Grammar - Quincunx (cont.)

Today, we discussed complex sentences, subordinating conjunctions, and dependent clauses. We added notes to our quincunx over all three of these topics.

Both compound and simple sentences do not involve dependent clauses, but complex sentences do. A complex sentences is when at least one independent clause and one dependent clause are joined with a subordinating conjunction (we call them AAAWWUUBBIS words!)

A subordinating conjunction is special because it has the power to transform a clause, whether it's independent or dependent, into a dependent clause.

So, how exactly does this work? Here's an example.

A clause consists of a subject and a predicate (everything after the subject). A predicate can include a verb and an object or just the verb. Here's two examples of the same subject with different lengths of predicates:

1. the students wrote
2. the students wrote an essay

Both of these contain a subject (the students) and a predicate (wrote/wrote an essay). If we attach a subordinating conjunction to the beginning of it:

1. while the students wrote
2. while the students wrote an essay

Neither are complete thoughts. They need to be joined with an independent clause in order to become a complete sentence.

Now, since complex sentences involve two different types of clauses, the reader has to be able to tell when one clause ends and the other begins. And since the subordinating conjunction can be in the middle or at the beginning of the sentence, there are two ways to signal the change from one clause to another.

If you start with your dependent clause (the part with the subordinating conjunction), you need to use a comma to signal the transition:

While the students wrote, the teacher helped out.

OR

While the students wrote an essay, the teacher helped out.

Notice that both dependent clauses work even though one has a longer predicate than the other. 

If you want to start your sentence with your independent clause (the part that doesn't contain a subordinating conjunction), the subordinating conjunction itself will tell the reader where your dependent clause begins.

The teacher helped out while the students wrote.

OR

The teacher helped out while the students wrote an essay.

After we completed our notes, we went on the hunt for each sentence type in Lord of the Flies and our own writing and added them to the underside of each flap. 

When pulling your example from reading, don't forget to format your quote like this:

"Quote from the book." - Page #, Title

A few things to remember (SERIOUSLY, YOU SHOULD READ THESE):

• Transitions and prepositions (words that indicate location or time) do not alter the sentence type. For instance
• "Later, we went to the movies" is a simple sentence. If you remove the word "later", which is a transition, you have "we went to the movies," which does not contain any conjunctions and is an independent clause.
• "We wrote poems for each other" is also a simple sentence. "For" may be a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS), but that is not its function in this sentence. The best way to test if something is a compound sentence is to remove the FANBOYS and replace it with a period. If both of the new sentences make sense, then it is a compound sentence. If not, then it is likely the FANBOYS is actually a preposition instead
• "We wrote poems. Each other." Yeah, that doesn't make much sense.  
• The answer to the bonus question this week is to write two example sentences: one compound and one complex. The catch? They must have something to do with cats. You may email them to me before 3 on Friday for 5 extra credit points on an assignment from this week or write them on a pinboard card and submit it to the pinboard during class.