Additional Board Notes

MORE BOARD NOTES

Application of the “Guess what? Test”

*DOES NOT apply to interrogative sentences (also known as questions)

A.          Main Clause

“Guess What Test” must be “yes”

B.           Subordinate Clause

        “Guess What Test” must be “no”

C.           Complete Sentence

        “Guess What Test” must be “yes”

D.          Sentence Fragment

        “Guess What Test” must be “no”

Subordinating Conjunctions List (incomplete)

Blue Highlight designates Commonly Occurring Subordinate Clauses

After

Although

As

As if

As long as

As much as

As soon as

As though

Because

Before

By

Even

Even if

Even though

How

If

In order

In order that

Inasmuch

Lest

Now that

Of whatever

Once

Provided

Provided that

Rather

Since

So that

Than

That

Though

‘Til

Unless

Until

When

Whenever

Where

Whereas

Wherever

Whether

Which

While

Who

Why

BOARD NOTES

STEPS OF OPERATIONS

1.       Identify the type of sentence

a.       Declarative .

                                                               i.      Ends with a period

                                                             ii.      Makes a statement

                                                            iii.      90% of most sentences

                                                           iv.      Example:  “The cat slept on the porch”

                                                             v.      Subject, then predicate

b.      Interrogative ?

                                                               i.      Ends with a question mark?

                                                             ii.      Asks a question.

                                                            iii.      Examples:  “How are you today?”   “Do you know?”

                                                           iv.      Predicate, then subject,  or split

c.       Exclamatory !

                                                               i.      Ends with an exclamation point!

                                                             ii.      Shouts something exciting, scary, or important

                                                            iii.      “MSU is in the final four!”

                                                           iv.      Subject and predicate are normal, or removed entirely “Yay!”

d.      Imperative.

                                                               i.      Ends with a period

                                                             ii.      Makes a command

                                                            iii.      Is missing the subject, the implied/invisible “You”

                                                           iv.      Example:  “Go to your room.”

                                                             v.      Missing subject, then predicate

2.       Attempt to “chunk” of the sentence into clauses, or units of thought

3.       Look for the subject and the predicates to help identify the clauses

4.       Look for clues:

a.       Either a Subordinating Conjunction (that, because, etc…) from your “cheat code” list

                                                               i.      If there is a subordinate conjunction it is in front of the subordinate clause

                                                             ii.      A subordinate clause all by itself is a fragment

                                                            iii.      A subordinate clause with a main clause is a complex sentence

b.      Or a Coordinating Conjunction (F.A.N.B.O.Y.S.)

                                                               i.      If there is a coordinating conjunction it is usually after a comma and in between two independent clauses forming a compound sentence

c.       Or a semi-colon (;)

                                                               i.      If there is semi-colon it is usually between two independent clauses forming a compound sentence

Scan of Epic Grammar Cheat Sheet

BOARD NOTES 2/24/15

(CL = Sub + Pred)

Clause = Subject + Predicate

(IND CL = Can stand)

Independent Clause can stand by itself

(SUB CL = Cannot stand)

Subordinate Clause cannot stand by itself

SIMPLE SENTENCES

Simple Sentence has only one independent clause

      (SS = IND CL)

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Compound Sentence has either:

1)                            two independent clauses joined by a semicolon

or

2)                            two independent clauses joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction (F.A.N.B.O.Y.S.)

(CMP =           IND CL ; IND CL

               IND CL , FANBOYS IND CL

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Complex Sentence has either:

1)             A subordinate clause, comma, and an Independent Clause

CX = [Sub CL] + [ , ] + [Ind CL]

Example:  When Jake arrives, we will tell him what happened.

2)             An independent clause, a subordinating conjunction, and a subordinating clause

CX = [Ind CL] + [Sub CL]

Example:  We missed seeing him because we were late. 

3)             Or, the first half of an independent clause, a subordinate clause inserted in the middle, and the second half of an independent clause.

CX = [½ Ind CL] + [Sub CL] + [½ Ind CL]

Example:  Ann, who is from Georgia, just started working here today.