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Introductory Phrases and Clauses

Introductory Phrases and Clauses. First, what is a phrase?. A phrase is a group of words that does not have a subject or a verb. For example: Eating a peach Under the teacher’s desk After seeing the Taj Mahal To buy a new phone. What is a clause?.

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Introductory Phrases and Clauses

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  1. Introductory Phrases and Clauses

  2. First, what is a phrase? A phrase is a group of words that does not have a subject or a verb. For example: • Eating a peach • Under the teacher’s desk • After seeing the Taj Mahal • To buy a new phone

  3. What is a clause? A clause is a group of words that does have both a subject and a verb. For example: • After the rain stopped • They studied for the test • I decided to go home • Since the children are sleeping • The cage door was open

  4. Identify these as either phrases or clauses: • Before baking a pie • Picking some apples • Before he lit the candle • Alice wants to be an astronaut • Although Alice wants to be an astronaut • Behind the couch • When I return from school • While juggling avocados

  5. Introductory Phrases After using an introductory phrase to begin a sentence, you may or may not need to add a comma.

  6. If the introductory phrase is a short and simple prepositional phrase, you probably do not need a comma. For example: • Under the bridge I met a kindly troll. • After dinner we went for a walk. • In France the students toured museums.

  7. However, if the introductory phrase is a longer prepositional phrase, or if a comma will make the sentence clearer, use a comma. • After getting stung by a bee, Janice cried for hours. • Above the door of his bedroom, Alex’s little brother had placed a bucket of water. • In fact, facts provide useful information for research papers.

  8. If the introductory phrase is any other type of phrase, use a comma. For example: • Eating a peach, Caroline walked down the street. • To buy a new phone, David first needed to get a job. • Preparing to ride the giant rollercoaster, I took a deep breath.

  9. Introductory Clauses After using an introductory clause to begin a sentence, you must add either a comma, a semicolon, a comma with a conjunction, or a period.

  10. If the clause can act as a full sentence (for example, “I decided to go home”), you must follow it with either a semicolon, a period, or a comma with a conjunction (and, but, for, so, or, etc.) For example, any of these constructions are grammatically correct: • I decided to go home; I was tired of the zoo. • I decided to go home. I was tired of the zoo. • I decided to go home, for I was tired of the zoo.

  11. If the clause cannot act as a full sentence (for example, “After the rain stopped”), you must follow it with a comma. For example: • After the rain stopped, the chickens emerged from their coop. • After the rain stopped, I splashed in the puddles. • After the rain stopped, the threat of a flood significantly decreased.

  12. QUIZ TIME! Identify the introductory parts of these sentences as either phrases or clauses: • Before he lit the candles, he made sure his fire extinguisher was close at hand. • While juggling avocados, the amateur clown inadvertently made guacamole. • Alyssa’s party was cancelled, so I went to Josh’s instead.

  13. After learning to play guitar, Frank joined a band. • After he learned to play guitar, Frank wrote a new song every day. • To gather more volunteers, Meg offered free food. • Hiking through the woods, John fell and broke his leg.

  14. Now, identify these sentences as correct or incorrect: • Under the teacher’s desk, the students found a chinchilla. • Picking some apples Jeremy delighted in the fresh spring air. • When I return from school in the afternoon I usually eat a snack.

  15. To be an astronaut, you need to undergo intense training. • To start a fire the Boy Scouts had to find dry wood.

  16. Two forms of Run-On Sentences • A fused sentence is a sentence that has two or more complete sentences without the correct punctuation between them. Bob went to the store he bought some apples.

  17. Run On Sentences • A comma splice is two or more complete sentences held together by only a comma. Bob went to the store, he bought some apples.

  18. Now your turn to be Fix-It • How do you fix these run-on errors? • Bob went to the store he bought some apples. • Bob went to the store, he bought some apples.

  19. Adding a period makes two complete sentences. • Adding a semicolon or a colon makes one complete sentence. 3. Adding a comma and coordinating conjunction will make one complete sentence.

  20. ONCE MORE… Coordinating Conjunctions For And Nor But Or Yet So = FANBOYS Use the FANBOYS formula to combine independent clauses: Subject + Predicate, {FANBOYS} Subject + Predicate

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