Grammar by STAAR-light
Kaye Price-Hawkins, Consultant
Priceless Literacy
www.pricelessliteracy.homestead.com
What is Grammar?
 Grammar Girl –
Mignon Fogarty

Grammar is
 “a set of rules
for putting
together a
sentence.”
 the rules to the
game of writing.
 Teaching Grammar in
Context – Constance Weaver

Grammar is:
 Description of syntactic
structure
 Prescriptions for how to use
structures and words
 Rhetorically effective use of
syntactic structures
 Functional command of
sentence structure that
enables us to comprehend
and produce language.
Writing moment
Write a reflection on the best
session you attended here at the
conference. What struck you?
What are you taking away from
that session?
How do we teach Grammar?
 Create opportunities to analyze and compose
Anchor (Mentor) texts
 Workshop

 Mini-lessons
(see The Write Source for
excellent material re: grammar instruction)
 Writing (Process)
 Conference (questions)
 Revision (various processes)
 Re-writing (multi-drafts)
Ratiocination
Joyce Armstrong
Carroll’s concrete
approach to
teaching grammar:
a color-coding
technique that
focuses students
on problematic
areas in their
writing.
Code Clue
Verb
Decode
Active
Passive
Tenses
Subject/verb
agreement
Participles
Direct/indirect
objects
Fragments
Etc.
STAAR – 7th (Verb)
(7)
His cinematographers wasn’t having much luck
getting footage of the big cats.
?
What change, if any, should be made in
sentence 7?
A
B
C
D
Change wasn’t having to weren’t having
Change much luck to no luck
Insert a comma after luck
Make no change
STAAR – 7th (Verb)
(8)
One day, while watching some elephants at
the campsite, Downer has an idea.
?
What change should be made in sentence 8?
A
B
C
D
Change while watching to he was watching
Delete the comma after campsite
Change has to had
Change idea to ideal
STAAR – 4th (Verb)
(15)
The light from my headlamp shown that we
were in an enormous room.
?
What change, if any, should be made in
sentence 15?
A Change shown to showed
B Change that to something
C Change were to was
D Make no change
4th
[Oral and] Written Conventions/Conventions. Students understand the function
of and use the conventions of academic language when speaking and writing.
Students continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students
are expected to
(A) use and understand the function of the following parts of speech in the context of
reading, writing, and speaking: RS
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
verbs (irregular verbs); SS
nouns (singular/plural, common/proper); SS
adjectives (e.g., descriptive, including purpose: sleeping bag, frying pan) and their
comparative and superlative forms (e.g., fast, faster, fastest); SS
(iv) adverbs (e.g., frequency: usually, sometimes; intensity: almost, a lot); SS
(v)
prepositions and prepositional phrases to convey location, time, direction, or to
provide details; SS
(vi)
reflexive pronouns (e.g., myself, ourselves); SS
(vii) correlative conjunctions (e.g., either/or, neither/nor); SS
(viii) use time-order transition words and transitions that indicate a conclusion; SS
(B) use the complete subject and the complete predicate in a sentence; RS
(C) use complete simple & compound sentences with correct subject-verb agreement. SS
4th Released Samples
(8)
In the early days Girl Scouts sold only original sandwich,
chocolate mint, and shortbread cookies. (9) There are
many interesting flavors available, including lemon,
peanut butter, and caramel.
?
Samantha needs to add a transition word or phrase to
help her readers move from sentence 8 to sentence 9.
Which transition could BEST be added to the beginning of
sentence 9?
A
B
C
D
After all
Today
At first
Then
4th Released Samples
(19)
Her mother helped her. (20) Jennifer sold cookies every
day, rain or shine, throughout the cookie season.
?
What is the BEST way to combine sentences 19 and 20?
A
B
C
D
Her mother helped her sell cookies every day, rain or shine,
throughout the cookie season for Jennifer.
Before her mother helped her, Jennifer sold cookies every
day, rain or shine, throughout the cookie season.
Her mother helped her, Jennifer sold cookies every day, rain
or shine, throughout the cookie season.
With her mother’s help, Jennifer sold cookies every day, rain
or shine, throughout the cookie season.
4th Released Samples
(15)
The light from my headlamp shown that we were in an
enormous room.
?
What change, if any, should be made in sentence 15?
A
B
C
D
Change shown to showed
Change that to something
Change were to was
Make no change
4th Released Samples
(19)
Dad suggested that we sit on a rock. (20) And turn off our
headlamps.
?
What is the correct way to write sentences 19 and 20?
A
B
C
D
Dad suggested that we sit on a rock, we turned off our
headlamps.
Dad suggested that we sit on a rock and turn off our
headlamps.
Dad suggesting that we sit on a rock and turn off our
headlamps.
Sentences 19 and 20 are correct in the paper.
4th Released Samples
(29)
Slowly we began to crawl. (30) We traveled the same
path, but this time I felt different.
?
What is the correct way to write sentences 29 and 30?
A
B
C
D
Slowly we began to crawl, we traveled the same path, but
this time I felt different.
Slowly we began to crawl. Traveling the same path, but
feeling different this time.
Slowly we began to crawl, and travel the same path. But
feeling different this time.
Sentences 29 and 30 are correct in the paper.
7th
(Oral and] Written Conventions/Conventions. Students understand the
function of and use the conventions of academic language when speaking
and writing. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater
complexity. Students are expected to
(A) identify, use, and understand the function of the following parts of speech in the
context of reading, writing, and speaking: RS
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
verbs (perfect and progressive tenses) and participles; SS
appositive phrases; SS
adverbial and adjectival phrases and clauses; SS
conjunctive adverbs (e.g., consequently, furthermore, indeed); SS
prepositions and prepositional phrases and their influence on subject-verb
agreement; SS
(vi) relative pronouns (e.g., whose, that, which); SS
(vii) subordinating conjunctions (e.g., because, since); SS
(viii) transitions for sentence to sentence or paragraph to paragraph coherence; SS
(B) write complex sentences and differentiate between main versus subordinate
clauses; SS
(C) use a variety of complete sentences (e.g., simple, compound, complex) that
include: properly placed modifiers; correctly identified antecedents; parallel
structures; and consistent tenses. RS
7th Released Samples
(4)
A famous basketball player carried the Chinese flag
named Yao Ming.
?
What is the BEST way to revise sentence 4?
A
B
C
D
A famous basketball player named Yao Ming carried the
Chinese flag.
The famous basketball player who carried the Chinese flag,
he was named Yao Ming.
A famous basketball player carried the Chinese flag he was
named Yao Ming.
A famous basketball player carried the Chinese flag. Who
was named Yao Ming.
7th Released Samples
(17)
He led these schoolmates in songs because rescuers
worked to free them from the wreckage.
?
The word because does not appropriately connect the
two clauses in sentence 17. Which word should replace
the word because?
A
B
C
D
if
while
although
where
7th Released Samples
(27)
Lin Hao is known as a hero all over
the world.
?
Which transition word or phrase
could BEST be
added to the
beginning of sentence 27 to help
conclude this paper?
A
B
C
D
Now
Later
In comparison
Furthermore
7th Released Samples
(3)
They don’t usually let humans get very close to them
and they travel in places too dense for wildlife
photographers to go.
?
What change, if any, should be made in sentence 3?
A
B
C
D
Insert a comma after them
Delete and
Change places too dense to places to dense
No change should be made.
7th Released Samples
(7)
His cinematographers wasn’t having much luck
getting footage of the big cats.
?
What change, if any, should be made in sentence 7?
A
Change wasn’t having to weren’t having
B
Change much luck to no luck
C
Insert a comma after luck
D
Make no change
7th Released Samples
(8)
One day, while watching some elephants at the
campsite, Downer has an idea.
?
What change should be made in sentence 8?
A
B
C
D
Change while watching to he was watching
Delete the comma after campsite
Change has to had
Change idea to ideal
7th Released Samples
(22)
Curious monkeys reached out for the tusk-cams deer
stood still and allowed the cameras to film them.
?
What is the correct way to write sentence 22?
A
B
C
D
Curious monkeys reached out for the tusk-cams. Deer
standing still and allowing the cameras to film them.
Curious monkeys reached out for the tusk-cams, deer stood
still and allowed the cameras to film them.
Curious monkeys reached out for the tusk-cams. While deer
stood still and allowed the cameras to film them.
Curious monkeys reached out for the tusk-cams, while deer
stood still and allowed the cameras to film them.
Image Grammar (Harry Noden)
 Focusing
on grammar’s power
to make movies in our readers’
minds
 Grammar: “a power derived from
images”
 Ideas
Brushstrokes = Artistic Sentences
 Painting with





Participles
Absolutes
Appositives
Adjectives Shifted Out of Order
Action Verbs
 Passage (excerpt from HOLES)
English I
[Oral and] Written Conventions/Conventions. Students understand
the function of and use the conventions of academic language when
[speaking and] writing. Students are expected to
(A)
use and understand the function of the following parts of speech in the
context of reading, writing, [and speaking]: RS
(i) more complex active and passive tenses and verbals (gerunds,
infinitives, participles); SS
(ii) restrictive and nonrestrictive relative clauses; SS
(iii) reciprocal pronouns (e.g., each other, one another); SS
(C) use a variety of correctly structured sentences (e.g., compound, complex,
compound-complex). RS
English I Released Samples
(10)
Shultz charged the battery. (11) He then discovered the
video along with several photos.
?
Sentences 10 and 11 are choppy and ineffective. What is
the best way to revise these sentences?
A
B
C
D
Shultz charged the battery, while then discovering the video
along with several photos.
After charging the battery, Shultz discovered the video along
with several photos.
While charging the battery, Shultz then discovered the video
along with several photos.
Shultz charged the battery because he discovered the video
along with several photos.
English I Released Samples
(14)
Shultz posted it on an Internet scuba site.
?
Sentence 14 is unclear because it contains an indefinite
reference. Tasha can clarify the meaning of this sentence
by changing it to —
A
B
C
D
the dive
the camera
the photo
them
English I Released Samples (passage)
(13) One of the photos on the camera showed two men
preparing for a scuba dive. (14) Shultz posted it on an Internet scuba
site. (15) Visitors to the site determined that the photo had been
taken in Aruba, a Dutch island off the coast of Venezuela. (16) Armed
with this information, Shultz then posted family photos from the
camera on an Aruban website. (17) Right away, an Aruban woman
contacted him and said that she recognized the children in some of
the photos.
(18) The camera belonged to Dick de Bruin, a sergeant in
the Royal Dutch Navy. (19) De Bruin had lost the camera while he
was working in the waters off the coast of Aruba. (20) When De Bruin
and his diving partner had realized that the camera was gone, they
had joked that it would probably be found somewhere in Costa Rica
or Panama.
English I Released Samples (question)
?
Tasha wants to improve the transition between the third
paragraph (sentences 13–17) and the fourth paragraph
(sentences 18–20). Which sentence could best follow
sentence 17 and help improve this transition?
A
B
C
D
As soon as the woman identified the children’s family, the
mystery was solved.
She wasn’t certain but thought she might know who they
were.
Months before, they had been in the area with the Royal Dutch
Navy.
As a matter of fact, some are calling this woman a hero.
English I Released Samples
(9)
The first step fast-food companies must take
are to start providing more balanced options.
?
What change, if any, should be made in
sentence 9?
A
B
C
D
Change are to is
Change providing to provided
Change balanced to balansed
No change should be made in sentence 9.
English I Released Samples
(13)
The fast-food industry should also post nutritional
information more clearer so that customers can make
informed choices.
?
What change, if any, needs to be made in sentence 13?
A
B
C
D
Change post to have posted
Change clearer to clearly
Change so that to then
No change needs to be made in this sentence.
English I Released Samples
(15)
And while I believe that what someone eats is a matter of
personal choice and not something that society should
control. (16) People need information if they are going to
make wise decisions.
?
What is the correct way to rewrite sentences 15 and 16?
A
B
C
D
And while I believe that what someone eats is a matter of personal
choice, it is not something that society should control. Because people
need information if they are going to make wise decisions.
And I believe that what someone eats is a matter of personal choice, it
is not something that society should control, people need information if
they are going to make wise decisions.
And while I believe that what someone eats is a matter of personal
choice and not something that society should control, people need
information if they are going to make wise decisions.
Sentences 15 and 16 are written correctly in the paper.
English I Released Samples
(18)
In fact, one New York City study found this, 27
percent of fastfood customers used
information about calorie counts to make
their
choices.
? What is the correct way to write sentence 18?
D
A
In fact, one New York City study found that 27
percent of fast-food
customers. They used information
about calorie counts to make their
choices.
B
In fact, one New York City study found that 27
percent of fast-food
customers using information
about calorie counts to make their
choices.
C
In fact, one New York City study found something.
That 27 percent of
fast-food customers used
information about calorie counts to make their choices.
In fact, one New York City study found that 27 percent of fast-food
customers used information about calorie counts to make their
choices.
English II
[Oral and] Written Conventions/Conventions. Students understand the
function of and use the conventions of academic language when
[speaking and] writing. Students are expected to
(A) use and understand the function of the following parts of speech in the
context of reading, writing, [and speaking]: RS
(i) more complex active and passive tenses and verbals (gerunds,
infinitives, participles); SS
(ii) restrictive and nonrestrictive relative clauses; SS
(iii) reciprocal pronouns (e.g., each other, one another); SS
(C) use a variety of correctly structured sentences (e.g., compound, complex,
compound-complex). RS
English II Released Samples
(15)
From the ad alone you’ll never know or be sure how good
the shoes really are.
?
What is the most effective revision to make in
sentence 15?
A
B
C
D
From the ad alone you’ll never know how good the shoes really
are, you can’t be sure.
From the ad alone you’ll never know how good the shoes really
are.
From the ad alone you’ll never know how good for sure the
shoes really are.
No revision is needed in this sentence.
English II Released Samples
(4)
But the new band director was determined to
change things, his name was Mr. Parker.
?
What is the correct way to write sentence 4?
But the new band director who was determined to
change things had a name of Mr. Parker.
But the new band director, Mr. Parker, was
determined to change things.
But the new band director was determined to
change things, named Mr. Parker.
The sentence is written correctly in the paper.
A
B
C
D
English II Released Samples
(7) When he heard about the opening for a new band
director at our school he couldn’t help investigating.
(12) He was there to turn us into a respectable band, and
nothing—not even a bunch of lazy, flippant teenagers—
was going to stop them.
(18) At first there was a lot of grumbling, and a few
students were even tempted to quit, after a while,
though, we found ourselves somehow rising to Mr.
Parker’s expectations.
English III
[Oral and] Written Conventions/Conventions. Students
understand the function of and use the conventions of
academic language when [speaking and] writing. Students are
expected to
(A)
use and understand the function of different types of clauses and
phrases (e.g., adjectival, noun, adverbial clauses and phrases); SS
(B)
use a variety of correctly structured sentences (e.g., compound,
complex, compound-complex). RS
English III Released Samples
(4)
Rifles held high, thousands of
soldiers waded onto the beach that day in
the face of ferocious German resistance.
(5) This, overall, is the story of just one
of those soldiers, a 21-year-old
Scotsman named
Bill Millin.
?
Maggie would like to use a more
effective transition
in sentence 5. Which
of these words could best
replace
overall in this sentence?
A
B
C
D
accordingly
however
furthermore
likewise
English III Released Samples
(16)
Three times, they said, the piper walked up and
down the beach at the edge of the sea. (17) He played
his instrument as fresh waves of troops came ashore.
?
What is the most effective way to combine
sentences 16 & 17?
D
A
Three times, they said, the piper walked up and
down the beach at
the edge of the sea, who played
his instrument as fresh waves of
troops came ashore.
B
Three times, they said, the piper walked up and
down the beach at
the edge of the sea, playing his
instrument as fresh waves of troops
came ashore.
C
Three times, they said, the piper played his
instrument as fresh
waves of troops came ashore
and walked up and down the beach at
the edge of
the sea.
Three times, they said, the piper walked up and down the beach at
the edge of the sea, he played his instrument as fresh waves of
troops came ashore.
English III Released Samples
(8)
Hammurabi wasn’t the first ruler to establish a
system of laws, but by inscribing his code in stone. (9)
He left modern archaeologists with one of the bestpreserved legal documents
from ancient times.
?
9?
What is the best way to correct sentences 8 and
A
Hammurabi wasn’t the first ruler to establish a
system of laws, however, by inscribing his code in stone,
he left modern
archaeologists with one of the bestpreserved legal documents from
ancient times.
B
Hammurabi wasn’t the first ruler to establish a
system of laws, but by
inscribing his code in stone, he
left modern archaeologists. With one
of the bestpreserved legal documents from ancient times.
C
Hammurabi wasn’t the first ruler to establish a
system of laws, but by
inscribing his code in stone, he
left modern archaeologists with one of
the bestpreserved legal documents from ancient times.
English III Released Samples
(23)
The code shows us that Babylonia was a
harsh world of inequality and bias, justice was
handed out according to social station and gender.
D
?
What is the correct way to write sentence
23?
A
The code shows us that Babylonia was a harsh
world of inequality
and bias. Where justice was
handed out according to social station
and gender.
B
The code showing us that Babylonia was a
harsh world of
inequality and bias with justice handed
out according to social
station and gender.
C
The code shows us this, Babylonia was a harsh
world of inequality
and bias, and justice was
handed out according to social station
and gender.
The code shows us that Babylonia was a harsh world of inequality
and bias and that justice was handed out according to social
station and gender.
English III Released Samples
(25)
When Millin died in August 2010, news sources
around the world
posted obituaries.
D
?
Maggie would like to strengthen the closing of
this paper by
including additional details in sentence
25. Which revision of
sentence 25 would help bring
this paper to the most effective conclusion?
A
When Millin died in August 2010, news sources
around the world posted obituaries to tell the world that he
had died.
B
When Millin died in August 2010, news sources
around the world posted obituaries about his wonderful life
and family.
C
When Millin died in August 2010, news sources
around the world posted obituaries remembering and
honoring the man known as the
Piper of D-day.
When Millin died in August 2010, news sources around the world
posted obituaries that told all about the D-day invasion that ended
World War II.
Resources:
Anderson, Jeff. 2007. Everyday Editing. Stenhouse.
---, 2005. Mechanically Inclined: Building Grammar, Usage, and Style into Writer's Workshop. Stenhouse.
Burke, Jim. 2008. The English Teacher’s Companion. Heinemann.
Campbell, Cathy. 2008. The Giggly Guide to Grammar. Discover Writing Press.
Carroll, Joyce Armstrong and Edward Wilson. 2010. Brushing Up on Grammar. Libraries Unlimited.
Carroll, Joyce Armstrong. 2011. Ratiocination. Absey & Co.
Fogarty, Mignon. 2008. Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing. Holt Paperbacks.
---, 2011. Grammar Girl’s 101 Misused Words You’ll Never Confuse Again. St. Martin’s.
Gallagher, Kelly. 2011. Write Like This. Stenhouse.
Knapp, Peter and Megan Watkins. 2005. Genre, Text, Grammar. University of New South Wales Press Ltd.
Noden, Harry. 2011. Image Grammar: Using Grammatical Structures to Teach, 2nd Ed.. Boynton/Cook, Pub.
---. 2011. Image Grammar: Second Edition: Teaching Grammar as Part of the Writing Process. Heinemann.
Petersen, David. 2007. Reading English News on the Internet. Lulu.Com. (new edition: 2011).
Sebranek, Patrick, Dave Kemper, Verne Meyer and Gretchen Bernabei. 2012. Texas Write Source.
Grades 2-12. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Tchudi, Susan and Stephen Tchudi. 1999. The English Language Arts Handbook. Boynton/Cook Publishers.
Terban, Marvin. 1993. Checking Your Grammar. Scholastic Inc.
Thurman, Susan. 2003. The Only Grammar Book You’ll Ever Need. Avon. MA: Adams Media.
Weaver, Constance. 1996. Teaching Grammar in Context. Boynton/Cook Publishers, Inc.
Windsor, Lucinda. 2000. Grammar in Story. (2 books). Absey & Co.
Woods, Geraldine. 2010. English Grammar for Dummies. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Publishing, Inc.