Lesson 12    -  Choppy Sentences

Tennessee Blueprint - 5th Grade
Assessed - Select the best way to combine sentences to provide syntactic variety within context.

Assessed - Identify within context a variety of appropriate sentence-combining techniques (i.e., comma + coordinating conjunction, use of semicolon, and introductory phrases and/or clauses).

Developing - Combine simple sentences into compound sentences.

Developing - Combine sentences using compound subjects and/or predicates.

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In this lesson you will learn how to combine choppy sentences by using these two methods:

·        combining related sentences with a comma and a coordinating conjunction,

·        or by adding introductory phrases and/or clauses.

Rule 6:  When sentences are related they may be turned into a compound sentence by adding a comma and a coordinating conjunction.

FANBOYS is an acronym made up of the first letters of the common conjunctions: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So.

If you wanted to combine two sentences and show a cause and effect relationship, one way you could do it would be to use a coordinating conjunction. These are the connecting words for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so. One way to remember all of them is to call them "FANBOYS." In most cases, they will be preceded by a comma. Example Little Ann crossed the river. Old Dan stood bawling on the bank. Little Ann crossed the river, and Old Dan stood bawling on the bank.

• for shows logical consequence; it has the same meaning as because, the reason why

  He sniffed at it and refused to eat. I laughed, for I knew why.

• and shows addition; it has the same meaning as in addition, along with

  They won't take anything away from each other, and everything they do, they do it as one.

• nor shows addition of a negative point

  I knew that Old Dan would not enter the beauty contest, nor did I care.

• but shows contrast; it has the same meaning as however, except, on the other hand

  He walked like a king until he reached the end of the table, but something went wrong and he jumped down.

• or shows choice

  I could enter Little Ann without an oiled coat of fur, or I could use Grandma's butter to grease her fur.

• yet shows contrast
          I told Little Anne that if she lay down and roll, I'd wear her out, yet I knew I wouldn't.
• so shows logical consequence; it has the same meaning as as a result, therefore
          The contest was about to begin, so I took Little Ann to the judges' tables.

Practice

Part A - Correctly combine the following sentences by adding a comma and a coordinating conjunction (For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So).

Example:

I noticed that the road started at the edge of the foothills. It was always in sight of the river.

I noticed that the road started at the edge of the foothills, but it was always in sight of the river.

1.  He came back. He handed me two large cans of corned-beef hash. (Use the conjunction and)

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2. I didn't like to hear the small owl. There was a superstition in the mountains concerning them.  (Use the conjunction for)

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3. If you heard one owl it meant nothing at all. If you heard more than one it meant bad luck. (Use the conjunction but)

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4. I was glad of this. I was anxious to reach the campground.

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5. Go any place you want to go. Don't get in anyone's way.

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6. I had seen many coon hounds. None could equal these.

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Rule 7: Short choppy sentences may be turned into complex sentences.

Old Dan was afraid. He stood on the bank and bawled.
Because Old Dan was afraid, he stood on the bank and bawled.

Try using some of these words when building complex sentences:

after	before	though	when
although	if	unless	whenever
because	since	until	while

Part B - Correctly combine the following sentences by adding an introductory clause.

Example:

Choppy - Grandpa fed and watered the team. Papa and I carried our bedding to the shelter.

Corrected - While Grandpa fed and watered the team, Papa and I carried our bedding to the shelter.

1. We're cooking supper. You see to your dogs. (Add the introductory word while.)

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2. Papa had stopped talking. Silence settled over the camp. (Add the introductory word after.)

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3. A man believed it all. He'd go crazy. (Add the introductory word if.)

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4. I passed one set of dogs. I couldn't help but wonder if I had a chance to win.

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5. The dogs were lined up. The judging started.

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6. One of the judges would point at a hound. He was eliminated from the contest.

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Part C - Multiple Choice

1. Choose the sentence that correctly combines the following underlined sentences.

   The vocal cords refused to work. I could snap my fingers.

   1. The vocal cords refused to work yet I could snap my fingers.
   2. Because the vocal cords refused to work I could snap my fingers.
   3. The vocal cords refused to work, but I could snap my fingers.
   4. As the vocal cords refused to work, I could snap my fingers.
2. Which of the following is written correctly?
   1. Crawling under the buggy, I lay down between my dogs.
   2. Crawling under the buggy. I lay down between my dogs.
   3. Crawling under the buggy, I lie down between my dogs.
   4. Crawling under the buggy. I lie down between my dogs.
3. How can the error in the following sentence be fixed?

   Graceful as any queen. My little dog walked down the table.

   1. Graceful as any queen, and my little dog walked down the table.
   2. As graceful as any queen, my little dog walked down the table.
   3. Graceful as any queen, but my little dog walked down the table.
   4. She was graceful as any queen, my little dog walked down the table.
4. Choose the answer that correctly combines the following underlined sentences.

   It came my time to draw. My hand was shaking so hard I could hardly get it in the box.

   1. When it came my time to draw. My hand was shaking so hard I could hardly get it in the box.
   2. When it came my time to draw, my hand was shaking so hard I could hardly get it in the box.
   3. It came my time to draw, because my hand was shaking so hard I could hardly get it in the box.
   4. It came my time to draw, for my hand was shaking so hard I could hardly get it in the box.