Grammar Packet

Name: ______Period: ______

Grammar Packet:

March

Some of this material has already been covered in class; some of it will be covered later on. You should be able to do the packet independently, and it will help you prepare for class.

Submit your Holiday Grammar and Style Packet to the Packet Box no later than Friday, March 27.

Even if you are able to finish your packet during school hours, always take it home and ask a relative or homework helper to review it with you before you turn it in.

If you ever have any trouble, remember you can always come to my classroom at lunch on the first and last days of the week for individual help. J

I have no extras. If you lose your packet, you will have to print another from my teacher website (www.lusd.org/Page/3380).

WORK IN PENCIL. You will probably need to erase at some point.

This Month’s Learning Objectives:

·  Correctly use commas in sentences with multiple clauses.

·  Correctly combine simple sentences into compound sentences using both the commas+FANBOY and the semicolon method.

·  Distinguish between simple sentences that have compound subjects and/or verbs and compound sentences.

·  Identify the subordinate clause in complex sentences.

·  Distinguish between simple, compound, and complex sentences.

·  Use a variety of sentence types in your own writing.

Commas and Clauses

Last month, you studied dependent and independent clauses. This month, you will learn how to combine them into different types of sentences.

There are a few basic rules governing commas in sentences that have more than 1 clause.

1. When you have more than one independent clause in a sentence, you can join them using a comma and a FANBOY (a coordinating conjunction: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so). The comma MUST be present.

I painted twenty eggs, but Sandy painted thirty.

You will clean your room, or I am going to have a big yard sale!

2. Most dependent clauses do not require a comma if they come after the independent clause, but do require a comma if they come before the independent clause.

I know something is wrong when she is in a quiet mood.

When she is in a quiet mood, I know something is wrong.

3. Which is a special non-coordinating conjunction. It is special because it begins clauses that must always be separated from the rest of the sentence by commas:

I read Gathering Blue, which is the sequel to The Giver.

Poetry, which is an ancient form of literature, still has the power to cast a spell over modern listeners.

4. The word that begins clauses that NEVER use commas.

I found out from the interview that Gathering Blue is the sequel to The Giver.

Poetry that can cast a spell over its listeners is found in ancient books and modern coffeeshops.

Many people confuse which and that when it comes to commas. Which requires commas; that does not.

[1]

Proofread the following essay. You will have to write directly on the draft to fix it. Here is a partial, basic checklist:

o  Tell the writer to INDENT. Draw the pilcrow symbol ¶ to the left of any line that you believe should be indented.

o  Capitalize the beginning of each sentence, proper nouns/adjectives, and the pronoun “I”.

o  Fix all misspelled words, including contractions.

o  Add, move, or remove commas based on the 4 rules listed on pages 2 and 3.

o  Check that all interjections must have a comma.

o  If there is only ONE comma between a subject and predicate, that is incorrect. Check to see whether you need to remove it or add another one.

1

english 7

Period 3

cindy nero

march 20 2014

1

Cheaper products—At What cost?

1

Rite now I want you to pretend, that you are in a store As you walk around you see that some products is much less expensive then others. Now, look at the labels an these cheapter items; do you notice that many of them say, “Made in china” or “Made in Honduras”. Have u ever stoped to wonder why products made in these countries Are so much more affordable than things, that are manufactured on American soul? Well before you buy another expensive article Of clothing, pear of shoes, or sporting gud, you might want to think this thru.

Child labor has long been bannd in the united states but out of site shouldnt mean out of mind. Over 200 million children world wide work full time in conditions not fit for a animal. They do not play sports they do not attend school and they do not have fun. These children, sadly are prisoners.

Take for example, Pakistan and india. In these countries a ~bonded labor” system forces child laburers who can be as young as for years old, to work four a single employers for many yeers. They r some times literally tied to their loom to ensure they r not slacking off which is unthinkable to most people. In return for their servitude they receive a place to sleep and just enough food too sustain them.

Compound Sentence[2]

A compound sentence is a sentence with two or more independent clauses. It has no dependent clauses.

INDEPNEDENT CLAUSE: Melvina wrote to her mother’s aunt

INDEPENDENT CLAUSE: Leroy wrote to his cousin from Jamaica

COMPOUND SENTENCE: Melvina wrote to her mother’s aunt, and Leroy wrote to his cousin from Jamaica.

There are 2 ways to combine independent clauses into a compound sentence.

1. The most common way is to use a comma and a coordinating conjunction (a.k.a. a FANBOY):

Melvina wrote a paragraph, and Leroy wrote three pages.

2. In some cases, it may be appropriate to join the two independent clauses using a semicolon:

Melvina wrote three paragraphs; Leroy wrote two pages.

This method generally only works well for clauses that you would have joined using a comma and the FANBOY and.

REMEMBER:

·  If you use a FANBOY, you MUST use a comma.

·  If you use a semicolon, you CANNOT use a FANBOY!

PRACTICE 1

1) Identify the simple subject and simple predicate in each independent clause with single and double underlining respectively. 2) In the blank, write what method was used to join the clauses into a compound sentence. Write either comma + FANBOY or semicolon.

EXAMPLE: A reporter will speak to our class next week, and we will learn about careers in journalism. comma + AND

1. Ruth Benedict was a respected anthropologist, and Margaret Mead was one of her students.

______

2. Weather changes rapidly, but climate changes slowly.

______

3. Linh Phan lived in Vietnam for many years, so he knows all about Vietnamese foods such as nuoc mam.

______

4. Our landlord is kind, yet she forbids pets in the building.

______

5. Daniel Boone received no formal education, but he was literate.

______

6. Sofia’s favorite is the marble cake; Elena enjoys the pudding.

______

7. Sheena did not play soccer; she had sprained her ankle.

______

8. Eight men went up the mountain, but only two returned by nightfall.

______

Simple or Compound Sentence?[3]

If you have not mastered identifying subjects and predicates, then you will find it difficult to distinguish between compound sentences and simple sentences that have compound subjects or compound predicates.

This is why your teachers drilled you for so long on parts of speech and identifying subjects and predicates last semester. If you are still shaky on this concept and need more review than this packet, there are hundreds of sites on the Internet that will help you practice this basic skill of finding the subject and predicate.

A simple sentence can have a simple subject and predicate:

My dog hates loud noises.

A sentence can have a compound subject and a compound predicate but still be a simple sentence. Remember that a sentence with a compound subject has more than one subject:

My dog and my baby brother hate loud noises.

A sentence can also have a compound predicate, or, in other words, more than one predicate:

My dog hates and fears loud noises.

Finally, a sentence can have a compound subject and a compound predicate! Behold:

My dog and my baby brother hate and fear loud noises.

However, all these sample sentences are still SIMPLE sentences. Remember that a simple sentence has only one clause. For it to be a compound sentence, it must have more than one independent clause. For example:

My dog whines at loud noises, and my brother whimpers too.

This sentence is compound ONLY because it has more than one independent clause.

TIP: Look for a comma+FANBOY or a semicolon. If they are present and correctly used, then the sentence is compound.

PRACTICE 2

1) Underline the subjects and double-underline the predicates in each sentence. 2) Label each sentence as simple or compound.

EXAMPLE: A rain forest is a tropical evergreen forest and has heavy rains throughout the year. ______à

A rain forest is a tropical evergreen forest and has heavy rains throughout the year. simp

1. The trees and other plants in a rain forest grow close together, and they rise to different heights. ______

2. The Amazon is located in South America and is one of the longest rivers in the world. ______

3. The Amazon begins in Peru, and it flows across Brazil to the Atlantic Ocean. ______

4. The Amazon is actually a network of several rivers, but most people think of these combined rivers as only one river. ______

5. In the photo at the left, the Amazon twists and curves. ______

6. The variety of plant life in the Amazon rain forest is remarkable; in fact, of all rain forests in the world, this area contains the greatest number of plant species. ______

Complex Sentences[4]

A complex sentence contains one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.

Remember that dependent clauses, like all clauses, have a subject and a predicate. However, unlike independent clauses, they cannot stand alone as a sentence. Dependent clauses usually begin with these conjunctions:

if that as

when which for which

after who for whom

before because since

Here are some examples of complex sentences. The dependent clauses are underlined. (Notice how, if you took out the dependent clauses, you would have a perfectly good simple sentence.)

The boy who left is my cousin.

When I hear classical music, I think of Aunt Sonia.

One interesting annual event that is held in the Southwest is the Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial, which involves many different American Indian peoples.

PRACTICE 3

Underline the dependent clause in each complex sentence.

(There is ONLY one dependent clause in each of these sentences!)

EXAMPLE: Helen Keller, who overcame severe physical impairments, showed great determination. à

Helen Keller, who overcame severe physical impairments, showed great determination

1. After Helen, only a small child, recovered from an illness, she could no longer see or hear.

2. Because she could not hear, she also lost her ability to speak.

3. Helen’s parents hired a special teacher named Anne Sullivan, who stayed at the Kellers’ home to instruct Helen.

4. Sullivan spelled words into Helen’s hand as the child touched the object represented by the word.

5. From this basic understanding of language, Helen went on to learn Braille, which is the alphabet used by people with visual impairments.

PRACTICE 4

1) Identify whether each sentence is simple or complex. 2) If the sentence is complex, also underline the dependent clause.

EXAMPLE 1 : Keller was fortunate because she had such a skillful and patient teacher. à

Keller was fortunate because she had such a skillful and patient teacher. cx

EXAMPLE 2: Wouldn’t it have been terribly difficult to learn abstract vocabulary using this system? à

Wouldn’t it have been terribly difficult to learn abstract vocabulary using this system? simp

1. Sullivan had actually been recommended to Helen’s parents by Alexander Graham Bell, who devised several hearing aids among his many other inventions. ______

2. Helen grew up to be an inspiring teacher in her own right. ______

3. She was awarded the Medal of Freedom in recognition of her triumph over multiple disabilities. ______

4. Keller’s biography, which is titled The Story of My Life, tells about her remarkable achievements. ______

Reviewing the 3 Types of Sentences

Study the previous pages before doing this final practice.

REMEMBER:

Simple sentences contain only one clause. They may have compound (more than one) subjects or predicates—or both!—but the subject(s) and predicate(s) will go with each other. There will be no other clauses.

Both children and adults enjoy that movie.

Compound sentences contain more than one independent clause. Therefore, they will have either a comma+FANBOY or a semicolon.

I wanted to see it at midnight on the day it was released, but the rest of my family outvoted me.

Complex sentences contains one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses. Remember the words if, when, after, before, that, which, who, because, as, for which, for whom, since. These conjunctions begin dependent clauses.

My book, which was written by Betty Smith, is set in Brooklynn.

You will be tempted to assume that sentences that have no commas are simple sentences, but notice:

1)  Dependent clauses beginning with the word that and many that begin with the word who do not take commas either. Therefore, a sentence with no commas but contains the word that or who is probably complex; analyze it carefully!

2)  Some phrases that are not clauses take commas. Therefore, a sentence with commas might still be a simple sentence. Remember, you are looking for how many clauses are in the sentence and what types of clauses they are.

PRACTICE 5[5]

Identify each of the following sentences as simple, compound, or complex.

EXAMPLE: To be honest, their skit was better than ours. à simp

1. The Mississippi River, which begins in the town of Lake Itasca, Minnesota, is the setting for many of Mark Twain’s stories.