Print Resources for selected grammar skills needed for the GED writing test1 My webpage contains videos, links to websites, handouts, and practice problems for a variety of key skills covered on the GED Language Arts, Writing test. However, if you'd prefer not to work on the computer, you can use this handout to find print resources. If you’d like a single print source to work on grammar for an extended period of time, you might consider the following: Grammar Write Away book I or II [basic skills] Contemporary's Pre-GED Writing Skills [basic skills] Steck-Vaughn’s Pre-GED Language Arts, Writing [basic skills] Contemporary's GED Language Arts, Writing [focused on GED test] Steck-Vaughn’s GED Language Arts, Writing [focused on GED test] If you just want to fill in particular gaps indicated by my grammar checkup sheets, I suggest instead selecting from the sources in the table below. If you're not very familiar with a skill, I encourage you begin with regular sources (REG). Once you're comfortable exercising a skill that way, you can go on to try a GED-style source. If you're planning to take your test soon, I'd recommend the Scoreboost pamphlets and the exercises listed under "Mixed practice." NOTE: At the end of this handout, you'll find a key to the abbreviations I've used. Resources without pages numbers are handouts I’ve made. Ask me for a copy of anything you think might be useful. Usage Suggested resources Making subjects and verbs agree Using appropriate verb form & tense Using clear pronoun reference Using proper pronoun agreement UCSS pp. 8-15, 17-18 [REG] SB-SS pp. 16-17 [GED-style] F-USS pp. 12-17 [GED-style] Verb tense chart MPS p. 12-18 [REG] IWSP: pp. 5-6 [REG] SB-SS pp. 20-23 [GED-style] F-USS pp. 3-11 [GED-style] IWSP: pp. 9 [REG] F-USS pp. 27-8 [GED-style] MPS p. 19-20, 22 [REG] SB-SS pp. 24-27 [GED-style] F-USS pp. 18-26 [GED-style] GED® is a registered trademark of the American Council on Education (ACE) and administered exclusively by GED Testing Service LLC under license. This material is not endorsed or approved by ACE or GED Testing Service. D. Stark 11/5/2012 1 Sentence structure Recognizing & correcting sentence fragments Recognizing & correcting run-ons and comma splices Combining sentences (making compound sentences with coordinating conjunctions & complex sentences with subordinating conjunctions) Avoiding misplaced/dangling modifiers Using parallel structure Avoiding wordiness & awkwardness Writing 2: pp. 10-11, 18-19 [REG] UCSS pp. 3-4, 23-4 [REG] SB-SS pp. 8-9 [GED-style] F-USS pp. 30-32 [GED-style] A Quick Review of Run-ons Writing 2: pp. 10-11, 16-17 [REG] BPS pp. 9-10 [REG] UCSS pp. 25-26 [REG] SB-SS pp. 2-3 [GED-style] F-USS pp. 30-32 [GED-style] 3 Ways to Combine Sentences SB-SS pp. 4-7 [GED-style] F-USS pp. 42-44 [GED-style] A Quick Review of Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers IWSP: pp. 10-11 [REG] SB-SS pp. 10-11 [GED-style] F-USS pp. 33-38 [GED-style] A Quick Review of Parallelism Writing 2: pp. 20-21 [REG] IWSP: pp. 3-4 [REG] SB-SS pp. 12-13 [GED-style] F-USS pp. 39-41 [GED-style] IWSP: pp. 23-26 [REG] Mechanics Using proper capitalization Spelling commonly confused words correctly Using apostrophes correctly Using commas correctly Capitalization Table ISC pp. 17-27 [REG] SB-SS pp. 30-31 [GED-style] F-M pp. 3-5 [GED-style] Commonly confused words 1-4 ISC pp. 13-14 [REG] SB-SS pp. 32-33 [GED-style] Summary sheet apostrophes BPS pp. 17-19 [REG] MPS p. 8 [REG] A Quick Review of Comma Rules Practice with comma rules on the GED test Summary sheet commas with coordinating conjunctions Writing 2: pp. 12-15 [REG] BPS pp. 15-8, 11 [REG] [Don’t need rules #9-10 p. 7] UCSS pp. 19-21 [REG] SB-SS pp. 34-35 [GED-style] D. Stark 11/5/2012 2 Using semicolons to join related sentences [optional—just for essay] Organization F-M pp. 6-20 [GED-style] BPS pp. 12-13 [REG] A Quick Review of Organization for the GED Writing 2: pp. 24-29 [REG] IWSP: pp. 15-22, 27-29 [REG] SV-Pre pp. 198-207 [REG] C-LAW chapter on organization Mixed practice [GED -style] (different pages in different editions) [GED-style] SB-Ess pp. 26-36 [GED-style] Writing 2: pp. 34-39, 50-53 Pass-W pp. 4-11, 20-3, 28-36 SB-SS pp. 14-15, 28-29, 36-41 F-USS pp. 45-47 C-LAW pretest & posttest SV-LAW pretest & posttest REG = regular questions, not tricky GED test style questions Abbrev. Title BPS MPS ISC IWSP Building Punctuation Skills [pink pamphlet] Mastering Parts of Speech [pink pamphlet] Improving Spelling and Capitalization [pink pamphlet] Improving Writing Style and Paragraphing [pink REG REG REG REG pamphlet] UCSS Using Correct Sentence Structure [pink pamphlet] REG C-Pre SV-Pre WR2 Contemporary's Pre-GED Writing Skills Steck-Vaughn’s Pre-GED Language Arts, Writing Writing 2: Sentence Structure, Organization, and Essay [light blue pamphlet] [Ask me.] Contemporary's GED Language Arts, Writing Steck-Vaughn’s GED Language Arts, Writing REG/GED-style REG/GED-style REG/GED-style GED Scoreboost: Sentence Structure, Usage, and Mechanics [blue & white pamphlet] GED Scoreboost: Essay Writing and Organization Skills [blue & white pamphlet] Pass the GED Language Arts, Writing Test [blue & white GED-style C-LAW SV-LAW SB-SS SB-Ess Pass-W pamphlet] [Ask me.] F-M F-USS Focus on Skills: Mechanics [white pamphlet] [Ask me.] Focus on Skills: Usage and sentence structure [white REG/GED-style REG/GED-style GED-style GED-style GED-style GED-style pamphlet] [Ask me.] D. 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