D.L.P. – Week Nine
G R A DE E IG HT
Day One – Skills
• Capitalization – Proper Nouns – People
Names of people are always capitalized. If the person has a title such as Mr. or Dr., the title is also capitalized.
Animal’s names are also capitalized.
• Punctuation – End Marks
Sentences must end with proper punctuation to signal that a thought has ended. Declarative sentences or
statements end in a period. Interrogative sentences, which are also known as questions, must end in a
question mark. Imperative sentences are punctuated based on how they are said. Commands that are forceful
would end in an exclamation point, but a calmly stated command would merit a period. Finally, exclamatory
sentences end in exclamation points since they are spoken with such enthusiasm.
• Run-on Sentences
Run-on sentences occur when two complete thoughts run together without proper connection or punctuation.
Run-ons can be corrected in one of three ways. First, simply separate the two sentences with proper end
punctuation. However, if the two sentences can be connected by meaning, connect them with a comma and
the proper conjunction. Finally, the two sentences can have a semicolon placed between them if the clauses
relate closely in meaning. Note that the sentence following the semicolon would not begin with a capital
unless that word is a proper noun or the pronoun I.
• Punctuation – Comma – Appositives
If an appositive is a single word, it is the writer’s choice to place comas around it or not, but a multiple word
appositive must be set off from the sentence with commas.
D AY O NE – SE NT E NCE O NE
Have you read “The Adventure
of the Speckled Band” by sir
Arthur Conan Doyle.
Have you read “The Adventure
of the Speckled Band” by Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle?
D AY O NE – SE NT E NCE T WO
It is about a baffling mystery the
main character is the famous
detective Sherlock Holmes.
It is about a baffling mystery. The
main character is the famous
detective, Sherlock Holmes.
Day Two – Skills
• Punctuation – Period in an Abbreviation
When a word is abbreviated, a period must be used to show that the word has been shortened.
(Mister – Mr. street – st.)
• Voice – Active vs. Passive
Active voice means that the subject is in the tradition subject spot as the doer of the action. In
a passive voice construction, the subject is either in a prepositional phrase at the end of the
sentence or not stated at all. (Active – I like cats. Passive (The cats were liked.) Note that in
the passive construction, there is typically a linking verb. Writers should write in active voice.
• Negatives – Elimination of Doubles
Only one negative word should be used per sentence. Negative words include no, not, never,
and none.
• Compound Personal Pronouns
Th compound personal pronouns are: myself, ourselves, yourself, yourselves, himself, herself,
itself, themselves. Although you may here people use them, hisself and theriselves are not
actually words.
D AY T WO – SE NT E NCE O NE
The story is told by Dr Watson,
who helps Holmes in his work.
Dr. Watson, who helps Holmes
in his work, tells the story.
D AY T WO – SE NT E NCE T WO
Watson sees the same clues
Holmes does, but he can’t never
put them together hisself.
Watson sees the same clues
Holmes does, but he can never
put them together himself.
Day Three– Skills
• Punctuation – Comma – Appositives
If an appositive is a single word, it is the writer’s choice to place comas around it or not, but a
multiple word appositive must be set off from the sentence with commas.
• Pronoun Usage – Case
Pronouns are used differently depending on what case they are. Subject pronouns, also known
as nominative pronouns can work as subjects or predicate nouns. They are I, we, you, he, she,
it, and they. Objective pronouns can work as direct objects, indirect objects, or objects of the
preposition. They are me, us, you, him, her, it, and them. Possessive pronouns show
ownership. They are my, mine, our, ours, your, yours, his, her, hers, its, their, and theirs. Note
that possessive pronouns do not have apostrophes.
• Agreement – Subjects that are Compound
Compound subjects connected by and are plural which then makes them need a plural verb.
When compound subjects are connected by either/or or neither/nor, the subject of the second
part is made to match the verb. (either the book or the papers are…. neither the books or the
paper is)
D AY T HR E E – SE NT E NCE O NE
A young woman asks Holmes to
look into the death of her sister,
Julia who dies mysteriously.
A young woman asks Holmes to
look into the death of her sister,
Julia, who dies mysteriously.
D AY T HR E E – SE NT E NCE T WO
Her and her sister was twins and
very close.
She and her sister were twins
and very close.
Day Four– Skills
• Contractions with Have
Contractions formed by combing a word with the helping verb have should end in ‘ve.
(could’ve) This contraction sounds like the word “of.” Remember, the word “of” would
never be between two other verbs. (should have gone)
• Confused Words – accept/except
The word accept is an action verb means to take something that is offered. The word
except is a preposition that means to leave something out.
• Punctuation – Comma – Introductory Subordinate Clause
When a sentence begins with a subordinate (dependent) clause, the clause must be
followed by a comma. If the subordinate clause ends the sentence, no commas
separates it from the independent one.
• Punctuation – Indirect Questions
Since an indirect question is not actually a question, it is punctuated with a period.
D AY FO UR – SE NT E NCE O NE
There seems to be no way Julia
could of been murdered in a locked
room, but Holmes excepts the case.
There seems to be no way Julia
could have been murdered in a
locked room, but Holmes accepts
the case.
D AY FO UR – SE NT E NCE T WO
Although there will be danger
Watson asks if he can help?
Although there will be danger,
Watson asks if he can help.
Day Five– Skills
• Comparison of Adjectives and Adverbs – Elimination of Double Comparison
The three degrees of comparison are positive, comparative, and superlative. The positive degree is simply
the adjective or adverb. The comparative degree means that two things are being compared. The suffix “er”
is used or the words more or less. (bigger, more interesting, less exciting) The superlative degree compares
more than two things. The suffix “est” or the words most or least are used. (biggest, most interesting, least
exciting)
A double comparison occurs when both the suffix and the words are used. Use one or the other.
• Punctuation – Apostrophes in Possession
An apostrophe is used to show possession or ownership. If the word showing ownership is singular, then the
apostrophe is placed before the s. (boy’s) If the word is plural and ends in an s, then the apostrophe is placed
after the s. (groups’) However, if the plural word does not end in an s, then the apostrophe is placed before
the s. (children’s)
Joint possession means more than one person owns something. If one thing is owned by more than one
person, the apostrophe and s appear only on the final person in the group. (Bob and Mark’s car)
• Capitalization – Titles
The first word of any title is capitalized. After that, all important words are capitalized. Words that are not
capitalized are articles, conjunctions, and prepositions.
D AY FIVE – SE NT E NCE O NE
Hoping to prevent an even worser
crime, the two men travel to the
country home of the twins
stepfather.
Hoping to prevent an even worse
crime, the two men travel to the
country home of the twin’s
stepfather.
D AY FIVE – SE NT E NCE T WO
Read “the adventures of the
speckled band” to find out how
Holmes solves the mystery.
Read “The Adventures of the
Speckled Band” to find out how
Holmes solves the mystery.