A Fresh Start

A Fresh Start

A Review of Basic Writing Skills

By Louise Schreier

© 2016 by Louise Schreier

4 Eagle Court New City, NY 10956

No part of this publication may be reproduced without the prior permission of the author.

FOREWORD

Effective communication is necessary to function and succeed in society. Speaking eloquently and writing skillfully are tasks that can be accomplished once you have mastered grammar, punctuation and mechanics.

Often, people experience fear (writer’s block) when asked to write an essay on any given topic. Writing a five paragraph essay is simple when you use a template designed to make your thesis and supporting details visual to you the writer.

This workbook will familiarize you with Standard English grammar and alert you to common grammatical errors. There will be many activities and assignments to help you understand grammar and also many opportunities to practice writing five paragraph essays. The pages in this book will be useful in improving your confidence and your competence in speaking and writing.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Part IGrammar, Punctuation, Mechanics

· Parts of Speech ……………………………………………………………… 6

· Capitalization ………………………………………………………………… 11

· Subject – Verb Agreement …………………………………………13

· Singular/plural

· Indefinite Pronouns ………………………………………………………13

· Pronoun Agreement ……………………………………………………….15

· Quotations ……………………………………………………………………….15

· Commas ……………………………………………………………………………..15

· Semicolons ……………………………………………………………………….16

· Colons ………………………………………………………………………………..17

· Hyphens ……………………………………………………………………………17

· Dashes ………………………………………………………………………………18

· Ellipsis ……………………………………………………………………………….18

· Apostrophes …………………………………………………………………….18

· Contractions …………………………………………………………………….19

· Letters and Numerals ……………………………………………………19

· Synonyms, Antonyms, Homophones …………………………….19

· Literary Terms ………………………………………………………………..20

· Abbreviations …………………………………………………………………..21

· Double Negative ……………………………………………………………..21

· Parallel Structure …………………………………………………………..22

· Problem Words ……………………………………………………………….22

Part IIThe Writing Process

· Thesis Statement ………………………………………………………….25

· Prewriting ……………………………………………………………………….26

· Writing the First Draft ………………………………………………27

· Revising and Editing ……………………………………………………..27

· Example of a 5 paragraph essay ……………………………….. 27

Part III Practicing Writing an essay

· Essay ………………………………………………………………………………....29

Part IV Grammar Activities

· Activity 1 – 10 …………………………………………………………………..30

Part V Answer Key

· Answers 1 – 10 ……………………………………………………………………33

Part IGrammar, Punctuation, Mechanics

Parts of Speech

Words, which are the foundation of language, are used in eight specific ways. These eight ways are called parts of speech; they demonstrate how words function in a sentence.

Each word in a sentence falls into one of the eight categories known as parts of speech.

The Eight Parts of Speech

1. Nouns

2. Pronouns

3. Verbs

4. Adverbs

5. Adjectives

6. Conjunctions

7. Interjections

8. Prepositions

1. Nouns

· the names of persons, places, and things

· nouns can be singular (one) or plural (more than one) ex. singular – school or fox, plural – schools or foxes

· 2 types of nouns

· common – name of any person, place or thing

ex. The house is painted white.

· proper nouns – names of particular persons, places or things

ex. The White House is located in Washington, D.C.

2. Pronouns

· take the place of nouns (called antecedents) in sentences

· two types of pronouns:

· subject pronouns act as subjects in sentences.

ex. He is a terrific friend. “He” is a subject

pronoun

· object pronouns act as objects in sentences.

ex. Whom did you see at the pool? “whom” is the

object pronoun

ex. To whom shall I give the book? whom is object of

the preposition

· examples of pronouns – I, he, she, it, they, them, us, we, you, her, and him

Subject Pronouns Object Pronouns Possesive Pronouns

I

me

my mine

he

him

his hers its

she

her

we

us

our ours

they

them

their theirs

who

whom

whose

you

you

your yours

Indefinite Pronouns

· do not refer to specific persons or things

· most take a singular verb and a singular pronoun

any

everyone

nothing

anybody

everything

one

anyone

few (plural)

several (plural)

anything

many (plural)

some

both (plural)

neither

somebody

each

nobody

someone

either

none

something

everybody

no one

ex. Everyone (singular) at the party brought his/her

(singular) own food.

ex. Many (plural) of my co-workers own their (plural) own

homes.

*** Look at the prepositional phrase that follows the

subject to help you choose a singular or plural verb.

ex. Most (singular) of the money (singular) is (singular)

missing.

ex. None of the students (plural) are (plural) present.

ex. All of the sugar (singular) is (singular) gone.

ex. All of the toys (plural) were (plural) broken.

ex. One-half of the room (singular) was (singular) painted

red.

ex. One-half of the students (plural) were (plural) from

New York.

Demonstrative Pronouns: this, that those

Interrogative Pronouns: who, whom, what

Relative Pronouns: who, whom, which, that, whoever, whomever,

whatever

Either, or / Neither, nor

· when one of the subjects is singular and the other is plural, the verb agrees with the subject closest to the verb.

ex. Either the children or the mother (singular) is

(singular) permitted to enter.

ex. Either the mother or the children (plural) are (plural)

permitted to enter.

3. Verbs

· express action or are state of being

· action verbs – jump, fly, run

ex. He eats dinner at the table.

· state of being verbs – is, am, was, were (all forms of be) ex. She is so sweet.

· helping/linking verbs

ex. She is helping her sister,

ex. The test should have been marked.

4. Adverbs

· describe verbs, adjectives and other adverbs

· they often end in – ly

· they answer the question how

ex. He walked slowly by the car.

ex. The man asked politely for his ticket.

ex. It was awfully cold out today.

ex. The team performed well in tryouts.

5. Adjectives

· describe nouns and pronouns

ex. tall, short, green

ex. The small boy sat in the front seat of an old car.

ex. On a cold winter day, you wear winter coats and

warm boots.

Articles

· are adjectives that describe nouns

· only 3 articles – a, an, the

· an is used before words that begin with a vowel

ex. She ate a pear.

ex. She ate an apple.

ex. The boy is my brother.

6. Conjunctions

· join words or groups of words

· and, or, but, nor, yet, so, for

ex. Mary and Jane are best friends.

ex. Paul likes to jog but he also likes to play ball.

Conjunctive Adverbs – however, therefore, moreover, furthermore, then, later, consequently, also

7. Interjections

· show strong emotion

· often set apart from the sentence by a comma or an exclamation point

ex. Ouch! That hurts.

ex. Look! It’s a full moon.

Common Interjections

Ouch

Oops

Hey

Goodness

Wow

Ok

Look

Yikes

Aha

Watch out

8. Prepositions

· show relationships between other words in the sentence

· show direction

Common Prepositions

aboutbeneath until

during

behindin

among

at

for

toward

along

past

till

after

beyond

within

above beside

off

before

below into

up

except

from under

by

through

to

against

upon

without

across between

around

into

of

at

since

over

ex. The children ran into the house to see the new puppy.

ex. The cat was under the table.

Capitalization

· capitalize the first word in a sentence

· the first word in a quotation

ex. She said, “Everything is okay.”

· names of proper nouns (specific people, places and things) ex. Joanne is traveling to Massachusetts to enroll in

Boston University.

· the pronoun I is always capitalized

ex. Paul and I are brothers.

· the names of cities, counties, regions, states, countries, continents and planets

ex. He lives in Rockland County, New York.

· words: south, north, east and west are capitalized only if they name a geographical area – not a direction

ex. Joan will be traveling west this summer.

ex. The South is known for its warmer temperatures.

· the seasons are not capitalized unless it is a specific season

ex. The leaves come down in the fall.

ex. In Spring 2005 the fares will go up.

· capitalize only specific school subjects

ex. I passed Fundamentals of Algebra.

ex. I didn’t do well in math.

· specific people and their titles

ex. I saw a movie about Mother Teresa.

ex. The queen of Jordan is an American.

· capitalize religions, holy days and holy books

ex. He is a Buddhist.

ex. She is coming for dinner on Easter.

ex. I read the Bible last night.

· don’t capitalize academic degrees except after a person’s name

ex. I earned a master of arts degree in science.

ex. Joan Lee, Master of Arts, graduated in 1999.

· capitalize names of specific products (trademarked)

ex. I had Jell-O for dessert.

· capitalize the first word, the last word, and all important words in titles

ex. She read Of Mice and Men.

· do not capitalize a, an, and, the, of, to, with, when they are in the middle of a title

ex. I read How to Write, Speak and Think More

Effectively.

Subject-Verb Agreement

· if the subject of the sentence is singular than the verb must be singular

ex. The boy (singular) is (singular) in the fifth grade.

· if the subject is plural than the verb must be plural.

ex. The boys (plural) are (plural) in the fifth grade.

· the subject of the sentence is never found in a prepositional phrase.

ex. The flowers in the garden (prepositional phrase) have

a wonderful scent.

Singular Indefinite Pronouns

· take singular verbs

ex. Everyone likes ice cream.

ex. Each of the Boy Scouts builds a birdhouse.

· plural indefinite pronouns take plural verbs

both, few, many, several

ex. Both of the boys have red hair.

ex. Many of the books are missing.

· the following indefinite pronouns can be singular or plural if they refer to a singular or plural noun or pronoun

all

any

a lot of

none

some

most

ex. All of the bikes were on sale.

ex. None of the cake is cut.

*** Neither, nor Either, or Or, nor

· if one subject is singular and the other is plural, then the verb agrees with the nearest subject

ex. Either the passengers or the conductor has the tickets.

ex. Neither my mom nor sisters have blue eyes.

Collective Nouns

· name a group

· usually singular and take a singular verb

band

jury

pair

familyaudience

class

crowdstaff

crew

committee

couple

team

groupfaculty orchestra

· collective nouns take singular verbs when the collective noun acts as a collective group

ex. The jury (singular) eats (singular) together in the jury

room.

· collective nouns take plural verbs when the collective noun acts as an individual

ex. The jury (plural) sleep (plural) in different rooms.

· the following words are singular and take a singular verb

musichistorymathematics

statisticsbiology

· ex. Statistics is offered in freshman year.

*** Some nouns have the same singular and plural form.

ex. The fish is/are swimming rapidly.

ex. These fish are very expensive.

ex. This species is known for its venom.

ex. Several species are dangerous.

Pronoun Agreement

· a pronoun agrees with the noun or nouns it replaces

· the replaced noun is called an antecedent

ex. The child (singular) wants his (singular) toys in his

(singular) room.

ex. The children (plural) want their toys (plural) in their

(plural) rooms.

ex. Some (singular) of the cake (singular) lost its

(singular) freshness.

ex. Some (plural) of the flowers (plural) lost their (plural)

petals.

ex. Neither (singular) of the students has his (singular)

own book.

ex. Each (singular) of the girls has her (singular) book

bag.

Quotations

· used to note what someone has said

ex. Paul said, “I am going out.”

· use quotes for words being defined or words that are slang or for words used ironically

ex. He can get really “crazy” when he is overtired.

· use quotes for the title of a story

ex. John wrote the story “To be a Winner.”

*** titles of books are underlined

ex. I read the book Jaws.

Commas

· used to make the meaning clear

ex. The students who studied, passed the test.

· use commas to separate items in a sentence

ex. I had meatloaf, potatoes, some carrots, and a roll for dinner.

· use commas for three items

ex. You will need paper, pens, crayons and rulers.

· use commas to introduce a clause in a sentence

ex. After eating lunch, I planned to go walking.

· use a comma to separate two or more adjectives

ex. The dress is long, pink and strapless.

*** don’t use a comma if you cannot use and between the

adjectives

ex. A long train journey can be peaceful.

· use a comma to separate transition words

ex. However, more teachers are needed.

· use a comma between items in dates and addresses

ex. His birthday is March 26, 1983.

*** don’t use a comma if the date isn’t given

ex. She graduated June 1996.

· use a comma between two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction

ex. The ballet ended, and the dancers left the stage.

*** the comma after the last item before the and is optional

ex. I study English, French, geology, and math.

ex. I study English, French, geology and math.

Semicolons

· used to tell the reader to pause

· used between parts of a compound sentence when no conjunction is used

ex. She rummaged through all the boxes; she was looking for the key.

· used to separate independent clauses joined by the following adverbs:

also

however

otherwise

besides

moreover

therefore

hence

neverthelessthus

ex. Jill is an excellent student; therefore, she is exempt from the final.

*** if confused, avoid the semicolon in the compound

sentence by writing two separate sentences

ex. Jill is an excellent student. She is exempt from the

final.

Colons

· signal that something is to follow

· use colons to introduce a list

ex. The job offered three things: good pay, great hours, and a positive environment.

· use a colon after a salutation in a business letter

ex. To Whom It May Concern:

ex. Gentlemen:

ex. Dear Sir:

· use a colon before a long quotation begins

ex. The senator began his speech as follows: “My colleagues, I am pleased ……….”

Hyphens

· used to show a word has been separated at the end of the line (must be divided by syllable)

ex. She loves the idea of planting a garden in the back- yard.

· use a hyphen with compound numbers from twenty-one to ninety-nine and with fractions used as adjectives

ex. June has thirty-one days.

ex. He ate two-thirds of the pie.

Dashes

· used when there is a break in the thought

ex. I truly love you – but I need time.

· used to emphasize a particular word or phrase

ex. We loved the play – really loved it.

*** dashes are seldom used in formal writing

Ellipsis

· three dots … that are used to show: omissions, dramatic pauses, more to come

ex. We wish you a lifetime of love, happiness, health …

Apostrophe

· used to show possession

· the apostrophe shows that the second word group belongs to the first word group

ex. Tim’s sister lives in Chicago.

· apostrophe used to show joint possession

ex. Paul and Jean’s house is on Remson Street.

· use an apostrophe s added to the singular word to show possession

ex. The dog’s owner is gone.

· use an apostrophe added to the plural word to show possession

ex. The boys’ coats are hanging up.

*** it’s versus its

· it’s is a contraction of it is

ex. It’s raining outside.

· its is a possessive pronoun

ex. The dog lost its collar.

Contractions

· apostrophes are used in contractions to take the place of missing letters

ex. he will - he’ll

you are - you’re

I have - I’ve

*** do not use contractions in formal writing

Letters and Numerals

· use an apostrophe to make a letter or numeral plural

ex. The math teacher gave five A’s and only two F’s.

ex. The 1920’s saw Prohibition.

ex. There are two m’s in committee.

ex. There are three 5’s in my address.

*** Write out all numbers that begin a sentence.

ex. Twenty people were at the dinner.

· use figures for all numbers over ten

ex. I have 11 cousins.

ex. He raised 27 million dollars.

ex. Four years is a short time to wait for a vacation.

ex. Twenty-two pounds is the average weight of a marlin.

*** An amount of time, money or weight (even if the word is

plural) is considered one unit.

ex. Thirty dollars is the price of dinner.

Synonyms

· are words that have similar meanings

ex. cold - frigid

ex. hungry - famished

Antonyms

· are words that have opposite meanings

ex. victory - defeat ex. love - hate

Homonyms

· are words spelled exactly the same but with different meanings.

ex. type – type ex. right - right

Homophones

· are words that sound similar but are different in spelling and meaning

ex. steak - stake ex. by - buy

Literary Terms

· Participle - ing words or ed words used as adjectives

ex. The starving shark hunted for food.

· Gerund - ing words used as nouns

ex. Swimming is fun.

· Infinitive - to plus a verb

ex. Paul likes to run.

· simile - a comparison using like or as

ex. Her eyes are as blue as the ocean.

· metaphor - a comparison of two unlike objects

ex. My little brother is a monster.

· hyperbole - an exaggeration

ex. My date last night was the date from hell!

· personification - giving life to an inanimate object

ex. My computer is giving me a hard time.

· cliché - overused phrases that have lost their appeal

ex. He and his brother are birds of a feather.

ex. Her brownies were hard as a rock.

· slang - is language used by particular groups – such as teenagers

ex. Skipping school is phat.

*** avoid slang in formal writing

· acronyms - a word composed of the first letters in several words

ex. MADD – Mothers Against Drunk Drivers

· alliteration - repeated consonant sounds

ex. Mary made mashed mango muffins.

· onomatopoeia - words sound like what they are

ex. The cat meowed so softly.

· allusion - a cross reference to another work

ex. He writes like Edgar Allan Poe.

Abbreviations

· are shortened versions of a word

· are used in titles

· end with a period

ex. I had an appointment with Dr. Black.

· are used with dates, times, months, states

ex. She was born at 9:32 a.m. on Aug. 3, 1999

*** avoid abbreviations in formal writing

Double Negative

· avoid using two negative words in one sentence

ex. (wrong) - I don’t like none of these shirts.

ex. (correct) - I don’t like any of these shirts.

Parallel Structure

· using similar grammar structures within a sentence

ex. He loves biking, painting and jogging.

Problem Words

· already - happened previously

ex. They were already winners of the lottery.

· all ready - everything is ready

ex. The candidates are all ready for the debate.

· affect - is a verb that means to influence

ex. Did losing the game affect you?

· effect - is a noun and an effect is a result

ex. What are the effects of radiation?

· fewer - used for things that can be counted

ex. I have fewer assignments in my math class.

· less - refers to amount or value

ex. This beer is less filling.

· past - already happened

ex. My grandfather lives in the past.

· passed - past tense of the verb pass

ex. An ambulance passed our car.

· suppose - means to guess or to assume

ex. She supposes that the play will be entertaining.

· supposed - means should and is used with the word to

ex. The girls were supposed to be home at five o’clock.

· between - use when you are writing about two items

ex. He sat between John and Steven.

· among - use when you are writing about more than two

items

ex. She had the letter among the books on the shelf.

· than - used in comparisons

ex. My older brother is taller than you.

· then - means time

ex. We’ll go to class, then to the cafeteria.

· who’s - contraction for who is or who has

ex. Who’s the owner of the red car?

· whose - shows possession

ex. Whose car is blocking mine?

· your - shows possession

ex. Your coat is in the closet.

· you’re - is a contraction for you are

ex. You’re my best friend.

· were - is the past tense of are

ex. They were jogging in the park.

· where - means place

ex. Where are the missing keys?

· we’re - is a contraction for we are

ex. We’re on our way to visit him.

· their - shows possession

ex. Their mother is a doctor.

· there - means place

ex. She placed it over there.

· they’re - contraction for are

ex. They’re planning to come with us.

· good - is an adjective (and sometimes an adverb)

ex. She is a good student.

· well - is an adverb

ex. He did well on the exam.

*** Use well when you’re talking about health

· beside - along the side of

ex. The chair was beside the bed.

· besides - in addition to

ex. Besides babysitting, I have to tidy up.

*** a lot - two words and should not be used in formal

writing, use much or many

ex. (wrong) - A lot of students failed.

ex. (correct) - Many students failed.

Part II The Writing Process

· choosing a thesis statement

· brainstorming - prewriting

· writing the first draft

· revising

· editing

· writing the final copy

· the five paragraph essay consists of 5 paragraphs

· the thesis statement (which is the first sentence in the first paragraph)

· the thesis statement is “backed up” with three major supportive details

· the main supporting details are “backed up” with minor supporting details

· the first paragraph and the fifth paragraph have the same information, just worded differently

· There is a specific format to follow.

Writing an Essay

Writing is a process. You choose a topic and then you write a thesis statement from your topic. You brainstorm ideas to include in your writing. From these ideas you write major supporting detail sentences and minor supporting detail sentences. After writing your first draft you revise your essay for content and unity and edit for spelling and punctuation errors. Now you’re ready to write your final copy.

Thesis Statement

Your topic is usually a word or phrase. However, you must convert that topic into a thesis statement sentence. Your thesis statement states the central idea of the essay.

example:

Topic:

Television

Thesis Statement: Television can be harmful to children.

example:

Topic:

Exercise

Thesis Statement:Exercise has many benefits.

example:

Topic:

Computers

Thesis Statement:Computers can do many things. These

advantages add to our quality of life.

Your thesis sentence is usually the first sentence in the first paragraph.

Prewriting

Once you have chosen a topic you will then write a thesis statement. You will need to think about and collect information on your topic. For some essays you may need to use outside sources, while for some essays you may use your life experiences to formulate ideas.

There are several ways to formulate your ideas

· free writing

· clustering

· listing

· journal writing

example:

Topic:

The Benefits of Computers

Thesis Statement:Computers have many advantages.

Prewriting on Computer Advantages

· convenience

· cost

· programs

· travel/vacations

· education

· entertainment

· research

· accessibility

· shop at home

· pay bills

First Draft

Look at your prewriting activity. Use the ideas and begin writing. Do not be concerned with grammar, punctuation or spelling. Once you’ve written your thesis statement, then follow with supporting detail sentences. Supporting details “back up” your thesis statement.

Revising and Editing

Having written your first draft, it is time to revise and edit your work. First, closely look at your writing – is your writing clearly organized, have you supported your thesis statement.

Does your essay consist of 5 paragraphs: introductory paragraph, three supporting paragraphs and the concluding paragraph?

In the revising stage you may need to write a clearer thesis and add more details.

Once you have revised it is time to edit your writing. Check verb tenses, punctuation, spelling and poor word choices.

Now begin to write your final copy.

example:

Today computers are everywhere in our society. Computers have made our lives easier. They provide countless hours of research on any given topic. You can surf the Web and comparison shop for any product, without leaving your home. Computers are sources of entertainment – from films to music.

Computers supply you with information on any subject. Just start a “search” and anything you wanted to know on that subject appears on your screen. Whether you are researching a topic for school or seeking more information on a medication you are taking, it is there. Both general and very specific information is available to you.

If you prefer to shop at home for a product – then the computer can supply you with prices, availability and more. Paying bills is simple using a computer. Comparison shopping for items ranging from televisions to sweaters is available. Store locations, product warrantees and more are on your screen at the touch of a key.

You need not travel to your local movie theater to view a movie of your choice. Movies can be downloaded and viewed in the comfort of your own home. The most recent songs are there for your listening. Even music from several decades before is available. You can also peruse the magazine or newspaper of your choice on line.

Computers are here to stay. The technology afforded us by these remarkable machines help improve the quality of our lives. Researching a topic on the web is convenient. Comparison shopping for any product is easy. Computers can make us laugh, smile, cry as it provides hours of entertainment.

Outline of the Five Paragraph Essay

· Introductory Paragraph

· Thesis Sentence

Major Support

Major Support

Major Support

· First Body Paragraph

· Topic Sentence (1st Major Support)

Minor Support

Minor Support

Minor Support

· Second Body Paragraph

· Topic Sentence (2nd Major Support)

Minor Support

Minor Support

Minor Support

· Third Body Paragraph

· Topic Sentence (3rd Major Support)

Minor Support

Minor Support

Minor Support

· Concluding Paragraph

· Reworded Thesis

Reworded Major Support

Reworded Major Support

Reworded Major Support

Practice:

Write a five-paragraph essay on one of the following topics.

1. Sex education should/not be taught in elementary schools.

2. All people should/not be forced to retire at the age of 65.

3. Being able to speak a foreign language has disadvantages as well as advantages.

4. Governments should/not negotiate with terrorists.

5. Living together before marriage has both advantages and disadvantages.

6. Working for the same company all of a person’s life has advantages as well as disadvantages.

7. Grades should/not be eliminated in colleges.

8. Policemen and firemen should/not be allowed to strike.

9. Teenagers who break the law should/not be treated as adults in court.

10. Minorities should/not be given special consideration when applying for jobs.

11. Being a man/women has disadvantages as well as advantages.

12. Having a part-time job while attending college has both advantages and disadvantages.

13. There are advantages as well as disadvantages to not getting married.

14. Owning a car has advantages and disadvantages.

Grammar Activities

Activity 1

Name the part of speech for the underlined word.

1. Ouch! That hurts!

2. Steven and John are best friends.

3. I can read and write rather well.

4. He walked quickly by the house.

5. She ate a juicy apple.

6. The children ran out of the door.

7. A desk was on sale.

8. Mrs., Stevens called me to her desk.

9. The child ran around the corner.

10. Wow! That is outrageous!

Activity 2

Give the part of speech for the underlined word.

1. A very large man crossed the busy street.

2. Mrs., Stevens called them into the small office.

3. Proudly, the twins claimed their prestigious award.

4. Paul and I rode very quickly around the long block.

5. Wow! I won the relay race.

Activity 3

Give the part of speech for the underlined word.

1. The children ran into the crowded street.

2. The red, tart apple sat on my kitchen table.

3. I love skiing, but I love boating too.

4. “Help!” screamed the child in the burning building.

5. The girls laughed and smiled.

Activity 4

Correct all the errors and give an explanation.

1. To who shall I give this book?

2. He gave she and me presents.

3. Paul and me are brothers.

4. He doesn’t have no brothers.

5. The boys mother is not present.

Activity 5

Correct all the errors and give an explanation.

1. You’re my best friend.

2. He hid the book between all the books on the shelf.

3. She shared the candy among the two of us.

4. I prefer rice rather than pasta.

5. He drank an ice-cold diet pepsi.

Activity 6

Correct all errors and give the justification.

1. I hid the book between the weeds.

2. He looks good after the operation.

3. To who shall I give this book?

4. Each of the girls ran to their mom.

5. My mom is a art teacher.

6. Scientists have studied the affects of radiation.

7. I don’t have no homework.

8. She walked slow by the house.

9. She drank an ice-cold Gatorade.

10. He did all his work accept math.

Activity 7

Correct all the errors and give an explanation.

1. Mrs. Stevens and me are sharing a ride.

2. She takes high school math and English.

3. My brother is smarter than me.

4. One of the brothers picked up their dad’s prescription.

5. You’re mom will pick you up late.

6. Tom was already to sign up.

7. I tried to decide on a coarse of action.

8. The girl sat between Paul, Joe and Mary.

9. Homonyms are words that have opposite meanings.

10. Who’s mom is here?

Activity 8

Correct all the errors and give an explanation.

1. She ate a ice cream cone.

2. She sang beautiful.

3. He did good on his test.

4. No one brought their homework.

5. Paul gave I a new bike for my birthday.

6. She bought a short green party dress.

7. John read the book Jaws.

8. Doc. Jones examined the sick child.

9. Rhoda is an artist, she paints beautifully.

10. Jean lives in orange county.

Activity 9

Identify the underlined words.

1. Running is a fun activity.

2. The starving shark hunted for food.

3. I love skiing.

4. The young child loves to swim in his pool.

5. NASA is located in Florida.

6. Her eyes are as blue as the ocean.

7. She baked chunky chutney chicken for dinner.

8. The cow mooed.

9. Is “Jaws” a book or a short story?

10. He loves helping in the dense forest.

Activity 10

Correct the error and give the explanation.

1. My sister enjoys biking, camping and to swim.

2. My grandfather past away.

3. The chair was besides the bed.

4. He moved to Tampa, Fla. last July.

5. I supposed that you will be late.

6. The boys in the first grade.

7. Each of the girls have lunch.

8. Neither my mom nor my sister has blue eyes.

9. The family were traveling through Europe.

10. He read the bible last night.

Answer Key

Activity 1

1. Ouch – interjection

hurts - verb

2. Steven – proper noun

state of being

3. I – pronoun

and - conjunction

4. quickly – adverb

by - preposition

5. a – article

juicy – adjective

6. The – article

of – preposition

7. desk – common noun

on – preposition

8. Mrs. Stevens – proper noun

me – pronoun

9. ran – verb

around – preposition

10. wow – interjection

is – state of being verb

Activity 2

1. very – adjective

crossed – verb

2. them – pronoun

into – preposition

3. Proudly – adverb

prestigious - adjective

4. rode - verb

long - adjective

5. Wow – interjection

relay - adjective

Activity 3

1.The - article

into - preposition

2. tart - adjective

sat - verb

3. but - conjunction

too - adverb

4.Help - interjection

burning - adjective

5.laughed - verb

smiled - verb

Activity 4

1. to whom – object pronoun of the preposition to

2. her – object pronoun

3. I – subject pronoun

4. any – double negative

5. boy’s – ‘s shows possession

Activity 5

1. You’re – correct homophone – contraction for you are

2. among – more than 2 weeds

3. between – used with two

4. than – used for comparison

5. Diet Pepsi – Capitalize proper nouns (trademarks)

Activity 6

1. among – more than two weeds

2. well – need an adverb

3. whom – object pronoun of preposition to

4. each takes singular pronoun his/her

5. an – precedes a word that begins with a vowel

6. effects – need a noun/object

7. any – avoid double negative

8. slowly – need an adverb

9. Gatorade – Proper Nouns are capitalized

10. except – confusing word choice

Activity 7

1. I – need subject pronoun

2. English is always capitalized

3. I – after “than” or “as” use subject pronoun

4. his/her – one takes singular pronoun

5. your – wrong homonym, need a possessive

6. all ready – wrong word choice

7. course – wrong homonym

8. among is used for 3 or more objects

9. Antonyms – have opposite meanings

10. whose = wrong homonym

Activity 8

1. an – ice cream begins with a vowel

2. beautifully – need an adverb

3. well – need an adverb

4. his/her – no one takes singular pronoun

5. me – need an object pronoun

6. three items need a comma

7. underline titles of books – Jaws

8. Dr. – misspelled abbreviation

9. ; semicolon is used to separate two complete thoughts

10. Orange County – Proper Nouns are capitalized

Activity 9

1. gerund

2. participle

3. gerund

4. infinitive

5. acronym

6. simile

7. alliteration

8. onomatopoeia

9. underline books

10. prepositional phrase

Activity 10

1. swimming – parallel structure

2. passed – past tense of pass

3. beside – means next to

4. Fl. – all states are 2 letter abbreviations

5. suppose (guess or assume

6. are (agreement of subject and verb)

7. Each takes a singular verb

8. sisters take plural verb

9. family takes singular verb

10. Capitalize holy books

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