ACTIVITY 1

Study the following examples of compound sentences. Draw albo� around each subject, underline each
verb, and �ircl�each coordinating conjunction.
1. Brazil was colonized by Europeans, and its culture has been greatly influenced by this fact.
2. This was my first visit to the international section of the airport, and nothing was familiar.
3. Many people today are overweight, and being overweight has been connected to some kinds of
cancer.
4. Barriers fell, markets opened, and people rejoiced in the streets because they anticipated a new life
full of opportunities and freedom to make their own choices.
5. Should public school students make their own individual decisions about clothing, or should all
students wear uniforms?
6. This question has been asked many times, but people are not in agreement about the ultimate
punishment.

Co m p l ex S e nte n ces
Like compound sentences, complex sentences are made up of two parts. Complex sentences,
however, contain one independent clause and, at least, one dependent clause. In most complex
sentences, the dependent clause is an adverb clause.

Co m p l ex S e nten ces (w ith Adve r b C l a u ses)

Adverb clauses begin with subordinating conjunctions, which include the following:
wh i l e although after beca use if before

Study the examples below. The adverb clauses are underlined, and the subordinating
conjunctions are boldfaced.
The h u rrica n e struck while we were at the mal l .
After t h e president gave h i s speech, he a n swered most of the reporters' questions.
N OTE: A more compl ete l ist of subord i nating conjunctions can be found i n the Con nectors section of the
Brief Writer's Handbook with Activities, pages 1 80-1 81 .
Unlike coordinating conjunctions, which join two independent clauses but are not part of either
clause, subordinating conjunctions are actually part of the dependent clause.
Joe pl ayed ten n is after Vicky watched TV.
independent clause dependent clause
The subordinating conjunction after does not connect the clauses Joe played tennis and Vicky
watched TV; after is grammatically part of Vicky watched TV.
Remember that dependent clauses must be attached to an independent clause. They cannot
stand alone as a sentence. If they are not attached to another sentence, they are called fragments, or
incomplete sentences. Fragments are incomplete ideas, and they cause confusion for the reader. In a
complex sentence, both clauses are needed to make a complete idea so the reader can understand what
you mean. Look at these examples:
Fragment: Afte r Vicky watch e d TV
Complete Sentence: J o e p l ayed t en n i s a ft er V i c ky watched TV.
or
Complete Sentence: Afte r Vicky watch e d TV, s h e went to bed.

170 B ri ef Writer's Handbook with Activities

 ACTI VITY 2
Study the following examples of complex sentences from the essays in this book. Draw a �oxl around
each subject, underline each verb, and €ircl�each subordinating conjunction.
1 . While the Northeast is experiencing snowstorms, cities like Miami, Florida, can have temperatures
over 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Although Brazil and the United States are unique countries, there are remarkable similarities in their
size, ethnic diversity, and personal values.
3. Another bus arrived at the terminal, and the passengers stepped off carrying all sorts
of luggage.
4. While it is true that everyone makes a blunder from time to time, some people do not have the
courage to admit their errors because they fear blame.
5. Because almost every area has a community college, students who opt to go to a community college
first can continue to be near their families for two more years.

Add it i o n a l G ra m m a r Activities
The three example essays in this section feature different grammatical errors. Each paragraph
highlights one kind of error. In each case, read the entire essay before you complete the activities.
Before you complete Activities 1 -5, read the whole essay first. Then go back and complete each
activity.

ACTIVITY 1 Verb Forms

Read the paragraph and decide whether the five underlined verbs are correct. If not, draw a line
through the verb and write the correct form above the verb.

Essay 24

A Simple Recipe

I "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" may sound ridiculous, but

this proverb offer an important suggestion. If you travel to other countries,
especially to a country that is very different from your own, you should
keeping this saying in mind. For example, Japan has unique customs that
.lli not found in any other country. If you traveled to Japan, you should find
out about Japanese customs, taboos, and people beforehand.

ACTI VITY 2 Ve rb Forms

Read this paragraph carefully. Then write the correct form of the verbs in parentheses.

2 One custom is that you should ( take) ____ ___ off your
shoes before (enter) _ _ _ ___ someone's house. In Japan, the floor
must always be kept clean because usually people (sit) ______ , eat
a meal, or even (sleep) _______ on the floor. Another custom

Additional G rammar Activities 171

 is giving gifts. The Japanese often (give) _______ a small gift
to people who have (do) favors for them. Usually this
token of gratitude (give) in July and December to keep
harmonious relations with the receiver. When you (give) _ _ _ ___
someone such a gift, you should make some form of apology about it. For
example, many Japanese will say, "This is just a small gift that I have for you:'
In addition, it is not polite to open a gift immediately. The receiver usually
(wait) _ _ _
_ ___ until the giver has left so the giver will not be
embarrassed if the gift ( turn) _______ out to be defective or
displeasing.

ACTIVITY 3 C o n n ectors
Read the paragraph carefully. Then fill in the blanks with one of these connectors:
because in addition even if for example first but

3 _______, it is important to know about Japanese

taboos. All cultures have certain actions that are considered socially
unacceptable. ___ _ _ _ _ something is acceptable in one culture,
it can easily be taboo in another culture. ___ _ __, chopsticks
are used in many cultures, ___ ____ there are two taboos about
chopsticks etiquette in Japan. , you should never stand
the chopsticks upright in your bowl of rice. standing
chopsticks upright i.s done at a funeral ceremony, this action is associated
with death. Second, you must never pass food from one pair of chopsticks
to another. Again, this is related to burial rites in Japan.

ACTIVITY 4 A rt i c l es
There are 1 4 blanks in this paragraph. Read the paragraph and write the articles a, an, or the to
complete the sentences. Some blanks do not require articles.

4 Third, it is important to know that Japanese people have

_______ different cultural values. One of ___ _
_ __
important differences in ___ _ __ cultural values is
___ _ _ _ _ Japanese desire to maintain _ ______
harmony at all costs. People try to avoid causing any kind of dispute.
If there is _______ problem, both sides are expected to
compromise in order to avoid an argument. People are expected to
restrain their emotions and put ___ ____ goal of compromise
above their individual wishes. Related to this is _______
concept of patience. Japanese put ____ _ _ great deal of

172 Brief Writer's Handbook with Activities

 _______ value on _______ patience. Patience
also contributes to maintaining good relations with
----- -- everyone and avoiding disputes.

ACTIVITY 5 P re po s i t i o n s
Read this paragraph and write the correct preposition in each blank. Choose from these prepositions:
into, in, to, about, with, of, and around. You may use them more than once.

5 --- ---- conclusion, if you want to get along well

------- the Japanese and avoid uncomfortable situations
when you go _ ______ Japan, it is important to take
___ _ __ account the features ___ _ __ Japanese
culture that have been discussed here. Although it may be hard to
understand Japanese customs because they are different, knowing
_______ them can help you adjust to life in Japan. If you face
an unfamiliar or difficult situation when you are ____ _ _
_
Japan, you should do what the people ______ _ you do. In other
words, "When _______ Japan, do as the Japanese do:'

Before you complete Activities 6-1 2, read the whole essay. Then go back and complete each activity.

ACTIVITY 6 Verb Forms

Read this paragraph carefully. Then write the correct form of the verbs in parentheses.

Essay 25

Dangers of Corporal Punishment

1 What should parents do when their five-year-old child says

a bad word even though the child knows it is wrong? What should a
teacher (do) ____ _ _ when a student in the second grade
(call) _______ the teacher a name? When my parents (be)
_ _
_ __ _
_ children forty or fifty years ago, the answer to these
questions was quite clear. The adult would spank the child immediately.
Corporal punishment (be) _ _
_ ____ quite common then. When
I was a child, I (be) _______ in a class in which the teacher got
angry at a boy who kept ( talk) ____ _ __ after she told him to
be quiet. The teacher then (shout) ___ _ __ at the boy and, in

Additional G rammar Activities 1 73

 front of all of us, (slap) _____ __ his face. My classmates and
I were shocked. Even after twenty years, I still remember that incident
quite clearly. If the teacher's purpose (be) _______ to (teach)
___ ____ us to (be) _ _
_ ____ quiet, she did not
(succeed) - ------· However, if her purpose was to create an
oppressive mood in the class, she succeeded. Because corporal punishment
(be) _ _
_ ____ an ineffective and cruel method of discipline, it
should never be ( use) _ _ _ ____ under any circumstances.

ACTIVITY 7 Pre p o s i t i o n s
Read this paragraph carefully. Write the correct preposition i n each blank. Use these prepositions: in,
of, and for.

2 Supporters ___ ____ corporal punishment claim that

physical discipline is necessary _ _
_ __ _ developing a child's
sense _______ personal responsibility. Justice Lewis Powell, a
former U.S. Supreme Court justice, has even said that paddling children
who misbehave has been an acceptable method _______
promoting good behavior and responsibility _______ school
children for a long time. Some people worry that stopping corporal
punishment in schools could result _ ______ a decline
___ _ ___ school achievement. However, just because a student
stops misbehaving does not mean that he or she suddenly has a better
sense _______ personal responsibility or correct behavior.

ACTIVITY 8 A rt i c l es
Read the paragraph and write the articles a, an, or the to complete the sentences. Some blanks do not
require articles.

3 Corporal punishment is _______ ineffective way

to punish ___ _
_ __ child because it may stop a behavior
for a while, but it will not necessarily have _______
long-term effect. Thus, if an adult inflicts _____ __ mild
form of _______ corporal punishment that hurts the child
very little or not at all, it will not get rid of the bad behavior. Moreover,
because corporal punishment works only temporarily, it will have
to be repeated whenever the child misbehaves. It may then become
___ _ _ _ _ standard response to any misbehavior. This can lead
to _______ frequent and more severe spanking, which may
result in abuse.

174 Brief Writer's Handbook with Activities

 ACTI VITY 9 Comma S p l i ces
Read this paragraph carefully and find the two comma splices. Correct them in one of two ways:
( 1 ) change the comma to a period and make two sentences or (2) add a connector after the comma.
4 A negative effect of corporal punishment in school is that it
makes some students feel aggressive toward parents, teachers, and
fellow students. In my opinion, children regard corporal punishment as
a form of teacher aggression that makes them feel helpless. Therefore,
students may get frustrated if corporal punishment is used frequently.
Furthermore, it increases disruptive behavior that can become more
aggressive, this leads to school violence and bullying of fellow students.
Supporters of corporal punishment believe that it is necessary to maintain
a good learning environment, it is unfortunate that the opposite result
often happens. The learning environment actually becomes less effective
when there is aggressive behavior.

ACTIVITY 1 0 Verb Forms

Read the paragraph and decide whether the underlined verbs are correct. If not, draw a line through the
verb and write the correct form above it.
5 Last, corporal punishment may result in antisocial behavior
later in life because it teaches children that adults condone violence as a
solution to problems. Children who are spank learn that it is acceptable
for a stronger person using violence against a weaker person. The
concept of "might makes right" is forced upon them at a very early
age. Furthermore, this concept teaches a lesson not only to those who
are spanked but also to those who witness it. Studies of prisoners and
delinquents shows that nearly 1 00 percent of the violent inmates at San
Quentin and 64 percent of juvenile delinquents was victims of seriously
abusive punishment during childhood. If serious punishment causes
antisocial behavior, perhaps even milder punishment also contribute
to violence. Research at the University of New Hampshire will find that
children who were spanked between the ages of three and five showed
higher levels of antisocial behavior when they were observed just two and
four years later. This behavior included higher levels of beating family
members, hitting fellow students, and defying parents. It is ironic that
the behaviors for which teachers punishing students often get worse as a
result of the spanking.

Additional G ram mar Activities 175

 ACTIVITY 1 1 E d i t i n g for E rrors
There are seven errors in this paragraph. They are in word forms (two), articles (one), sentence fragments
(one), verb tense (one), and subject-verb agreement (two). Mark these errors and write corrections.
6 For punishment to be effective, it must produce a great behavioral
change, result in behavior that is permanent, and produce minimal side
effects. However, none of these changes is a result of corporal punishment.
Therefore, we should consider alternatives to corporal punishment. Because
discipline is necessary to educate children. One of the alternatives are to
emphasize students' positive behaviors. Some research shows that reward,
praise, and self-esteem is the most powerful motivators for the learning.
Other alternatives are to hold conferences with students to help them plan
acceptable behave or to use school staff, such as psychologists and counselors.
It is important to build better interpersonal relations between teachers
and students. In addition to these alternatives, instruction that reaches all
students, such as detention, in-school suspension, and Saturday school, is
available to discipline and punishment unruly students, too. Alternatives to
corporal punishment taught children to be self-disciplined rather than to be
cooperative only because of fear.

ACTIVITY 1 2 E d i t i n g for E rro rs

There are seven errors in this paragraph. They are in word forms (one), articles (three), sentence fragments
. (one), comma splices (one), and subject-verb agreement (one). Mark these errors and write the corrections.
7 In the conclusion, teachers should not use corporal punishment
because it is ineffective in disciplining students and may have long-term
negative effects on students. Moreover, teachers should not forget that love
and understanding must be part of any kind of discipline. Discipline and
love is not opposites, punishment must involve letting the children know
that what they do is wrong and why punishment is necessary. Teachers
should not just beat student with the hopeful that he will understand.
It is important to maintain discipline without inflicting physical pain
on students. Therefore, teachers should use effective and more humane
alternatives. In order to bring about permanent behavioral changes.
Before you complete Activities 1 3-1 8, read the whole essay. Then go back and complete each activity.

1 76 Brief Writer's Handbook with Activities

ACTI VITY 1 3 Art i c l e s
Read the paragraph and write the articles a, an, o r the t o complete the sentences. Some blanks do not
require articles.

Essay 26

Washington and Lincoln

1 Perhaps no other names from _ _ _ ___ American history

are better known than the names of George Washington and Abraham
Lincoln. Both of these presidents made valuable contributions
to _ _ ____ United States during their presidency. In fact,
one could argue that _ _ _ _
_ _ America would not be
_______ same country that it is today if either of these two
leaders had not been involved in _ _ _ ___ American politics.
However, it is interesting to note that although both leaders made
_______ significant contributions to ______ _
country, they lived in _ _
_ ____ quite different times and served
in ___ _
_ __ very different ways.

ACT IV I TY 1 4 Ve rb Forms
Read this paragraph carefully. Then write the correct form of the verbs in parentheses.

2 Everyone (know) _______ that George Washington

was the first president of the United States. What most people do not
(appreciate) _ _ _
_ ___ (be) _ _
_ ___ _ that Washington
(be) _______ a clever military leader. He served the country
in the early days of the Revolution by (help) _______ to
change the colonial volunteers from ragged farmers into effective soldiers.
Without Washington's bravery and military strategy, it is doubtful that
the colonies could have (beat) _______ the British. Thus,
without Washington, the colonies might never even have (become)
_ _ _ _ _
_ _ the United States of America.

Additional G rammar Activities 1 77

 ACTIVITY 1 5 P re p o s i t i o n s
Read this paragraph and write the correct preposition i n each blank. Choose from these prepositions:
from, in, to, with, for, between, and of You may use them more than once.

3 Abraham Lincoln was the sixteenth president _______

the United States. He was elected president ____ _ _ _ 1 860
during a controversial and heated period of American history. As more
states applied _ _ _
_ ___ membership in the growing country,
the issue _ _ _ ___ slavery kept surfacing. There was an
unstable balance _______ slave states and free states. Each
time another state was added the Union, the balance
of power shifted. Lincoln was a free state, and many
_______ the slave state leaders viewed Lincoln as an enemy
of their cause _ _ _
_ ___ expand slavery. _ ______
the end, no compromise could be reached, and the slave states
seceded _ ______ the United States in order to form their
own independent country. Hostilities grew, and _ ______
1861 the Civil War, or the War _____ __ the States as it is
sometimes called, broke out. During the next four years, the Civil
War ravaged the country. By the end of the war in 1 865, the American
countryside was ____ _ _ _ shambles, but the Union was once
again intact. Through his military and political decisions, Lincoln is
credited _______ saving the country _______
self-destruction.

ACTI V ITY 1 6 E d i t i n g for E rro rs

There are eight errors in this paragraph. They are in word forms (one), articles (two), modals (one),
verb tense (two), and subject-verb agreement (two). Mark these errors and write corrections.

4 Washington and Lincoln was similarly in several ways. Both men

are U.S. presidents. Both men served the United States during extremely
difficult times. For Washington, the question is whether the United States
would be able to maintain its independence from Britain. The United
States was certainly very fragile nation at that time. For Lincoln, the
question were really not so different. Would the United States to be able
to survive during what was one of darkest periods of American history?

178 B rief Writer's Hand book with Activities

 ACTIVITY 1 7 Sente n ce F r a g m ents
After you read this paragraph, find the three sentence fragments. Correct the fragments by ( 1 ) changing
the punctuation and creating one complete sentence or (2) adding new words to make the fragment a
complete sentence.

5 There were also several differences between Washington and

Lincoln. Washington came from a wealthy aristocratic background. He
had several years of schooling. Lincoln came from a poor background,
and he had very little schooling. Another difference between the two
involved their military roles. Washington was a general. He was a military
leader. Became president. Lincoln never served in the military. He was
a lawyer who early on became a politician. When he became president,
he took on the role of commander in chief, as all U.S. presidents do.
Despite his lack of military background or training. Lincoln made several
strategic decisions that enabled the U.S. military leaders to win the
Civil War. Finally, Washington served for two terms and therefore had
eight years to accomplish his policies. Lincoln, on the other hand, was
assassinated. While in office and was not able to finish some of the things
that he wanted for the country.

ACTIVITY 1 8 E d i t i n g for E rrors

There are seven errors in this paragraph. They are in articles (two), verb tense (one), inappropriate
words (one), word forms (one), number (singular and plural) (one), and subject-verb agreement (one).
Mark these errors and make corrections.

6 The names George Washington and Abraham Lincoln is known

even to people who have never been to the United States. Both of these
patriots gave large part of their lives to help America make what it is
today though they served the country in very different ways in complete
different time in the American history. Although they were gone, their
legacies and contributions continue to have an impact on our lives.

Additional Grammar Activities 1 79