Sentence Builder

GOAL:

To construct simple, compound, and complex sentences.

OBJECTIVES:

The student will be able to:

1. Describe the different types of clauses.

2. Characterize simple, compound, and complex sentences.

3. Create a variety of clauses and sentences.

ENERGY OBJECTIVES:

The student will be able to:

1. Explain the best way to orient a house on a given lot to save energy.

2. List ways of reducing energy costs for home builders.

LESSON INFORMATION:

In order to be a successful writer, you must be able to construct a variety of sentences. Since you have already learned about the eight basic parts of speech and subject-verb agreement, you can now move on to sentence construction.

Sentence writing revolves around clauses. A clause is a group of words that forms part of a sentence and has a subject and a predicate. Several types of clauses exist:

a. Independent clause -

A clause that has a subject and verb; it is a complete thought that can stand alone as a sentence. An independent clause is sometimes called a main clause.

b. Dependent clause -

A clause that has a subject and verb. It is introduced by a relative pronoun, such as which or who, or a conjunction, such as although or since. It is not a complete thought and cannot stand alone as a sentence. A dependent clause is sometimes called a subordinate clause.

See examples of these various clauses in EXAMPLE 1.

EXAMPLE 1:

a. When planning or constructing an energy efficient home in Louisiana (dependent clause)

b. I am constructing an energy efficient, Louisiana style home. (independent clause)

Once you understand clauses, you will see that these clauses can be put together to form a variety of sentence types. The three types of sentences discussed in this lesson are:

Simple

Compound

Complex

A simple sentence is a sentence that contains only one independent clause and expresses a complete thought.

ACTIVITY D-1:

Identify the following as simple sentences or sentence fragments. A sentence fragment is not a sentence for it lacks a subject and/or a verb and does not express a complete thought.

__________1. It is important to reduce heat gains in the summer.

__________2. The homeowner should try to keep the sun off the house.

__________3. Unshaded glass areas, such as those found around windows and doors.

__________4. Facing southward to avoid excess heat gain.

__________5. The home builder should place the house with the two longest sides facing the north and south.

A compound sentence is two or more independent clauses joined together. The clauses are joined by a semi-colon or by a comma and a coordinate conjunction.

Homes in Louisiana should face southward; this offers protection from winds in the winter and from heat in the summer.

ACTIVITY D-2:

Rewrite the following paragraph to create two or three compound sentences instead of a list of simple sentences.

Trees can help block the sun and its heat. The west side of the home needs protection from the sun. In order to save energy, light colored exterior walls and roofs may be used. Paved areas should not be placed near the home. A roof overhang can be used to block the sun.

Work Space:

The third type of sentence is a complex sentence. Remember that every sentence has at least one independent clause. A complex sentence contains an independent clause along with one or more dependent clauses. See EXAMPLE 2.

EXAMPLE 2:

a. While comfort is important to most home builders, ENERGY BILLS THAT FIT INTO THEIR BUDGET ARE ALSO A MAJOR CONSIDERATION.

b. THE HOMEOWNER SHOULD GROUP CLOSETS AND UTILITY SPACES TOGETHER; UNCOOLED AREAS OF THE HOME SHOULD BE PLACED SEPARATELY since this will reduce heating and cooling costs.

Note: Independent clauses are capitalized; dependent clauses are in bold type.

Words most commonly used to introduce a dependent clause are relative pronouns such as:

          who            whom           whose          which
          that           what           whoever        whomever

and subordinate conjunctions such as:

          after          although       as             because
          before         if             since          than
          unless         until          when           while

ACTIVITY R-1:

Rewrite the following pairs of sentences as one complex sentence.

1. Plant deciduous trees around your home. Deciduous trees lose their leaves in the winter and allow sun to heat the home.

2. It is best to build a house with a rectangular floorplan. The next best plan is a square.

3. It is hard to shade windows on the east or west sides of the home. The sun is very strong on these sides and much heat can infiltrate the home.

ACTIVITY R-2:

Identify the following sentences with an "S" for simple, a "C" for compound, and an "X" for complex.

_____1. Energy costs can be reduced by 25% by most homeowners.

_____2. Since there are many ways to reduce the cost of heating and cooling a home, most homeowners can find a way to save their home energy dollars.

_____3. A homeowner can reduce heat gain in the summer, and he can reduce heat loss in the winter.

_____4. Some floorplans are not very energy efficient, but the builder may be able to make some adjustments before the house is actually built.

_____5. The consumer may use cool colors, such as blues and greens, in the home.

_____6. Cool colors reflect light, and they make the room feel cooler.

_____7. Placement of a house on a lot plays a major role in home energy since placement is directly related to heat gains and losses.

Note:

Sentences that contain a dependent clause and two or more independent clauses joined by coordinate conjunctions are called compound-complex sentences.

ACTIVITY R-3:

Refer back to Activity R-2. Underline all independent clauses, each one separately. Use brackets [ ] to show all dependent clauses.

RECOMMENDED READING:

Manual for Building Energy Efficient Homes in Louisiana. Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, Baton Rouge, LA, n.d.

A Builder's Guide to Energy Efficient Homes. SLEMCO, Lafayette, LA, n.d.

INFORMATION CHECK

1. What is a clause?

2. Describe dependent and independent clauses.

3. List and describe the three basic types of sentences.

a.

.

b.

c.

4. Use the following information and write it in (a) two simple sentences, (b) one compound sentence, (c) one complex sentence.

- homeowners like to reduce energy costs

- how a home is placed on a lot affects energy costs

a.

b.

c.

5. Using five relative pronouns or subordinate conjunctions listed in this lesson, construct five complex sentences. The sentences should discuss the high cost of heating and cooling a home.

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

TEACHER'S NOTES

Activity D-1:

1. Sentence

2. Sentence

3. Fragment

4. Fragment

5. Sentence

Activity D-2:

Student paragraphs will differ. Example follows:

In order to save energy, light colored exterior walls and roofs may be used, paved areas should not be placed near the home, and the west side of the home needs protection from the sun. Trees can help block the sun and its heat, or a roof overhang can be used to block the sun.

Activity R-1:

Students answers will vary. Examples follow:

1. Plant deciduous trees around your home since they lose their leaves in the winter and allow the sun to heat the home.

2. It is best to build a house with a rectangular floorplan while the next best is the square.

3. Although it is hard to shade windows on the east or west sides of the home, much heat can infiltrate the home on these sides.

Activity R-2, R-3:

S 1. Energy costs can be reduced by 25% by most homeowners.

X 2. [Since there are many ways to reduce the cost of heating and cooling a home,] most homeowners can find a way to save their home energy dollars.

C 3. A homeowner can reduce heat gain in the summer, and he can reduce heat loss in the winter.

C 4. Some floorplans are not very energy efficient, but the builder may be able to make some adjustments before the house is actually built.

S 5. The consumer may use cool colors, such as blues and greens, in the home.

C 6. Cool colors reflect light and they make the room feel cooler.

X 7. Placement of a house on a lot plays a major role in home energy [since placement is directly related to heat gains and losses.]

Answers to Information Check:

1. A clause is a group of words that forms part of a sentence and has a subject and a predicate.

2. Independent clause - A clause that has a subject and verb and can stand alone as a sentence. An independent clause is sometimes called a main clause.

Dependent clause - A clause that also has a subject and verb but is introduced by a pronoun, such as which or who, or a conjunction, such as although or since, and cannot stand alone as a sentence. A dependent clause is sometimes called a subordinate clause.

3. a. Simple - contains one independent clause.

b. Compound - contains two or more independent clauses joined by a coordiante conjuction.

c. Complex - contains at least one subordiante clause along with an independent clause.

4. Students answers will vary. Examples follow:

a. Most homeowners like to reduce energy costs.

Placement of a home on a lot affects energy costs.

b. Homeowners like to reduce energy costs, and the placement of a home on a lot can affect these energy costs.

c. Since homeowners like to reduce energy costs, they may place the home on the lot carefully as this affects energy costs.

5. Students answers will vary. Check for proper use of relative pronoun or subordinate conjuction. Be sure that all sentences are complex sentences.

Comments or questions to: TechAsmt@LA.GOV

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