Notes
Clauses and phrases
- An independent clause stands alone; a dependent clause begins with a subordinating conjunction or relative pronoun and cannot.
- Dependent clauses act as nouns, adjectives or adverbs. Nonrestrictive clauses take commas; restrictive clauses do not.
- Phrases: prepositional, appositive, participial, gerund, infinitive, absolute.
Sentence types and errors
- Simple, compound, complex, compound-complex.
- Fragment: incomplete sentence. Run-on: clauses fused with no punctuation. Comma splice: clauses joined by only a comma.
- Fix with a period, a semicolon, a comma plus FANBOYS, or subordination.
Punctuation and clarity
- Semicolon: joins independent clauses or separates complex list items. Colon: after a complete clause, introduces a list or explanation. Dash: sets off interruptions for emphasis.
- Keep items parallel. Place modifiers next to what they modify to avoid misplaced and dangling modifiers.
Topics in this unit
Each topic has its own short notes and practice.
Practice
Two independent clauses (joined by "for") plus one dependent clause.
Two independent clauses are joined by only a comma.
The clause is restrictive: it identifies which students, so no commas.
"To" plus a verb used as the subject is an infinitive phrase.
Adding "Jonah" gives the phrase the person who finished the essay.
Semicolons separate list items that already contain commas.
Free response
Write your answer first, then open the scoring guide.
Free-response question
Read this student paragraph: "Sophocles wrote many plays, Antigone is one of the most famous. Because it asks a hard question. Should a person obey the law or their conscience? Antigone chooses conscience, she buries her brother, defying the king, and accepting the punishment."
(a) Identify the comma splice in the first sentence and correct it.
Show the answer and scoring guide
"Sophocles wrote many plays, Antigone is one of the most famous" joins two independent clauses with only a comma. Correction: "Sophocles wrote many plays; Antigone is one of the most famous." (Also acceptable: a period, or ", and.")
Check off the points you earned:
(b) Identify the fragment and combine it with another sentence to fix it.
Show the answer and scoring guide
"Because it asks a hard question." is a fragment, a dependent clause standing alone. Fix: "It is famous because it asks a hard question: should a person obey the law or their conscience?"
Check off the points you earned:
(c) Revise the last sentence so it is not a comma splice and its verbs are parallel.
Show the answer and scoring guide
"Antigone chooses conscience: she buries her brother, defies the king and accepts the punishment."
Check off the points you earned: