The Simpsons Teach Sentences
Independent Clause - Marge
1. Marge is an independent woman. She can survive on her own.
Independent (Marge) Clause
2. Just like Marge, an independent clause can survive on its own. It is a complete sentence with a subject and a verb that expresses a complete thought.
3. Simple Sentences (Marge)Subject + Verb• Marge walks to the lake.
• Homer sleeps too much.
• Bart is cool.
• Lisa will want to get a dog.
• Otto won the school safety award
• Moe wants a large-screen TV for the bar.
Examples of Independent (Marge)
Clauses or Simple Sentences
• Bart does not like to go to school.
• Lisa loves the saxophone.
• Homer loves beer, donuts, pork rinds and sleeping.
• Otto is not a safe bus driver.
• Maggie does not talk.
4. Compound Sentence(Marge + comma + Coordinating Conjunction +
Marge)
6. For this to work, you must have a comma between the first clause and the coordinating conjunctions
5. All these words tell us we have a compound sentence: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so.
Examples of two independent clauses brought together to make Compound Sentences.
Homer loves to snuggle with Marge, for Marge is really sexy.Principal Skinner and Mrs. Krabapple are in love, and they have to sneak around so they don’t get in trouble.Lisa stays out of trouble at school, nor does she slack off in her studies.Lisa and Bart may fight a lot, but they do love each other.Otto drives the bus dangerously, or he often finds a way to wreck it.Homer is totally incompetent at work, yet he still manages to keep his job.Mr. Burns is very rich, so he can have whatever he wants.
7. You can also make a Compound Sentence by using a semicolon.
Homer loves to snuggle with Marge; Marge is really sexy.Principal Skinner and Mrs. Krabapple are in love; they have to sneak around so they don’t get in trouble.Lisa stays out of trouble at school; she doesn’t slack off in her studies.Lisa and Bart may fight a lot; they do love each other.Otto drives the bus dangerously; he often finds a way to wreck it.Homer is totally incompetent at work; he still manages to keep his job.Mr. Burns is very rich; he can have whatever he wants.
Dependent Clauses (Homer)
8. Homer is messed up when he is on his own. Without Marge by his side, things go wrong. He is DEPENDENTDEPENDENT
on Marge and cannot survive without her.
Dependent (Homer) Clauses
9. Just like Homer, a dependent clause cannot survive by itself. It does not express a complete thought.
10. It is not a sentence and is always considered a fragment.
Examples of Dependent (Homer) Clauses After Homer met Marge
Although Otto drove the bus
As Lisa played the saxaphone
When Bart plays pranks
While Principal Skinner hides
Until Homer causes another meltdown
Because Maggie never speaks
Before the show begins
If Gil could ever get a break
Since Mr. Burns is so rich
Examples of Dependent (Homer) Clauses After Homer met Marge
Although Otto drove the bus
As Lisa played the saxaphone
When Bart plays pranks
While Principal Skinner hides
Until Homer causes another meltdown
Because Maggie never speaks
Before the show begins
If Gil could ever get a break
Since Mr. Burns is so rich
11. All these words tell you the clause is dependent: after, although, as, when, while, until because, before, if and since are all subordinating conjunctions.
Uh, I just wanna know … where do I fit in in grammar? What am I? Am I being snubbed
in this educational grammatical process?
I just feel like … so left out. I’m much more relevant than that Homer guy. I mean, that was like 20 years ago. Kids know me – but they don’t know him. In fact, I could kick his (CENSORED).
A Rule To Know!
12. A dependent clause (Homer) must have an
independent clause (Marge) by it to be a complete sentence.
Let’s Review the Four Types of Sentences!
13. Simple Sentences (Independent Clause/Marge)
14. Compound Sentences (Ind. Clause/Marge + Ind. Clause/Marge)
15. Fragment (Dependent Clause/Homer)
16. Complex (Ind. Clause + Dep. Clause OR Dep. Clause + Ind. Clause)
So…Let’s make
Complex Sentences.
The formulas
are...
Dependent Clause
+Independent Clause
=
COMPLEX SENTENCE
Examples of Complex SentenceSubordinating Conjunction + Homer, + Marge.
• Although Homer has made a lot of mistakes, Marge still forgives him.
• Until Lisa goes to college, she will have to live with her parents.
• When the grass turns green, Homer will have to mow the lawn.
• After Bart passes third grade, there will be a huge celebration.
• While Otto gets into wrecks, he keeps his job as a bus driver.
Again, all the complex that begin with a dependent (Homer) need a comma before the independent (Marge).
Dependent Clause
+Independent Clause
=
COMPLEX SENTENCE
Examples of Complex SentenceMarge + Subordinating Conjunction + Homer. (NO
COMMA)• Marge forgives Homer although he has made a lot of
mistakes.• Lisa will have to live with her parents until she goes to
college.• Homer will have to mow the lawn when the grass turns
green.• There will be a huge celebration when Bart passes third
grade.• Otto keeps his job as a bus driver while he keeps getting
into wrecks.
In this case, you do not need a comma between the clauses.
Let’s practice the
different kinds of
sentences.
1. Lisa wants a Malibu Stacey Doll.Simple
2. Mr. Burns owns a nuclear plant, but he also wants to buy a coal plant.
Compound3. Bart wants to pass the third grade
although he does poorly.Complex
4. Mr. Smithers serves as Mr. Burn’s conscience.
Simple
5. Although incompetent, Chief Wiggum still gets to carry a gun.
Complex
6. Rev. Lovejoy preaches every Sunday; everyone gets bored from them.
Compound
7. Last week, Otto drove the bus into a pond, and he filed for workman’s comp.
Compound
8. Is Barney Gumble an alcoholic?
Simple
Okay, okay, I got one. I got one. What kind of sentence is this?
Peter Griffin is much more freakin’ cool than Homer Simpson.
What is it? What is it? It’s a simplex sentence.
Uh, Peter, that’s a Simple Sentence.
If you get any more of these sentences incorrect, you will face my wrath!!! Now do your assignment!!!
