1. ASManager2_6.zip Driver
2. H_SIMPLE.txt File Contents

H_SIMPLE.txt Driver File Contents (ASManager2_6.zip)

Name: <  >
Class: <  >
Date: <  >

Simplify

One of the things Thoreau learned from his time living alone at Walden Pond was to, in his own words, "simplify, simplify." It became clear to him that he could do without many things people thought were essential to life. You might be surprised by some of his conclusions! Read on . . .

For my part, I could easily do without the post-office. I think that there are very few important communications made through it. To speak critically, I never received more than one or two letters in my life . . . that were worth the postage. The penny-post is commonly an institution through which you seriously offer a man that penny for his thoughts which is so often safely offered in jest. And I am sure that I never read any memorable news in a newspaper. If we read of one man robbed, or murdered, or killed by accident, or one house burned, or one vessel wrecked, or one steamboat blown up, or one cow run over on the Western Railroad, or one mad dog killed, or one log of grasshoppers in the winter, -- we never need read of another. One is enough.

Notice that the next-to-last sentence is made up of a long list of items connected with or. Do you know where commas should go? Put them in the copy below:

Copy to Edit

If we read of one man robbed or murdered or killed by accident or one house burned or one vessel wrecked or one steamboat blown up or one cow run over on the Western Railroad or one mad dog killed or one log of grasshoppers in the winter -- we never need read of another. One is enough.


Name and save this file now. (Press ctrl+S, type a name for the file, and press enter.)

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Now scroll back and compare your work with the original.

If you put a comma before each or, then you were right.

Here's another good comma rule:

To combine two complete sentences with and, but, or or, put a comma before the combining word.

Try it yourself. Finish combining the sentences below with the word given to you. Change the punctuation and capital letters.

Sentences to Combine

1. Most of us like being alone sometime. <but> Few of us could be totally alone the way Thoreau was.

2. Thoreau liked being alone. <and> He learned a great deal from it.

3. Thoreau might have gotten lonely. <or> He might have given up his mission. <but> instead he made the most of it.


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However, don't use a comma when you drop the subject of one of the sentences you're combining.
For example:

Thoreau liked being alone and learned a great deal from it.

Compare with:

Thoreau liked being alone, and he learned a great deal from it.

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Now make up your sentences to combine. Each partner could contribute one sentence at the <  > angle brackets below. The connecting word and punctuation are given to you.

<  > , and <  >.

<  > and <  >.

<  >, but <  >.

<  >, or <  >.

<  > or <  >.


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Suppose you also believed in "simplify, simplify." Which common things used in today's world could you do without? Please finish the opening line below and write a few sentences explaining why. Two other combining words you might want to use are if and whenever. (Try to use what you learned in this lesson about commas.)

For my part, I could easily do without <  > because <  >.


If you haven't done so already, name and save this file now. (Press ctrl+S, type a name for the file, and press enter.)

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end of activity
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