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Sentences 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) you we whoever someone somebody either (of) both (of) he/she they which anyone anybody neither (of) all (of) that everyone everybody
Sentences
Subjects can also be simple (only 1 noun/pronoun) or compound (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 of verbs: 1. action verbs: verbs in which someone or something acts or does something (observable or not) Examples: run, kick, tolerate, review 2. linking verbs: verbs in which nothing is done; instead, something just is. They can be used to make either an identity statement: Mr. Moore is my teacher. (teacher is a predicate nominative.) or state a description: That joke is funny. (funny is a predicate adjective.) Examples: forms of to 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. I should have been running. The race should have been being run. How do I find the verb type? The last verb (also called the main verb) in the string must be either action or linking. 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) or compound (2 or more main verbs done by the same subject).
Sentences
Eventually, these differences will matter in determining usage or punctuation. Now do Sentences 2.
Sentences
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 not use 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 not use 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