Writing interesting descriptions
Basic Sentence Types and Punctuation
Sentences can be:
Sentences can be:
- Statements - facts or what happens - these must have a capital letter at the start and a full stop at the end (My uniform is new.)
- Questions - asking for information - these must have a capital letter at the start and a Question mark at the end (Where is my lunch?) Question starting words include: Who, What, Where, Which, When, Why, How but questions can also start with other words like - Is? Can? Aren't? Shouldn't? - eg Shouldn't you do your work quickly?
- Commands - give an order or instruction. They need a capital letter at the start of the command and may need either a full stop at the end or an exclamation mark if it is a strong command - Begin the test now. Close the door. Don't walk near the snake!
- Exclamations - show strong emotions - these need a capital letter at the start and an exclamation mark at the end - Wow, what an awesome goal! I scored 100% in my test! Run!
Basic Types of Sentences: simple, compound, complex
Simple Sentences
Compound Sentences
- one idea
- have a subject (noun - who, what - person, place, animal or thing) and a verb (action word)
- Jack sang. The dog barked. Rain flowed down the drain - this sentence has a subject (who or what it is about - a noun, a verb (doing word) and an object - what the main subject is doing (the drain).
Compound Sentences
- two ideas joined together with a coordinating conjunction or joining word where both parts are of equal importance
- common coordinating joining words (conjunctions) are: FANBOYS (for, and, nor, but, or, yet,so)
- the joining word helps us understand how the ideas are related
- Sam ate his lunch and went to play (two simple sentences - Sam ate his lunch, Sam went to play. And joins them to show an extra idea of equal importance.
- David learned his tables but still didn't do well in the test. Two simple sentences - David learned his tables. David didn't do well in the test. Joining word but gives opposite meaning. If he learned his tables, he should have done well, but, he didn't.