Grammar Notes

GRAMMAR NOTES Unit 6

WEEK ONE

Please take out your notes for your studies in Grammar …

GRAMMAR

What are punctuation marks?

Critical Question

Review

You should know your parts of speech.

You should also understand the sentence

nounverb

adjectiveadverb

prepositionconjunctionsinterjections

pronouns

CLAUSE PHRASE

Punctuation Marks

Symbols that indicate the structure and organization of written language, as well as intonation and pauses to be observed when reading aloud.

1. The period2. The question Mark 3. Exclamation point 4. Comma5. Semicolons6. The Colon7. The Dash 8. The Hyphen

9. Ellipses 10. Asterisks11. Quotations12. Parenthesis 13. Brackets 14. Underlining and Italics 15. Apostrophe

The Basic Types of Punctuation

Use your notes to answer the question in one sentence.

Summary –

What are punctuation marks?

Grammar Matters ------


GRAMMAR

How is the period used in the sentence?

Critical Question

The period.

The period is a straightforward punctuation mark. Everyone knows a period ends a sentence that is a statement, but the period—unlike the other punctuation marks—can do more than just mark the end of a sentence.

The period.

The period is a straightforward punctuation mark. Everyone knows a period ends a sentence that is a statement, but the period—unlike the other punctuation marks—can do more than just mark the end of a sentence.

The period. What else????????.

Abbreviation - Any shortened form of a word is an abbreviation.

Examples: Avenue Ave.October OCT.

The period. What else????????.

Some abbreviations are more commonly used than the actual words.

Examples: Mr. MisterMrs. MISTRESSEtc. Et cetera

The period.

When you have an abbreviation at the end of a sentence, don’t use a second period.

Squiggly bought supplies for the trip—suntanlotion, a hat, a beach umbrella, a towel, etc.. WRONG

RiGHTSquiggly bought supplies for the trip—suntanlotion, a hat, a beach umbrella, a towel, etc.

However, if you end in a question or an exclamation with an abbreviation, you do include both the period for the abbreviation and the final question mark or exclamation point.

Did Squiggly actually buy suntan lotion, a hat, a beach umbrella, a towel, etc.? RiGHT

More on abbreviations …

Acronyms - a special kind of abbreviation. - made from the first letter (or letters) of a string of words but are pronounced as if they were words themselves .

Examples: NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration

ROFLROLLING ON THE FLOOR LAUGHING

NIMBY Not in my back yardNot all abbreviations are acronyms.

What else????????.

Some acronyms have become such accepted words that they are written with lowercase letters, and many people do not know that they are acronyms.

Examples: scuba Self-contained underwater breathing apparatus

radar RADIO DETECTING AND RANGING

laser Light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation

Squiggly always wanted to work for NASA.

No Strict Rules with Acronyms – Only ---Be Consistent

Squiggly always wanted to work for N.A.S.A.

Initialisms These too are made

from the first letter (or letters) of a string of words, but they don’t make pronounceable words.

FBI CIA FYI PR

No Strict Rules with Initialisms – Only ---Be Consistent

Use your notes to answer this question in 3 or more sentences.

Summary –

How is the period used in the sentence?



GRAMMAR

How is the question mark used in sentences?

Critical Question

The question mark

You use a question mark After a direct question.

There are trickier scenarios

Sometimes direct questions are tricky because they can look like statements, and the only way to tell your reader otherwise is to add a question mark. There is a big difference in the meaning of the following sentences.

Squiggly went to the store?

Squiggly went to the store.

Questions Masquerading as Statements

The question mark makes it a direct question that shows surprise.

What about those little questions that come at the end of statements?

It’s fun to play maracas, isn’t it?

You didn’t get my birthday, did you?

Statements with Tag Questions

Bits like did you and isn’t it are called the tag questions, and they turn the whole sentence into a question, so use a question mark at the end.

Do you have a curious nature? Do you wonder about things? When you wonder, your statements may sound like questions , but they are not direct questions, they’re indirect questions, and they don’t take a question mark.

Squiggly asked if fries came with the burger.

I wonder why he went to the store

Indirect Questions

Bits like did you and isn’t it are called the tag questions, and they turn the whole sentence into a question, so use a question mark at the end.

It gets really crazy when you starte to mix direct and indirect questions. There are multiple ways to writes these.

The question is at hand, Who stole the cookies?

The question is at hand, who stole the cookies?

Indirect Questions Mixed with Direct Questions

Some style guides allow you to capitalize the first word in the direct question even though it comes in the middle of a sentence :

Usually a comma after the first clause and a question mark after the direct question.

Some use a colon:

The question is at hand: who stole the cookies?

Sometimes your sentence looks like a question, but it is merely being polite. If you are writing a polite command, you do not need a question mark.

Would you please let me do that for you.

The Polite Question

Use notes to answer

Summary –

How is the question mark used in sentences?



GRAMMAR

How is the exclamation point used in a sentence? What are the three punctuation marks that are used to end sentences?

Critical Questions

The Exclamation Point .

Don’t overuse it ! Stop now! Your writing will explode!

The exclamation point adds emphasis and indicates a strong emotion—surprise, panic, urgency, pain, horror.

Do not overuse Reduce your credibility

That marks the end of talking about the END of sentences –

Next up The guts of the sentence ---

The point

Summary –

How is the exclamation point used in a sentence? What are the three punctuation marks that are used to end sentences?


WEEK TWO


GRAMMAR

What are commas, and how are they used in sentences?

Critical Question

The comma—the most versatile (and therefore confusing) punctuation mark in the English language .

Some people think thatthe rule is simplyto place a comma

anywhere they would naturallypause in a sentence, but

this “rule” is wrong.

The serial comma comes before the final conjunction in a list.

Whether to use a serial comma is a style decision. Though not always necessary, it is generally good to use

it. It helps to avail any confusion..

Aardvark and Squiggly love chocolate, hiking, and fishing.

The Serial Comma

Aardvark and Squiggly love chocolate, hiking and fishing.

Squiggly was proud of his new muffin recipes: blueberry, peanut butter and chocolate chip and coconut.

The Serial Comma

Squiggly was proud of his new muffin recipes: blueberry, peanut butter, and chocolate chip and coconut.

Squiggly was proud of his new muffin recipes: blueberry, peanut butter and chocolate chip, and coconut.

Using commas with multiple adjectives is another challenge; fortunately, the rules are straightforward.

1. Can you put the word and between the adjectives and have the sentence still make sense?

Adjectives and Commas

2. Can you reverse the order of the adjectives and have the sentence still make sense?

To decide if a comma is needed, ask 2 questions:

If you can do those two things, then use a comma between the adjectives because each adjective is describing the noun (coordinate adjectives.)

Aardvark is a hairy and small mamma. Aardvark is a small and hairy mammal. Aardvark is a small, hairy mammal.


If you cannot use and and reverse the order, the adjectives are called cumulative adjectives and you do not use a comma.

Squiggly found four green Easter eggs. Squiggly found green four Easter eggs. Squiggly found Easter green four eggs. Squiggly found green Easter four eggs.

Using commas with multiple adjectives is another challenge; fortunately, the rules are straightforward.

1. Can you put the word and between the adjectives and have the sentence still make sense?


2. Can you reverse the order of the adjectives and have the sentence still make sense?

To decide if a comma is needed, ask 2 questions:

If you can do those two things, then use a comma between the adjectives because each adjective is describing the noun (coordinate adjectives.)

Sometimes you will use adjectives that look like adverbs. That’s a challenge. If the word is and adjective, you will use a comma.

Aardvark took a long daily run.

The “ly” Adjective Challenge

Aardvark trains hard daily.

Aardvark trains daily hard.

,

When daily is an adverb, a comma is not needed.

The sentence does not make sense if it is reversed.

The “ly” Adjective Challenge

Squiggly is a friendly yellow beast.

Aardvark is a fiercely loyal friend.

,

Aardvark is a loyal fiercely friend.

Aardvark is a fiercely and loyal friend.

yuckyuckyuck

Please answer this question in your summary box.

Summary –

What are commas, and how are they used in sentences?

One of the most common places to use commas is where two main clauses (independent clauses) are connected by a coordinating conjunction. You usually need a comma before the conjunction.

Squiggly ran to the forest and Aardvark chased the squirrels.

Commas and Coordinating Conjunctions

,

When you are not joining two main clauses, you don’t need a comma.

Squiggly ran to the forest but Aardvark chased the squirrels.,

Squiggly ran to the forest and chased the squirrels.

Commas and Coordinating Conjunctions

The only time you might use a comma in a sentence like the one above is if the second part of the sentence is in stark contrast to the first part.

Squiggly cowered under a rock but felt brave.

(comma allowed because of contrast) ,

Commas and Coordinating Conjunctions One question that comes up is whether to follow the conjunction with a comma when you use it to start a sentence.

And I love the holidays.

(comma allowed because of contrast)

A comma is not required after the conjunction unless there’s an aside that would require commas immediately after the conjunction.

And despite the extra work I love the holidays., ,



GRAMMAR

What is a comma splice, and how are commas related to run on sentences?

Critical Question

Do not use a comma between two independent clauses (sentences) without a conjunction. It is an error called a comma splice, or a comma fault.

Never Comma Splice

It is easy to see why it is called a comma slice: the comma is used to slice together two complete sentences when that is not the function of a comma.

Squiggly ran to the forest, Aardvark chased the squirrels.

(where is the coordinating conjunction? Ahhggg – this is soooo wrong)

Run-on sentences are, in some ways, the opposite of comma splices. Instead of using the wrong punctuation, they occur when you don’t use any punctuation between sentences. They are just sentences smashed together without any punctuation. Sometimes they are called fused sentences.

Run-on Sentences

You’re over halfway through this course you should be smarter by now.

(Ahhggg – this is a run-on sentence, an EPIC FAIL)

Summary –

What is the difference between a comma splice, and run-on sentences?



GRAMMAR

How are commas used with subordinating conjunctions and with conditional Sentences?

Critical Question

Subordinating conjunctions join subordinate (or dependent) clauses to the main clause.

Consider the different meanings of these two sentences:

Commas and Subordinating Conjunctions

When the dependent clause comes first, use a comma!



Because he was scared Squiggly ran to the forest.

,

When the dependent clause comes last, DO NOT use a comma!


Squiggly ran to the forest because he was scared.


We had to get up at four in the morning because Aardvark wanted to go fishing.


When we get home from vacation I am going to buckle down at work.

,

I am going to buckle down at work when we get home from vacation.

Because Aardvark wanted to go fishing we had to get up at four in the morning.

,

When the two parts of the sentence are in stark contrast, a comma is used. (Commas are often used to mark contrast when they would otherwise be left out.)


Squiggly was wide awake despite getting up at four in the morning.


,

Conditional sentences have an if clause, such as, If you have any questions, let me know. The action depends on something else.

Commas and the Conditional Sentence

Like dependent clauses, the rule for the conditional sentence is when the “if clause” is at the beginning of the sentence, you need a comma. When the “if clause” is at the end of the sentence, you don’t need a comma.

If you have any questions, let me know means that you will let me know only if you have questions

Conditional Clauses If you have any questions let me know.

Let me know if you have any questions.

,

Note: Sometimes when is Used instead of if.

Summary –

How are commas used with subordinating conjunctions and with conditional Sentences?



GRAMMAR

Critical Question How are commas used with interjections, direct

address, dates, numbers, locations, e.g. and I.E., and quotations?

Interjections at the beginning of sentences are followed by commas (or exclamation points if you want to be more dramatic, or periods if you want to be more final).

Oh, he’s coming along too?

Commas with Interjections

Oh! He’s coming along too?

Oh. He’s coming along too?

In dialogue, use commas when directly addressing someone by name. Depending on how you write the sentence, the comma will be before of after the name.

Put down your pencil this minute, John.

Commas with Direct Address : You Talkin’ to Me?

John, put down your pencil this minute.

Hi, John. How are you?

Captain, I’m only a country doctor.

When writing out a date, separate the day of the month from the year with a comma. Also use a comma after the year.

Squiggly thinks he met Aardvark on July 14 2008 at a rock concert

Commas and Dates

If you leave out part of the date, leave out the commas.

Squiggly thinks he met Aardvark in July 2008 at a rock concert.

Squiggly thinks he met Aardvark on July 14 at a rock concert, but he can not remember.

,,

Insert a commas when numbers are over 999, such as 1,203. This rule does not apply to dates.

Commas and Numbers

Commas are necessary when writing about a city and state. The comma goes after the city and after the state.

Commas and Locations

Squiggly flew to St. Louis Missouri to visit the Bowling Hall of Fame.

,,

If you use abbreviations e.g. and i.e., use a comma afterward; e.g. and i.e., are both abbreviations for Latin terms.

E.G. and I.E.

E.g. means “for example, so use it to introduce an example.”

E.G. and I.E.

Aardvark likes card games, e.g., bridge and crazy eights.

Squiggly visited Ivy League colleges, e.g., Harvard and Yale.

I.e. means “this is” or “in other words,” so use it to introduce further clarification.

E.G. and I.E.

Squiggly had no plans (i.e., he was free).

You usually use commas to introduce dialogue with tags such as he said and she asked.

Commas and Quotations

Aardvark asked, “who stole the chocolate?”

Don’t use a comma when the quotation flows as part of the sentence—for example, when you introduce a quotation with words such as that or begins with or starts—thereby making the quotation part of your sentence.

Commas and Quotations

Aardvark knew that the Peeve Avenger Manual begins with “Peeves are more stupid than they look.”

Summary – Summarize what you have learned

about commas.


WEEK THREE


GRAMMAR

Do action and linking verbs take different modifiers?

Critical Question

Linking Verbs With Adjectives and Adverbs.

I feel bad.I feel badly.

When you are dealing with sensing verbs, such as taste, smell, look, or feel, you have to take a minute to decide whether you’re describing the noun or the verb.



Remember linking verbs?

Adjectives follow linking verbs. Adjectives modify nouns. Adverbs modify action verbs.

Summary –

Critical question --- Do action and linking verbs take different modifiers?



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WEEK FOUR


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WEEK FIVE


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Documents

Grammar Notes