Sentence Structure AP Lang Review

Phrase

A group of words without a subject and verb.

Clause

A group of words with its own subject and verb.

What are the two types of clauses?

Independent (main) clauses and dependent (subordinate) clauses.

Independent clause

A clause that can stand alone as a complete sentence.

Dependent clause

A clause that cannot stand alone because it does not make sense on its own.

What two elements must a clause have?

A subject and a verb.

What is an independent clause also called?

A main clause.

What is a dependent clause also called?

A subordinate clause.

What is a run-on sentence?

Two or more complete sentences (independent clauses) that are not joined or punctuated correctly.

What are the two types of run-on sentences?

Fused sentences and comma splices.

Fused sentence

A run-on sentence with no punctuation or coordinating conjunction between two complete sentences.

Comma splice

A run-on sentence in which two complete sentences are joined by only a comma.

What does FANBOYS stand for?

For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So.

How can you fix a run-on sentence using FANBOYS?

Use a comma followed by a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS) to join two independent clauses.

How can you fix a run-on sentence using a semicolon?

Use a semicolon to connect two closely related independent clauses.

How can you fix a run-on sentence using a period?

Separate the two independent clauses into two complete sentences.

How can you fix a run-on sentence by restructuring?

Rewrite the sentence by subordinating one of the clauses.

When should you use a colon to fix a run-on sentence?

When providing a list, example, or illustration.

When can you use a dash to connect ideas?

To illustrate an interruption.

What is a sentence fragment?

A group of words that pretends to be a complete sentence but is missing a subject or verb OR cannot stand alone.

What are the two types of sentence fragments?

Fragments missing a necessary part and dependent-clause fragments.

What makes a sentence fragment Type 1?

It is missing a subject or a verb needed to form a complete independent clause.

What makes a sentence fragment Type 2?

It contains a subject and verb but begins with a word that makes it dependent and unable to stand alone.

How can you identify a sentence fragment?

Check whether it has a subject, a verb, and can stand alone as an independent clause.

What is one way to fix a sentence fragment?

Connect the fragment to a nearby complete sentence.

What is another way to fix a sentence fragment?

Add the missing element or information to turn it into a complete sentence.

What are words that suggest a dependent clause?

Words such as after, although, because, before, even though, if, since, unless, until, when, while, and whether.

What are relative pronouns that can suggest a dependent clause?

That, who, whom, whose, and which.

What is a modifier?

An adjective, adverb, phrase, or clause that describes or limits another word or group of words.

What is a misplaced modifier?

A modifier that is not placed close enough to the word it is supposed to modify.

What is the main rule for modifier placement?

Related words should be placed physically close to one another.

Why should modifiers be placed close to the words they modify?

To prevent confusion and unintended meanings.

What is another rule for sentence structure involving modifiers?

A sentence should flow from subject to verb to object without lengthy detours.

What are limiting modifiers?

Words such as only, even, almost, nearly, and just that limit or change the meaning of other words.

Where should limiting modifiers be placed?

In front of the words they modify.

Why is the placement of the word "almost" important?

Its position can drastically change the meaning of a sentence.

What is an infinitive?

The word "to" followed by a verb, such as to think, to breathe, or to dance.

What is a split infinitive?

An infinitive in which a modifier appears between "to" and the verb.

What is an example of a split infinitive?

To carefully balance.

What is the rule for split infinitives?

Avoid split infinitives when they sound awkward, but use them when avoiding them would make the sentence sound unnatural.

What is parallel form?

A writing structure that places sentence elements in similar grammatical forms to emphasize their equal importance.

When should you use parallel form?

With coordinating conjunctions, conjunctive pairs, lists, and comparisons.

What does parallel structure with FANBOYS mean?

Elements connected by coordinating conjunctions should have similar grammatical structures.

What is an example of incorrect parallel structure with FANBOYS?

Police dogs are used for finding lost children, tracking criminals, and the detection of bombs and illegal drugs.

What is the correction for the police dogs parallelism example?

Police dogs are used for finding lost children, tracking criminals, and detecting bombs and illegal drugs.

What are conjunctive pairs?

Paired conjunctions that connect related sentence elements.

What are examples of conjunctive pairs?

Either/or, neither/nor, and not only/but also.

What is the rule for parallel structure with conjunctive pairs?

The grammatical structures following or connected by the paired conjunctions should be parallel.

What is an example of incorrect parallelism with neither/nor?

Neither local streets nor a trip on the highway seemed the best way to get home.

What is the correction for the neither/nor example?

Neither local streets nor the highway seemed the best way to get home.

What is the rule for parallel structure in lists?

All elements in a list should follow the same grammatical structure.

What is an example of incorrect parallelism in a list?

The mathematics test included arithmetic, algebra, and the study of geometry.

What is the correction for the mathematics list example?

The mathematics test included arithmetic, algebra, and geometry.

What is the rule for parallel structure in comparisons?

Elements being compared using "than" or "as" should have similar grammatical structures.

What is an example of incorrect parallelism in a comparison?

It is easier to speak in abstractions than grounding one's thoughts in reality.

What is the correction for the comparison example?

It is easier to speak in abstractions than to ground one's thoughts in reality.

What should you check when looking for parallel structure errors?

FANBOYS, conjunctive pairs, lists, and comparisons.

How do you correct a parallel structure error?

Revise the sentence so that the connected or compared elements use similar grammatical forms.

What is the difference between a phrase and a clause?

A phrase does not have its own subject and verb, while a clause does.

What is the difference between an independent and dependent clause?

An independent clause can stand alone as a complete sentence; a dependent clause cannot.

What is the difference between a fused sentence and a comma splice?

A fused sentence has no proper punctuation between independent clauses; a comma splice uses only a comma.

What is the difference between a run-on sentence and a fragment?

A run-on improperly joins complete sentences, while a fragment is an incomplete sentence.

What is the difference between a misplaced modifier and a parallelism error?

A misplaced modifier is incorrectly positioned, while a parallelism error occurs when connected sentence elements do not have matching grammatical structures.