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We gathered notes about writing and sentence structure from your Edmentum lessons (and some extra basics) here, so you can find them all in one place!
If you saw something related to grammar in your Tutorial and aren't sure what it means, you can find info about it below!
If you're behind and trying to catch up, there are OTHER grammar notes on the websites for the other courses - Head to the front page to check those out!
a complete sentence; a group of words that contains a subject and verb and expresses a complete thought
To get a sense of what clauses are, look at the following sentence:
Tonya took the exam because she wants to be a doctor.
This sentence has two clauses: "Tonya took the exam" and “because she wants to be a doctor." The first clause can stand as a sentence by itself if you add a period at the end. A clause that can stand as a sentence is called an independent clause.
For more info on clauses and sentence structure, click here.
To get a sense of what clauses are, look at the following sentence:
Tonya took the exam because she wants to be a doctor.
This sentence has two clauses: "Tonya took the exam" and “because she wants to be a doctor." The second clause doesn't form a sentence by itself but instead adds to the information in the first clause. We call this type of clause a dependent clause.
For more info on clauses and sentence structure, click here.
Example: (1) Many times I have tried to warn climbers and backpackers of nature's cold and harsh realities. (2) The Alaska environment can be extremely unfriendly to humans. (3) It is indifferent and unforgiving. (4) On top of that, the scale of Alaska is easily underestimated.
Let's examine how the author uses multiple independent clauses to create cohesion.
Read this sentence from the text:
"On top of that, the scale of Alaska is easily underestimated."
Even though this is an independent clause, it is unclear what exactly the author means without the other sentences to provide the context.
Now look at the previous sentences in this paragraph. The author uses four independent clauses to connect his ideas. These four sentences create cohesion around the author's overarching idea that the Alaskan wilderness can be very dangerous.
Also note the author uses the phrase "On top of that" as a transition to connect the previous clauses to the idea that Alaska's size is "easily underestimated."
Example: "Today, because most people, including most Alaskans, live in urban environments and grow up in an urban culture, wilderness skills are never learned."
The highlighted portion of this sentence is a dependent clause and does not express a complete thought.
This statement expresses why people do not learn wilderness skills.
The author uses this to create cohesion around his idea that the Alaskan wilderness is dangerous, and many people are not prepared for it.
A phrase is a group of words that function together to express a single idea in a sentence.
Using a noun phrase in place of a noun can convey a more specific meaning. A noun phrase is a group of words that functions as a noun and has a noun and noun modifiers. For example, wish is a noun; "sensible wish" is a noun phrase, with sensible modifying wish.
Notice the difference replacing a noun with a noun phrase makes in this example:
Original: "The Monkey's Paw" draws on the concept of wishes when a genie offers to obey Aladdin's command.
With noun phrase: "The Monkey's Paw" draws on the concept of wishes when an ominous genie with supernatural powers offers to obey Aladdin's command.
Replacing the noun genie with the noun phrase "an ominous genie with supernatural powers" provides more specific information about the genie and conveys the idea that the genie might be dangerous.
For a more detailed breakdown of what a phrase is, click here.
A phrase is a group of words that function together to express a single idea in a sentence.
Using a verb phrase in place of a verb can also convey a more specific meaning. A verb phrase contains a verb and its objects, complements, and modifiers—generally, what receives the action of the verb. For example, make is a verb; "make a sensible wish" is a verb phrase (the verb make plus the direct object, “a sensible wish").
Notice the difference a verb phrase makes in this example:
Original: In "The Monkey's Paw," Mr. White is warned, like Aladdin is.
With verb phrase: In "The Monkey's Paw," Mr. White is warned to beware of the consequences of his wishes, like Aladdin is warned to “have nothing to do with devils."
The verbs is warned and is are replaced by details about their warnings that give more specific information and convey the idea that making wishes—even sensible ones—might be very dangerous.
For a more detailed breakdown of what a phrase is, click here.
A phrase is a group of words that function together to express a single idea in a sentence.
Using an adjective phrase in place of an adjective can convey a more specific meaning. An adjective phrase is a group of words containing an adjective and its modifier(s) that modifies a noun. For example, serious is an adjective; “much too serious” is an adjective phrase (the adjective serious modified by much too).
Notice the difference an adjective phrase makes in the following example:
Original: "The Monkey's Paw" makes an ordinary paw a supernatural object that grants wishes, like those that are granted to Aladdin
With adjective phrase: "The Monkey's Paw" makes an "ordinary little paw, dried to a mummy" a supernatural object that grants wishes, like those that are granted to Aladdin.
The paw is now described by two adjective phrases—"ordinary little" and "dried to a mummy," both phrases from "The Monkey's Paw." These details convey a sense of impending death and suggest that things may not be what they seem.
For a more detailed breakdown of what a phrase is, click here.
Other Types of Phrases
Other Types of Phrases
A phrase is a group of words that function together to express a single idea in a sentence.
For a more detailed breakdown of what a phrase is, click here.
Parallel structure is when a writer uses repeated patterns of words within a sentence or section of a text to show that two ideas have equal importance. This structure shows that two or more ideas have the same level of importance. Parallel structure also adds rhythm, making the words memorable.
Examples:
Not parallel: On weekend afternoons, Cristobal enjoys reading comic books, doing crossword puzzles, and television.
Parallel: On weekend afternoons, Cristobal enjoys reading comic books, doing crossword puzzles, and watching television.
Notice how the patterns of the words are the same in the sentences that are parallel.
A semicolon (;) links two independent clauses (complete sentences, see above) in the same sentence without using a coordinating conjunction such as but or and. A semicolon in the middle of a sentence makes you pause before reading the rest of the sentence. Semicolons indicate that two clauses are closely related have a strong connection.
These are two simple complete sentences about why someone doesn't want to try rock climbing:
Rock climbing is something I've never wanted to try. The reason I haven't is because I have a fear of heights.
Here is a revised (corrected version) using a semicolon:
I've never wanted to try rock climbing; I have a fear of heights.
The semicolon connects the two complete sentences but makes the reader supply the "because" relationship between the two ideas.
Semicolons can also separate items in a complex list. Often, such a list already contains commas. Semicolons help to separate the main items in the list.
Look at this example:
The largest cities in the United States are New York, New York; Los Angeles, California; Chicago, Illinois; and Houston, Texas.
For more information about semicolons and other punctuation, click here.
Like the semicolon, a colon (:) links related information in a sentence. The colon indicates that the information that follows it is directly related to the first part of a sentence. Think of a colon as saying, “Let me explain” or “Wait, there’s more.”
Colons can be useful for these purposes:
introducing lists
Example: "I was excited to collect so many berries: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries."
introducing quotations
Example:
Edward George Bulwer-Lytton penned one of the most famous opening lines in history: “It was a dark and stormy night.”
providing examples
See the examples used above and around this website!
A colon is used after independent clauses, meaning that the clause that comes before the colon should be able to stand on its own.
For more information about colons and other punctuation, click here.
Keep in mind that a summary:
briefly retells the story's most important parts in a few sentences.
includes only the key information.
leaves out minor details.
is in your own words and is opinion free.
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