1GA. Sentence Basics Grammar Activities
Dilara Avci and Jonathon Reinhardt
These activities are designed for the content in 1. Sentence Basics
⇒ 1.1.1 Subjects in a speech by Joe Biden
⇒ 1.1.2 Predicates in The Great Gatsby
⇒ 1.2 Clauses & sentences in a speech by Donald Trump
⇒ 1.3.1 Agreement in popular memes
⇒ 1.3.2 Phrases about chocolate cake
⇒ Return to 1.1 Sentences, Subjects, & Predicates
⇒ Return to 1.2. Clauses
⇒ Return to 1.3 Phrases & Agreement
⇒ Return to 1.4 Transitive & Intransitive Verbs
⇒ Return to 1.5 Linking Verbs
a. Find an example of a pop song or a poem that uses metaphors in its lyrics, for example, to describe life, love, happiness, sadness, etc. Song lyrics can be found by searching for a favorite singer, band, or song, and for poetry the Poetry Foundation collections offer a variety to choose from. What song or poem did you find? What metaphors are used in it? What lyrics illustrate them? Analyze the grammatical structure of a few lines and identify subjects, linking verbs, and predicates.
b. Write a paragraph of about 100 words telling a story, describing a dream you had, or recounting a trip you took or event you experienced. In the story, include 3-5 sentences. Include at least one simple sentence, one compound sentence, and one complex sentence. Include at least one transitive verb, one intransitive verb, and one linking verb. Identify the sentence and verb types.
⇒ Return to 1. Sentence Basics
Module authors: Jonathon Reinhardt and Dilara Avci
Last updated: 7 January 2025
This module is part of Modern English Grammar and the Power of Language, a open educational resource offered by the Clarify Initiative customized for English 406, a course at the University of Arizona. The Clarify Initiative is a privately funded project with the goal of raising critical language awareness and media literacy among students of language and throughout society.
