DIGITAL DAILY WARM-UPS
Grades 5–8
LANGUAGE ARTS
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DIGITAL DAILY WARM-UPS
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L anguage Arts
Table of Contents
Analogies
5
Common English Idioms
24
Commonly Confused Words
43
Critical Thinking
61
Daily Edits
78
Journal Writing
97
Poetry
116
Prefixes, Suffixes, & Roots
134
Spelling & Grammar
152
Vocabulary
170
Writing
188
Ordering info
207
Answer Key
208
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DIGITAL DAILY WARM-UPS
Grades 5–8
LANGUAGE ARTS
Analogies
What Is an Analogy?
An analogy is a statement in which two word pairs share the same relationship.
For example: Captain is to boat as pilot is to airplane.
The captain is the person who controls a boat, just as a pilot is the person who controls
an airplane. Each pair of words fits into the same simple sentence that directly explains
the relationship between the words.
Types of Analogies
Here are 10 types of analogies and examples.
Type
1. object/person : description
2. agent : object
3. agent : action or object : function
4. object/description/action :
greater/lesser size or degree
5. person/object : location
6. cause : effect
7. part : whole
8. object/person : category
9. word : synonym
10. word : antonym
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Examples
fire : hot
artist : brush
doctor : heal, closet : store
tap : bang,
glad : ecstatic
judge : court
ignite : burn
sailor : navy
elm : tree, thief : criminal
lukewarm : tepid
hot : cold
5
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Relationship Sentences
Dai
ly
Wa
-U
rm
The best way to figure out the relationship between a
pair of words is to create a relationship sentence. A
relationship sentence is a simple sentence that clearly
shows the relationship between the two words. Write
a relationship sentence using the following word pair:
elm : tree
ps
:A
nal
ogies
Think: “An elm is a type of tree.”
Test: Which of the following two word pairs is the correct analogy?
rose : flower
grass : meadow
Plug each word pair back into the relationship sentence:
Write: Relationship sentences: A rose is a type of flower. That makes
sense. A grass is a type of meadow. That doesn’t make
any sense.
The correct answer is elm : tree :: rose : flower.
Now choose another word pair and write your own relationship sentence.
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Fill in the blank with a word that will
complete the analogy. There are many correct answers.
Dai
ly
mallard : duck :: ____________________ : tree
Wa
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-U
rm
Write the relationship sentence you used to complete
this analogy.
ps
:A
nal
ogies
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Choose the correct word pair
to
complete the analogy.
Dai
skater : rink :: _______________ : _______________
ly
Wa
(a) climber : gear
(b) explorer : adventure
rm
-U
(c) runner : track
ps
(d) walker : shoe
:A
nal
ogies
Write the relationship sentence you used to complete this analogy.
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Choose the correct word pair
to
complete the analogy.
ly
Wa
(a) painter : studio
Dai
biologist : laboratory :: ____________ : ____________
rm
-U
(b) baker : oven
(c) engraver : metal
(d) forecaster : weather
ps
:A
nal
ogies
What type of analogy is this?
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Fill in the blanks
to complete the analogy.
There are many correct answers.
Dai
_______________ : _______________ :: vendor : sell
ly
10
-U
rm
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Wa
Write the relationship sentence you used to complete
this analogy.
ps
:A
nal
ogies
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Choose the correct word
to
complete the analogy.
ly
(a) meteorologist
Dai
botanist : plants :: _______________________ : rocks
Wa
(b) geologist
rm
-U
(c) astronomer
ps
(d) anthropologist
:A
nal
ogies
Write the relationship sentence you used to complete this analogy.
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Choose the correct word pair
to
complete the analogy.
Dai
happiness : emotion :: ____________ : ____________
ly
Wa
(a) horror : glee
(b) belief : faith
rm
-U
(c) sight : sense
(d) taste : pleasure
ps
:A
nal
ogies
What type of analogy is this?
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Write a relationship sentence
for
the analogy below.
Dai
cub : bear :: calf : cow
ly
Wa
rm
-U
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ps
:A
nal
ogies
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Choose the correct word pair to
complete the analogy.
Dai
hunter : prey :: _______________ : _______________
ly
Wa
(a) swimmer : lane
(b) miner : ore
rm
-U
(c) competitor : defeat
(d) student : book
ps
:A
nal
ogies
What type of analogy is this?
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Fill in the blanks
to complete the analogy.
There are many correct answers.
Dai
barber : razor :: _______________: _______________
ly
15
-U
rm
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Wa
Write the relationship sentence you used to complete
this analogy.
ps
:A
nal
ogies
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Complete the analogy
by choosing
the correct answer from the word bank.
Dai
bereaved bewildered carefree cognizant alert
ly
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-U
rm
Write the relationship sentence you used to complete
this analogy.
Wa
solemn : serious :: _____________________ : confused
ps
:A
nal
ogies
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Choose the correct word pair to
complete the analogy.
Dai
lime : fruit :: ________________ : ________________
ly
(a) rice : bean
Wa
(b) truck : traffic
rm
-U
(c) easel : art
(d) schooner : ship
ps
:A
nal
ogies
What type of analogy is this?
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Choose the correct word pair
to
complete the analogy.
Dai
aviator : airplane :: ______________ : ______________
ly
Wa
(a) driver : engine
(b) tire : truck
rm
-U
(c) farmer : field
(d) engineer : train
ps
:A
nal
ogies
Write the relationship sentence you used to complete
this analogy.
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Choose the correct word
to
complete the analogy.
Dai
suffragist : vote :: abolitionist : ____________________
ly
Wa
(a) education
(b) compensation
rm
-U
(c) freedom
ps
(d) truth
:A
nal
ogies
Write the relationship sentence you used to complete this analogy.
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Choose the correct word pair to
complete the analogy.
Dai
compass : direction :: _____________ : ____________
ly
Wa
(a) barometer : pressure
(b) thermometer : weather
rm
-U
(c) microscope : germ
ps
(d) telescope : vision
:A
nal
ogies
Write the relationship sentence you used to complete this analogy.
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Choose the correct word pair to
complete the analogy.
Dai
listen : eavesdrop :: _____________ : _____________
ly
Wa
(a) speak : shout
(b) reach : hit
rm
-U
(c) look : spy
(d) touch : grip
ps
:A
nal
ogies
What type of analogy is this?
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Fill in the blanks
to complete the analogy.
There are many correct answers.
Dai
counselor : advise :: _____________ : _____________
ly
22
-U
rm
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Wa
Write the relationship sentence you used to complete
this analogy.
ps
:A
nal
ogies
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To purchase the entire Daily Warm-Ups book on this topic
with 180 daily exercises:
Call 1-800-341-6094
or visit us online at www.walch.com
Use promotional code DDWU to receive 10% off
all Daily Warm-Ups books.
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DIGITAL DAILY WARM-UPS
Grades 5–8
LANGUAGE ARTS
Common
English
Idioms
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Animal Idioms
m
Daily War
a bull in a china shop
-U
ps
om
:C
Maria welcomed the visitors as they came to the door. Today was
her father’s birthday, and she was having a party for him. When it
was time for her father to open his presents, she handed him the
packages one by one. Her father made a favorable comment about
each present and thanked the guests for their thoughtfulness. Everyone
thought the presents were wonderful—except Uncle Mario.
m
on
En
gli
“What a silly gift,” he said when one box was opened. “That looks very cheap,”
sh I
dioms
he said after seeing the contents of another box. He made similar comments for all
the gifts.
When the party was over, Maria told her father she was sorry she had invited Uncle
Mario to his party. When her father asked why, she replied, “He’s like a bull in a
china shop.”
What did Maria mean by saying Uncle Mario’s like a bull in a china shop?
What is the best way to deal with people like this?
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Animal Idioms
Sam and Lucie were getting ready to start their vacation. “Come on.
Hurry up,” said Sam. “I want to get started before the traffic gets bad.”
ps
om
:C
Sam sat down on the sofa and waited until he could stand it no longer.
“Let’s go!” he said impatiently.
-U
“Okay,” said Lucie. “I just have to be sure the windows are closed.”
m
Daily War
to hold your horses
“In a minute,” replied Lucie. “I just want to check that the coffee machine is off.”
m
on
En
Sam paced in the hallway. After a few minutes, he called, “How long does it take to
check a coffee machine?”
gli
sh I
dioms
Lucie responded from the bathroom. “I want to be sure that the water is not dripping.”
Sam’s patience was running out. After waiting a few more minutes, he yelled, “If you don’t
come down right now, I’m leaving without you!”
Lucie, who was checking that the back door was locked, replied, “Hold your horses!”
What do you think Lucie meant by telling Sam to hold his horses?
Do you ever use the expression hold your horses? Explain.
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Business Idioms
m
Daily War
to give the green light
-U
Mrs. Wisnewski lived in a small house in an old neighborhood. At
one time the entire street had been lined with small houses with neat,
tidy lawns and a shade tree in the front yard. Now Mrs. Wisnewski felt
threatened. Her neighborhood was changing. Gradually the small houses
were being torn down and replaced with huge mansions that towered over
the little houses. When Mrs. Wisnewski found out that the house next to
hers was for sale, she decided to do something about it.
ps
om
:C
m
on
En
gli
sh I
dioms
She wrote letters to the editor. She started a petition to stop the demolition of old
houses and got everyone in the neighborhood to sign it. When she presented the petition
to the mayor, he told her, “Sorry, but the city planners have given the builders a green light
on this project.”
What did the mayor mean by saying the builders had received a green light?
Describe a time when you needed to get the green light to do something.
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Business Idioms
-U
A small town in New Mexico was in the news. Someone had
spotted flying saucers from outer space landing there. One family
claimed they were taken aboard the spaceship.
m
Daily War
to strike while the iron is hot
ps
om
:C
The newspaper wrote a story about the spaceship along with an artist’s
sketch of the beings from space. Both the local newspaper and national
television news programs carried the story. Soon the whole country knew
about the incident. People from all over came to the town to see the spot
where the spaceship landed.
m
on
En
gli
sh I
dioms
One of the local residents had an idea. He decided to make T-shirts showing the sketch of
the space people and the name of the town. Then he asked the local gas station owners if they
would display and sell the shirts. He said, “This news story won’t last forever. If you don’t put
these in the window now, you’ll miss your chance. You’ve got to strike while the iron is hot.”
What do you think he meant by strike while the iron is hot?
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Body Idioms
Lyn looked over at Juliet. “I wonder how Juliet can stay so calm
before a big test,” she said to Jack.
m
Daily War
to pick the brain of
ps
om
:C
What does it mean to pick someone’s brain?
-U
“I’m not sure,” Jack answered. “But I think she took some kind of
study course or something. Her grades have gone up lately, and she
does seem to keep cool. I’d sure like to pick her brain. I could use some
tips myself.”
m
on
En
gli
sh I
dioms
Is there anyone whose brain you would like to pick? Why?
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Body Idioms
Mrs. Waters was outside working in her garden when the mail
carrier stopped to deliver the mail.
-U
ps
om
:C
“Mrs. Waters, you certainly have a beautiful garden,” the mail carrier
said as she looked around at the flowers and shrubs. “I especially like
your roses. They’re so big and healthy. My roses are covered with tiny
white bugs. What do you do to make yours look so nice?”
m
Daily War
a green thumb
“Thank you for that compliment,” Mrs. Waters replied. “Mostly I just give my
plants lots of water and fertilizer and tender loving care.”
m
on
En
gli
sh I
dioms
“Whenever I try to plant something, the plant dies. I guess I just don’t have a green thumb like
you,” replied the mail carrier.
What do you think the mail carrier meant by saying that Mrs. Waters had a green thumb?
If you had a green thumb, what would you do?
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Clothes Idioms
-U
ps
Leticia tried to lift Yolanda’s spirits. “The school web site lists tutors.
Why don’t you see if you can find a tutor to help you?” suggested Leticia.
om
:C
Yolanda had earned a failing grade on her last math test. She knew
she was not studying enough. She also knew if her parents found
out about the failing grade, they would not let her go to the dance
on Saturday.
m
Daily War
to buckle down
“That’s a great idea. I’ll do it tonight,” replied Yolanda.
m
on
En
gli
sh I
dioms
That evening Yolanda searched the school’s web site for a list of tutors and their phone
numbers. She called the first name listed under mathematics and set up an appointment for
the next day. When they met, Yolanda explained to the tutor the problems she was having in
math. Then Yolanda asked the tutor, “Do you think I can learn all this before the next test?”
The tutor replied, “I think you can if you buckle down with your math book.”
What did the tutor mean by this statement?
Describe a time when you had to buckle down.
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Clothes Idioms
Two young men were riding their bikes and stopped at Joe’s hot dog
stand to eat.
-U
ps
om
:C
“This sure is a good hot dog,” said one of the bikers. “I always stop
here when I’m on the bike trail.”
m
Daily War
to take one’s hat off to someone
“You’re right about that,” said the other. “I’ve been coming to Joe’s since
I was a kid. My parents used to come here when they were dating. Joe’s hot
dog stand has been here a long time.”
m
on
En
gli
“I wonder how long Joe has been in business,” said the first biker as he took a big bite.
sh I
dioms
“My parents knew Joe. They said he started selling hot dogs on weekends from a pushcart when
he was still in high school—he had to help out with the finances. After high school Joe gave up
his wish to go to college; he started selling hot dogs full time. The business grew, and now Joe’s
got these stands all over the place. I take my hat off to him.”
What did the biker mean by his last statement?
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Color Idioms
ps
om
:C
“Yes, he moved away a few weeks ago. One day, without saying
anything to anyone, he just packed up his things and left me a note.”
-U
Mr. Johnson, the postmaster, was chatting with Ms. Stevens at the
post office counter. “We haven’t had any mail for your son lately.
Has he moved?”
m
Daily War
out of the blue
“Where did he move to?”
m
on
“Australia,” replied Ms. Stevens.
En
gli
sh I
dioms
“Australia!” exclaimed Mr. Johnson. “That must have been quite a shock.”
“Yes, it came right out of the blue. He quit his job and got on a freighter bound for
Australia. I still can’t believe it.”
What does it mean if someone does something out of the blue?
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Color Idioms
-U
om
:C
“Yes, that’s right,” said Juliana into the phone. “We’re so proud of him.
Can you come to the party on Saturday night at our house? We want to
celebrate the fact that he passed with flying colors.”
ps
Juliana was in the process of making several phone calls. She was
inviting friends and relatives to a party to celebrate her brother
passing his English exam, a requirement of foreign students for
entrance to graduate school.
m
Daily War
with flying colors
m
on
En
gli
sh I
dioms
How did Juliana’s brother do on his test?
Have you ever succeeded with flying colors? Describe that experience.
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Food Idioms
“Hey, Mom, your hair looks great,” Randy said.
“It was a great choice. You really know what I like,” Randy said.
om
:C
“Well, glad you liked it. I picked it up on the way home.”
ps
“And dinner tonight was great, too,” Randy said.
-U
“Thanks. Just got it done today,” his mother responded.
m
Daily War
to butter up
m
on
“All right . . . what do you want? Why are you buttering me up?” Randy’s mother
asked with a laugh.
En
gli
sh I
dioms
What does buttering up mean?
What did Randy do to butter up his mother?
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Food Idioms
Two restaurant workers were in the kitchen washing dishes.
-U
ps
“I sure hate this job,” said Miguel. “I can’t wait for the summer to
be over.”
m
Daily War
to spill the beans
om
:C
“Why?” asked Steve.
m
on
“When the summer is over, I will quit this job and go back to college. I only
En
took this job to make some money. But please don’t spill the beans to the boss.
gli
sh I
dioms
If she knew that I was going to quit in a couple of weeks, she would fire me. I need
to make as much money as I can before school starts,” said Miguel.
What did Miguel mean when he asked his friend not to spill the beans?
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Medical Idioms
Two young women were sitting on a park bench talking. One was
rocking a baby carriage trying to lull the child back to sleep.
m
Daily War
to feel on top of the world
“Alicia,” replied the second woman. “We named her after my mother.”
om
:C
“What’s her name?” asked the first woman.
ps
“Thank you,” said the second woman as she tucked a blanket around
the child.
-U
“You have such a beautiful baby,” said the first woman.
m
on
En
gli
sh I
dioms
“That’s a beautiful name. I’m going to name our first child after my grandmother if we have
a girl,” said the first woman.
“Are you planning to start a family soon?”
“Yes, very soon,” replied the first woman. “My health hasn’t been very good lately, but now
that I’ve changed jobs, all that stress is gone. I’m so relaxed. I feel on top of the world.”
What did the woman mean by her last statement?
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Medical Idioms
“Hey, want to go to the movies?” Todd asked Lauren. “The next
showing starts in a half hour.”
ps
om
:C
“Sorry you’re under the weather. Maybe next week.”
-U
“No, I’m too tired to go. And I think I might have a fever. But you
go ahead,” Lauren answered.
m
Daily War
to be under the weather
What did Todd mean when he described Lauren as being under the weather?
m
on
En
gli
sh I
dioms
Describe a time when you were under the weather.
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Money Idioms
“Did you have any luck finding someone to buy our old computers?”
asked the assistant principal as he entered the principal’s office.
m
Daily War
a dime a dozen
-U
ps
om
:C
“No, I’m afraid not. No one wants to buy old computers. Apparently,
they are a dime a dozen,” replied the principal. “Maybe we can donate
them to the daycare center.”
What did the principal mean by saying old computers were a dime a dozen?
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m
on
En
gli
sh I
dioms
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Number Idioms
-U
ps
om
:C
Amanda and her date were attending a charity dinner at an
exclusive country club. Everyone was dressed in formal attire.
Amanda commented to her date, “Can you believe how some of
these people are dressed?”
m
Daily War
dressed to the nines
“What’s wrong with the way they’re dressed?” asked her date. “I think
everyone looks great. After all, the invitation did say it was a formal affair.”
m
on
En
g
l ish
“Formal, yes, but some of these women are dressed to the nines. Look at the fullIdiom
s
length furs, the sparkling jewelry, the shimmering gowns, the fancy shoes,” said Amanda.
What did Amanda mean when she said the women were dressed to the nines?
Have you ever been dressed to the nines? Explain.
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Number Idioms
“Ready to go?” Ally asked Nolan as he walked into the kitchen.
-U
“Go where?” asked Nolan.
m
Daily War
six of one, a half-dozen of the other
om
:C
“Oh, yeah,” Nolan sighed. “Well, where should we go first?”
ps
“We’re supposed to get groceries and go to the recycling center today,”
Ally answered.
“I don’t care. It’s six of one, a half-dozen of the other,” Ally replied.
m
on
En
gli
sh I
dioms
What did Ally mean when she said “It’s six of one, a half-dozen of the other”?
Have you ever used this expression? Describe that situation.
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To purchase the entire Daily Warm-Ups book on this topic
with 180 daily exercises:
Call 1-800-341-6094
or visit us online at www.walch.com
Use promotional code DDWU to receive 10% off
all Daily Warm-Ups books.
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DIGITAL DAILY WARM-UPS
Grades 5–8
LANGUAGE ARTS
Commonly
Confused
Words
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among (prep)—surrounded by; in the number or class of (generally
refers to more than two persons or things)
Example: Among the triplets, Gary was the largest at birth.
U
Dai ly Wa r m-
among, between
p s:
Co
between (prep)—in common to; shared by (generally refers to two
persons or things)
mm
nl
o
Example: It is difficult to decide between Jack and Joe for prom king.
y
Co
nfu
Circle the proper word to make the sentence correct.
sed
W or ds
1. (Among, Between) the five of you, you ought to be able to come up with a solution.
2. It is difficult for two people to keep a secret (among, between) them and not tell others.
3. The twins were able to divide the candy (among, between) themselves.
4. To paraphrase Ben Franklin, three can keep a secret (among, between) themselves
if two of them are dead.
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bad (adj)—not good in manner or degree; unpleasant, unattractive,
unfavorable, spoiled
mm
nl
o
badly (adv)—in a defective, an incorrect, or an undesirable way; in an
unsatisfactory, inadequate, or unskilled manner
Co
Example: I felt really bad about your having to rewrite your essay
five times.
p s:
Example: Alphonse made a very bad choice when he decided to
leave school early.
U
Dai ly Wa r m-
bad, badly
y
Co
nfu
Example: The trumpet part was played so badly that the performance was ruined.
sed
W or ds
Circle the proper word to make the sentence correct.
1. The stagnant water smelled (bad, badly) from the decaying leaves.
2. The lobsters went (bad, badly) after sitting in the barrel for six hours without ice.
3. The chess team played so (bad, badly) they finished in last place in the tournament.
4. Charles felt (bad, badly) about passing up the opportunity for a large scholarship.
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capital (n)—a city or town that is the official seat of government
in a country or state; an uppercase letter of the alphabet; wealth or
resources
Co
Example: Always use a capital letter to begin a sentence.
p s:
Example: Sacramento is the capital of California.
U
Dai ly Wa r m-
capital, capitol
mm
nl
o
Example: When a company runs out of capital, it generally files for
bankruptcy.
capitol (n)—primarily, the building in Washington, D.C., where Congress sits,
or similar buildings used by state legislators
y
Co
nfu
sed
W or ds
Example: At the capitol in Augusta, the legislators pass laws that affect Maine people.
Note: When referring to the capitol in Washington, the word is uppercase.
Circle the proper word to make the sentence correct.
1. I have a hard time differentiating between your lowercase and (capital, capitol) letters.
2. I have invested all of my (capital, capitol) in mutual funds.
3. On the steps of the (capital, capitol) in Texas, the governor took his oath of office.
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choose (vb)—to decide on and pick out; to select; to prefer
Example: When you choose the topic for this essay, be sure you
state your thesis clearly.
U
Dai ly Wa r m-
choose, chose
p s:
chose—past tense of choose
Co
mm
nl
o
Example: Alex chose all of his electives in the area of science, his
intended major.
y
Circle the proper word to make the sentence correct.
Co
nfu
sed
W or ds
1. We all hope to (choose, chose) friends who will stand by us in times of need.
2. After deliberating for a few minutes, Maria (choose, chose) the most obvious route home.
3. In college, one usually (chooses, choses) a major after the first year.
4. Anyone who drives after consuming alcohol is (choosing, chosing) to flirt with disaster.
5. Hattie (choose, chose) several new books to read on her trip to Ireland.
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desert (n)—a dry or an arid area
Example: Incredible sandstorms often sweep across the desert.
desert (v)—to leave or abandon
U
Dai ly Wa r m-
desert, dessert
mm
nl
o
Example: Fruit can be a refreshing dessert, especially in the summer.
Co
dessert (n)—the sweet food served as the last course of a meal
p s:
Example: The Speaker of the House found his allies deserted him
when it came to passing the crime bill.
y
Co
nfu
sed
W or ds
Write four complete sentences of your own, two using the noun dessert and two using
either the noun or verb form of desert.
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formally (adv)—in a formal manner; conventional
Example: Ella and Craig were formally introduced for the first
time at the dance.
Co
mm
Example: Diane Belcher was formerly known as Diane Forsberg.
p s:
formerly (adv)—previously or at an earlier time
U
Dai ly Wa r m-
formally, formerly
o
nl
Think of a memory trick or device that you can use to help you remember
the meanings of formally and formerly. Then write a short paragraph that
contains both formally and formerly.
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y
Co
nfu
sed
W or ds
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forth (adv)—forward, onward, out into view
Example: The debaters put forth their best arguments in their
closing remarks.
Co
mm
Example: Richard was the fourth of seven children.
p s:
fourth (adj)—the number four used in a series
U
Dai ly Wa r m-
forth, fourth
o
nl
Write a short paragraph using both forth and fourth.
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y
Co
nfu
sed
W or ds
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its (pronoun)—owned by; belonging to
Example: A horse uses its tail to swat flies and other insects.
it’s—contraction of it is
p s:
Co
mm
Example: I don’t want to go into any more detail about your
birthday present; it’s a secret.
U
Dai ly Wa r m-
its, it’s
o
nl
Circle the proper word to make the sentence correct.
y
Co
nfu
1. The camel stores water in (its, it’s) body for weeks, requiring less fluid than
most animals.
sed
W or ds
2. (Its, It’s) clear that the answer to the problem is quite complex.
3. One can easily identify the lilac because of (its, it’s) distinctive odor.
4. (Its, It’s) interesting how the male pheasant shows off (its, it’s) plumage by fanning
(its, it’s) tail feathers.
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Remember that lay means to place, and lie means to recline.
Circle the proper word to make the sentence correct.
U
Dai ly Wa r m-
lay, lie
p s:
Co
mm
1. Just (lie, lay) your tools on the workbench, and let me show you
what needs to be done.
3. According to legend, Rip Van Winkle had (lain, laid) down and slept for
100 years.
nl
o
2. The wounded dog (lay, laid) there while the veterinarian examined
and cleaned the cut.
y
Co
nfu
sed
W or ds
4. Kyle (lay, laid) ten boxes of tile to complete the huge kitchen floor.
Write four sentences using the same method as in the examples above, with a choice for the
terms lie and lay or their other forms. Then exchange your sentences with a classmate’s, and
complete his or her sentences by circling the proper term to make the sentence correct.
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Let’s review the words. Loose means free or untied. Lose means to
misplace or fail to win. An easy way to remember how to use lose
correctly is to recall that it is related to the word lost.
U
Dai ly Wa r m-
loose, lose
p s:
Co
mm
nl
o
The following sentences may contain an incorrect form of loose or
lose. Circle the misused word(s), and write the correct form(s) above.
Some sentences may already be correct.
1. Joey losely tied Rachel’s shoes so that she would trip and fall.
y
Co
nfu
2. Monica was still upset about loosing her earrings.
sed
W or ds
3. Chandler’s pants were too lose, and he needed a belt to hold them up.
4. Phoebe would lose her head if it weren’t attached.
5. Ross felt like a looser because he couldn’t get a date.
6. Every time Emma would loose her penguin, Rachel would know Joey had stolen it.
Now write two sentences of your own, making sure to use both loose and lose.
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Stare can be a noun as well as a verb.
stare (n)—a fixed look with the eyes wide open
p s:
Example: Emily tried to avoid Blake’s stare but was unable to
do so.
U
Dai ly Wa r m-
stair, stare
Co
mm
nl
o
Circle the proper word to make the sentence correct.
1. Sydney had to climb seven flights of (stairs, stares) to reach her
apartment.
y
Co
nfu
sed
W or ds
2. John drew (stairs, stares) from the crowd because of his unorthodox attire.
3. Holly (staired, stared) at the calculus test with a blank mind.
4. Start at the bottom, and climb the (stairs, stares) to reach your dreams.
5. Joseph was completely unabashed by the (stairs, stares) of his audience.
Write two sentences. Use stair in one and stare as a noun in the other.
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Remember, steal means to take something without permission.
Steel is a metal.
Co
mm
nl
o
1. Courtney’s nerves of (steal, steel) made her a daunting opponent
in debate.
p s:
Circle the proper word to make the sentence correct.
U
Dai ly Wa r m-
steal, steel
2. Bailey was concerned that Steve would (steal, steel) the scene from her
onstage.
y
Co
nfu
sed
W or ds
3. Let’s (steal, steel) a few minutes away from this place and relax.
4. Mark would (steal, steel) your shirt off your back if he could.
5. The (steal, steel) bars covered the windows of the jewelry store to discourage thieves
from (stealing, steeling).
6. The vault, made of solid (steal, steel), was the latest addition to the store.
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Co
mm
nl
o
Circle the correct words in the following paragraph.
p s:
These three words are often misused because they all sound the
same. By remembering simple tricks, it is easy to use the correct
word. When using their, make sure the word shows ownership.
There can easily be remembered by here. There refers to a place
or location, just as here does. They’re is a contraction for they are.
When you use they’re, ask yourself if the words they are fit in the
same spot.
U
Dai ly Wa r m-
their, there, they’re
y
Co
nfu
sed
W or ds
People can be very funny, by which I mean strange and weird, not humorous. Take those who
think (their, there, they’re) ideas are the only ones that matter. I think (their, there, they’re)
suffering from delusions of grandeur. Then (their, there, they’re) are those who want to force
(their, there, they’re) ideas on you, even though you make it clear that you do not share (their,
there, they’re) position. However, (their, there, they’re) is no limit to (their, there, they’re)
boldness. Often (their, there, they’re) so rude that (their, there, they’re) still talking at you
even after you’ve said you’re not interested.
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weather (n, adj)—the state of the atmosphere with respect to
wind, temperature, clouding, moisture, pressure, and so forth; a
weathercast
p s:
Co
Example: Darren listened to the weather forecast before he
decided to fly home.
U
Dai ly Wa r m-
weather, whether
mm
weather (v)—to expose to the weather; to age or discolor by the weather;
to bear up against and come safely through a storm or trouble
nl
o
Example: The weather was bright and clear as the hikers continued
their journey.
y
Co
nfu
sed
W or ds
Example: The wind and rain weathered the natural wood of the cabin.
whether (conj)—used to introduce the first of two alternatives, and sometimes repeated before
the second alternative, usually with or; used to introduce a single alternative, the other being
implied or understood
Example: Whether or not we have finished the project is still undecided.
Write one sentence using all four words above. You will have to be creative, and your sentence
may have to be quite long.
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whose (adj, pronoun)—the possessive form of who that indicates
ownership
Co
mm
Example: Mary, whose raincoat was missing, got soaked on the
first day of school. (pronoun)
p s:
Example: I don’t care whose book this is; it needs to be covered.
(adj)
U
Dai ly Wa r m-
whose, who’s
nl
o
who’s—contraction of who is
y
Example: Who’s the winner of the raffle?
Co
nfu
sed
W or ds
Circle the proper word to make the sentence correct.
1. Janice is the sophomore (whose, who’s) representing the class at the board meeting.
2. Noah is the soccer player (whose, who’s) jersey number is 62.
3. We need to know (whose, who’s) fault the accident was so we can initiate legal action.
4. Tell me, (whose, who’s) the one who put that graffiti on the back wall of the school?
5. We don’t know (whose, who’s) going to be the center on the basketball team.
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your (adj)—the possessive form of you that indicates ownership
Example: Please place all of your books on the floor before we
begin the test.
U
Dai ly Wa r m-
your, you’re
p s:
you’re—contraction of you are
mm
nl
o
Circle the correct words in the following paragraph.
Co
Example: There is no question that you’re going to do well in the
debate.
y
Co
nfu
sed
W or ds
(Your, You’re) not always sure of (your, you’re) own abilities, especially when every time you do
something using (your, you’re) own talent, (your, you’re) immediately criticized for using (your,
you’re) creativity. As you get older and more experienced, however, (your, you’re) confidence
will be renewed, and (your, you’re) going to believe in (your, you’re) approach to (your, you’re)
own original artwork. Trust me, (your, you’re) going to be a very successful artist in whatever
medium you choose.
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To purchase the entire Daily Warm-Ups book on this topic
with 180 daily exercises:
Call 1-800-341-6094
or visit us online at www.walch.com
Use promotional code DDWU to receive 10% off
all Daily Warm-Ups books.
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DIGITAL DAILY WARM-UPS
Grades 5–8
LANGUAGE ARTS
Critical
Thinking
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Language Arts
He Said, She Said**
pronounced
whined
__________
__________
__________
__________
__________
__________
__________
__________
__________
__________
__________
__________
__________
__________
__________
__________
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62
s:
p
elaborated
-U
rm
Wa
explained
Daily
Author I. M. Beauring just completed his latest novel, He Said,
She Said, which is written completely in dialogue. However, Mr.
Beauring feels the book needs some editing. The word said is used
over and over again, thousands of times. Can you help this author?
Write as many words as you can that might be used in place of said.
A few are listed to get you started.
Cr
itic
al T
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g
Language Arts
Sort It!*
wolves
puppies
foxes
kits
cubs
foals
ducklings
calves
chicks
deer
fawns
blackbirds
s:
p
geese
goslings
horses
cows
herds
-U
rm
Wa
chickens
dogs
ducks
flocks
packs
Daily
Sort the words below into two or more categories. Write the name
of the category at the top of each list.
Cr
itic
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Category: _____________ Category: _____________ Category: _____________
In the space below, sort the same words again, a different way.
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Language Arts
Build Your Own Compounds*
Daily
-U
rm
Wa
Compound words are two words put together to make a new word.
Examples are snowman, basketball, and upstairs. Add to each word
below to make as many compound words as you can. Remember,
you can add a word to the beginning or to the end!
2. water ______________________ 6. light ______________________
3. man ______________________ 7. time ______________________
s:
p
1. sun _______________________ 5. house _____________________
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itic
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4. some ______________________ 8. over ______________________
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Language Arts
Synonyms**
hustle
run
race
fly
1. guffaw smile
laugh giggle
_______
_______
_______
_______
2. chilly
arctic
cold
biting
_______
_______
_______
_______
3. spacious ample
large
roomy
_______
_______
_______
_______
4. outdo
defeat
vanquish beat
_______
_______
_______
_______
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s:
p
hustle
fly
-U
rm
Wa
run
race
Daily
No two words mean exactly the same thing. Synonyms are words
that have similar meanings. The words listed are groups of synonyms.
Write them in order by degree, with the least first and the strongest
last. One example has been done for you.
Cr
itic
al T
hinkin
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Language Arts
Goodbye to Clichés!***
_________________________________________________
s:
p
1. It was as dark as night.
-U
rm
Wa
cliché: He was as cold as ice.
new: He was as cold as a bald polar bear at the North Pole.
Daily
A cliché [klee-SHAY] is a worn-out way to say something. A
simile is a comparison using the word like or as. The similes below
are all clichés. Get rid of them for good! Write new similes that
are fresh and original. Check out this example:
Cr
itic
al T
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2. It happened quick as a wink.
_________________________________________________
3. He was as quiet as a mouse.
_________________________________________________
4. She is as strong as an ox.
_________________________________________________
5. The air is as dry as a bone.
_________________________________________________
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Language Arts
How Do You Do It? 1**
Daily
-U
rm
Wa
You know how to outline a report, right? Imagine that you are
teaching a younger student how to make an outline. Below, write
your explanation of how to do it.
p
s:
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itic
al T
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Language Arts
Thinking Like an Editor**
-U
rm
Wa
Can I take out any unnecessary words or sentences?
Do I need diagrams or drawings to help readers understand what I am saying?
Copyright, Walch Publishing 2006
s:
p
Did I include all the important information?
Daily
You have just finished the first draft of a report for school.
Tomorrow you will revise and edit it. What questions should you
ask yourself as you reread the paper and decide how to improve it?
Use the questions below to get started.
68
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itic
al T
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Language Arts
The Story of You*
Daily
The story of your life has just been published! Write a table of
contents for the book.
-U
rm
Wa
p
s:
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itic
al T
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Language Arts
What Do You Think?**
Money cannot buy happiness.
-U
rm
Wa
Money is indeed the most important thing in the world.
Daily
Read the following quotations. Tell which one you agree with,
and why.
p
s:
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itic
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Language Arts
Proverb 2***
-U
rm
Wa
Where there is smoke, there is fire.
Daily
A proverb is a saying that might apply to many situations. Read
the proverb below. Write what it means in your own words. Then
tell whether or not you agree with the proverb, and why.
p
s:
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itic
al T
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Language Arts
Fables 1: What’s the Moral?**
-U
rm
Wa
The Fox and the Crow
Daily
Every fable has a moral, or lesson to teach. Read the fable below.
Write the moral in your own words.
s:
p
A crow and a fox spied a piece of cheese at the same time. The crow
swooped down and snatched the cheese in his beak.
The fox was wily, however. He said, “My, my. I have always admired your
flying abilities, Sir Crow.”
The crow fluffed his feathers and nodded vigorously.
Cr
itic
al T
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g
“And those feathers of yours. So shiny. So sleek.”
The crow nodded again, harder this time.
“Why, if you had a really first-class caw, I think you would be the finest crow in this forest,” the
fox declared.
“Mmmph!” said the crow. He still had that cheese in his mouth.
The fox shrugged. “You do not have that mighty voice that the best crows need.”
At that, the crow opened his beak and gave a mighty CAW! The cheese dropped from his wideopen beak.
The fox picked up the cheese. Grinning, he trotted home with his tasty lunch.
The moral is _______________________________________________________
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Language Arts
New Kid in School***
Daily
-U
rm
Wa
Imagine that you have just started school in a country where you
do not know the language. The language does not use the same
alphabet that English uses. List at least three ways that you can
communicate to ask where the cafeteria is.
p
s:
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73
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itic
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Language Arts
Yawners and Grabbers***
-U
rm
Wa
1. The Yawner
Daily
Write two beginnings for the same story. Make the first one dull
and ordinary. Write the second one so that you really keep your
readers on the edge of their seats.
p
s:
Cr
itic
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2. The Attention-Grabber
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Language Arts
No two words mean exactly the same thing, but words that have
similar meanings are called synonyms.
Sort the words in the list below into groups of synonyms.
-U
arm
Daily W
Work, Play, and Travel
ps
journey
sport
art
delight
labor
talk
assignment
duty
move
toil
business
employment
occupation
trade
calling
enjoyment
pleasure
travel
car
entertainment
proceed
trek
chat
explore
profession
verbalize
chore
fun
recreation
vocation
converse
gab
roam
voyage
craft
job
speak
yak
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C
:
cruise
amusement
rit
ica
lT
h ink
ing
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Language Arts
-U
arm
Daily W
George Washington and the Cherry
Tr e e
ps
“George,” said his father, “do you know who killed that beautiful little cherry tree yonder in the garden?” This was a tough question, and
George staggered under it for a moment but quickly recovered himself.
Looking at his father, with the sweet face of youth brightened with the
C
rit
inexpressible charm of all-conquering truth, he bravely cried out, “I
ica
lT
can’t tell a lie, Pa. You know I can’t tell a lie. I did cut it with my hatchet.”
h ink
ing
“Run to my arms, you dearest boy,” cried his father in transports, “run to my
arms! Glad am I, George, that you killed my tree for you have paid me for it a thousand fold. Such an act of heroism in my son is worth more than a thousand trees,
though blossomed with silver and their fruits of purest gold.”
:
—Mason Locke Weems (1759-1825)
Do you believe this story? Why or why not? If you do believe it, how do you
explain it? If you don’t believe it, why do you think someone would make it up?
Copyright, Walch Publishing 2006
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To purchase the entire Daily Warm-Ups book on this topic
with 180 daily exercises:
Call 1-800-341-6094
or visit us online at www.walch.com
Use promotional code DDWU to receive 10% off
all Daily Warm-Ups books.
Copyright, Walch Publishing 2006
77
www.walch.com
DIGITAL DAILY WARM-UPS
Grades 5–8
LANGUAGE ARTS
Daily Edits
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Proofread the following memorandum from
Principal Eisner about the dress code. Pay special attention to
punctuation (colons and commas) and capitalization. Mark your
corrections on the memo.
Dai
TO parents and students of Charlotte cove Middle school
ly
Wa
FROM principal Perez
rm
-U
DATE september 15 20__
SUBJECT dress code
It has come to my attention that some of our students are not following the
ps
:D
aily
E di t s
Dress Code at the Middle School. The following articles of clothing are not allowed at our
school flip-flops, T-shirts with offensive language, clothing that exposes the midriff, ripped or torn
clothing, or excessively tight or short pants.
We reserve the right to send home any student who doesn’t adhere to the dress code. Please send
questions or complaints to this address Principal Perez, c/o dress code committee, charlotte cove
middle school, charlotte cove maine 04___.
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Take the facts
of this story, and write your own version
rich with descriptive language and sentence variety.
Cliff sneaked into Mr. Klepp’s classroom after school. He told the
custodian that he had forgotten his homework. He looked around
Dai
ly
the classroom for a way to get back at the girls. He saw a stack of
tests on Mr. Klepp’s desk. Mr. Klepp hadn’t corrected them yet. Cliff
Wa
like they had cheated. Finally, he found his test. He changed some of his
answers to what Isabel and Samantha had. Then he left the classroom and
went home.
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rm
found Sammy’s and Isabel’s papers and changed some answers. Now
they would fail the test. He also made their answers the same. It looked
ps
:D
aily
E di t s
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Find the errors in this story. Mark your corrections below.
As Mr. Klepps students munched on there salad and a crusty loaf
of bread that Mr. Klepp had baked that weekend, Sammy seen
something out the window that make her jump. “Mr. Klepp!” she
ly
Wa
-U
rm
“Thats not a chicken,” Mr. Klepp laffed between bites of salad.
“That’s a goose. Her eggs are in the quiche your eating right now.”
Dai
screemed, “Their is a giant white chicken running around in you’re
backyard!”
ps
:D
aily
“Im going to be sick,” Isabel said.
E di t s
In the meantime, Sammy was out of her chair and runing to the backyard to meet
this adorable duck. Mr. Klepp called, “Wate!” but it was to late. No sooner had Sammy started
chaseing the goose than the goose turns around, honkeing like a lunatic, and started chasing Sammy!
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Put commas where they are needed in the following story.
Correct the five misspelled words.
“I wounder what’s wrong with Pete” Nate said.
-U
rm
mowing the front lawn. “Have you seen Pete? He left practice without
saying goodby” Leo explaned.
Wa
As he rode his bike up to Pete’s house he saw Marjorie Pete’s mom
ly
was his favorate place to go when he was feeling upset.
Dai
“I don’t know” Leo answered “but I’ll find out.” He laid his
drumsticks down and headed for Pete’s tree house which Leo knew
ps
:D
aily
E di t s
“I didn’t notice him come in Leo” she said. “I’ve had the lawn mower going full
blast and I must not have heared him.”
“I’ll check in the tree house” Leo said but Marjorie had started the lawn mower again and couldn’t
hear him.
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Add punctuation and capitalization to the following
letter.
november 15 20__
-U
rm
earlier this year and we would really like to have you as our band
Wa
before thanksgiving break and we were wondering if you would play
we know it’s short notice but you were the favorite band at the social
ly
the eighth-grade class is planning a dance to be held on the friday
Dai
dear truck stop members
ps
:D
aily
E di t s
the class would be willing to pay you twenty percent of the money we earn
we are going to sell tickets for five dollars so you would earn a dollar for everyone who
comes to the dance you would need to play between 700 and 1000 PM and you would
need to set up and strike your equipment that evening
please let us know if you are willing to play thank-you for considering our offer
sincerely
claire fields
eighth-grade class president
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Make sure each underlined pronoun is in the
correct number and case. If it is, write C above it. If not, cross it out
and correct it.
Dai
ly
Mr. Klepp wasn’t too impressed with the work their students were
doing lately. He wanted to talk to his colleagues about it, so him and
Mr. Abdul, who teaches seventh grade, took a run after work to chat.
Wa
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rm
Mr. Klepp explained to his friend, “My students and myself got off to
a great start this year, but now they all seem to be slumping, and I can’t
seem to inspire them. Between you and I, I’m beginning to get worried.”
ps
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“Hmmm, this is serious,” Mr. Abdul said. “Everyone knows your an inspiring
teacher, so if you hit a rut, then what must regular guys like I be going through? Are even
your best students, like Samantha and Pete, struggling?”
“Them and their friends are all struggling. The other day, Sammy and Isabel had an oral report
due. Sammy said that her and Isabel needed an extension because they were having a bad day!
I couldn’t believe it.”
“Sounds like you need to reward the students whom excel and punish those who don’t,”
Mr. Abdul advised.
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Proofread Isabel’s journal entry to Mr. Klepp.
Dear Mr. Klepp,
Bring Your Child to Work Day was a disastir for me. As you know,
Dai
I was exited about going to my mom’s office, because she is a partner
at a law firm, and I’m very proud of her. I wanted her to be proud of
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colleagues and employes, she stuck me in a room all by myself and
asked me to attatch mailing labels and licking envilopes all day. She
almost forgot to let me out at lunchtime!
Wa
me, too. But when I got there, after she introduced me to her
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I didn’t learn anything about being a loyer, and it was the least glamerus day of
my life. I thought I would feel special, but I just felt like one of her lackeys. At the end of the
day, when I complaned to her about it, she said, “You learned the most valuble lesson of all.
You have to work hard to make it to the top of your proffession, unless you want to lick envelopes
for the rest of your life.” I still think she just used me.
Your disapointed student,
Izzie
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Correct the sentences below.
1. Izzie likes to play basketball, but she is a real slow runner.
2. Sammy, on the other hand, runs good but dribbles bad.
ly
the game.
Dai
3. Fiona has never played basketball, so she looks strangely playing
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4. She’s a natural athlete, though, so she’s improving real fast.
5. The team feels well about their chances for victory this season.
6. They have been practicing pretty consistent, and they have been working
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hardly.
7. They want to win real bad, so they will do anything it takes.
8. Their coach, Mrs. Klepp, plays really good, too.
9. She was a starting forward on her college team, and she was real talented.
10. Now, when she coaches the team, she shouts fierce but she is fairly.
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Use an appositive phrase to combine each pair of
sentences. Be sure to set it off with commas.
Example: Fiona is an accomplished fiddler. She is an exchange
student at our school.
Dai
Fiona, an accomplished fiddler, is an exchange student at
ly
Wa
our school.
-U
rm
Or: Fiona, an exchange student at our school, is an accomplished
fiddler.
ps
1. Nate and Leo are both members of Pete’s band. They are in eighth grade.
:D
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2. Mr. Klepp is a published author. He teaches language arts at CCMS.
3. Truck Stop is playing at a Battle of the Bands. It is a student band.
4. Sammy and Izzie are starting a band, too. They are two girls in Mr. Klepp’s class.
5. Fiona plays the fiddle and sings beautifully. She wants to join the band.
6. Izzie and Sammy are the bandleaders. They’re not sure they want someone to join who will only
live in town for a few more months.
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When writing a paragraph, it is important
to arrange the ideas in some order. Writers commonly use
chronological order, spatial order, or order of importance. Outline
Wa
putting in and taking out the lobster boats and pleasure boats belonging to
-U
rm
The houses in his neighborhood are arranged around the cove, where
people have their boats moored. On the shore, there is a boat ramp for
ly
Pete’s neighborhood resembles fishing villages all over the world.
Dai
the topic sentence and main ideas in the following paragraph. Then
decide how it is organized.
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those who live in the neighborhood. Alongside the ramp is a dock where skiffs,
dories, and tenders are tied. Most of the houses along the waterfront have piles of
lobster traps stacked in the front yards, and, in some cases, the boats resting in the side yards
are almost as big as the modest houses next to them. Although people think of the front door
as the door facing the street, for many the main entrance is the one facing the water and the
path down to the docks dotting the shoreline.
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Combine the following sentences using the
subordinating conjunction or relative pronoun provided. When
you have finished, think of another way you could combine the
sentences.
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rm
Beau played Cajun music. (which)
Wa
2. Fiona didn’t know that fiddles were also popular in Cajun music.
ly
Celtic music was popular in the United Kingdom. (because)
Dai
1. Beau wasn’t surprised to see Fiona with a fiddle. He knew that
3. Beau asked Fiona to play a little bit of a Celtic song he knew before practice
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started. Fiona blushed furiously. (who)
4. She played the song. Tears came to Beau’s eyes. (when)
5. Fiona asked Beau to play her something. He played her a bit of a zydeco song. (so)
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Sammy and Izzie are on the telephone. Revise their
conversation by replacing the underlined words with more
interesting choices.
Sammy: Isn’t that new kid an awesome guitar player?
Dai
Izzie: Yes, he’s great.
ly
Wa
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Sammy: I was thinking he would make a good addition to our band.
What do you think?
Izzie: Well, he is a great guitarist, but the Charlottes is supposed to be a
girl band.
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Sammy: So, maybe we add one “Charlie.” Let’s face it; our band is pretty bad
right now.
Izzie: That’s true. Wouldn’t it be bad to invite him, though, when we didn’t
invite Fiona?
Sammy: But Fiona plays the fiddle, which would sound bad in a rock band.
Izzie: I know. But I think she feels bad that we didn’t invite her.
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The CCMS Student Council wrote a letter to
parents, asking them to chaperone the Battle of the Bands. Revise it
to eliminate slang and make it more formal in tone.
March 15, 20__
Dai
Yo Moms and Dads,
ly
Wa
your dorky parents coming to your rock concerts? Well, times have
changed, and this little note is to invite you to our Battle of the Bands as a
-U
rm
Remember when you were young? Remember how majorly
important your social life was to you? Remember how you didn’t want
ps
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chaperone. I know, you probably think middle school bands are lame. But that’s cuz
you haven’t been to CCMS, home of some of the best student bands in the state. Besides,
without you guys, the principal won’t let us have our gig. So come, okay? There’s a sign-up sheet at the
bottom of the page, which you should fill out and stick in your kid’s backpack. And tell them that if
they don’t bring it in, you’ll take their bike or something, okay, cuz we really need your help.
Thanks a bunch,
CCMS Student Council
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Create sentence variety in the newspaper article
below. Also eliminate run-ons and fragments. Trade papers with a
partner, and check each other’s work. Then write the revised article.
Battle of the Bands Extravaganza at CCMS
Dai
Wa
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rm
a couple of prizes having a music video produced by One-Hit-Wonders,
ly
On March 30, CCMS hosted the Battle of the Bands it brought
the musical talent of the school together to vie for the coveted
position of best band at CCMS winning the competition also carried
ps
:D
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There were two favorites going into the competition. Truck Stop, a band that has
a local production company, and $100.
played at several school events this year. And the Charlottes, a relatively new band composed of four
sixth-graders Beau, Fiona, Samantha, and Isabel.
What happened that night though was a total surprise instead of either of those bands winning a
group called The Bumps came out of nowhere to win first prize. Even more surprising. The Bumps was
made up entirely of teachers Mr. Klepp, Mrs, Klepp, Mr. Abdul and Ms. Monroe which didn’t seem
fair because she’s the music teacher but the Student Council looked over the rules and there’s no rule
that says that teachers can’t compete.
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Revise Cliff’s speech to add more variety to his
sentence length and structure. Correct the five misspelled words.
My Fellow Sixth-Graders:
Dai
I would like to be your treasurer. I am a hard worker. I am good
with money. I am trustworthey. I get good grades.
ly
Wa
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I do have good friends in this class. I won’t play favrites as
treasurer. I will listen to everybody. I will collaberate with Principal
Perez and the teachers.
I will come up with good fundrasers. I will keep careful track of our classes
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money. I will make sure we have the cash for a good trip in the eighth grade.
Thank you for your vote.
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Mr. Klepp asked his students to write about their plans
for summer vacation. Revise Cliff’s response.
This summer I plan to ride in an airplain for the first time in
my hole life! I am going to Florida to see my Grandmother and
-U
rm
94
Wa
Copyright, Walch Publishing 2006
ly
naybors, so I have mist them a real lot. My faverite Uncle who’s name
is jimmy is comeing with me, so I wont be aloun.
Dai
Grandfather. I love grammie and gramp, and I haven’t seen either of
they since they moved to the south last year. We use to be next door
ps
:D
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Fiona and Beau have to say goodbye to each other,
because Fiona is going back to Scotland. Change their indirect
dialogue to direct dialogue. Then rewrite the dialogue.
Fiona and Beau were standing in the lobby of the airport with
Dai
Wa
Claire told her that she felt the same way, and that she was going to come
-U
rm
never, ever forget them. She gave an extra hug to Claire and told her
that she had always wanted a sister, and now she felt she really had one.
ly
Beau’s mom and Fiona’s host family. Fiona hugged her host parents
and sister first, and she thanked them and told them that she would
ps
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visit Scotland as soon as she could. Then Fiona turned to Beau. They were
both crying. The rest of the group moved away so they could be alone for a minute.
Beau hugged Fiona and told her that he had never loved anybody before, and he wasn’t sure he could
love anybody ever again. Fiona said she felt the same way. Beau promised her that he would write
every day. Fiona said that she would, too, and she promised to send him lots of pictures on e-mail.
Beau said that he would get a job and save up money to visit her. Finally, it was time to part. They
hugged each other for the last time, and Fiona walked away.
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To purchase the entire Daily Warm-Ups book on this topic
with 180 daily exercises:
Call 1-800-341-6094
or visit us online at www.walch.com
Use promotional code DDWU to receive 10% off
all Daily Warm-Ups books.
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DIGITAL DAILY WARM-UPS
Grades 5–8
LANGUAGE ARTS
Journal
Writing
Ways to RESPOND:
Rephrase or restate the quotation in your own words. How is the meaning of the quotation
changed by your choice of words?
Explain the quotation. What do you think the author meant? What does the quotation say about
the life and personality of the author? What does the quotation mean in your life?
Summarize the quotation. Write a short essay in which you explain why you agree with the
thoughts expressed in the quotation. How have your experiences been the same or different from
those expressed in the quotation?
Pose questions. What questions does the quotation spark? What questions would you ask the
author? What questions about life does the quotation raise for you?
Offer an alternative view. Explain why you disagree with the sentiments expressed in the quotation.
Note your first thoughts when you read the quotation. What images, feelings, or memories does the
language evoke? Write a poem with these words that fits the tone and mood of the quotation.
Describe a situation in which this quotation relates to your life.
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Courage
makes us bigger, even though it is hard to realize
this. For the world was built to develop
character, and we must learn that the setbacks
and griefs which we endure help us in our
marching onward.”
—Henry Ford
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:
ps
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“ Life is a series of experiences, each one of which
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Dreams
—George Eliot
:
ps
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Dai ly W
“It is never too late to be what you might have been.”
Jo
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Friendship
—Ralph Waldo Emerson
:
ps
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Dai ly W
“The only way to have a friend is to be one.”
Jo
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Happiness
people.”
—Victor Borge
:
ps
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arm
Dai ly W
“ Laughter is the shortest distance between two
Jo
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Ideas
isn’t thinking.”
—George S. Patton Jr.
:
ps
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arm
Dai ly W
“ If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody
Jo
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Inspiration
inspiration.”
—Thomas Edison
:
ps
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arm
Dai ly W
“Genius is 99 percent perspiration and 1 percent
Jo
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Optimism
pessimist sees danger in every opportunity.”
—Aristotle
:
ps
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arm
Dai ly W
“The optimist sees opportunity in every danger, the
Jo
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Questioning
are and ask why . . . I dream of things that never
were, and ask why not?”
—Robert F. Kennedy
:
ps
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arm
Dai ly W
“There are those who look at things the way they
Jo
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Relationships
of bridges.”
—Joseph Fort Newton
:
ps
-U
arm
Dai ly W
“People are lonely because they build walls instead
Jo
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Self-esteem
consent.”
—Eleanor Roosevelt
:
ps
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arm
Dai ly W
“N o one can make you feel inferior without your
Jo
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Self-reliance
window through which you must see the world.”
—George Bernard Shaw
:
ps
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arm
Dai ly W
“Better keep yourself clean and bright; you are the
Jo
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Solitude
piece of the Continent, a part of the main . . .”
—John Donne
:
ps
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arm
Dai ly W
“No man is an Island, entire of itself; every man is a
Jo
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Success/Failure
enjoyed the process.”
—Oprah Winfrey
:
ps
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arm
Dai ly W
“ I don’t believe in failure. It is not failure if you
Jo
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Taking Action
you get back up.”
—Vince Lombardi
:
ps
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arm
Dai ly W
“It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether
Jo
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Trust
happier to be sometimes cheated than not to
trust.”
—Samuel Johnson
:
ps
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Dai ly W
“It is better to suffer wrong than to do it, and
Jo
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Wealth
the things for which you would not take money.”
—Anonymous
:
ps
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“Measure wealth not by the things you have, but by
Jo
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Words
will break our hearts.”
—Robert Fulghum
:
ps
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arm
Dai ly W
“Sticks and stones may break our bones, but words
Jo
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To purchase the entire Daily Warm-Ups book on this topic
with 180 daily exercises:
Call 1-800-341-6094
or visit us online at www.walch.com
Use promotional code DDWU to receive 10% off
all Daily Warm-Ups books.
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DIGITAL DAILY WARM-UPS
Grades 5–8
LANGUAGE ARTS
Poetry
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Write a poem
that is a “want ad” looking for someone to
take on a responsibility you are sick of having. Try to include why
you no longer want the job, how the job will need to be done, and
its benefits, if any. For example:
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Someone to brush my teeth at night
Must have steady hand
Good at squeezing toothpaste without getting it all over the sink
Must know when I need a new toothbrush
Must never get so tired, like I do,
that you just say “forget it” and climb into bed until Mom yells.
If you are good, the dentist will give you a sticker instead of a filling.
Da
Wanted
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oetry
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Part of a poem
by Sir John Davies, “In Praise of
Dancing,” personifies the ocean, or describes it as if it were a person.
The ocean’s waves are referred to as “his” waves, and each wave is
said to kiss the shore:
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Sometimes his proud green waves in order set,
One after other, flow unto the shore;
Which when they have with many kisses wet,
They ebb away in order, as before.
Personification gives us a specific image of something by relating it to human
actions and thoughts. Can you imagine how the waves seem to kiss the shore
before they ebb, or return to the sea? What other words, usually used to describe
human actions, might describe the way that waves land on the shore?
m-
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oetry
Think of any body of water—a lake, river, ocean, pond or bathtub—and write a poem
personifying how it interacts with something else—the land, the sky, children, fish,
plants, birds, boats, or anything else. Concentrate on giving the water a human action
that isn’t usually associated with it; for example: “The river held our small boat like a
knapsack on its back, letting us bounce as it ran to meet its friends.”
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Lewis Carroll
invented something called a portmanteau
word in Alice in Wonderland. A portmanteau is a kind of suitcase,
and Humpty Dumpty says that a portmanteau word has more than
one meaning “packed up” into it. Humpty Dumpty explains the
beginning of this poem, “Jabberwocky,” to Alice:
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’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
m-
Humpty Dumpty says that “slithy” means lithe and slimy. Can you guess what the
other portmanteau words in the poem mean? Write some of your own to describe
what kind of day it is outside.
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Andrew Marvell
describes being in a lush place in his
poem “The Garden”:
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What wondrous life is this I lead!
Ripe apples drop about my head;
The luscious clusters of the vine
Upon my mouth do crush their wine;
The nectarine and curious peach
Into my hands themselves do reach;
Stumbling on melons, as I pass,
Ensnared with flowers, I fall on grass.
m-
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s: P
oetry
Write a poem about being in a beautiful, full garden. Like Marvell, talk about
the things that you can eat, smell, see and touch. You can make the garden a
little magical, the way that Marvell imagines the nectarine and peach reaching
themselves into the speaker’s hands.
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In this poem,
called “A Wish,” Samuel Rogers wishes he
could live outside, next to a hill:
Mine be a cot beside the hill;
A bee-hive’s hum shall soothe my ear;
A willowy brook, that turns a mill,
With many a fall shall linger near.
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The swallow oft beneath my thatch
Shall twitter from her clay-built nest;
Oft shall the pilgrim lift the latch
And share my meal, a welcome guest.
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oetry
Write a poem about an outside place in which you wish you could live—on a cloud,
in the forest, on an iceberg, next to a hot spring, anywhere. What would you hear
there? Who would visit you? What would you do together?
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What is
your favorite thing to do on the first day of summer
vacation? Write a poem in which you explain how to make that day
great. Write it as if you are giving directions, like this:
Da
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This kind of poem, in which you are giving directions by using words like
stay, go, eat, run, meet, is called imperative.
ily
Stay up late the night before.
Go to bed only if your parents make you.
Eat a quick breakfast of cereal and then run out to the pool
Meet your friends for soccer in the afternoon . . .
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Write a poem
that introduces an object and then lists
everything the object could possibly be used for. Be imaginative
in thinking about uses for your object. You may want to start:
“A ________ is good for _________” and then continue your list.
Here’s an example:
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Da
A jar is good for holding jam
Catching fireflies
Drinking if you have a wide mouth
Rolling into pins when you’ve lost your bowling balls . . .
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If you had to give
one piece of advice to your whole
class, what would it be? Marcus Garvey wrote an advice poem
telling everyone to “Keep Cool”:
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. . . Let no trouble worry you;
Keep cool, keep cool!
Don’t get hot like some folk do,
Keep cool, keep cool!
What’s the use of prancing high
While the world goes smiling by.
You can win if you would try,
Keep cool, keep cool.
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oetry
Write a poem containing a simple piece of advice. You may want to give it a rhythm,
the way Garvey did, or make it sound like an advertisement or jingle.
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Read this excerpt
of a poem called “Answer Me” by
Adah Isaacs Menken:
Da
The Storm struggles with the Darkness.
Folded away in your arms, how little do I heed their battle!
The trees clash in vain their naked swords against the door.
I go not forth while the low murmur of your voice is drifting
all else back to silence.
The darkness presses his black forehead close to the window
ar
pane, and beckons me without.
mLove holds a lamp in this little room that hath the power to blot back Fear.
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oetry
Imagery is a term used to describe things that we can imagine experiencing with our senses.
Sometimes a poem contains imagery that creates a picture in our heads; maybe when you
read the line “The darkness presses his black forehead close to the window pane” you could
imagine the black night seeming to close in around you. Imagery is often expressed with
similes and metaphors or personification. Some other images in the poem above are “The
Storm struggles with the Darkness,” “The trees clash in vain their naked swords against the
door,” and “Love holds a lamp in this little room.”
Write a few lines about being home on a dark and stormy night. Use imagery to express how
the night feels and what you see and hear.
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Remember,
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Copyright, Walch Publishing 2006
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The window is ___________________________________________.
My family is _____________________________________________.
A mountain is ____________________________________________.
The fog is _______________________________________________.
My personality is __________________________________________.
Da
a metaphor is a comparison of two essentially
unlike things, like a simile, written by saying that one thing is the
other. For example, “The sun is an egg yolk this morning.” Fill in the
blanks below to create imaginative, descriptive metaphors. You can
extend the metaphors if you like; in the example above, an extended
metaphor might be, “The sun is an egg yolk this morning, dropped
into the bowl of the sky without a speck of shell.”
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oetry
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Here are five
words: bread, violet, swing, glow, fan.
Pick one and write a poem using it as the title.
Da
ily
W
ar
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Have you heard
the term déjà vu? In French, it means
already seen, and it describes the feeling that you’ve already experienced something that you are experiencing. Déjà vu sometimes feels
as if you once dreamt the exact scene that you find yourself in.
Dante Gabriel Rossetti wrote “Sudden Light” about feeling a kind
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I have been here before,
But when or how I cannot tell:
I know the grass beyond the door,
The sweet keen smell,
The sighing sound, the lights around the shore.
Da
of déjà vu for a place he is in and a woman he sees:
m-
Up
s: P
oetry
You have been mine before,—
How long ago I may not know:
But just when at that swallow’s soar
Your neck turned so,
Some veil did fall,—I knew it all of yore.
Write a poem about experiencing déjà vu. If you can’t think of an actual incident, imagine one.
Try to name the details that give you the déjà vu feeling—in Rossetti’s poem, it is the grass that
he knows will be behind the door and the shape of the woman’s neck as she raises her head to
follow a bird.
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Choose an object—a car, a violin, a refrigerator, a
salad—and imagine you’ve just turned into it. Write a poem about
your new body. Where are your hands? Your bones? Your tongue?
Your brain? Your feelings?
Da
ily
W
ar
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Up
s: P
oetry
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Write a poem
imagining that you are talking to someone
famous. First set the scene. Is the person at the table next to you in
a restaurant? Are you talking online? Did she show up at your house
asking directions? Then write your conversation, describing what
you say and how nervous you feel (or don’t feel) as you’re saying it.
Da
ily
How does the famous person react? How will your memory of the
encounter be different from the famous person’s?
W
ar
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Up
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oetry
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One-syllable words
can be easy to rhyme: pie, eye,
sky, dry, lie, etc. But what about rhyming words with more than one
syllable? What rhymes with water? With turning? Rhyming just the
last syllable won’t really work; computer doesn’t rhyme with water,
skipping doesn’t rhyme with turning.
Da
John Dryden wrote a poem in which he rhymed the last two syllables
of three long words: possessing, expressing, a blessing. Then, he rhymed
three phrases the same way: descried it, beside it, has tried it. Can you
think of two words that rhyme with “running”? Try to make them full
rhymes like Dryden did—rhyming the “run” syllable and the “ing” syllable,
not just the “ing.” How about two words that rhyme with “broken” and
two more for “butter”?
W
131
ily
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ar
m-
Up
s: P
oetry
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Have you ever wondered
what an animal or
other creature thinks of you? For instance, what your dog thinks of
the way you keep it on a leash and only feed it at certain times, or
what a bug thinks when you step on it? Sarah Orne Jewett wonders
what her pet bird thinks of her in “A Caged Bird”:
ily
ar
W
To open wide thy prison door,
Poor friend, would give thee to thy foes;
And yet a plaintive note I hear,
As if to tell how slowly goes
Da
What can my life seem like to her?
A dull, unpunctual service mine,
Stupid before her eager call,
Her flitting steps, her insight fine.
m-
Up
s: P
oetry
The time of thy long prisoning . . . .
Write a poem in which you speak to a creature that might question the way you act,
explaining yourself.
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To purchase the entire Daily Warm-Ups book on this topic
with 180 daily exercises:
Call 1-800-341-6094
or visit us online at www.walch.com
Use promotional code DDWU to receive 10% off
all Daily Warm-Ups books.
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DIGITAL DAILY WARM-UPS
Grades 5–8
LANGUAGE ARTS
Prefixes,
Suffixes,
& Roots
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Down to the Root IV
Choose the word that best completes each sentence.
Pr
remit
transmission
s:
permit
remission
Up
committed
dismissed
mDa ily W ar
mit or miss: a root meaning to send
ef
s,
e
2. Her excitement quickly turned to disappointment because the car’s
_____________________ was out of order.
ix
1. Jen was so excited when she received a long-awaited
_____________________ to drive a car.
Su
ffi
x es
, &
Root s
3. Jen then _____________________ the whole idea of going for a ride.
4. She _____________________ herself to working hard to buy her own car.
Now write a sentence using the words not used in the sentences above.
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The numbered items below are roots and their meanings. The lettered
items are incomplete words and their definitions. Match the correct
root and word by filling in the lines with the missing root.
mDa ily W ar
More Roots II
Up
praise
4. leg
law
5. lith
stone
s,
e
3. laud
ix
blood
ef
2. hemo
Pr
write
s:
1. graph
Su
ffi
x es
, &
Root s
a. tele________—an instrument for sending messages at a distance
b. ________islature—a group of lawmakers
c. ________ograph—a print made from a plain stone or metal plate
d. app________—to clap one’s hands
e. ________globin—an ingredient in blood
Now write a sentence using at least two of your completed words.
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Graph II
c. graphite
g. oceanography
k. telegraph
d. graphologist
h. phonograph
s,
e
j. stenographer
ix
f. monograph
ef
b. cartography
Pr
i. photograph
s:
e. lithograph
Up
a. biography
mDa ily W ar
Match the following words with the root graph (meaning write) with
their definitions. Write the letter of the word in the line next to its
definition.
Su
ffi
x es
, &
Root s
____ 1. the study of the large bodies of water on the face of the earth
____ 2. mapmaking
____ 3. a soft carbon used in pencils
____ 4. one who studies handwriting to analyze a writer’s character
____ 5. one who takes diction in shorthand
____ 6. a print made from a plain stone or metal plate
Write a sentence using three of the words in the exercise above.
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Numerical Prefixes V
1. A quatrain consists of _____ lines of a poem.
Up
2. A unicycle has _____ wheel.
mDa ily W ar
Fill in the numbers missing from the sentences below.
s:
Pr
3. A nonagenarian is a person who has lived for _____ decades.
ef
ix
4. A vocal sextet consists of _____ singers.
e
s,
5. An actor who plays _____parts is said to have a dual role.
6. A heptagon has _____ sides.
Su
ffi
x es
, &
Root s
7. The Pentagon in Washington, D.C., is a _____-sided building.
8. A triarchy or a triumvirate is a form of government headed by _____ persons.
9. A musical octave consists of _____ notes.
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Super-, Hyper-, Extra- I
mDa ily W ar
Super-, hyper-, and extra- all mean above, over, beyond, or higher. Select
one of these three prefixes to complete each of the words in the
sentences below. If you are not sure which prefix to use, check the
word in the dictionary.
Up
s:
Pr
1. The United States in considered a _________power.
ef
ix
3. What ________curricular activities, besides band, do you participate in?
4. The term _________tension refers to the condition accompanying high
blood pressure.
s,
e
2. She is ________critical of everyone around her.
Su
ffi
x es
, &
Root s
5. John Edwards claims to have _________natural powers since he can forecast
future events.
6. Wasn’t that the most _________ordinary performance you have ever seen?
7. Any creature not from earth would be called an __________terrestrial being.
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Spelling Derived Words IV
mDa ily W ar
Up
s:
Pr
ef
When you attach a prefix to a word, do not change the spelling of the
word or add or subtract letters. For example, when you add dis- to
interested, you merely connect the two (disinterested). When you attach
dis- to similar, you make no changes (dissimilar), even though the
combination has a double s. The prefixes mis-, un-, under-, over-, and
in- follow the same rule, as do the variations of in-, including im-, il-,
and ir-.
ix
e
s,
In the list of words below, change the spelling of the words you think are
spelled incorrectly. In addition, write a brief definition of each word.
Su
ffi
x es
, &
Root s
1. imature
2. dissimilar
3. underated
4. illogical
5. irreverent
6. overregulate
7. mispoke
8. immodest
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Using Hyphens in Prefixes II
mDa ily W ar
Most prefixes are attached directly to the words, but some are
hyphenated. The prefix self- is generally hyphenated (self-conscious).
Prefixes before proper nouns are often, but not always, hyphenated.
Up
s:
Pr
ef
ix
In each sentence below, one word is missing a prefix. Using the prefix
self-, decide whether to write it with or without a hyphen in each sentence.
Use a dictionary, if necessary.
s,
e
1. He is ________less in his devotion to his wife, who has a physical
impairment.
2. The people on this island are largely ________sufficient, raising their
own food, producing their own clothes, and building their own shelters.
Su
ffi
x es
, &
Root s
In the space below, list one word with the prefix self- that is hyphenated and
one word that is not hyphenated. Try to find an exception to the rule. Briefly
define each word, using your dictionary if necessary.
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Verb Suffixes III
Pr
ef
ix
s,
e
3. Let’s formul__ __ __ a new plan now that we have more facts.
s:
2. How can you just__ __ __ your actions in this matter?
Up
1. It is better to praise something done well than to critic__ __ __
something done poorly.
mDa ily W ar
Add a suffix to each of the incomplete verbs below so that each
sentence makes sense.
4. The guerillas constantly terror__ __ __ the villagers.
5. My mom uses reading glasses to magni__ __ the words on the page.
Su
ffi
x es
, &
Root s
Write at least one example of a different word for each suffix in the exercises above.
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Read the sentences below, and find a noun suffix in each one. Write
the suffix on the line at the left.
Up
s:
__________ 1. Sarah is studying journalism, and her sister is
preparing to become a lawyer.
mDa ily W ar
Noun Suffixes II
Pr
s,
e
__________ 4. The nurse reported that his condition was stable but
still not normal.
ix
__________ 3. My assistant made a serious mistake.
ef
__________ 2. Her stubbornness is bound to get her into trouble
sooner or later.
Su
ffi
x es
, &
Root s
__________ 5. The media gave the event considerable coverage.
__________ 6. Because he continued misbehaving, he was given a three-day
suspension.
__________ 7. This draftee has to report for service on Monday next week.
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Practicing with Suffixes VI
-ist
-ward
-ship
-ous
-er
Up
-ly
mDa ily W ar
From the list of suffixes, select one for each of the words below.
Choose the suffix that best fits the word listed.
s:
Pr
ef
ix
1. west__________
e
s,
2. violin__________
3. danger__________
Su
ffi
x es
, &
Root s
4. eventual__________
5. teach__________
6. friend__________
Choose one of the suffixes used above, and write at least ten more words with this
suffix. Be sure to spell them all correctly. What parts of speech are the words you
have listed?
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Up
The combining forms -ology and -logy come from the Greek logos,
meaning word. Words ending with these letters usually refer to a
science or an area of study. Take the root graph (meaning to write) and
add -ology. You have graphology, the study of handwriting.
mDa ily W ar
Studying Suffixes I
s:
b. pathology
d. theology
f. geology
s,
e
e. oncology
ix
c. numerology
ef
a. ornithology
Pr
Look up the words below and match each one with its definition.
Write the letter of the word on the line to the left of its definition.
Su
ffi
x es
, &
Root s
_____ 1. the study of religion and religious beliefs
_____ 2. the study of the causes of illness and disease
_____ 3. the study of numbers and their mystical effect on our lives
_____ 4. the study of birds
_____ 5. the study of tumors (cancer)
Define the word not used in the exercise above.
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Add two or more suffixes to each of the words below. For example,
you can take the word sterile, add the suffixes -ize and -tion, and end
up with the word sterilization.
Up
1. act
mDa ily W ar
Using Two Suffixes IV
s:
Pr
2. friend
ef
ix
3. rely
e
s,
4. rest
5. create
Su
ffi
x es
, &
Root s
One of the longest words in the English language is antidisestablishmentarianism.
List below all the prefixes and suffixes in this word. What is the root?
Prefixes
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Word Elements with Similar Meanings I
mDa ily W ar
Up
Since our prefixes, roots, and suffixes come from more than one
language (primarily Latin and Greek), we have a number of word
elements with the same or similar meanings. For example, the prefixes
mono- and uni- refer to one (as in monorail or unicycle).
s:
viv
bio
scrip
chron
stella
photo
lux, luc
anthro
homo
s,
e
graph
ix
tempo
ef
astro
Pr
Below are two lists of prefixes. Draw a line from the words on the left
to the words on the right that have similar meanings.
Su
ffi
x es
, &
Root s
Think of words with these prefixes. List at least one word per prefix in
the space below.
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Some prefixes and roots have more than one meaning. For example:
d. human, as in homicide
dis-
e. not, as in displeased
f. apart or away, as in dismiss
in-
g. not, as in inaccurate
h. in or within, as in include
ix
c. same, as in homonym
ef
homo-
Pr
b. former, as in ex-teacher
s:
a. out, as in extract
Up
ex-
mDa ily W ar
Word Elements with Two Meanings II
e
s,
In each sentence below, determine the meaning of the underlined prefix
or root. Write the letter of the correct meaning on the line at the left.
Su
ffi
x es
, &
Root s
_____ 1. I will dispose of this as soon as possible.
_____ 2. How can we extricate ourselves from this mess?
_____ 3. The ex-president praised her successor.
_____ 4. I am dissatisfied with that decision.
_____ 5. This method has proved ineffective.
_____ 6. Honesty is ingrained in his character.
_____ 7. In biology class, we used homunculus to study the theory of preformation.
_____ 8. Most milk is now homogenized, so the cream doesn’t settle on top.
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When you come across a word you don’t know, you can often figure
out its meaning from recognizable elements and the context of the
word.
mDa ily W ar
Word Analysis V
Up
Pr
ef
ix
s,
e
1. The evidence in this case is incontrovertible.
s:
The underlined words below contain elements you have studied. Try
to guess the meaning of each word. Write your ideas in the space
provided under each sentence.
Su
ffi
x es
, &
Root s
2. As long as you have your passport, no further verification is necessary.
3. The convocation of graduating seniors will be held on May10.
4. For the patient with high blood pressure, the doctor prescribed an antihypertensive.
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Challenge II
-ile
bio-
life
-nomy
relating to, suited for,
capable of
law
epi-
upon, over
-some
like, tending to
vide-, vis-
see
-tude
state of, condition of
s,
e
hear
ix
audio-
ef
Meaning
Pr
Suffix
s:
Meaning
Up
Prefix
mDa ily W ar
Here are some prefixes and suffixes that may be new to you. Look at
the prefix or suffix and the meaning.
Su
ffi
x es
, &
Root s
In the space below, write examples of words that contain each prefix and suffix.
Write as many examples as you can think of.
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To purchase the entire Daily Warm-Ups book on this topic
with 180 daily exercises:
Call 1-800-341-6094
or visit us online at www.walch.com
Use promotional code DDWU to receive 10% off
all Daily Warm-Ups books.
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DIGITAL DAILY WARM-UPS
Grades 5–8
LANGUAGE ARTS
Spelling &
Grammar
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a state of
being: Manny is in the media center, for example. Other
linking verbs link the subject of the sentence with
another word: Lisa was the winner of the spelling bee.
Action verbs show physical action (Lisa won the
spelling bee), mental action (Manny daydreamed in the
media center), or ownership (Sandi has a new scooter).
e
Sp
s:
Up
rmDaily W a
Some linking verbs show
Write a descriptive paragraph with four to six linking verbs.
After completing your paragraph, substitute action verbs for the
linking verbs. Write the action verbs above the linking verbs.
Change other words in the paragraph as needed.
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lli
ng
&
Gr a
mmar
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a person, a place, a thing,
or an idea. A common noun names any person, place,
thing, or idea (school, town, singer). A proper noun
names a specific person, place, thing, or idea and is
always capitalized (Hughes Middle School, Los Angeles,
Britney Spears).
e
Sp
s:
Up
rmDaily W a
A noun names
List three common nouns related to objects in your classroom.
Then list three proper nouns related to your classroom.
Common Nouns
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ng
&
Gr a
mmar
Proper Nouns
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irregular verbs
(choose, drive, know, swim, take, go, bring, burst) in
a different sentence. Write your sentences in the
present or past tense. Write the verb tense above
each verb.
e
Sp
s:
Up
rmDaily W a
Use each of these
lli
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have two
parts: a subject and a predicate. The subject is who
or what the sentence is about. The predicate tells
something about the subject and always contains
a verb.
e
Sp
s:
Up
rmDaily W a
All complete sentences
Write a one-paragraph review of your favorite television
program. Underline subjects once and predicates twice.
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lli
ng
&
Gr a
mmar
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in bold type in this
sentence: Eight weird animals visited the sheik. These
words are exceptions to which spelling rule? State the
first part of this spelling rule, and give at least five
examples of words that follow the rule.
e
Sp
s:
Up
rmDaily W a
Look at the words
lli
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Gr a
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is a group of words that has a subject
and a verb and is used as part of a sentence. There
are two types of clauses: independent (or main) and
dependent (or subordinate).
Independent clauses can stand alone; they make sense
by themselves and express a complete thought (He ate
a sandwich.). An independent clause can be written
as a simple sentence. Dependent clauses cannot stand
alone and do not express a complete thought (After
he had studied for an hour). They need an independent
clause to complete their meaning.
e
Sp
s:
Up
rmDaily W a
A clause
lli
ng
&
Gr a
mmar
A sentence with one independent clause and at least one dependent
clause is called a complex sentence: After he had studied for an hour,
he ate a sandwich.
Write three simple sentences about an activity you enjoy. Then
change each simple sentence to make it part of a complex sentence.
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a verb form used as a noun:
Volunteering is an important part of his life. Write ten
gerunds that describe something you like to do.
Now use five of the gerunds you wrote in sentences.
Circle the gerunds.
e
Sp
s:
Up
rmDaily W a
A gerund is
lli
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Gr a
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conversation between
you and a friend making plans to go out on the
weekend. Use quotation marks in your dialogue.
Remember to start a new paragraph every time the
speaker changes.
e
Sp
s:
Up
rmDaily W a
Write a telephone
lli
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or a clause is
intended to describe one thing in a sentence but
appears to describe another. This is called a dangling
modifier. Gazing in the window, the boots caught Ellie’s
eye. It was not the boots gazing, but Ellie. This can
be corrected by placing the modifier next to what it
is modifying: Gazing in the window, Ellie saw the boots.
e
Sp
s:
Up
rmDaily W a
Sometimes a phrase
lli
Write four silly sentences with dangling modifiers. Then rewrite
the sentences, correcting the placement of the modifiers.
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that sound
the same but have different meanings and spellings.
Write sentences for these pairs of homonyms: sea/see,
sail/sale, grown/groan, rain/reign, weak/week. Use both
homonyms of the pair in one sentence.
e
Sp
s:
Up
rmDaily W a
Homonyms are words
lli
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to a friend about a movie
you liked or disliked. Use all of these commonly
misspelled words: rapport, recommend, relevant,
scenario, and unanimous. Use a dictionary if you
need to check meanings. Underline the words in
your e-mail. Write a draft of your e-mail below.
e
Sp
s:
Up
rmDaily W a
Write an e-mail
lli
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for a favorite food product. Use
strong action verbs and vivid descriptive adjectives.
Underline the verbs and circle the adjectives.
e
Sp
s:
Up
rmDaily W a
Write a jingle
lli
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of these following nouns
formed in irregular ways.
tooth
goose
woman
e
Sp
s:
Up
rmDaily W a
Write the plurals
lli
foot
child
ng
&
Gr a
mmar
mouse
sheep
trout
moose
deer
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labeled positive, comparative, and superlative. Fill in
the chart, listing the three degrees of these adjectives:
neat, good, fast, honest, funny, punctual, and clean.
e
Sp
s:
Up
rmDaily W a
Make a three-column chart
lli
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for the following
expressions.
I am
let us
they had
e
Sp
s:
Up
rmDaily W a
Write contractions
lli
we are
ng
you will
&
Gr a
mmar
is not
should not
were not
Use the contractions in sentences, and underline each contraction.
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puzzle using
the following words often confused: alter, capital,
coarse, dessert, led, lose, personnel, plane, route, and
principal. In your clues, make sure you use the
words correctly! Exchange puzzles with a partner.
Exchange papers again to check answers.
e
Sp
s:
Up
rmDaily W a
Make up a crossword
lli
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&
Gr a
mmar
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To purchase the entire Daily Warm-Ups book on this topic
with 180 daily exercises:
Call 1-800-341-6094
or visit us online at www.walch.com
Use promotional code DDWU to receive 10% off
all Daily Warm-Ups books.
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DIGITAL DAILY WARM-UPS
Grades 5–8
LANGUAGE ARTS
Vocabulary
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One way to figure out the meaning of an
mar
yW
Example: The committee voted to augment, or
increase, the training program budget.
Dail
unknown or unfamiliar word is to look for the context
clues in a sentence. One type of context clue is called
definition, or restatement. In this, the writer defines
the meaning of the word in the sentence or gives
enough explanation for the meaning to be clear.
U
ps
Use the context clues to figure out the meaning of the words in
bold type. Write your definition of the word. Then underline the
context clue.
(a) It was unacceptable for the moderator to berate, or scold, the
panel members.
(b) The contusion on the patient’s arm was one of several bruises
on his body.
(c) The feeling of melancholy was evident by the sad, depressed
mood of the crowd.
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:V
oc
abu
lary
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Comparison and contrast is another
mar
yW
Example: My grandmother is parsimonious, but she is
not nearly as cheap as my grandfather.
Dail
type of context clue that can help you determine the
meaning of an unfamiliar word. With this type of clue,
the meaning of an unknown word can be unlocked
by comparing it with another key word.
U
ps
:V
oc
abu
lary
Use the context clues to figure out the meaning of the words in
bold type. Write your definition. Then underline the context clue.
(a) We can appreciate the relative safety of our lives when we see the
perilous conditions of those in other cultures.
(b) Although Bonnie was exuberant, the other fans mourned the team’s
loss.
(c) The dromedary, like other desert animals, can go for long periods of
time without water.
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Many words have more than one meaning.
round
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Here are two common words with many different
meanings. How many definitions can you find for
each word? Write the definitions under each word.
Dail
It can be fun to investigate the multiple meanings
of words. For example, the common noun ring has
thirteen different meanings listed in Webster’s
Collegiate Dictionary.
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light
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Write two definitions for each
word below.
Dail
_________________________________________
(b) down_____________________________________
_________________________________________
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(a) count ____________________________________
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(c) fast ______________________________________
_________________________________________
(d) fly _______________________________________
_________________________________________
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Rewrite this paragraph,
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The Adventure Time rafting trip was a great time! The
planning committee did a great job. The equipment
was great. The rafters devoured all of the great food.
Everyone agreed that this was the greatest field trip
ever held by Madison Junior High.
Dail
substituting
other words for the overused word great. The rewritten
paragraph should give the reader a more precise
picture of the rafting trip.
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How many synonyms
can you think of
for the word small? Add to the list started below.
Dail
tiny
mar
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petite
U
little
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Draw a line from
each word in the first
column to its antonym in the second column.
villain
answer
common
hero
fresh
divide
question
destroy
rough
permanent
false
stale
create
rare
temporary
true
gentle
smooth
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harsh
Dail
unite
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Draw a line under
the word that is most
opposite of the word in capital letters.
tardy
present
CRUEL
warm
kind
false
COARSE
moist
normal
smooth
BORE
annoy
amuse
confuse
TRUST
engage
create
doubt
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prepared
Dail
ABSENT
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Use each word listed in capitals above in a sentence of your own.
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Would a flower
by any other name smell
so sweet? Here are some flower names coined from
people’s names. See if you can find out their origins.
zinnia: _______________________________________
dahlia: _______________________________________
mar
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wisteria: ______________________________________
Dail
gardenia: _____________________________________
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Now try to find the origin of two other flower names.
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Some
brand names have become common, or
generic, words. See if you can match the words in the
box with a definition.
Dail
mar
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Kleenex aspirin thermos Vaseline Band-Aid
____________________ (a) a petroleum-based ointment
____________________ (b) a vacuum bottle
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____________________ (c) a pain-relieving tablet
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____________________ (d) a bandage for small wounds
____________________ (e) a tissue
How many words can you think of that were once brand names?
Write them below.
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Cross out the word
in each line that is
NOT a science word.
calorie
digestion
caterer
(b) amoeba
astronomy
vertical
mercury
(c) circulation
syllabication
calcium
protoplasm
(d) fungus
ecology
pollen
lateral
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(a) nucleus
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Match the words with positive connotations
with the words that have negative connotations.
1. concern _________
(a) nosy
2. assertive _________
(b) obese
3. youthful _________
(c) immature
4. husky _________
(d) anxiety
5. interested _________
(e) aggressive
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Negative Connotation
Dail
Positive Connotation
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Look at the list
of words. Categorize the
words by writing them under the correct heading below.
Then try substituting these words for overused words.
Dail
despairing
desolate
depressed
tearful
gratified
contented
pleased
splendid
downcast
miserable
crushed
grim
thrilled
enchanted
delighted
To Express Sadness
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blissful
U
ps
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To Express Joy
183
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The Greek root
graph means “something
written.” How many words can you think of that
have graph as the root?
Dail
mar
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Example: biographer
U
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G is for . . .
grimace—facial expression showing pain or disgust
mar
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grandiose—magnificent and imposing
Dail
gaunt—thin and bony
U
Now use each word in a sentence.
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In each group below,
(b) lucid
clear
smooth
understand
(c) cheerful
sullen
gloomy
morose
(d) supple
rude
pliant
flexible
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(a) angry
incensed
jaded
indignant
Dail
three words
have similar meanings while a fourth word means
something completely different. Cross out the word
that doesn’t belong. You may wish to use a dictionary.
U
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lary
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To purchase the entire Daily Warm-Ups book on this topic
with 180 daily exercises:
Call 1-800-341-6094
or visit us online at www.walch.com
Use promotional code DDWU to receive 10% off
all Daily Warm-Ups books.
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DIGITAL DAILY WARM-UPS
Grades 5–8
LANGUAGE ARTS
Writing
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Communication plays a big part in life. When someone
has the option of speaking or writing, when does he or she choose
the latter? List the circumstances or situations in which writing is
preferable to speaking, and why. Then see if classmates generated
similar lists.
Da
ily
W
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Descriptions often rely on the sense of sight. But
you have four other senses you can draw on to create images for your
readers.
The sense of smell is considered our most nostalgic sense; particular
ily
the feelings it brings up.
Da
smells can conjure up scenes from the past. Think about a scent that
has some meaning or association for you. Then describe the scent and
W
ar
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On her way to the gym, the dog
chased Maria.
Da
1. While driving to the store, the dog slobbered on his owner’s jacket.
ar
W
Rewrite the following sentences to clarify or change the meaning.
ily
The sentence above suggests that the dog was sidetracked on her way
to the canine fitness center by a tempting target. The meaning of the
sentence could be made clearer by moving the modifier closer to what
it is modifying: On her way to the gym, Maria was chased by the dog.
Another way to fix the sentence is to reword it: Maria was on her way
to the gym when the dog chased her.
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2. The skiers swooshed past the lodge blinded by the storm.
3. He said he would go first, then he changed his mind and stayed home.
4. Before finishing her rounds, Suzanne asked the doctor for some advice.
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Rewrite the paragraph below, using hyperbole.
Then rewrite the paragraph again, using understatement. Make any
other necessary changes. When you have finished, share and discuss
your paragraphs with a classmate. Which one did he or she prefer?
Why?
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thought; the lunch bell rang.
ily
late, so she ran to homeroom, a clear violation of hallway policy.
When she got there she found that she was later than she had
Da
Hannah rode her bike to school. She stowed it in the rack. She was
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Question marks are used at the end of interrogative
sentences, or questions. How much does that car cost? and Is it safe to
drink the water? use question marks.
A question mark is not used at the end of an indirect question. He
asked how much the car cost and They wondered if it was safe to drink the
water would end with periods, not question marks.
Da
ily
Change the periods to question marks where appropriate.
W
ar
1. Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are.
2. How much is that doggie in the window.
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3. Have you seen the real me.
4. Next time, won’t you sing with me.
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Write a letter of complaint to a company from
which you have purchased something. Remember, this is a formal
letter, not an e-mail; standards must be followed. Write your letter
below, including all the necessary parts of a letter. (Normally you
would type your letter. Here, just handwrite it, but use the proper
Da
ily
format.) In a letter of complaint, you should always tell the recipient
what you expect him or her to do about the problem.
W
ar
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The sequence of events or the order of steps in a
process can be very important. Some words that signal sequence are
first, second, third, then, next, finally, after, and before.
In the paragraph below, the steps in the process are out of order.
Rewrite the paragraph, correcting the sequence and adding sequence
words where they are needed.
Da
ily
Rinse your mouth so that you do not swallow any toothpaste. Spend
at least two minutes brushing all the surfaces of your teeth. Floss your
teeth. Squeeze a dollop of fluoride toothpaste on the bristles of the
toothbrush. Spit out the used toothpaste. Brush your tongue, too. Brush your
teeth using up-and-down strokes.
195
W
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In a letter to Lady Beaumont in 1807, the poet
William Wordsworth wrote, “Every great and original writer . . . must
himself create the taste by which he is to be relished.”
What do you think Wordsworth meant? What does this quotation
suggest about writing styles?
Da
ily
W
ar
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To keep your writing fresh, it is generally a
good idea to vary sentence structure. Too many short, choppy simple
sentences or too many long, complicated complex sentences can bore
or confuse the reader.
197
ar
W
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Travis Pastrana is a dirt bike racer. He is also a stunt rider. He
competes in televised competitions. Riders launch off a jump. Then
they take their hands or feet off the bike. Then they twist themselves
into different positions. Travis Pastrana is a champion on the track.
He is also a champion in the air.
Da
Rewrite the paragraph below by combining or breaking up the
sentences.
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Pl o t means the events of a fictional story. Most plots include
some kind of conflict, or problem, that the characters have to deal
with. For each type of conflict below, invent a specific conflict that
you think could be the center of an interesting story.
Types of conflict
Specific conflict ideas
Da
ily
person against person
person against nature
person against technology
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person against himself or herself
198
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Characters are people who appear in a story. Read
the paragraph below. Pay attention to how the main character is
characterized.
Da
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After a few minutes of fuming, May Ling lifted her square chin to
look in the mirror. She blinked with surprise at her flushed face. She
recombed her part so that it neatly bisected her dark head. She took
a deep breath, counted to five, and exhaled. She pulled her precious
books out from under the bed where she had kicked them and set them
squarely on the corner of her desk. After choosing a color-coded
mechanical pencil from the desk drawer, she began brainstorming
about the language arts paper that was due next week.
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Now describe May Ling. What does she look like? What are some personality traits?
What is important to her?
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Write the lyrics for a song about test-taking. Set your
words to the tune of a well-known song (“Twinkle, Twinkle, Little
Star,” or “Old MacDonald Had a Farm,” for example). You may
want to share your song with the class.
Da
ily
W
ar
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200
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Do you have a favorite author?
He or she
may write fiction, nonfiction, or journalistic pieces. Tell the story
of a day in your life in the style of that author. If you don’t have
a favorite author, write in the style of the author of the last book
you read.
Da
ily
W
ar
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Do you know what the 5 W’s and 1 H are? They are the
keys to good journalistic writing. Write what the letters stand for
below.
W
W
Da
ily
W
W
H
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W
202
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Setting is the time and place of a story. One mistake that
sometimes spoils a setting is the appearance of an anachronism. An
anachronism is something that is out of its time. For example, a car
driving through the countryside to announce the coming of British
troops during the American Revolution would be an anachronism.
Da
ily
Write a scene containing an anachronism that makes the setting
seem false.
W
ar
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Identifying and considering
the audience is
an important part of the writing process. Imagine that as a service
project, you are going to work with a younger student at the
elementary school who needs help with writing. Write the steps
of the writing process for a third-grader.
Da
ily
W
ar
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Subjects and verbs must agree. This does not mean
that they must share an opinion. It means that singular and plural
subjects take different verb forms. Circle the correct verb in each
sentence below.
1. Henry (go/goes) to the library Wednesday afternoons.
Da
2. Isabelle (chooses/choose) to spend her time reading.
5. Drew (helps/help) at the soup kitchen on Saturdays.
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4. Austin and Justine (does/do) not seem to care much about their grades.
ily
3. Betsy and Andrew always (try/tries) their best in phys ed.
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To purchase the entire Daily Warm-Ups book on this topic
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Use promotional code DDWU to receive 10% off
all Daily Warm-Ups books.
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DIGITAL DAILY WARM-UPS
To purchase any of the Daily Warm-Ups
or Digital Daily Warm-Ups,
call 1-800-341-6094 or visit us online at
www.walch.com.
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LANGUAGE ARTS
MATHEMATICS
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Single-user license for classroom
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SOCIAL STUDIES
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Answer Key
Analogies
38.
39.
40.
41.
Commonly Confused Words
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
25. a bull in a china shop: a tactless person who upsets
others
26. to hold your horses: to be patient and wait
27. to give the green light: to give permission to go
ahead
28. to strike while the iron is hot: to take advantage of
an opportunity
29. to pick the brain of: to get ideas by asking an expert
30. a green thumb: a talent for growing things
31. to buckle down: to give complete effort or attention
to something
32. to take one’s hat off to someone: to admire or
respect someone
33. out of the blue: unexpected; surprising
34. with flying colors: with great success
35. to butter up: to flatter someone to gain something
36. to spill the beans: to tell a secret to someone who is
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Common English Idioms
37.
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6. Answers will vary.
7. Accept any answer that completes the object : category relationship (for example, maple).
8. (c)
9. (a); person : location
10. Accept any answer that completes the
agent : action relationship (for example, spokesperson : represent).
11. (b)
12. (c); object : category
13. Accept answers as close as possible to A cub is a
baby bear, as a calf is a baby cow.
14. (b); agent : object
15. Accept any answer that completes the
agent : object relationship (for example,
tailor : needle).
16. bewildered
17. (d); object : category
18. (d)
19. (c)
20. (a)
21. (c); description : greater degree
22. Accept any answer that completes the
agent : action relationship (for example,
vendor : sell).
not supposed
to know it
to feel on top
of the world:
to feel very
healthy or fortu-U
nate
ps
:A
to be under the weathns w
er: to feel unwell
er Key
a dime a dozen: of little value
because easy
to get
dressed to the nines: dressed in one’s best clothes
six of one, a half-dozen of the other: it’s the same
thing
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
1. Among 2. between 3. between 4. among
1. bad 2. bad 3. badly 4. bad
1. capital 2. capital 3. capitol
1. choose 2. chose 3. chooses 4. choosing
5. chose
Sentences will vary.
Tricks and paragraphs will vary.
Paragraphs will vary.
1. its 2. It’s 3. its 4. It’s; its; its
1. lay 2. lay 3. lain 4. laid
Sentences will vary.
1. loosely 2. losing 3. loose 4. correct
5. loser 6. lose
Sentences will vary.
1. stairs 2. stares 3. stared 4. stairs 5. stares
Sentences will vary.
1. steel 2. steal 3. steal 4. steal 5. steel; stealing 6.
steel
their; they’re; there; their; their; there; their; they’re;
they’re
Sentences will vary.
1. who’s 2. whose 3. whose 4. who’s 5. who’s
You’re; your; your; you’re; your; your; you’re; your;
your; you’re
Critical Thinking
62. Answers will vary. Examples: answered, replied,
argued, remarked, stated, declared, uttered,
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Answer Key, continued
whispered, shouted, drawled, insisted, informed,
stuttered, squawked, announced, bellowed, grunted,
65.
66.
67.
68.
69.
70.
71.
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64.
72.
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63.
related, divulged, purred, growled, sighed
Words could be sorted (a) with the three categories
of animals that live in flocks, herds, or packs;
(b) with the three categories of adult animals, baby
animals, and animal group names; or (c) with the
three categories of birds, mammals, and animal
group names. Also accept any other reasonable
answers.
Answers will vary. Possible answers include
1. sunlight, sunset, sunflower, sunburn, sunglasses 2.
seawater, watercolor, waterfall, waterfront, watermelon, watermark 3. snowman, fireman, manhole,
workman, fisherman, gentleman 4. somewhere,
sometime, someone, bothersome, someday, somebody, something, somewhere 5. housework, housekeeper, dollhouse, doghouse, greenhouse, houseboat,
lighthouse 6. sunlight, lighthouse, moonlight, flashlight, headlight, candlelight 7. timetable, sometime,
bedtime, suppertime, timepiece, anytime 8. overtime,
overpass, overdue, overcast, pushover, overcoat
1. smile, giggle, laugh, guffaw 2. chilly, cold, biting,
arctic 3. ample, roomy, large, spacious
4. outdo, beat, defeat, vanquish
Answers will vary.
Answers will vary. Explanations should include
instructions for organizing information in categories
and hierarchies of meaning. Students should explain
their system of numbering and lettering entries.
Answers will vary but may include the following: Is
everything in a logical order? Are paragraphs organized well, with topic sentences? Have I used correct
grammar, spelling, and punctuation? Should I vary
my sentences more? Have I backed up my statements with examples? Have I used my own words?
Does it need quotations to be more interesting or
accurate? Is the ending effective—does it summarize
my thoughts? Have I used forceful words, especially
for adjectives and verbs?
Answers will vary but should be organized in the
form of a table of contents.
Answers will vary. Students should back up their
statements with reasons or examples.
The saying means that where there is evidence
or clues, you can assume they point to the truth.
This may or may not be true. Appearances can be
deceiving unless we know all the facts. Accept any
reasonable
answers.
Accept reasonable
answers.
Example: Beware
-U
of people who flatps
:A
ter you just to get what
ns w
they want.
er Key
Answers will vary but may
include the following: Use gestures for eating, draw
a picture of food or
of someone eating, use a translation dictionary to
help you say or write a few words, ask (in English) if
a classmate speaks English, find a teacher of English
and ask her or him.
Story beginnings will vary, but the “grabber” should
include more interesting language, characters, or
events.
We sort these words into the following sets of synonyms: art, assignment, business, calling, chore,
craft, duty, employment, job, labor, occupation, profession, toil, trade, vocation; fun, recreation, sport,
amusement, entertainment, delight, enjoyment,
pleasure; talk, converse, speak, verbalize, chat, gab,
yak; journey, proceed, move, voyage, roam, trek,
explore, cruise, travel.
Answers will vary.
73.
74.
75.
76.
Daily Edits
79. In the heading, there should be colons after TO,
FROM, DATE and SUBJECT. Parents, students,
Cove, School, Principal, September, Dress, and Code
should all be capitalized. There should be a comma
between 15 and 20__. In the first paragraph of the
body, dress code and middle school should be lowercase. In the second sentence, there should be a
colon after school. In the third paragraph, there
should be a colon after address. Dress Code
Committee, Charlotte Cove Middle School, Charlotte
Cove, Maine should all be capitalized. There should
be a comma between Cove and Maine.
80. Answers will vary.
81. As Mr. Klepp’s students munched on their salad and
a crusty loaf of bread that Mr. Klepp had baked that
weekend, Sammy saw something out the window
that made her jump. “Mr. Klepp!” she screamed,
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Answer Key, continued
84.
85.
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83.
Envelopes
should be
envelopes. In
paragraph two:
loyer should be
lawyer, glamerus
-U
should be glamps
:A
ourous, complaned
ns w
should be complained, valuer Key
ble should be valuable, proffession should be profession. In the closing, disapointed
should be disappointed.
1. real should be really 2. good should be well, bad
should be badly 3. strangely should be strange 4. real
fast should be really quickly 5. well should be good
6. consistent should be consistently, and hardly should
be hard 7. real bad should be really badly 8. good
should be well 9. real should be really 10. fierce
should be fiercely, and fairly should be fair.
1. Nate and Leo, both members of Pete’s band, are
in eighth grade. 2. Mr. Klepp, a published author,
teaches language arts at CCMS. 3. Truck Stop, a
student band, is playing at a Battle of the Bands. 4.
Sammy and Izzie, two girls in Mr. Klepp’s class, are
starting a band, too. 5. Fiona, a girl who wants to
join the band, plays the fiddle and sings beautifully.
6. Izzie and Sammy, the bandleaders, are not sure
they want someone to join who will only live in
town for a few more months.
Outlines will vary somewhat, but the paragraph is in
spatial order.
1. Beau wasn’t surprised to see Fiona with a fiddle,
because he knew that Celtic music was popular in
the United Kingdom. 2. Fiona didn’t know that fiddles were also popular in Cajun music, which Beau
played.
3. Beau asked Fiona, who blushed furiously, to play a
little bit of a Celtic song he knew before practice
started.
4. When she played the song, tears came to Beau’s
eyes. OR Tears came to Beau’s eyes when she played
the song.
5. Fiona asked Beau to play her something, so he
played her a bit of a zydeco song.
Answers will vary.
Answers will vary, but students should eliminate Yo
Moms and Dads; majorly important; dorky parents; I
know, you probably think middle school bands are
ily
Da
82.
“There is a giant white chicken running around in
your backyard!” “That’s not a chicken,” Mr. Klepp
laughed between bites of salad. “That’s a goose. Her
eggs are in the quiche you’re eating right now.” “I’m
going to be sick,” Isabel said. In the meantime,
Sammy was out of her chair and running to the
backyard to meet this adorable goose. Mr. Klepp
called, “Wait!” but it was too late. No sooner had
Sammy started chasing the goose than the goose
turned around, honking like a lunatic, and started
chasing Sammy!
“I wonder what’s wrong with Pete,” Nate said. “I
don’t know,” Leo answered, “but I’ll find out.” He
laid his drumsticks down and headed for Pete’s tree
house, which Leo knew was his favorite place to go
when he was feeling upset. As he rode his bike up to
Pete’s house, he saw Marjorie, Pete’s mom, mowing
the front lawn. “Have you seen Pete? He left practice without saying goodbye,” Leo explained. “I didn’t notice him come in, Leo,” she said. “I’ve had the
lawn mower going full blast, and I must not have
heard him.” “I’ll check in the tree house,” Leo said,
but Marjorie had started the lawn mower again and
couldn’t hear him.
Letter should read: November 15, 20__ Dear Truck
Stop members, The eighth-grade class is planning a
dance to be held on the Friday before Thanksgiving
break, and we were wondering if you would play. We
know it’s short notice, but you were the favorite
band at the social earlier this year, and we would
really like to have you as our band. The class would
be willing to pay you twenty percent of the money
we earn. We are going to sell tickets for five dollars,
so you would earn a dollar for everyone who comes
to the dance. You would need to play between 7:00
and 10:00 P.M., and you would need to set up and
strike your equipment that evening. Please let us
know if you are willing to play. Thank you for considering our offer. Sincerely, Claire Fields EighthGrade Class President
their should be his, him should be he, who is correct,
myself should be I, they is correct, them is correct, I
should be me, your should be you’re, I should be me,
Them should be They, her should be she, whom
should be who, who is correct.
In paragraph one: disastir should be disaster, exited
should be excited, employes should be employees,
attatch should be attach, licking should be lick, and
86.
87.
88.
89.
90.
91.
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Answer Key, continued
95.
98–114. Answers will vary.
150.
Poetry
117–132. Answers will vary.
Prefixes, Suffixes, & Roots
140.
141.
142.
143.
144.
145.
146.
permit, transmission, dismissed, committed
a. 1; b. 4; c. 5; d. 3; e. 2; Sentences will vary.
1. g; 2. b; 3. c; 4. d; 5. j; 6. e; Sentences will vary.
1. 4; 2. 1; 3. 9; 4. 6; 5. 2; 6. 7; 7. 5; 8. 3; 9. 8
1. superpower; 2. hypercritical; 3. extracurricular; 4.
hypertension; 5. supernatural; 6. extraordinary; 7.
extraterrestrial
All of the words are spelled correctly except 1, 3,
and 7. Definitions will vary.
1. selfless; 2. self-sufficient; Answers will vary.
1. criticize; 2. justify; 3. formulate; 4. terrorize;
5. magnify; Words will vary.
1. -ism; 2. -ness; 3. -ant; 4. -tion; 5. -age; 6. -sion;
7. -ee
1. westward; 2. violinist; 3. dangerous;
4. eventually; 5. teacher; 6. friendship; Words will
vary.
1. d; 2. b; 3. c; 4. a; 5. e; geology—the study of the
earth
The following are examples of answers that may be
given. 1. activity; 2. friendliness; 3. reliability;
4. restlessness; 5. creativity; Antidisestablish-mentarianism may be considered to have three prefixes
and four suffixes, since the root originally was
Copyright, Walch Publishing 2006
147.
148.
149.
Journal Writing
135.
136.
137.
138.
139.
rm
Wa
94.
211
stabilis. It
may also be
consid- ered
as having only
two prefixes, if
one accepts
establish as the
-U
ps
root. Actually,
:A
though, the e in establish
ns w
er Key
was originally a prefix.
astro–stella
astronomy, stellar
graph–scrip
script, graphic
bio–viv
biology, vivid
chron–tempo
chronology, temporary
photo–lux, luc
photography, luxury or lucid
anthro–homo
homogeneous, anthropology
1. f; 2. a; 3. b; 4. e; 5. g; 6. h; 7. d; 8. c
1. unchangeable, undeniable; 2. proof; 3. meeting; 4.
a drug that counteracts the effects of high blood
pressure
Prefix examples: audio: audiometer, auditory, audiophile; bio: biology, biography, biosphere; epi: epidemic, epidermis, epitaph; vide, vis: video, vision,
visible; Suffix examples: ile: juvenile, senile, missile;
nomy: autonomy, economy, taxonomy; some: lonesome, threesome, gruesome; tude: gratitude, aptitude, multitude
ily
Da
92.
93.
lame; cuz; Besides, without you guys; gig; So come,
okay?; stick in your kid’s backpack; or something,
okay, cuz we really; Thanks a bunch.
Answers will vary.
Answers will vary. Misspelled words: trustworthy,
favorites, collaborate, fund-raisers, class’s
This summer I plan to ride in an airplane for the
first time in my whole life! I am going to Florida to
see my grandmother and grandfather. I love
Grammie and Gramp, and I haven’t seen either of
them since they moved to the South last year. We
used to be next-door neighbors, so I have missed
them a lot. My favorite uncle, whose name is Jimmy,
is coming with me, so I won’t be alone.
Answers will vary.
Spelling & Grammar
153. Answers will vary.
154. Answers will vary.
155. Sentences will vary. Past tenses: chose, drove, knew,
swam, took, went, brought, burst.
156. Answers will vary.
157. The words are exceptions to the rule “i before e
except after c.” Words will vary.
158. Answers will vary.
159. Answers will vary.
160. Answers will vary.
161. Answers will vary.
162. Answers will vary.
163. Answers will vary.
164. Answers will vary.
165. teeth; geese; women; feet; children; mice; sheep;
trout; moose; deer
166. neat, neater, neatest; good, better, best; fast, faster,
fastest; honest, more honest, most honest; funny,
funnier, funniest; punctual, more punctual, most
punctual; clean, cleaner, cleanest
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Answer Key, continued
171. (a) scold; (b) bruise; (c) sadness
172. (a) dangerous, relative safety; (b) spirited, mourned;
(c) a desert animal, like other desert animals
173. Answers will vary.
174. (a) find the total number/to depend on;
(b) toward the ground/depressed;
(c) quick/tightly shut; (d) move through
the air/insect
175. Answers will vary.
176. Answers will vary.
177. unite/divide; villain/hero; common/rare; fresh/stale;
question/answer; rough/smooth; false/true;
create/destroy; temporary/permanent; gentle/harsh
178. ABSENT/present; CRUEL/ kind; COARSE/smooth;
BORE/amuse;
TRUST/doubt; Sentences will vary.
179. Alexander Garden, a Scottish botanist; Caspar
Wistar, an American anatomist;
J.G. Zinn, a German botanist; Andreas Dahl, a
Swedish botanist
180. (a) Vaseline; (b) thermos; (c) aspirin;
(d) Band-Aid; (e) Kleenex; Answers will vary.
181. (a) caterer; (b) vertical; (c) syllabication;
(d) lateral
182. 1. d; 2. e; 3. c; 4. b; 5. a
183. Sadness: tearful; despairing; downcast; desolate; miserable; depressed; crushed; grim Joy: blissful; splendid; gratified; contented; pleased; thrilled; enchanted; delighted
184. Answers will vary.
185. Answers will vary.
186. (a) jaded; (b) smooth; (c) cheerful; (d) rude
Writing
189. Answers will vary.
190. Answers will vary.
191. Answers may vary, but the following are possibilities: 1. While they were driving to the store, the
baby spit up on her dad’s jacket. or The baby spit up
on her dad’s jacket on the ride to the store. 2.
Blinded by the storm, the skiers swooshed past the
212
rm
Wa
Vocabulary
Copyright, Walch Publishing 2006
lodge. or The
skiers, blinded by the
storm,
swooshed past
the lodge. 3. First
-U
he said he would
ps
:A
go; then he changed
ns w
his mind and stayed home.
er Key
4. Before the doctor finished
her rounds, Suzanne asked her for some advice. or
Before Suzanne finished her rounds, she asked the
doctor for some advice.
Answers will vary.
Change the period to a question mark in items 2, 3,
and 4.
Answers will vary.
Answers will vary. The following is a possibility:
First squeeze a dollop of fluoride toothpaste on the
bristles of the toothbrush. Next, brush your teeth
using up-and-down strokes. Spend at least two minutes brushing all the surfaces of your teeth. Brush
your tongue, too. Then, spit out the used toothpaste.
Rinse your mouth so that you do not swallow any
toothpaste. Finally, floss your teeth.
Answers will vary.
Answers will vary. The following is one possibility:
Travis Pastrana is both a dirt bike racer and stunt
rider. He competes in televised competitions. First,
riders launch off a jump. Then they take their hands
or feet off the bike and twist themselves into different positions. Travis Pastrana is a champion both on
the track and in the air.
Answers will vary.
Answers may vary. May Ling has dark hair and a
square chin. She is not usually flushed. She seems to
be neat, organized, and methodical. She cares
enough about neatness to arrange things on her
desk, and she gets a head start on homework.
Answers will vary.
Answers will vary.
The five W’s are who, what, where, when, and why.
The H is how.
Answers will vary.
Answers will vary.
1. goes; 2. chooses; 3. try; 4. do; 5. helps
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Da
167. I’m; let’s; they’d; we’re; you’ll; isn’t; shouldn’t;
weren’t; Sentences will vary.
168. Answers will vary.
192.
193.
194.
195.
196.
197.
198.
199.
200.
201.
202.
203.
204.
205.
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