1. Grammar Review

2. Parts of Speech Noun-Person, Place, Thing, or Idea (Naming)
Pronoun-Words that Substitute Nouns
Verb-Words that do (action) or are (existence)
Adjective-words that describe or modify a noun or a pronoun
Adverb-words that modify a verb(manner, place, frequency, time, and purpose)

3. Parts of Speech
Prepositions-describes a relationship between other words in a sentence
Squirrel + verb + preposition + the tree.
Squirrel + ran + toward/in front of + the tree.
Conjunctions-words that join FANBOYS
Interjections-words that exclaim, protest, or command

4. Who or what=the Subject (Noun or Pronoun)
Sentence Structure
Simple Sentence
John hit the ball.
Who or what=the Subject (Noun or Pronoun)
Does, Did, or will Do –Predicate (verb)
To what-The Direct Object

5. Simple Sentence Structure
Simple Sentence with No-Action Verbs
Subject + To Be + Other Stuff
The pitch + was/is + a curve ball/in the catcher’s mitt.
Subject + Linking Verb+ Other Stuff
John + feels/seems + nervous/a natural hitter.

6. Compound Sentence Structure
A compound sentence contains two independent clauses (sentences) joined by a coordinator. The coordinators are as follows: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so.
Sentence+,+ F.A.N.B.O.Y + Sentence
The pitch is a curve ball, and it missed the catcher’s mitt.
Sentence+;+ Sentence
The pitch is a curve ball; it missed the catcher’s mitt.

7. Complex Sentence Structure
A complex sentence has an independent clause joined by one or more dependent clauses. A complex sentence always has a subordinator such as: as, because, since, after, although, or when or a relative pronoun such as that, who, or which.
Subordinator + Sentence+, + Sentence
Because Jack wanted to be chief, he created his own tribe.
Sentence+ Subordinator + Sentence
Jack wanted to be chief because he created his own tribe.

8. Participles
Participles have three functions in sentences. They can be components of multipart verbs, or they can function as adjectives or nouns.
Participles come in two varieties: past and present. They are two of the five forms or principal parts that every verb has.
Present will end in –ing
Past will not always end in –ed. Consult a dictionary.
Verb
Simple Present
Simple Past
Past Participle
Present Participle
Giggle
Giggle (s)
Giggled
Giggling
Ring
Ring (s)
Rang
Rung
Ringing
Bring
Bring (s)
Brought
Bringing

9. Interrupts the sentence
Appositive
An appositive is a noun or noun phrase that renames another noun right beside it. The appositive can be a short or long combination of words.
Interrupts the sentence
Robbie, a hot-tempered tennis player, charged the umpire and tried to crack the poor man's skull with a racket.
Starts the sentence
A hot-tempered tennis player, Robbie, charged the umpire and tried to crack the poor man's skull with a racket.
Ends the sentence
Upset by the bad call, the crowd cheered Robbie, a hot-tempered tennis player who charged the umpire and tried to crack the poor man's skull with a racket.

10. Absolutes
An absolute phrase is a word group that modifies an entire sentence. It consists of a noun plus at least one other word, as shown here:
The hunters rested for a moment in front of the shack. Their breaths were white in the frosty air.
Turned into an absolute phrase simply by omitting the linking verb were.
Ending a sentence:
The hunters rested for a moment in front of the shack, their breaths white in the frosty air.
Beginning a sentence:
Their breaths white in the frosty air, the hunters rested for a moment in front of the shack.

11. Asyndeton Polysyndenton
"He was a bag of bones, a floppy doll, a broken stick, a maniac." (Jack Kerouac, On the Road, 1957)
"He pulled the blue plastic tarp off of him and folded it and carried it out to the grocery cart and packed it and came back with their plates and some cornmeal cakes in a plastic bag and a plastic bottle of syrup." (Cormac McCarthy, The Road. Knopf, 2006)
A rhetorical term for a writing style that omits conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses (the opposite of polysyndeton). Adjective: asyndetic.
A rhetorical term for a sentence style that employs many conjunctions (the opposite of asyndeton). Adjective: polysyndetic.

12. Inverted Sentences
Sentences in which the verb/adverb comes before the subject are “inverted”. This is done to put more emphasis on the verb/ adverb.
“Judge me by my size, do you?…Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter.”
Never before  was  I  so eager to reach home.

13. Motif
a recurring object, concept, or structure in a work of literature. A motif may also be two contrasting elements in a work, such as good and evil.
Prejudice & Justice in Twelve Angry Men
Loneliness & Companionship in Of Mice and Men
A motif is important because it allows one to see main points and themes that the author is trying to express, in order that one might be able to interpret the work more accurately.

14. Replace to be verbs
Obviously, being is essential to existence, so it’s no surprise that to be verbs are essential in writing.
However, most of us rely too heavily on to be verbs or use them unconsciously.
To be verbs lack the vigor and power offered by stronger, more- action packed verbs.
As a result, our writing suffers. Is
Are
Was
Were Be
Being
Been
To be Verbs
Why?

15. Replace the TO BE VERB WITH A STONGER, MORE SPECIFIC VERB
My sister is loud when she is telling her children to do their homework.
My sister bellows when she tells her children to do their homework.
Weak & Wordy
Strong & Specific

16. Replace the TO BE VERB WITH A STONGER, MORE SPECIFIC VERB
The restaurant’s food is excellent.
The restaurant serves excellent food.
Weak & Wordy
Strong & Specific

17. Change one or more of the nouns in the sentence into a verb
Jennifer Lawrence is the star of The Hunger Games.
Our mother was the driver of the bus.
Jennifer Lawrence stars in The Hunger Games.
Our mother drove the bus.
Weak & Wordy
Strong & Specific

18. Replace the TO BE VERB WITH A STONGER, MORE SPECIFIC VERB
My sister is loud when she is telling her children to do their homework.
My sister bellows when tell her children to do their homework.
Weak & Wordy
Strong & Specific

19. Combine short, choppy sentences to eliminate to be verbs
The food at the restaurant is excellent. The hamburgers are juicy. The onion rings are crispy. The pie is the best I have ever eaten.
The restaurant serves excellent food, including juicy hamburgers, crispy onion rings, and the best pie I have ever eaten.
Weak & Wordy
Strong & Specific

20. AVOID OVERUSING THERE IS, THERE ARE, THERE WERE, THIS IS, ETC.
The restaurant’s parking lot is narrow. There are not very many parking spaces and those that are available are too cramped.
The restaurant suffers from a narrow parking lot with only a few cramped spaces.
Weak & Wordy
Strong & Specific

21. AVOID OVERUSING THERE IS, THERE ARE, THERE WERE, THIS IS, ETC.
It is my intention to transfer to a four- year university.
There were some important findings resulting from this experiment.
I intend to transfer to a four-year university.
This experiment resulted in some important findings.
Weak & Wordy
Strong & Specific

22. Sometimes, you can cut unnecessary words with no other changes
He struggled with the paper that was assigned by the professor.
He struggled with the paper assigned by the professor.
Weak & Wordy
Strong & Specific

23. Replace a TO BE VERB + A PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE WITH A STRONG VERB
Electric car technology was in existence as early as
Negative advertising is influential on voters’ perceptions of candidates.
I am in receipt of your letter.
Electric car technology existed as early as 1830.
Negative advertising influences voters’ perceptions of candidates.
I have received your letter/ I received your letter.
Weak & Wordy
Strong & Specific

24. Replace a TO BE VERB + with an -ing WITH A Simple VERB
The stock market was fluctuating wildly before the crash.
The concept of immortality is intriguing to me.
The stock market fluctuated wildly before the crash.
The concept of immortality intrigues to me.
Weak & Wordy
Strong & Specific