Sentence Boot Camp

It’s time to whip your sentences into shape!

A Sentence…

• What are the 3 things a sentence needs?

• What is the “chicken” sentence? Why is it called this?

• What is the “blabbermouth” sentence? Why is it called this?

Identify the two parts

My teacher (who wants us to becomebetter writers) is teaching us aboutgrammar.

• What is the subject?• What is the predicate?

Simple Sentences

• Has a subject and a predicate (independent clause)

• Can have more than one subject/predicate– Called compound subjects (The football players and the

cheerleaders)– Called compound predicates (ran after the ball and cheered

loudly.)

The football players ran after the ball and the other players.

• Subject (Who?)– The football players

• Predicate (What did the subject do?)– Ran after the ball and the other players.

Compound Sentences

• Has two independent clauses• Is joined by a conjunction– For. And. Not. But. Or. Yet

The football players ran after the ball, for

they wanted to score a touchdown.

• Or is joined by punctuation (to avoid a run-on)

The football players ran after the ball; they wanted to score a touchdown.

Complex Sentences

• Includes 1 independent clause• AND at least 1 dependent clause– Cannot stand alone (does not make sense)

• Although the football players charged after the ball, the other team intercepted and won the game.– The dependent clause does not have

express a complete thought

Fragments & Run-Ons

Fragments• Does not

complete a thought

• Lacks the subject• Lacks the

predicate• Lack both

Run-onsRun-ons• Has two or more

complete thoughts in a sentence

• Lacks punctuation

• Lacks conjunctions

The Family Tree

• The simple sentence is single. She meets another simple sentence and gets married. How sweet!

• Now together they are compound sentences. They both are independent of each other, but they join together to share happiness, love and joy in words.

• Eventually, they start a family of complex sentences, which are dependent clauses. These little babies add to the family, but cannot stand alone.

• And they all live happily ever after!

Atten-Hut SoldiersDrop and Give Me 5

• Read each statement• Decide what kind of sentence• Use your body to form the

correct answer

Charlene, who was running late left, her

books at home.• Simple Sentence (arm circles)• Compound Sentence (jumping

jacks)• Complex Sentence (push ups)• Fragment/Run-on (knee bends)

Before Peter could say no, his boss gave him a stack of papers to take home

on the weekend.

• Simple Sentence (arm circles)• Compound Sentence (jumping

jacks)• Complex Sentence (push ups)• Fragment/Run-on (knee bends)

Jumping up and down.

• Simple Sentence (arm circles)• Compound Sentence (jumping

jacks)• Complex Sentence (push ups)• Fragment/Run-on (knee bends)

Libby and Livvy are skipping

and dancing to the playground.• Simple Sentence (arm circles)

• Compound Sentence (jumping jacks)

• Complex Sentence (push ups)• Fragment/Run-on (knee bends)

Leo did not study for the test; he failed miserably.

• Simple Sentence (arm circles)• Compound Sentence (jumping

jacks)• Complex Sentence (push ups)• Fragment/Run-on (knee bends)

Many people try to ask mary to swim she always

says no.• Simple Sentence (arm circles)• Compound Sentence (jumping

jacks)• Complex Sentence (push ups)• Fragment/Run-on (knee bends)

At Ease!

• Great job! You’re on your way to becoming an honorable sentence soldier.