Basic Grammar for All Writers by Bev Rempel

! Grammar%for%All%Writers% Four%Part%Grammar%Course% Level%2%Vid8Ebook% ! I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII.

Introduction!to!Instructor!Corinne!Plett! Video!Page! Lesson!I! a. Presentation!Slides! b. Student!Practice!Pages! Lesson!II! a. Presentation!Slides! b. Student!Practice!Pages! Lesson!II! a. Presentation!Slides! b. Student!Practice!Pages! Lesson!III! a. Presentation!Slides! b. Student!Practice!Pages! Lesson!IV! a. Presentation!Slides! b. Student!Practice!Pages!

! ! ! Presented!by:! Excellent%Resources%for%Excellence%in%Writing% Websterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s%Academy%for%Excellence%in%Writing% 2440!Huckleberry!Road! Mill!Bay,!British!Columbia!V0R!2P4! Toll%Free:%18877882587414% ! http://www.excellentresources.net! http://www.webstersacademy.com! !

Meet

Corinne Ple , Winnipeg, Manitoba Webster’s Academy Instructor Living out in the country just north of Winnipeg, MB, I am a homeschooling mom with 4 children, the occasional bear, a possible rabbit (our daughter is prac cing caring for one with her stu!ed bunnies), and a herd of deer, which enjoy a daily migratory path right through our yard. We love our life here in the country and the adventures that are part of it! During the summer, we run a week-long day camp on our property. Several of the campers are kids from Africa that are new to Canada. Most come from war-torn countries or refugee camps, so they are thrilled to get out into the country and play hard for a week. One of my passions is schooling my children at home. It has been 11 years now, and we would never trade it! While covering all the basics of math, science, and language arts, we also focus on art, music, sports, history, logic, and La n. Perhaps it is rather “nerdy,” but I actually love La n – the conjuga ng and declining, the explora on of the English language that comes from studying La n. Communica on is another realm we give signi3cant focus to – spoken communica on, primarily through public speaking, and wri4en communica on, centrally through working with the Excellence in Wri ng program. And when not o5cially homeschooling, I love to mountain bike, x-country ski, walk, read, and play badminton with a local club. I am deeply grateful for the rich and signi3cant rela onships in my life, and seek to nurture those in meaningful ways. Studying at Regent College on the UBC campus, I am closing in on a graduate degree in applied theology. Coaching, teaching, and mentoring are all areas I enjoy, and guiding students in the wri ng process brings together my passion for communica on with my enjoyment of teaching.

by Corinne Plett

LEVEL TWO

GRAMMAR FOR WRITING

We’ll make silly errors in our writing if our punctuation and grammar are not correct.

It helps us write sentences that make sense so others can know what our ideas are and what is in our imagination.

Knowing grammar frees our creativity.

Knowing the rules for writing will help make us confident in getting our ideas down and in communicating those in the best writing we can.

Why grammar?

My interests include: singing, walking, cooking dogs, and vacationing in Europe.

Grammar Saves Lives!!!

Let’s eat Grandma.

Idea (something you can name but can’t see or touch;; something you can only think about) – holiday, happiness, accident, surprise, courage, purpose

Thing – toy, puppy, computer, blanket, rock

Place – kitchen, backyard, campground, museum, office, store

Person – mom, cousin, window washer, biker, doctor

A noun is the name of a person, place, thing, or idea.

NOUN:

Central Park The Last Battle Fido

mountain street ocean

park book puppy

A common noun names general people, places, or things. Because they do not name any one person, place, or thing, they are not capitalized.

Common Noun:

Mount Everest Green Street The Pacific Ocean

A proper noun names specific people, places, or things. They are names and must be capitalized.

Proper Noun:

Jane’s cousins came to Jane’s house, and Jane’s cousins played with the puppy. Jane’s cousins came to _____ house, and _____ played with the puppy.

Jane was surprised that the puppy ate Jane’s slipper. Jane was surprised that the puppy ate _____ slipper.

The puppy slept most of the time because the puppy was so young. The puppy slept most of the time because _____ was so young.

Jane was excited because Jane got a puppy. Jane was excited because _____ got a puppy.

A pronoun is a little word used to replace a noun.

PRONOUNS:

Writing is fun. The puppies are fluffy. I am a hero. Jason was exhausted. The fans were thrilled.

Being â&#x20AC;&#x201C; am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been

Actions â&#x20AC;&#x201C; swim, cough, skip, laugh, eat, play, turn, look, sit, ride

A verb does an action, shows a state of being, links two words together, or can help another verb.

VERB:

Jed scored the winning goal. ___________

The gorillas were restless. ___________

My favorite season is autumn. ___________

The breeder raised puppies. ___________

VERB: ACTION or BEING?

Jesse is a painter. ____________

Jeremy’s puppies are adorable. ____________

Jed will be swimming in the competition. ____________

Jane’s pet gorilla is finishing its lunch. ____________

This night is cold. ___________

VERB: LINKING or HELPING?

Nouns& &

A&noun&is&the&name&of&a&person,&place,&thing,&or&idea.& ! Look$for$the$underlined$noun$in$each$sentence.$$On$the$line,$write$if$the$ noun$is$a$person,$place,$thing,$or$idea.$ ! 1.!The!museum!is!closed!on!Sunday.__________________________! 2.!The!car!was!parked!in!front!of!the!house.!__________________________! 3.!She!was!trying!to!catch!the!ball.!______________________________! 4.!I!could!not!see!the!boy!in!the!crowd.!________________________________! 5.!Chips!are!my!favorite!snack.!_________________________________! 6.!Happiness!is!reading!a!good!book.!________________________________! 7.!I!checked!out!two!books!from!the!library.!______________________________! 8.!My!teacher!is!very!nice!to!the!class.!_________________________________! 9.!We!watched!the!last!leaf!fall.!___________________________________! 10.!We!can!gain!wisdom!by!listening!to!wise!people___________________________! 11.!He!left!his!backpack!at!the!school.!__________________________________! 12.!The!doctor!gave!me!a!shot.!_________________________________!

Common&and&Proper&Nouns& &

Write$the$name$of$a$proper$noun$beside$each$of$the$common$nouns$below.$$ Remember$that$a$proper$noun$always$begins$with$a$capital$letter.$ ! restaurant! ! ! park! ! ! girl! ! ! teacher! ! ! truck!! ! ! school! ! ! store! ! ! movie! ! ! boy! ! ! dog! ! ! river! !

Boston!Pizza!

cartoon! ,

Pronouns!, !

This!paragraph!is!written!without!pronouns:! !

A&Day&at&the&Park& Sammy!went!to!the!park!with!Sammy’s!mother!and!Sammy’s!father.! Sammy!and!Sammy’s!mother!and!Sammy’s!father!ran!on!the!lawn.!Then! Sammy’s!father!pushed!Sammy!on!the!swings!while!Sammy’s!mother! smiled!and!watched.!Then!Sammy’s!mother!spread!out!a!blanket!on!the! lawn!and!read!a!book!while!Sammy!and!Sammy’s!father!played!catch!with!a! ball.!Sammy!threw!the!ball!too!hard,!and!Sammy’s!father!had!to!chase!after! the!ball.!Sammy!did!some!somersaults,!rolling!forward!on!Sammy’s!head! and!kicking!Sammy’s!feet!up!over!Sammy’s!head.!Sammy!giggled!and!lay!on! the!grass!until!Sammy’s!dad!came!back.!Sammy,!Sammy’s!mother,!and! Sammy’s!father!ate!sandwiches!together!before!Sammy,!Sammy’s!mother,! and!Sammy’s!father!went!back!home.!

! !

ReEwrite$the$paragraph$by$filling$in$the$blanks$with$pronouns$taking$the$ place$of$the$noun$left$out:$$ ! !

Sammy!went!to!the!park!with!_________________!mother!and! ________________!father.!________________!ran!on!the!lawn.!Then! ______________!father!pushed!_____________!on!the!swings!while! __________________!mother!smiled!and!watched.!Then!___________! spread!out!a!blanket!on!the!lawn!and!read!a!book!while!Sammy!and! ______________!father!played!catch!with!a!ball.!Sammy!threw!________! too!hard,!and!____________!father!had!to!chase!after!__________.!Sammy! did!some!somersaults,!rolling!forward!on!______________!head!and! kicking!________________feet!up!over!________________!head.!!!! _____________!giggled!and!lay!on!the!grass!until!_____________!dad! came!back.!All!three!of!____________!ate,sandwiches,together,before, ___________________,went,back,home.!

! ! !

Verbs& ! A&verb&does&an&action,&shows&a&state&of&being,&links&two&words&together,& or&can&help&another&verb.& Look$at$the$underlined$verb$in$each$sentence.$$Write$“action”$or$“being”$ above$each$verb$to$show$what$kind$of$verb$it$is.$ ! ! !

! !

!!!!!

1. She!rode!her!bike!to!school.! 2. They!were!happy!to!be!on!bikes.! ! ! 3. He!was!extremely!tired.! ! ! 4. He!flew!through!the!air.! ! ! 5. Jane!camped!in!her!backyard.! ! ! 6. Jed!is!unusually!quiet!today.! ! ! 7. We!are!on!our!way!to!the!airport.! ! ! 8. After!scoring!the!goal,!he!raised!his!stick!in!the!air.! ! ! 9. Jane’s!puppy!jumped!through!the!hoop.! ! ! 10. Skiing!is!Jed’s!favorite!sport.! !

Verbs& ANSWER!KEY!

! Look$at$the$underlined$verb$in$each$sentence.$$Write$“action”$or$“being”$ above$each$verb$to$show$what$kind$of$verb$it$is.$ ! !

!!!!!!!ACTION!

1. She!rode!her!bike!to!school.! !!!!!!!!!!BEING! 2. They!were!happy!to!be!on!bikes.! ! !!!!BEING! 3. He!was!extremely!tired.! ! !!!!!ACTION! 4. He!flew!through!the!air.! ! !!!!!!!!!!!ACTION! 5. Jane!camped!in!her!backyard.! ! !!!!BEING! 6. Jed!is!unusually!quiet!today.! ! !!!!BEING! 7. We!are!on!our!way!to!the!airport.! ! !!!!!!!!!!!ACTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!ACTION! 8. After!scoring!the!goal,!he!raised!his!stick!in!the!air.! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!ACTION! 9. Jane’s!puppy!jumped!through!the!hoop.! ! !!!!!!!!!BEING! 10. Skiing!is!Jed’s!favorite!sport.!

Verbs& &

A&verb&does&an&action,&shows&a&state&of&being,&links&two&words&together,& or&can&help&another&verb.& ! Underline$the$verb$in$each$sentence.$$Label$it$on$the$line$as$either$action$or$ linking.$ 1. Lauren!checked!the!clock!every!few!minutes.!! _______________________!!! 2. The!clothes!in!this!pile!are!clean.!!!_________________________________!! 3. The!eclipse!covered!the!town!in!complete!darkness.!!__________________!! 4. The!big!computer!is!very!fast.!!! ___________________________________!! 5. The!orange!block!is!at!the!bottom!of!the!stack.!!______________________!! 6. I!was!late!for!work!today.!!!_______________________________________!! 7. She!attaches!labels!to!the!boxes.!!!_________________________________!! 8. The!strong!winds!blew!down!the!old!tree.!!!__________________________!! 9. The!cat!jumped!because!of!the!sudden!noise.!!!_______________________!! 10. This!door!is!very!creaky.!!!________________________________________!! 11. This!computer!is!not!compatible!with!my!software.!!!__________________!! 12. The!dispenser!ran!out!of!napkins.!!! ________________________________!!

Verbs& &

A&verb&does&an&action,&shows&a&state&of&being,&links&two&words&together,& or&can&help&another&verb.& ! Circle$the$verb$in$each$sentence.$$Label$it$on$the$line$as$either$action$or$ linking.$ Underline$the$verb$phrase$in$each$sentence.$ ! 1.

The!dishes!have!been!washed.!

You!can!buy!a!hamburger!with!a!dollar.!

The!bicycle!was!held!to!the!rack!with!a!chain.!

Daniel!had!to!run!in!order!to!catch!his!bus.!

These!jeans!do!not!fit!me!anymore.!

The!school!bus!is!coming!soon.!

The!three!children!are!playing!in!the!park.!

You!can!find!extra!towels!in!the!closet.!

Mrs.!Gardner!is!going!to!take!all!of!us!to!the!zoo.!

10.

Our!dryer!is!making!a!banging!sound.!

11.

Our!class!is!going!to!the!museum!this!week.!

12.

The!dispenser!has!run!out!of!soap.!

! !

Verbs& ANSWER!KEY!

The!dishes!have!been!washed.!

You!can!buy!a!hamburger!with!a!dollar.!

The!bicycle!was!held!to!the!rack!with!a!chain.!

Daniel!had!to!run!in!order!to!catch!his!bus.!

These!jeans!do!not!fit!me!anymore.!

The!school!bus!is!coming!soon.!

The!three!children!are!playing!in!the!park.!

You!can!find!extra!towels!in!the!closet.!

Mrs.!Gardner!is!going!to!take!all!of!us!to!the!zoo.!

10.

Our!dryer!is!making!a!banging!sound.!

11.

Our!class!is!going!to!the!museum!this!week.!

12.

The!dispenser!has!run!out!of!soap.!

Verbs& &

A&verb&does&an&action,&shows&a&state&of&being,&links&two&words&together,& or&can&help&another&verb.& Underline$the$verb$in$each$sentence.$$Label$it$on$the$line$as$past,$present,$or$ future$tense.

After!school!I!printed!out!my!term!paper.!!!__________________!!

Olivia!spins!around!on!the!chair!until!she!becomes!dizzy.!!!______!!

I!cleaned!off!my!desk!before!doing!my!homework!today.!!!______!!

My!grandmother!cooked!dinner!tonight.!!!___________________!!

Benjamin!will!empty!the!trash!in!the!kitchen!for!you.!!!_________!!

Abigail!pays!the!bills!as!soon!as!they!arrive!in!the!mail.!!! _______!!

Anna!wrote!software!for!a!living.!!!_________________________!!

I!sometimes!go!to!Ethanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s!house!after!school.!!! ______________!!

Jenna!typed!the!entire!program!into!the!computer.!!!__________!!

10.

The!weather!will!be!very!hot!today.!!_______________________!!

11.

Austin!made!car!payments!once!a!month.!!__________________!!

12.

I!will!brush!my!teeth!after!dinner!tonight.!!!__________________!!

13.

I!take!several!classes!at!the!University.!!! ____________________!!

14.

She,finishes,her,homework,before,chatting,on,the,Internet.,, ________________________________________________________________________,

by Corinne Plett

LEVEL TWO

GRAMMAR FOR WRITING

These DO express a complete thought: Fernie is a great place to mountain bike. Awesome trails weave up and down the sides of the mountains.

Fernie. Is a great place to mountain bike. Awesome trails. Weave up and down the sides of the mountains.

These do NOT express a complete thought:

A sentence is a group of words that expresses a complete thought.

SENTENCE:

The little boy played the cello. Stuart Little rode a motorcycle. Reading is fun.

Simple Subject â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The main word or words in a sentence that tell who or what is doing or being something is called the simple subject.

Simple Subject and Simple Predicate:

If the subject of the sentence is plural, the verb must also be plural.

If the subject of a sentence is singular, the verb must also be singular.

Start by locating the simple subject â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the verb must agree with that, as opposed to agreeing with a word in a phrase in the subject.

The verb needs to agree with the subject of the sentence in person and number.

Subject/Verb Agreement:

Does Jed like biking? Is Jane’s new puppy fluffy?

ends with a question mark.

Question (interrogative) – A question asks something. A question

Jed likes biking. Jane’s new puppy is fluffy.

states something. Statements end with a period.

Statement (declarative) – A statement gives information. It just

Four Types of Sentences:

! Subjects)&)Predicates)

! Choose&a&subject&from&the&list&below&to&complete&each&sentence.& ! ! !

A!big!spider!!!!!!!!!

!buzzing!bee!!!!!!!!!

My!notebook!

A!gray!dolphin!!!!!!!!!

My!mother!!!!!!!!!

My!closet!

The!houseplant!!!!!!!!! The!eye!doctor!!!!!!!!! The!space!alien! ! ! ! 1.!________________________________!looked!for!nectar!in!the!flower.! ! ! 2.!________________________________!has!lots!of!clothes!in!it.! ! ! 3.!________________________________!checked!my!vision.! ! ! 4.!________________________________!needs!soil,!water,!and!sunlight.! ! ! 5.!________________________________!landed!the!UFO.! ! ! 6.!________________________________!jumped!in!the!sea.! ! ! 7.!________________________________!was!upset!because!I!broke!her!favorite!vase.! ! ! 8.!________________________________!is!filled!with!stories!that!I!wrote.! ! ! 9.!________________________________!spun!a!web!in!the!doorway.! ) ) )

! Subjects)&)Predicates) ) Choose&a&predicate&from&the&list&below&to&complete&each&sentence.& ! watered!her!flowers.!!!!!!!!! barked!all!night!long.!!!!!!!! !drove!me!to!school.! ! blew!in!the!wind.!!!!!!!!!! ate!crickets.!!!!!!!!! ! cut!the!boy's!hair.! ! fixed!the!sink.!!!!!!!!! ! slept!in!her!crib.!!!!!!!!! ! flew!the!airplane.! ! 1.!The!gardener!____________________________________________.! ! ! 2.!The!pilot!____________________________________________.! ! ! 3.!The!little!puppy!____________________________________________.! ! ! 4.!The!barber!____________________________________________.! ! ! 5.!James'!baby!sister!____________________________________________.! ! ! 6.!The!flag!____________________________________________.! ! ! 7.!The!lizard!____________________________________________.! ! ! 8.!The!plumber!____________________________________________.! ! ! 9.!The!bus!driver!____________________________________________.! ! !

) Subject)&)Predicate) Simple)Subject)&)Simple)Predicate) !

Separate&the&subject&from&the&predicate&with&a&line.& Then&underline&the&simple&subject&with&one&line&and&underline&the&simple& predicate&with&two&lines.& ! !

1.!My!best!friend!in!the!whole!world!is!in!the!city.! ! 2.!Three!beautiful!little!kittens!looked!up!at!me!from!inside!a!box!of!old! clothes.! ! 3.!At!the!stroke!of!midnight,!the!carriage!turned!into!a!huge!orange! pumpkin.! ! 4.!A!really!friendly!old!man!with!long!white!whiskers!lives!in!the!apartment! above!my!auntâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s!and!uncleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s!apartment.! ! 5.!Several!of!her!favorite!romantic!love!songs!were!on!the!radio!that! afternoon!in!the!park.! ! 6.!Cool,!deep,!dark!blue!water!flowed!through!the!rough!limestone!rocks!in! the!gorge.! ! 7.!OneZhundred!fiftyZfive!dollars!is!certainly!a!lot!of!money!for!a!young! person!living!with!his!or!her!parents.! ! 8.!The!large!red!book!sitting!on!the!hall!table!was!a!dictionary!published!by! an!encyclopedia!company!in!the!United!States.! ! 9.!The!three!girls!carried!back!packs!filled!with!books,!food,!candy,!clothes,! makeZup,!pens,!paper,!hairbrushes,!and!other!assorted!items.! ! 10.!I!remember!the!actor!with!the!sparkling!blue!eyes.!

) Subject/Verb)Agreement) Underline&the&subject,&then&select&the&correct&verb&for&each&sentence&and& write&it&on&the&line.& 1.!(Was,!Were)!you!ever!in!England?!!!!____________________________! 2.!Each!of!the!beagles!(has,!have)!his!own!doghouse.! __________________________________! 3.!They!(was,!were)!lost!on!the!mountain!all!night.! _________________________________! 4.!Two!squirrels!(has,!have)!been!sitting!on!the!telephone!wire!all!morning.! __________________! 5.!A!favorite!game!of!Scottish!people!(are,!is)!curling.! ___________________________________! 6.!(Doesn't,!Don't)!the!Mississippi!River!rise!in!Wisconsin?! __________________________________! 7.!Organizations!like!CARE!and!MEDICO!(increase,!increases)!understanding!among!! nations.!__________________________________! 8.!In!the!pond!(was,!were)!two!bullfrogs!sitting!on!lily!pads.! ___________________________________! 9.!George!and!Ray!(was,!were)!swimming!in!the!Red!River!yesterday.! _______________________! 10.!Mr.!Warrens's!pictures!of!his!safari!into!deepest!Africa!(make,!makes)!his!lecture!! more!interesting.!___________________________________! 11.!The!royal!poinciana!tree!(doesn't,!don't)!bloom!until!late!in!May.! __________________________!

! Subject/Verb)Agreement) ANSWER!KEY!

Underline&the&subject,&then&select&the&correct&verb&for&each&sentence,&and& write&in&on&the&line.& 1.!(Was,!Were)!you!ever!in!England?!!!Were! 2.!Each!of!the!beagles!(has,!have)!his!own!doghouse.!!!!has! 3.!They!(was,!were)!lost!on!the!mountain!all!night.!!!!were! 4.!Two!squirrels!(has,!have)!been!sitting!on!the!telephone!wire!all!morning.!!!have! 5.!A!favorite!game!of!Scottish!people!(are,!is)!curling.!!!!is! 6.!(Doesn't,!Don't)!the!Mississippi!River!rise!in!Wisconsin?!!!Doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t! 7.!Organizations!like!CARE!and!MEDICO!(increase,!increases)!understanding!among!! nations.!!!!increase! 8.!In!the!pond!(was,!were)!two!bullfrogs!sitting!on!lily!pads.!!!!were! 9.!George!and!Ray!(was,!were)!swimming!in!the!Red!River!yesterday.!!!!were! 10.!Mr.!Warrens's!pictures!of!his!safari!into!deepest!Africa!(make,!makes)!his!lecture!! more!interesting.!!!!!make! 11.!The!royal!poinciana!tree!(doesn't,!don't)!bloom!until!late!in!May.!!!!doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t! 12.!The!shrill!toots!of!the!tugboat!(was,!were)!each!punctuated!by!a!white!plume.!!!were! 13.!Sleeping!on!Julie's!new!bedspread!(was,!were)!Charcoal's!three!black!kittens.!!!was! 14.!We!(was,!were)!too!late!to!enter!the!fishing!derby.!!!were! 15.!Neither!the!camel!nor!the!giraffe!(eat,!eats)!meat.!!!!eats!

! Types)of)Sentences)

! Sentences)begin)with)a)capital.!!Capitalize&the&first&word&in&each&sentence.& Place&the&correct&punctuation&at&the&end&of&each&sentence.&&& Identify&each&sentence&as&a&statement,&question,&command,&or&exclamation.& ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

1. chocolate!can!be!deadly!to!some!small!animals! ! ___________________________! 2. i!canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t!believe!how!slow!this!computer!is! ! ___________________________!

3. when!are!you!coming!back!from!vacation! ! ___________________________!

4. pass!the!butter! ! ! ! ! __________________________!

5. was!that!the!alarm!that!I!heard!just!now! ! ___________________________!

6. how!many!miles!to!the!gallon!does!your!car!get! ! ___________________________! 7. the!toy!store!is!in!the!third!building!on!your!left! ! ___________________________! 8. i!am!shocked!! ! ! ! ! ! ___________________________!

a. i!feel!terrible!! ! ! ! ! ! ___________________________!

by Corinne Plett

LEVEL TWO

GRAMMAR FOR WRITING

The forests of northern Canada. (Do what or are what?) The mountain biker racing down the hill. (Does what?)

If a sentence fragment does not tell what the subject is doing, it is the verb that is missing.

Drives around the race track. (Who?) Was tumbling down the hill. (Who or what?)

If a sentence fragment does not tell who or what is doing the action, it is the subject that is missing.

A piece of a sentence is called a fragment.

FRAGMENTS:

If a sentence starts with a prepositional phrase, always put a comma after it.

aboard the boat in addition to telling the truth may have skipped during the spring would have run after dinner running in the rain

Phrases, if used alone, are always fragments.

Phrases are groups of words that work together in the sentence, but are missing the subject, predicate, or both.

PHRASES :

with, within, without

throughout, to, toward, under, underneath, until, up, upon,

inside, into, like, near, of, off, on, over, past, since, through,

between, beyond, by, down, during, except, for, from, in,

around, at, before, behind, below, beneath, beside,

aboard, about, above, across, after, against, along, among,

PREPOSITIONS:

If a sentence starts with a clause, always put a comma after it.

down the street (Phrase)

When you have arrived at the zoo, (DC) This coffee smells great in the morning. (IC) After they had their morning coffee, (DC) Jane greeted the new student warmly. (IC)

Clauses do contain a subject and a verb (verb phrase). They may express a complete thought (independent clause) or may not express a complete thought (dependent clause).

CLAUSES:

The puppy tugged playfully, she wanted to chew on the sock. The puppy tugged playfully, _______ she wanted to chew on the sock.

sentences each beginning with a capital and ending with a period. - Leave the comma and add in a joining word like “but”, “and”, or “yet”.

- Put a period after the first sentence and create two separate

To fix a comma splice:

A comma splice is when we write two complete thoughts (two sentences) and join them with only a comma.

COMMA SPLICE:

A great cheer when up from the crowd, he fumbled the ball. _______________

The ball was in his hands, he pulled it to his chest. ______________

Everyone on the bench scattered out of the way. ______________

The player crashed into the bench as he jumped for the ball. ______________

Slipping with every step. _____________

With snow covering the field. _____________

! SENTENCES!AND!SENTENCE!FRAGMENTS! ! A!sentence!is!a!group!of!words!that!expresses!a!complete!thought.!!The!sentence! needs!a!subject!and!a!predicate.!!A!piece!of!a!sentence!is!called!a!fragment.!!If!a! sentence!fragment!does!not!tell!who!or!what!is!doing!the!action,!it!is!the!subject!that! is!missing.!!If!a!sentence!fragment!does!not!tell!what!the!subject!is!doing,!it!is!the!verb! that!is!missing.! ! â&#x20AC;˘ For$each$of$the$following,$write$S$on$the$line$if$it$is$a$complete$sentence.$$ â&#x20AC;˘ Write"F$if$it$is$a$sentence$fragment.$ !

! !

1. _______!Long,!long!ago,!in!a!faraway!land.! 2. _______!There!lived!a!princess!named!Gretchen.! ! 3. _______!The!most!beautiful!girl!in!the!land.! ! 4. _______!She!was!still!very!unhappy.! ! 5. _______!Her!21st!birthday!was!approaching.! ! 6. _______!Her!twin!brother,!Prince!Reginald,!would!become!king.! ! 7. _______!She!would!have!to!marry!King!Jomen!of!Far!Land.! ! 8. _______!A!very!cruel!and!unkind!man.! ! 9. _______!She!decided!to!run!away!and!formed!an!excellent!plan.! ! 10. _______!The!plan!required!the!help!of!her!friends,!Grumpy!and!Happy.! ! 11. _______!They!were!eager!to!help,!as!they!did!not!like!the!idea!of!their!friend! being!unhappy!for!the!rest!of!her!life.! 12. _______!She!disguised!herself!as!a!maid!and!left!the!palace.! 13. _______!Unfortunately,!her!brother!saw!her!and!thought!she!was!being! kidnapped.! ! 14. _______!Set!out!to!rescue!her.! !

Comma!Splice! A!comma!splice!is!when!we!write!two!complete!thoughts!(two!sentences)! and!join!them!with!only!a!comma.! To"fix"a"comma"splice"in"each"of"these"sentences,"leave"the"comma"and" add"in"a"joining"word"like"“but”,"“and”,"or"“yet”." 1.!The!books!are!on!the!table!near!the!window,!_________!I!don't!know!where!the! papers!are.!! 2.!The!cat!drank!her!milk!noisily,!__________!the!dog!just!gulped!down!his!raw!meat.!! 3.!She!made!that!dress!from!a!pattern,!___________she!can't!sew!a!button!to!save!her! life.!! 4.!He!always!makes!the!baseball!team,!___________this!year!his!bad!leg!is!keeping!him! on!the!bench!most!of!the!time.!! 5.!This!was!the!best!movie!I!have!ever!seen,!___________I!am!glad!I!saw!it.!! 6.!He's!going!to!medical!school,!___________his!lifelong!ambition!is!to!be!a!doctor.!! 7.!The!piano!is!terribly!out!of!tune,!___________!I!still!like!to!hear!it!being!played.!! 8.!He!is!always!late!for!parties,!___________no!one!seems!to!mind.!! 9.!The!chairs!are!too!large!for!the!room,!____________the!table!looks!awkward!in!the! corner.!! 10.!I!find!history!interesting,!____________it!gives!a!good!idea!of!what!mankind!has! been!doing!for!the!past!years.!! 11.!I!usually!love!apple!pie,!____________the!green!mould!on!this!one!makes!me!think! twice.!! 12.!The!door!is!making!a!strange!creaking!noise,!___________it!is!beginning!to!make!me! nervous.!! 13.!The!phone!has!been!ringing!for!the!past!hour,!___________no!one!seems!to!want!to! answer!it.!!

! Fragments,!Comma!Splice,!Complete!Sentences! Before$each$number,$insert$S$for$a$correct$sentence,$frag$for$a$fragment,$or$ CS$for$a$comma$splice.$ 1.!___________!!I!will!set!my!alarm,!and!I'll!study!in!the!morning.!! 2.!!__________!Our!team!lost!last!night,!we!can!still!enter!the!tournament.!! 3.!!__________!TV!weather!maps!have!various!symbols,!for!example,!a!big!apostrophe! means!drizzle.!! 4.!!__________!The!mining!machines!rumbled!away,!and!the!ruined!mountain!was!left! barren!and!ugly.!! 5.!!__________!!Swimming!along!the!edge!of!the!river!where!it!was!not!deep.!! 6.!!__________!First!the!horse!trotted,!then!he!broke!into!a!gallop.!! 7.!!__________!After!having!read!several!articles!in!the!newspaper!about!the!European! situation.!! 8.!!__________!He!was!a!strange!fellow,!nevertheless,!I!liked!him.!! 9.!!__________!Dictionaries!are!important!because!they!help!you!remember!important! words.!! 10.!!_________!I!have!done!my!homework!for!tomorrow,!I!have!also!finished!my!term! paper.!! 11.!__________!!Jim!hoped!that!someone!would!come!to!help!him,!but!he!couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t!see! anyone!yet.!! 12.!!_________!He!put!off!writing!his!paper!until!an!hour!before!class,!of!course,!he! didn't!get!it!finished.!! 13.!!_________!Having!walked!through!the!forest!all!morning!without!a!break!and!being! tired.!! 14.!!_________!Suddenly!the!string!broke,!the!beads!bounced!over!the!floor.!!

! Fragments,!Comma!Splice,!Complete!Sentences! ANSWER!KEY! ! 1. !S!

11. S!

2. CS!

12. CS!

3. CS!

13. F!

4. S!

14. CS!

5. F!

15. S!

6. CS!

16. S!

7. F!

17. F!

8. CS!

18. CS!

9. S!

19. S!

10. CS!

20. CS!

! !

! Prepositions! ! Complete$the$sentences$with$the$preposition$that$makes$the$most$sense.$ !

1. Steven!waited!until!the!tall!sailing!ship!disappeared!(between,! beyond)!the!horizon.! !

! ! !

2. Zachary!stayed!(beside,!toward)!Jack!while!he!rested.! ! 3. Crazy!Jesse!took!his!math!test!(with,!above,!under)!a!bright!green! crayon.! ! 4. Black!smoke!rose!(with,!up,!under)!the!chimney.! ! 5. You!can!fit!several!smaller!boxes!(off,!into,!up)!one!big!box.! ! 6. The!strange!noises!are!coming!(under,!on,!from)!that!old!house.! ! 7. I!gave!up!searching!(for,!above,!off)!a!solution!at!midnight.! ! 8. Aaron!flopped!himself!(with,!after,!upon)!the!couch.! ! 9. Tyler!fought!hard,!but!the!sea!monster!pulled!him!(around,!beneath)! the!waves.! ! 10.The!balloon!floated!gently!(onto,!off,!over)!the!valley.! ! 11.Some!birds!were!nesting!(among,!into,!during)!the!tall!grass.! !

! Phrase!or!Clause! Determine"if"the"following"examples"are"phrases"or"clauses."Remember"a" phrase"is"missing"either"a"subject,"a"verb"to"match"it,"or"both."A"clause"has" both"a"subject"and"a"matching"verb,"but"may"or"may"not"be"a"complete" sentence."""(end"punctuation"has"been"left"out)" 1.!! ________!Kids!putting!their!toys!away! 2.!! ________!The!boy!put!his!shoes!on!the!ground! 3.!! ________!The!tree!fell!over!the!fence! 4.!! ________!A!beautiful!diamond!on!a!necklace! 5.!! ________!The!bracelet!has!two!charms!on!it! 6.!! ________!Roger!a!noble!but!disappointed!player! 7.!! ________!Salamanders!are!often!orange! 8.!! ________!Alligators!heal!themselves!quickly! 9.!! ________!Pears!in!a!fruit!bowl!on!the!kitchen!table! 10.!! _______!Running!like!a!cheetah! !

! Phrase!or!Clause! Directions:$For$the$following$word$groups,$mark$which$are$(P)$Phrases,$(IC)$ Independent$Clauses,$or$(DC)$Dependent$Clauses.$$All$final$punctuation$has$ been$removed.$ 1.!!__________!The!tall!and!majestic!statue! 2.!___________!!Although!he!often!pitches!well! 3.!!__________!The!dog!sat!waiting! 4.!!__________!Long!and!boring!meetings! 5.!!__________!Finally!the!man!bought!a!herring! 6.!!__________!When!the!time!comes! 7.!!__________!Eating!the!Chicken!McNuggets! 8.!!__________!Extremely!tired!and!cranky! 9.!!__________!My!sweet,!caring!Grandfather!enjoys!playing!cards! 10.!!_________!Even!though!I!canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t!run!very!well! 11.!!_________!She!lovingly!plays!the!harp! 12.!!_________!Fools!rush!in! 13.!!_________!While!the!two!men!sat!waiting!for!the!film!to!start! 14.!!_________!With!a!great!amount!of!anxiety!and!fear! !

by Corinne Plett

LEVEL TWO

GRAMMAR FOR WRITING

- Add in a comma and a joining word.

To fix a run-on sentence:

Run-on sentences are where there are two or more complete thoughts used as one sentence without proper punctuation or joining words.

RUN-ON SENTENCES:

Examples of contractions: are not – aren’t will not – won’t he would – he’d she will – she’ll

The joining of two words to be one word by dropping some letters is called a contraction. Every contraction has an apostrophe.

Use an apostrophe when you are taking two words and joining them to be one word by dropping some letters. The apostrophe is placed where the letters are left out: “We are not going swimming.” “We’re not going swimming.”

Use an apostrophe whenever you need to show something belongs to something else: “Jane’s bow broke.”

APOSTROPHE

“to” means in the direction of: “Jane’s car was towed to the mechanic.” “too” means also or very: “It is just too hot out today.” “two” means the number 2: “Jed had two candies left.”

to / too / two

“Its” is possessive – it shows that something belongs to “it”. The bear licked its paws.

If this word has an apostrophe – it’s – it always means “it is” or “it has”. It’s great that you took this course. It’s received three awards.

it’s / its

“than” is used for comparison: “The gorilla is taller than the puppy.”

“then” has an element of time (“next” or “at that time”): “We had supper and then went to the movie.” “Candy was a lot cheaper back then.”

then / than

“there” has to do with direction: “Run over there!” “they’re” is a contraction for “they are”: “They’re swamped.” “Their” shows possession or ownership: “Their canoe is swamped.”

there / they’re / their

! Contractions! Form%a%contraction%with%the%underlined%words.% % 1. He!would!!________________!!discover!that!the!work!was! completed.! ! 2. They!would!!______________!!find!a!new!species.! ! 3. She!would!!_______________!!take!some!wrong!turns!while!driving! in!the!city.! ! 4. It!will!!___________________!!snow!all!afternoon! ! 5. He!will!!__________________!!prepare!a!snack!for!his!group.! ! 6. She!had!!_________________!!met!all!the!criteria!for!the!job.! ! 7. He!is!! ___________________!!running!five!miles!a!day.! ! 8. They!are!! ________________!!working!as!mechanics!this!summer.! ! 9. We!have!! ________________!!spent!too!much!money!for!lunch.! ! 10.!It!would!! ________________!!be!a!powerful!storm!late!at!night!that! finally!took!down!the!tree.! !

! There,!They're!&!Their!

! Complete#the#sentences#by#using#one#of#the#words#there,#they're#or#their.# ! !

1. Look!at!those!dogs.!I!think!______________________!poodles.! 2. _______________________shirts!are!in!the!washing!machine.! ! 3. _______________________out!buying!groceries!for!dinner.! ! 4. The!Browns!took!_____________________________vacation!in!Mexico.! ! 5. They!took!_________________________dog,!Jumper,!to!the!beach.! ! 6. My!cousins!are!watching!_________________________favorite!TV!show.! ! 7. ___________________________is!a!lot!of!work!left!to!do.! ! 8. ___________________________is!nothing!in!the!box.! ! 9. ___________________________is!no!excuse!for!getting!your!clothes!dirty.! ! 10. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m!going!to!have!lunch!at!___________________________house!tomorrow.! ! 11. I!wonder!if!_________________________going!to!do!well!on!the!final!exam.! ! 12. If!I!throw!the!dice,!can!you!guess!what!sum!_______________________will!be?! ! 13. _______________________________is!some!fruit!in!the!kitchen.! ! 14. !I!love!my!school!but!I!wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t!want!to!live!_________________________!.! ! 15. _______________________________going!to!learn!algebra!next!year.! !

To,!Too,!Two! !Fill#in#the#blanks#with#the#appropriate#choice—to,!too,!or!two.!!

! !

1.!After!the!marathon,!Yolanda!soaked!her!__________!sore!feet!in!a!bucket!of!warm! water.!! ! 2.!Jessica!agreed!to!jalapeno!slices!on!her!burrito.!She!regretted!this!decision! __________!hours!later.!! ! 3.!If!you!really!want!the!answers!to!Mr.!Hirta’s!math!homework,!bring!a!jelly!donut! __________!Kristine,!the!smartest!student!in!the!class.!! ! 4.!The!party!next!door—with!its!laughter,!shouting,!and!music—was!__________!loud.!! ! 5.!As!we!were!walking!__________!the!library,!we!met!Benjamin!and!Maria.!! ! 6.!The!slice!of!pizza!was!still!__________!hot!to!eat.!! ! 7.!Tony!should!buy!an!aquarium!full!of!goldfish.!A!puppy!would!be!__________! rambunctious!for!his!small!apartment.!! ! 8.!Lana!has!__________!book!bags.! !! 9.!If!you!purchase!__________!parakeets,!they!will!sing!to!each!other!instead!of! interacting!with!you.!! ! 10.!Whenever!our!parakeet!chirps!__________!loudly,!we!throw!a!towel!over!his!cage.!! ! 11.!Instead!of!researching!killer!whales,!Jorge!went!__________!the!beach.!! ! 12.!Martin!dreaded!going!__________!the!doctor.!! ! 13.!Diane!was!__________!short!to!reach!the!oatmeal.!! ! 14.!Gordon!didn’t!want!__________!miss!Spanish!class.!! ! 15.!We!watched!Sam!lick!the!__________!fingers!that!he!ran!through!the!icing!of!his! birthday!cake.!! ! 16.!Boom!!Boom!!We!heard!__________!big!oak!trees!crash!onto!the!street!during!the! violent!storm.!! !

! Then,!Than! Fill#in#the#blanks#with#the#appropriate#choice#–#then#or#than.# 1. Let’s!have!breakfast!________________!we!can!talk.! ! 2. When!you!find!your!pen,!_______________!you!can!start!the!exam.! ! 3. By!_______________!you’ll!have!enough!money!saved!for!your!car.! ! 4. I!like!to!travel!more____________________!you!do.! ! 5. He!runs!faster!________________________!she!does.! ! 6. I!could!go,!__________________________!you!could!stay!home.! ! 7. Wait!until!noon.!!We’ll!go!_______________________.! ! 8. Mix!it!all!together,!and!_________________________!we’ll!stir!it.! ! 9. I!would!rather!go!to!Rome!_________________________!France.! ! 10.Jane!runs!faster!____________________________!Jed.! ! 11.I!bought!new!shoes!___________________________!went!hiking.! ! 12.I!definitely!like!pasta!better!_______________________!potatoes.! !