Conventions for the Undead

Conventions for the UndeadAvoiding 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

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.*FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so

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.

Examples: 1. The smell of death.2. Drudging through the streets.

Yes, it’s your tourniquet… Transform these fragments into complete thoughts.

*Fragments can be beneficial when used for dramatic purpose!

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.

ORLet’s eat, Grandma.

2. Dear Mr. President,


• 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.


• 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.


• 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.


• 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 phrase2. Appositive phrase3. Participle phrase4. 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…2. _____________, _____________, 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…2. 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…3. _______________________, 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…2. 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: 1. Stumbling through the woods, the terrified girl screamed for help.2. A dark figure whispered to quickly hide in the thorny brush.

NOTE: Punctuation goes inside quotation marks. Also, use quotation marks 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.


• 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.


• 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.


• 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.


• 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.


• 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)Practice1. 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.

Documents

Conventions for the Undead