ELA Conventions of Standard English Pt. 2

Front

What is a compound sentence?

Back

A compound sentence is a sentence that contains at least two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so). Example: 'I wanted to go for a walk, but it started to rain.'

Front

What is a misplaced modifier?

Back

A misplaced modifier is a word or phrase that is improperly separated from the word it modifies, leading to confusion. Example: 'She almost drove her kids to school every day.' (It suggests she didn't actually drive them.)

Front

What is a vague pronoun?

Back

A vague pronoun is a pronoun that does not clearly refer to a specific noun, making the sentence unclear. Example: 'When the teacher spoke to the students, they were confused.' (Who is 'they'? The students or the teacher?)

Front

What is the purpose of punctuation in a sentence?

Back

Punctuation helps clarify meaning, indicate pauses, and separate ideas within a sentence. For example, commas separate items in a list: 'I bought apples, oranges, and bananas.'

Front

What is the difference between 'its' and 'it's'?

Back

'Its' is a possessive pronoun meaning 'belonging to it.' 'It's' is a contraction for 'it is' or 'it has.' Example: 'The dog wagged its tail.' vs. 'It's going to rain today.'

Front

What is a run-on sentence?

Back

A run-on sentence occurs when two or more independent clauses are joined without proper punctuation or conjunctions. Example: 'I love to read I have many books.' (Correct: 'I love to read, and I have many books.')

Front

What is an independent clause?

Back

An independent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought. Example: 'She enjoys playing soccer.'

Front

What is a dependent clause?

Back

A dependent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb but does not express a complete thought. Example: 'Although she enjoys playing soccer...' (This needs an independent clause to complete the thought.)

Front

What is a coordinating conjunction?

Back

A coordinating conjunction is a word that connects words, phrases, or clauses that are similar or equal. The main coordinating conjunctions are for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so (FANBOYS).

Front

What is a complex sentence?

Back

A complex sentence is a sentence that contains one independent clause and at least one dependent clause. Example: 'Although it was raining, we went for a walk.'