Curriculum Overview: Sentence Structure and Boundaries

This curriculum focuses on the "Rules" of Standard English Conventions, specifically addressing how to construct grammatically sound sentences and manage the boundaries between clauses. Mastery of these concepts is essential for high performance on the Digital SAT Writing and Language sections.

## Prerequisites

Before beginning this curriculum, students should have a foundational grasp of the following:

• Parts of Speech: Ability to identify nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.
• Subject-Verb Identification: Recognizing the primary actor (subject) and the action (verb) in a simple sentence.
• Basic Punctuation: Understanding the standard use of periods and question marks for terminal punctuation.
• Conceptual Completeness: A sense of when a thought feels "finished" versus "fragmented."

## Module Breakdown

## Visual Anchors

The Clause Decision Tree

Punctuation "Weights"

## Learning Objectives per Module

Module 1: Clause Identification

• Objective: Identify independent clauses as thoughts that can stand alone.
• Real-world Example: "The sun set." (Complete) vs. "When the sun set." (Dependent/Fragment).

Module 2 & 3: Boundary Punctuation & Corrections

• Objective: Apply proper punctuation to separate independent clauses without creating a comma splice.
• The Rule Box:

[!IMPORTANT] Two independent clauses (I, I) can be joined by:

1. Period: $I. I.$
2. Semicolon: $I; I.$
3. Comma + FANBOYS: $I, [and/but/so] I.$
4. Colon: $I: I$ (where the second explains the first).

Module 4: Connecting Dependent Clauses

• Objective: Join an independent clause and a dependent clause (D, I or I D) using only a comma or no punctuation.
• Example: "Because it rained, we stayed inside." (Comma needed) vs. "We stayed inside because it rained." (No comma needed).

Module 5: Transitions & Titles

• Objective: Correctly place terminal punctuation around words like however and therefore.
• Constraint: Titles and labels (e.g., Architect Frank Lloyd Wright) function as adjectives and must never be separated from the noun by a comma.

## Success Metrics

To demonstrate mastery of this curriculum, students must meet the following benchmarks:

1. Zero Splice Error Rate: 100% accuracy in identifying and correcting comma splices in practice sets.
2. Structural Diagnosis: Successfully identify the subject and main verb in complex sentences where the two are separated by prepositional phrases.
3. Efficiency: Average under 35 seconds per "Rules" question on timed practice modules.
4. Application: Correctly conjugate verbs and match pronouns to antecedents even when "distractor" phrases are present.

## Real-World Application

While this curriculum is tailored for the SAT, these skills are the bedrock of professional communication:

• Academic Writing: Eliminating fragments and run-ons is the first step toward clear, college-level essays.
• Professionalism: In the workplace, comma splices in emails or reports can undermine a writer's perceived authority and clarity.
• Legal & Technical Precision: Proper placement of boundaries ensures that complex instructions or legal terms are not misinterpreted due to ambiguous punctuation.

[!TIP] Remember the FANBOYS acronym: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So. These are your only options for joining two sentences with a comma!