Pronouns Pronouns are words that take the place of a noun, a noun phrase, or a noun clause. The noun that the pronoun replaces is called the antecedent, meaning that it proceeded the pronoun. Various forms of pronouns within a sentence perform different functions. The following lesson will discuss how pronouns function within the sentence. The pronoun will be color coded in RED, and its antecedent will be color coded in GREEN. Subject Pronouns Subject pronouns are always the subject of the verb of the clause. The following is a list of personal subject pronouns: Subject Pronouns I You He, She, It We You all They If the subject of…

The following procedure will allow you to destruct and analyze a sentence. Identify all conjugated verbs and the subjects of those verbs. Every clause must have one and only one subject/predicate pair to form complete thought. The clause can have mulitple actors performing the same action or actions, and the actor or actors can perform multiple actions. Next, determine whether the clause forms a complete thought by itself. A clause that can form a complete sentence by itself is an independent clause which is the main clause of the sentence. Identify any conjunctions and relative pronouns. A coordinating conjunction will separate two independent clauses. If the conjunction is a subordinating…

Grab the Attention Tips Start with a modifying phrase or clause that relates to the main theme. For example, suppose the theme of the story is the Kent State Massacre of May 4, 1970. As the hot sun rose high on the fourth day of May, the tension on campus grew hotter.  In the above sentence, the red text is the adverbial clause that describes  extreem atmospheric characteristics -the sun is hot  and high in the sky. Then the main clause in green compares those characteristics to the theme of the story-the tension on campus. Another Example could be in writing about an experience. For example: As I begin my…

A noun clause is a dependent clause with a subject/predicate pair that can function as a single noun. A noun clause can act as the subject of the sentence, an object of the verb or an object of a preposition. Noun Clause as the Subject of the Sentence How hard you choose to work will determine the level of success in life. In the above example, the subject of the main clause is – How hard you choose to work. The predicate of the main clause is – will determine the level of success in life. But the subject has its own subject/predicate pair. It is a noun clause. The…

Verb Conjugation and Verb Infinitive All clauses must have a conjugated verb to make a complete thought. Recognizing the conjugated verb is essential to identifying the clauses in a complex sentence. The following lesson will cover the various methods of recognizing the conjugated verbs from the infinitive form of a verb. The Conjugation A verb is an action word if, and only if, the verb has a subject or actor performing either a physical action such as to walk, a mental action such as to think, or a state of being such as to be. A verb conjugation is the pairing of the subject of the clause with the verb.…

Some say Socretes is the wisest of them all, but then why did he d drnink the hemlock? I wo

A sentence with a main clause and at least one subordinate clause is a complex sentence. The subordinate clause modifies the main clause in a complex sentence. If the subordinate clause modifies a noun or pronoun, it is an adjective clause. If the subordinate clause modifies a verb, it is an adverbial clause.  Either a subordinating conjunction or a relative pronoun separates the main clause from the subordinate clause. In this complex sentence: If you want to improve your reading comprehension and writing skills, then you should learn how to conduct a sentence analysis. The subordinating conjunction is, if.  The subordinating clause is the entire if-clause, If you want to…

An adjective clause is a subordinate clause that modifies a noun, pronoun, or gerund used as a noun in the main clause or in another subordinate clause. for example, in the sentence: The car that John just bought is expensive. The car in question  is not just any car, or any expensive car. It  is the car that John just bought. Thus, the subordinate clause, that John just bought, modifies the noun, car, in the main clause. A complex sentence has one main clause and at least one subordinating clause. The above example is a complex sentence because it contains one main clause – the car is expensive – and…