Becoming a Grammar Guru Purpose: Being able to comprehend, identify, and apply grammar/parts of speech to improve all areas of writing. To get started on your journey, click on the book below. To Become a Grammar Guru… You will need to: Learn and understand each part of speech’s meaning and usage Identify each part of speech in sentences/writing Use each part of speech properly in writing If you think you are up for this challenge, select the thumbs up. QuickTime™ and a decompressor are needed to see this picture. Let the Journey Begin Task: To become a grammar expert you will need to learn about each part of speech and apply what you learned with practice. Process: To accomplish your task, select a Part of Speech from the ‘Main Menu’ and make your way through all the steps. Once you have completed all the steps successfully, move on to the next Part of Speech. Main Menu Main Menu Select a Part of Speech: NOUN VERB PRONOUN ADJECTIVE ADVERB PREPOSITION CONJUNCTION/ PREPOSITION Nouns: Grammar Rock Video Step 1: Watch Me Step 2: Begin Learning Noun Definition: Person, Place, or Thing What are some other examples of nouns? Common Noun / Proper Noun Definition: A General Noun Not capitalized unless at beginning of sentence. Definition: names of SPECIFIC things or people Examples: man toy cereal Examples: France Mexico Alice Ford Nouns as Subjects The subject of a sentence tells whom or what the sentence is about. Nouns are often used as subjects. Example: The girls stopped at the library. (Who stopped? The girls. The noun girls is the subject.) Concept Check Click on the subject of each sentence. The boy asked his dad for new shoes. The adults and the children went out to dinner. Every afternoon, the old lady takes a nap. Finished CORRECT! Return to Concept Check Sorry! Try Again. Hint: Who or what is the sentence about? Concept Check Plural Noun Definition: Refers to two or more people, places, or things. Examples: monkeys painters beaches Plural Noun Guidelines Nouns Plural Examples Most nouns add s book, books; cup, cups; sprout, sprouts Most nouns that end in ch, sh, s, x, or z add es box, boxes; bus, buses; prize, prizes Most nouns that end in a vowel and y add s boy, boys; day, days; key, keys Most nouns that end in a consonant and y y becomes ies baby, babies; country, countries; spy, spies Most nouns that end in f or fe f or fe becomes ves elf, elves; loaf, loaves; thief, thieves Most nouns that end in o add s kangaroo, kangaroos; piano, pianos; video, videos Certain nouns that end in a consonant and o add es hero, heroes; potato, potatoes; volcano, volcanoes Some Exceptions Change of a vowel sound when they become plural: goose, geese; man, men; mouse, mice; and tooth, teeth. Nouns that don’t change: deer, fish, sheep, and species. Old English nouns: child, children and ox, oxen. Noun Game Step 3: Challenge your Noun Knowledge Step Four: Finish Learning Possessive Noun Definition: Shows who or what owns a thing or a quality. Example: Cinderella’s slipper was found by the prince. Possessive Nouns Guidelines Forming the Possessive of Singular Nouns Add an apostrophe and s – – – Chris’s wishes the lion’s paw Samantha’s dress Forming the Possessive of Plural Nouns Plural nouns that end in s, just add an apostrophe – – candles’ wax sisters’ dresses Plural nouns that DON’T end in s, add an apostrophe s – – – geese’s flight women’s team children’s books Possessive Noun Practice Game Practice your Possessive Skills Congrats! You have made your way through ‘Nouns’ and are ready to move on to the next Part of Speech. Go back to the Main Menu and select ‘Verb’. Main Menu Verbs: Grammar Rock Video Step 1: Watch ME Step 2: Begin Learning What is a verb? Expresses an action, states that something exists, or links the subject with a word that describes or renames it. * The verb is the most important part of every sentence. Without a verb, a sentence cannot be complete or make sense.* Concept Check Directions: Select the action verb in each sentence. Sally listens to her favorite song. Craig hits the baseball over the fence. The bluebird in the tree sings beautifully. The football team dashes out of the locker room. Finished Bull’s Eye! You’re Correct. The verb is what the subject does. Return to Concept Check Incorrect. Don’t give up though, keep trying. Remember that a verb is what the subject does. Concept Check Direct Object The noun or pronoun that receives the action of the verb. Snow covered the mountain. The police closed the road. The words mountain and road receive the action of the verbs. Mountain and road are the direct objects of the verbs. Recognizing Direct Objects To find the direct object in a sentence: Ask what or whom after the verb. The word that answers what or whom is the direct object. Workers removed the snowdrifts. (Removed what? snowdrifts) They cleared the roads and bridges. (Cleared what? roads and bridges) Linking/Helping Verbs Linking Verbs: Connect the subject of a verb to additional information about the subject. Yes, I am on time. (emphasizes state of being) My skates are fast. (links skates with fast) Helping Verbs: Appear with action verbs, “helping” them tell time. I was studying French when I visited Paris. I might play soccer after school today. Common Linking/Helping Verbs: am, are, were, being, is, was, be, might, should, will Verb Game Step 3: Test your verb Knowledge so far. Step Four: Finish Learning Verb Tenses TENSE DEFINITION VERBS Examples Present Tense Something is happening now or being now is, am, are Add –s or – es She explores the country. Past Tense Something happened in the past was, were Add -ed She explored the country. Future Tense Something that is about to happen will She will explore the country. Present Perfect Tense (Perfect = Past) Sentence EXAMPLE Action that began in the have or has + She has explored past and continues into (verb+ed) the country. the present or that occurred in the recent past. (present past) Past Perfect Tense Action that happened (Perfect = Past) before the action in the past. (past past) had + (verb+ed or en) She had explored the country. Verb Tense Game Finished It’s the END of VERBS. Before you head back to the ‘Main Menu’ though, quiz your VERB knowledge. CLICK To START Main Menu Pronoun: Grammar Rock Video Step 1: Watch ME Step 2: Begin Learning Pronoun A word that takes the place of a noun. Noun=Bobby Pronoun = He Subject Pronoun I, you, he, she, it ,we, and they are subject pronouns. Use these pronouns as subjects of a sentence or after linking verbs. They are arm wrestling. I hula hoop for fun. Object Pronouns The pronouns me, you, him, her, it, us and them are object pronouns. Use them as objects of the verb or as objects of a preposition. Frankie met them at the airport. Frankie traveled with her and me. Concept Check Take the interactive quiz. You must get 11 out of 13 correct to move on. You may take it as many times as necessary. Finished Quiz Possessive Pronouns Possessive pronouns Singular are used to show my, mine ownership or belonging. My balloon. Plural our, ours your, yours your, yours his, her, hers, its their, theirs Pronoun or Contraction? People often confuse the possessive forms of some pronouns with the contractions they resemble: its – it’s your – you’re their - they’re The dolphin enjoys its freedom. (possessive pronoun) It’s free to roam the ocean. (contraction: it is) May I sign your yearbook? (possessive pronoun) You’re very polite. (contraction: you are) The team donated their time. (possessive pronoun) They’re playing for charity. (contraction: they are) Concept Check Since a dolphin is a mammal, it must frequently make (its, it’s) way to the surface for air or it will drown. Some tuna companies were accidentally trapping dolphins in (their, they’re) nets. In response to consumer concerns, some companies have changed (their, they’re) policies and are using new fishing methods. In addition, (their, they’re) labeling (their, they’re) tuna cans as “dolphin safe”. Concept Check Complete Correct!!!! Concept Check Finished Sorry, that’s not correct. Try again and think about what you just learned in the previous slides about pronouns. Concept Check We-Us Pronouns We is always the subject form; us is the object form. To decide whether we or us is correct, say the pronoun alone with the verb. (We, Us) students performed in a play. (Subject form: We perform) The director asked (we, us) actors to bow. (Object form: Asked us) Who-Whom Pronouns Interrogative pronouns used to ask questions. Who is the subject form, and whom is the object form. Who will play the lead? (Who is the subject of will play.) Whom do you see? (Whom is the direct object of do see.) From whom do we buy tickets? (Whom is the object of the preposition from.) Who-Whom Tricks Trick: Replace who/whom with he/him Examples: Who called? He called. Whom did you call? I called him. Practice – Who, Whom, Whose Finished Antecedent Pronouns The noun or other pronoun for which the pronoun stands. Jeff went to work today and brought his lunch. (Jeff is the antecedent of his.) Billy and Bob went to school. After, they went to soccer practice. (Billy and Bob are the antecedents of they.) The antecedent usually appears before the pronoun. Sometimes, as in the second example, the antecedent is in the sentence before it. Indefinite Pronouns Refer to an identifiable but not specified person, thing, or amount. Conveys the ideal of ALL, ANY, NONE, or SOME. Common indefinite pronouns: all, another, any, anybody, anyone, anything, each, everybody, few, many, nobody, none, one, several, some, someone Challenge: Indefinite Pronouns How many words can you make by combining the left column with the right? any/an every no some body one thing other Congrats! You’ve made it through Pronouns. Try the final practice below before moving on to Adjectives. Main Menu Grammar Rock Video: Adjectives Step 1: Watch Me Step 2: Learn What is an adjective? A word that describes a noun or pronoun. ADJECTIVE NOUN Examples: colossal building tacky sweater glorious day What is an adjective? An adjective answers the questions: What kind? The rocket ship shot up in the sky. (What kind of ship? rocket ship) Which one? Did you see those children playing in the snow? (Which children? those children) How many? Several cars were involved in the accident. (How many cars? several cars) Concept Check Practice Identifying Adjectives by Playing this Game Finished Article Adjectives Articles are special adjectives. They point out one specific person, place, thing, or idea. a, an, and the Aden wished upon the falling star. Adjectives in Comparison Comparative Adjectives Compare two things Golden Delicious apples are sweeter than Granny Smith apples. Superlative Adjectives Compare more than two things Red Delicious apples are the sweetest apples at the market. Forms of Adjectives in Comparison For Short Adjectives: Add –er for Comparative and –est for Superlative Adjective Comparative Form Superlative Form Hot Hotter Hottest Ripe Riper Ripest Creamy Creamier Creamiest Spicy Spicier Spiciest Forms of Adjectives in Comparison For Longer Adjectives: Add more for Comparative and most for Superlative Adjective Comparative Form Superlative Form Fragrant More fragrant Most fragrant Well-done More well-done Most well-done Flavorful More flavorful Most flavorful Delicious More delicious Most delicious FYI Use only one form of comparison at a time. Do not use more and –er together, or most and –est together. INCORRECT Steak is the most easiest meat to barbecue. CORRECT Steak is the easiest meat to barbecue. Helpful Hint Almost all adjectives of three or more syllables use more and most when comparing. Some Forms Are Different Some adjectives will change to a different word when in comparative and superlative forms. Adjective Good Comparative Form Better Superlative Form Best Bad Worse Worst Concept check Choose the correct form of the adjectives in each sentence. (1) Michigan’s weather is (colder, more cold) than South Carolina’s. (2) Obama was the (more popular, most popular) of all the candidates that ran for president. (3) The Italian chef makes the (most tastiest, tastiest) pasta I have ever consumed. (4) Ashley is the (bravest, most brave) person I know. Finished That’s Right! Nice Job! Concept Check Finished Sorry! You’re so close. Take a closer look. Concept Check You’re Almost Done! Before moving on to Adverbs, practice your Adjective knowledge one last time. PRACTICE Main Menu Grammar Rock Video: Adverb Step 1: Watch Me Step 2: Learn What is an adverb? Describes a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. Describing a Verb The graduates waited anxiously. Describing an Adjective The ceremony was nearly over. Describing another Adverb The graduates smiled very happily. Answers the Questions . . . HOW? Frank recklessly flew the plane. (How did he fly the plane? recklessly) WHEN? Tricia went shopping with her friends yesterday. (When did she go shopping? yesterday) WHERE? Jeff grilled the hamburgers outside. (Where did he grill the hamburgers? outside) To What Extent? Erin answers the question quite eagerly. ( To what extent did she answer eagerly? quite) PRACTICE- Identifying Adverbs CLICK HERE to BEGIN •Complete at least the first three quizzes before moving on. Finished ADVERBS IN COMPARISON Short Adverbs: Comparative = -er Superlative = -est Adverb Comparative Superlative Close Closer Closest Fast Faster fastest Example: My ears get cold fast. In fact, my ears get cold faster than my hands. My nose gets cold fastest of all, though. ADVERBS IN COMPARISON Adverbs ending in -ly: Comparative = moreSuperlative = most Adverb Slowly Comparative Superlative more most slowly slowly smoothly more most smoothly smoothly ADVERBS IN COMPARISON Some adverbs change completely to form the comparative and superlative. Adverb Comparative Superlative well much better more best most little less least PRACTICE (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Click on the correct comparing adjective. Each year, many women search for the product that will color their lips (more better, better) than before. Cosmetics manufacturers have used some of the (more surprisingly, most surprisingly) strange ingredients imaginable. For one thing, lipstick spoiled (faster, fastest) than the products made today. Also, the coloring agent used (more commonly, most commonly) then was made from dried and crushed insects. Today, fish scales make lipsticks glisten (more brightly, most brightly) than ever before. Adjective or Adverb? Sometimes an adjective or adverb is misused because the speaker didn’t recognize which part of speech was needed. Analyze carefully. REMEMBER: An ADJECTIVE describes a noun or pronoun. An ADVERB describes a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. Adjective or Adverb? To determine which one, try this method: Sentence: Becca sings (good, well). Problem: Is the needed word an adjective or adverb? Question: Would the word answer the question how, when, where, or to what extent? Answer: It tells how Becca sings? Solution: The word well, an adverb, should be used to describe the verb sings. PRACTICE Decide on an adjective or adverb to complete each sentence. I can't understand. You speak too (quick, quickly). Click for ANSWER = quickly carefully He drives very (careful, carefully). Click for ANSWER = He's a very (careful, carefully) driver. Click for ANSWER = careful I got up (late, lately) this morning. Click for ANSWER = late Tom tries very (hard, hardly ) when he plays tennis but Martin always wins. Click for ANSWER = hard I bought a new CD player yesterday. It sounds very (good, well). Click ANSWER = good I recognize him but I don't know him very (good, well). Click for ANSWER = well They have a very (successful, successfully) business. Click for ANSWER = successful Adjective or Adverb Game Click to Play Finished Using Negatives Never use a double negative when you write or speak. A negative is a word that has the meaning “no”. Common negatives: no, none, not, nothing, never If two of these words are used together = double negative Example: I won’t never go sky diving. INCORRECT I won’t ever go sky diving. CORRECT I will never go sky diving CONCEPT CHECK Take the quiz below. Try all three levels and shoot for score of 80% or better. You may try as many times as necessary. Made an 80% or better, Ready to Move On. YOU REACHED THE END! To finish your explorations on adverbs, take this quick quiz. Remember you need to get an 80% to move on to the next Part of Speech. Take the quiz as many times as necessary. Main Menu Grammar Rock Video: Prepositions Step 1: Watch Me Step 2: Learn What Is A Preposition? •Definition: It joins a noun or pronoun to the rest of the sentence. •Some examples: to, from, in, on, after, until Samantha rushed through the door. She was tardy for class. Prepositions •Prepositions refer to THREE things: (1) Location (on, under, in) EX: The mouse is on the table. (2) Timing (before, after, during) Ex. Eddy went hiking before dusk. (3) Directions (from, toward to) Ex. We traveled toward the ocean. Test Your Knowledge Which word is a preposition? Click the answer. The pizza in the oven is mine. pizza in oven mine Finished RIGHT! Two things are related to each other by the preposition! Finished Try Again! Click here to try again Test Your Knowledge Which word is a preposition? Click on the answer. The girl by the door is my sister. girl by door my Finished CORRECT! Two things are related to each other by the preposition! Finished Nope, not quite. Click here to try again Test Your Knowledge Which word is a preposition? Click on the answer. The runners raced around the track. runners around the track Finished Nicely Done! Two things are related to each other by the preposition! Finished Ohhh, you were close. Click here to try again Prepositional Phrases Let’s look again at the sentences you practiced with. The pizza in the oven is mine. The girl by the door is my sister. The runners raced around the track. Prepositional Phrases in the oven by the door around the track These are prepositional phrases. Prepositional phrases start with a preposition and end with the object of a preposition. Object of a Preposition The object of a preposition •must be a noun or a pronoun •always comes at the end of a prepositional phrase Example: The cookies are in the oven. Oven is a noun that ends the prepositional phrase. Oven is the object of the preposition. Test Your Knowledge Identify the prepositional phrase. (Click the answer.) I sat with my mom. I sat with with my with my mom Finished Congratulations! You found the preposition al phrase! Well done! Finished Sorry, that’s not right. Remember: a prepositional phrase starts with a preposition and ends with a noun or pronoun. Try the question again! Test Your Knowledge Identify the prepositional phrase. (Click on the answer.) After gym class, we got a drink. After gym After gym class After gym class, we You’re Right! You found the preposition al phrase! Well done! Finished WRONG! • Remember: a prepositional phrase starts with a preposition and ends with a noun or pronoun. Try the question again! The End of Prepositions! Just one more thing…. Before you head back to the Main Menu, Practice you acquired knowledge of Prepositions. You need to score a 80% or better to move on. Take as many times as necessary. QUIZ TIME! Main Menu Grammar Rock: Conjunctions Step 1: Watch Me Step 2: Learn Conjunction Definition: A word that connects words or groups of words. For, and, but, or, nor Conjunctions join words together: Katie and Josh went to the movies. Conjunctions join phrases and sentences: They couldn’t decide on a scary movie or a thriller. Conjunctions and Commas When do you use a comma with conjunctions? Do NOT use a comma when you combining words. Ex: Davey and Kay went to dinner. Ex: Are we going to King Street or Market? USE a comma BEFORE a conjunction when you are combining sentences. Us students received a silent lunch, and then we received a detention. Ex: They will not be going on vacation this year, nor will they be going anywhere out of state. Ex: Practice Conjunctions SELECT ME NEXT Grammar Rock: Interjections Step 3: Watch Me Step 4: Learn Interjection Definition: A word or short group of words used to express feeling. Examples: Ouch! Interjections Oh Wow! expressing STRONG emotion = exclamation point (!) Ouch! I fell! Interjections expressing MILD emotion = comma (,) Oh, I’m not afraid. PRACTICE Click on all the conjunctions and interjections. Ugh! I cannot wait for summer to be here! This winter has been too long and cold. Neither the snowmen building nor the skiing interests me anymore. Oh, how I long to wear sandals and go to the beach again. Or to be able to feel the radiant sun on my face would make me happy. So…come soon summer, but don’t get too hot on us this year. Finished Wow! Way to Go! You have learned about all of the Parts of Speech. Lets test your knowledge to see just how well you know each one. Remember, you want to score a 80% or higher. If you struggle, you may need to go back and review. Click Here to Begin Finished Tick Tick Tick Now for the ultimate test. Take the quiz below and see how fast you can identify the Parts of Speech. Click on the timer to begin the quiz. (The timer starts when you select the first answer.) Main Menu