Instructions for how to do the “Complex Sentences Homework” sheet.

1.  Print the “Complex Sentences” sheets.

2.  On the first sheet titled “8 Fragments,” write a Fragment by following the instructions below:

  1. Go to page 181 – 182 in the textbook and pick a subordinating conjunction from the far right side column.

For example, from those pages, you might pick the Dependent Word (subordinating conjunction) “If.”

  1. You then add to that word – “If” – a Subject and a Verb like this:

NS V

“If the boss wants”

  1. Now add a bunch of words that would “logically go” with

that Dependent Word + NS + V.

“If the boss wants us to help him make more money.”

This is a FRAGMENT – say it outloud and see how it sounds. It clearly needs something else to complete the full idea.

If I just said “My boss wants us to make more money,” it would work because it is an INDependent Clause. But with the word “If” in front of the clause, it is turned into an incomplete thought – a DEPendent Clause.

3.  Now take out the sheet that says “8 Complex Sentences” and do the following:

  1. On line #1 write the same fragment, but this time complete it with an IND clause and the correct punctuation.

“If the boss wants us to help him make more money, he will need to give us more supplies.”

OR

“He will need to give us more supplies if the boss wants us to help him make more money.”

4.  Now, for # 2 on the “8 Fragments” sheet, go back to page 181 – 182 in your textbook, pick out another subordinating conjunction, and do the same thing you did above to make an entirely new problem – however, this time make a punctuation error:

  1. Pick a new subordinating conjunction (dependent word)

“Once”

  1. Add NS + V + words that logically go with that

“Once I get to New York”

  1. Now complete that fragment with an IND, BUT don’t put in the correct punctuation.

“Once I get to New York I will have the best pizza.” (missing the comma)

5.  Then go to the “8 Complex Sentences” sheet and on #2 write the corrected version:

“Once I get to New York, I will have the best pizza.”

6.  Then, for another version, you can be tricky and write a sentence that is perfectly correct as if it were a fragment and see if anyone catches it (but only do this once):

“I get very sad whenever you go.”

(no comma needed as it is IND + DEP)

7.  After you have all 8 slots filled in on the “8 Fragments” sheet, and those 8 fragments in their corrected version on the “8 Complex Sentences” sheet (the answer sheet), you are done with this assignment.