CM305 EditingUnderstanding the English Sentence

Basic Sentence Parts

There are four…

• Subject

• Verb

• Direct Object

• Subject Complement

Intransitive Verbs

Some sentences express a complete idea with nothing but a subject and verb. Verbs that do not take direct objects or subject complements are intransitive verbs.

Ex: Rivers flow.

Ex: Kim teaches.

Ex: Dusty writes.

Direct Objects

Most sentences have a third part that identifies receiver of the action, which is called the object of the verb or the direct object.

Ex: Germany invaded Poland.

Ex: Kim teaches literature.

Ex: Ben manages a grocery store.

Transitive Verbs

Verbs that take a direct object to complete the meaning of the sentence are transitive verbs.

Linking Verbs

In some sentences, the verb is not an action word. It is a state-of-being word. We call these verbs linking verbs.

Words or phrases that follow linking verbs are called subject complements.

Ex: Editors are leaders.

Ex: Editors are curious.

Subject ComplementsSubject complements come in two varieties: predicate nominatives and predicate adjectives.

Predicate nominatives rename the subject.

Ex: Editors are leaders.

Predicate adjectives describe the subject.

Ex: Editors are curious.

Linking Verbs

Verbs followed by subject complements include all forms of the verb to be:

am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been

In addition, some verbs can function as either an action verb or a linking verb:

Ex: That lettuce looks wilted.

Linking Verbs

• look

• feel

• sound

• smell

• taste

• appear

• become

• remain

• stay

• get

• grow

• prove

• seem

Assignment #11. Write 10 sentences with intransitive verbs.

2. Write 10 sentences with transitive verbs (meaning with direct objects).

3. Write 10 sentences with to be verbs. Five should take predicate nominatives and five should take predicate adjectives.

4. Write 10 sentences with the substitute linking verbs. In five they should be active verbs and in the other five, true linking verbs.

Modifiers

Modifiers serve to change or identify other parts of the sentence. Only two kinds of modifiers: adjectives and adverbs.

Adjectives modify nouns or pronouns (subjects, objects, and predicate nominatives)

Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other advers.

Modifiers

Ex: Metallic paint shines brightly.

Serious problems exist today.

To find adjectives: What kind? Which one? How many?

To find adverbs: How? When? Where? Why? To what extent?

Pronoun CaseIs it important to know when a word is used as an object and when it is used as a subject complement?

Yes! Personal pronouns take one form for the subject complement and a different form for objects.

Subjects and predicate nominatives use nominative case pronouns. Objects take objective case pronouns.

Pronoun CaseNominative Case

• I

• you

• he

• she

• it

• we

• they

Objective Case

• me

• you

• him

• her

• it

• us

• them

Pronoun Case

Subjects and predicate nominatives must come from the nominative case list. Objects must come from the objective case list.

Ex: It was ___ who complained.

Me and Ben took the pictures. (Nope!)

The winners were Jordan and ____.

Indirect Objects

Sentences with transitive verbs and direct objects often have another complement that receives the direct object called the indirect object.

Ex: Ned brought me his article.

Becki gave Adrielle an A.

Ben sent us his résumé.

Indirect ObjectsRemember:

• There can be no receiver of the direct object unless there is a DO.

• Indirect objects take objective case pronouns.

• When receivers of the direct object are in prepositional phrases, they are no longer indirect objects.

Ex: Ned brought his article to me.

Compound Sentence PartsIt is quite common for sentences to have compound parts (S-V-O-SC) and compound modifiers

Ex: President Bush lowered taxes and increased the deficit.

Ex: Ethan is quite capable and responsible.

Ex: The Spec editors ate chili and crackers.

Ex: Brittanie and Dusty sent Shannon and Shane their articles.

Compound Sentence PartsCoodinate conjunctions join compound parts and modifiers. They keep the combined parts equal in importance.

and, but, or, nor, for, yet

Correlative conjunctions are always used in pairs.

either…orneither…norboth…andnot only…but alsowhether…or

Assignment #21. Write five sentences with compound subjects. In

two sentences, use correlative conjunctions to join your subjects.

2. Write five sentences with compound action verbs. In two sentences, us intransitive verbs.

3. Write five sentences with compound direct objects.

4. Write five sentences with compound subject complements. In two sentences, use compound predicate adjectives; in the other three, compound predicate nominatives.

5. To any of the sentences above, add five adjectives and five adverbs. Underline adjectives once. Underline adverbs twice.

Assignment #2 (cont.)6. Write five sentences with linking verbs. Make the

subject complement in each a predicate nominate with a nominative case pronoun as the complement.

7. Write five sentences transitive verbs. In two sentences, include an objective case pronoun as the indirect object of the sentence. In the other three, use the objective case pronoun as the direct object.

Correct Verb Usage

Most English verbs can be used as either transitive or intransitive verbs. However, three pairs of particularly troublesome verbs can be used in only one way. The key to using them correctly lies in knowing which way they are being used – transitively or intransitively.

Correct Verb Usage

Intransitive (No direct object)Present Pres. Part. Past Past Part.lie (recline) lying lay (has) lainsit (rest) sitting sat (have) satrise rising rose (has) risenTransitivelay laying laid have laidset setting set (had) setraise raising raised (has) raised

Assignment #3

1. Write five sentences using the intransitive verb to lie. Write two sentences in the present tense. Write three sentences in the past tense.

2. Write five sentences using the transitive verb to lay. Use the present tense in three of your sentences. Use the past tense in the other two.

Clauses

Clauses are subject-verb groups of words that act as part of a sentence.

The independent clause carries the main idea of a sentence. Two or more independent clauses in a sentence comprise a compound sentence.

Ex: Shannon is interviewing LaMonte, but Allison is taking photos.

Ex: Ben and Dusty like Meat Lovers pizza; however, Ronaldo and I prefer Hawaiian.

Compound SentencesIndependent clauses can be joined into compound sentences in two ways:

1. Two independent clauses can be joined by coordinating or correlative conjunctions and a comma.

2. Two independent clauses can be joined by conjunctive adverbs and a semicolon.

Conjunctive Adverbsaccordinglycertainlyconsequentlyconverselyfinallyfurthermorehencehowever

indeedlikewisemeanwhilemoreoverneverthelessnonethelessotherwisesimilarlytherefore

Assignment #4

1. Write five compound sentences joined with coordinating conjunctions or correlative conjunctions.

2.Write five more compound sentences joined with conjunctive adverbs and a semicolon.

Clauses

Subordinate clauses are subject-verb word groups that act as a single part of speech (adjective, adverb, or noun only) or a single part of a sentence, i. e., a subject, subject complement, or object.

Subordinate clauses never contain the main idea of the sentence. For that reason, always find the independent clause first.

Adverb Clauses

Adverb clauses are subordinate clauses that function as an adverb in the sentences.

REMEMBER: Adverbs usually modify verbs, but they also modify adjectives and other adverbs. If a clause is an adverb clause, it will answer one of the adverb questions: How? When? Where? Why? Under what conditions? To what extent?

Adverb ClausesExs: England entered the war after Germany invaded Poland.

When Dusty submitted his story, Eric edited his copy.

The board will not approve a new dormitory unless the money has already been raised.

The words after, when, and unless are subordinating conjunctions. Even when they appear at the beginning of the sentence, subordinating conjunctions join the two clauses.

Subordinating Conjunctions

cause, effect as, because, since so, so that, in order that

condition if, even if, if only, unless

contrast although, even though, despite

comparison as if, as though, than, whereas, while

choice rather than, than, whether

sequenceafter, as , as long as, before, once, since, until, when, whenever, while

space where, wherever

Punctuation Rule

When an adverb clause precedes the independent clause, separate the clauses with a comma. No comma is needed when the adverb clause follows the independent clause.

Assignment #5Write 10 sentences with adverb clauses.

1.Place five of the adverb clauses before the independent clause and five of them after the independent clause. Punctuate accordingly.

2.Use the following subordinating conjunctions once: because, as long as, since, whenever, and where. Use subordinating conjunctions of your choice for the other five.

Adjective ClausesAdjective clauses are subordinate clauses that modify nouns or pronouns. Most often, the adjective clause is immediately preceded by the noun or pronoun that is being modified.

Exs: Betsy Shaffer, who edits the campus life pages, wrote that feature story.

The student who edits the campus life pages wrote that feature story.

The book that the bookstore received was not the book that I ordered.

Adjective Clauses

Adjective clauses begin with relative pronouns. These pronouns are “relatives” or substitutes for the noun or pronoun being modified.

The relative pronoun in an adjective clause is almost always the subject, predicate nominative, or direct object within the adjective clause.

Relative Pronounswhowhomwhosewhoeverwhomeverwhosoever

whichthatwhatwhicheverwhatever

Punctuation RuleWhether or not an adjective clause is punctuated depends upon the clause’s importance to the clarity of the entire sentence. When the clause is necessary to make a completely understood statement, it is restrictive or essential; commas are not needed. When the clause merely adds extra information, it is nonrestrictive or nonessential, and commas are required.

Assignment #6

1.Write five sentences with restrictive adjective clauses. Begin the sentences with the relative pronouns who, whose, which, that, and whoever.

2.Write five sentences with nonrestrictive adjective clauses. Use the same relative pronouns as the preceding five sentences. Punctuate correctly.

Noun Clauses

Noun clauses can be used wherever a noun is used – that is, as a subject, predicate nominative or object in an independent clause.

NOTE: Since a noun clause is actually a basic part of the independent clause and not just a modifier, the independent clause does not make a complete sentence with the subordinate noun clause.

Noun Clauses

Examples

David said that he was telling the truth.

That Titanic is a lousy movie is rarely disputed.

Writing is what Jordan does best.

The EMT did what he could, but it wasn’t enough.

Closer analysis revealed that the clause was acting as the direct object.

Noun Clauses

Noun clauses, like adjective clauses, begin with relative pronouns, but it is uncommon for the relative pronoun in a noun clause to be the subject or object within the clause. However, as the third example showed, it can happen.

That is the most common relative pronoun used to start noun clauses, but the following are also used: what, where, how, if, when, why, whether, lest.

Assignment #7

Write 10 sentences with noun clauses.

• In sentences 1–3, use the noun clause as subject.

• In sentences 4–7, use the noun clause as DO.

• In sentences 8–10, use the noun clause as a predicate nominative.

Phrases

A phrase is a word group that begins with a preposition or a verb form that acts as a single part of speech.

Prepositional PhraseA prepositional phrase is a word group that begins with a preposition followed by a noun or pronoun object (and any modifiers of that object).

Prepositional phrases are always adjective phrases or adverb phrases.

NOTE: (1) Prepositional phrases can function as predicate adjectives. (2) Noun clauses often act as the object in a prepositional phrase.

Prepositionsaboutaboveafteragainstamongaroundatbeforebehindbeneathbetween

bydownduringexceptfollowingforfromininsideintolike

ofoffonontooverpastsincethanthroughtotowards

Prepositional Phrases

Examples

Tate ran around the table and returned to his chair.

Each of the editors from the Spectator received advice about punctuating clauses.

The referee told Coach Swartzendruber to talk to the commissioner about problems he had with his calls.

Assignment #8

1.Write sentences (any number) that include a total of 10 prepositional phrases functioning as adverbs.

2.Write sentences (any number) that include a total of 10 prepositional phrases functioning as adjectives.

Verbal PhrasesA verbal phrase is a word group that begins with a verb form and that acts as a single part of speech.

Because verbal phrases begin with a verb form, they often take objects. The objects receive the action expressed by the verbal, just like a direct object.

NOTE: Noun clauses can serve as the object in a verbal phrase.

Verbal PhrasesThere are three types of verbal phrases:

1. Gerunds – Gerunds are always nouns.

2. Participles – Participles are always adjectives.

3. Infinitives – Infinitives can be adjectives, adverbs, or nouns.

Verbal PhrasesThe verb forms used as verbals are based upon the principal parts of verbs:

Infinitive PresentParticiple

Past PastParticiple

to run running ran (have) run

to talk talking talked (have) talked

Gerund PhrasesGerund phrases always begin with present participles (-ing verb forms) and always function as nouns in sentences or clauses.

Ex: Playing flag football is a popular intramural sport.

Liz objected to my inviting him to the party.

Benjy likes singing country songs in the sauna.

Jordan’s favorite pastime is playing volleyball.

Usage RuleSince gerunds are nouns, they are often preceded by possessives. (See example 2, previous slide.) Thus, “me inviting” would be as wrong as “me car” or “me book.

Use possessive pronouns, not personal pronouns, before gerunds.

Assignment #9Write ten sentences that include gerund phrases.

• In sentences 1–3, use gerund phrase as subject.

• In sentences 4–7, use gerund phrase as DO.

• In sentences 8–10, use gerund phrase as an object of the preposition.

Participial PhrasesParticipial phrases begin with either a present participle or a past participle (-ing or -ed verb form) and always function as adjectives in sentences or clauses.

Ex: Students selecting easy courses may later regret their choices.

All students elected to SGA must attend orientation.

Assignment #10

Write 10 sentences with participial phrases.

• Sentences 1–5, use the present participle.

• Sentences 6–10, use the past participle.

Infinitive PhrasesInfinitive phrases are word groups that almost always begin with infinitives (to + verb form). They can function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs.

Exs: To edit copy carefully requires attention to detail.

To provide necessary funds for student journalism, SGA increased the Spec budget.

The need to find alternative energy sources is growing daily.

Assignment #11

Write 10 sentences with infinitive phrases.

• In sentences 1–3, use the infinitive phrase as a noun.

• In sentences 4–7, use the infinitive phrase as an adjective.

• In sentences 8-10, use the infinitive phrase as an adverb.