Sentence Basics

1. Sentence Basics Subjects Verbs The concept of clause

2. Subject Defined • The part of the sentence about which something is divulged. • In other words the who or what the sentence is about. • The werewolf had a toothache.

3. Verb Defined • Momentum in the sentence • Asserts, moves, impels, reports a condition or situation • Action • The waif whimpered. • Effie crushes herbs beneath her pattering feet. • State of being • Her fiancé is a somnambulist.

4. Verbs cont. • Auxiliary • A morsel of humility would help. • I am staying out of trouble.

5. Helpful Hints • Always remember: • The subject is: • Doing • Acting • Being • Emoting • What the verb asserts may be • An action • Identity • Or state of being

6. Predicate • Contains the verb • Has something to say about the subject • The vampire began to powder his nose.

7. Subject|Verb • Brian|waited. • Barbra|was laughing. • Brian|is going to be leaving. • Barbra|may have been laughing. • Daedalus|mourned his sunburnt son. • As the day of judgment approached, we|were covering up the wrong side of our tracks.

8. Clauses • Contain both a subject and a predicate • Sometimes stand alone (independent) • Sometimes need a little help (dependent or subordinate)

9. Independent Clause • Makes sense by itself and could be a separate sentence • Two grammatically equivalent independent clauses my be linked by a coordinating conjunction • I admired his shirt. • I admired his coat. • I admired his shirt, and I admired his coat.

10. A few more examples • She was kicked by the soft shoe of destiny, and she landed in Wales. • Her irony is getting rusty, and her audience is getting bored. • The mannequin gave the baby vampire her number, but she knew he’d never call.

11. Dependent Clauses • Needs the rest of the sentence (aka the independent or main clause) to get its meaning across • Yes it has both a subject and verb, but can’t make the complete thought with out help

12. Dependent cont… • Dependent clauses require a linking word such as a relative pronoun or a subordinate conjunction to attract and hold an independent and perhaps lonely clause • If this is love, I’ve made a terrible mistake. • After the podiatrist pounced on her, he buffed her heels and tweaked her toes.

13. Take a moment to review relative pronouns • A relative pronoun is a pronoun that relates to an antecedent and joins it to a limiting or qualifying clause a the same time. • What is an antecedent you ask? • The noun being replaced by the pronoun • That replaces pronoun in the above sentence • Commonly used relative pronouns include: who, whom, whose, what, which, that, whoever, whatever, whichever, whomever

14. Examples • This is the hoax that the perpetrated. • The barber who found the nose in his croissant never did get along with his wife. • She tickled his fancy, which was in need of a good laugh.

15. Take a moment to review subordinate conjunctions • Subordinate conjunctions push you right into a dependent clause • They may come at the beginning of the sentence or they may come between parts of the sentence • They imply one of the clauses is dependent on the other clause

16. Examples • After they removed the leeches, she showed him to the door. • If I die first, will you tuck me into my casket? • Where were you when the earth erupted? • I shall faint, unless you open a window.

17. Common Subordinating Conjunctions • Until, since, if because, after before, although, that, as if, so that, though unless, while, when, where, even though, whereas, in order that