Grammatical Scaffolding

Writing Basics ●Communicating an idea ●Can be incredibly simple ●Evolves into more complex ideas

Writing Basics ●Look at children o Simple vocabulary to communicate basic info o “Cookie” o “TV” ●Develops in complexity as they mature o “I want a cookie.” o “Can I watch TV?” o Now includes subject and verb working to complete an idea.

Writing Basics ●Eventually they add description to the idea o “I am really hungry!” o “I hate soggy cookies!” o “I want to watch my favorite show now!” o Now adjectives and adverbs are added to give clarity to their idea.

Writing Basics ●Then they learn that two different ideas can be connected o “I am really hungry, so can I have a cookie?” o “I don’t want to go to bed because my favorite show is on!” o Now conjunctions and dependent clauses are used to better express ideas

Sentence Scaffolding - Simple to Complex ●Verbs ●Nouns (subject, direct object,, indirect object, object of preposition) ●Descriptors (adjectives and adverbs) ●Sentence types (simple, compound, complex, compound-complex) ●Rhetoric

Sentence Basics ●All sentences have three basic elements: o Subject (noun) o Predicate (verb) o Complete thought ●The simplest sentence? The command. o “No.” o “Run.” o Understood you as the subject, run is the verb, the idea is clearly stated.

Sentence Basics: Noun ●Subjects are nouns ●Nouns can be person, place, thing, or IDEA. ●Proper nouns are capitalized because they are a specific thing o Milwaukee Lutheran High School or just any high school

Sentence Basics: Noun ●Nouns can also be other parts of the sentence o direct objects  I gave a passing grade. o indirect objects  I gave Jack a passing grade o object of preposition  I gave a passing grade to Jack. o predicate nominative  Torture is running in the morning.

Sentence Basics: Noun ●Collective nouns are nouns refering to a group o The class sat in their seats. ●Compound nouns are two or more things acting as one o peanut butter and jelly, ham and cheese...

Sentence Basics: Noun ●IDEA nouns can be anything that can’t be physically touched - they are ideas o freedom o love o is  “Is”? Yes, “is”. Is is a word that has two letters. “Is” is the subject - the idea of the word “is”, therefore, ‘is’ is a noun.

Sentence Basics: Noun ●IDEA nouns can be more than just one word - they can be clauses, phrases... o Freedom from oppression is important. o Loving a TV show like Lost can be difficult. o To pass this test is a key goal of her’s. o Whoever passes the test will pass the class.  In each case, the subject is more than one word - it is the idea of something expressed in a phrase or clause.

Sentence Basics: Phrase as Noun ●Gerund phrase (verb + “ing” used as a noun) o Loving a TV show like Lost can be difficult. o Greunds can also be direct objects, indirect objects, objects of prepositions, predicate nominatives o For example...

Sentence Basics: Noun - Gerund ●Nouns can also be other parts of the sentence o direct objects  I hate exercising in the morning. - gerund

Sentence Basics: Noun - Gerund ●Nouns can also be other parts of the sentence o indirect objects  I gave exercising in the morning a try. - gerund

Sentence Basics: Noun - Gerund ●Nouns can also be other parts of the sentence o objects of preposition  After exercising in the morning, I was tired. - gerund

Sentence Basics: Noun - Gerund ●Nouns can also be other parts of the sentence o Predicate nominative – renames or identifies subject  Happiness is sleeping in until noon. - gerund

Sentence Basics: Phrase as Noun ●Infinitive phrase (“to” + verb used as a noun) o To pass this test is a key goal of her’s. o Infinitives can also be used as adjectives and adverbs (more on this later)

Sentence Basics: Noun – Infinitive ●Nouns can also be other parts of the sentence o direct objects  I want to go to the movies. - infinitive

Sentence Basics: Noun – Infinitive ●Nouns can also be other parts of the sentence o Predicate nominative – renames or identifies subject  Happiness is to sleep until noon. - infinitive

Sentence Basics: Clause as Noun ●Noun Clause (Dependent word + verb phrase) o Whoever passes the test will pass the class. o Noun clauses have a verb o Noun clauses start with a dependent word  who/whoever - whom/whomever - which/whichever where/wherever - when/whenever - that - if - how - why

Sentence Basics: Noun – Noun Clause ●Nouns can also be other parts of the sentence o direct objects  I love whatever she loves. - noun clause

Sentence Basics: Noun – Noun Clause ●Nouns can also be other parts of the sentence o indirect objects  I want whoever studied to get an “A”. - noun clause

Sentence Basics: Noun – Noun Clause ●Nouns can also be other parts of the sentence o objects of preposition  I will have to go before whatever happens happens. - noun clause

Sentence Basics: Noun – Noun Clause ●Nouns can also be other parts of the sentence o Predicate nominative – renames or identifies subject  The winner is whoever finishes first. - noun clause

Sentence Basics: Punctuation ●Because all of these (gerund, infinitive, noun clause) are essential to the sentence, there is usually no need for a comma. ●Non-essential is the exception o added information that could be removed and the sentence would not lose any meaning

Description

Sentence Basics: Description ●Description comes in two forms: o adjectives modify  nouns/pronouns  The red car slid on the icy road.  The broken clock only worked once a day.  Everyone’s favorite day is the first day of summer vacation.

Sentence Basics: Description ●Description comes in two forms: o adverbs modify  Verbs  He quickly added up his score.  Adjectives  The deep red car sped down the road.  Adverbs  The children woke unusually early today. ●can be individual words or...Phrases and Clauses

Sentence Basics: Descriptive Phrases ●prepositions o can be used either as adjectives or adverbs  The cat flew over the boat.(v)  The note from Sam was delivered too late.(j) o should always be places as close to the word modified (described) as possible o ALWAYS separate with commas when starting a sentence when 4+ words are used in 1 or more phrases.

Sentence Basics: Descriptive Phrases ●infinitives o can be used either as adjectives or adverbs  The best way to prepare for the test is studying.(j)  He attended school to become a lawyer.(v) o ALWAYS separate with commas when  starting a sentence and a noun follows the phrase  To become a doctor, Jack went to medical school.  Interrupting the subject and the verb  Jack, to become a doctor, went to medical school.

Sentence Basics: Descriptive Phrases ●participles o present verb + “ing” o past past tense of verb o only used as adjectives  Broken into three pieces, the bat was unusable.  The bat, broken into three pieces, was unusable. o can be just the participle without modifiers  He grabbed the broken bat.

Sentence Basics: Descriptive Phrases ●participle punctuation o ALWAYS separate with commas when  starting a sentence  interrupting the subject and verb  never when it ends a sentence

Sentence Basics: Descriptive Phrases ●participle and prepositional phrase placement o should always be places as close to the word being modified (described) as possible  Made of snow, the children built a fort.  The children built a fort made of snow.

Sentence Basics: Descriptive Clauses ●adjective clauses o adjective clauses have a subject and a verb o lacks a complete thought o begins with  relative pronoun ● who, whom, whose, which, or that ● at times these can be omitted (understood) ● “The movie (that) you recommended was not good.”  relative adverb ● when, where, or why

Sentence Basics: Descriptive Clauses ●adjective clauses o answers  what kind?  which one?  how many?

Sentence Basics: Descriptive Clauses ●adjective clauses o commas?  only if the information is non-essential  “Mike, who claimed to have a limp, went to the movies.” ● added information not relevant to the main idea of the sentence  “The man who claimed to have a limp ran to the bus.” ● essential information because it lets you know which specific man is running. o place as close to the modified word as possible

Sentence Basics: Descriptive Clauses ●adverb clauses o adverb clauses have a subject and a verb o adverb clauses do not have a complete thought o begins with  subordinate conjunction ● after, although, as, because, before, even if, even though, in order that, once, provided that, rather than, since, so that, that, than, though, unless, until, when, whenever, where, whereas, wherever, whether. while, why

Sentence Basics: Descriptive Clauses ●adverb clauses o answers  time, place, or cause/effect relationship  reduces the importance of one clause so that a reader understands which ideas is more important (the independent clause)

Sentence Basics: Descriptive Clauses ●adverb clauses o commas?  ALWAYS when ● it starts a sentence ● interrupts the main clause’s subject and verb  NEVER at the end of a sentence

Sentence Basics: Descriptive Clauses ●adverb clauses o placement  a moveable feast ● do not have to be near the modified item because it modifies/gives a condition/restriction to the entire independent clause, not just a part of it  “Mike, whenever it rains, goes to the movies.”  “Whenever it rains, Mike goes to the movies.”  “Mike goes to the movies whenever it rains.”

Sentence Basics: Sentence types ●simple o Subject, verb, complete thought o Also called an independent clause

Sentence Basics: Sentence types ●compound o 2 (+) subjects, verbs, and complete thoughts  punctuation: 2 options ● comma (,) + conjunctions for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so (fanboys) ● semi-colon (;) o can use semi-colon alone, or use it with a conjunctive adverb  accordingly, also, besides, consequently, conversely, finally, furthermore, hence, however, indeed, instead, likewise, meanwhile, moreover, nevertheless, otherwise, similarly, still, subsequently, then, therefore, thus

Sentence Basics: Sentence types ●compound o The punctuation exception: o If the clauses are short (usually 3 or fewer words each), then no conjunction or semi-colon is needed.

Sentence Basics: Sentence types ●complex o 1 independent clause + 1(or more) dependent clauses  Punctuation: ● comma (,) ● See Noun and Descriptive Clauses for details

Sentence Basics: Sentence types ●Compound-complex o 2 (+) independent clauses + 1(or more) dependent clauses  Sophisticated ideas  Punctuation: ● See Compound Sentences for details