Lesson 1 - Understanding Sentences

Tennessee Blueprint 5th Grade
Assessed - Select the best way to correct incomplete sentences within context.

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In this lesson you will learn to rewrite sentence fragments into complete sentences.

What is a sentence?

A sentence is a group of words that has a complete thought. A sentence can stand alone with no other sentences around it and make sense.

Which group of words contains a complete thought?

1. I found some slick little trails out in the garden down under some tall hollyhocks.
2. Once I decided to make friends with him.
3. Thinking they were game trails.
4. Mama had another talk with Papa.

The main parts of a sentence are the subject and the predicate. The subject tells who does the action, and the predicate contains the verb and tells what the action is.

Tell which part of the sentence (subject or predicate) is missing in each group of words below.

1. A whole bucketful of tears.
2. My dog-wanting.
3. Bawling and yelling for Mama.
4. Had a talk with him.

All sentences begin with capital letters and end with punctuation - period, question mark, or exclamation point.

Brain Pop http://www.brainpop.com/english/grammar/sentencefragments/

If you have a group of words that does not contain a complete thought or is missing the subject, verb, or both then you have a sentence fragment.

Understanding sentence fragment errors may help you avoid making them. Here are some common mistakes:

• A detached phrase or clause

  phrase  -  a group of words that adds information to a sentence and does not have a subject or a predicate

  • His long tail was swishing. This way and that. (sentence fragment - phrase)
  • Oh, he came in once in a while. All long and lean. (sentence fragment - phrase)

  clause  -  a group of words that adds information to a sentence and does have a subject and a predicate

  • She said he was going to have to say something to me. Because if I caught that cat one more time.  (sentence fragment - clause)
  • He was lying all sprawled out in the sunshine. With all four paws bandaged and sticking straight up. (sentence fragment - clause)
• Separating an appositive
  • I want dogs. Coon hounds. (sentence fragment - separated appositive)
  • The first thing I caught was Samie. Our house cat. (sentence fragment - separated appositive)
• Dividing up a compound predicate
  • He spit and yowled. And dared anyone to get close to him. (sentence fragment - divided predicate)
  • She put the forked end over Samie's neck. And pinned him to the ground. (sentence fragment - divided predicate)

Practice

Part A - One group of words in each pair is a fragment. Determine which group is the fragment and rewrite it to form a complete sentence.

1. The ones that fascinated me the most.
2. He follows me around all day long.
   
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3. Begging for hounds.
4. I figured out a way to help.
   
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5. With me that night.
6. One would be enough.
   
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7. Allotted to my mother because of the Cherokee blood that flowed in her veins.
8. I saw the hurt in his eyes.
   
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9. Like someone was squeezing water out of my heart.
10. I hugged him and told him what a wonderful papa he was.
    
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Part B - Multiple Choice

1. Choose the sentence that is written correctly.
   1. If Santa Claus himself had come down out of the mountains. Reindeer and all. I would not have been more pleased.
   2. If Santa Claus himself had come down out of the mountains, reindeer and all, I would not have been more pleased.
   3. If Santa Claus himself had come down out of the mountains.
   4. If Santa Claus himself had come down out of the mountains. I would not have been more pleased.
       
2. Read this sentence.

   He showed me how to set them by mashing the spring down with my foot, and how to work the trigger.

   What is the correct way to write this sentence?

   1. He showed me how to set them by mashing the spring down with my foot. And how to work the trigger.
   2. He showed me how to set them. By mashing the spring down with my foot, and how to work the trigger.
   3. How to set them by mashing the spring down with my foot and how to work the trigger.
   4. Best as is.

3. Which sentence is written correctly?

   1. I  figured something drastic must have happened in his life. As it is very unusual for a hound to be traveling all alone.
   2. As it is very unusual for a hound to be traveling all alone.
   3. I  figured something drastic must have happened in his life, as it is very unusual for a hound to be traveling all alone.
   4. For a hound to be traveling all alone.

4. Which of the following is NOT a complete sentence?

   1. My sisters yelled their fool heads off, all the time saying, "Poor Samie! Poor Samie!"
   2. He would gobble down his milk and then scoot for the timber.
   3. In neat little rows I tacked the hides on the smokehouse wall.
   4. When the hunting season opened that fall.

5. Choose the sentence that is written correctly.

   1. The newness wore off. And I was right back where I started from.
   2. Down in the canebrakes back of our fields and trap.
   3. I was firmly convinced that a smart old coon had deliberately poked that stick in my trap.
   4. Only this time it was worse. Much worse.

6. Which of the following is NOT a complete sentence?

   1. I was a hunter from the time I could walk.
   2. It made me feel all empty inside, and I cried a little too.
   3. I offered to get him a dog. But he doesn't want just any kind of dog.
   4. I had overheard this conversation from another room.

7. Read this sentence.

   By the little wrinkles that bunched up on her forehead. I could tell that Mama wasn't satisfied.

   What is the correct way to write this sentence?

   1. By the little wrinkles. That bunched up on her forehead, I could tell that Mama wasn't satisfied.
   2. By the little wrinkles that bunched up on her forehead, I could tell that Mama wasn't satisfied.
   3. By the little wrinkles. That bunched up on her forehead. I could tell that Mama wasn't satisfied.
   4. Best as is.

8. Which sentence is written correctly?

   1. To him it made no difference how long the road or how tough or rocky.
   2. His old red feet would keep jogging along. On and on. Mile after mile.
   3. After my friend had disappeared in the darkness.
   4. Memories of my boyhood days, an old K. C. Baking Powder can, and two little red hounds.

Part C - There are three sentence fragments in the paragraph below. Draw a line through the fragments. Write a complete sentence for each fragment on the lines below.

     When the hunting season opened that fall, something happened that was almost more than I could stand. Lying in bed one night. I was trying to figure out a way I could get some dogs when I heard the deep baying of a coon hound. I got up and opened my window. The deep bark. The deep voice rang loud and clear in the frosty night. Now and then I could hear the hunter. Whooping to him.

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