The High School Writing Survival Guide Recognizing and avoiding all of those common writing mistakes!

Mistake #1 Writing is too BORING!!!! Nothing makes a teacher yawn and use her red pen like a boring paper. How can you make your paper NOT SO BORING??? CHANGE UP YOUR SENTENCE STRUCTURE.

SENTENCE STRUCTURE SIMPLE SENTENCE- has a subject and a predicate; has a complete thought. It is a single independent clause. Essay writing is difficult. Write 6 sentences about “scrambled eggs” using nothing but simple sentences.

So what is a “clause” Independent clause: contains a subject and a predicate; combined, they create a complete thought. Dependent clause: contains a subject and a predicate; combined, they do not create a complete thought. They cannot stand alone—or become a simple sentence.

Compound Sentences A compound sentence is the first step in jazzing up your writing. Compound sentence: contains two or more independent clauses. Essay writing is difficult; it gives me a headache.

WARNING! Major mistake maker and red pen drainer: A compound sentence has to be combined in one of three ways. Use a semicolon to combine the two independent clauses. Essay writing is difficult; it gives me a headache. 2. Use a comma and one of the FANBOYS

For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So Essay writing is difficult, and it gives me a headache. 3. Using a semicolon followed by an adverb like therefore, however, or nevertheless. Essay writing is difficult; therefore it gives me a headache.

Your turn Take your 6 simple sentences and combine them, making them compound sentences. Use all three of the “joining” methods at least once.

Okay, that’s better, but we still sound pretty monotonous! Complex Sentences-have one independent clause and one dependent clause. Remember a clause—no matter what kind—has a subject and a predicate. How it functions in the sentence determines if it is independent (can stand alone) or dependent ( depends on the rest of the sentence to make it make sense) Totally confused?????

Types of Clauses: Adverb Clause Because essay writing is hard, it gives me a headache. Dependent Clause Independent Clause Essay writing, which is hard, gives me a headache Dependent Clause

Subordinating Conjunctions Adverb clauses-begin with a subordinating conjunction After because since until when as if if than Although before so long as though while whenever Unless

Noun Clauses- as dependent clauses Noun clauses (any function of a noun-subject, DO, appositive, subject complement, IO, O of P. Subject-(dependent) That essay writing gives me a headache, is an understatement. Direct Object-(dependent) I know that essay writing gives me a headache. Appositive-(dependent) Essay writing, that thing that gives me a headache, is hard.

Adjective Clauses as dependent clauses Use Relative Pronouns to begin the clause Who, whom, whose, which, that Or Subordinate Conjunctions When, where, why

Practice: Make up a sentence using a adverb clause. Make up a sentence using a noun clause. Make up a sentence using an adjective clause. Examine your sentences closely; are any of your sentences complex? Bring all sentences to class.

Your Turn Again- in class assignment Take your compound sentences and turn them into complex sentences. You may have to add a few words and take away a few others.

And now….the grand-daddy of them all THE COMPOUND-COMPLEX SENTENCE At least two or more independent clauses and at least one or more dependent clauses. Whoooo! What a sentence. Because essay writing is hard, it gives me a headache, but it makes me a better writer.

How good are you? Combine your complex sentences into one compound-complex sentence.