![]() In honor of Thanksgiving, I'm pleased to share seven words for thank you letters, gratitude journals, application essays, or lifting spirits. #1: THANKFUL #2: THANK YOU #3: GRATEFUL #4: APPRECIATIVE #5: GRATITUDE #6: HEARTFELT #7: SINCERE These are tumultuous times, but it helps to remind ourselves that we have much to be thankful for. I'm intensely grateful for my health, family, friends, dog, neighbors, students, and ability to walk, read, write, and virtually connect with readers of my posts on A Spoonful of Grammar and Writers' Rumpus. Please accept my sincerest wishes for your continued safety and good health.
Laura Fineberg Cooper
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![]() What's the difference between PHRASES and CLAUSES? Clauses contain both subjects and verbs, while phrases contain one or the other. In this spoonful, we'll join forces to turn five phrases into sparkling sentences: I'll write two different sentences for each and leave room for you to add your own. Have fun with this and share if you dare! PHRASE #1: MY COMFORTABLE CHAIR **Everyone fights to sit in my comfortable chair, even my boxer Honey. **My comfortable chair is starting to fray, but it's my favorite place to read. ** (Your turn) PHRASE #2: A HUNGRY CAT **A hungry cat meows outside my door, rain or shine. **A hungry cat pounced atop a field mouse and slurped it down. Yuck! ** (Your turn) PHRASE #3: MY FAVORITE COOKIES **My favorite cookies are snickerdoodles with fresh cinnamon. **Actually, my favorite cookies are whichever ones you want to bake for me! ** (Your turn) PHRASE #4: THAT CRAZY SQUIRREL **That crazy squirrel uses our patio furniture as an obstacle course. **Every day, that crazy squirrel tries to vault from the Viburnum bush to the bay window to the bird feeder, adjusting its trajectory with each new attempt. ** (Your turn) PHRASE #5: TURNS IN CIRCLES AND DANCES ** My boxer Honey turns in circles and dances whenever she wants to get my attention. **Maribelle raises her arms, turns in circles, and dances her heart out. ** (Your turn) I hope you enjoyed this latest Spoonful of Grammar and wish you a happy and healthy week ahead. Sincerely, Laura Fineberg Cooper ![]() An independent clause is a complete sentence, while a dependent clause can't stand alone and must lean on an independent clause for support. Stay tuned as I add dependent clauses to independent clauses to magically create descriptive sentences! EXAMPLE #1: DEPENDENT CLAUSE = when I walked the dog yesterday "I" is the subject and "walked" is the verb, but we don't know what happened! If I answer that, the transformation to a complete sentence will be complete. INDEPENDENT CLAUSE = I almost stepped on a ribbon snake! That really happened, much to my shock and dismay! The magic happens when you connect them: When I walked the dog yesterday, I almost stepped on a ribbon snake! EXAMPLE #2: DEPENDENT CLAUSE = after Joanna opened the letter "Joanna" is the subject and "opened" is the verb. But we don't know what happened! And I don't know about you, but I want to know more about the letter itself, too. INDEPENDENT CLAUSE = She danced for joy. That's wonderful. But why? The dependent clause, with added detail, will fill in the blanks. Abra-Cadabra!! After Joanna opened the acceptance letter from her number one college choice, she danced for joy. Best of luck to all the college applicants out there, as well as to all students currently grappling with remote and hybrid learning. If you have any grammar, punctuation, or vocabulary questions, please feel free to ask. Your question could spark a new spoonful! Take care, Laura Fineberg Cooper A Spoonful of Grammar |
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