Grammar Practice

Appositive Appositive: gives additional information or details about the noun or subject. Example: John, the elevator operator, works at the hotel. Example: Tiffany attends Vista, a middle school in the valley.

Participial Phrase Participial Phrase: contains a verb form that is used as an adjective. The verb form usually ends in "- ing, -ed, or -en.” Example: Forced into doing homework, the student rebelled. Example: Flapping it's wings, the bird took flight. Example: Driven by a strong desire to win, the girl played amazingly well at the volleyball game.

Phrase Phrase: a group of words that does not contain both a subject and a verb. Example: likes to write

Gerund Gerund Phrase: uses a verb within the "-ing" ending Example: Eating ice cream on a windy day can make a mess. Playing soccer is fun.

Infinitive phrase Infinitive Phrase: includes an infinitive, which is to + verb Example: To kick the ball past the goalie was Johnny's desire. Example: Lakesha hopes to win the approval of her mother.

Punctuations Semi-Colon- ; Separates two complete sentences Colon- : use a colon before a list or explanation that is preceded by a clause that can stand by itself. Example: There is only one thing left to do now: confess while you still have time.

Parallelism (Parallel Structure) Parallelism (Parallel Structure)- using the same pattern of words to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance. Example: Mary likes hiking, swimming, and bicycling. Example: Mary likes to hike, to swim, and to ride a bicycle.

Clauses Clause- a group of words that contains a subject and a verb. Independent Clause or Main Clause- a complete sentence that can stand on its own. Dependent or Subordinate Clause- has a subject and a verb but can't stand alone.

Independent and Dependent Clauses Independent Clause: An independent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and verb and expresses a complete thought. Ex. Jim studied in the Sweet Shop for his chemistry quiz. Dependent Clause: A dependent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and verb but does not express a complete thought. A dependent clause cannot be a sentence. Often a dependent clause is marked by a dependent marker word. Ex. When Jim studied in the Sweet Shop for his chemistry quiz... (What happened when he studied? The thought is incomplete.)

(continued) Dependent Clause Markers Some common dependent markers are: after, although, as, as if, because, before, even if, even though, if, in order to, since, though, unless, until, whatever, when, whenever, whether, and while.

Misplaced Modifiers Example #1 Misplaced modifier: He nearly drove the car for six hours a day. Correction: He drove the car for nearly six hours a day. Example #2 Misplaced modifier: She saw a puppy and a kitten on the way to the store. Correction: On the way to the store, she saw a puppy and a kitten. Example #3 Misplaced modifier: She served sandwiches to the children on paper plates. Correction: She served the children sandwiches on paper plates.

Prepositional Phrase At the minimum, a prepositional phrase will begin with a preposition and end with a noun, pronoun, gerund, or clause, the "object" of the preposition.

Examples of Prepositions about above according to across after against along along with among apart from around as as for at because of Before behind below Beneath beside between beyond but by by means of concerning despite down during except except for excepting for from in in addition to

Examples of Prepositions in back of in case of in front of in place of Inside in spite of instead of into like near next of off on onto on top of out out of outside over past regarding round since through throughout till to toward under underneath unlike until up upon

Active Voice/Passive Voice Active Voice: The man must have eaten five hamburgers. Marilyn mailed the letter. Passive Voice: Five hamburgers must have been eaten by the man. The letter was mailed by Marilyn.

Additional Grammar Resource Chomp Chomp Grammar Practice Ms. Chuc’s website grammar page: