Composition Elements to Study

1. Nouns and Verbs

• Definition:

  • Nouns: Words that name a person, place, thing, or idea (e.g., cat, freedom, mountain).

  • Verbs: Words that describe actions, states, or occurrences (e.g., run, is, imagine).

• Example from The Belled Deer:

  • Nouns: hunter, deer, bell, forest.

  • Verbs: run, spared, wore, knew.

2. Gerunds

• Definition:

  • A gerund is a verb form ending in -ing that functions as a noun (e.g., swimming, writing, observing).

• Example from The Solitary Goose:

  • “Flying alone”—Here, flying acts as a noun, describing the act of flight.

3. Clauses

• Independent Clause:

  • A complete thought that can stand alone as a sentence (e.g., The cat purred.).

• Dependent Clause:

  • An incomplete thought that needs an independent clause (e.g., Because the cat purred).

• Example from The Prize Cat:

  • Independent: The cat purrs.

  • Dependent: Although it hides its claws.

4. Sentence Errors

• Comma Splice:

  • When two independent clauses are joined only with a comma (e.g., The cat purrs, it hides its claws.).

  • Fix: Add a conjunction (e.g., The cat purrs, and it hides its claws.).

• Run-On Sentence:

  • Two or more independent clauses without proper punctuation (e.g., The bell rang the deer ran).

  • Fix: Add a period or semicolon (e.g., The bell rang; the deer ran.).

• Sentence Fragment:

  • An incomplete sentence missing a subject or verb (e.g., Because it was beautiful.).

  • Fix: Attach it to a complete sentence (e.g., The cat purred because it was beautiful.).

5. Punctuation

• Apostrophes:

  • Possessive: The deer’s bell (singular) vs. The hunters’ rifles (plural).

  • Plurals: No apostrophe (e.g., dogs, cats).

• Colons:

  • Introduce a list or explanation (e.g., The hunter saw three animals: a deer, a wolf, and a bear.).

• Semicolons:

  • Link two related independent clauses (e.g., The deer ran; the hunter followed.).

6. Quotation Integration

• Examples:

  • Smooth Integration: Nowlan writes, “Nobody hunts there now” (line 9), suggesting the forest has become a sanctuary.

  • Block Quotation: Use when quoting more than three lines of text, indented and without quotation marks.

7. Subject-Verb Agreement

• Definition:

  • The subject and verb must match in number (e.g., The crow flies; the crows fly).

• Example:

  • Incorrect: The flock of crows fly over the trees.

  • Correct: The flock of crows flies over the trees.

8. Nonessential Elements

• Definition:

  • Extra information in a sentence that isn’t essential to its meaning, set off by commas (e.g., The cat, which purred softly, hid its claws.).

How These Connect to Your Exam

1. Passage Analysis:

   • Use quotation integration to pull evidence and analyze it correctly.

   • Ensure your sentences are complete and avoid errors like fragments or run-ons.

2. Essay Writing:

   • Show mastery of clauses by writing clear topic sentences and combining ideas effectively.

   • Use punctuation (like colons or semicolons) to organize your argument cleanly.