Grammar … and other fun stuff you get to learn in school

1. Grammar…and other fun stuff you get to learn in school

2. Nouns • What is the name for something you can hold or touch? You may point to and name as many nouns as you can in the next ten seconds.

3. Verbs • What is the name for something you can do or see being done? You may act out your most creative, school-appropriate verb now.

4. Will you ever use this stuff? What kind of job do you want?

5. Playable Verbs One of Constantin Stanislavski's great revelations is the value of using a verbto identify the sub-textural qualities of a performance. The simple value of this process is that it labels the actor's intention/purpose/"need" in an active mode rather than a passive or a descriptive one. To be actively engaged in the drama is the actor's primary goal. Just look at the publicity poster for any movie. The images they use are always the ones where the actor is actively focused. Which verbs describe your motivation? Which roles do you play best?

6. What do you know about types of sentences? Start simple!

7. Subject (S) = What nouns can become Predicate (P) What verbs can become GRAMMAR RULE: All sentences need a minimum of one subject, one predicate, and must make sense.

8. Watch out for “understood subjects”! • (You) take out the trash. • (You) sit down.

9. Simple Sentences… • The squirrel laughed. • Tom swatted the bug. • The squirrel has a nut. SP=Subject Predicate You need a complete thought that makes sense!

10. Declaration of Independence… • Another name for a complete thought would be an independent clause. • If the clause needs help from another part of the sentence, it is dependent.

11. Claws vs. Clause… Dogs slobber, yet nobody cares. How many clauses? Which one is independent? Which one is dependent?

12. Phrase vs. Clause… Both clauses and phrases are clusters of words. If there is a verb=clause! After the lions drank at the river, they slept. No action=phrase! The zebra ran to the river. The zebra in the river was young. The lion's attack caused the zebra to run toward the river. Running toward the river, the zebra escaped. Attacking zebras was seldom successful.

13. Phrased Out? • When you are analyzing sentence structure (in this class), you can ignore the prepositional phrases (in your assignments). The man (in the red jumpsuit) created a commotion (at the disco).

14. How do phrases act as parts of speech? A. Prepositional phrase -The zebra ran to the river. Prepositional phrases function as adverbs or adjectives. In the example above, the prepositional phrase is an adverb because it indicates where zebra ran (adverbs indicate where, when, why, or how). In the following example, the prepositional phrase is an adjective because it modifies a noun: The zebra in the river was young. B. Infinitive phrase - The lion's attack caused the zebra to run toward the river. C. Participial phrase -Running toward the river, the zebra escaped. D. Gerund phrase - Attacking zebras was seldom successful.

15. Your job right now… a, an, the • Using up to three articles, construct a sentence on your paper that follows this basic pattern: Subject Predicate Think Noun Verb! Example: The man is walking.

16. Your next job: You may write down these FANBOYS! • Using up to three articles, and a coordinating conjunction, (for, and, nor, but, or ,yet, so) construct a sentence that follows this basic pattern: S cc S P Example: The horse and the man were smiling.

17. Keep going… • SSSccSP Compound Subject Items in a series need a comma between each! Example: The teacher, boy, dog, and the clown were laughing.

18. Your next job… • SPccP Compound Predicate Example: The boys were laughing and snorting.

19. Yet more torture… Example: The boys were snorting snot bubbles. • SPO Object Ask yourself, “They were snorting WHAT?” That direct question tells you the DIRECT OBJECT!

20. Your next job… • SPOccO CompoundObject Example: The girl was snorting snot bubbles and milk.

21. What do these sentences have in common? • Simple Sentences • SP • SPO • Simple Sentences with Compound Parts • SccSP • SPccP • SPOccO • S,S,S,ccSP

22. Double your trouble… Compound Sentence Structure: SP,cc SP SPO,cc SPO Independent clause, Fanboy Independent clause Rules: (1) Always use a comma before the cc connecting two independent clauses--unless the clauses are extremely short. (2) You cannot start a sentence with a cc.

23. Compound it… Any of the sentence parts can also be compound. SP,cc SP SPO,cc SPO How can you make these compound? Compound: more than one of anything connected by a coordinating conjunction. (for, and, nor, but, or ,yet, so)

24. Notice the internal punctuation… • S P, cc S P Comma Why do you think this is called a compound sentence? Example: We tried, but the villain got away.

25. Test your skills… • Use the sentence skeleton to create your own compound sentence. • SPO, cc SPO.

26. Other Compound Structures • Besides coordinating conjunctions, COMPOUND SENTENCES may have two independent clauses joined by • a conjunctive adverb (e.g. however, therefore) • Tom reads novels; however, Jack prefers comics. • a semicolon alone • Tom reads novels; his friend reads comics.             

27. Now what? • Are you ready for complex sentences? • SP sc SP • SPO sc SPO • Sc SP, SP • inside out sentence structure

28. Now we get complex… • S P sc S P You may use an adv sc or an adj sc from your list! NO Comma—Unless the sentence is inside out! Example: I panicked when he pushed the button.

29. SPO sc SPO Example: He barked obscenities because she wouldn’t take direction. Complex continued…

30. Your coordinating conjunctions can totally change the meaning of the sentence. Your sentences will be more interesting. You can even go backwards. scSP,SP Why bother? Example: While the doctor operated, I was snoozing.

31. after although as as soon as as though because before even if if in order that provided that since so that than that though unless until when whenever where wherever while Have you seen these before? adv sc

32. What are these called? • that • which • who • whom • whose • after • before • since • when • where • why adj sc

33. What’s the difference? • Compound sentences are basically two simple sentences joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction. • Complex sentences are two simple sentences joined by subordinating conjunctions. • No comma is used unless the sentence is inside out.

34. The exception to the rule…complex sentences with relative pronouns. •   Jack Smith, who reads comics, rarely reads novels. • Use commas to set off the appositive. If you can take it out without changing the meaning, you can set if off with commas. • Independent,nonessential dependent clause, clause. • People who read comics rarely read novels. • Independent    essential dependent clause     clause.

35. Compound + Complex=Compound Complex • A compound complex sentence is simply a combination of the two.

36. Compound Complex! Now we get even more complex… • S P, cc S P sc SP No fanboy= no comma Comma! Example: The teachers danced, but the students slept because they had worked too hard.

37. It all depends… • S P, cc S Psc SP Independent Clause Dependent Clause Comma! Example: The teachers danced, butthe students slept because they had worked too hard.

38. Inside out structure… Independent Clause Dependent Clause • scSP , SP, cc SP Comma! Comma! Example: Although the teachers danced, the students slept,and they had nightmares about homework.

39. Conjunction Junction… • Notice the compound complex sentence uses both types of conjunctions. • FANBOY-Coordinating conjunction • Subordinating conjunction

40. Count your commas! • Remember that you DO NOT NEED a comma next to the subordinating conjunction in a compound complex sentence. Example: The teachers danced, but the students slept because they had worked too hard. cc=comma sc=no comma

41. What is the structure--or sentence skeleton? 2. Teachers danced, but students slept because they had worked too hard. 1. The hyenas laugh. 3. Dogs slobber, but boys snort. 4. The boys were laughing and snorting. 5. The boys were snorting snot bubbles. 6. The hyenas, boys, dogs, and the clowns were laughing. 7. The girl was snorting snot bubbles and milk. 8. The hyenas and the clowns were laughing.

42. Is that it? • How about this? • scSPO,SPO,ccSPO • Backwards Compound Complex! Example: Because they really need high energy, teachers eat snacks ravenously, and they drink tons of water.

43. Review—What does a sentence need? • A complete thought. • Subject and Verb • “Sit.” A run-on is when the thought is not finished because you… A fragment is just a piece of your thought. Not finished.

44. The Four Sentence Types • (1) Simple • (2) Compound • Uses one coordinating conjunction • (3) Complex • Uses one subordinating conjunction • (4) Compound Complex • Uses one coordinating and one subordinating conjunction

45. Adding meat to the bones… • Example: Because they really need high energy, teachers eat snacks ravenously, and they drink tons of water. What affect do the words in gray have?

46. Adding Adjectives and Adverbs • Adjectives and Adverbs provide additional information. • Because they really need high energy, teachers eat snacks ravenously, and they drink tons of water. What kind of superhero would you be?

47. Proofreading • You can look at conjunctions when proofreading. • Does the sentence complete the thought? If not = run-on or fragment. cc=comma sc=no comma

48. Things to Remember • Always use a comma before the cc connecting two independent clauses. • I love school, but I love vacation too. • Always use a comma after a dependent clause that precedes an independent clause. • Whenever I have a vacation, I love to sleep in.

49. Continued… • Items in a series need commas—even before the coordinating conjunction. • I love to play my guitar, make pottery, and walk my dogs. • You cannot start a sentence with a coordinating conjunction. • And then the fun started.

50. Your job as a writer… • Find out what sentence structure you are using most. • How can you add spice to your sentences?