Combining Sentences Handy reminders to improve the sophistication and clarity of your writing

Phrases and Clauses Phrases: Two or more words that go together but do not contain both a subject and a verb Prepositional Phrase: “in my house” Noun Phrase: “the ball on the floor” Verb Phrase: “jump up and down” Adjectival Phrase: “full of toys” Adverbial Phrase: “very carefully” Clauses: Groups of words that contain a subject and a verb - There are two types: Independent Clauses: can stand alone as a sentence Dependent or Subordinate Clauses: can not stand alone as a sentence

Fragments and Comma Splices Sentence fragments are groups of words that look like a sentence but aren’t really a complete sentence. Often, sentence fragments are dependent clauses (also called subordinate clauses) that have been left hanging. Because I love apples. Although it is Wednesday. Comma splices occur when two independent clauses are incorrectly joined with a comma. Your hair is blue, I see you dyed it. He bakes cakes, he bakes pies.

Conjunction Junction! Coordinating Conjunctions join together EQUAL elements of a sentence (words, phrases, or clauses). FANBOYS – for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so Subordinating Conjunctions join together UNEQUAL clauses in a sentence (if you are subordinate to something you aren’t equal to it). Subordinate clause is another name for a dependent clause. Common subordinating conjunctions: because, although, while, if, since,

Correcting Fragments Once spotted, fragments are pretty easy to fix… Make sure they have a subject and a predicate (verb)… And make sure they are a “complete thought.” Watch out for subordinating conjunctions (because, if, although, as, since, etc.). While you can start a sentence with them, you must make sure you follow the dependent (subordinate) clause with an independent clause. (See what I did there?)

Handy to Remember… Independent clause. Independent clause. I like dogs. I like cats. Independent clause, (coordinating conjunction) independent clause. I like dogs, and I like cats. Independent clause; independent clause. I like dogs; I like cats. Dependent clause, independent clause. Because they are cute, I like dogs. Independent clause dependent clause. I like dogs because they are cute.

How does the meaning change? “Text messaging may offer tweens a quick way to send notes to friends and family, but it could lead to declining language and grammar skills.” “Text messaging may offer tweens a quick way to send notes to friends and family. It could lead to declining language and grammar skills.”

How does the meaning change? “Writing was only invented 5,500 years ago, whereas language probably traces back at least 80,000 years. Thus talking came first; writing is just an artifice that came along later.” “Writing was only invented 5,500 years ago. Language probably traces back at least 80,000 years. Talking came first. Writing is just an artifice that came along later.”

How does the meaning change? “As such, the first writing was based on the way people talk, with short sentences – think of the Old Testament. However, while talk is largely subconscious and rapid, writing is deliberate and slow.” “As such, the first writing was based on the way people talk, with short sentences – think of the Old Testament. Talk is largely subconscious and rapid. Writing is deliberate and slow.”