7/28/2019 01) Sentences Notes

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Sentences 1

SentencesSentences 1: Subjects

Background

A sentence must have 3 things (everything else in a sentence is somehow attached to these):

a subject (who or what is doing something)

a verb (the action being done by the subject)

and independent meaning (well deal with this later)

Why is this important? Punctuation and usage are determined not by pauses, but by sentence patternswhich

always come back to the basic Subject + Verb.

Subjects

The subject of a sentence will be either a noun or a pronoun.

Nouns can be classified in different ways; we will focus on 2 confusing kinds:

1. a gerund (a noun made from a verb ending in ing and naming an activity):

Examples: running, believing, appearing, Dialing for Dollars

2. a collective noun (a noun naming a single group of many objects):Examples: team, faculty, flock, Chicago Symphony

Pronouns (words that replace nouns) that can be subjects are these:I it who no one nobody each (of) one (of) this

you we whoever someone somebody either (of) both (of) that

he/she they which anyone anybody neither (of) all (of) these

that everyone everybody those

Subjects can also be simple (only 1 noun/pronoun) orcompound (2 or more nouns/pronouns doing the action):

Examples: The captain shouted. (simple subject)

The captain and Luke shouted. (compound subject)

How do you find the subject of a sentence? Do these 3 steps in order:

Steps: Example: The captain shouted.1. Find the verb (action). Example: what is the action? shouted

2. Ask who or what does the action? Example: who shouted? captain

3. The answer will be the subject. Answer: captain is the subject

Now do Sentences 1.

Sentences 2: Verbs

There are three kinds ofverbs:1. action verbs: verbs in which someone or something acts ordoes something(observable or not)

Examples: run, kick, tolerate, review

2. linking verbs: verbs in which nothing isdone; instead, something just is. They can be used to make

eitheran identity statement: Mr. Moore is my teacher. (teacheris a predicate nominative.)

orstate a description: That joke isfunny. (funny is a predicate adjective.)Examples: forms ofto beam, is, are; was, were; be, being, been (there are others)

3. helping (modal) verbs: verbs which always precede AVs or LVs and help show verb tense, etc.

am was be shall can will may have do

is were being should could would might has does

are been must had did

There may be up to 5 verbs in a string:I run. I will run. I will have run. Ishould have been running. The raceshould have been being run.

How do I find the verb type?The last verb (also called the main verb) in the string must be eitheraction orlinking.

All verbs before the main verb must be helping.

When identifying verbs, indicate the whole string. Leave out not or other words not on the list of HVs.

Other key points:

-ing words must have helping verbs before them to be verbs. Without HVs, they are either Ns or Adjs.

Verbs can be simple (only 1 main verb) orcompound (2 or more main verbs done by the same subject).Eventually, these differences will matter in determining usage or punctuation.

Now do Sentences 2.

7/28/2019 01) Sentences Notes

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Sentences 2

Sentences 3: Prepositional Phrases

Sometimes a prepositional phrase comes between the subject and the verb. It will look like the subject but isnt.

A prepositional phrase will always start with a preposition, and it will always end with a noun called the object

of the preposition. (Example: under the large houseunder is the preposition; house is the o.p.)Prepositions may have compound objects (between a rock and a hard place). They will not have to+ a verb.While prepositional phrases can appear anywhere in the sentence, well focus on those following the subject.

Any number of prepositional phrases can be stringed together.

Example prepositions (words showing how 2 words are related in space, time, or some other way):space time other

above at between in on to upon after about

across behind by into out toward with before besides

against below down next to over under within during for

among beneath from off through up without until of

How do I tell if a noun is the subject or the object of a preposition? (Well use Three of the crew went home.)

1. Cross out all prepositional phrases. Three of the crew went home.

2. Underline the complete verb string twice. Three went home.3. Ask yourself, Who or what did the verb? to find the subject. Who went home? Three is the subject.

Now do Sentences 3.

Sentences 4: Capitalization and End MarksCapitalization

Always capitalize the following words:1. The first word of a sentence: The dog barked.

2. The word I: Luke andIwent base jumping.

3. Names:

Luke Skywalker but not boy Titanic but not ship

Empire State Building but not skyscraper Star Wars but not movie

Loveland but not city Big Thompson River but not river

North America but not continent the South (place name) but not south (direction)

Main Street but not street Mountain View H.S. but not high school

Microsoft Word but not word-processing program Department of Health but not department

World War II but not war Saturday but not day

Chemistry 101 but not chemistry Coach Knight but not coach

Dr. Kildare but not doctor God but not ancient gods

Uncle John but not my uncle Dad (his name) but not my dad

4. Titles of positions when used as a part of a name or as a substitute for a name:

The President consented or President Fillmore consented but not The first U.S. president consented. 5. Book titlesthe first and last words (always) and all words in between except a, an, and, the; FANBOYS; and

prepositions of 4 or fewer letters (in, at, on, over, etc., but not through, under, beneath, etc.)

Examples: The Catcher in the Rye, The Grapes of Wrath,A Journey Through Time, Love Is a Rose

Note: Always capitalize titles correctly even if a source (such as a web page) does not.

End Marks

1) Periods:a. Use a period to follow a sentence. Example: Luke dropped his lightsaber.

b. Use a period to follow an abbreviation. Examples: J. F. Kennedy, Mrs., Colo., U.K., B.C., m.p.h

c. Do notuse periods after commonly used acronyms (NATO, CIA). In the text, spell words out fully.

d. If an abbreviation ends a sentence, use only one period; dont use two.2) Question Marks: Use a question mark after a question. Questions are most commonly formed two ways:

either beginning with a question word (5 ws, 1 h)or inverting the subject-verb order. (I am. vs. Am I?)

3) Exclamation Points:a. Use an exclamation point after a strong exclamatory sentence, which typically begins with a question

word but is not a question, (What an amazing cellist he is!), a strong interjection (Ouch!), or a

strong command (Run away!).b. Do notuse an exclamation after a mild interjection (Well, I guess so. or Oh, I doubt it.) or a mild

command or request (Be sure to eat your vegetables. or Empty the trash, please.)c. Do notuse an exclamation after a sentence which states that something exclamatory is happening.

Bad: Luke was really excited to see Leia again! (here the speaker was excited Luke was excited)Good: Luke was really excited to see Leia again. Good: Luke said, Im so excited to see you, Leia!

Now do Sentences 4.

Sentences 5: Review