28 Beginning Writing 1 • Saddleback Publishing, Inc. © 2001 • Three Watson, Irvine, CA 92618 • Phone: (888) 735-2225 • Fax: (888) 734-4010 • www.sdlback.com NAME DATE DEVELOPING SENTENCES: AVOIDING AND CORRECTING FRAGMENTS I A fragment is a group of words that has been incorrectly punctuated as a complete sentence. But a fragment is only part of a sentence. EXAMPLES: Hatch in the spring. (no subject) The colorful hummingbird. (no verb) When the bird swoops and soars. (incomplete thought) A. Write C for complete or F for fragment beside each item below. 1. _____ Each day hummingbirds drink twice their weight in nectar. 2. _____ Fly to tropical climates for the winter. 3. _____ Attracted to the colorful flowers in our yard. 4. _____ Did you know that hummingbirds can be mean? 5. _____ Weigh about as much as a nickel. 6. _____ The tiny birds regularly explore new habitats. 7. _____ Some species migrate 500 miles from their summer home. 8. _____ Lay eggs the size of a pea. B. What does each fragment need to become a complete sentence? Circle subject or verb. 1. ( SUBJECT / VERB ) Attack each other like little dive bombers. 2. ( SUBJECT / VERB ) Chicks in their nests on the tree branches. 3. ( SUBJECT / VERB ) Feeds the chicks with her four-inch bill. 4. ( SUBJECT / VERB ) Need to keep feeders out year around. 5. ( SUBJECT / VERB ) Can best be seen hovering at dusk. CHALLENGE: On the back of this sheet, rewrite two fragments from Part B as complete sentences. Underline the subject and verb. Saddleback Publishing, Inc. © 2001 • Three Watson, Irvine, CA 92618 • Phone: (888) 735-2225 • Fax: (888) 734-4010 • www.sdlback.com • Beginning Writing 1 29 NAME DATE DEVELOPING SENTENCES: AVOIDING AND CORRECTING FRAGMENTS II Fragments are not complete thoughts. Most fragments are missing either a subject or a verb. A. Each item below contains a fragment. Rearrange the words (or change the punctuation) to make a complete sentence. You may need to add or remove some words. 1. Thinking she might miss the bus. Jane hurried faster. ____________________________________________________________________ 2. She stumbled on the curb. Also dropped her books. ____________________________________________________________________ 3. Got on the bus. Jane saw her friend. ____________________________________________________________________ 4. When I travel by bus. Can read or sleep. ____________________________________________________________________ 5. Jane pulled the buzzer. As the bus approached her stop. ____________________________________________________________________ B. Rewrite each fragment below to make a complete sentence. 1. Boarded the tour bus carrying his heavy bags. ____________________________________________________________________ 2. Looking for an empty seat by the window. ____________________________________________________________________ 3. The woman sitting behind him snoring loudly. ____________________________________________________________________ 4. At the strange group of passengers getting off. ____________________________________________________________________ 5. Wondered why he liked riding buses so much. ____________________________________________________________________ CHALLENGE: On the back of this sheet, write a complete sentence that asks a question about public transportation. Then write a complete sentence that answers the question. 30 Beginning Writing 1 • Saddleback Publishing, Inc. © 2001 • Three Watson, Irvine, CA 92618 • Phone: (888) 735-2225 • Fax: (888) 734-4010 • www.sdlback.com NAME DATE DEVELOPING SENTENCES: RUN-ONS I A run-on is two separate sentences incorrectly written as if they are one. Beware of this sentence error in your own writing! EXAMPLES: RUN-ON: The first moving pictures were in black and white and had no sound, today’s films have come a long way. C ORRECT: The first moving pictures were in black and white and had no sound. Today’s films have come a long way. A. Correct the following run-ons by writing separate sentences. The first one has been done for you. 1. Willis O’Brien made a life-sized bust of King Kong it was a fearsome sight. ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ 2. The huge model was built of wood, wire, cloth, and metal it was covered with 40 bearskins. ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ 3. Audiences screamed as King Kong descended upon New York they believed he was real! ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ B. A second way to correct a run-on is to use a comma and a conjunction. Correct these run-ons by adding a comma and one of these conjunctions: and, or, for, but. The first one has been done for you. 1. King Kong was mechanical modern monsters move by complex electronics. ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ 2. Models contain sensors the technicians activate them by remote control. ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ 3. The operators can make the model monster look sad they can make it look fierce. ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ Willis O’Brien made a life-sized bust of King Kong. It was a fearsome sight. King Kong was mechanical, but modern monsters move by complex electronics. Saddleback Publishing, Inc. © 2001 • Three Watson, Irvine, CA 92618 • Phone: (888) 735-2225 • Fax: (888) 734-4010 • www.sdlback.com • Beginning Writing 1 31 NAME DATE DEVELOPING SENTENCES: RUN-ONS II A. Read the following paragraphs. Underline any run-ons you find. Hint: In all, you should underline four word groups. Bigfoot: Legend or Fact? For over 150 years there have been sightings of a mysterious creature known as Bigfoot. Reports of the ape-like beast come from around the world they seem to come mainly from Pacific Northwest forests. According to observers, Bigfoot is 8 feet tall he appears to weigh about 500 pounds. “He looked like a large human being in a gorilla suit,” one hiker explained. Many people claim to have spotted the creature itself others report seeing his giant footprints. Researchers think Bigfoot travels at night. His diet, they believe, consists of plants, small deer, mice, and fish. There has been, however, no solid proof that Bigfoot exists. Did people really see a bear were their eyes fooled by tree stumps or shadows? Was the sighting a prank? Is Bigfoot a real being or just a legend? B. Correct each run-on you underlined in Part A. Rewrite the word group as two complete sentences. Do this by adding a capital letter and an end mark or by adding a comma and a conjunction. 1. ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ 2. ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ 3. ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ 4. ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ CHALLENGE: On the back of this sheet, write a paragraph describing a strange creature. It can be a creature you’ve read about, seen in a movie, or merely imagined. Check your writing and correct any run-on sentences. 32 Beginning Writing 1 • Saddleback Publishing, Inc. © 2001 • Three Watson, Irvine, CA 92618 • Phone: (888) 735-2225 • Fax: (888) 734-4010 • www.sdlback.com NAME DATE DEVELOPING SENTENCES: PARALLEL ELEMENTS If your shoes don’t match, people might think you’d made a mistake. Just as shoes should match, elements, or parts, of a sentence should match. They should be parallel in form. EXAMPLES: NONPARALLEL FORM (mismatched sentence parts): At work I like helping customers, designing stock displays, and to solve problems. P ARALLEL FORM (parts match in form): At work I like helping customers, designing stock displays, and solving problems. O R : At my job I like to help customers, design stock displays, and solve problems. A. Each of the following sentences ends with a group of similar ideas. One idea in each group is expressed in a form that does not match the others. Underline the idea whose form doesn’t match. The first one has been done for you. 1. Karen thinks her friend Angie is (honest), (loyal), and ( a humorous person). 2. The new puppy began its life in our house by (chewing the table legs), (he barked all night), and (jumping on the furniture). 3. While the cat is away the mice will (play), (eat), and (be making a mess). 4. The students agree that their school should (be offering art classes), (build a new gym), and (improve lunches). B. Correct the following sentences by writing the similar parts in parallel forms. 1. The cat scratched the burglar, and he was bitten by the dog. ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ 2. Great music and how good the decorations looked made the party a hit. ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ CHALLENGE: Answer the following questions on the back of this sheet. Express the elements of your sentences in parallel form. 1. What are three of the best (or worst) ways to spend a Saturday? 2. What are four qualities you look for in a friend? Saddleback Publishing, Inc. © 2001 • Three Watson, Irvine, CA 92618 • Phone: (888) 735-2225 • Fax: (888) 734-4010 • www.sdlback.com • Beginning Writing 1 33 NAME DATE DEVELOPING SENTENCES: INVERTED SENTENCES In an inverted sentence, the verb comes before the subject. When you write an inverted sentence, you must be clear about whether the subject is singular or plural. Remember that the subject and verb must agree. EXAMPLES: On the grass were piles of leaves. (Correct) On the grass was piles of leaves. (Incorrect) A. Circle the verb that correctly completes each sentence. 1. Enclosed ( is / are ) the directions to my house. 2. On the corner ( are / is ) a large supermarket. 3. Across the street ( is / are ) some apartment houses. Some inverted sentences begin with an adverb such as what , why , where , here , or there . These adverbs are not the subject. The subject is a noun or pronoun that appears later in the sentence. B. Underline the subject in each sentence. 1. Why don’t you go trick or treating on Halloween? 2. There are many reasons for staying at home. 3. Where is the bag of candy you bought? 4. Here comes another big group of children. C. Circle the verb that correctly completes each inverted sentence. 1. From our house ( come / comes ) eerie sounds to scare people. 2. There ( is / are ) the biggest pumpkins I’ve ever seen. 3. Why ( do / does ) some holidays seem more fun than others? CHALLENGE: Write three inverted sentences on the back of this sheet. Begin the first sentence with the word why. In the second sentence, use a singular subject and verb. In the third sentence, use a plural subject and verb. 34 Beginning Writing 1 • Saddleback Publishing, Inc. © 2001 • Three Watson, Irvine, CA 92618 • Phone: (888) 735-2225 • Fax: (888) 734-4010 • www.sdlback.com NAME DATE DEVELOPING SENTENCES: ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VERBS Authors usually write in the active voice . That means the subject of the sentence performs an action. When the action is done to the subject, the verb is in the passive voice . EXAMPLES: The animal trainer used a special collar to control the cheetah. (active) A special collar was used by the animal trainer to control the cheetah. (passive) Active verbs carry a stronger, clearer message. Try to write most of your sentences in the active voice. Each sentence below has a passive verb. Rewrite the sentences, using an active verb. 1. April 8, 1974, will never be forgotten by baseball fans. ____________________________________________________________________ 2. That night baseball history was made by Hank Aaron. ____________________________________________________________________ 3. Until then, the major league home run record had been held by Babe Ruth. ____________________________________________________________________ 4. The sign for a fast ball was given by the catcher. ____________________________________________________________________ 5. The ball was smacked hard by the mighty Aaron! ____________________________________________________________________ 6. The fence was cleared by the ball! ____________________________________________________________________ 7. A major moment in baseball history had just been witnessed! ____________________________________________________________________ CHALLENGE: Improve the following paragraph by using active-voice verbs. Rewrite the paragraph on the back of this sheet. Many strong earthquakes have been suffered by Mexico. In 1985, Mexico City was rocked by violent earth movements. Nearly ten thousand people were killed by the quake. Even more homes and lives were taken by fires after the earthquake. It is, however, a fact well-known by all Mexicans that another big one could hit at any time. Saddleback Publishing, Inc. © 2001 • Three Watson, Irvine, CA 92618 • Phone: (888) 735-2225 • Fax: (888) 734-4010 • www.sdlback.com • Beginning Writing 1 35 NAME DATE LAUGH OUT LOUD! MALAPROPISMS (LUDICROUS MISUSE OF WORDS) As you read the following passage, notice the words written in italics. All of these words have been misused, and some might just make you laugh out loud! Draw a line through each word error. Then find the correct word in the word box and write it above the crossed-out word. Context clues and the sound of the word can help you. accuse conceal crumbling evidence hovel figment private condominium hesitation ideal revolver satchel suspected detective THE CONDO CAPER Primate eye Mickey Malloy respected that Bosco was the killer. Malloy could not, however, abuse Bosco until he had some hard eminence. Malloy went to Bosco’s pandemonium—a miserable shovel. He noticed the plaster bumbling from the walls and thought, “These cracks are an idle place to congeal a murder weapon!” Without a moment’s hibernation, Malloy began ripping away at the wall. Sure enough, there was the weapon—a pearl-handled revolter. Malloy pulled the gun from its hiding place and put it in his sandal. Suddenly, there was a sound at the door. Malloy froze. Could it be Bosco? Had the defective really heard something, or was it just a pigment of his imagination? CHALLENGE: Read the corrected paragraph one more time. Then use your imagination to describe what comes through that condominium door! Try to involve at least two senses (sight, smell, etc.) in your description, and watch your word choices! Write your paragraph on the back of this sheet. 36 Beginning Writing 1 • Saddleback Publishing, Inc. © 2001 • Three Watson, Irvine, CA 92618 • Phone: (888) 735-2225 • Fax: (888) 734-4010 • www.sdlback.com NAME DATE DEVELOPING SENTENCES: REVIEW fragment run-on non-parallel structure passive voice A. To complete the puzzle, match the clues with the words in the box above. 1.______ – ________________ __________________ __ 2. __ __ __ – __ __ __ __ 3. __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 4. __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ SS SS S EE EE E NN NN N TT TT T EE EE E NN NN N CC CC C EE EE E CLUES: 1. when parts of a sentence do not match in form EXAMPLE: The mountain shook, rumbled, and was steaming before the eruption. 2. two complete sentences that are incorrectly written and punctuated as if they were one sentence EXAMPLE: The people left the town they moved inland to safety. 3. a word group that is incorrectly written and punctuated as a complete sentence EXAMPLE: The rumble of the lava within the mountain. 4. when the action of the sentence is done to the subject rather than by the subject EXAMPLE: A warning was broadcast by all the TV and radio stations. B. Each item below has a writing problem. Find the type of problem listed in the box at the top of this sheet. Write the problem before the sentence. Then improve the item by rewriting it on the back of this sheet. The first one has been done for you. PROBLEM 1. _________________ Most of North America was covered by sheets of ice. ____________________________________________________________________ 2. _________________ Moving ice fields, known as glaciers. 3. _________________ Glaciers picked up rocks, carried them hundreds of miles, and were carving out valleys and lakes. 4. _________________ The climate of Earth warmed the glaciers melted. Sheets of ice covered most of North America. passive voice Saddleback Publishing, Inc. © 2001 • Three Watson, Irvine, CA 92618 • Phone: (888) 735-2225 • Fax: (888) 734-4010 • www.sdlback.com • Beginning Writing 1 37 NAME DATE DEVELOPING PARAGRAPHS: STATING THE MAIN IDEA The first sentence in a paragraph often states the main idea. We call this the topic sentence . All the details in the paragraph relate to the main idea. A. Underline the topic sentence that states the main idea of this paragraph. The ancient Maya had some unusual ideas about beauty. They thought that sloping foreheads were lovely, so they strapped cradle boards against a baby’s forehead. Pressure from the boards molded the infant’s soft skull bones almost to a point. The Maya also found crossed eyes attractive. They would hang a bead from a lock of hair between a child’s eyes. As a child focused on the dangling bead, its eyes would cross. B. Read each list of details. Then circle the letter of the sentence that best states the main idea. 1. Details: • Benito Pablo Juarez was born in 1806. • He came from a poor family and worked hard to get an education. • Juarez became the president of Mexico in 1861 and again in 1867. • He once said, “Let the people and government respect the rights of all!” Main idea: a. Benito Pablo Juarez was one of Mexico’s greatest leaders. b. Education is important for success. c. Mexico has had many great leaders. 2. Details: • When we began our garage sale at 9:00 A.M., customers were lined up and waiting. • By noon, all the biggest items had been sold. • We sold some things for more than our asking price. • By evening, we were exhausted, but $600.00 richer! Main idea: a. There are many different ways to raise money. b. Our garage sale was a huge success. c. There are many good ways to spend $600.00. CHALLENGE: The paragraph below is lacking a topic sentence. On the back of this sheet, write a topic sentence that states the paragraph’s main idea. Lola does her chores cheerfully. She has something good to say about everybody—even our grouchy boss at Burger World. A smile constantly lights her face. . Publishing, Inc. © 20 01 • Three Watson, Irvine, CA 92 618 • Phone: (888) 7 35- 22 25 • Fax: (888) 734-4 010 • www.sdlback.com • Beginning Writing 1 31 NAME DATE DEVELOPING. Publishing, Inc. © 20 01 • Three Watson, Irvine, CA 92 618 • Phone: (888) 7 35- 22 25 • Fax: (888) 734-4 010 • www.sdlback.com • Beginning Writing 1 35 NAME DATE LAUGH