Chapter Outline

Study the chapter outline below. Use the page numbers below each topic to refer to the corresponding section in Contemporary's GED Language Arts, Writing. When you are finished, go to the Flashcards or choose a different activity or chapter from the menu on the left.

Parts of a Sentence

(See pages 19–25)

A group of words must pass three tests in order to be called a sentence:

It must contain a subject, which tells you whom or what the sentence is about.
It must contain a predicate, which tells you what the subject is or does. The verb is the key word in the predicate.
It must express a complete thought.

Action versus Linking Verbs

(See page 26)

Two types of verbs make up all sentences:

An action verb describes the action in a sentence.
A linking verb links the subject of the sentence to words that describe or rename it.

Commands, Questions, and Here or There Statements

(See pages 27 and 28)

It can be hard to find the subject and verb in certain types of sentences.

The subject of a command is always understood to be you.
In a question, the verb comes before the subject. To find the subject and verb, rewrite the question as a statement.
In a here or there sentence, the verb also comes before the subject. Here or there is never the subject.

Rules of the Sentence

(See page 29)

There are two important rules for writing a sentence correctly:

Every sentence must start with a capital letter.
Every sentence must end with a punctuation mark (a period, question mark, or exclamation point).

Compound Subjects and Verbs

(See page 30)

A sentence can have more than one subject or more than one verb (or both at once).

Compound subject: two or more subjects joined by conjunctions such as and or or
Compound verb: two or more verbs joined by conjunctions such as and or or

Commas with Compounds

(See page 31)

Here are guidelines for using commas in a compound sentence:

DO NOT separate a subject from a predicate with a comma.
DO NOT put a comma between two parts of a compound subject or verb.
DO use a comma when a compound has three or more subjects or verbs.

Nouns

(See pages 32–37)

A noun is a word that labels a person, place, thing, or idea.
A plural noun names more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
A proper noun names a specific person, place, thing, or idea and begins with a capital letter.
A possessive noun shows ownership. An apostrophe (‘) and an -s are used to form the possessive.

Pronouns

(See pages 38–42)

Pronouns can replace nouns, making writing less repetitive.

A pronoun may be a subject (I, you, he, she, it, we, they, who) or an object (me, you, him, her, it, us, them, whom).
A possessive pronoun may stand alone (mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs, whose) or accompany a noun (my, your, his, her, its, our, their, whose).
In compounds of a noun and a pronoun, it can be hard to figure out whether to use a subject pronoun or an object pronoun. To make it easier, cross out the noun.

Contractions, Possessives, and Plurals

(See page 43)

Soundalike words, called homonyms, can cause confusion about when to use apostrophes.

Contractions use apostrophes. Possessive pronouns do not.
Possessive nouns use apostrophes. Possessive pronouns do not.
Never use an apostrophe to form a plural noun (even if it sounds like a possessive noun).

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