Lesson:1 + DT:1

    I'm going to try to keep my assignments condensed so I can have room in my portfolio for other things. (I only have a free account) If this is unacceptable, please by all means, tell me.

Lesson 1:Part One

1. Sam sent me a card from Mexico.

Subject: Sam  Verb: sent  Completer: card

2. Mr. Johnson appointed Jake as the captain of the swim team.

Subject: Mr. Johnson  Verb: appointed  Completer: Jake

3. Damaged tankers usually cause oil spills.

Sub: tankers  Verb: cause  Completer: spills

4. Fruits and vegetables are important sources of vitamins and minerals. (This sentence has a compound subject. In other words, two subjects are combined with the word "and.")

Subject(s): Fruits and vegetables  Verb: are  Completer: sources

5. Kamara is a volunteer at the Thanksgiving food pantry.

Sub: Kamara  Verb: is  Completer: volunteer

6. Sam gave me two tickets for the play.

Sub: Sam  Verb: gave  Completer: tickets

7. There is a log cabin in the clearing. (The word "there" is not the subject.)

Sub: cabin  Verb: is  Completer: log?

8. The student body elects the student council president.

Sub: body  Verb: elects  Completer: president

9. Sam has always given me a birthday present.

Sub: Sam  Verb: has  Completer: present

10. Several people drowned in the flood.

Sub: people  Verb: drowned

11. He carried the suitcases to the car.

Sub: He  Verb: carried  Completer: suitcases

12. Everyone in my house rises early except me.

Sub: Everyone  Verb: rises  Completer: early

13. The wind blew all night long.

Sub: wind  Verb: blew  Completer: all night long?

14. Here is a list of addresses of people to contact. (The word "here" is not the subject.)

Sub: list  Verb: is  Completer: addresses of people?

15. All of the performers look young.

Sub: performers  Verb: look  Completer: young

16. Both of her parents offered us a ride.

Sub: parents  Verb: offered  Completer: ride

17. The loud ringing of my alarm wakes me every morning.

Sub: alarm  Verb: wakes  Completer: every morning?

18. The telephone in the lobby rang.

Sub: telephone  Verb: rang.  Completer: NONE?

19. My beagle slept under my bed.

Sub: beagle  Verb: slept  Completer: NONE?

20. Randy promised me a milkshake.

Sub: Randy  Verb: promised  Completer: milkshake



Lesson 1: Part Two

    The only phrase I can use to describe my favorite vacation spot is "crafted by God Himself". All it consists of is a log cabin sitting neatly inside a swath of woods in northern Wisconsin. The cabin faces west at a clearing where you can watch the sunset in all of its glory. The smell of smoldering wood and the taste of fresh walleye always completed the feeling as I would intently watch the sun dip beneath the horizon. It's wholly divine.




Discussion Topic 1:

    My biggest problem in using verbs is the simple fact that I don't know enough of them. I have a preset swath of verbs that I normally use, and I tend to shy away from using different verbs in certain situations. For example, I use the word "said" numerous times on a single page in most of my writing. I feel that if I don't tell the reader that "Seth said 'Blah blah blah.' ", then they wouldn't know who said it. It really gets old for me to read that "someone 'said' this" and " 'blah, replied' someone else"

    I'm hoping this is what i'll be able to cure by the time I finish this class, as well as be able to increase my basic knowledge of verbs themselves, so that I can truly find my voice. I have a burning desire to finish my first novel (first chapter is in my portfolio, btw), but I just don't feel that I have the know-how to make it something I would want to read. It's really frustrating.