Conventions for the Undead
Avoiding the potential apocalypse of poorly used sentence
formation, grammar, punctuation, capitalization, spelling,
and word selections…
Simple Sentences
A simple sentence is a complete thought.
• Subject(s) + Predicate(s) (the verb and any
additional information)
Examples:
1. Zombies have feelings.
2. Zombies and humans have feelings.
3. Zombies and humans have feelings and crave
food.
Your Tourniquet: Simple Sentences
On a fresh sheet of tree flesh, complete the following
sentences.
1) A track of muddy footprints ______________.
2) No one else in the town ____________________.
3) _____________ jabbed into my stomach.
Compound Sentences
*FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so
A compound sentence contains two or
more simple sentences joined by a
comma and a coordinating conjunction
(*FANBOYS).
Examples:
1. The explosion erupted loudly, and the
city turned into darkness.
2. Screams echoed through the streets,
yet not a soul was heard.
3. The outbreak followed, for the
radiation spread with the aftermath.
Your Tourniquet: Compound Sentences
On the same sheet of tree skin, complete the following
sentences. Don’t forget to use a FANBOYS.
1) My heart began to race, ______.
2) A foul stench came from the basement, ______.
3) __________, for broken glass lined the path through the
hallway.
Fragments
A fragment is an incomplete thought, lacking
either a subject OR predicate.
*Fragments can be
beneficial when used
for dramatic purpose!
Examples:
1. The smell of death.
2. Drudging through the streets.
Yes, it’s your tourniquet… Transform these
fragments into complete thoughts.
Run-Ons
• A run-on sentence is when your sentence
continues forever and ever but you just can’t
help it so you continue on and on because it’s
the way you talk and you think that’s okay
because you inserted a comma randomly right
here, but your reader is becoming lost in the
labyrinth of words and runs out of breath like
being chased by a zombie and getting bitten
and turning undead forever.
Get the picture?
Double Tap the Double Negatives
• A double negative occurs when you word your sentence
in a way that contradicts the intended meaning.
Example:
1. I have not never been bitten by a flesh eating corpse.
2. The man didn’t do nothing to prevent his own son from
being bitten.
Now, smash these imposters and save these sentences!
Comma Usage (Part 1)
• Direct Address: When directly
addressing an individual or a group,
use commas to “trap” the specified
person(s).
Example:
1. Let’s eat Grandma.
OR
Let’s eat, Grandma.
2. Dear Mr. President,
Comma Usage (Part 1)
• When describing something with coordinating
adjectives, or adjectives in a row, place a comma
between the descriptive words.
Example:
1. The dark, mysterious room creaked with each step.
2. An unsightly, repugnant creature jumped down
from the skylight.
*Two tests to check for accuracy:
1. Place the word and between
the two adjectives.
2. Try reversing them.
Comma Usage (Part 1)
• Use a comma to separate three or more
words (or phrases) in a series.
Example:
1. I gasped for breath, picked up the pipe,
and lunged into the darkness.
2. He decided to eat, sleep, and eat some
more.
Your Tourniquet: Comma Usage (Part 1)
Place commas in the appropriate locations based on the rules
previously covered.
1. I feel like taking an extended relaxing nap to regain my strength.
2. He stumbled down the stairs broke his leg and began to cry.
3. “Will you carry me to the hospital Johnny?”
4. His crippled broken limbs were shaking bleeding and tearing at the
tendons.
5. Let’s sneak into the store find some food and get out of here
Grandpa.
Comma Usage (Part 2)
• A comma splice is similar to a run-on sentence,
consisting of two or more improperly joined
sentences. Avoid this fatal mistake!
Example:
1. Wilfred sniffed the zombie, he couldn’t sense a
heartbeat. (incorrect)
2. Wilfred sniffed the zombie, but he couldn’t
sense a heartbeat. (correct)
3. Wilfred sniffed the zombie. He couldn’t sense a
heartbeat. (correct)
*Correct this error by using a comma
and coordinating conjunction, or by
separating into separate sentences.
Comma Usage (Part 2)
• A complex sentence requires the use of a
comma, combining a dependent and
independent clause, making them rely on
each other.
Example:
1. After sprinting for hours, I stopped briefly
to catch my breath.
2. As I slowly turned my head around, a rancid
smell wafted to my bloodied nose.
3. While a zombie attack was sure to follow, I
rallied my gang of helpless hoodlums to
make a final stand.
Remember our AAAWWUBBIS
words! This is how to begin or end
your complex sentence.
- After
- Although
- As
- When
- While
- Until
- Because
- Before
- If
- Since
Your Tourniquet: Comma Usage (Part 2)
• Place commas in the appropriate locations based on the rules previously
covered. (Comma Usage Part 1 will also be incorporated!)
1. While running through the deserted streets I tripped on a putrid scattered
pile of trash.
2. Humphrey couldn’t get back on his feet he saw the gang of zombies drudging
closer and closer.
3. “Blake help me or I will soon become one of them!” he urgently begged.
4. As Humphrey watched him dash away into the woods he decided to
surrender himself to the abominable repelling life of zombies.
Brush Strokes
• A “Brush Stroke” is a stylistic approach to
enhancing your sentences through both
description and structure variation.
1. Absolute phrase
2. Appositive phrase
3. Participle phrase
4. Adjectives out-of-order
Brush Stokes
• An absolute brush stroke consists of a noun and an “-ing” verb to show action
and description.
Example:
1. Mouth foaming, wounds oozing, the zombie said, “Hello.”
Now, you try…
1. _____________, _____________, the father yelled at his son.
Brush Strokes
• An appositive phrase is a descriptive phrase placed
after a noun or pronoun, set off with commas.
Example:
1. The young boy, an innocent being, could not
respond out of fear for his life.
Now, you try…
1. The model,______, sashayed down the runway.
Brush Strokes
• A participle brush stroke consists of an “–ing” word (or an “–
ing” phrase) tagged onto the beginning, middle, or the end of a
sentence.
Example:
1. Drooling profusely, the undead corpse smiled.
2. The terrified boy, cradling in fear, closed his eyes in hope of
survival.
Now, you try…
1. _______________________, the surfer tackled the mighty
wave.
Brush Stokes
• To use adjectives out-of-order, place two or more consecutive
adjectives after a noun or pronoun, setting it off with commas.
Example:
1. The zombie, unapologetic and hungry, crept closer and
closer.
Now, you try…
1. The _______ student, ___________ and _____________, cried
on her way home from school.
Apostrophes
• Use apostrophes when combining words into contractions.
Example:
1. The grotesque creature couldn’t fight the urge to attack. (could not)
2. Don’t make a sound, or they’ll find you. (do not; they will)
• Use apostrophes when showing ownership or relationship through
possessive nouns. (Do NOT put an apostrophe to simply pluralize a word…)
Example:
1. The Zombie’s breath was overbearing.
2. Unfortunately, the girl’s foot slipped on the bloodstained floor.
Quotations Marks: Direct vs. Indirect Quotes
• A direct quote, the exact words of a person, requires quotation marks.
Example:
1. Stumbling through the woods, the terrified girl screamed, “Somebody, help me!”
2. “Hurry! Come over here,” whispered a dark figure in the night.
3. “What’s your name?” questioned the fearful girl, crouching into the thorny brush.
• An indirect quote, words paraphrased into your own words, does NOT require quotation
marks.
Example:
NOTE: Punctuation goes
1. Stumbling through the woods, the terrified girl screamed for help. inside quotation marks.
Also, use quotation marks
2. A dark figure whispered to quickly hide in the thorny brush.
around the titles of songs,
short stories, TV episodes,
and newspaper articles.
Your Tourniquet: Apostrophes and Quotation Marks
• Place proper punctuation in the appropriate locations based on the rules
previously covered. (commas, apostrophes, quotation marks, etc.)
1. Whispering quietly the boy answered my name is Gerrard.
2. The girl panicked and afraid said im Leah. Nice to meet you.
3. Sorry its under such dire circumstances Gerrard replied.
4. Noticing the bloody gash Gerrard screamed Leah youve been bitten!
Word Usage: Avoiding Potential Catastrophes
• affect (verb; to change or influence) vs. effect (noun; result)
Practice:
1. David’s gruesome death had a great _________ on his wife, Francesca. In fact,
the death _________ her sanity, driving her to madness.
• accept (verb; to receive/agree) vs. except (preposition/conjunction; other than)
Practice:
1. Everyone was able to ___________ death those days _____________ for
Francesca, who dragged David’s stiff corpse everywhere she went.
Word Usage: Avoiding Potential Catastrophes
• bring (to carry from a distant place to a closer one) vs. take (to carry from a
nearby place to a distant one)
Practice:
1. Before his death, David would often __________ her flowers home from the city
after a long week. Now, she would ___________ his corpse to the winding river
for a bath, using the flowers by the shore to mask the stench.
• its (possessive pronoun) vs. it’s (it is; it has; it was)
Practice:
1. A deer, observing the scene, shook _____ head in disbelief. After all, _____ an
unusual practice to bathe the dead, whether human or animal.
Word Usage: Avoiding Potential Catastrophes
• lose (verb; to misplace) vs. loose (adjective; not tightly attached)
Practice:
1. It was apparent that Francesca was beginning to _________ her mind,
wandering aimlessly. Tired and lost, she tied a ___________ rope around David,
propping him against an oak while she closed her eyes.
• of (preposition; indicating distance or relation) vs. have (verb; to own or possess)
Practice:
1. She should not _______ been so careless. For in the middle _______ the night,
hungry hordes of Zombies often lurked through the forest.
Word Usage: Avoiding Potential Catastrophes
• than (comparing) vs. then (indicating time)
Practice:
1. Awoken by a pungent stench, Francesca jumped to her feet, _______ searched
for a sturdy, pointed stick. Though mentally unstable, no one was quicker, more
skilled _________ Francesca when it came to one-on-one combat.
• there (location) vs. their (possession) vs. they’re (they are; they were)
Practice:
1. Surrounded by undergrowth, __________ wasn’t much room to maneuver.
Anxiously awaiting, she felt __________ presence. “___________ close,” she
thought.
Word Usage: Avoiding Potential Catastrophes
• to (preposition/infinitive) vs. too (adverb; very or also) vs. two (number)
Practice:
1. Alarmed but confident, she glanced back at the oak tree, whispering, “It’s okay.
I love you ____, David.” ______ Zombies then appeared from the shadows.
Ready _____ fight, Francesca let out a terrifying scream.
• we’re (we are) vs. were (plural past-tense verb) vs. where (location)
Practice:
1. “Calm down, lady! ____ just passing through. Gary and I didn’t know we ____
going to be attacked with a big, scary twig. By the way, _____ is that smell
coming from?” asked the undead version of Frank, searching the site.
Word Usage: Avoiding Potential Catastrophes
• who’s (who is; who has) vs. whose (possessive pronoun)
Practice:
1. “Hey, lady, ______ the dead guy?” the undead version of Gary, ______ mouth was
leaking maggots, inquired.
• your (possessive pronoun) vs. you’re (you are)
Practice
1. Francesca, speechless, dropped her stick and sobbed, “Well, what would you do if
you lost ________ one true love?”
2. Without another word, the Zombie horde decapitated Francesca. “_______
welcome,” Gary sneered, looking at David, whose face now held a crooked smile.
Integrating Evidence / Referencing Sources
• When using text-based evidence, make sure it flows smoothly, whether
paraphrasing, using a direct quote, or using a signal phrase.
• Also, make sure to reference your source, whether by source/paragraph number,
author’s name, or article title.
Examples:
1. According to Source 1, paragraph 3, many zombie attacks could have been
avoided by simply seeking shelter upon the first signs of the outbreak.
2. As zombie analyst Raheem Patel shares, “The most important way of avoiding a
potential zombie attack is to familiarize yourself with local shelters and their
entrances” (Source 1, paragraph 3).
3. In “When Zombies Attack” the author emphasizes the need to “familiarize
yourself with local shelters and their entrances” for your own safety.