GRAMMAR RULE OF THE WEEK
Use commas to separate three or
more items in a series, two or more
adjectives before a noun, or to
separate parts of a date.
VOCABULARY TERM:
dexterous (adj) –skillful with the hands
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
The members of the Harlem
Globetrotters are tall dexterous
players.
VOCABULARY TERM:
disheveled (adj) – untidy
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
My mom got mad at me because my
room was disheveled smelly and
gross!
VOCABULARY TERM:
distaff (adj) – pertaining to females
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
On her birthday, October 4 2012, it was
clear she resembled the distaff side of
the family.
VOCABULARY TERM:
doggerel (n) – inferior poetry
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
His boring strange poetry was
considered doggerel.
VOCABULARY TERM:
dormant (adj) – sleeping; inactive
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
The student was dormant after his
graduation party on November 3
2011.
GRAMMAR RULE OF THE WEEK
Use commas to set off a noun in
a direct address, set off
appositives and non-essential
clauses, and after an
introductory adverb clause.
VOCABULARY TERM:
dulcet (adj) – melodious; soothing
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
Jennifer do you hear that dulcet music
playing?
VOCABULARY TERM:
echelon (n) – one in a series of levels
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
The upper echelon of the class students
with all A’s were awarded medals at the
ceremony.
VOCABULARY TERM:
effervescent (adj) – bubbly; lively
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
After the pep rally the students were
effervescent and excited about the
football game.
VOCABULARY TERM:
egregious (adj) – out of the ordinary
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
The student a boy who had never made
below an A in science made an egregious
error and failed the test.
VOCABULARY TERM:
emaciated (adj) – painfully thin
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
I am worried because you look
emaciated Jan.
GRAMMAR RULE OF THE WEEK
Use a singular verb with a
singular subject and a plural
verb with a plural subject.
Subjects joined by and take a
plural verb. Singular subjects
joined by or or nor take
singular verbs.
VOCABULARY TERM:
embellish (v) – to decorate
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
The Carrington family like to embellish
their house at Christmas.
VOCABULARY TERM:
equestrian (adj) – related to horseback
riding
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
She are often described as an equestrian
because she is always riding her horses.
VOCABULARY TERM:
equilibrium (n) – a state of balance
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
Neither Chad nor Selena have
equilibrium after riding the roller
coaster.
VOCABULARY TERM:
escalate (v) – to enlarge; to increase
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
The administration was afraid that the
students who was watching the fight
would cause it to escalate.
VOCABULARY TERM:
exodus (n) – a mass departure
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
Teachers and students makes a mass
exodus out of the parking lot when the
bell rings at the end of the day.
GRAMMAR RULE OF THE WEEK
Use the correct forms of their,
there, and they’re; your and
you’re; its and it’s.
its - possessive
it’s - it is
your - possessive
you’re - you are
they’re - they are
their - possessive
there - a place
VOCABULARY TERM:
expletive (n) – an exclamatory word or
phrase
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
Lamont and Sandra were both sent out
of class for they’re use of expletives.
VOCABULARY TERM:
expunge (v) – to strike out; erase; remove
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
Neither the assistant principal nor the
principal agreed to expunge the
suspension from the there records.
VOCABULARY TERM:
fecund (adj) – fruitful; productive
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
During April and May its fecund and
many fruits are produced on the trees.
VOCABULARY TERM:
festoon (n) – a decorative chain or strip
hung in a curve between two points
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
Your supposed to take down the festoon
over their in the living room because
Christmas was two months ago.
VOCABULARY TERM:
fiasco (n) – a failure
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
When the dog and cat runs through the
kitchen and knock things over, its
a fiasco.
GRAMMAR RULE OF THE WEEK
Use a hyphen to separate
compound numbers from twentyone to ninety-nine, fractions used
as adjectives, and to show a span
of numbers.
VOCABULARY TERM:
flamboyant (adj) – ornate; showy
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
Only twenty two people showed up to
watch the flamboyant dancer’s show.
VOCABULARY TERM:
flotilla (n) – a fleet of small ships
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
The flotilla of thirty seven ships was
caught in the storm.
VOCABULARY TERM:
formidable (adj) – frightening; dreadful;
awe-inspiring
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
The large, formidable dog was one
fourth pit bull.
VOCABULARY TERM:
gargoyle (n) – a rain spout in the form of
a grotesque human or animal figure
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
Gargoyles 1 to 4 on the castle were
especially creepy.
VOCABULARY TERM:
gauntlet (n) – a thick, heavy glove of
armor
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
If she hadn’t been wearing the gauntlet,
she would have lost much more than one
half of her finger.
GRAMMAR RULE OF THE WEEK
Use a colon when you write the
time in numerals, before a list of
items, and after the salutation of a
business letter.
VOCABULARY TERM:
germinate (v) – to begin to grow; sprout
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
The seeds began to germinate as a
result of several factors rain, sun, and
temperature.
VOCABULARY TERM:
globule (n) – a tiny drop; a small ball
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
The globule of rain, the first warning of
the impending storm, fell from the sky at
1120.
VOCABULARY TERM:
googol (n) – the figure of 1 followed by
100 zeroes
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
At 1015 on the morning before the test,
he made the following suggestions go to
bed early get plenty to eat and study.
VOCABULARY TERM:
gossamer (adj) – something light or
delicate
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
At 930 every night she lays her head
down on her gossamer pillow and drifts
off to sleep.
VOCABULARY TERM:
gregarious (adj) – social
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
Mr. Thomas
Your son is too gregarious in class and
needs to stop talking.
GRAMMAR RULE OF THE WEEK
Use a semicolon to separate main
clauses not joined by and, but, or,
nor, yet, or for AND to separate
main clauses that are joined by a
conjunctive adverb such as:
however, furthermore, moreover,
nevertheless, therefore.
VOCABULARY TERM:
gyrate (v) – to revolve around a point or
axis
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
The students were told not to gyrate on
the dance floor however, two students
didn’t listen and were kicked out of the
dance.
VOCABULARY TERM:
halcyon (adj) – calm or peaceful
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
I like to go to the park on halcyon days I
do not enjoy going when it is raining.
VOCABULARY TERM:
harbinger (n) – forerunner
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
The cool air is usually a harbinger for
snow however it never did snow last
year.
VOCABULARY TERM:
hirsute (adj) – very hairy
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
The old man was very hirsute therefore,
people at the beach asked him to put a
shirt on.
VOCABULARY TERM:
holocaust (n) – widespread destruction,
especially by fire
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
The hurricane left a holocaust in its
wake furthermore the flooding that
remained destroyed many homes and
properties.
GRAMMAR RULE OF THE WEEK
Underline or italicize titles of: books,
magazines, newspapers, plays,
movies, television series, long poems,
paintings, sculptures, long musical
compositions, works of art, spacecraft,
and ships. Use quotation marks for:
short works or sections of a larger
work such as chapters, articles, songs,
short stories, essays, poems, and
television episodes.
VOCABULARY TERM:
impropriety (n) – improper conduct; bad
manners
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
The actress’s behavior at the premier of
the movie dog days showed impropriety
and resulted in many critical remarks
from her fans.
VOCABULARY TERM:
incarcerate (v) – to put in prison
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
Bill was incarcerated after attempting
to steal the Mona Lisa, the famous
painting, from the louvre.
VOCABULARY TERM:
inclement (adj) – stormy; harsh
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
The Santa Maria was tossed around on
the ocean during the inclement weather
caused by the storm.
VOCABULARY TERM:
indolent (adj) – lazy
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
Many readers of the Winston-salem
Journal were angry about the article
Mitt Romney claims that 47% of
America is indolent.
VOCABULARY TERM:
intrepid (adj) – fearless; bold
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
Readers of The Haunted House must be
intrepid because the book is scary!
GRAMMAR RULE OF THE WEEK
Using the grammar rules from
this quarter, identify the errors in
the following sentences.
VOCABULARY TERM:
irascible (adj) – easily angered; hottempered
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
The student is irascible two thirds of
the time and is always causing trouble.
VOCABULARY TERM:
irreparable (adj) – cannot be repaired
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
The damage to their relationship was
irreparable after his many mistakes
including cheating lying and stealing.
VOCABULARY TERM:
itinerary (n) – the route of a journey
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
According to the itinerary, what is the
next stop on our vacation Grandpa?
VOCABULARY TERM:
jettison (v) – to discard; to throw away
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
After reading it twenty seven times
she finally decided to jettison her copy
of the poem How Do I Love Thee.
VOCABULARY TERM:
juxtapose (v) – to place side by side
SENTENCE CORRECTION:
She needed to juxtapose the two
candidates and decide who to vote for
nonetheless she randomly checked a
box on the ballot.