Writing Complete Sentences

A clause is a group of words with a subject and verb unit.

Example: Girabaldi’s soldiers wore red shirts.

A dependent/subordinate clause is a group of words with a subject and verb unit and that begins with a subordinator (e.g., because, since, although…)

Example: Because Girabaldi’s soldiers wore red shirts.

An independent clause is a group of words with a subject and verb unit but does not begin with a subordinator.

Examples:

Girabaldi’s soldiers wore red shirts.

Many Jews were persecuted in Russia.

A COMPLETE SENTENCE is a group of words that has at least one independent clause.

Examples:

The red shirt is a symbol of Italian nationalism because Girabaldi’s soldiers wore red shirts when they fought for Italy.

Many Jews were persecuted in Russia so they fled to the US in search of a better life and freedom.

Girabaldi’s soldiers wore red shirts and they fought for Italy.

Anarchists believed in having no system of government.

Directions

The following sentences were taken from your responses to Quiz #3. Identify the following as complete (C) or incomplete (I) sentences.

Why is a "red shirt" a symbol of Italian nationalism?

1. _____ because Girabaldi's army worked hard and was strong.

2. _____ red is one of the popular colors of Italy

3. _____ Girabaldi’s soldiers wore red colored shirts when they fought for Italy.

4. _____ a nice looking color

5. _____ because it was around the war.


What did anarchists believe in?

6. _____ believed in no government and no one to rule over anyone

7. _____ Anarchists believed in having no system of government.


Why did many Jews leave Russia as refugees to the USA? (What horrors were they leaving behind and why did they choose the USA?)

8. _____ to get a better life.

9. _____ Jews left Russia to escape pograms and believed that the US would offer them a better life with more freedom.

10. _____ so they could be free in the USA start over and be treated better than they were treated in Russia.