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!
Clauses are parts of sentences that include a subject and a verb. You should aim to incorporate a wide range of clauses into your writing. Not only will this help keep your ideas clear, but it will also add variety and interest to your writing.
Clauses can be independent or dependent. Independent clauses contain a subject and verb and express a complete thought. "Romeo is banished" and "Juliet and Friar Laurence discuss a plan" are both independent clauses.
Other clauses that form parts of sentences are dependent. They contain a subject and verb but depend on the rest of the sentence to express a complete thought.
In the sentence "Juliet wept because Romeo killed Tybalt," the clause because Romeo killed Tybalt has a subject (Romeo) and verb (killed), but it does not express a complete thought, as it begins with the word because. It is a dependent clause attached to the independent clause Juliet wept.
Feeling lost? Check out the Grammar Notes from ENG 9A for more breakdowns and examples!
Here are three main types of dependent clauses to incorporate into your analysis:
Noun clauses function as nouns and generally answer the questions who or what. If you can replace the clause with a noun, it is probably a noun clause.
Friar Laurence understands what Juliet needs.
(You could replace what Juliet needs with a noun like Juliet.)
Relative clauses start with relative pronouns, including that, who, which, whose, and whom and often describe the noun or pronoun they refer to.
Juliet marries Romeo, who kills Tybalt. (The clause describes Romeo.)
Juliet drinks a potion that will make her appear dead.
(The clause describes the potion.)
Adverbial clauses function as adverbs. That is, they modify or describe a verb, adjective, or adverb and often tell when, where, or how an action takes place.
Juliet will awaken after the potion wears off.
(The clause describes when she will awaken.)
As soon as she awakens, Juliet will leave with Romeo.
(The clause tells when Juliet will leave.)
Feeling lost? Check out the Grammar Notes from ENG 9A for more breakdowns and examples!
Semicolons are a tool for setting off clauses and keeping your ideas organized. They are particularly useful for connecting closely related ideas that are complete thoughts. (Note: Do not use a semicolon to separate a dependent clause from the independent clause that makes it a complete thought.)
Notice how semicolons are used in the following examples. Transitional words are in bold and dependent clauses are underlined.
While Romeo is in Mantua, Juliet will be asleep in the tomb; meanwhile, Friar Laurence will seek to end the feud.
Both Romeo and Juliet threaten to kill themselves; however, Friar Laurence convinces them not to.
Capulet, who has no idea Juliet is already married, arranges a hasty marriage to Paris; he thinks it will ease Juliet's sorrow.
Feeling lost? Check out the Grammar Notes from ENG 9A for more breakdowns and examples!
For example, including participle phrases in your narrative will provide your reader with additional descriptions about a subject. You can use these phrases to add more detail about how or why a character is doing something.
Notice how the participle phrases add more description in these sentences:
Ellen held up a hand, silencing him.
She went to the desk and started typing, bringing up a series of documents on a monitor.
Sai stared at him, dumbfounded by his luck.
Notice how each of the bolded participle phrases comes after the comma and acts as an adjective to modify a noun or pronoun that comes earlier in the sentence. Participle phrases can also be placed at the beginning and the middle of sentences.
Feeling lost? Check out the Grammar Notes from ENG 9A for more breakdowns and examples!
A noun clause takes the place of a noun in a sentence.
A noun clause can function as a subject:
Who is included in the phrase "all men are created equal" differs between the two documents.
It can also act as a direct object:
Douglass condemns the treatment of Black people in a "free" country.
In short, a noun clause can serve the same function as any noun in any sentence.
Feeling lost? Check out the Grammar Notes from ENG 9A for more about clauses (with examples)!
You know that verb tense tells when an action happened, is happening, or will happen. But verbs also have mood. Using a variety of verb moods in your writing can help make your meaning clear and add interest.
The indicative mood makes a statement. Usually, the verb follows the subject of the sentence: Shirley Chisholm served in Congress.
The imperative mood gives a command or makes a request. The subject of an imperative sentence is usually implied so that the verb comes at the beginning of the sentence: Write a comparison of the two speeches.
The interrogative mood asks a question. Typically, the subject of the sentence comes after the verb: Did the speech convince the audience?
The conditional mood refers to something that has not yet happened but can happen under certain conditions. This mood often uses auxiliary verbs such as might, could, or would: The argument would be stronger with more evidence.
The subjunctive mood expresses a wish: I wish women were treated as equals.
Commas are used to set off some phrases and clauses. As you develop as a writer, you will want to use a variety of sentence types and structures to make your writing flow and create clear connections between ideas.
Introductory phrases and clauses help connect ideas and transition between sentences and paragraphs. Use a comma to set off an introductory phrase or clause.
Introductory phrase: On the contrary, an unequal system harms both men and women.
Introductory clause: Although we may pass the amendment, our work is still not complete.
You may want to add details about people or events to expand short sentences. When this information is not essential to understanding the sentence, use commas to set off an added phrase or clause.
Examples:
The speech, which she kept quite short, was convincing.
The speaker, who had been arrested, argued for women's voting rights.
Chisholm, a US Representative, wanted to run for president.
Feeling lost? Check out the Grammar Notes from ENG 9A for more breakdowns and examples!
A comma splice is two independent clauses (complete sentences) that have been joined with a comma. There are three main ways to fix a comma splice.
Use a semicolon (;).
Add a conjunction.
Separate the comma splice into separate sentences.
See this example of a comma splice: Douglass had been enslaved, he gained his freedom and became a well-known speaker.
Using the techniques from previous section, here are 3 ways to correct the comma splice.
Use a semicolon to separate independent clauses: Douglass had been enslaved; he gained his freedom and became a well-known speaker.
Add a conjunction: Douglass had been enslaved, but he gained his freedom and became a well-known speaker.
Separate the comma splice into separate sentences: Douglass had been enslaved. He gained his freedom and became a well-known speaker.
A misplaced modifier occurs when the modifier (a word in a sentence that changes another word in order to add detail, such as an adjective or adverb) is too far away from the word it modifies, causing confusion.
Misplaced modifier: He gave a speech before Congress that was focused on four basic freedoms.
Correction: He gave a speech focused on four basic freedoms before Congress.
A dangling modifier occurs when the subject of the sentence is not even in the sentence.
Dangling modifier: Using evidence to develop her claim, the argument refers frequently to the U.S. Constitution.
Correction: As Anthony uses evidence to develop her claim, she refers frequently to the U.S. Constitution.
Adjectives (descriptive words, like tall or smart) and adverbs (words that describe how you do things, like quickly or brightly), when used, should be precise and create interest in the reader. As you revise, look for general or vague adjectives and adverbs, and replace them with more precise ones. Avoid the words very and really, which weaken your prose.
Here are some examples:
Weak: The author's support for her claim is really strong.
Better: The author's support for her claim is thorough and convincing.
Weak: The author makes a very good point in her conclusion.
Better: The author makes a powerful point in her conclusion.
Weak: The author's reasoning nicely connects his evidence to his claim.
Better: The author's reasoning effectively connects his evidence to his claim.
A simple sentence is made up of a subject and verb, and it expresses a complete thought. We call this an independent clause. Two independent clauses can be put together to create a compound sentence. There are two ways to join independent clauses: with a semicolon or a comma.
Semicolons can be used on their own or followed by a conjunctive adverb like however, moreover, or furthermore.
I left during the middle of the film; however, I wish I would have stayed for the end.
When you use a comma to create a compound sentence, it needs to be followed by a coordinating conjunction (for, yet, but, nor, so, or).
The hike was over three miles, and the incline made it a challenge for everyone