sentences

The Power of Writing

2012HappyEdugator

A sentence is a word group that contains a subject and a verb and that expresses a complete thought.

A sentence begins with a capital letter and ends with a period, a question mark, or an exclamation point.

◦ Octavio Paz won a Nobel Prize in literature.◦ Stop!◦ Do you collect coins?

2012HappyEdugator

A sentence fragment is a word group that looks like a sentence but either does not contain both a subject and a verb or does not express a complete thought.

◦ Visited an old Spanish mission in San Diego.◦ Alonzo’s sisters and brothers.◦ Walking to the bus stop.

2012HappyEdugator

A sentence fragment is a word group that looks like a sentence but either does not contain both a subject and a verb or does not express a complete thought. Avoid sentence fragments in your writing!

◦ John visited an old Spanish mission in San Diego. (subject was missing)

◦ Alonzo’s sisters and brothers sang (predicate was missing).

◦ Walking to the bus stop, Jack saw a raccoon.(only a phrase; missing subject and predicate).

2012HappyEdugator

To fix a fragment, you need to supply the missing subject or the missing predicate.

going to the park. (who was going?)

Donald and Daisy. (what are they doing?)

2012HappyEdugator

A run-on sentence is a sentence error when two complete sentences are joined together incorrectly without punctuation.

Diane and Carson go to high school Pete goes to middle school.

The sentences are joined when they should be separated by a period, or joined with a comma and a conjunction or a semicolon.

2012HappyEdugator

The subject tells who or what the sentence is about.

2012HappyEdugator

The simple subject is the main word or word group that tells whom or what the sentence is about.

The complete subject consists of all the words needed to tell whom or what the sentence is about.

◦ A brightly colored blue jay sat on the windowsill. Complete Subject – A brightly colored blue jay Simple Subject – blue jay

2012HappyEdugator

The predicate of a sentence tells something about the subject.◦ Lois Lenski wrote “Strawberry Girl.”◦ The tooth with a point is called a canine.

2012HappyEdugator

The simple predicate, or verb, is the main word or word group in the complete predicate.

The complete predicate consists of a verb and all the words that describe the verb and complete its meaning.◦ The nurse lifted the patient carefully.

Complete Predicate - lifted the patient carefully Simple Predicate - lifted

2012HappyEdugator

Usually the subject is at the beginning of a sentence, and the predicate follows the subject.

The lazy cow ambled in the green pasture.Cow= simple subjectAmbled = simple predicate

2012HappyEdugator

Sometimes the subject can be confused by an intervening phrase such as-

Mr. Jones, a dentist, is researching ways to prevent cavities.

The subject is still Mr. Jones, even though the appositive phrase tells us he is a dentist. The subject is not “dentist.” That is additional information give n to us to describe the subject, which is Mr. Jones.

2012HappyEdugator

Sometimes an introductory phrase comes in front of the subject. Sentences often have prepositional phrases that introduce the subject.

EXAMPLE- Over the river, and though the woods, to grandmother’s house we go.

The subject of the sentence is ???

2012HappyEdugator

If you said “we” you were correct! Over the river, and through the woods, to

grandmother’s house… are a string of prepositional phrases introducing the sentence. Take away the phrases and you have simplified the sentence to just We go.

We is the subject go is the predicate

2012HappyEdugator

What is the person, place, or thing (noun) in the sentence that is doing or being something?

Around the corner, Amy, a famous writer, lives in a two story house with her two cats.

The subject is ???

2012HappyEdugator

The subject is Amy! There is an introductory phrase and an

intervening phrase, but the subject is clearly Amy.

What is she doing? She ???

2012HappyEdugator

Amy _____? She lives! Look for the verb in the sentence that tells

about the subject.

2012HappyEdugator

Sometimes an imperative sentence will seem like it does not have a subject. If the sentence is a command or an order, the subject is understood to be “YOU.”

(You)Go sit down. (You)Get those books. (You) Pick up that mess.What is the subject of this sentence? Take out your pencil.

2012HappyEdugator

Sometimes an imperative sentence will seem like it does not have a subject. If the sentence is a command or an order, the subject is understood to be “YOU.”

(You)Go sit down. (You)Get those books. (You) Pick up that mess.What is the subject of this sentence? (You) Take out your pencil.

2012HappyEdugator

Sometimes a sentence will have a compound subject. Two people, places, or things are doing the action.

Lauren and Jessica are riding bikes. The compound subject is Lauren and

Jessica.

2012HappyEdugator

Sometimes a sentence will have a compound predicate. This means that there are two (or more) actions the subject is doing.

Donna is sweeping and mopping the house. The compound verb is sweeping and

mopping.

2012HappyEdugator

Sometimes a sentence will have both a compound subject and a compound predicate.

Donna and David are dusting and vacuuming.

The compound subject is Donna and David. The compound verb is dusting and

vacuuming.

2012HappyEdugator

Most importantly, all sentences must have a subject and a predicate to be complete.

This is important to know when you are revising and editing your writing. This will also allow you to recognize fragments and run-on sentence errors.

2012HappyEdugator

Also, when you write, you should be able to vary your sentence styles and beginnings. If you always start your sentences with a subject and a verb, and don’t include phrases to add additional information and zing, your writing will be very simple, disconnected, and BORING. Also, knowing how to recognize subjects and verbs will help you vary your sentence structures, and you will be able to write simple, compound, complex and compound-complex sentences.

2012HappyEdugator

Make sure you use complete sentences in your writing so the thoughts you are trying to express are clear to your reader!

HAPPY WRITING!!!

2012HappyEdugator

1. James walked to school last week.

What is the simple subject?Jameswalkedschoolweek

2012HappyEdugator

2. The elephant herds destroyed parts of the forest.

What is the simple subject?elephantherdspartsforest

2012HappyEdugator

3. In the winter, ice and snow makes it difficult to drive.

What is the subject?icesnowice and snowwinter

2012HappyEdugator

4. Dr. Alexander Graham Bell, a famous American, invented the telephone.

What is the subject?Dr. Alexander Graham Bellfamous Americaninventedtelephone

2012HappyEdugator

5. In a thunderstorm, people should stay indoors if possible.

What is the subject?thunderstormpeopleindoorsstay

2012HappyEdugator

6. Over the bridge, across the tracks, and around the corner to the best restaurant in town they went.

What is the predicate?bridgerestauranttheywent

2012HappyEdugator

7. Dion and Marcus skidded and slipped on the slippery floor.

What is the predicate?Dion and Marcusskiddedslippedskidded and slipped

2012HappyEdugator

8. In the future, be very careful and watchful !

What is the predicate?futurebecarefulwatchful

2012HappyEdugator

9. The mean little boy laughed obnoxiously at the frightened little kitten.

What is the predicate?meanboylaughedfrightened

2012HappyEdugator

10. Julie jumped on her moped, hit the accelerator, and sped off.

What is the predicate?Juliejumpedmopedjumped, hit and sped

2012HappyEdugator

10. Julie jumped on her moped, hit the accelerator, and sped off.

What is the simple predicate?Juliejumpedmopedjumped, hit and spedNote: the complete predicate would be - jumped on her moped, hit

the accelerator, and sped off

2012HappyEdugator