Grammar for Grade 9

1. Grammar for Grade 9 Episode IV: Clauses and Sentence Structure

2. Four Types of Sentences • There are four types of sentences: • Declarative sentences, or statements • Interrogative sentences, or questions • Imperative sentences, or commands • Exclamatory sentences, or exclamations

3. Declarative Sentences • End with a period, sometimes called a “full stop” • State facts or opinions and can be long or short • Most sentences are declarative.For example: • I have never eaten kohlrabi. • Although Thomas is older than Eileen, she is taller than he is. • Going to the library is more fun than going to the beach.

4. Interrogative Sentences • End with a question mark: ? • Generally employ an interrogative word (who, what, when, etc) or verb inversion (“Are you going to sit?” instead of “You are going to sit.” • Examples: • Why don’t you sit down? • What were you doing out so late? • Did you think you were going to get away with this? • Are you going to cry?

5. Imperative Sentences • Make a command or request and end with a period. • Brian, close the door. • May not have an expressed subject. Since the speaker is commanding “you” to do something, the understood subject is “you”. • Close the door. • While the sentence doesn’t say who is supposed to do the closing, the subject is “you”: whoever the speaker is talking to.

6. Exclamatory Sentences • Express strong emotion, or powerful feelings. • End with an exclamation mark: ! • Never use more than one exclamation mark (or a mixture of exclamation and question marks) in formal writing. • I’m leaving! • We beat the other team 24-7! • Get out of here! • Notice that this is also an imperative sentence...it’s an order that is being expressed with strong emotion.

7. Fragments (Sentence Error) Sentence fragments • Are incomplete sentences that are punctuated as though they are complete. • Can be missing a subject, verb, or complete thought. • Examples: • Ran quickly to the store. • Bob and Louis in the ballpark at noon • Even though I told them not to.

8. Run-On (Sentence Error) • The most common sentence error, run-on sentences happen when more than one complete thought is punctuated as though it was only one sentence. • Example: • He ate lunch I didn’t.

9. Run-Ons (Continued) • Comma splices are a special type of run-on. They happen when two sentences are joined together with just a comma. • Example: • It has been such a long time, I can’t tell you how glad I am to see you. • Run-ons also happen if the comma before a coordinating conjunction that joins together two main clauses is left out. • Example: • Burkina Faso is its new name but many books still list it by its old name of Upper Volta.

10. Sentence Errors • Professional writers sometimes use fragments and/or run-on sentences for effect. However, you should avoid them. • Your teacher will likely assume that you didn’t notice them, and your grades might suffer.

11. Clauses • A clause is a group of words which has a subject and a verb. • If the clause can stand on its own as a sentence (if it contains a complete thought), it is called an independent clause. • Examples: • I told you we’d win the game! • Grammar really isn’t that hard.

12. Clauses II • A clause which does not contain a complete thought is called a dependent clause. • Dependent clauses usually have a subordinating conjunction to make them dependent. • Examples: • Although I told you we’d win the game • Since grammar isn’t that hard

13. Clauses and Sentence Errors • Students often put a period at the end of a dependent clause, which results in a fragment error. Don’t. • Other times, they put two independent clauses together and create run-ons. Avoid this, too.

14. Sentence Structure • There are four ways to put a sentence together. From least complicated to most complicated, they are • Simple sentences • Compound sentences • Complex sentences • Compound-complex sentences

15. Simple Sentences • Simple sentences have one main clause. • Examples: • The dog bit the trainer. • The dog and the cat bit the trainer. • Simple sentence with compound subject • The dog bit and scratched the trainer. • Simple sentence with compound predicate • The mangy dog and the scruffy, yowling cat viciously bit and scratched the cruel, underpaid trainer. • Expanded simple sentence with compound subject, compound predicate and modifiers

16. Compound Sentences • A compound sentence has two or more main clauses, joined by a coordinating conjunction or a semicolon. • Examples: • The dog bit, but the cat scratched. • The dog bit; the cat scratched.

17. Complex Sentences • A complex sentence has one main (independent) clause, and a subordinate (dependent) clause connected to it. • These clauses must be connected correctly. Follow the Isadora Duncan rule. • Duncan, Isadora [If the dependent clause is first, use a comma between it and the independent clause.] • Isadora Duncan [There is no comma between the clauses when the independent clause is first.]

18. Compound-Complex Sentences • These are sentences which have both subordinate clauses AND more than one independent clause. • Example: • While I was pulling out to drive to the beach, I accidentally hit the recycling bin at the end of my driveway, but I didn’t do any damage to my car. • Green: subordinate clause, blue: independent clause, red: second independent clause with coordinating conjunction.

19. Adjectival Clauses • An adjectival (or adjective) clause modifies a noun or a pronoun, so the whole clause functions like an adjective. • It normally follows the word it modifies. • An essential, or restrictive clause is one that is necessary for the meaning of the sentence. • The person who parked in the driveway should move the car immediately.

20. Adjectival Clauses II • A nonessential, or nonrestrictive clause contains information that is not necessary for the meaning of the sentence. • These adjective clauses are set off with commas. • Katmandu, which is the capital of Nepal, is the home of many famous temples.

21. Adverbial Clauses • Adverbial, or adverb clauses, modify verbs, adjectives or adverbs, and are introduced by subordinating conjunctions, such as since although because when wherever after before while whenever • An adverb clause with some words left out is called elliptical. The omitted words can easily be filled in because they are implied. • I have never heard a better pianist than she [is].

22. Noun Clauses • Noun clauses can perform any function that nouns can perform. • Whoever can sing well may try out for the part. • Subject • She couldn’t decide which she liked best. • Direct object • The argument caused a misunderstanding about when the lights should have been turned off. • Object of a preposition • Sometimes the relative pronoun used to introduce a noun clause is omitted. • I believe [that] the wallet belongs to you.