Writing praxis 5723

What is a phrase?

A group of words that does not contain a subject or predicate

Direct object

A noun that receives the action of the verb

Indefinite pronoun

A pronoun that does not refer to a specific, person, place, thing, or idea; Examples: everyone, everything, everybody, anybody, many, most, few, each, some, someone, all, nothing, nobody, and no one

*exam will put a long and comlplicated phrase and make you think it is a sentence.

A sentence always has a subject and a predicate; a phrase will have only one of those. Example: The enthusiastic new student in the class with the blue sweatshirt and the blonde hair. This isn't a sentence.

Which sentence does NOT contain an error? A. The grandchildren and their cousins enjoyed their day at the beach. B. Most of the grass has lost their deep color. C. The jury was cheering as their commitment came to a close. D. Every boy and girl must learn to behave themselves in school. E. Each woman brought their baggage to the counter and asked that it be checked.

A. "Grandchildren" and "cousins" are plural and so take the plural pronoun "their."

Sample Question Which of the following would be the BEST way to write the underlined portion of the sentence? While these incidents sometimes end in funny or heartwarming STORIES AT other times they end in fear and destruction. A. stories, at B. stories; at C. stories: at D. stories- at E. stories. At

A. The first clause is dependent and the second is independent, so they are correctly joined by a comma.

Which of the following contains an error? A. Ten cats in a row. B. My teacher was late today. C. All applicants participate. D. Clouds fill the sky. E. Ice cream is my favorite dessert.

A. This choice is not a complete sentence. Rather, it is a combination of two phrases: a noun phrase (ten cats) and a prepositional phrase (in a row). There is no verb and no predicate.

Correlative conjunctions

Always stay in the same pair. Neither can't be used with or and either can't be used with nor. (whether/or, either/or, neither/nor, both/and, not only/but also) *the second one must agree with the verb that follows: Incorrect: I will neither mow the grass nor do i want to pull weeds today. Correct: I will neither mow the grass nor pull the weeds today.

Which sentence does NOT contain an error? A. My sister and my best friend lives in Chicago. B. My parents or my brother is going to pick me up from the airport. C. Neither of the students refuse to take the exam. D. The team were playing a great game until the rain started. E. The store, which sells magazines and books, close early on Mondays.

B. The verb agrees with the closet subject- in this case, the singular "brother."

Which of the following sentences contains a comma usage error? A. On her way home she stopped to pick up groceries, pay her electric bill, and buy some flowers. B. I used to drink coffee every morning but my office took away the coffee machine. C. Elizabeth will order the cake for the party after she orders the hats. D. My cousin, who lives in Indiana, is coming to visit this weekend. E. Before you go to the store you need to make a list.

B. This compound sentence requires a comma before the conjunction "but."

Prepositional phrase

Begins with Preposition and ends with an object. Example: The dog is hiding UNDER THE PORCH.

Clauses

Both a subject and a predicate. Can either be independent or dependent.

Sample Question Which of the following sentences contains a capitalization error? A. My two brothers are going to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. B. On Friday we voted to elect a new class president. C. Janet wants to go to Mexico this Spring. D. Peter complimented the chef on his cooking. E. The prime minister will meet with the president on Tuesday.

C. "Spring" is the name of a season and should not be capitalized.

Independent clause (main clause)

Can stand alone as it's own sentence. Example: The dog ate her homework.

Dependent clause/subordinate clause

Cannot stand alone as a sentence. Often start with a subordinating conjunction, relative pronoun, or relative adjective, which will make them sound incomplete: Because the dog ate her homework.

Proper nouns are...

Capitalized. Examples: Julie, David

Conjugation

Changing the spelling of a verb and/or adding helping verbs *must agree with the subject of the sentence

Verb phrase

Contains the main verb and helping verbs Examples: The chef WOULD HAVE CREATED another souffle, but the staff protested.

Sample Question Which of the following is the correct version of the underlined portion of the sentence below? Fred's brother wanted the following items for CHRISTMAS A red car, a condo, and a puppy. A.Christmas; a B. Christmas, a C. Christmas. A D. Christmas: a E. Christmas' a

D. A colon can be used to introduce a list.

Which of the following sentences contains an adjective error? A. The new red car was faster than the old blue car. B. Reggie's apartment is in the tallest building on the block. C. The slice of cake was tastier than the brownie. D. Of the four speeches, Jerry's was the most long. E. Aubrey is my favorite colleague.

D. Choice D should read "of the four speeches, jerry's was the longest." The word long has only 1 syllable, so it should be modified with the suffix-est, not the word "most"

Which sentence contains an error? A. I don't know whether I'll be available tomorrow. B. Although she was cold, she hesitated before turning off the air-conditioning. C. Neither my mother nor my father has been to Canada. D. Because I was hungry and didn't bring any lunch. E. Everyone I know has flood insurance because it rains so much here.

D. This is a sentence fragment that begins with the subordinating conjunction "because." there is no independent clause.

Which of the following contains an error? A. I watch TV while I knit. B. She called me before she left. C. You ate more than he did. D. Whenever i visit her. E. I drove because I was late.

D. This is a sentence fragment. It is a dependent clause beginning with a subordinating conjunction, "whenever". It contains a subject, "I", and a predicate, "visit," but there is no independent clause attached to the dependent clause. Therefore, it cannot act as a full sentence.

What is a predicate?

Describes what the subject is doing or being.

Adjectives

Describing words * Adjectives longer than 2 syllables are compared using "more: for two or "most" for 3+ things Suffixes- er is used when comparing 2 things and est when comparing more than 2 "more" and "most" should not be used with -er, and -est Correct: of my two friends, clara is smarter. Incorrect: of my two friends, clara is the smartest. "More" and "most" should not be used with -er, and -est Incorrect: my most warmest sweater is made of wool. Correct: My warmest sweater is made of wool

Intransitive verbs (has an I as the second letter)

Do not require a direct object. verbs like run, jump, and go make sense examples without any object: he will run. she jumped lie, sit, rise

Compound Noun Examples

Doghouse, son-in-law, roller coaster

Countable noun examples

Dollars, cubes

Sample Question Which preposition correctly completes this sentence? I threw the ball ____ my friend. A. among B. since C. during D. in E. to

E. Prepositions establish relationships in space (or time). This sentence describes a spatial relationship, so it needs a preposition about space or direction. The preposition "to" clarifies the relationship between the speaker, the ball, and the speaker's friend: the speaker is throwing the ball to the friend.

Period

Ends a declarative (statement) and imperative (command) sentences.

Question mark

Ends interrogative sentences.

* Every sentence needs at least 1 independent clause.*

Example: The cat jumped onto the porch. The subject is "the cat," the verb is "jumped" and a prepositional phrase has been added for context "onto the porch."

Semicolon nor the colon should be used to set off an introductory phrase from the rest of the sentence

Examples: INCORRECT: After the trip to the raceway; we realized that we should have brought earplugs. INCORRECT: After the trip to the raceway: we realized that we should have brought earplugs. Correct: After the trip to the raceway, we realized that we should have brought earplugs.

Common Noun Examples

Examples: chair, car, house

Concrete Noun Examples

Examples: folder, sand, board, bread, person

Abstract Noun Examples

Examples: happiness, grudge, bravery, love, intelligence, sadness

Verbs

Express action: run, jump, play or state of being: is, seems Can stand alone or be accompanied by helping verbs.

Coordinating conjunctions

FANBOYS (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) join together two independent clauses (i.e., two complete thoughts).

Examples of pronouns and adjectives *words that begin dependent clauses*

How, that, when, where, which, who, whoever, whom, whomever, whose, why

Noun phrase

Includes the noun and all its modifiers, as in Example: the big red barn rests beside the VACANT CHICKEN HOUSE.

Exclamation marks

Indicate that the writer/speaker is exhibiting intense emotion or energy.

Conjunction *Exam will not test on different conjunctions but will test on sentences caused by misused conjunctions

Join words into phrases, clauses, and sentences. 3 types of conjunctions: coordinating, correlative, and subordinating.

Adverbs

Modify any word )or set of words) that is not a noun or pronoun. (often formed by adding -ly) *Adverbs typically answer the questions where?when? why? How? How often? To what extent? Under what conditions?

Non-countable nouns Examples

Money, water

Noun

Names a person, place, thing, or idea. Usually the subject/object in a sentence

What are the main punctuation marks?

Periods, question marks, exclamation marks, colons, semicolons, commas, quotation marks, and apostrophes.

Pronouns

Replaces a noun. Examples: I, he, she, they, it, his

Transitive verbs (begins with a T)

Require a direct object examples: lay: to put (lay something) raise: to lift

Prepositions

Set up relationships in time ("AFTER the party") or space ("UNDER the cushions") in a sentence. Will always function as a prepositional phase, which includes the preposition and the object of the preposition: i ran OVER THE RIVER and THROUGH THE WOODS. Prepositional phrases are "over the river" and "through the woods."

Apostrophes

They show possession; replace missing letters, numerals, and signs; form plurals of letters, numerals, and signs in certain instances. 1. to signify possession by singular noun not ending in s, add 's: boy=boy's 2. To signify possession by a singular noun ending in s, add 's: class=class's 3. To signify possession by an indefinite pronoun not ending in s, add 's: someone=someone's 4.To signify possession by a plural noun not ending in s, add 's: children=children's 5. To signify possession by a plural noun ending in s, add only the apostrophe: boys=boys' 6. To signify possession by singular, compound words and phrases, add 's to the last word in the phrase: everybody else=everybody else's 7. To signify joint possession, add 's only to the last noun: John and Mary's house. 8. To signify individual possession, add 's to each noun: John's and Mary's houses 9. To signify missing letters in a contraction, place the apostrophe where the letters are missing: do not=don't 10. To signify missing numerals, place the apostrophe where the numerals are missing: 1989='89 11. There are differing schools of thought regarding the pluralization of numerals and dates, but writers should use one style consistently within the document: 1990's/1990s;A's/As

Helping verbs

Used to indicate tense: is, am, are, was, were; be, being, been; has, had, have; do, does, did; should, would, could; will

Colon

Used to introduce a list, a definition, or a clarification. The clause preceding the colon must be an independent clause, but the clause that follows does not have to be: INCORRECT: The buffet offers three choices that include: ham, turkey, or roast. CORRECT: The buffet offers three choices: ham, turkey, or roast. CORECT: The buffet offers three choices that include the following: ham, turkey, or roast.

Verb tense

Verb that tells the time of the action or being

What is a subject?

What the sentence is about. Usually a noun that performs the main action of the sentence.

examples of subordinating conjunctions *words that begin dependent clauses*

When, While, Where As, Since, If, Although Whereas, Unless, Because (www.asia.wub) More examples: after, as if, as though, as long as, as soon as, how, lest, than, that, in order that, so that, why, though, until, whenever, wherever

Interjections

Words to express emotions: Examples: wow! My Goodness! Ouch! "hey". They have no grammatical attachment to the sentence other than to add expressions of emotion. Will be followed by commas or exclamation points.

Verbal nouns examples

Writing, diving, reading, drawing.

examples of prepositions

about, above, over, across, on, in, after, to, outside, during, except, past, since, toward, with, within, around, and etc.

Semicolon

is used to show a general relationship between two independent clauses (IC;IC) Example: The disgruntled customer tapped angrily on the counter; she had to wait nearly ten minuets to speak to the manager. * Coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS) cannot be used with semicolons. But conjunctive adverbs can be used following a semicolon: She may not have to take the course this year; however, she will eventually have to sign up for that specific course.

Subordinating conjunctions

join dependent clauses (thoughts that cannot stand alone as sentences) to the related independent clause. Usually describe the relationship between two parts of the sentence (cause and effect or order) Can appear at beginning or middle of the sentence. Examples, because

Quotation marks

used for many purposes. They are used to enclose direct quotations in a sentence. Terminal punctuation that is part of the quotation goes inside the marks, and terminal punctuation that is part of the larger sentence goes outside: -She asked him menacingly, "where is my peanut butter?" -What is the original meaning of the phrase "king of the hill"?

*Exam make you find errors in subject-verb agreement. Practice identifying the subject and the verb in a sentence and review the rules for subject-verb agreement*

1. Single subjects agree with single verbs; plural subjects agree with plural verbs: The GIRL WALKS her dog. The GIRLS WALK their dogs. 2. Compound subjects joined by "and" typically take a plural verb unless considered one item: CORRECTNESS AND PRECISION ARE REQUIRED for all good writing. -MACARONI AND CHEESE MAKES a great snack for children. 3. Compound subjects joined by "or" or "nor" sgree with the nearer or nearest subject: Neither I NOR MY FRIENDS ARE looking forward to our final exams. Neither MY FRIENDS NOR I AM looking forward to our final exams. 4.For sentences with inverted word order, the verb will agree with the subject that follows it: Where ARE BOB AND HIS FRIENDS GOING? Where IS BOB GOING? 5. All single, indefinite pronouns agree with single verbs: NEITHER of the students is happy about the play. EACH of the many cars IS on the grass. Every ONE of the administrators SPEAKS highly of Trevor. 6. All plural, indefinite pronouns agree with plural verbs: verbs: SEVERAL of the students ARE happy about the play. BOTH of the cars ARE on the grass. MANY of the administrators SPEAK highly of Trevor. 7. Collective nouns agree with singular verbs when the collective acts as one unit. Collective nouns agree with plural verbs when the collective acts as individuals within the group: The BAND PLANS a party after the final football game. The BAND PLAY their instruments even if it rains. The JURY ANNOUNCES its decision after sequestration. The JURY MAKE phone calls during their break time. 8.Nouns that are plural in form but singular in meaning will agree with singular verbs: MEASLES IS a painful disease. SIXTY DOLLARS IS too much to pay for that book. 9. Singular verbs come after titles, business names, and words used as terms: "THREE LITTLE KITTENS " IS a favorite nursery rhyme for many children. GENERAL MOTORS IS a major employer for the city. Ignore words between the subject and the verb to help make conjugation clearer: The new LIBRARY with its many books and rooms FILLS a long-felt need.

*Pronoun errors are commonly tested on the exam. Here are some of the more common pronoun rules that may appear on the test.

1. The antecedent and pronoun must agree in gender and number: I baked a cake for my MOTHER because it was her birthday. 2. Antecedents joined by "and" require a plural pronoun: The CHILDREN AND THEIR DOGS enjoyed THEIR day at the beach. 3. For antecedents joined by "or," the pronoun agrees with the nearest antecedent: Either the resident mice OR THE MANAGER'S CAT gets ITSELF a meal of good leftovers. 4. The pronoun must agree with the number of the indefinite pronouns: NEITHER student finished HER assignment. BOTH of the students finished THEIR assignments. 5. When "each" and "every" precede the antecedent, the pronoun should be singular: EACH CHILD brings unique qualities to HIS OR HER family. EVERY WRITER is attending HIS OR HER assigned lecture. 6. If a pronoun leads to ambiguity, do not use it: MY MOM AND MY SISTER went to pick up MY SISTER'S new phone. (not "her new phone") DAVID AND HENRY lost DAVID'S wallet in the park. (not "his wallet")

Capitalization

1. first word of a sentence is always capitalized: We will be having dinner at a new restaurant tonight. 2. First letter of a proper noun is always capitalized: We're going to Chicago on Wednesday. 3. Titles are capitalized if they precede the name they modify: Mike Pence, the vice president, met with President Trump. 4. Months are capitalized but not seasons: Snow fell in March even though winter was over. 5. The names of major holidays should be capitalized. The word day is only capitalized if it is part of the holiday's name: We always go to a parade on Memorial Day, but Christmas day we stay home. 6. Names of specific places should always be capitalized: We're going to San Francisco next weekend so I can see the ocean. 7. Titles for relatives should be capitalized when they precede a name, but not when they stand alone: Fred, my uncle, will make fried chicken, and Aunt Betty is going to make spaghetti.

Comma

8 rules: 1. Commas should be used to separate two independent clauses along with coordinating conjunction: Khalid ordered the steak, BUT Bruce preferred the ham. 2. commas should be used to separate coordinate adjectives (two different adjectives that describe the same noun): The SHINY, REGAL horse ran majestically through the wide, open field. 3. Commas should be used to separate items in a series: The list of groceries included CREAM, COFFEE, DONUTS, AND TEA. 4. Commas should be used to separate introductory words, phrases, and clauses from the rest of the sentence: -SLOWLY, Nathan became aware of his surroundings after the concussion. -WITHIN AN HOUR, the authorities will descend on the home. -AFTER ALICE SWAM THE CHANNEL, nothing intimidated her. 5. Commas should be used to set off appositive phrases: descriptors that are not needed for the sentence to make sense grammatically: -Estelle, OUR NEWLY ELECTED CHAIRPERSON, will be in attendance. -Ida, MY NEIGHBOR, watched the children for me last week. 6. Commas should be used to set off titles of famous individuals: Charles, Prince of Wales, visited Canada several times in the last ten years. 7. Commas should be used to set off the day and month of a date: I was born on February 16, 1958, in Minnesota. 8. Commas should be used in numbers of more than four digits: We expect 25,000 visitors to the new museum.