This decision based editing strategy will help you review the basic parts of a sentence.
Hello, Sentence Makers!
First, I am going to make an assumption here: You already know a lot about building sentences, so the first step in this activity is for you to write your answer to this question: What are the basic parts of a sentence? In other words, what do you need to build a complete sentence? Make a list of everything you already know about building a sentence.
After you have made your list, compare it to this Sentence Checklist below. I use this checklist in my college writing classes to help students remember the basic ingredients for making a sentence. Please, do not worry if your list isn’t exactly like mine. Remember, you are tapping into what you already know to learn more!
Here is the Sentence Checklist:
Every sentence needs to have…
A subject: the person, place, thing or idea the sentence is about
A verb to show the action a subject takes or the subject’s state of being
A complete thought, when you read the sentence aloud, it sounds complete
A punctuation mark to end the sentence: (period (.), exclamation point (!), question mark (?), or a semi-colon (;) NOTE: you will notice that a comma (,) is not one of the punctuation marks used for ending a sentence.
Okay, now that you have made a list of everything you remember about building a sentence, and you have reviewed the Sentence Checklist, let’s do a review of two key ingredients for building a sentence: the subject and the verb.
To review these basic parts, I am using the book, Grammar to Enrich & Enhance Writing by Constance Weaver because I love the way she describes the role of a subject and a verb in a sentence. “The subject,” she writes, “specifies who or what is doing the action or is in the state specified by the verb” (xix).
I love the “who or what” aspect of her explanation. Sometimes, my college writing students struggle to identify the subject and verb in a sentence, but by asking, “Who is doing what?” or by asking “Who or what is being described?” my students have an easier time identifying the subject and verb in a sentence.
Let’s try it out: In this sentence, who is doing what? After his team lost the game, Marcel threw his baseball glove to the ground.
Who threw the glove? Marcel.
What did he do? He threw Marcel is the subject and threw is the verb describing the action he took.
NOTE: Most of us don’t write in simple sentences. We write complex or compound sentences, so sometimes, it is hard to find the main subject and verb. My advice is to look for the kernel of the sentence, the part of the sentence that could be a sentence on its own. Another word for this kernel is the independent clause, the part of a sentence that could be a sentence all on its own because it contains a subject, a verb, and a complete thought.
For example, this part of the sentence above could not be a sentence on its own--After his team lost. Can you hear it? This part of the sentence has a subject and a verb, but when you read it aloud, it is not a complete thought, so it cannot be a sentence on its own. You won’t find the main subject and verb in this part of the sentence.
But this part of the sentence---Marcel threw his baseball glove to the ground---could work as a sentence on its own, so this is where you look for the subject and the verb. This part of the sentence is an independent clause that could be a sentence all on its own, so this is what you read when you ask, “Who is doing what?” to find the subject and the verb.
Let’s try another one: In this sentence, who is doing what? Every morning, Giselle walks her dog, Rascal.
Look for the independent clause in the sentence and ask…
Who walks her dog? Giselle
What does Giselle do? Walks her dog Giselle is the subject and walks is the verb describing the action she took.
Great! But what about a sentence in which a subject is not taking any action? How do you find the verb? When a verb is not expressing an action, it is expressing the subject’s state of being. Such a verb is called a linking verb because it links the subject to the words in the sentence that describe the subject’s state of being.
For example, read this sentence: Rhonda is a beautiful dancer.
In this sentence, Rhonda is the subject, and the linking verb is connects her to the words that describe her state of being. In this case, her state of being is that she is a beautiful dancer.
Let’s look at the most common linking verb. You remember the forms of the verb to be: am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been. There are other linking verbs, like seems, but let’s focus on the To Be verb for now.
To identify the verbs that express a state of being, ask these questions to help you find the subject and verb in a sentence.
Let’s try it: In this sentence, who is being described? What is the subject’s state of being? Marcel is clearly the best pitcher on the team.
Look for the independent clause in the sentence and ask…
Who is being described? Marcel
What word links Marcel to the words describing his state of being? is Marcel is the subject, and the linking verb is, is the verb.
Let’s try another one: In this sentence, who is being described? What is the subject’s state of being? Running late to class, Giselle was flustered.
Look for the independent clause in the sentence and ask…
Who is being described? Giselle
What word links Giselle to the words describing her state of being? was Giselle is the subject, and the linking verb was is the verb.
Great job! Now that you have reviewed what you already know about building a sentence, and you have reviewed the Sentence Checklist, and you have practiced finding subjects and verbs in the sentences above, you are ready to do the Who Is Doing What Editing Activity.
Here is how you do the Who Is Doing What Editing Activity
Step 1: Choose a paragraph from one of your existing college essays for this activity. You will be reading from this paragraph one sentence at a time.
Step 2: Read all the instructions below before you start. For this activity, you will be asking a series of questions for each of the sentences in your paragraph, so you want to have an idea of what those questions are before you begin. You should also watch the video demonstration for this strategy found at the bottom of this post.
Step 3: Remember to narrate your thinking. As you read your sentences one at a time, narrate your answers to the questions below. Also, narrate your thinking if your answers to the questions lead you to make any editing decisions. Narrate why and how you are making your new edits.
Step 4: Read your paragraph one sentence at a time. As you read each sentence, you will be asking the following questions to help you decide if you have a complete sentence (or not).
Step 5: Ask who is doing what? First, locate the independent clause in the sentence--the part of the sentence that could be a sentence all on its own. Then identify the subject and the verb. To help you find the subject and verb in a sentence, read the sentence aloud and ask yourself, "Who is doing what?" in the sentence. If you have a sentence that does not express action, then ask yourself, "What word(s) link the subject to the words that are describing the subject?
Step 6: Next, ask yourself, "Does my sentence complete a thought?" When you read the sentence aloud, does it sound finished? if not, then what could you add to make it a complete thought?
Step 7: Look at the punctuation marks that end your sentence. Are you using one of the punctuation marks that has the power to end a sentence: a period (.), an exclamation point (!), a question mark (?), or a semi-colon (;)? If not, then add the appropriate punctuation mark. In most cases, you will use a period (.).
Step 8: Double check for misplaced commas. Focus on the end of your sentence one more time. Look to see if you have ended the sentence with a comma (,). If you have, then change the comma to a period (.).
Step 9: Repeat steps 1 – 5 for ALL the sentences in your paragraph. Remember to read aloud and narrate your thinking. Show how you are making your editing decisions.
Step 10: Ask your college writing teacher for help. If you have questions about your sentences or how to punctuate them, ask your teacher to review your paragraph with you. Please believe me: your teachers want to help you learn what you need to know to take your writing the next level.
Reflect on what you learned!
After you have completed this activity, reflect on what you have learned. Create thoughtful responses for each of the questions below.
1. What was it like for you to use the Sentence Checklist and the Who Is Doing What strategy? Did it work well for you? Why or why not?
2. How did completing this activity lead you to make other kinds of edits in your sentences?
3. What were some other edits you made as you completed this activity?
4. What was the most challenging part of completing this activity? What questions did it raise for you?
5. What surprised you most as you completed this activity?