How to Write a How to Write a SentenceSentence

You don't write because you want to say You don't write because you want to say something;something;

you write because you've got something you write because you've got something to say.to say.

F. Scott FitzgeraldF. Scott Fitzgerald

What is a sentence?• American Heritage Dictionary

defines a sentence as: “a grammatical unit that is independent and has a subject and a predicate that contains at least one definite verb”

http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/sentence

What does a sentence need?

• Capital letter as the first word• Period, Question Mark, Or

Exclamation Point at the end• Subject• Predicate

What is the subject of a sentence?

• The subject is the person, place, thing, or idea who is doing the action or describing the predicate. – Answers the question WHO or WHAT

– Example: Wallace told a lie.

Wallace answers the question: Who told a lie?

What is the predicate of a sentence?

• The predicate is the part of the sentence that tells about the subject and contains the verb.

– The verb can express action or a state of being. • An action verb is something you can

physically do. Examples: Run, Jump, Dance• A being verb is usually a form of the verb to

be, a sense verb, or a state of mind. Examples: Am, Is, Are, Was, Were, Be, Being, Been, Feels, Tastes, Seems, Appears

What is the SUBJECTSUBJECT and VERBVERB in the sentences?

• Dylan is the culprit behind the acts of vandalism.

• Mr. Fogelman sings with the Dead Mangoes.

• Rory rides rollerblades in the play.• Cavanaugh seems jealous of Wallace.• Wallace writes a new script for the play.

Four Types of Sentences

1) Declarative2) Interrogative3) Imperative4) Exclamatory

Declarative Sentence

• A declarative sentence makes a statement or gives a fact. A declarative sentence most commonly ends with a period. – Example: Mr. Christopher made a rap. – Example: Your homework is due

tomorrow.– Example: You took a test yesterday.

The word declarative is from the Latin “to make clear”

Interrogative Sentence

• An interrogative sentence asks a question. All interrogative sentences end with a question mark. – Example: Who studied for the test?– Example: May I sharpen my pencil? – Example: Why is it so cold in here?

The word interrogative is from the Latin “to ask”

Imperative Sentence

• An imperative sentence gives a command or makes a request. This is when you are telling or asking someone to do something. It can either end with an exclamation point or period. It ends with an exclamation point if you are trying to use stronger emotion. The subject is oftentimes not in the sentence, but is understood to be (YOU).

Imperative Sentence Continued…

• Example: Close the door. (Subject is understood You)

• Example: Rachel, watch out!(Ends with !, and subject is

Rachel) • Example: Pass up your homework.

(Subject is understood You)

The word imperative is from the Latin “to command”

Exclamatory Sentence

• An exclamatory sentence expresses a strong emotion or feeling. It ends with an exclamation point.– Example: I didn’t do it!– Example: I can’t believe it!– Example: The test is tomorrow!

The word exclamatory is from the Latin “to call”

Things to note/remember.

• Put on your glasses. [Subject is [Subject is (You)](You)]

• I saw the movie, but I missed the previews. [Contains two subjects [Contains two subjects and verbs each; and verbs each; I sawI saw and and I missedI missed.].]

• The man from New Jersey ate the burger. [The subject doesn’t always come right before the verb; man ate.]

What type of sentence is it?

• The test is tomorrow.• I am so tired!• The test is tomorrow?• Study for the test tomorrow.• I hope you do well on the test.• Did you study?

Fragments• A fragment is an incomplete sentence.

It is a piece of a sentence that does not have a subject or a verb. An easy way to fix this is to add in the missing subject or verb, or combine the piece with the sentence before or after it. – Example: Because he felt they were his

friends. (No Subject or Verb)

Change to – Wallace stuck up for the drama club, because he felt they were his friends.

Run-Ons• A run on sentence is when you have

two independent ideas in one sentence, without the use of proper punctuation or conjunction. – Example: Mr. Fogelman played the

piano in a band it was the Dead Mangoes.

Three Ways to fix Run-Ons

1) Separate two ideas into two sentences.

2) Separate two ideas with semicolon ;

3) Separate two ideas with a comma and conjunction (and, but, or, for, yet, nor, or so)

So we could change it to:

1) Mr. Fogelman played the piano in a band. It was the Dead Mangoes.

2) Mr. Fogelman played the piano in a band; it was the Dead Mangoes.

3) Mr. Fogelman played the piano in a band, and it was the Dead Mangoes.

Change these fragments into

complete sentences.•Books that are too long.

•Trying to do his best.

•Running all the way.

Change these Run-Ons by using one of the three methods discussed.

• The books are over there on the table and I don’t know where the papers are.

• This was the best movie I have ever seen I am glad that I saw it.

• The table will have to go near the piano we have to rearrange the whole room