Writing Workshop: Grammar and Sentence Structure

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Writing WorkshopGrammar and Sentence Structure

• EDP 303 Human Development

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Introductory Activity

• Please Answer the following questions (a few
  sentence each)
• How did you learn the English Language?
• When were you first introduced to English Grammar
  in school?
• What can you remember (terms, concepts, etc.)
  from your grammar instruction?

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Presentation Outline

• 1) Clauses The Basic Building Blocks
• Subject/Verb/Direct Object (predicate)
• Independent/Dependent clauses
• Compound and Complex sentences
• Fragments/Run-ons
• 2) Punctuation and Clauses
• Periods, Commas, Semi-Colons, Colons
• 3) Subject/Verb Agreement
• 4) Pronoun/Antecedent Agreement

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1) Clauses Complete Sentences

• Complete sentences contain three basic elements
• Subject
• Verb
• Direct Object
• Predicate (includes the verb, indirect object,
  direct object, etc.)
• generally they are in this order
• S V O

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Digression

• Certainly sentences contain many more elements
  than SVO, but these are the basic building blocks
  of clauses. By understanding these three
  elements, we can learn to use periods, commas,
  and semi colons correctly, and we can learn to
  construct increasingly sophisticated sentences
  with ease.

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Definitions

• Subject who or what the sentence is about
• Verb provides the action (or state of being in
  the case of to be verbs)
• Direct Object Nouns or pronouns that directly
  receive the action of the verb. They answer
  whom, what, or where.
• Predicate the predicate tells something about
  the subject (always includes the verb).

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Example Sentences
S
V
O

• 1) Dr. Husman loves to teach motivation.

s
v
o
2) Human Development is a useful
course. predicate encapsulated in
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Now you try! (Practice 1)

• The fat dog eats everything except lettuce.
• Jimmy likes to play basketball.
• Yesterday the teacher was sick
• This is the place I like to eat the most. (this
  is a tough one!)
• Can you label the subject, verb, direct object,
  and predicate?

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Answers (practice 1)
S
V
O

• The fat dog eats everything except lettuce.
• Jimmy likes to play basketball.
• Yesterday the teacher was sick.
• This is the place I like to eat the most. (this
  is a tough one!)

O
S
V
O
S
V
O
S
V
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Clauses

• Clauses contain a subject and a verb
• There are two types of clauses
• Independent clauses
• Dependent clauses
• By understanding clauses, we can gain insight
  into how to structure sentences and use periods,
  commas and semi-colons correctly.

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Independent Clauses

• Independent clauses contain a subject, a verb,
  and a direct object.
• Independent clauses are, in and of themselves,
  complete sentences.

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Examples of Independent clauses (practice 2)

• The teacher was funny.
• This presentation is boring.
• My last critical essay drove me insane.
• each of these clauses contains a subject, a
  verb, an object, and a predicate. Can you find
  them?

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Answers (practice 2)
S
V
O

• The teacher was funny.
• This presentation is boring.
• My last critical essay drove me insane.

S
V
O
S
V
O
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Dependent Clauses

• Also known as subordinate clauses, dependent
  clauses can contain a subject, a verb, and an
  object but cannot stand alone.
• Oftentimes subordinate clauses will contain an
  independent clause, but they will be incomplete
  because they contain a dependent marker word
  (also known as a subordinating conjunction).

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Examples of Dependent Clauses (practice 3)

• 1) While the students laughed
• 2) Although the anteater sat on her foot
• 3) Sitting on her foot
• 4) When the bus came to pick us up
• 5) Enjoying every moment of the play
• Label the SVO combinations, and circle the
  dependent marker word. (do together as a class)

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Compound and Complex Sentences

• By understanding compound and complex sentences,
  we can begin to understand how to build
  increasingly sophisticated sentences.
• Also, we begin to get and idea of how punctuation
  is used to separate clauses.

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Compound Sentences

• Compound sentences link two independent clauses
  with a coordinating conjunction.
• Coordinating conjunctions are words such as
  and, but, so, and or.
• Commas separate two independent clauses

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Examples of Compound Sentences (Practice 4)

• I dislike grammar, and I dislike lessons about
  grammar even more.
• Suzie went out to dinner, and her friend Jimmy
  went along.
• The student attributed his high test scores to
  internal and controllable factors, but his best
  friend attributed her failure to external and
  uncontrollable factors.
• Can you find the SVO combinations in each
  sentence? (complete as a class).

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Complex Sentences

• Complex sentences contain one or more independent
  clauses and a dependent clause.
• Complex sentences usually begin with a dependent
  clause followed by an independent clause.
• However, complex sentences can end with dependent
  clauses, or have dependent clauses inserted in
  the middle of them.
• Commas separate dependent clauses that come
  before independent clauses (never after).

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Examples of Complex Sentences (Practice 5)

• While the students laughed, the instructor
  continued to lecture.
• Although the anteater sat on her foot, she seemed
  oblivious to the pain.
• She did not say a word although she was very
  offended by the statement.
• The teaching assistant, while preparing the
  lecture, kept his students needs in mind.
• Please circle the dependent clauses and
  underline the independent clauses.

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Answers (practice 5)

• While the students laughed, the instructor
  continued to lecture.
• Although the anteater sat on her foot, she seemed
  oblivious to the pain.
• She did not say a word although she was very
  offended by the statement.
• The teaching assistant, while preparing the
  lecture, kept his students needs in mind.

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Fragments and Run-ons

• Fragments are dependent (subordinate) clauses
  that stand on their own. They are an incomplete
  thought.
• Run-ons are compound sentences without
  punctuation. They contain many thoughts run
  together.

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Examples of Fragments

• a rather boring lesson (no subject or verb)
• ate at the table by herself (no subject)
• When father came home from his trip (dependent
  marker word)

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Examples of Run-ons

• Moral development and motivation are my two
  favorite theories in this class but my instructor
  wants me to write about something else. (no
  punctuation)
• She lay on the floor, and she snored, but she
  didnt groan, and she wiggled her ears. (more
  than one thought)
• Where should the new punctuation go?

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Run-ons Corrected

• Moral development and motivation are my two
  favorite theories in this class, but my
  instructor wants me to write about something
  else.
• She lay on the floor. She snored, but she didnt
  groan. She wiggled her ears.

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2) Punctuation and Clauses

• Now that we understand the building blocks of
  sentences, we can use punctuation correctly.
• In fact, the rules for commas, semi-colons, and
  periods are very easy. They simply separate
  clauses in various ways.
• Colons are a bit different, so we will get to
  those last.

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Periods

• Periods are the easiest. Obviously, they go at
  the end of complete sentences (simple sentences,
  compound sentences, and complex sentences).
• No examples are necessary.

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Commas

• Many people run into trouble with commas.
  Honestly, lots of people I know really have no
  idea when and where to use commas correctly.
• Actually, the rules for commas use are quite
  simple once you know how to recognize the two
  types of clauses.

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Comma Use Rule 1

• Use commas to separate independent clauses in a
  compound sentence (always need a coordinating
  conjunction).
• For Example
• Sara lacks empathy, but her friend Sally
  understands others very well.
• can you find the SVO combination?

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Comma Use Rule 2

• Use Commas to separate dependent clauses that
  come before independent clauses (never after).
• For example
• Although Erik Eriksons epigenetic stages are
  often criticized, it is important to take into
  consideration the time period in which he was
  writing and the nature of his education.
• Can you find the dependent marker word? Can you
  find the SVO combinations?

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Comma Use Rule 3

• Use commas to separate items in a list
• For example
• The teacher entered the class, wrote on the
  board, and sat down at the desk.
• note the parallel structure (all verb tenses the
  same)

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Comma Use Rule 4

• Use commas to separate two or more adjectives
  that precede a noun.
• The trick here is to question whether or not you
  can put an and in the middle.
• For example
• The cute, fuzzy dog ran away.
• (the cute and fuzzy dog ran away).

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Comma Use Rule 5

• Use commas before words or phrases at the
  beginning of a sentence that come before the
  subject.
• For example
• However, the best cure for a tough semester is a
  long vacation to Mexico.
• For example, Cabo San Lucas is a very nice place
  to vacation.

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Comma Conclusion

• Other than dates and salutations, that is about
  it.
• Most people make mistakes because they fail to
  recognize the structure underlying their
  sentences. By understanding what constitutes an
  independent and a dependent clause, many comma
  problems can be avoided.

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Remember!

• Dependent Clause, Independent Clause.
• Independent Clause, Independent Clause. (with
  coordinating conjunction)
• Adjective, Adjective Noun (where and can go in
  the middle)
• Lists

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Semi Colons

• Semi colons act like periods. They simply
  separate independent clauses (without the
  coordinating conjunction).
• For example,
• 1) The cat was fat he ate too much.
• 2) Cognizant of her surroundings, the young
  woman tried to get home as soon as possible she
  did not want to be out late in this neighborhood.

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Semi Colons Continued

• Semi Colons can also separate confusing lists
  they provide grouping.
• For example,
• Learn the meanings of these homophones there,
  their, theyre to, too, two your, youre no,
  know and hear, here.

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Colons

• Excluding time and salutations, colons are always
  used before lists but never after verbs or
  prepositions.
• Incorrect) It is important to bring bathing
  suits, hats, and sandals.
• Correct) It is important to bring the following
  on vacation to Mexico bathing suits, hats, and
  sandals.

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Punctuation Review (Practice 6)

• Peer relationships are an important part of an
  adolescents life they are integral to identity
  development and self determination
• To surmise performance-avoid orientation is
  maladaptive in middle school students it
  increases the likelihood of self handicapping
  anxiety and ineffective learning strategies

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Possible Answers

• Peer relationships are an important part of an
  adolescents life they are integral to identity
  development and self determination.
• To surmise, performance-avoid orientation is
  maladaptive in middle school students. It
  increases the likelihood of self handicapping,
  anxiety, and ineffective learning strategies.

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Agreement

• It is important that everything agrees in a
  sentence.
• Pronouns must agree with antecedents.
• Verbs must agree with subjects.

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3) Pronoun/Antecedent Agreement

• If the antecedent in a sentence is singular, then
  the pronouns used must be singular as well. If
  the subject is plural, then the pronouns used
  must be plural.
• an antecedent is simply the subject or person to
  which a pronoun refers.

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Incorrect Pronoun/Antecedent Agreement (Practice
7)

• Pro-social behaviors and beliefs rely on a
  students capacity for empathy and their place in
  the social hierarchy.
• A teacher needs to be able to recognize the goal
  orientation of their students.
• can you find the agreement problems?

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Correct Pronoun/Antecedent Agreement

• Pro-social behaviors and beliefs rely on
  students capacity for empathy and their place in
  the social hierarchy.
• A teacher needs to be able to recognize the goal
  orientation of his or her students.
• Often it is easier to make the antecedent plural
  than to avoid androcentric language with the
  singular pronouns.

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Pet Peeve

• PEOPLE are WHOs not THATs.
• The student that took the test did well. NO!
• The student who took the test did well. YES!

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4) Subject/Verb Agreement

• If the subject in a sentence is singular, then
  the verbs used must be singular as well. If the
  subject used is plural, then the pronouns used
  must be plural.

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Incorrect Subject/Verb Agreement (Practice 8)

• The student, although often chastised by other
  students, still have a positive self concept .
• External motivation, while it initially sounds
  ideal for students, have many flaws.
• can you find the agreement problems?
• oftentimes we are tricked by to be verbs when
  we insert a dependent clause.

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Correct Subject/Verb Agreement

• The student, although often chastised by other
  students, still has a positive self concept .
• External motivation, while it initially sounds
  ideal for many students, has many flaws.
• can you find the SVO combinations?

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Review!! (Practice 9)

• For the following sentences, please label the
  SVO combinations, the independent and dependent
  clauses, the dependent marker words (if present),
  and determine if they are complex, compound, or
  simple sentences.
• If you find this task easy, go ahead and label
  agreement pairs as well.

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• 1) Self regulation is an intriguing facet of
  educational psychology.
• 2) Although Nancy Eisenbergs theory of social
  cognition is widely accepted, I find Lawrence
  Kohlbergs work more applicable.
• 3) Effective civics teachers understand their
  students level of moral development, and
  successful civics students are willing to open
  their minds to new ideas.
• 4) Although human development is a challenging
  class, I have learned a lot from the material,
  and my classmates seem to have learned a lot as
  well.

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• 1) Self regulation is an intriguing facet of
  educational psychology.
• 2) Although Nancy Eisenbergs theory of social
  cognition is widely accepted, I find Lawrence
  Kohlbergs work more applicable.

S
V
O
S
S
V
V
O
O
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s
v
o

• 3) Effective civics teachers understand their
  students level of moral development, and
  successful civics students are willing to open
  their minds to new ideas.
• 4) Although human development is a challenging
  class, I have learned a lot from the material,
  and my classmates seem to have learned a lot as
  well.

v
s
o
S
V
S
V
O
O
V
S
O
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Bibliography

• Kiester, Jane. Caughtya Again! More Grammar with
  a Giggle. Maupin House, 1993.