Over the last week I discovered how complicated sentences really are. I bettered my understanding of transitive and intransitive verbs. Linking verbs were added to the list. And finally, sentence structure was introduced, and explored.
After last week it became clear that transitive verbs require a direct object. The students studied their assignment. The transitive verb is studied, and the direct objective is their assignment. An intransitive verb; however, does not require a direct objective. The students rested, or, The cows chewed. Notice, intransitive verb sentences are never accompanied by a direct objective. SO, transitive and intransitive verbs are clear, but how about linking verbs?
Linking verbs were introduced this week, and they link a subject with a description of the subject. We also learned that this description may be in the form of a noun or adjective. For example, The beer tastes bitter. Tastes is the linking verb because it links beer with bitter. There still may be some confusion regarding linking verbs. Another way to think of sentence featuring a linking verb is to look for a subject compliment, instead of a direct objective. In the sentence, This cat feels tired, tired is a subject compliment. Thus, feels is the linking verb. If I am confused, and you are reading this, please feel free to comment and correct me, as I do not enjoy being confused.
Finally, something I’m still vague about. On Thursday we discussed the different sentence structures, including; simple sentences, compound sentences, run on sentences, and comma spliced sentences. Although this discussion was riveting, I had a difficult time following as closely behind it as I desire. That is, I am confused about compound sentences, and I am confused about semi-colon use. I know we didn’t spend too much time going over these two concepts, and I hope we spend more. I guess what I don’t fully understand is what, explicitly, constitutes a full sentence? A subject, verb, and direct objective? Because that confuses me as to whether or not a sentence featuring an intransitive verb is a full sentence. How do I know if a sentence is run on? For example, The students laughed, and the teacher slouched. Is the precious sentence a comma splice, or run on, or both? And, as always, how do I teach this in my classroom?
ABRAHAM LINCOLN DIDN'T FEAR GETTING ASSASINATED; HE LIVED IT.
all of the three patterns constitute complete sentences--even those two-week intransitive sentences. It's really hard to define a sentence, though, except as one of these patterns.
ReplyDeleteThe trick is that a sentence can be connected to another sentence to create either a compound or a complex sentence (we haven't gotten to complex sentences yet).
Your sentence:
The students laughed, and the teacher slouched.
is a compound sentence = two sentences connected with ,AND
It's correct, as punctuated.
But if you punctuated it this way--
The students laughed, the teacher slouched.--
then you'ld have a comma splice. A big no-no.
And if you had no punctuation at all--
The students laughed the teacher slouched.--
then you'd have a run-on.
Make sense?
Also, just so you'll know: the semi-colons in your blog are all incorrectly used. Let me help you during workshop on Tuesday.
Be patient! Light bulbs should be turning on for you soon.