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= Sophomore Sentence Studies =

March 7, 2017
Subject and Predicates and Clauses

Review
 * Burgoyne’s tactics became desperate.
 * He boldly led a fresh attack against the Americans on October 7.
 * ** This time, however, his troops suffered even more casualties **, and // the next day Burgoyne prepared to retreat. //

**SSS #18** **Sentence 1: The Americans surrounded Burgoyne’s army** //before it could leave Saratoga.// **Sentence 2:The convention of Saratoga**, //under which Burgoyne gave up his entire force of six thousand troops,// **was signed on October 17.** **Sentence 3: Six years later, in 1783, the British signed a peace treaty with the Americans,** and //the American Revolution ended.//

March 6, 2017
Subject and Predicates and Clauses Review


 * The British, however, suffered serious losses, including many officers.
 * Burgoyne urgently sent messages to the British command in New York and asked for new orders.
 * **He never received a response,** possibly //because the messages were intercepted.//

SSS#17

**Sentence 1:** Burgoyne’s tactics became desperate.

**Sentence 2:** He boldly led a fresh attack against the Americans on October 7.

**Sentence 3: This time, however, his troops suffered even more casualties**, and //the next day Burgoyne prepared to retreat.//

March 2, 2017
Subject and Predicates and Clauses

Review


 * **The Americans were much better equipped than the British**, //whose provisions were badly depleted.//


 * In spite of these disadvantages, the British launched an attack on the Americans on September 19, 1777.


 * **After four hours of fierce fighting, the Americans, led by General Gates or General Benedict Arnold** (//who later became an infamous traitor to the American cause//), **withdrew.**

SSS #16

**Sentence 1:** The British, however, suffered serious losses, including many officers. **Sentence 2:** Burgoyne urgently sent messages to the British command in New York and asked for new orders. **Sentence 3:** **He never received a response,** possibly //because the messages were intercepted.//

February 23, 2017
Subject and Predicates and Clauses


 * ** Although the march to Albany was dangerous **, // Burgoyne decided to take the risk // ** //because he felt bound by orders from London.// **
 * Meanwhile, also near Saratoga, the American troops under General Horatio Gates gathered reinforcements and supplies.
 * The American forces outnumbered their British enemies by a margin of nearly two to one.

SSS #15

**Sentence 1:** **The Americans were much better equipped than the British**, //whose provisions were badly depleted.//

**Sentence 2:** In spite of these disadvantages, the British launched an attack on the Americans on September 19, 1777.

**Sentence 3:** **After four hours of fierce fighting, the Americans, led by General Gates or General Benedict Arnold** (//who later became an infamous traitor to the American cause//), **withdrew.**

February 21, 2017
Subject and Predicates and Clauses
 * **The painting below depicts the outcome of one of the most important battles of the American Revolution**, //a battle that took place in September and October 1777 at Saratoga, New York.//
 * The leader of the British troops, General John Burgoyne, had set up camp near Saratoga and planned to march south to Albany.
 * **Burgoyne’s army had been weakened by a recent attack from an American militia**, //which had ambushed some of his troops at Bennington, Vermont.//

SSS #14
**Sentence 1:** **Although the march to Albany was dangerous**, //Burgoyne decided to take the risk// **//because he felt bound by orders from London.//**

**Sentence 2:** Meanwhile, also near Saratoga, the American troops under General Horatio Gates gathered reinforcements and supplies.

**Sentence 3:** The American forces outnumbered their British enemies by a margin of nearly two to one.

February 20, 2017
Subject and Predicates and Clauses


 * The heliochronometer, a sundial of great precision, was used until 1900 to set the watches of French railway workers.
 * **Observing the completed sundial, you will note** //that the hour markers, the pebbles, are not equidistant.//
 * **Your spacing of the markers has demonstrated** //that shadows move faster in the morning and the evening than during the middle of the day.//

**Sentence 1:** A heaping basket of turnip greens was sitting on the counter. **Sentence 2: The cost of two new snow tires was more** //than I had expected.// **Sentence 3:** The community college course on collecting stamps always attracts many people.

Subject and Predicates and Clauses

For everyday use, a watch has obvious advantages over a sundial.

In the past, sundials were used to set and check the accuracy of watches.

**The difference between solar time and clock time is correlated by the use of tables** //that show daily variations in solar time.//

[|SSS #13]

**Sentence 1:** The heliochronometer, a sundial of great precision, was used until 1900 to set the watches of French railway workers.

**Sentence 2:** **Observing the completed sundial, you will note** //that the hour markers, the pebbles, are not equidistant.//

**Sentence 3:** **Your spacing of the markers has demonstrated** //that shadows move faster in the morning and the evening than during the middle of the day.//

February 16, 2017
Subject and Predicates


 * The sundial was one of the first instruments used for telling time.
 * Regarded chiefly as garden ornaments, sundials are still used in some areas to tell time.
 * Forerunners of the sundial include poles or upright stones used as gnomons by early humans.

[|SSS #12]
**Sentence 1:** The shadow-casting object on a sundial is called a gnomon. **Sentence 2:** To improve the accuracy of the sundial, the gnomon was set directly parallel to the earth’s axis, the imaginary line running through the planet’s poles. **Sentence 3:** The development of trigonometry permitted more precise calculations in the construction of sundials.

February 14, 2017

 * Clause - Independent or Subordinate? **


 * Because of his illness, **Washington Roebling was unable to attend the ceremonies.**
 * ** The bridge took thirteen years to build. **
 * At the time of its completion, **it was the world’s longest suspension bridge.**

SSS #11 Sentence 1: **When the bridge was finally completed in 1883**,//President Chester A. Arthur attended the dedication ceremonies.//

Sentence 2: **Instead, the President visited Roebling’s home to honor the man** //who had struggled so valiantly to complete bridge.//

Sentence 3: **The bridge is now more than a century old**, //and it still stands as a monument to the artistry, sacrifice, and determination of all the people **who planned and built it.**//

February 9, 2017

 * Clause - Independent or Subordinate? **


 * **Students studied for the test** //that was on Friday.//


 * **Because they were required at times to work underwater in airtight chambers called caissons,** //many workers, including the designer Washington Roebling, suffered from caisson disease, or decompression sickness.//


 * **After succeeding his father on the project, Washington Roebling was stricken by caisson disease;** //therefore, he was confined to bed.//

[|SSS #10] **Sentence 1:** **The Roeblings lived in a house that was near the construction site,** and //Washington supervised the work through a telescope.//

**Sentence 2:** **He dictated instructions to Nora,** and //she relayed them to the work crew.//

**Sentence 3:** **When the bridge was finally completed in 1883,** //President Chester A. Arthur attended the dedication ceremonies.//

February 7, 2017

 * Clause - Independent or Subordinate? **


 * **The people** w//ho see the Brooklyn Bridge// **are impressed by its strength and the beauty of the design**


 * **Massive granite towers** //that are supported by concrete-filled shafts// **are among its remarkable features.**


 * **Although she was not an engineer**, //Nora Roebling assisted in the efforts to complete the bridge.//

[|SSS #9]
**The Roeblings discovered** //that construction work could be both slow and dangerous.//

**Since they were used to working in ships’ rigging at great heights,** //sailors were hired to string the miles of cable.//

**John Roebling injured his foot at the work site,** and //as a result, he died of tetanus shortly after construction began.//

February 6, 2017

 * Clause - Independent or Subordinate? **


 * **The New York bridge** //that most people recognize// **is the Brooklyn Bridge.**
 * //The Brooklyn Bridge may be the most famous bridge in the United States, **because it is known around the world.**//
 * **The Brooklyn Bridge,** //which spans the East River between Brooklyn and Manhattan in New York City,// **is one of the engineering wonders of the world.**

SSS #8 **Sentence 1:** **The bridge was designed and built by John Roebling and Washington Roebling, a father-and-son engineering team** //who were pioneers in the use of steel-wire cables.//

**Sentence 2:** **The steel-wire cables give the bridge a graceful appearance** //that resembles a spider's web.//

**Sentence 3:** **What impresses many people** //who see the bridge// **is the strength and beauty of its design.**

February 3, 2017
Clause or Phrase? Subject Predicate Phrase **Clause**

**Example 1**: In between the old hills of Garfield Park, a tiny green leprechaun dances on March 17th.

**Example 2:** Wary of travelers, the tiny green leprechaun hides in trees, or under bridges, or in garbage cans.

**Example 3:** While taking his homework out of his car, Mr. Morton heard a strange laugh coming from the park.

SSS #7
 * Identify the italicized words in the sentences below as a phrase or a clause. **

**Sentence 1**: Mr. Morton put his stuff in the car and walked toward the park, //feeling a little frightened by the fog.//

**Sentence 2:** A green fog, //as thick as a Shamrock Shake//, gathered over the baseball field.

**Sentence 3:** From out of nowhere, //the leprechaun appeared to Mr. Morton//, giggling and doing an Irish dance.

Clause or Phrase?
**Clause:** contains a subject and a verb **Phrase:** contains no subject or verb - it may contain words that could be a subject or verb, but are not


 * Clauses **
 * The **outfielders** //missed// easy fly balls.
 * The **infielders** //were throwing// wildly.
 * Phrases **
 * our next door neighbor
 * to a prominent law school
 * passing the exam
 * to practice law

SSS#6
 * Identify the italicized words in the sentences below as a phrase or a clause. **


 * 1) A speech community is a group of people //who speak the same language.//
 * 2) There are speech communities that contain millions of people and some that have //only a few people.//
 * 3) The first language //you learn// is called your native language.
 * 4) People //who master a second language// are bilingual.
 * 5) Those who conduct a business internationally often need //to know more than one language.//
 * 6) English, French, and Spanish, which many diplomats can speak, are //among the six official languages of the United Nations.//

January 30, 2017
**• Taylor** and **Charlie** //played// with their toys until **dinner** //was// ready. • The **waiter** tripped and fell over the diner's legs, and the **tray** of food //went// flying. **• Mary** and **Michelle** //loved// shopping, and **they** //went// to the mall every Saturday.

SSS#5 **Sentence 1:** Mom and Dad decided that they should make ice cream sundaes for the family. **Sentence 2:** When they checked the freezer, however, the ice cream and toppings were missing. **Sentence 3:** The kids had taken and eaten the ingredients, and they didn't tell anyone.

January 26, 2017

 * // The giant panda is considered an endangered species. //
 * // Scientists have expressed concern about the fate of the giant panda. //
 * // A panda may quickly devour as much as forty pounds of bamboo daily. //

SSS#4
 * Sentence 1: ** The platinum might then become gold according to one amazing theory.


 * Sentence 2: ** This mixture encouraged the production of counterfeit gold bars and coins.


 * Sentence 3: ** Platinum commands a high price today becuase of its resistance to corrosion.

January 25, 2017

 * // The magazine's essay contest for sophomore World history students ends soon. //
 * // Mrs. Smith's honors World history students entered. //
 * // After a very long wait last year, two students in Mr. Green's class actually won. //


 * Sentence 1: ** Students of all ages at MSU, a premier college in south central Montana, help design robots.
 * Sentence 2: ** Factories of all kinds, laboratories conducting research, and even grade school students use robots.
 * Sentence 3: ** Some of the first robots ever constructed appeared at the 1939 New York World's Fair.

January 24, 2017
Some //residents// of the desert **can survive** a long drought.

The Australian //frog// **is** particularly noteworthy.

For up to three years it can live without rainfall.

How can an animal survive that long?

**Sentence 1:** People from a variety of countries have been credited with the discovery of platinum. **Sentence 2:** Spanish explorers in search of gold supposedly discovered this precious metal in the rivers of South America. **Sentence 3:** However, the explorers considered it a worthless, inferior form of silver.

[|SSS #2]

January 23, 2017
People talk.

Sentence 1: Dogs bark. Sentence 2: Paper tears. Sentence 3: Cars run. [|SSS 1]