Grammar Review

1. Grammar Review

2. Clause vs. Phrase • Clause: A group of related words with both a subject and a verb. May or may not be able to stand on its own. • Phrase: A group of related words without both a subject or a verb. Acts as a noun, verb, adverb, adjective, or preposition. Cannot stand on its own.

3. Clause Types • Independent Clause: She is older than her brother. • Dependent Clause: Because she is older than her brother, she has to watch him sometimes. • A word called a “subordinating conjunction” introduces a dependent clause.

4. Phrase vs. Dependent Clause • Both phrases and dependent clauses cannot stand alone. • However, dependent clauses must have a subject and a verb, while phrases can only have one. • Also, dependent clauses start with subordinating conjunctions, while phrases do not.

5. Common subordinating conjunctions • after • although • as • as if • as long as • as though • because • before • even if • even though • if • if only • in order that • now that • once • rather than • since • so that • than • that • though • till • unless • until • when • whenever • where • whereas • wherever • while

6. Phrases that act like nous • Simple noun phrases • Noun + modifiers • (Can be a subject, object of a verb, or object of a preposition). • Examples: A very tired Thomas looked for his blue shirt. The substitute teacher taught all of the kindergarteners today. • Gerund phrases • Gerund (verb + -ing) + modifiers • Example: She began thinking about her life. • Infinitive phrases (sometimes) • Infinitive (to + verb) + modifiers • Example: He likes to play soccer.

7. Write three sentences. Use each kind of noun phrase and underline it. • Simple noun phrase • Gerund phrase • Infinitive phrase

8. Phrases that act like adjectives • Participial phrases • Participle + modifiers • Example: The children, needing guidance, asked for help. • Prepositional phrases (sometimes) • Preposition + modifiers + object of the preposition • Example: The man on the roof tried not to fall. • Infinitive phrases (sometimes) • Infinitive (to + verb) + modifiers • Example: Her plan to win student council president was a good one.

9. Write 3 sentences, include each type of adjective phrase, and underline it. • Participial phrases • Prepositional phrases (sometimes) • Infinitive phrases (sometimes)

10. Phrases that act like adverbs • Prepositional phrases (sometimes) • Preposition + modifiers + object of the preposition Example: The babysitter shouted in a loud voice. • Infinitive phrases (sometimes) • Infinitive (to + verb) + modifiers • Example: He yelled to warn everyone about the broken glass.

11. Write two sentences with adverb phrases, underline each • Prepositional phrase (sometimes) • Infinitive phrase (sometimes)

12. Phrases that act like verbs • Verb phrase • Verb (+helping verb, sometimes) + all modifiers • (It’s the predicate of the sentence.) • Examples: The girl who went to the library has been studying for three hours. • That one kid, Thomas, wrote an excellent essay.

13. Write one sentence with a verb phrase. Underline it.

14. Absolute Phrases • Modify (give information about) the entire sentence. • Noun or pronoun + participle + modifiers • Resembles a clause, but its verb can’t stand alone (it is not a “finite” verb) • Her eyes glued on the clock, Lisa waited for her shift to end. • He looked different, his face expressing worry.

15. Write one sentence with an absolute phrase. Underline it. • Examples: • His face (noun) expressing (present participle) joy (modifier), Steve eats a watermelon slowly (independent clause). • His face (noun) turned (past participle) toward the front (modifier), he waited for the teacher to give the test (independent clause). • Her face (noun) filled (past participle) with joy (modifier), Kiria was very excited for her 21st birthday party!

16. Absolute Phrase vs. Dependent Clause • While Aly was writing (dependent clause), she sneezed on her paper (independent clause). • Aly’s writing (noun) having been discovered (participle) by the teacher (modifier), she was now going to have a detention (independent clause). • Thomas’ head jerking toward the back, he waited for his friend to give him a pencil.

17. Sentence Types • Simple: Subject + Verb (Independent Clause) • Compound: Two Independent Clauses joined by a Coordinating Conjunction • Complex: Independent Clause with one or more Dependent Clauses. Always has a Subordinating Conjunction or Relative Pronoun. • Compound-Complex: Two Independent Clauses and one or more Dependent Clauses.

18. Sentence Types • Simple: Some students prefer to do their homework in the morning. • Compound: Tina had to work tonight, but Alex took the night off. • Complex: When he finished his work, he forgot to put his name on it. • Compound-complex: The animal was scared, but it was also angry, since it had been cornered.

19. Break it down! • Some students prefer to do their homework in the morning. • This is an independent clause. It has a subject (students) and a verb (prefer), and it can stand alone. • It is made up of many phrases! • noun phrases (some students) (their homework) • verb phrase (prefer to do their homework in the morning) • infinitive phrase that acts like a noun because it is the object of a verb (to do their homework) • prepositional phrase (in the morning)

20. Simple sentence • Write your own simple sentence. Circle the subject and underline the verb.

21. Break it down! • Tina had to work tonight, but Alex took the night off. • This sentence has two independent clauses. Each has a subject (Tina/Alex) and a verb (had/took). • It is made of many phrases! • Verb phrases (had to work tonight/took the night off) • Infinitive phrase acting as a noun because it is the object of the verb “had” (to work tonight) • Noun phrase because it is the object of the verb “took” (the night off)

22. Compound sentence • Write your own compound sentence • Circle the subjects and underline the verbs

23. Break it down! • When he finished his work, he forgot to put his name on it. • This sentence has a dependent clause (subject: he. verb: handed. subordinating conjunction: when). • It also has an independent clause (subject: he. verb: forgot) • It is made up of phrases! • Verb phrases (finished his work/forgot to put his name on it) • Infinitive phrase acting as a noun because it is the object of the verb “forgot” (to put his name on it) • Prepositional phrase acting as an adverb because it answers the question “what” (on it)

24. Complex sentence • Write your own complex sentence • Circle the subjects and underline the verbs

25. Break it down! • The animal was scared, but it was also angry, since it had been cornered. • This sentence has two independent clauses and one dependent clause. Subjects: animal/it/it. Verbs: was/was/had been. • It is made up of verb phrases: was scared/was also angry/had been cornered.

26. Compound-complex sentence • Write your own compound-complex sentence. • Circle the subjects and underline the verbs.