More Generative Sentence Steps

DS 014 Writing

Today's Agenda

Sign-In Writing Outreach Schedule Hand in Grammar Test/Worksheet Review the first two GSR steps

(building blocks, cues, and BSPs) GSR Step 3 GSR Step 4

Reviewing Blocks, Cues, and BSPs

Writing can be thought of as a series of structures. Words are the blocks we use to build sentences. Sentences then build into paragraphs. Paragraphs build into essays, short stories, novels, screenplays, etc.

The same word can act as different types of blocks. We can tell how words are being used by looking for cues.

Reviewing (cont.)

Cues can be verbal (inflection of the voice).

We can also use frames to tell what role a word is playing in a sentence.

Noun Frame: I was thinking of ______________(-s).

Verb Frame: They might ________________(them).

Adjective Frame: They seem _________________.

Adverb Frame: That one did it ________________.

Cues can also be taken from what has been added to the word (ex. -ly, -iest, -es, -ed)

Reviewing (cont.)

There are four Basic Sentence Patterns on which most writing is based.

BSP-1 "Jim laughed." (noun plus verb) BSP-2 "Jim drives a truck." (noun plus verb plus

noun) BSP-3 "Jim is a plumber." (noun plus linking

verb plus noun) BSP-4 "Jim is rich." (noun plus linking verb plus

modifier)

Your Turn

Take the next five minutes to write at least one sentence of each of the four BSPs.

We're not done yet!

Trade papers with a buddy. Polish/edit your buddy's sentences. Make sure both names are on it. Pass it in for a daily grade.

GSR Step 3—Bound Modifiers

There are three kinds of “bound modifiers”--adjectives, adverbs, and prepositional phrases.

The reason they're called bound modifiers is that they're not necessarily set off by punctuation but are rather “bound” tightly into the sentence.

Example BSP w/ Bound Modifiers

Jim drove the truck.—Basic BSP-2 Jim drove the huge truck.--BSP-2 plus

adjective Jim carefully drove the huge truck.--

BSP-2 plus adjective and adverb Jim carefully drove the huge truck onto

the highway.--BSP-2 plus adjective, adverb, and prepositional phrase.

What have we created?

An independent clause consists of a basic sentence pattern (BSP) plus its bound modifiers.

This is important to remember as we move along.

And we did it without diagramming!

Word of Warning!

The BSP is weakened (hard to find the original structure) if you add too many bound modifiers to it.

Old, unhappy, bashful, friendless Jim carefully, quietly, and deliberately drives a battered, decrepit, unpainted, unlicensed truck.

A base clause should normally be between eight and twenty words long (Christensen).

GSR Step 4--Free Modifiers

Structures that may ordinarily be "freely" placed before, after, or in the middle of the base clause that they modify and are set off from the modified base clause by pauses in oral speech and by punctuation in writing.

One method of adding free modifiers...

...is to add a subordinate clause to the beginning of a base clause.

When Jim drives a truck, he is happy. Words used to start subordinate clauses

include (but aren't limited to)... after, although, as, because, before,

even though, if, once, since, though, unless, until, and when.

Homework

Write five BSP sentences. Write five BSP sentences with bound

modifiers. Write five BSP sentences with free

modifiers. You should have 15 sentences in all.

Coming up this week!

Wednesday GSR Step 5--

Different types of clusters

GSR Step 6--Absolutes

GSR Step 7--Relative clauses

Friday GSR Step 8—

Positioning modifiers

GSR Step 9—Parallelism in modifiers

GSR Step 10—Turning modifiers non-parallel with a purpose

Next week!

Monday GSR Step

11--Punctuation

GSR Step 12—Transitions

Take home test/ worksheet

Wednesday and Friday

No class Work on

take home test