The basics of sentences session 7pptx.pptx

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1. The basics of sentences Thinking about complex punctuation Colons – semicolons – parenthesis (commas, brackets or dashes), hyphens, bullet points and ellipsis

2. Colons U se c olons to introduce information as a list. What y ou will need: a spade, some water and a seed. The little hobbit packed: a bed, plenty of food and a fire-stone. A lso, to formally introduce an explanation or example. Badgers have thick fur: this keeps them warm in winter.

3. Semicolons Use semicolons to link two main clauses that relate. Bob was sad; Sue was happy. The blue whale is the largest mammal on the planet; it weighs as much as the equivalent of 33 elephants. The blue whale is the largest mammal; the Etruscan shrew is the smallest.

4. Semicolons They can also be used instead of commas within complex lists. Bob ate vast salads smothered in olive oil; bananas, which came from Kenya, grilled with butter; slices of papaya with lime juice; and a glass of orange juice.

5. a. Parenthesis - commas D rop in extra information or explanation with commas. You can use commas with relative clauses: Brian , who was angry, stamped his three feet! You can also drop in ‘ed- ing - ly ’: Brian , hoping he was safe, jumped across the bridge. You can also drop in other subordinate clauses: Brian , after eating the donut, slept all afternoon.

6. b. Parenthesis - brackets D rop in extra information or explanation with brackets. B rian (the oldest son) laughed aloud.

7. c. Parenthesis - dashes You can use dashes – which often sound less formal: She saw a cat – just like her own Timmy – curled fast asleep. Dashes can be used to tag on an afterthought or comment: The car pulled up – the doctor had arrived.

8. Hyphens – join Use hyphens to link 2 words to act as a single noun. They can be nouns such as kennings: He gripped the skull-basher. The night-flyer perched. A storm-catcher pulled out his net.

9. Hyphens – join Use hyphens to link 2 words to act as a single adjective. The Etruscan shrew is penny-sized. The fire dragon is copper- coloured , snub-snouted and furnace-hot. They are sometimes used to connect a prefix and root word: We need to re-cover the chairs.

10. Ellipsis Ellipsis shows that a word or phrase has been missed out. The door slammed … The dragon opened its mouth and … After he sneezed, they gasped … We often use ellipsis to build tension.

11. Bullet points U se b ullet points to organize a list for the reader. They are often used in instructions. Open your dragon’s jaws. D rop in the medicine. Close the jaws. H ide at some distance and wait.