English 9A – Mrs. Marinello

Grammar Packet

GRAMMAR PACKET

Name ______Date ______Period ______

Fragments

Sentence: has a subject (the actor in the sentence), a predicate (the verb or action), and is a complete thought. Because it can stand alone and make sense, it is an independent clause.

●Example: John waited. Subject (John) + verb (waited), and expresses a complete thought (an independent clause).

Sentence fragment: an incomplete sentence. Some fragments are incomplete because they lack either a subject or a verb, or both. They're called "dependent" because they can't stand on their own.

●Examples:

-Because his car was in the shop. (What did he do?)

-Since you asked. (Will you get the answer?)

The first word is a subordinating conjunction, and without a dependent clause following it, is an incomplete thought.

More subordinators:

●Cause / Effect: because, since, so that

●Comparison / Contrast: although, even though, though, whereas, while

●Place & Manner: how, however, where, wherever

●Possibility / Conditions: if, whether, unless

●Relation: that, which, who

●Time: after, as, before, since, when, whenever, while, until

Finding and Fixing Fragments - Scan your sentences for subordinating conjunctions and make sure the sentences are independent clauses (can stand on their own and make sense).

●Bad example:John took the bus. Because his car was in the shop.

●Good example:______

Run-ons

Run-on sentences happen when you put two complete sentences (a subject and its predicate and another subject and its predicate) together in one sentence without separating them properly.

●Example: My favorite Mediterranean spread is hummus it is very garlicky.

Five Ways to Fix Run-On Sentences

  1. Use a subordinating conjunction (see above)
  2. Make two separate sentences with a period.
  3. Use an em-dash (a long dash) for emphasis: My favorite Mediterranean spread is hummus—it is very garlicky.

Quick Fixes:

  1. Because it is so garlicky, my favorite Mediterranean spread is hummus.
  2. My favorite Mediterranean spread is hummus, and it is very garlicky.
  3. ______
  4. ______
  5. ______

You CANNOT simply add a comma between the two sentences, or it becomes a "comma splice." Here's an example of a comma splice:

Example:My favorite Mediterranean spread is hummus, it is very garlicky.

Practice: After each sentence, select the option which best describes that sentence. The first option is always the sentence that is fine. Other options will not only define the structural flaw but suggest a way of fixing it. Choose the option with the best remedy.

1. As an often-decorated soldier during World War II he also fought many battles for the cause of Conservatism in Congress.

A. There is nothing wrong with the structure of this sentence.

B. Run-on: put a comma after World War II.

C. Run-on: put a semicolon after World War II.

D. Fragment: put a comma after Congress and finish the sentence.

2. This is going to be the most difficult exam of your college career, you had better start studying for it.

A. There is nothing wrong with the structure of this sentence.

B. Fragment: put a comma after immediately and finish the sentence.

C. Comma Splice: add a subordinating conjunction after the comma

3. Knowing better than anyone else how the state legislature had ignored the needs of the community college

system and created a crisis characterized by an uneducated workforce that had no place to go for proper

training and realizing that someone had to do something about the situation or the state would begin to lose

jobs to states in the American south that were more aggressive in providing and publicizing excellence in

education, Representative Fuentes began to lay plans for an education bill that took into consideration the

needs of the state's community colleges and the students who attended them.

A. There is nothing wrong with the structure of this sentence.

B. Ron-on: this sentence is too long and needs proper punctuation.

C. Fragment: even though this sentence is very long, it is actually a fragment.

4. Coach Espinoza really wants this job with Notre Dame University. Because she was an Olympic basketball player.

A. There is nothing wrong with the structure of this sentence.

B. Fragment: delete the period and make one sentence without a comma OR start sentence with ‘Because’ and

add a comma after ‘player.’

C. Run-on: change that period to a comma.

5. Right after the Christmas holidays and during those three weeks before class begins in January.

A. There is nothing wrong with the structure of this sentence.

B. Fragment: put a comma after January and finish the sentence.

C. Run-on: put a comma after holidays.

6. Perplexed by the rising rates of inflation and alarmed by the decline in major construction projects.

A. There is nothing wrong with the structure of this sentence.

B. Run-on: put a comma after inflation.

C. Fragment: put a comma after projects and finish the sentence.

7. Anabel realizes what she is doing, or so she says, but she doing it anyway.

A. There is nothing wrong with the structure of this sentence.

B. Fragment: we're missing part of a verb.

C. Run-on: change the comma after ‘doing’ to a semicolon.

8. Professor Pepin spends a lot of time translating medieval texts on ancient medicine, however, he also stays

informed about the latest developments in modern asthma treatments.

A. There is nothing wrong with the structure of this sentence.

B. Fragment: this sentence is missing part of a verb.

C. Run-on: remove the verb from the second independent clause.

D. Run-on: change the comma after medicine to a semicolon.

9. If we're ever going to get out of here in time, we're going to have to re-write all these papers, set up the desks, and clean the chalkboards; stack those books in the corner and clean up the mess around the wastebasket; notify security about the broken window, the thermostat that Dale messed up, and the desk that was stolen before we even got here.

A. There is nothing wrong with the structure of this sentence.

B. Run-on: the sentence should be broken into three smaller sentences.

C. Fragment: although the sentence is very long, it's missing a verb string.

D. Run-on: change those two semicolons to commas.

VERBALS

Gerundis based on a verb, but functions like a noun. A gerund always ends in –ing. A gerund can be the subject of a sentence or the direct object of a sentence.

●Examples: Laughing is good for your health. –or- The students were distracted by the yelling in the hallway.

Participle is based on a verb, but functions as an adjective. A participle can end in –ing or –ed. A participle modifies nouns or pronouns in the sentence.

●Examples: The smiling child was given an ice cream cone. –or- She stepped over the cracked sidewalk.

Infinitive is based on a verb, but functions as a noun, adjective, or adverb. An infinitive consists of “to” + the stem of a verb.

●Examples: We wanted to finish class early. –or- He lacked the willpower to resist the birthday cake.

Practice: Underline the verbal in each sentence; circle which verbal in in the sentence (gerund, participle, infinitive).

1. The waving of the flag in the wind is inspirational.
a. gerundb. participlec. infinitive
2. They are sure the extra planning will make a difference in the end.
a. gerundb. participlec. infinitive
3. Jamal's confusing message did nothing to solve the mystery.
a. gerundb. participlec. infinitive
4. Godzilla liked to smash all the red cars parked near the lake.
a. gerundb. participlec. infinitive
5. Missing the lecture every day hurt Sam’s grade.
a. gerundb. participlec. infinitive
6. The crouching kittens hiding under the bed refused to come out.
a. gerundb. participlec. infinitive

Directions: Read the article below and underline or highlight one example of a gerund, participle, and an infinitive.

Dog shoots man in Florida - maybe

MIAMI (Reuters) - Police added a dose of skepticism on Wednesday to a report about a man who says he was shot by his

dog while driving down a Florida highway. Commander Steve Carr, a police spokesman in the central town of Sebring, where the shooting occurred on Saturday, said there were "some indications" the shooting victim may have made up his "dog shoots man" story.

Gregory Lane Lanier, 35, told police he thought the 9mm Beretta semi-automatic handgun on the floor of his pickup

truck was unloaded when the black and tan English bulldog kicked it and caused it to fire.Lanier was hit in his left leg and the bullet wound, patched up at a local hospital, was not serious. "It's what he claims," Carr said of Lanier's account. "We didn't spend a lot of time investigating it. There doesn't appear to be any criminal act involved. You don't have to be licensed in Florida to carry a handgun."

Lanier could not be reached for comment on Wednesday. Calls to a phone number listed for him in a Sebring Police

Department report on the highway shooting went unanswered.

Active vs. Passive Voice

Rule: When writing, your sentences should be active. That means you should have the subject taking an action.

●Examples:

-Passive (No!): The material was shipped to Japan.

-Active (Yes!): The company shipped the material to Japan.

Practice: Below, rewrite the following sentences in active voice. The subject should be performing the action. If there is no “doer,” add one.

  1. The dishes were washed by Zach.
  1. After the game,Sophie bought hamburgers for everyone.
  1. During the intermission, our band played several numbers.
  1. Post broke her pen.
  1. My essay was read by Mrs. Marinello.
  1. Owen broke his pinky during a football game.
  1. Christian washed and ironed his shirt.
  1. The money was found under the floor.
  1. Chris M. loves the Rolling Stones.
  1. Annabelle won the first-place tennis trophy.

Changing Passive Voice to Active Voice

Practice: The verbs in the following sentences are in the passive voice. Rewrite each sentence in the active voice. If the sentence doesn’t have a “doer,” supply one.

Example: The letter was sent earlier. Jeannie sent the letter earlier.

  1. The computers were shipped early in September.
  1. The letter was written by my Julia.
  1. The old car was driven by my brother, Jacob.
  1. The school bell was repaired in September.

Parallel Structure

Parallel structure- when the sentence maintains balance using equal grammatical units in a sentence (for example, nouns with nouns, verbs with verbs, etc.).

Part One: Recognize parallel structure when you see it.

1. If the first item is a noun, then the following items must also be nouns

2. If the first action is a verb, then make the other items verbs in the SAME TENSE as well.

Think of it like this:

Sylvia asked to borrow a ,, and .

Sylvia needs to ,, and .

An error occurs when the grammatical structure of one or more of the items does not match the others, like this:

Sylvia asked to borrow a ,, and .

Make sure that if you are listing items that are nouns that they are ALL nouns. If you are writing a sentence with a list of verbs, they ALL need to be verbs.

CORRECT EXAMPLES: Here’s what it looks like when everything is parallel.

  • The three things I love most in the world: husband, Sneakers, and sleep.
  • Students capped their pens, closed their notebooks, and zippedtheir book bags as they tried to alert Mrs. Marinello that the end of class had arrived.

INCORRECT EXAMPLES: Here’s what it looks like when everything is UNparallel.

  • Students capped their pens, were closing their notebooks, and zipped their book bags as they tried to alert Mrs. Marinello that the end of class had arrived.

What’s wrong with this sentence?

How can you fix it?

1.

2.

Correlative Conjunctions

Be especially careful with correlative conjunctions. You must use them in this combination:

Not only ... but also;either ... or; and neither ... nor

These correlative conjunctions require equal grammatical units after both parts of the conjunction. You can have two main clauses like this:

  • Not onlydid Mrs. Marinello give the class a withering look, butshealsoassigned 20 extra pages of homework as punishment for their impatience to leave.

Or you can use two verbs:

Mrs. Marinellonot onlygave the class a withering look but alsoassigned them 20 extra pages of homework as punishment for their impatience to leave.

Or you can have two nouns as this version does:

Mrs. Marinellogave the class not onlya withering lookbut also20 extra pages of homeworkas punishment for their impatience to leave.

Let’s Practice: Directions: Determine whether the sentences below contain errors in parallel structure. Fix any problems that you find.

1. Zach C. brewed espresso, steamed milk, and was telling jokes as he prepared Matt’s latte.

2. Kushi tried holding her breath, chewed a piece of gum, and poking her belly, but she could not quiet her empty stomach, which rumbled during the chemistry exam.

3. Austin looked behind the toilet, in the laundry basket, and checked under the bed, but he could not find Waldorf, his nine-foot albino python.

4. Not only did Connor apply an extra layer of deodorant to his armpits, but he polished each tooth with special care because he did not want to offend Steph with any unpleasant odors.

5. For his first date with Taylor Swift, Owen bought not only a dozen roses but he also purchased a box of chocolates.

6. Neither did Taylor squeal at the sight of the beautiful bouquet or did she tear open the box of chocolates because she didn’t want to seem too interested.

7. Owen tried to be thoughtful and generous, yetTaylorrefused to give him not only a kiss good night but also a single chocolate from the nut and caramel sampler.

Want more practice? Want a study tool:

Check out and scroll down to the Parallel Structure section for extra practice!!!