September 23, 2014
Commas
Today in class I learned when to use commas and when not to use commas. As said from the Big Fat Review: Part 1 on the video, these are the correct times when to use a comma.
1. When separating out phrases that don’t need to be there.
2. When linking two independent clauses with a conjunction.
3. When you’re addressing someone in particular.
4. When making a list.
5. When you have more than one adjective modifying a noun.
6. After introductory phrases or clauses.
And from the Big Fat Review: Part 2, these are times not to use commas.
1. When separating two independent clauses without a conjunction.
2. After the conjunction.
3. When separating a dependent and independent clause with a conjunction.
I think people especially need to pay attention to when not to use a comma, since that’s where mistakes show up. Overall, I learned that commas are not used to just plop together two very different sentences together, because that’s exactly where most people fault in. I also learned that commas are linked with conjunctions in many different ways that I didn’t realise. For example, the fact whether there is a conjunction in the sentence can change whether or not you need a comma. From comparing the two Big Fat Reviews, you can see at least one point that are the same without the conjunction part.
October 6, 2014
Punctuating Dialogue
Today in class, we learned about punctuating dialogue. These are the main points that the video talks about.
– When to use quotation marks
– Keeping the punctuation inside the quotation marks
– How an uninterrupted speech needs quotation marks only at the beginning and the end.
– Starting a new paragraph each time the speaker changes.
– How when only two people are talking, you don’t have to keep using their names.
In my opinion, starting a new paragraph each time the speaker changes is the main one that people need to focus on. I used to ditch the idea of starting a new line every time the speaker changed, leaving the dialogue all stuffed in one paragraph. Then I started to criticise that it didn’t look right, and when my teacher told me to paragraph each dialogue, I started to see the sense in it. I admire the idea of starting a new line, because that’s what makes it clear that the characters are having a conversation. There’s also another point that the video doesn’t mention that may tag in with paragraphing, but adding a space (or ‘tab’) to the beginning of each paragraph trips a lot of people. And I think people need to be more aware that when they start a new paragraph for the new speaker, they also need to add that little space in the beginning.
October 15, 2014
Sentence Types – Notes
- Three different types: Simple, compound and complex
- Simple – Independent clause: contains a subject, verb and expresses a complete thought
- Simple – The teacher stared at Andrew.
- Compound – refers to a sentence made up of two independent clauses
- Compound – FAN BOYS : For, And, NOr, But, Or, Yet and So
- Compound – The bus pulled into the station but didn’t collect any passengers.
- Complex – Made up of several parts or clauses. Main Clause and Subordinate Clause
- Complex – Main Clause – Will be able to make sense on it’s own. Contains the main information
- Complex – Subordinate Clause – Gives extra information. Cannot make sense on its own.
- Complex – Subordinating Conjunctions – after, although, as as if, as long as, as much as, as soon as, as though, because, before even if, even though, if, in order to, in case, once, since so that, that, though unless, until, when, whenever, whereas, where, wherever, while
- Complex – Subordinate Clause – Can be at beginning, end, split in two or sandwiched in middle.
- Complex – Example: Although he was well fed, the dog howled. Dog howled = Simple or main clause.
- Complex – Ways to make a complex sentence
– Start with 2 adjectives
– Start with a ‘ly’ word
– Start with a ‘ing’ word
– End with a ‘ing’ word
– Sandwich technique
– Prepositional Phrase
– Start with a conjunction
– End with a conjunction
– Start with simile
- Compound-Complex – At lease two main clause and one subordinate clause
- Compound-Complex – “Although I like to go camping, I haven’t had the time to go lately and I haven’t found anyone to go with.”
April 23, 2015
Colons
a complete sentence : a list
Complete sentence: clarify or expand (in a list form)
Correct example: Timmy wants several toys for Christmas: a Easy Bake oven, a watercolour kit, a Barbie doll, and a Lite-Brite. (“Timmy wants several toys for Christmas” is a complete statement“)
Timmy fell down the well three times last week: on Saturday, Sunday, and Wednesday.
Incorrect example: The toys Timmy wants are: a Easy Bake oven, a watercolour kit, a Barbie doll, and a Lite-Brite.
Timmy fell down the well on:
Colons appear all over the place: in sentences, lists and salutations. <- This is also a correct way of
A colon can be replaced by the word “namely”. You can check if the colon is working in a sentence
For example: Timmy fell down the well three times last week: on Saturday, Sunday, and Wednesday.
VS Timmy fell down the well three times last week, namely on Saturday, Sunday, and Wednesday.
Colons can be also used in salutations: “Dear Ms Bevear,” or “Dear Ms Bevear:”
Clarification: You don’t have to capitalise the first letter after a colon unless the word is one that would be normally capitalised.
Example: Timmy had three places he wanted to visit: France, Bangladesh, Spain (France is a proper noun)
Example: Timmy had three places he wanted to visit: the supermarket, the library and the city hall. (The supermarket is not a proper noun)