1. Clauses A grammar lesson starring Bruce Lee See the claw marks on my six-pack? You’d think a bear did it. Nope. It was Chuck Norris.

2. What is a clause?! A group of words with a subject and a verb There are 2 kinds of them: 1.Independent 2.Dependent The only thing me and Santa Clause have in common is a thick beard. And… uh… this hat.

3. The Independent Clause (IC) A thought that contains a subject and a verb, and one that contains a complete thought. It can always stand alone as a sentence. Example: Bruce Lee could eat Chuck Norris for breakfast.

4. The Dependent Clause (DC) There is only one difference between Independent and Dependent clauses! Dependent Clauses always have a marker word that makes them sound like incomplete sentences Example: unless Bruce had already eaten breakfast for the day. Notice how it can’t be its own sentence because of the word unless?

5. Other Dependent Marker Words These words also mark a clause as dependent: –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 Examples: –Although Chuck has a better name. –Before Bruce decided to whoop Chuck once and for all.

6. Clause combinations: DC, IC. If a dependent clause comes first and an independent clause comes after it… Examples: When I watched them fight I was in awe. Until I see it for myself I’ll never believe that Bruce Lee beat Chuck Norris. You need a comma!,,

7. Clause Combinations: IC DC. However, if dependent clause comes after the independent clause… Examples: I was in awe when I watched them fight. I’ll never believe that Bruce Lee beat Chuck Norris until I see it for myself. You don’t need a comma!

8. Showdown!!!!!

9. But what happens when I connect two independent clauses? You have 3 options when you connect 2 ICs: 1.Use a semi-colon. 2.Use a period and make it two sentences instead. 3.Use a comma with a BOAS Conjunction. Um… a what?

10. Conjunctions BOAS Conjunctions BUT OR AND SO Examples—Write these next to the 3 rules that they go with: 1.Chuck is out of luck I would even bet a buck. 2.Chuck is out of luck I would even bet a buck. 3. Chuck is out of luck, BUT I would not bet a buck There is no theory of evolution; there is just a list of creatures Chuck Norris has allowed to live.. ;

11. VS! Who will win?!

12. R.I.P. Chuck Chuck Norris 1940 - 2012

13. Common Error #1: Comma Splice What is wrong with the following sentence? I ’ m sick of snow it ’ s too cold., As we know, you need the word “and” or a semicolon. Otherwise it’s called a comma splice, and it’s evil. This fish spliced a comma, now I’m eating its guts.

14. What’s wrong with the following sentence? I ’ m sick of snow it ’ s too cold to go sledding I want to anyway., and, but Common Error #2: Run-on Sentences! You can’t use more than one [comma+conunction] in a row! (Break it into 2 sentences) This (above) is called a run-on sentence. Don’t do it, or I’ll keep drinking this turtles blood !!

15. Correct the following paragraph: Whenever the boy eats carrots his eyesight improves dramatically. The boy normally fails to eat fruits and vegetables, and his digestive system is damaged, but he is still alive. The boy’s friends laugh at him, his friends are mean people, they are bullies. He will soon extract his revenge when he receives Lasik surgery.