As you work, encourage the student to share their ideas. What is typically missing from an incomplete sentence is part of the message. When a student realizes that your goal is to help them convey their ideas in the best way possible, they are more willing to focus. With direct practice, I want grammar worksheets to matter, and that often means that I give very specific directions:. Writing complete sentences worksheets can help students, but only if the teacher I also know that correcting the work for students is tempting, and I have done that.
The application of grammar to writing only works if students do the work. If you take a red pen, add a subject and verb to every fragment, and correct comma use, students will not remember how to correct incomplete sentences.
They should work through the process. As a final review, students can show their understanding with a self-grading assessment. Students typically can identify fragments, run ons, and commas splices. They simply must slow down and look at their papers. Part of teaching students to write sentences includes rereading their creations. Sometimes, addressing individual errors, providing direct instruction, and modeling is not enough for a writing class.
You simply might write complete sentences with students with an end goal of those students writing complete and simple sentences. For example, ask students to give you a topic so that you can write sentences for them. Articulate the differences for students. For instance:. You can use a variety of topics to write sample sentences with students. I often use sentences about my life to build relationships, but doing so enables me to control what information I share.
I have found that keeping the material similar helps students articulate what is different between the sentence structure. Then, review and correct those sentences. Students might be able to recognize an incomplete sentence, but do they have tools to fix it?
Ask the student to give you the first idea, and then ask that student to watch you write. Trade off, modeling and helping as you write together. Hopefully, you can work toward a slow release with this student. I never find the struggle with young writers to be ideas. Students possess interesting ideas, and we normally talk through any dead ends. Teaching students how to write a complete sentence is an ongoing conversation. Many revision activities for older students involve a focus on clear communication.
When students struggle with complete sentences and basic sentence structure, we work on communicating our messages in the best way possible. When I approach a student who struggles with complete sentences, I explain that yes! Finally teaching complete sentences can be interactive and engaging. We all agreed; it was a magnificent evening.
Of all the places to travel, Mexico is at the top of my list. Would you like to travel with me? There is so much to understand. I love learning! Sentences come in many shapes and sizes. Nothing beats a complete sentence. Crafting a Sentence The art of crafting a single sentence brings together subjects, verbs, and objects with cohesion. The clothes still felt damp even though they had been through the dryer twice. The teacher who runs the studio is often praised for his restoration work on old masterpieces.
Now that you know what makes a complete sentence—a subject and a verb—you can use other parts of speech to build on this basic structure. Good writers use a variety of sentence structures to make their work more interesting.
This section covers different sentence structures that you can use to make longer, more complex sentences. Six basic subject-verb patterns can enhance your writing. A sample sentence is provided for each pattern. As you read each sentence, take note of where each part of the sentence falls.
Notice that some sentence patterns use action verbs and others use linking verbs. Computers subject hum verb. Computers subject are linking verb tool noun. Computers subject are linking verb expensive adjective.
Computers subject calculate verb quickly adverb. When you write a sentence with a direct object DO , make sure that the DO receives the action of the verb. Sally subject rides verb a motorcycle direct object. In this sentence structure, an indirect object explains to whom or to what the action is being done.
The indirect object is a noun or pronoun, and it comes before the direct object in a sentence. My coworker subject gave verb me indirect object the reports direct object. Use what you have learned so far to bring variety in your writing.
Use the following lines or your own sheet of paper to write six sentences that practice each basic sentence pattern. Find an article in a newspaper, a magazine, or online that interests you. Bring it to class or post it online. Please share or post your results. The sentences you have encountered so far have been independent clauses. As you look more closely at your past writing assignments, you may notice that some of your sentences are not complete.
A sentence that is missing a subject or a verb is called a fragment. A fragment may include a description or may express part of an idea, but it does not express a complete thought. Complete sentence : Children helping in the kitchen often make a mess.
You can easily fix a fragment by adding the missing subject or verb. In the example, the sentence was missing a verb. Adding often make a mess creates an S-V-N sentence structure.
Complete sentence : The store down on Main Street sells music. Fragments often occur because of some common error, such as starting a sentence with a preposition, a dependent word, an infinitive, or a gerund. If you use the six basic sentence patterns when you write, you should be able to avoid these errors and thus avoid writing fragments. When you see a preposition, check to see that it is part of a sentence containing a subject and a verb.
If it is not connected to a complete sentence, it is a fragment, and you will need to fix this type of fragment by combining it with another sentence. You can add the prepositional phrase to the end of the sentence. If you add it to the beginning of the other sentence, insert a comma after the prepositional phrase.
Example A. Incorrect : After walking over two miles. John remembered his wallet. Correct : After walking over two miles, John remembered his wallet. Correct : John remembered his wallet after walking over two miles. Incorrect : The dog growled at the vacuum cleaner. When it was switched on. Correct : When the vacuum cleaner was switched on, the dog growled. Correct : The dog growled at the vacuum cleaner when it was switched on. Clauses that start with a dependent word—such as since , because , without , or unless —are similar to prepositional phrases.
Like prepositional phrases, these clauses can be fragments if they are not connected to an independent clause containing a subject and a verb.
To fix the problem, you can add such a fragment to the beginning or end of a sentence. If the fragment is added at the beginning of a sentence, add a comma. Incorrect : Because we lost power. The entire family overslept. Correct : Because we lost power, the entire family overslept.
Correct : The entire family overslept because we lost power. Incorrect : He has been seeing a physical therapist. Since his accident. Correct : Since his accident, he has been seeing a physical therapist. Correct : He has been seeing a physical therapist since the accident. When you encounter a word ending in — ing in a sentence, identify whether or not this word is used as a verb in the sentence.
You may also look for a helping verb. If the word is not used as a verb or if no helping verb is used with the — ing verb form, the verb is being used as a noun. An — ing verb form used as a noun is called a gerund. Verb : I was helping verb working verb on homework until midnight. Noun : Working until midnight makes me tired the next morning. Once you know whether the — ing word is acting as a noun or a verb, look at the rest of the sentence.
Does the entire sentence make sense on its own? If not, what you are looking at is a fragment. You will need to either add the parts of speech that are missing or combine the fragment with a nearby sentence. Incorrect : Taking deep breaths. Saul prepared for his presentation. Correct : Taking deep breaths, Saul prepared for his presentation. Correct : Saul prepared for his presentation. He was taking deep breaths. Incorrect : Congratulating the entire team.
Sarah raised her glass to toast their success. Correct : She was congratulating the entire team. Correct : Congratulating the entire team, Sarah raised her glass to toast their success. Another error in sentence construction is a fragment that begins with an infinitive. An infinitive is a verb paired with the word to ; for example, to run , to write , or to reach. Although infinitives are verbs, they can be used as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs.
You can correct a fragment that begins with an infinitive by either combining it with another sentence or adding the parts of speech that are missing. Incorrect : We needed to make three hundred more paper cranes. To reach the one thousand mark. Correct : We needed to make three hundred more paper cranes to reach the one thousand mark. Correct : We needed to make three hundred more paper cranes. We wanted to reach the one thousand mark.
Copy the following sentences onto your own sheet of paper and circle the fragments. Then combine the fragment with the independent clause to create a complete sentence. Working without taking a break. We try to get as much work done as we can in an hour. Unless the ground thaws before spring break. Turning the lights off after he was done in the kitchen.
Robert tries to conserve energy whenever possible. On the shelf next to the potted plant. Just as short, incomplete sentences can be problematic, lengthy sentences can be problematic too.
Sentences with two or more independent clauses that have been incorrectly combined are known as run-on sentences. A run-on sentence may be either a fused sentence or a comma splice. Fused sent ence: A family of foxes lived under our shed young foxes played all over the yard. Comma splice : We looked outside, the kids were hopping on the trampoline. When two complete sentences are combined into one without any punctuation, the result is a fused sentence. When two complete sentences are joined by a comma, the result is a comma splice.
Both errors can easily be fixed. One way to correct run-on sentences is to correct the punctuation. For example, adding a period will correct the run-on by creating two separate sentences. Run-on : There were no seats left, we had to stand in the back. Correct : There were no seats left. We had to stand in the back. Using a semicolon between the two complete sentences will also correct the error. A semicolon allows you to keep the two closely related ideas together in one sentence.
When you punctuate with a semicolon, make sure that both parts of the sentence are independent clauses. For more information on semicolons, see Capitalize Proper Nouns.
Run-on : The accident closed both lanes of traffic we waited an hour for the wreckage to be cleared. Complete sentence : The accident closed both lanes of traffic; we waited an hour for the wreckage to be cleared. When you use a semicolon to separate two independent clauses, you may wish to add a transition word to show the connection between the two thoughts. After the semicolon, add the transition word and follow it with a comma.
You can also fix run-on sentences by adding a comma and a coordinating conjunction. A coordinating conjunction acts as a link between two independent clauses. These are the seven coordinating conjunctions that you can use: for , and , nor , but , or , yet , and so.
Use these words appropriately when you want to link the two independent clauses. Run-on : The new printer was installed, no one knew how to use it. Complete sentence : The new printer was installed, but no one knew how to use it.
Adding dependent words is another way to link independent clauses. Like the coordinating conjunctions, dependent words show a relationship between two independent clauses. Run-on : We took the elevator, the others still got there before us. Complete sentence : Although we took the elevator, the others got there before us. The e-mail ends with another fragment.
What effect would this e-mail have on Mr. Blankenship or other readers? Communications written in precise, complete sentences are not only more professional but also easier to understand. A reader can get lost or lose interest in material that is too dense and rambling. Use what you have learned about run-on sentences to correct the following passages:.
I told the project manager that we would be able to get the report to her later that day she suggested that we come back a day early to get the report done and I told her we had meetings until our flight took off. Without a doubt, my favorite artist is Leonardo da Vinci, not because of his paintings but because of his fascinating designs, models, and sketches, including plans for scuba gear, a flying machine, and a life-size mechanical lion that actually walked and moved its head.
Choose this link for more information on how to correct run-on sentences. In the workplace, you want to present a professional image. Your outfit or suit says something about you when meeting face-to-face, and your writing represents you in your absence.
Grammatical mistakes in your writing or even in speaking make a negative impression on coworkers, clients, and potential employers. Subject-verb agreement is one of the most common errors that people make.
Having a solid understanding of this concept is critical when making a good impression, and it will help ensure that your ideas are communicated clearly. Agreement in speech and in writing refers to the proper grammatical match between words and phrases. Parts of sentences must agree, or correspond with other parts, in number, person, case, and gender. Subject-verb agreement describes the proper match between subjects and verbs. Because subjects and verbs are either singular or plural, the subject of a sentence and the verb of a sentence must agree with each other in number.
That is, a singular subject belongs with a singular verb form, and a plural subject belongs with a plural verb form. For more information on subjects and verbs, see Sentence Writing. Regular verbs follow a predictable pattern. For example, in the third person singular, regular verbs always end in -s.
Other forms of regular verbs do not end in -s. Study the following regular verb forms in the present tense.
Singular Form. Add an — es to the third person singular form of regular verbs that end in — sh , -x , — ch , and -s. In these sentences, the verb form stays the same for the first person singular and the first person plural. In these sentences, the verb form stays the same for the second person singular and the second person plural. In the singular form, the pronoun you refers to one person. In the plural form, the pronoun you refers to a group of people, such as a team.
In this sentence, the subject is mother. Because the sentence only refers to one mother, the subject is singular. The verb in this sentence must be in the third person singular form. In this sentence, the subject is friends. Because this subject refers to more than one person, the subject is plural. The verb in this sentence must be in the third person plural form. Many singular subjects can be made plural by adding an -s.
Most regular verbs in the present tense end with an — s in the third person singular. This does not make the verbs plural. Singular subject, singular verb : The cat races across the yard. Plural subject, plural verb : The cats race across the yard. On your own sheet of paper, write the correct verb form for each of the following sentences. Not all verbs follow a predictable pattern. These verbs are called irregular verbs. Some of the most common irregular verbs are be , have , and do.
Learn the forms of these verbs in the present tense to avoid errors in subject-verb agreement. Study the different forms of the verb to have in the present tense. Complete the following sentences by writing the correct present tense form of be , have , or do.
Use your own sheet of paper to complete this exercise. Recognizing the sources of common errors in subject-verb agreement will help you avoid these errors in your writing. This section covers the subject-verb agreement errors in more detail. A compound subject is formed by two or more nouns and the coordinating conjunctions and , or , or nor. A compound subject can be made of singular subjects, plural subjects, or a combination of singular and plural subjects.
Two singular subjects : Alicia and Miguel ride their bikes to the beach. Two plural subjects : The girls and the boys ride their bikes to the beach. Singular and plural subjects : Alicia and the boys ride their bikes to the beach. Compound subjects combined with or and nor are treated separately. The verb must agree with the subject that is nearest to the verb. Two singular subjects : Neither Elizabeth nor Rianna wants to eat at that restaurant.
Two plural subjects : Neither the kids nor the adults want to eat at that restaurant. Singular and plural subjects : Neither Elizabeth nor the kids want to eat at that restaurant.
Plural and singular subjects : Neither the kids nor Elizabeth wants to eat at that restaurant. Two singular subjects : Either you or Jason takes the furniture out of the garage. Two plural subjects : Either you or the twins take the furniture out of the garage. Singular and plural subjects : Either Jason or the twins take the furniture out of the garage.
Plural and singular subjects : Either the twins or Jason takes the furniture out of the garage. If you can substitute the word they for the compound subject, then the sentence takes the third person plural verb form. As you read or write, you may come across a sentence that contains a phrase or clause that separates the subject from the verb. Often, prepositional phrases or dependent clauses add more information to the sentence and appear between the subject and the verb.
However, the subject and the verb must still agree. If you have trouble finding the subject and verb, cross out or ignore the phrases and clauses that begin with prepositions or dependent words. The subject of a sentence will never be in a prepositional phrase or dependent clause. The following is an example of a subject and verb separated by a prepositional phrase:. The students with the best grades win the academic awards.
The puppy under the table is my favorite. The following is an example of a subject and verb separated by a dependent clause:. The car that I bought has power steering and a sunroof. The representatives who are courteous sell the most tickets. Indefinite pronouns refer to an unspecified person, thing, or number. When an indefinite pronoun serves as the subject of a sentence, you will often use a singular verb form. However, keep in mind that exceptions arise. Some indefinite pronouns may require a plural verb form.
To determine whether to use a singular or plural verb with an indefinite pronoun, consider the noun that the pronoun would refer to. If the noun is plural, then use a plural verb with the indefinite pronoun. View the chart to see a list of common indefinite pronouns and the verb forms they agree with.
Singular : Everybody in the kitchen sings along when that song comes on the radio. The indefinite pronoun everybody takes a singular verb form because everybody refers to a group performing the same action as a single unit. Plural : All the people in the kitchen sing along when that song comes on the radio. The indefinite pronoun all takes a plural verb form because all refers to the plural noun people. Because people is plural, all is plural.
Singular : Al l the cake is on the floor. In this sentence, the indefinite pronoun all takes a singular verb form because all refers to the singular noun cake. Because cake is singular, all is singular. Skip to content Home Social studies What is needed for a complete sentence? Social studies. Ben Davis October 22, What is needed for a complete sentence?
What are the four things a complete sentence must have? What exactly is a complete sentence? How do you help students write complete sentences?
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