    __________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

6.    __________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

In the following passage from The Giver by Lois Lowry, highlight every compound sentence.  Watch out, some sentences have a compound predicate (2 verbs for the same subject.)

It was almost December, and Jonas was beginning to be frightened. No. Wrong word, Jonas thought. Frightened meant that deep, sickening feeling of something terrible about to happen. Frightened was the way he had felt a year ago when an unidentified aircraft had overflown the community twice. He had seen it both times. Squinting toward the sky, he had seen the sleek jet, almost a blur at its high speed, go past, and a second later heard the blast of sound that followed. Then one more time, a moment later, from the opposite direction, the same plane.

At first, he had been only fascinated. He had never seen aircraft so close, for it was against the rules for Pilots to fly over the community. Occasionally, when supplies were delivered by cargo planes to the landing field across the river, the children rode their bicycles to the riverbank and watched, intrigued, the unloading and then the takeoff directed to the west, always away from the community.

But the aircraft a year ago had been different. It was not a squat, fat-bellied cargo plane but a needle-nosed single-pilot jet. Jonas, looking around anxiously, had seen others--adults as well as children--stop what they were doing and wait, confused, for an explanation of the frightening event. 

Sentence Structures

    A simple sentence contains one subject and one predicate. It expresses one main idea. Parts of the sentence, however, may be compound.

            The line is busy now.

  

A compound sentence is made up of two simple sentences that express related ideas. These sentences are connected by a semicolon or by a comma and a coordinating conjunction. A semicolon that connects two simple sentences may be followed by a conjunctive adverb.

            The line is busy now, but I will try again later.

 

A complex sentence contains one main clause and one or more subordinate clauses. The subordinate clauses may be used as adverbs, adjectives, or nouns. A complex sentence expresses one main idea and one or more dependent ideas.

            Although the line is busy now, I will try again later.

    A compound-complex sentence contains two main clauses and one or more subordinate clauses. The subordinate clauses may be adverb, adjective, or noun clauses. A compound-complex sentence expresses two main ideas, as well as one dependent idea.

            The line is busy, but I will try again when I finish this.

  

A compound-complex sentence consists of two or more main clauses and one or more subordinate clauses. It may help you to think of a compound-complex sentence as a compound sentence plus a subordinate clause. Actually, the compound-complex sentences join two sentences, at least one of which has a subordinate clause. The main clauses are joined by either a coordinating conjunction or a semicolon.

Main Clause                           Subordinate Clause                           Main Clause

Gina Knew                              that she would have to wait,                but she didn’t mind

Main Clause                           Subordinate Clause                           Main Clause

Carl was surprised                   when he was chosen;                          he had never expected to win

Basic Sentence Patterns for Simple sentences:

N-V

N-V-DO

N-V-IO-DO

N-LV-N

N-LV-Adj

A Compound Sentence can combine any of the basic sentence patterns listed above.

Exercises

Exercise #1

Write a sentences for the following patterns:

1.       N-V, (fanboys) N-V-DO

2.      N-LV-Adj, (fanboys) N-LV-Adj

3.       N-V (sub conj) N-V

4.       (Subord conj), N-V-DO

Exercise #2

Identifying the Kinds of Sentences. For each sentence, underline the subject once and the verb twice; circle and coordinating and subordinating conjunctions.  Write S (Simple), Com (Compound), Cx (Complex) or C-C to show what kind of sentence it is.

1.      These jogging shoes are canvas and suede. __________

2.      You can fix the bell, or I can call the electrician. __________

3.      We picked the apples ourselves and baked a pie. __________

4.      The reporter asked if she could arrange an interview. __________

5.      People spend one third of their lives asleep. __________

6.      Before lunch, we will pick fresh vegetables from the garden.  __________

7.      The mysterious burglary has finally been solved, and justice will now be served. __________

8.      Because the union met with its members, they accepted the contract.  __________

9.      The rescue worker explained what the situation was.  __________

10.  As she presented the awards, the principal congratulated us.  __________

11.  My cat sleeps on the sofa if the sun is shining.  __________

12.  Even though the car is low on gas, and my bike tire is flat, I can still get to my meeting.  ______

13.  You will get ahead if you say the right things.  __________

14.  The boss called everyone into his office, but two people couldn’t make it.  __________

Exercise #3

Analyzing Compound-Complex Sentences.  Underline each main clause once and each subordinate clause twice.  Circle the subordinating conjunctions.

1.      Pam knew where the park was, and she gave us directions.

2.      After our team won, we decided to celebrate, so we led a parade through town.

3.      When the committee met, witnesses testified about poor living conditions, and experts suggested improvements.

4.      Sharon has been studying piano since she was six years old, and she enjoys it.

5.      Greg said that we should start without him, but we waited anyway.

6.      The bookstore ordered the items that Tim requested, and he is waiting for them.

7.      The sale items were so popular that they were gone in an hour, and the manager agreed                       to order more.

8.      Scientists have identified the agents that cause the disease, but they haven’t found a                           cure for it.

9.      The actor was nervous before he auditioned; he felt that he did well, though.

10.  Since the rain stopped, the game can be resumed; our team is ahead.