SpringBoard 10th grade
Activity 1.4
Language and Writer’s Craft: Syntax
Do Now
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Copy the definition of SYNTAX into your Journal
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It can be found in the margin on page 14
Turn to a partner and create a simple sentence which
follows the syntax…
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“Pronoun-verb-noun”
Ex. I drove home.
You cannot use any of the same words I did
Learning Targets
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Identify different types of phrases and use them in writing
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Revise writing to include phrases and parenthetical
expressions
Verbal
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3 types of verbals
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participles,
gerunds and
infinitives
Verbals are based on a verb, and therefore express an
action or state of being, but they are NOT used as a verb
in the sentence
Gerunds
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A gerund is a verbal that is used as a noun in a sentence
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Usually formed by adding “-ing” to a verb
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“read” can become “reading”
“Reading is fun.”- “Reading” is the subject of the sentence,
and therefore used as a noun.
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Participles
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A participle is a verbal that is used as an adjective or
adverb in a sentence
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Usually ends in –ing (present participle) or –ed (past
participle)
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The verb “burn” can become “burning”
Ex. “The burning log fell off the fire.”- “burning” is
modifying “log”, and therefore being used as an adjective.
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Infinitives
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An infinitive is a verbal that can be used as a noun,
adjective or adverb in a sentence
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It is formed by adding the word “to” before the basic
form of the verb
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The verb “run” becomes “to run”
Ex. “All of the kids wanted to run on the playground.”- “to
run” functions as the direct object, noun, in this sentence.
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Phrases
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Clarify meaning by
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adding information, or
describing the subject, the action or other nouns
CANNOT stand alone (not a sentence)
Three types
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Gerund phrase
Participial phrase
Infinitive phrase
Page 14
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Read the sentence assigned to you and your partner
Identify the phrase or phrases by highlighting
Label each one as participial, gerund or infinitive
Share- be sure to mark the sentences you did not do
Page 15
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With your partner, choose 3 of the sentences on page 14
and use them as models to write original sentences
Prepositional Phrases
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Provide critical information that helps us combine
sentences
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Ex. My son takes World Cultures. They study Italian and
Spanish.
My son studies Italian and Spanish in World Culture class.
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Appositive Phrases
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Provide critical information that helps us combine
sentences
Note how the phrase is punctuated in the sentence
Ex. My dog loves to play in the water. She is a labrador
retriever.
My dog, a labrador retriever, loves to play in the water.
Parenthetical Expressions
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Used to add voice or comments to a sentence
Unlike Appositive phrases, they do not provide critical
information
They often interrupt the flow of thought
Always separated from the rest of sentence by commas.
Ex. “The dog was getting into trouble, I imagine, when she
was outside alone.”
“I have no doubt, however, that she had fun doing it.”
P15 -16
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Read the sentences with your partner
Identify the appropriate type of phrase/expression
Label them
Using the sentences as a model, write your own
sentences underneath.
QuickWrite or Homework
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Revisit one of the pieces of writing you’ve done so far in
your folder.
Find places in your writing where you can add 2 or 3 of
the types of phrases you have learned in this lesson
Rewrite the piece and hand it in