Sentence Writing Tutorial Week 1

Hello everyone.

This is the intermediate/advanced sentence writing tutorial.

We will get started at 4:45.

 

Agenda:

·      Welcome/Introduction

·      Overview of the next eight weeks.

Proposed schedule for each week.

·      Overview of clauses- main and subordinate clauses

·      NEXT WEEK Overview of four sentence types

·      NEXT WEEK Begin simple sentences

 

Wherever we finish this week, we will pick up with next week.

 

WELCOME/INTRODUCTION

 

Al Haley

ahaley@vsb.bc.ca

 

English teacher at South Hill. I have taught here since 1993.

Before that, I was at UBC.

Before that, I taught in Japan.

In SHEC, I teach EF2,3,4,5,6,7, English 10,11,12

 

Foundations/Academic sentence writing tutorial

 

8-week practical guide to improving your sentence writing.

practical – useful in daily writing- school, life, work

 

This is aimed at students from around EF6 level up to Grade 12. The goal will be to get your sentence writing equal to the expectations of teachers of higher level classes, including postsecondary (college and university). 

 

This will not be a creative writing class; this will be nuts and bolts highly-structured practical writing.

 

You can use the models I will teach as a jumping off point to developing your own writing styles.

 

If that sounds ok with you, stick around.

 

Everything I put on this screen will go on my blog. My blog is here: haleyshec.blogspot.com

I will post these notes under the heading “Writing Tutorial Week 1”, “Writing Tutorial Week 2”, etc.

 

Write it down: haleyshec.blogspot.com

Please check it make sure it work for you.

 

 

There will be no homework for this tutorial.

There will be no tests.

You can do as much work or as little work as you like.

You attend the tutorials if you are able. If you have to miss a week, no problem. You can check the blog for what you missed.

 

I am planning to teach for approx 45-50m. Afterward, I will stay on Zoom and answer questions, explain further, etc.

If you have questions, you can ask them at any time. Don’t be shy to interrupt me. It is no problem at all.

 

 

 

OVERVIEW OF NEXT EIGHT WEEKS

 

Week 1       “The Building Blocks / Simple but Powerful”

 

CLAUSES-

Independent clauses

Dependent clauses

 

OVERVIEW OF THE FOUR SENTENCE TYPES

 

BEGIN SIMPLE SENTENCES

 

Week 2       “The Seesaw”

 

CONTINUE SIMPLE SENTENCES

 

COMPOUND SENTENCES

a. basic compound sentences

b. precise compound sentences

 

Week 3       “The Lever”

 

COMPLEX SENTENCES- adverb clauses

a. basic adverb clauses

b. precise adverb clauses

 

Week 4       “The Big Idea”

 

COMPLEX SENTENCES- noun clauses

a. basic noun clauses

b. precise noun clauses

 

Week 5       “The Diamond in the Ring”

 

COMPLEX SENTENCES- adjective clauses

a. basic adjective clauses

b. precise adjective clauses

 

Week 6       “Putting It All Together”

 

SENTENCE COMBINING STRATEGIES

a. basic structures

b. precise structures

 

Week 7       “Putting It All Together” Continued

 

SENTENCE COMBINING STRATEGIES CONTINUED

a. basic structures

b. precise structures

 

Week 8       “Staying on Course”

 

COMMON PITFALLS

a.     run-on sentences

b.    sentence fragments

 

***   ***

 

 

 

CLAUSES

“Clauses”

REMINDER: Everything that appears on this screen will be put on the blog. I will update the blog right after the tuturial.

You do not have to take notes although some people like to take notes during a class.

 

CLAUSES

It’s all about clauses.

All of your sentence writing in English can be thought of as assembling clauses together.

 

clause – group of words with a subject and verb

subject – main noun or pronoun in a sentence

verb- action word, word of being

Jun is watching a writing tutorial tonight.

 

SV-Subject Verb

 

Two kinds of clauses:

1.    Independent clause/ Main clause

2.    Dependent clauses/ Subordinate clause

 

Independent clause is also called a main clause.

Dependent clause is also called a subordinate clause.

 

main clause/independent clause

– independent person- take care of yourself, cook your own supper, wash your own clothes, not depending on someone else, not dependant on other peopl, stand alone

 

independent clause – can be a sentence by itself, does not need another clause to be a sentence

independent clause = simple sentence

 

- dependent clause- needs another clause in order to be a sentence

dependent person- need help, depend on someone else to take care of you, need support: child, infirm, elderly

A dependent needs another clause (main clause) in order to be a sentences.

 

e.g.

If it rains today. SV clause, not a sentence, subordinate clause, ½ sentence

FIX: If it rains today. It may rain today.

If it rains today, we won’t go for a walk.

 

Because she was late. SV clause, not a sentence, subordinate clause, ½ sentence

FIX:

Because she was late. She was late.

Because she was late, we had to postpone the meeting.

 

**ok for casual talking, not for school writing

 

independent clause = main clause

dependent clause = subordinate clause

 

independent- take care of yourself

dependent- need help

 

 

main (independent) clause- group of words with a subject and verb, sentnece by itself, complete thought by itself

 

subordinate (dependent) clause- group of words with a subject and verbs, not a sentence by itself, not a complete thought

 

Examples of a main clause:

We are going to the park today.

 

Example of a subordinate clause:

Because it is a sunny day. XXX NOT A SENTENCE, FRAGMENT

 

We are going to the park today + Because it is a sunny day.

JOIN THEM TOGETHER:

We are going to the park today because it is a sunny day.

Because it is a sunny day today, we are going to the park.

 

 

A subordinate clause is not a sentence by itself. It must be attached to a main clause. Alternatively, a subordinate clause can be changed into a main clause.

 

COMMON ERROR- sentence fragment

FIX: ADD SOMETHING, OR TAKE SOMETHING AWAY

1.    If it rains today.

If it rains today, we won’t go to the park. COMPLEX

We won’t go to the park if it rains today. COMPLEX

 

2.    Because she was late.

She was late. SIMPLE

Because Maria was late, she was upset.

Maria was upset because she was late. COMPLEX

 

 

EXTRA INFORMATION: COPY AND PASTE (CTRL+C and CTRL+V)

https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/punctuation/independent_and_dependent_clauses/index.html#:~:text=An%20independent%20clause%20is%20a,Shop%20for%20his%20chemistry%20quiz.&text=A%20dependent%20clause%20is%20a,not%20express%20a%20complete%20thought.

 

 

“Exercises-main or subordinate”

Exercises- main and subordinate clauses

 

1.    The need is clear. MAIN CLAUSE

2.    if you insist SUBORDINATE CLAUSE

3.    whenever Heiman arrives

4.    so that you'll be ready

5.    provided that it is blue

6.    sit closer

7.    since you had the counselling

8.    are you confused

9.    where Nolan was going

10.                       she was correct

11.                       stop laughing

12.                       without you, it's impossible

13.                       sam is

14.                       unless it stops raining

15.                       as long as you are sure

16.                       of course they know

17.                       even though it wasn't the right one

18.                       where is the snake slithering

19.                       because you are clever

20.                       if I were as good-looking as you

 

Taken from Know More English, Prentice Hall Canada, 1998