Comma & Semi-Colon Practice

1. Comma & Semi-Colon Practice • Many companies make sugar-free soft drinks, which are flavored by synthetic chemicals the drinks usually contain only one or two calories per serving. • Mr. Leyland played the viola professionally for many years and he now conducts a community orchestra. • The crab grass was flourishing but the rest of the lawn, unfortunately, was dying. • The hill was covered with wildflowers, it was a beautiful sight. • As I turned around, I heard a loud thump for the cat had upset the goldfish bowl. • The artist preferred to paint in oils he did not like watercolors. • The house was clean, the table set, and the porch light on everything was ready for the guests' arrival. • He looked carefully in the underbrush but he failed to notice the pair of green eyes staring at him. • The foundations of the house had been poured but, to his disappointment, nothing else had been done because of the carpenters' strike. • The computer could perform millions of operations in a split second however, it could not think spontaneously.

2. Comma & Semi-Colon Practice • I thought registration day would be tiring but I didn't know I'd have to stand in so many lines. • The dog, growling and snarling, snapped at me I was so frightened that I ran. • The snowstorm dumped twelve inches of snow on the interstate subsequently, the state police closed the road. • Professors are supposed to be absent-minded and I've seen plenty of evidence to support that claim since I've been in college. • The suspect said that he had never met the victim however, the detective knew that he was lying. • In the first place, it was snowing too hard to see the road in the second place, we had no chains. • I have read Soul on Ice but I have not read The Invisible Man. • San Francisco is my favorite city in fact, I plan to spend two weeks there this summer. • The quarterback made a brilliant pass and the end crossed the goal line for the winning touchdown. • Large supermarkets fascinate me I can find everything from frozen chow mein to soybean flour in one place.

3. Aaron and I walked to class after eating lunch and checking our mail. • I comforted the little boy who had fallen off his bicycle. • After I baked cookies for the class, I decided to take a short nap. • It had been raining all day, so Sara put on her rain boots and splashed through the puddles. • Although I love the mountains, I prefer living at the beach because I can go swimming, and the weather is always warm.

4. Nora feels so distraught by Torvald’s reaction that she decides to leave home; she needs to find herself. • I brush my teeth, comb my hair, and change into pajamas every night. • I hate to run, yet I still do it because it is good exercise. • I fed the cat, and I let out the dog, and I left for work. • I rewarded myself Sunday night since I had worked hard on my project all weekend.

5. Sentences and Non-Sentences

6. - A sentence tells a complete idea.- A fragment (non-sentence) tells an incomplete idea. • Read each of the following statements and decide which is a complete sentence.

7. Sharks are fierce hunters. • Sentence • Fragment

8. Afraid of sharks. • Sentence • Fragment

9. The great white shark will attack people. • Sentence • Fragment

10. Other kinds will not. • Sentence • Fragment

11. Sharks have an outer row of teeth for grabbing. • Sentence • Fragment

12. When the outer teeth fall out, another row of teeth moves up. • Sentence • Fragment

13. Help keep the ocean clean by eating dead animals. • Sentence • Fragment That’s good to know!

14. Not a single bone in his body. • Sentence • Fragment

15. Cartilage of sharks. • Sentence • Fragment

16. Made of the same material as the tip of your nose. • Sentence • Fragment

17. Unlike other fish, sharks cannot float. • Sentence • Fragment

18. In motion constantly. • Sentence • Fragment

19. Even when sleeping. • Sentence • Fragment

20. Clause • Group of words containing a subject and a verb • Independent • Dependent

21. Independent Clause“main clause” • A group of words made up of a subject and predicate • Simple sentence • Can stand alone as a sentence • Ex. Jim studied in the Sweet Shop for his English quiz.

22. Dependent Clause“subordinate clause” • Contains a subject and verb but does not express a complete thought • Cannot stand alone as a sentence • Must be attached to an independent clause • Ex: When Jim studied in the Sweet Shop for his English quiz

23. Grammar Practice • Write 2 SENTENCES. • Reminder: These are COMPLETE thoughts • independent (main) clauses • Write 2 dependent clauses. • contains a subject & verb • You have 5 minutes 

24. Clause Review

25. Clauses • Dependent clause • Independent clause • Complete these dependent clauses: • Since I love football • After we leave school • If you say that one more time

26. The Vicious Run-on Sentence …and how to tame it.

27. Run-on Sentence • Has at least 2 parts • Either part can stand alone • 2 independent clauses improperly combined • The sun is high, put on some sunscreen.

28. How to Combine a Run-on • Comma + coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS) • The sun is high, so put on sunscreen. • F • A • N • B • O • Y • S

29. FANBOYS Practice • Correctly combine 2+ independent clauses using 3 different FANBOYS. • You have 8 minutes 

30. “Plagiarism Lines Blur for Students in Digital Age” *Please do not write on the article. Directions: • Read the article with your group. • Summarize it. *Reporter’s formula • Tell the main idea. *Determine the subject & what’s being said about it – NO SPECIFICS! • Find a quote to support the main idea. • Write 1 paragraph explaining why the information in this article matters.

31. Literary & Rhetorical Devices • Foreshadowing • Imagery • Metaphor • Extended Metaphor • Simile • Dialogue • Alliteration • Anaphora • Allusion • Allegory • Symbol • Theme • Irony • Personification • Mood • Tone • Oxymoron • Hyperbole • Rhetorical Question • Structure • Diction • Ethos • Pathos • Logos • Parallelism • Paradox • Connotation • Denotation

32. Pain-Free Guide to Semi-colons

33. Ok, so what does a semi-colon do? • Links 2 independent clauses (2 complete thoughts) with no additional words

34. Examples • I am going home; I intend to stay there. • It rained heavily during the afternoon; we managed to have our picnic anyway. • They couldn't make it to the summit and back before dark; they decided to camp for the night.

35. What else can it do? • join 2 independent clauses together with a conjunctive adverb (adverbs that join independent clauses): • however • moreover • therefore • consequently • otherwise • nevertheless • thus

36. More Examples • I am going home; moreover, I intend to stay there. • It rained heavily during the afternoon; however, we managed to have our picnic anyway. • They couldn't make it to the summit and back before dark; therefore, they decided to camp for the night.

37. Correct or Incorrect? • I felt sleepy after school; I took a nap on the couch. • The prom is next month; but I don’t have a date yet. • I love pizza; wings; chocolate; and burgers. • Washington Irving is a Romantic author; however, Nathaniel Hawthorne is a Dark Romantic. • I failed English; consequently, my parents grounded me.

38. Semi-Colon Practice • Write 3 sentences correctly combining 2+ independent clauses with a semi-colon and NO additional words. • Write 3 sentences correctly combining 2+ independent clauses using a conjunctive adverb. You have 11 minutes 

39. Sentence Combining

40. Semi-colon Formulas • main clause + ; + conjunctive adverb + , + main clause. • I love dogs; however, I like cats too. • main clause+ ;+ main clause. • I love my cat; his name is Jack.

41. Common Conjunctive Adverbs • accordinglyalsobesidesconsequentlyconverselyfinallyfurthermorehence howeverindeedinsteadlikewise • meanwhilemoreoverneverthelessnext nonethelessotherwisesimilarlystillsubsequentlythenthereforethus

42. NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITHCoordinating Conjunctions • Main clause+ , + FANBOYS + main clause. • I love my dog, and I love my cat. • For • And • Nor • But • Or • Yet • So

43. Corrections Correct each of the following sentences 3x. • Using JUST a semi-colon • Using the semi-colon, conjunctive adverb, comma construction • Using a comma and FANBOYS • I am sleepy I want to take a nap. • My dog ran away I cried myself to sleep. • This weekend is Halloween my costume is awesome.

45. The Fab Four Types of Sentences

46. Types of Sentences • Simple • Complex • Compound • Compound-complex

47. Simple • Has 1 independent (stand alone) clause • Ex. David Letterman and Jay Leno host talk shows.

48. Compound • Consists of 2+ independent clauses. • The independent clauses can be joined with • , + A coordinating conjunction: • for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so (FANBOYS) • A semicolon (;) • Ex. Amir is a coward, but Hassan is brave.

49. Complex • Contains 1 independent clause and 1+ dependent clause • Ideas are linked by subordinating conjunctions • after,how, until,although,if, unless,as, in order, that,whenas long as, whenever,as much as, now, where,as soon as,wherever,though, since,while,before, even, though, because • Ex. Although I love the mountains, I prefer the beach.

50. Compound-Complex • Has 2+ independent clauses and 1+ dependent clausesEx. When the heat comes, the lakes dry up, and farmers know the crops will fail. I planned to drive to work, but I couldn't until the mechanic repaired my car.