Grammar Power

I can show respect for my readers and for my own ideas by writing in formal American English.

REVIEW
A Phrase has no ___________

+ Marked Verb =
_____________

+ Subject =
________________ Clause

+ even, although,
however, etc. =
________________ Clause

REVIEW EXAMPLES
glittery top with a green vest over it
This is a ______________________________.

love that glittery top

This is a ______________________________.

the green vest goes great with it

This is a ______________________________.

even though its not St. Patricks Day

This is a ______________________________.

Power of the Puncts

Overview:
In a formal essay, ideas are generally expressed in clauses. Each idea deserves the setting that will express it with the most clarity. Punctuation determines the setting of your clauses/ideas. A period goes furthest in separating clauses, while a semicolon separates them somewhat less. Commas separate clauses the least.

Welcome to the Theater of Ideas.

Everything you want to say plays out on the stage of your essay.

Most ideas can go solo.

Your topic sentence will most often be an independent clause that ends with a period. This is known as a simple sentence. Its usually the clearest way to begin a paragraph. Its also the most typical type of sentence in childrens books. Thats why it starts to sound boring pretty quickly. Its dramatic at first, but after a little while youll need to change things up (like I did just now).

Some ideas are best paired with others.

For example: An independent clause and a dependent clause Two independent clauses joined by a conjunction

and
even though

Two independent clauses

I love you
with all my gray-green heart, and you love me too.
These two independent clauses are joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction (a conjunction that does NOT mark a clause for dependency). A comma has been added for clarity, but it is not strictly necessary.

Coordinating Conjunctions
and but for or nor so yet

Dependent and independent clause, Act 1

Even though you dont want to let down your hair, you will obey me.

Even though is a subordinating conjunction (which marks a clause as dependent). It is joined to the independent clause by a comma because the dependent clause comes first in the sentence.

Independent and dependent clause, Act 2

You will obey me even though you dont want to let down your hair.
Now, even though makes the SECOND clause dependent. There is no comma because the dependent clause comes AFTER the independent clause.

Subordinating Conjunctions
after although as as if because before even if even though if in order to

since though unless until whatever when whenever whether while

Some ideas might not stand out as well in a crowd.

If you are going to put several clauses into a sentence, youre going to have to be extremely careful about making sure that your train of thought is easy to follow and each idea gets enough emphasis.

Every idea should have its place.

Each individual idea has its own character, and its place in the essay; each individual clause has its place in the paragraph.

Separating Your Ideas:

Whats the best way to do it?

Options: Period, Semicolon, or Comma

Puppy Periods go a long way.
They will keep your clauses as far from each other as they can possibly be.

Sea Lion Semicolons dont go quite as far.

Clauses end up much closer to each other than they would with periods, but theres still some distance.

Kitty Commas separate clauses the least.

They cant deal with two independent clauses unless they have the help of a conjunction.

Punct Powers
Im weak,

and I am stronger;

I am the strongest.

Pitfalls

Unconventional use of any of these puncts can lead to problems!

Period / Sentence fragment Semicolon / Sentence fragment, lack of clarity Comma / Comma splice Insufficient punctuation: Run-on sentence

Sentence Fragment
Dependent Clause + Period = FRAG
When he chased the ball.

Clause (no subject) + Period = FRAG

Bounced up and down.

Phrase + Period = FRAG

The seals in the water.

Dependent Clause and/or Phrase + Semicolon = FRAG

When he chased the ball that bounced up and down with the seals in the water;

Lack of clarity
A semicolon that should have been a colon
He had so much to do; get the golf club, get the golf ball, tee up . . .

A semicolon that should have been a comma

They just looked at the ball; bopping their heads in time with its bounces.

Comma Splice
Two independent clauses joined by a comma with NO CONJUNCTION
The kitties were cute, they bopped their heads in time with the balls bounces. The seals jumped around in the pool, they were really graceful. The dog ran fast to catch the ball, it was amazing that he caught a hopping golf ball in his mouth.

Run-on Sentence
Two independent clauses run together without punctuation OR conjunctions.
My favorite video was the kitties the sea lions were great too. They were so playful with each other I wish I could see it at my zoo. I still think the puppy was awesome I wonder if I could train my dog to do that.

Class Exercises P. 1
Correct the comma splices:
I have a Ph.D. in biology, I didnt get it by sitting at a desk and fiddling with numbers. Maybe when I got into the project, I would discover some hidden economies in the world of the low-wage worker, after all, if almost 30 percent of the workforce toils for $8 an hour or less, they may have found some tricks as yet unknown to me.
All excercises with heartfelt apologies to Barbara Ehrenreich, author of Nickel and Dimed.

Class Exercises P. 2
Correct the comma splices:
Rule One was that I could not, in my search for jobs, fall back on any skills derived from my education, there werent a lot of want ads for essayists anyway. Rule Two was that I had to take the highest paying job that was offered me and do my best to hold it, I wasnt allowed any Marxist rants or time off to read novels in the ladies room.

Class Exercises P. 3
Correct the sentence fragments:
I tried to stick to these rules. But in the course of the project; all of them were bent or broken at some time. In Key West, I once promoted myself to an interviewer for a waitressing job. By telling her I could greet European tourists with the appropriate bonjour or guten Tag. But this was the only case in which I drew on my actual education.

Class Exercises P. 4
Correct the run-on sentence:
Finally, I set some reassuring limits to whatever tribulations I might have to endure I would always have a car in Key West I drove my own in other cities I used Rent-A-Wrecks, which I paid for with a credit card rather than my earnings I could have walked more or limited myself to jobs accessible by public transportation I just figured that a story about waiting for buses would not be very interesting to read.

EXTRA CREDIT Assignment

Find a comma splice, sentence fragment or run-on sentence in the essay you wrote on Tuesday. Correct it and post the entire paragraph, along with the original paragraph, on your JC Acts 3-5 discussion page. If you cannot find any of these problems, take one paragraph from your essay and make all three errors, then post the changes along with the original paragraph. You will receive 10 extra points on your grade for the essay.

Summary
In a formal essay, clauses need to be separated or joined in order to provide the best setting for the ideas they express. Independent clauses need to be separated from each other with a period or a semicolon.
They can also be joined by a coordinating conjunction, with the possible addition of a comma for clarity. Failure to sufficiently separate independent clauses can lead to such errors as run-on sentences and comma splices.

Subordinating conjunctions mark clauses for dependency. Dependent clauses need to be separated from independent clauses by commas if they come first in the sentence.
Making a sentence out of a dependent clause creates a sentence fragment.