More Generative Sentence Steps

1. DS 014 Writing More Generative Sentence Steps

2. Today's Agenda • Sign-In • Writing Outreach Schedule • Hand in Grammar Test/Worksheet • Review the first two GSR steps (building blocks, cues, and BSPs) • GSR Step 3 • GSR Step 4

3. Reviewing Blocks, Cues, and BSPs • Writing can be thought of as a series of structures. Words are the blocks we use to build sentences. Sentences then build into paragraphs. Paragraphs build into essays, short stories, novels, screenplays, etc. • The same word can act as different types of blocks. We can tell how words are being used by looking for cues.

4. Reviewing (cont.) • Cues can be verbal (inflection of the voice). • We can also use frames to tell what role a word is playing in a sentence. • Noun Frame: I was thinking of ______________(-s). • Verb Frame: They might ________________(them). • Adjective Frame: They seem _________________. • Adverb Frame: That one did it ________________. • Cues can also be taken from what has been added to the word (ex. -ly, -iest, -es, -ed)

5. Reviewing (cont.) • There are four Basic Sentence Patterns on which most writing is based. • BSP-1 "Jim laughed." (noun plus verb) • BSP-2 "Jim drives a truck." (noun plus verb plus noun) • BSP-3 "Jim is a plumber." (noun plus linking verb plus noun) • BSP-4 "Jim is rich." (noun plus linking verb plus modifier)

6. Your Turn • Take the next five minutes to write at least one sentence of each of the four BSPs.

7. We're not done yet! • Trade papers with a buddy. • Polish/edit your buddy's sentences. • Make sure both names are on it. • Pass it in for a daily grade.

8. GSR Step 3—Bound Modifiers • There are three kinds of “bound modifiers”--adjectives, adverbs, and prepositional phrases. • The reason they're called bound modifiers is that they're not necessarily set off by punctuation but are rather “bound” tightly into the sentence.

9. Example BSP w/ Bound Modifiers • Jim drove the truck.—Basic BSP-2 • Jim drove the huge truck.--BSP-2 plus adjective • Jim carefully drove the huge truck.--BSP-2 plus adjective and adverb • Jim carefully drove the huge truck onto the highway.--BSP-2 plus adjective, adverb, and prepositional phrase.

10. What have we created? • An independent clause consists of a basic sentence pattern (BSP) plus its bound modifiers. • This is important to remember as we move along. And we did it without diagramming!

11. Word of Warning! • The BSP is weakened (hard to find the original structure) if you add too many bound modifiers to it. • Old, unhappy, bashful, friendless Jim carefully, quietly, and deliberately drives a battered, decrepit, unpainted, unlicensed truck. • A base clause should normally be between eight and twenty words long (Christensen).

12. GSR Step 4--Free Modifiers • Structures that may ordinarily be "freely" placed before, after, or in the middle of the base clause that they modify and are set off from the modified base clause by pauses in oral speech and by punctuation in writing.

13. One method of adding free modifiers... • ...is to add a subordinate clause to the beginning of a base clause. • When Jim drives a truck, he is happy. • Words used to start subordinate clauses include (but aren't limited to)... • after, although, as, because, before, even though, if, once, since, though, unless, until, and when.

14. Homework • Write five BSP sentences. • Write five BSP sentences with bound modifiers. • Write five BSP sentences with free modifiers. • You should have 15 sentences in all.

15. Friday GSR Step 8—Positioning modifiers GSR Step 9—Parallelism in modifiers GSR Step 10—Turning modifiers non-parallel with a purpose Coming up this week! • Wednesday • GSR Step 5-- Different types of clusters • GSR Step 6--Absolutes • GSR Step 7--Relative clauses

16. Wednesday and Friday No class Work on take home test Next week! • Monday • GSR Step 11--Punctuation • GSR Step 12—Transitions • Take home test/ worksheet