Basic Sentence

Patterns &
Punctuation
Guide
Independent
Clause (a.k.a.
Complete
Sentence)

It is.
Subject/ Verb
 Recognizing a Complete
Sentence
• For a sentence to be a complete sentence
(independent clause), there must be a
subject and verb, and you must be able to
identify them, as in the next two examples.

• Also, pay attention to helping verbs, like

To Be: I am/ You are/ He, She, It is
Simple Sentences
Edward loves
Mary.
Mary is afraid of
Edward.
 Joining Clauses

Edward is outside of Mary’s window. Mary is getting

her gun.
Edward is knocking on the glass; therefore, Mary is
putting a round in the chamber.
 Main Rule of the Semicolon
• The one main rule of the semicolon is to
join two complete sentences together.

• In other words, you will need to have a

subject and verb on one side, and you will
need a subject and verb on the other side.
 COLONS
YES Mary has three favorite guns: the uzi,
glock, and AR-15.
NO Mary has many favorite guns, such as: the
uzi, glock, and AR-15.
NO Mary’s favorite guns are: the uzi, glock,
and AR-15.
 Main Rule of the Colon
• The main rule of the colon is that you must
have a complete sentence in front
of/before the colon.

• What comes after the colon is fairly open

ended: a list, a quote, a word, an
appositive, another sentence.
 F.A.N.B.O.Y.S.
Edward is not afraid
of being shot at.
He has a bullet
proof vest.

Edward is not afraid

of being shot at,
for he has a bullet
proof vest.
The Main Rule of the FANBOYS
• The main rule of the FANBOYS is the
same as the semicolon. You must have a
complete sentence before the comma
FANBOY and you must have a complete
sentence after it.

• Pay close attention to all of the following

examples
F.A.N.B.O.Y.S.
Mary sees the
vest. She is still
going to shoot.
Mary sees the
vest, and she is
still going to
shoot, for she
has hollow point
bullets.
 F.A.N.B.O.Y.S.
Edward does not
care if he gets
shot. He does
not care if he
dies tonight.
Edward does not
care if he gets
shot, nor does
he care if he dies
tonight.
 F.A.N.B.O.Y.S.
Edward has already been arrested for stalking. He
is still doing the same thing.
Edward has already been arrested for stalking, but
he is still doing the same thing.
 F.A.N.B.O.Y.S.
Mary will probably shoot Edward.
She will call the cops.
Edward is not afraid of Mary or the cops.
Edward will never learn.

Mary will probably shoot Edward, or she will

call the cops, yet Edward is not afraid of
Mary or the cops, so Edward will never
learn.
 Common FANBOYS Errors
• The comma comes before the FANBOYS!
• Remember, the comma FANBOY comes
between two complete sentences
• You do not use semicolons with
FANBOYS!
• You cannot put a comma in front of every
for, and, nor, but, or, yet, & so – only if the
FANBOY COMES BETWEEN TWO
SENTENCES!
When Edward heard
COORDINATING ADJECTIV
the sirens and gun
shots, he started to
run. He found a
cold, dark
overpass and
climbed up the
incline and snuck
into the shallow, Cold and Dark =
tight nook at the cold, dark
top. Shallow and Tight =
shallow, tight
ITEMS IN A SERIES (a.k.a. the list)
It is no surprise that
Edward’s favorite
writers are J.D.
Salinger, the Marquis
de Sade, and Lewis
Caroll.

Edward was arrested in

Tampa, Florida;
Atlanta, Georgia; and
Los Angeles,
California.
 The Oxford Comma
This stalker story is
dedicated to my
parents, God and
Ronald McDonald.

Can this sentence be

interpreted in more
than one way? Who
are my parents?
 SUBORDINATING
CONJUNCTIONS
Edward wears his
sunglasses.
He feels invisible.

When Edward wears his

sunglasses, he feels
invisible.
Edward feels invisible
when he wears his
sunglasses.
 Common Subordinations
• When • When you start with a
If
,
•
• Since subordination you
• Because need a comma
between the two
• Although
clauses.
• So that • You do not need a
comma when the
subordination comes
between the two
clauses.
 NON-ESSENTIAL CLAUSES
Edward, a sick and deranged young man,
feels that he does not need to seek
professional help.
Edward feels that he does not need to seek
professional help.
He, however, has signed up at his local
Stalker’s Anonymous group.
He has signed up at his local S.A. group.
 The Importance of the
Comma
Woman without her man is nothing.

Woman, without her, man is nothing.

Woman, without her man, is nothing.