Sentence Combining

The Simple Sentence

A sentence will…

•Express a complete thought.•It can stand alone.

•Contains a subject and a predicate.

The SUBJECT tells who or what the sentence is about.

The PREDICATE (VERB) tells about the SUBJECT.

The Simple Sentence

• A simple or BASIC sentence will have a subject and a verb (subject and predicate).

EXAMPLES

Charles went to the park.

Laura saw a huge bear.

The squirrel ate the food.

Subjects and Predicates Example ONE

• John drove his truck to the Canadian border.

John = Subject

drove = Predicate

Simple Subject

• The Simple Subject tells WHAT or WHOM the sentence is about.

Chad, my next door neighbor, went to the store to buy some apples.

Complete SubjectSimple Subject

The Complete Subject tells about the WHOLE subject of the sentence.

Simple Predicate

• The Simple Predicate tells about the Subject—just the basics

John ran down the rocky trail.

Simple Predicate = ranComplete Predicate

I grabbed the bull by the horns.

Simple Predicate = grabbed

Complete Predicate

• Kathy saw a humongous alligator in the ditch yesterday.

Subject

Predicate

Now YOU write 10 simple sentences. Underline the Simple Subject and circle

the Simple Predicate

REMEMBERThe Basic Sentence

• All a sentence needs to have to be complete is a SUBJECT and a PREDICATE (verb)…no matter how big or small it is.

I ran. She walked. The bird hopped.

The dog growled.

He yelled.

She cried. The man sat.

Compound Subject

• A sentence has a compound subject if there is more than one subject mentioned in the sentence

Example: John and Joan went on a day long hike near Crater Lake.

John, Joan = Compound Subjects

Now write 5 Compound Subject sentences.

Verb

Compound Predicate

• Andy went to the store and bought some gum.

Compound Predicate

Now write 5 Compound Predicate sentences.

Compound Predicate = two verbs

The Compound Sentence

• A compound sentence consists of two sentences joined together by FANBOYS

• (For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So) or a SEMICOLON.

John went to the store. He bought some apples., and

h

;or You Decide!

John went to the store, and he bought some apples.John went to the store; he bought some apples.

Warning

• You have to have two SENTENCES (which have to have a subject and predicate) in order to join them with FANBOYS or a SEMICOLON.

Just What are FANBOYS?

• Coordinating Conjunctions—they join two words or sentences together.

For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So

• Laura wanted to go shopping, but she decided to stay home instead.

• Doug stayed at home all day long, for he didn’t like to deal with crowds.

• Andy’s girlfriend was in Austria for six months, so he was pretty bummed out.

Examples

Semicolons

• Semicolons are used to connect sentences also.

She walked home from school. She missed the bus.

s

;He drove the car all through the night; he had to get home.

Now write ten Compound Sentences on your own.

Use 5 different FANBOYS and 5 Semicolons.

Advanced Moves

•I wanted a glass of water from the well, but I didn’t have a glass; I was so thirsty.

•She walked up to me, but I turned around; I didn’t want her breathing on me.

•Mr. J was really upset, for he didn’t have his jelly donut this morning; this was sad.

Three sentences in one!

Sentence Fragment

• Does not make sense.

• Is missing a subject or a predicate.

• Cannot “stand alone.”

Walking down by the muddy river.

Alice, my next door neighbor and best friend.

Laughing at the clown sitting on the camel.

No Subject

No Predicate

No Subject or Predicate

Independent Clause

• Is another name for a SIMPLE SENTENCE

John walked down the dusty road.

Dependant/Subordinate Clause

• Is a basically a Sentence Fragment that is connected to an Independent Clause.

While watching the geese fly overheard, Jamie realized that he had forgot his gun.

Independent ClauseDependant Clause

Jamie realized that he had forgot his gun while watching the geese fly overhead.

OR

Dependant Clause cont.

• Sitting down to a nice cool glass of lemonade, I was thankful for a break.

• James yelled at her for being late, even though it wasn’t her fault.

• We played word games after dinner while the kids played basketball outside.

• The game, which we like best, is called Sequence.

Complex Sentences

• How to punctuate them.– Use Commas to ensure that the sentences are

clear.

Even though some people like French fries, I can’t stand them. comma

One day, I want to fly a jet in the Air Force.

comma

Complex Sentences

• Now Make 5 Complex Sentences

Do worksheet #14

Run-on Sentences/Comma Splice

• A RUN-ON SENTENCE connects two sentences together

without using FANBOYS or a SEMICOLON.• A Comma Splice uses only a comma to separate two

sentences (it is supposed to be a comma FANBOYS)

John walked down to the creek, he was going fishing.

Andy saw a wild dog it almost attacked him.

She is a really nice person, she reminds me of my mother.

Comma Splice

Run-on

Comma Splice

Three Type of Sentences

• Simple: It was John’s turn at bat.

• Compound: John his the ball, and it flew over the fence.

• Complex: Because he is such a great baseball player, we always pick John to be on our team first.

Three Types of Sentence Problems

• Fragment: Just the other day.

• Run-on: I like vanilla ice cream my brother does too.

• Comma Splice: I wish it was my birthday, I want to get a new mountain bike.

Ways to fix them

• Make sure you have a Subject and a Predicate.

• Use FANBOYS or SEMICOLONS

• Use commas to set off dependant/subordinate clauses to clear away any confusion.

Basic sentence: John went for a walk.Just one sentence.

Compound sentence (uses a FANBOY and/or a semicolon): John went for a walk, and he took his dog.John went for a walk; he took his dog.

Two sentences combined!

Complex sentence (use commas) In the morning light, John went for a walk, and he took his dog.

Advanced Moves! In the morning light, John went for a walk, and he took his dog; this was his everyday habit.