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 Word for Today: Contretemps (n)—an embarrassing incident Sentence Correction: When Tom’s pants fell down in the hall, it was an unexpected humorous contretemps. Vocabulary Word for Today: Conveyance (n)—a means of transporting; a vehicle Sentence Correction: On October 15 2008 motorcycles were declared a dangerous conveyance. Vocabulary Word for Today: Cryptic (adj)—secret; mysterious Sentence Correction: The cryptic message was received with worry confusion and anticipation. Vocabulary Word for Today: ` Cuisine (n)—food; style of cooking Sentence Correction: I love to eat Japanese Chinese and Mexican cuisine. Journal 1: (paraphrase the prompt in the space provided on your warm-up) Suppose you will be stranded on a deserted island in the middle of the ocean for ten years. You will be allowed to bring one each of the following: book, movie, CD, food item, drink item, piece of clothing, and one miscellaneous item. List the one item you would bring in each category and explain why you chose it in a complete sentence. 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 Word for Today: Debonair (adj)—suave, charming, light-hearted Sentence Correction: John the boy in the blue shirt is considered to be very debonair by the girls in his class. Vocabulary Word for Today: Deciduous (adj)—shedding at a certain stage as at the end of the growing period Sentence Correction: When leaves fall from deciduous trees they need to be raked often. Vocabulary Word for Today: Demagogue (n)—leader who promises things to people to gain power Sentence Correction: Sally what can you tell us about the demagogue Hitler? Journal 2: (paraphrase the prompt in the space provided on your warm-up) Decisions, decisions. They range from the tiny to the immense. If you could go back in time and change one decision you’ve made, what would it be? Why do you regret making this decision? How would you change this decision? Grammar Rule of the Week Use a singular verb with a singular subject and a plural verb with a plural subject. Vocabulary Word for Today: Dexterous (adj)—skillful with the hands; mentally adroit Sentence Correction: The Harlem Globetrotters is dexterous with basketballs. Vocabulary Word for Today: Disheveled (adj)--untidy Sentence Correction: A disheveled room are something that are not allowed in my house. Vocabulary Word for Today: ` Doggerel (n)—loose, irregular verse; bad poetry Sentence Correction: The book of doggerel are not read by many people. Vocabulary Word for Today: Dormant (adj)—sleeping; inactive Sentence Correction: The dormant student wake up when the teacher yells at him. Journal 3: (paraphrase the prompt in the space provided on your warm-up) “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”—Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a pacifist and believed that hatred and prejudice can be fought with love. Do you agree with him? Do you think that in all situations a peaceful response is the correct one? Give a specific example. Grammar Rule of the Week Subjects joined by and take a plural verb. Singular subjects joined by or or nor take singular verbs. Vocabulary Word for Today: Dulcet (adj)—sweet; melodious, soothing Sentence Correction: Neither the music nor the warm milk were dulcet enough to help her sleep. Vocabulary Word for Today: Echelon (n)—one in a series of levels of commands Sentence Correction: Those in the upper echelon of society and politics is often considered snobby. Grammar Rule of the Week With subject-verb agreement, these pronouns are singular: each, either, neither, one, everyone, everybody, no one, nobody, anyone, anybody, someone, and somebody Vocabulary Word for Today: Effervescent (adj)—bubbly; lively Sentence Correction: Neither of the girls are on the cheerleading squad because neither is effervescent enough. Vocabulary Word for Today: Egregious (adj)—flagrant; out of the ordinary Sentence Correction: Each of the fouls committed in the last minute of the basketball game were egregious. Vocabulary Word for Today: Emaciated (adj)—painfully thin; wasted Sentence Correction: No one like to see images of emaciated children in Africa. Vocabulary Word for Today: Embellish (v)—to make beautiful with ornamentation; to decorate Sentence Correction: Many people embellish their houses for the holiday season, and somebody at my house always forget to buy new tree lights. Journal 4: (paraphrase the prompt in the space provided on your warm-up) If you could go anywhere in the world, at any time in the past or future, where and to what time would you go? What would you want to see, and whom would you want to meet? Explain. Grammar Rule of the Week With subject-verb agreements, these pronouns are plural: several, few, both, and many. These pronouns may be singular or plural: some, all, most, any, or none. Vocabulary Word for Today: Equestrian (adj.)—of or relating to horseback riding Sentence Correction: Many equestrian stores sells saddles, harnesses, boots, and hats. Vocabulary Word for Today: Equilibrium (n)—a state of balance Sentence Correction: Several of her falls during the race was due to her poor equilibrium. Vocabulary Word for Today: Escalate (v)—to enlarge; to increase Sentence Correction: Most of the students only escalates an altercation by yelling, “Fight!” and taking pictures on their phones. Vocabulary Word for Today: Exodus (n)—a mass departure Sentence Correction: Any of the students were responsible for pulling the alarm that led to the exodus from the building, but only he knows who he is. Journal 5: (paraphrase the prompt in the space provided on your warm-up) The nature versus nurture debate refers to the question of what influences us most. Some scientists believe that nature (inherited genetic characteristics) shapes us as people. Others believe that nurture (our upbringing and other social influences) shapes us. What do you think? Do you think that genetics determine what we will become, or do the people and things around us have a greater influence? Grammar Rule of the Week Do not change the verb tense when two or more events happened at the same time, but you can change tenses to show that one event came before another. Vocabulary Word for Today: Expletive (n)—an obscenity Sentence Correction: It is egregious when the debonair young man used expletives. Vocabulary Word for Today: Expunge (v)—to strike out; to erase; to remove Sentence Correction: When the substitute decided to expunge the students who were talking, it seems a mass exodus occurs. Vocabulary Word for Today: Fecund (adj)—fruitful; productive Sentence Correction: Instead of watching television all night last night, she is fecund and studied. Vocabulary Word for Today: Festoon (n)—a decorative chain or strip hung in a curve between two points Sentence Correction: The prom committee will decide which color the festoons are at the next meeting. Journal 6: (paraphrase the prompt in the space provided on your warm-up) Which came first: violence in the media or a violent society? Some people believe that the casual violence in the movies and TV desensitizes people, making them more violent. Others believe the exact opposite—that movies and television are simply a reflection of our society, which is becoming ever more violent on its own. What do you think? Journal 6: (paraphrase the prompt in the space provided on your warm-up) You will be writing your journal on a separate sheet of paper today. Write a line or phrase that stood out to you at the top of your paper from Elie Wiesel’s This I Believe essay. What do you think these words meant to Elie? (explain their significance) What do they mean to you? How do they make you feel? By writing them down, as well as his story in Night, how did Elie, as well as other Holocaust survivors who tell their stories, “bear witness” to the horrors of the Holocaust and “help others to prevent [his] past from becoming another person's future?” Grammar Rule of the Week Use the present tense to make a statement about a general truth or fact. Vocabulary Word for Today: Fiasco (n)—a failure Sentence Correction: Everybody knew that cheating will not benefit those involved, but people still do it. Vocabulary Word for Today: Flamboyant (adj)—ornate; showy Sentence Correction: Those in the upper echelon of society often drove flamboyant conveyances. Vocabulary Word for Today: Flotilla (n)– a fleet of small ships Sentence Correction: Currently, the navy only trained the best candidates to be in charge of the flotillas sent to war. Vocabulary Word for Today: Formidable (adj)—frightening; dreadful; awe-inspiring Sentence Correction: Demagogues will often be very formidable individuals. Journal 7: (paraphrase the prompt in the space provided on your warm-up) Based on what you’ve learned in your life so far, what two lessons do you think will be most important to teach your children? Are these two lessons also ones your parents have taught you, or do they come entirely from your own life and experiences?