How much grammar do I need to know

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How much grammar do I need to know?
www.geoffbarton.co.uk
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GRAMMAR ESSENTIALS
1 - Sentence types (co-ordination
subordination) 2 -Modification 3 - Cohesion
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GRAMMAR ESSENTIALS
SENTENCE TYPES
- 1 -
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• There are 3 types of sentences
• Simple sentences
• Compound sentences
• Complex sentences
• Using a variety of sentences will improve your
  writing.

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1 SIMPLE SENTENCES
Seamus smells rather badly

• Essential ingredients
• Subject
• Verb chain
• Tells us about one thing

Seamus is asleep
Seamus has a chronic haemorrhoid problem
Seamus likes warmth
Old Seamus is positively knackered
Old Seamus used to be fun
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GRAMMAR ESSENTIALS
COMPOUND SENTENCES / CCORDINATION
- 1 -
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2 COMPOUND SENTENCES
Essential ingredients Simple sentences joined by
the conjunctions And But Or
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2 COMPOUND SENTENCES
This creates coordination
I like fish and I enjoy chips I adore fish but I
hate chips I enjoy fish, or I did as a child
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2 COMPOUND SENTENCES
This creates coordination
I like fish and I enjoy chips I adore fish but I
hate chips I enjoy fish, or I did as a child
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2 COMPOUND SENTENCES
VISUAL GRAMMAR
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Compound sentences in context ...

• Create longer sentences
• Coordinate ideas (equal weighting)
• Can become repetitive
• Can sound colloquial, conversational
• Can feel uncontrolled if overdone, so ...

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3 COMPLEX SENTENCES
This creates subordination
Remember coordination ? I like fish and I enjoy
chips
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3 COMPLEX SENTENCES
The sea bass, which was filmed two days ago,
cruises slowly through the ocean.
SUBORDINATION
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3 COMPLEX SENTENCES
The sea bass, which was filmed two days ago,
cruises slowly through the ocean.
MAIN CLAUSE
SUBORDINATION
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3 COMPLEX SENTENCES
The sea bass, which was filmed two days ago,
cruises slowly through the ocean.
SUBORDINATE CLAUSE
SUBORDINATION
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3 COMPLEX SENTENCES
Starting at the bottom, it works its way upwards.
SUBORDINATION
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3 COMPLEX SENTENCES
Starting at the bottom, it works its way upwards.
MAIN CLAUSE
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3 COMPLEX SENTENCES
Starting at the bottom, it works its way upwards.
SUBORDINATE CLAUSE
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3 COMPLEX SENTENCES
He moves upwards because he senses danger.
SUBORDINATION
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3 COMPLEX SENTENCES
He moves upwards because he senses danger.
SUBORDINATION
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3 COMPLEX SENTENCES
He moves upwards because he senses danger.
MAIN CLAUSE
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3 COMPLEX SENTENCES
He moves upwards because he senses danger.
SUBORDINATE CLAUSE
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3 COMPLEX SENTENCES
VISUAL GRAMMAR
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MAIN CLAUSE
SUBORDINATE CLAUSE
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MAIN CLAUSE
SUBORDINATE CLAUSE
Conjunction because although as
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MAIN CLAUSE
SUBORDINATE CLAUSE
Conjunction because although as
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MAIN CLAUSE
SUBORDINATE CLAUSE
Make sure the subject agrees
-Ing verb

• Walking
• Thinking
• Hoping

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MAIN CLAUSE
SUBORDINATE CLAUSE
Make sure the subject agrees
-ed verb

• Frustrated
• Destroyed
• Undermined

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MAIN CLAUSE
SUBORDINATE CLAUSE

• relative pronoun
• Who
• Which
• That

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Handy Conjunctions
Coordinating conjunctions And, but, or
Subordinating conjunctions after, although, as,
as if, as long as, as though, because, before, if
, in case, once, since, than, that, though,
until, unless, when, whenever, where, wherever,
whereas, while
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COMPLEX SENTENCES ...
Have a main clause and a subordinate clause
linked by ...
Conjunction - as, until, after -ing verb -ed
verb Relative pronoun - who, which, that ..
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GRAMMAR ESSENTIALS
Modification
- 2 -
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Simple sentences dont need to be short, if we
use modification ..
Modifying a noun with an adjective The
house is menacing
old
musty smelly revolting
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Simple sentences dont need to be short, if we
use modification ..
Modifying an adjective with an adverb The
house is menacing
old
too
really horribly very
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Simple sentences dont need to be short, if we
use modification ..
Modifying a verb with an adverb The wolf yawns
in his sleep
imperceptibly
lazily uneasily frighteningly
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Modification in action ...
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The Other Side of the Dale County Hall was a
large, grey, stone mansion of an edifice ...The
interior was like a museum, hushed and cool, with
long echoey, oak-pannelled corridors, high ornate
ceilings, marble figures and walls full of
gilt-framed portraits of former councillors,
mayors, aldermen, leaders of the Council, high
sheriffs, lord lieutenants, members of parliament
and other dignitaries. It was really quite a
daunting place.
Gervase Phinn
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The Other Side of the Dale County Hall was a
large, grey, stone mansion of an edifice ...The
interior was like a museum, hushed and cool, with
long echoey, oak-pannelled corridors, high ornate
ceilings, marble figures and walls full of
gilt-framed portraits of former councillors,
mayors, aldermen, leaders of the Council, high
sheriffs, lord lieutenants, members of parliament
and other dignitaries. It was really quite a
daunting place.
Gervase Phinn
39
The Other Side of the Dale County Hall was a
large, grey, stone mansion of an edifice ...The
interior was like a museum, hushed and cool, with
long echoey, oak-pannelled corridors, high ornate
ceilings, marble figures and walls full of
gilt-framed portraits of former councillors,
mayors, aldermen, leaders of the Council, high
sheriffs, lord lieutenants, members of parliament
and other dignitaries. It was really quite a
daunting place.
Gervase Phinn
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GRAMMAR ESSENTIALS
COHESION Pronouns and other connectives
- 3 -
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COHESION
Cohesion is the way we show the reader the
direction of a text using ...
PRONOUNS she / he / it / they / we / us
CONNECTIVES Before, later, on the other hand,
despite this, however ...
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SPOT THE COHESION DEVICES
At around 1 for a large fruit, the pineapple is
no longer the special-occasion fruit it was in my
childhood. (If there is a pineapple in the fruit
bowl, then it must be Christmas.) More recently,
in the lush, tropical heat of Goa, the fruit
became a daily ritual during a beach-bum holiday.
Armed with a plump pineapple, chosen for its
ripeness and stripped of its inedible skin by the
stallholders fearsome machete, we would wander
far along the deserted beach to make the most of
the fruit and its sticky juice. Six months
later, in the frost-covered gardens of
Versailles, the statues and urns wrapped up for
the winter, such a fruit seemed even more
welcome, cheering us up as our teeth chattered
and we dripped juice into the snow as we walked.
It is this fruits impeccable timing, turning up
sweet and gold in the depths of winter, that
probably makes it so popular. Nigel Slater, Real
Good Food
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SPOT THE COHESION DEVICES
Pronouns
At around 1 for a large fruit, the pineapple is
no longer the special-occasion fruit it was in my
childhood. (If there is a pineapple in the fruit
bowl, then it must be Christmas.) More recently,
in the lush, tropical heat of Goa, the fruit
became a daily ritual during a beach-bum holiday.
Armed with a plump pineapple, chosen for its
ripeness and stripped of its inedible skin by the
stallholders fearsome machete, we would wander
far along the deserted beach to make the most of
the fruit and its sticky juice. Six months
later, in the frost-covered gardens of
Versailles, the statues and urns wrapped up for
the winter, such a fruit seemed even more
welcome, cheering us up as our teeth chattered
and we dripped juice into the snow as we walked.
It is this fruits impeccable timing, turning up
sweet and gold in the depths of winter, that
probably makes it so popular. Nigel Slater, Real
Good Food
44
SPOT THE COHESION DEVICES
connectives
At around 1 for a large fruit, the pineapple is
no longer the special-occasion fruit it was in my
childhood. (If there is a pineapple in the fruit
bowl, then it must be Christmas.) More recently,
in the lush, tropical heat of Goa, the fruit
became a daily ritual during a beach-bum holiday.
Armed with a plump pineapple, chosen for its
ripeness and stripped of its inedible skin by the
stallholders fearsome machete, we would wander
far along the deserted beach to make the most of
the fruit and its sticky juice. Six months
later, in the frost-covered gardens of
Versailles, the statues and urns wrapped up for
the winter, such a fruit seemed even more
welcome, cheering us up as our teeth chattered
and we dripped juice into the snow as we walked.
It is this fruits impeccable timing, turning up
sweet and gold in the depths of winter, that
probably makes it so popular. Nigel Slater, Real
Good Food
45
And thats all there is to it ...
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GRAMMAR ESSENTIALS
1 - Sentence types (co-ordination
subordination) 2 -Modification 3 - Cohesion
- -