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Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
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Grades 6–8
SARAH GLASSCOCK
SARAH GLASSCOCK
New York • Toronto • London • Auckland • Sydney
Mexico City • New Delhi • Hong Kong • Buenos Aires
Editor: Sarah Longhi
Copy editor: Jeannie Hutchins
Cover design: Maria Lilja
Interior design: Melinda Belter
Illustrations: Mike Moran
ISBN-13: 978-0-545-11264-2
ISBN-10: 0-545-11264-8
Copyright © 2010 by Sarah Glasscock.
All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic.
Printed in the U.S.A.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 40 16 15 14 13 12 11 10
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Scholastic Inc. grants teachers permission to photocopy the reproducible pages from this book for classroom use. No other part of this
publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission,
write to Scholastic Inc., 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012.
Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
All About Nouns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
All About Pronouns and Antecedents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
All About Verbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
All About Adjectives and Adverbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
All About Prepositions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
All About Subject-Predicate Agreement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
All About Gerunds, Participles, and Infinitives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
All About Phrases and Clauses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
All About Specificity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
All About Sentences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Introduction
It may be hard to convince students that grammar is a living, breathing thing that reflects
not only the history of our language but also how language and its rules change in our
contemporary lives. For example, today we try to use language more precisely to reflect the
changes in our society by replacing policeman or fireman with police officer or firefighter. (We’re
still grappling with the wordiness of pairing everyone with the possessive pronouns his and her.)
Grammar is simply a set of rules that help us write and speak clearly so people can understand
what we mean. The aim of this book is to present an overview of major topics that will give
your students tools become better writers and speakers.
The book contains a mini-lesson for each of the following ten major grammar topics:
• Nouns • Subject-Predicate Agreement
• Pronouns and Antecedents • Gerunds, Participles, and Infinitives
• Verbs • Phrases and Clauses
• Adjectives and Adverbs • Specificity
• Prepositions • Sentences
Each mini-lesson contains the following elements to support your teaching:
4 A teaching page focuses on introducing and defining the topic, teaching it in conjunction
with a model passage, and applying it. A quote related to the topic begins each lesson. In
some lessons, the quote is used as a springboard for introducing, discussing, or applying the
grammar topic.
4 A short model passage shows important aspects of the grammar topic in action.
Important points about the grammar topic are identified in the passage and briefly
discussed. You may want to display the passage onscreen to introduce or review the featured
grammar points. Students can also keep this page in their notebooks or writing portfolios to
guide them in their own writing.
4 Two writing prompts encourage students to write and share their work. You can
photocopy the prompts on card stock and then cut them apart for students, write the
prompts on the board, or display them onscreen. With the Rest of the Class tips help students
extend their thinking by sharing their work with their peers.
4 Three activities for the whole class, small group, pairs, or individuals give students handson practice with the grammar topic. These activities require minimal preparation and appeal
to a variety of learning styles; for example, students may play games, chant, or write ads and
plays. Use the discussion tip, With the Class, to invite students to discuss the topic further.
4 A reproducible activity sheet goes with the activity featured in the Apply section of
each teaching page.
You’ll find that there is some overlapping of topics. It’s impossible to talk about subjects and
predicates without talking about nouns, pronouns, and verbs, and it’s impossible to talk about
sentences without talking about all the other grammar topics in the book.
Immerse your students in an overview of each grammar topic or dive more deeply into one
aspect of it. I hope this book encourages your students to see the powerful effect that grammar
has on our words­—and the effect we all have on our language.
4
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
How to Use This Book
All About Nouns
]
All nouns are abbreviations. Instead of saying cold, sharp, burning,
unbreakable, shining, pointy, we utter “dagger”; for the receding sun
and oncoming darkness, we say “twilight.”
—Jorge Luis Borges
•
•
•
•
nouns and noun phrases
subject-verb agreement
possessive nouns
descriptive nouns
Introduction
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Begin a mini-lesson on nouns by writing a short definition of this part of
speech on the board. Here’s an example: “A noun names a person, place,
animal, thing, or idea: After experiencing freedom from gravity when
he somersaulted over the moon, James landed in his front yard again,
which surprised his Dalmatian.”
Just exactly
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Distribute copies of the model passage “The Cathedral of Junk” on
page 7 to students. Allow time for them to read it on their own, or
ask them to follow along as you read it aloud. Then use the teaching
guide on page 6 to discuss general notes on nouns and how the
writer used them in the passage.
(Also see the lessons on pronouns and antecedents on pages 11­–16,
subject-verb agreement on pages 35–40, gerunds, participles, and
infinitives on page 41–46, and phrases and clauses, pages 47–52.)
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On the board or a chart, make a list of nouns such as cactus, freedom,
computer, adult, and pencil. Then hand out the Abbreviate!
reproducible on page 10 and go over the directions. Encourage
students to let their minds roam widely as they think about the
noun they have chosen. You may want to begin by assigning the
same noun to students. Encourage pairs of students to share their
abbreviations with each other and try to identify the original noun or
noun phrase. Record students’ responses to get a comprehensive definition of the noun.
Activities
Apply
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Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Nouns ground a sentence. Without nouns, there is nobody or nothing
to spark the action. This mini-lesson focuses on the following aspects
of nouns:
Nouns and Noun Phrases
A noun phrase is a group of words that begins with a noun or a pronoun and functions
as a noun.
KEY POINTS
• Remind students that nouns name people,
animals, places, things, and ideas.
TEACHING WITH THE MODEL PASSAGE
1 The noun junk names a thing. The nouns
between the dashes are synonyms for junk.
• A noun phrase contains a noun and the words
that modify the noun.
2 In the noun phrase work of art, the prepositional
phrase of art modifies the noun work. It tells what
kind of work it is.
• The closest noun to the verb may not be the
subject but a part of a noun phrase.
Subject-Verb Agreement
KEY POINTS
• A complete sentence needs a subject and a
verb. The subject and verb may be singular
or plural, but they must always agree with
each other.
TEACHING WITH THE MODEL PASSAGE
3 The subject in the noun phrase A wind chime
made of CDs, is chime. The verb must agree with
the singular noun chime, not the plural noun CDs.
6 This compound subject, neighbors and the City of
Austin takes the plural verb, aren’t.
• A subject may be a single noun or a
noun phrase. Possessive Nouns
Possessive nouns indicate who or what possesses or owns something.
TEACHING WITH THE MODEL PASSAGE
4 Because the original noun artists is plural,
you form the plural possessive by adding an
apostrophe.
KEY POINTS
• An apostrophe indicates possession.
• In the case of a regular singular noun, an –s is
added after the apostrophe: gravity’s.
7 The singular possessive of city is city’s.
• In the case of a regular plural noun, the
apostrophe is added after the final –s: horses’.
• There are different schools of thought on how
to form the possessive of a noun ending in –s:
Borges’ or Borges’s. The most important thing is
to be consistent. Choose one of the styles and
stick to it.
Descriptive Nouns
One descriptive noun can help you understand and visualize a writer’s message.
One descriptive noun can be worth a thousand words.
TEACHING WITH THE MODEL PASSAGE
5 The nouns yard and artist have been combined
to form a new noun that exactly describes what
Hannemann is—a yardist.
KEY POINTS
• As the Borges quotation at the top of page 5
indicates, one descriptive noun can take the
place of a string of words—including adjectives
and noun phrases—and be more effective.
8 In Hannemann’s view, he had carefully stacked
the TVs in a pyramid. In the city engineer’s eyes,
there was nothing carefully done—or shapely—
about the stack. In the inspector’s view, it was
a pile.
6
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Subjects and verbs must always agree.
MODEL PASSAGE
Nouns
The Cathedral of Junk
Just exactly what is junk—trash, garbage, litter, debris, useless things, rubbish—and what
1
should you do with it—recycle it, toss it, sell it, or turn it into a work of art? A man in Austin,
2
Texas, has created a Cathedral of Junk in his backyard. Since 1988, Vince Hannemann, has
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
been wiring and welding and stringing and stacking junk into an immense, 60-ton—and still
growing!—structure. Like many other cathedrals, this one
has towers, vaulted ceilings, and trusses. Instead of stone,
these architectural details are made out of discarded
bicycle wheels, dolls, and other things nobody wants
anymore. A wind chime made of CDs provides
3
music in the cathedral. The local artists’ nickname
4
for Vince Hannemann is “yardist.”
5
Some of Hannemann’s neighbors and the City of
6
Austin aren’t so happy about the Cathedral of Junk.
6
They think it’s ugly and unsafe. But over the years, the
city has inspected the structure and declared that it’s sturdy. Once, Vince did have to take
down a pyramid made of cast-off TVs. The city’s engineer declared that the pyramid was really
7
only a pile. “Well, what kind of pile expert are you?” Vince asked.
8
The Cathedral of Junk is a popular spot to visit in Austin. Couples have been married there,
and musicians have thrown CD release parties inside it, too. Sometimes, groups of school
kids wander through the Cathedral of Junk on field trips. Vince says that some visitors even
recognize things they used to own but threw away. They probably never imagined where their
trash would end up.
In this passage, you’ll see examples of the following:
• nouns and noun phrases
• subject-verb agreement
• possessive nouns • descriptive nouns
7
WRITING PROMPTS
Nouns
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Teachers: Duplicate these prompts on sturdy paper and then cut them apart. You may also write the prompts on the board or display them onscreen.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ----------------------------------------------- - - - - - - -
Name _______________________________________________________________ Date _______________
Write! Who should be responsible for keeping your classroom neat—
not clean or organized, but neat? Should it be the responsibility of the
teacher, the students, or the entire classroom? Explain your reasons.
Wr ite yo ur
ful l resp on se
on a sepa ra te
sh eet of pa per.
Be sure to use possessive nouns in your response. Before you hand in
your assignment, take another look at the possessive nouns you used. Did you use the correct form
for each singular and possessive noun? If you’re not sure whether you used the correct possessive
form, circle the noun. Try rephrasing the possessive noun like this: the city’s engineer/the engineer
of the city, Hannemann’s neighbors/the neighbors of Hannemann, the local artists’ nickname/
nickname of the local artists. If you can rephrase it, the noun should be possessive.
With the Rest of the Class: After sharing your ideas about who should be responsible for
keeping your classroom neat, talk about any possessive pronouns you used.
$ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ----------------------------------------------- - - - - - - Name _______________________________________________________________ Date _______________
Alone and With Others
Write! What are your favorite things to do when you’re by yourself?
What do you like to do when you’re with family or friends? Describe
each set of activities in a few sentences.
Wr ite yo ur
ful l resp on se
on a sepa ra te
sh eet of pa per.
Exchange work with a partner. As you read the work, think about
how the writer used nouns. Do all the subjects and verbs agree? Are the nouns as precise as
they could be?
With the Rest of the Class: If you’d like to, share your work with the rest of the class.
Even if you don’t read your work aloud, talk about how your partner helped you strengthen your
use of nouns.
8
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Who’s Responsible?
Activities: Nouns
Turning a Picture Into Words
Materials: computer with Internet access
Help students locate images of the Cathedral of Junk that was described in
the passage. You can find videos on YouTube and/or visit the Web site www.
roadsideamerica.com for photos (search for “Cathedral of Junk”). After students closely ex­amine
the details in the images, challenge them to write their own descriptions of the Cathedral of Junk.
Tell them to stretch their descriptive powers by using nouns as precisely as they can. Encou­­rage
students to use nouns the way Hannemann uses junk to create something unexpected and beautiful.
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
With the Class: Discuss the descriptions. Ask: What did you notice about how other writers used
descriptive nouns in their work?
One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six
Materials: number cube
Have pairs work together to write a short, short story about one
of the following:
• a spaceship landing in your school yard
• a lifeboat floating in the sea
• the world’s longest skateboard (hint: It’s 30 feet, 1 inch long!)
They should begin by rolling a number cube to find out how many characters will be in the
spaceship or lifeboat or on the skateboard.
With the Class: Let students take turns reading aloud their stories, or have one partner read it
while the other pantomimes the action. Ask the other students if all the subjects and verbs in
the story agree.
Let Me Rephrase That
Materials: examples of fine art (from posters, CD covers, postcards, and so on) that show one key
subject; drawings supplies—colored pencils, markers, paints, drawing paper
Write the following sentences on the board and explain that noun phrases can take
different forms:
• Six sneakers dangled from the limbs of the tree. • I spotted her red sneakers.
• The sneakers that girl is wearing are too tight. • The sneakers sold in that store are too expensive.
• Selena wants the red sneakers in the store window.
Then display the art you selected and have groups choose one piece. Tell them to use noun
phrases to describe the person, place, thing, or idea their piece of art shows. Then challenge
groups to think of their own noun phrase to illustrate.
With the Class: Display the illustrations. Can the other students guess the noun phrase each
group has drawn? Write down their guesses, and ask the group to discuss how similar to and
different from the original noun phrase the guesses are.
9
ACTIVITY
Name _____________________________________________________________
Date _________________
Nouns
Abbreviate!
All nouns are abbreviations. Instead of saying cold, sharp, burning,
oncoming darkness, we say “‘twilight.”
__ Jorge Luis Borges
Read the above quote. Then write a noun in the center of the web. Complete the web with
words and phrases that your noun stands as an abbreviation for.
10
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
unbreakable, shining, pointy, we utter “dagger”; for the receding sun and
All About Pronouns and Antecedents
]
When a young man complains that a young lady has no heart,
it’s pretty certain that she has his.
—George Dennison Prentice
• personal pronouns and antecedents
• possessive pronouns
• reflexive pronouns
• indefinite pronouns
Introduction
After briefly reviewing the definition of a pronoun, write the Prentice quote on the board and
discuss the pronouns in it. Ask: What noun does the pronoun she refer to? What noun does the
pronoun his refer to? Guide students to see that his is a possessive pronoun and that Prentice
means “his [the young man’s] heart.” Point out that the contraction it’s is the combination of the
subject and verb, not a possessive pronoun.
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Hand out copies of the passage “Dear Mr. President” on page 13 or make a
transparency of it to display on the overhead. Call on a volunteer to read
aloud the passage while the rest of the students follow along. Then use
the teaching guide on page 12 to discuss general tips on pronouns and
antecedents and how the writer used them in the passage.
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Give a copy of the list of the Types of Pronouns reproducible on page
16 to each student. Explain that this list is a good reference tool to keep
in their writing folders. Then tell students you’re going to introduce
an activity that focuses on indefinite pronouns. Start a call-and-response
activity that uses different indefinite pronouns with the same verb.
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Record the responses on the board. After every student has had a
chance to respond, go over the pronouns and verb forms in each
response. Point out that not every indefinite pronoun has a possessive form.
Ask: Which indefinite pronouns are singular? Which are plural?
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Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun or a noun phrase
in a sentence. That noun is called an antecedent. This mini-lesson
focuses on the following types of pronouns:
Personal Pronouns and Antecedents
A pronoun takes the place of a noun. It must agree with its noun antecedent.
KEY POINTS
• In replacing a noun with a pronoun, a writer
has to think about person, number, case, and
gender: Should I use the first person, second
person, or third person? Is the noun singular
or plural? Is the noun a subject, an object, or
possessive? Does the noun refer to a male or a
female, or is it neutral?
TEACHING WITH THE MODEL PASSAGE
5 In this sentence, he or she is used because a
child really means any child. It doesn’t matter
whether the child is a boy or a girl. Another way
to write the sentence is by making the nouns and
pronouns plural: “Children read what you said, and
they might start to use reflexive pronouns in their
own writing.”
Possessive Pronouns
Like a possessive noun, a possessive pronoun indicates who or what possesses something.
KEY POINTS
• Possessive pronouns have two forms: my/mine,
your/yours, his/his, her/hers, its/its, our/ours,
your/yours, their/theirs.
• The decision about which form to use depends
on the noun’s role in the sentence:
TEACHING WITH THE MODEL PASSAGE
3 The words your and you’re are homophones.
Although they sound the same, they mean
different things. You’re is a contraction, combining
the pronoun you and the verb are. Your is a
possessive pronoun.
6 To avoid the clumsy phrasing his or her, we
might say, “A child might read what you said
and start to use reflexive pronouns in their
own writing,” which is incorrect. When writing
formally, try using plural nouns and/pronouns
instead of singular nouns and pronouns.
Tessa’s cap is covered by bees!
Her cap is covered by bees!
The hat covered by bees is Tessa’s!
The hat covered by bees is hers!
Reflexive Pronouns
A reflexive pronoun ends in –self and refers back to the subject of the sentence.
KEY POINTS
• The reflexive pronouns—myself, yourself,
himself, herself, itself, themselves—never appear
as subjects.
• A reflexive pronoun is used only when the
subject and the object of a sentence are
the same.
• A reflexive pronoun appears immediately after
a verb or a preposition: He spoke softly to
himself, so no one else could hear his words.
TEACHING WITH THE MODEL PASSAGE
4 The letter writer explains the rules about using
a reflexive pronoun: (a) A reflexive pronoun
is never the subject of a sentence. (b) Use a
reflexive pronoun when the subject and object of
the sentence are the same. In this sentence, the
subject you and the object myself don’t refer to the
same person.
Indefinite Pronouns
An indefinite pronoun refers to one or more, or all, of an unspecified group or class of people,
animals, things, or ideas.
KEY POINTS
• Some indefinite pronouns have possessive
forms, which are formed by adding apostrophe
–s: another’s, everyone’s, nobody’s.
TEACHING WITH THE MODEL PASSAGE
1 The subject Everyone is a singular indefinite
pronoun, so it takes the singular verb is reading.
2 The subject All is a plural indefinite pronoun,
so it takes the plural verb agree.
• An indefinite pronoun that ends in –one or
–body is singular.
12
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
• The discussion about how we should refer to
males and females shows how changes in ideas
and beliefs affect grammar.
MODEL PASSAGE
Pronouns and Antecedents
Dear Mr. President
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Dear President Obama,
Everyone in my book club is reading your book, Dreams From My Father. All of us agree
1
1
2
2
that you’re a wonderful writer! We also agree that you deliver speeches that inspire us, so, I was
very dismayed to read your words in the newspaper:
3
“You helped shape Michelle and myself. Many of you have been part of our children’s lives.
4
Many of you have helped to support us, through thick and through thin. And so I’m just very
grateful to all of you.”
Surely you know, Mr. President, that the reflexive pronoun myself can only be used with
the subject I. In fact, a reflexive pronoun can only be used when the subject and the object of
a sentence are the same. For example, a person would say (or write), “She voted for herself”
instead of “She voted for her.” To make your thank-you address grammatically correct, what
you should have said is, “You helped shape Michelle and me.”
A child might read what you said and he or she might start to use reflexive pronouns
5
incorrectly in his or her writing.
6
Please remember, Mr. President, we’re listening to every word you say!
Sincerely yours,
A Concerned Citizen
In this passage, you’ll see the following types of pronouns:
• p
ersonal pronouns and their antecedents
• reflexive pronouns
• possessive pronouns
• indefinite pronouns
13
WRITING PROMPTS
Pronouns
Teachers: Duplicate these prompts on sturdy paper and then cut them apart. You may also write the prompts on the board or display them onscreen.
$- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ----------------------------------------------- - - - - - - Name _______________________________________________________________ Date _______________
He, She, or It?
gender—whether a noun is masculine, feminine, or neutral. For
example, the Spanish word for school, escuela, ends in an –a so it’s
a feminine noun. English uses pronouns to indicate the gender of a
noun—he, she, it; him, her, it. Explain whether you think places, such
Wr ite yo ur
ful l resp on se
on a sepa ra te
sh eet of pa per.
as schools, or ideas, such as liberty, should be identified as masculine,
feminine, or neutral. Give specific examples.
With the Rest of the Class: Discuss your examples. If you speak another language, share
how that language uses gender.
$- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ----------------------------------------------- - - - - - - Name _______________________________________________________________ Date _______________
My Best Friend
Write! Who’s your best friend? Do you have more than one
best friend? What do you like to do together? What qualifies this
friend or these friends to be the best? Write a short description.
With the Rest of the Class: Talk about any problems you
encountered in deciding whether to use the personal pronouns him, her,
or them or the possessive pronouns his, her/hers, or their/theirs.
14
Wr ite yo ur
ful l resp on se
on a sepa ra te
sh eet of pa per.
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Write! In some languages, such as Spanish, endings often indicate
Activities: Pronouns and Antecedents
Who Said That? A New Spin on an Old Tale
Have students refashion a favorite fairy tale or folktale. Give the following directions:
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
• Read the story several times and then write your own version of the story—but don’t use
any nouns to name the main characters. Use only pronouns.
• Exchange stories with your writing partner. Do you recognize your partner’s story—even
though the main characters aren’t identified by name?
• Then revise your partner’s story by adding proper nouns. As you revise, think about how
to balance the use of nouns and pronouns. Also make sure that each pronoun clearly
represents a specific noun.
With the Class: Ask students to reveal the technique they used to write their stories: Did you
write a draft that included nouns and then substitute pronouns for them? Did you plunge right in
and tell the story using only pronouns? If so, how did you keep the characters clear in your mind as
you wrote?
Respect Yourself!
Materials: examples of hip-hop or rap lyrics from a source such as Kids Rap Radio
Explain that hip-hop, or rap, lyrics rhyme and have a rhythmic, 4/4 beat. After
students listen to some examples of hip-hop or rap lyrics, ask them to work in groups
to write their own. There’s a catch: Each group has to use reflexive pronouns in its
lyrics. Once a group is satisfied with the song, students can present it to the rest of the class.
With the Class: Talk about the different ways in which groups used reflexive pronouns. Explain
why we use the reflexive pronoun yourself in an imperative sentence such as Respect yourself.
Building a Story, Pronoun by Pronoun
Materials: (for each group) number cube, list of pronouns (page 16), spinner divided into four
equal sections and labeled Personal Pronouns, Possessive Pronouns, Indefinite Pronouns, and
Reflexive Pronouns, scissors, pencil, paper clip
Share the following directions for building a story
with groups:
• You and your group are going to build a story, pronoun by pronoun, sentence by sentence.
• To decide the order of storytellers, each member tosses the number cube. The storytellers
go in order from least number to greatest number.
• The first storyteller spins. He or she must use that type of pronoun in the beginning
sentence of your story. (Use the list of pronouns to give you ideas.)
• The next storyteller spins and must use that type of pronoun to build the next sentence.
• Continue spinning and building your story until you decide that it’s finished.
With the Class: Encourage groups to read aloud their stories and discuss the challenges they
faced in building their stories.
15
ACTIVITY
Name _____________________________________________________________
Date _________________
PRONOUNS: Types of Pronouns
Personal Pronouns
Possessive Pronouns
SINGULAR PLURAL
Subjective Objective
Subjective Objective
SINGULAR
PLURAL
I
me
we
us
my/mine
our/ours
you
you
you
you
your/yours
your/yours
he
him
they
them
his/his
their/theirs
she her
they
them
her/hers
their/theirs
it
it
they
them
its/its
their/theirs
Indefinite Pronouns and Their Possessive Forms
all
anything
everybody/
everybody’s
most
none
several
everyone/
everyone’s
much
nothing
some
any
each
everything
neither/
neither’s
one/
one’s
somebody/
somebody’s
anybody/
anybody’s
no one/
no one’s
other/
other’s
something
anyone/
anyone’s
nobody/
nobody’s
others/
others’
such
another/
both
another’s
each one/
few
each one’s either/
many
either’s
Reflexive Pronouns
SINGULAR
PLURAL
myself
ourselves
yourself
yourselves
himself, herself, itself
themselves
16
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
All About Verbs
]
Acting is doing, because everything you say or do is some kind of
an action, some kind of a verb. You’re always connected to the other
person through some kind of action.
—Mira Sorvino
verb tenses, including the perfect tense
subject-verb agreement
irregular verbs
descriptive verbs
Introduction
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Begin a mini-lesson on verbs by writing a short definition of this
part of speech on the board. Here’s an example: “A verb shows
action: The dog howls. A verb also can show a state of being:
The dog is wet.”
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Paige pul
ls a handw
Teach
Activities
y Grab ‘Em!,
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Grades 6–8
© 2010 by
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Sarah Glass
Give each student a copy of the passage “Volunteer!” on page
19. Allow time for students to read the passage on their own
or ask them to follow along as you read it aloud. Then use the
teaching guide on page 18 discuss how the writer used nouns
in the passage.
(Also see the lessons on gerunds, participles, and
infinitives on pages 41–46 and phrases and clauses on
pages 47–52).
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4
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© 2010 by
Grades 6–8
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Activities
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Grammar
What? You
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Distribute the Create a New Word reproducible on page 22 and
share the information about sniglets. Ask: Can you see how
the words yo-yo and rotate were combined to create the sniglet
yotate? Before students attempt to create their own sniglets,
remind them to follow the same format as the entry for
yotate. Write the dictionary entry for a verb such as swim on
the board or on chart paper and display it so students can
see the proper format.
FX8PSE
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•
•
•
•
Grammar
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Verbs are the energy sources of sentences. They set their subjects
into motion—whether a subject is walking or simply being. This minilesson focuses on the following aspects of verbs:
Verb Tenses
We use verb tenses to show time. Action can occur in the past, present, or future.
KEY POINTS
• The perfect tense refers to actions completed
by a certain time.
• The perfect tense is formed by combining a
present, past, or future auxiliary with the past
participle: have walked, had walked, will have
walked. To form the past participle, you usually
add –ed to the verb.
TEACHING WITH THE MODEL PASSAGE
2 The verb phrase will have finished is in the
future perfect tense. Paige and Antonio’s shopping
will have been completed by a certain time in
the future.
4 I’ve shopped is in the present perfect tense.
Point out that the auxiliary verb have has been
shortened to help form the contraction I’ve.
Subject-Verb Agreement
KEY POINTS
• The subject and verb may be singular
or plural but they must always agree with
each other.
TEACHING WITH THE MODEL PASSAGE
5 Although the noun dry cleaners is closest to
the verb sighs, it isn’t the subject—door, a singular
noun, is, so the verb has to be singular, too.
• Remind students that they should look
carefully at compound subjects and subjects
that are separated from the verb by noun
phrases to make sure they match the subject
and verb correctly.
7 The subject my parents and my brother is a
compound subject. A compound subject joined by
the conjunction and takes a plural verb, even if the
last subject is singular.
Irregular Verbs
Regular past-tense verbs are formed by adding –ed to the present tense of the verb: construct,
constructed. Irregular verbs don’t follow this rule.
KEY POINTS
• Review the differences between regular and
irregular verb forms.
• Share the fact that many of the irregular verbs
in English are very old words. While the rules
for forming verb tenses have changed over
the years, irregular verbs are still formed using
old rules. For instance, the verb drink comes
from the Old English word drincan. Its past
tense was dranc, and our modern past tense
is drank. TEACHING WITH THE MODEL PASSAGE
3 The verb reply is an irregular verb. The singular
present tense is formed by changing the y to an i
and adding –es.
8 The verb buy is an irregular verb. Its past
participle is bought, not buyed. The singular
present perfect of buy is has bought.
Descriptive Verbs
Verbs with a lot of muscle make writing more descriptive.
TEACHING WITH THE MODEL PASSAGE
1 The verb groans shows that Paige is being overly
dramatic to get Antonio’s attention and sympathy.
KEY POINTS
• Emphasize that using different synonyms for
a common action verb such as move makes
someone’s speech or writing more accurate
and interesting—and that each synonym
affects the action described in the sentence.
What is the difference in motion between
saunter and scurry?
6 The verbs in this sentence show that the
movement of the person, invisible except for his or
her arm, is abrupt and surprises Antonio but Paige
seems to be used to the person’s behavior.
18
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
A complete sentence needs both a subject and a verb.
MODEL PASSAGE
Verbs
Volunteer!
Paige pulls a handwritten list out of her jeans pocket and groans. When Antonio doesn’t ask
1
what’s wrong, she groans again.
Antonio slides the list out of Paige’s hand. “It’s okay. There aren’t that many things to
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
pick up at the grocery store. I can’t read what they are, but there aren’t too many of them. We
will have finished the shopping by five, in plenty of time for our rehearsal.”
2
“I can read it,” Paige replies as she retrieves the list. “I’ve shopped for Mr. Gantry for five
3
4
years. That’s not it. What am I going to do for my volunteer project? I can’t think of anything!”
The door of the dry cleaners magically sighs open—so magically, that it almost hits Antonio
5
in the nose. When an arm thrusts a plastic-wrapped dress through the open door, Paige
6
automatically hooks the hanger on her index finger. Antonio points
6
his own finger at the dress. “Whose dress is that?” he asks.
“I promised Mrs. Li I’d pick up her dress. Her great-niece is
getting married on Saturday,” Paige explains. “Help me, Antonio!
What am I going to do for my project? My parents and my brother
haven’t given me any good suggestions at all.”
7
Antonio eyes the flowers that Paige has bought to cheer up Abner,
8
her sick neighbor; the plastic-wrapped dress; and the grocery list. “Have
you ever thought about volunteering to do things for the older people in your
neighborhood?” he asks.
“Don’t be silly.” Paige juggles the flowers and dress as she tries to read the grocery list.
“That’s not volunteering—that’s just helping out.”
In this passage, you’ll explore the following:
• verb tenses
• irregular verbs
• subject-verb agreement
• descriptive verbs
19
WRITING PROMPTS
Verbs
Teachers: Duplicate these prompts on sturdy paper and then cut them apart. You may also write the prompts on the board or display them onscreen.
$- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ----------------------------------------------- - - - - - - Name _______________________________________________________________ Date _______________
Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow
Write! Choose one of the prompts below to write about. Pay attention to the verb tense!
being a first grader? Use only the past and past perfect tenses to describe that memory.
• W
hat is the most interesting thing you’re learning right now in school? Why is it so
interesting to you? Use only the present and present perfect tenses.
• W
hat do you think high school will be like? What are you most looking
forward to learning when you’re in high school? Use only the future and
future perfect tenses to predict what will happen.
Wr ite yo ur
ful l respo ns e
on a sepa rat e
sh eet of pa per.
Look at the verbs you used. Did you use the proper tense for each verb—and did you use it
throughout your response? If you’re not sure whether you used the correct tense for a verb, circle it.
With the Rest of the Class: Talk about why you chose the prompt. Was writing in that tense
easier or more difficult than you thought it might be?
$- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ----------------------------------------------- - - - - - - Name _______________________________________________________________ Date _______________
Then I Told Abe Lincoln . . .
Write! What if you could step into a time machine? What place would you visit? Would you
travel to the past or to the future? What would you experience? What would you see, hear,
smell, taste, and feel? Write a story about your adventures.
Exchange stories with a partner. Read the story and then think about
how the writer used verbs. Did the choice of verbs really help you “see” the
story? Talk about what you liked about the story and ask any questions you have.
Wr ite yo ur
ful l respo ns e
on a sepa rat e
sh eet of pa per.
With the Rest of the Class: Read aloud your story to the class. Share how your partner
helped you revise your work.
20
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
• T
hink back to when you were in first grade. What is the best thing you remember about
Activities: Verbs
Who’s Being Disagreeable?
Materials: index cards, markers, timer
Four people can play this subject-verb agreement game: a host, a
contestant, and two panel members. On an index card or the whiteboard,
the host writes the complete subject or complete predicate of a sentence,
such as one of the following:
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
The leader of the wild dogs . . . (complete subject)
. . . were skating across the thin ice on the river. (complete predicate)
Each panelist writes a complete subject or a complete predicate on an index card or whiteboard
to complete the sentence. The complete subject or complete predicate may or may not agree
with the host’s incomplete sentence. It’s up to the contestant to identify which panelist is in
agreement. (Both panelists may agree; both panelists may disagree; one may agree, and one
may disagree.) Play continues for 10 minutes. The group with the most correct completions is
the winner.
With the Class: Talk about why nouns such as family and group take singular verbs.
Who Are You Calling Irregular?
Materials: number cube, dictionary, timer
Challenge pairs to see how many regular and irregular verbs they can name. Give the
following directions:
• Take turns tossing the number cube.
• If you toss an even number, call out a regular verb. If you toss an odd number, call out an
irregular verb. (You can have up to 30 seconds to scan the dictionary.)
• Write down the present- and past-tense forms of each verb in a T-chart. If you have any
questions about an answer, look up the verb in the dictionary.
With the Class: Discuss how students decided whether a verb was regular or irregular. Pose
the following questions: Did any of the verbs fool you? What can you do to remember which verbs
are irregular?
People on the Move
Materials: thesaurus
Tell students to take a few minutes to look around and observe the people they see:
Who do you see? What are they doing? Then have them write a paragraph describing the
actions of one person—without using common verbs such as walking, running, driving, playing,
dancing, and so on. Encourage students to stretch their verb vocabulary. They may consult a
thesaurus for synonyms that will make pictures pop into their reader’s mind. Urge them to take
chances and think of creative and original ways to use language.
With the Class: As students share their descriptions, brainstorm even more verbs. Record them
in a Verb Volume, a book that everyone can refer to during writing activities.
21
ACTIVITY
Name _____________________________________________________________
Date _________________
Verbs
its own: a combination of the words yo-yo and rotate.
TENSES: Present—yotate , Past—yotated, Future—
will yotate. EXAMPLES: Raul yotates four yo-yos at
the same time! Wow—Raul yotated four yo-yos
at the same time! Next, Raul will yotate four yo-yos
at the same time!
{
{
yotate (YOH-tayte) v. to allow a yo-yo to unwind on
What? You’ve never heard of the word yotate? You can’t find it in the dictionary? That’s
because the word yotate is a sniglet—a word that doesn’t appear in a dictionary, but should.
Work with one or two partners to create at least two verb sniglets. Use the format shown
above for yotate to present your own verb sniglets.
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
22
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_________________________________________________________________
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Create a New Word
All About Adjectives and Adverbs
]
When you catch an adjective, kill it. No, I don’t mean utterly, but kill
most of them—then the rest will be valuable. They weaken when
they are close together. They give strength when they are wide apart.
—Mark Twain
•
•
•
•
adjectives: modifying nouns and pronouns
adverbs: modifying verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs
p
ositive, comparative, and superlative forms
descriptive adjectives and adverbs
Introduction
Begin a mini-lesson on adjectives and adverbs by writing a short
definition of these parts of speech such as the following on the
board: “An adjective modifies a noun or a pronoun. It can answer
these questions: Which one? (smelly socks) What kind of? (yellow
plaid socks), How many? (three pairs of socks). An adverb modifies
a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. It can answer questions
including How? (skipped fast) When? or How often? (never
growled) Where? (skipped downstairs).
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Distribute copies of the model passage “Curds and Whey” on
page 25 to students. Allow time for them to read the passage on
their own or ask them to follow along as you read it aloud. Then
use the teaching guide on page 24 to discuss how the writer used
adjectives and adverbs in the passage.
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23
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Grades 6–8
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Activities
After you’ve read and discussed the model passage, hand
out a copy of the Get Rid of ‘Em! reproducible on page 28 to
each student. Go over the directions to make sure students
understand the task. Encourage them to overload their
paragraph with adjectives and adverbs. Crowding so many
into their work may help them find just the right adjectives
and adverbs to use as they weed them out.
Grammar
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Adjectives modify nouns and pronouns. Adverbs modify verbs,
adjectives, and other adverbs. This mini-lesson focuses on the
following aspects of adjectives and adverbs:
Adjectives
KEY POINTS
• The word modify means “to change or alter.”
When we modify a noun, pronoun, verb,
adjective, or adverb, we give it more specific
qualities and characteristics.
TEACHING WITH THE MODEL PASSAGE
2 Adjectives such as a, an, the, that, and some
go at the beginning of a series of adjectives.
Adjectives that describe size and shape, age, and
color follow in that order.
• Adjectives usually appear before the noun or
pronoun they follow—but they can follow verbs
such as be, feel, smell, sound, taste, look, appear,
and seem.
4 The adjective vile appears after the verb tastes,
but it modifies the noun whey. When you ask this
question, “What kind of whey is it?” the answer
is “It’s vile.” It doesn’t answer the question, “How
does it taste?” because whey can’t taste, only
people and animals can.
Adverbs
An adverb modifies verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.
TEACHING WITH THE MODEL PASSAGE
1 The adverb contentedly describes how Little Miss
Muffet is eating her curds and whey. You could
also write, eating her curds and whey contentedly.
KEY POINTS
• An adverb can appear almost anywhere
in a sentence; it depends upon which part
of speech the adverb is modifying and the
emphasis the writer wants to use.
• An adverb may go before or after a simple
verb. For emphasis, it can be placed at the
beginning of a sentence.
3 Pretty is an adverb because it modifies the
adjective vile. To test this, reword the sentence
to read, Some people think whey tastes pretty. This
confirms that pretty is not an adjective in this case.
• It’s okay to separate parts of a verb with an
adverb: We will probably go to the game.
9 The prepositional phrase into a container acts as
an adverb because it tells where to put the cheese.
Positive, Comparative, and Superlative Forms
Adjectives and adverbs can describe one thing or compare two or more things.
KEY POINTS
• An adjective or adverb in a positive state
describes one thing.
TEACHING WITH THE MODEL PASSAGE
5 Since cottage cheese is being compared to all
the other kinds of cheeses, the superlative form of
easy is used.
• The comparative form compares two things.
(Add –er to the end of positive adjectives or
adverbs or add more or less in front of them.)
6 Because the adverb rapidly ends in –ly, the
word more is added to form the comparative form.
For more rules on forming comparatives and
superlatives, see the activity on page 27.
• The superlative form compares more than
two things. (Add –est to the end of positive
adjectives or adverbs or add most or least in
front of them.)
Descriptive Adjectives and Adverbs
A well-chosen adjective or adverb can turn up the volume of a writer’s voice, open the
reader’s eyes, and make meaning much clearer.
KEY POINTS
• Descriptive adjectives and adverbs are as
important to use in nonfiction writing as they
are in fiction.
TEACHING WITH THE MODEL PASSAGE
7 Describing the cheesecloth as porous helps the
reader see that the cloth’s loose weave allows the
whey to drain through easily.
• Discuss the Mark Twain quote at the top of
page 23 with students. Do they think the quote
applies to adverbs, too? 8 Deep, satisfying squeezes shows that a little bit of
muscle is required to squeeze the cottage cheese.
24
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
An adjective modifies nouns and pronouns.
MODEL PASSAGE
Adjectives and Adverbs
Curds and Whey
Remember the rhyme about Little Miss Muffet,
contentedly eating her curds and whey until that disruptive
2
1
spider dropped in on her? In the 1800s, when the rhyme
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
was written, curds and whey referred to cottage cheese.
Today, you can find cottage cheese—soft and creamy pearls
of cheese—in salad bars. Now, cottage cheese contains
mostly curds and a scant amount of liquid whey. (Some
people think whey tastes pretty vile.)
3
4
Cottage cheese is one of the easiest cheeses to make.
5
In fact, you can make it at home. Pour one gallon of fat-free milk into a pan. Heat the milk to a
temperature of 120 degrees Fahrenheit. (Sometimes, this heating process happens more rapidly
6
than other times.) Turn off the heat and add three-fourths cup of white vinegar. Let the mixture
sit for half an hour and watch what happens! As the hot mixture cools, it will become thicker
and thicker, coagulating into solids and liquid. The solids are the soft curds, and the liquid is that
nasty whey.
Line a colander with cheesecloth. Dump the contents of the pan into the colander and let
the whey drain through the porous cheesecloth for about 3 minutes. When that’s done,
7
wrap the cottage cheese in the cheesecloth, run it under cool water for about 3 more minutes
and give it some deep, satisfying squeezes with your fingers. Put the finished cottage cheese
8
into a container. Add fruit or honey and nuts, and spoon it up—but watch out for curious spiders!
9
In this passage, you’ll explore the following:
•
•
•
•
adjectives modifying nouns and pronouns
adverbs modifying verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs
positive, comparative, and superlative forms of adjectives and adverbs
descriptive adjectives and adverbs
25
WRITING PROMPTS
Adjectives and Adverbs
Teachers: Duplicate these prompts on sturdy paper and then cut them apart. You may also write the prompts on the board or display them onscreen.
$- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ----------------------------------------------- - - - - - - Name _______________________________________________________________ Date _______________
Write! Some adjectives—such as unique, final, and fatal—don’t
have comparative and superlative forms. Explain why you think this
is so. Why can’t one object be more unique than another? Why can’t
an event be the most fatal event?
Wr ite yo ur
full resp on se
on a sepa ra te
sh eet of pa per.
With the Rest of the Class: Brainstorm other adjectives that you
think don’t have comparative and superlative forms. Consult a dictionary
to check your ideas.
$- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ----------------------------------------------- - - - - - - Name _______________________________________________________________ Date _______________
What Color? How Fast?
Materials: ball, yo-yo, or other moving toy
Write! Your teacher will demonstrate a toy that moves. After
watching several demonstrations, write about what you saw. Focus
on answering the following questions: Which one? What kind?
How many? How? When? Where? Why?
Wr ite yo ur
full resp on se
on a sepa ra te
sh eet of pa per.
With the Rest of the Class: Which adjectives and adverbs did you
use to describe the teacher showing the toy’s motion? Did anyone use an adjective or adverb that
really surprised you and helped you see the demonstration in a new way?
26
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
One and Only
Activities: Adjectives and Adverbs
Move That Adverb!
Have students work together to write a sentence about something a classmate is
doing. If their sentence doesn’t already have an adverb, they should include one.
Then members take turns moving the adverb to different places in the sentence.
With the Class: Ask groups to talk about what conclusion they can draw about the position of
the adverbs in their sentences.
How Many Words Is One Picture Worth?
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Materials: photographs of New York City by Helen Levitt
Search on the Internet for photographs of New York City by Helen Levitt
and display several onscreen. Explain that Helen Levitt photographed
street scenes in New York both in black and white and in color. Then give
the following directions:
•C
hoose a photograph that makes you curious. Study it for one minute, jotting down the
important details you see. Without looking at the photo, write what’s happening in it.
• Read your work aloud to a partner while he or she looks at the photo. Does your partner
think you left out any important details? Are your adjectives and adverbs strong rather
than weak?
• Listen as your partner reads his or her work, look at the photo, and discuss the work.
With the Class: Discuss how many words students think their pictures are worth.
Is Less More?
Material: coin, dictionary
Display these rules for forming the comparative and superlative forms of regular
adjectives and adverbs.
• If an adjective has one syllable, you usually add –er and –est: red, redder, reddest.
• If an adverb has one syllable, you add –er and –est: soon, sooner, soonest.
• If an adverb ends in –ly, add more and most: quickly, more quickly, most quickly.
• I f you’re not sure, look up the adjective or adverb in the dictionary. If you don’t see the
comparative or superlative right after adj. or adv., then you add more and most.
Have two groups compete to form comparatives and superlatives, following these directions:
Toss a coin to see which team goes first. That team will think of and chant the comparative
or superlative form of an adjective or adverb three times. The other team must respond with the
same form of a different adjective or adverb.
Example:
TEAM 1: “Redder, redder, redder!”
TEAM 2: “Better, better, better!”
The first team goes three times or until they stump the second team. Then the second team
chooses an adjective or adverb and a form.
With the Class: Discuss which adjectives and adverbs gave students the most trouble in forming
their comparative or superlative forms.
27
ACTIVITY
Name _____________________________________________________________
Date _________________
Adjectives and Adverbs
When you catch an adjective, kill it. No, I don’t mean utterly, but kill
most of them__then the rest will be valuable. They weaken when they
are close together. They give strength when they are wide apart.
__ Mark Twain
Write a short paragraph describing yourself. Be generous—extremely generous—with
your adjectives and adverbs. Then give your paragraph to a partner to read. Discuss which
adjectives and adverbs you could get rid of to strengthen your writing. On a separate sheet
of paper, revise your paragraph.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
28
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Get Rid of ‘Em!
All About Prepositions
]
Ending a sentence with a preposition is something up with which
I will not put.
—Winston Churchill
• simple and compound prepositions
• p
repositions with nouns and pronouns in the
objective case
• prepositional phrases
• ending a sentence with a preposition
Introduction
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Begin a mini-lesson on prepositions by writing a short definition of
this part of speech such as the following on the board: “A preposition
connects a noun or pronoun to the rest of the sentence: Bandit hid
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Distribute a copy of the reproducible A Preposition Puzzle on page 34 to
each student. Before students work on their own, tackle the revision of
the first sentences with them. Ask students to identify the preposition
(in), which noun it connects to the rest of the sentence (tank), and what
kind of relationship it shows (space). Point out that the prepositional
phrase in the fish tank acts as an adverb because it tells where
the key is. Since the phrase acts as an adverb, students might suggest a sentence such as the
following: Michael hid the key where the fish live. Compare the clarity and sound of the original
and revised sentences.
29
Grammar
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toward
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________
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Name ____
____
Grab ‘Em!,
That Really
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Activities
Teach
Activities
under the table.”
Distribute copies of the passage “The Fastest Texter in the West: A
Cyber Tall Tale” on page 31 to students. Allow time for them to read
the passage on their own or ask them to follow along as you read it
aloud. Then use the teaching chart on page 30 to discuss how
the writer used prepositions in the passage.
(Also see the lesson on phrases and clauses, pages 47–52 and
sentences on pages 59–64.)
dch
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Grammar
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
A preposition shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and
the rest of the sentence. This mini-lesson focuses on the following
aspects of prepositions:
Simple and Compound Prepositions
Most prepositions show the relationship of time or space between a noun or pronoun and the
rest of the sentence.
• It’s usually better to replace compound
prepositions with simple prepositions or other
parts of speech, for example, at that point in
time could be rewritten as then.
TEACHING WITH THE MODEL PASSAGE
1 The simple preposition of shows the relationship
between the noun, genera Serrasalmus and Pygo
centrus, and piranhas. It helps shows what kind of
piranha are the most ferocious.
2 In spite of is a compound preposition. It could
be replaced with a simple preposition: With one
hand tied behind her back, Tessa Flurry beat that
record.
Prepositions and Pronouns in the Objective Case
Only pronouns in the objective case—me, you, him, her, it, us, you, them—go
with prepositions.
KEY POINTS
• People often have trouble when they use a
preposition followed by a noun and a pronoun
or two pronouns: Mr. Luna spoke to Link and I
about talking in class. We wouldn’t say or write
the following: Mr. Luna spoke to I about talking
in class, so I is incorrect. Testing one pronoun
at a time with the preposition will help
students use the correct case.
TEACHING WITH THE MODEL PASSAGE
6 Students might be tempted to write this
prepositional phrase as to you and I, but have them
try using each pronoun independently. They
wouldn’t say or write Maybe Tessa Flurry is tapping
messages to I on her keypads right now!
Prepositional Phrases
A prepositional phrase begins with a preposition and ends with a noun or pronoun (the
object of the preposition).
KEY POINTS
• A prepositional phrase can function as an
adjective or an adverb.
TEACHING WITH THE MODEL PASSAGE
3 Both of these prepositional phrases are adverbs;
they both modify the verb sent.
• A sentences can have more than one
prepositional phrase.
4 Try moving the prepositional phrase to different
places. Here’s one example:
• Varying the position of prepositional phrases
in your sentences can help writing flow more
smoothly.
Tessa could walk and talk and text different
messages from three cell phones—all at the same
time—by the time she was two years old!
Ending a Sentence With a Preposition
A preposition can go at the end of the sentence if it is necessary in the sentence.
KEY POINTS
• The Churchill quote at the top of page 29
shows how contorted writing can become
if we try to avoid ending a sentence with a
preposition. If a preposition is necessary to
the sentence, it’s okay to end the sentence
with it: The bicycle wheel came off. If the
preposition isn’t necessary, get rid of it. Write
the Churchill quote on the board and ask
students how they would rephrase it.
TEACHING WITH THE MODEL PASSAGE
5 Some people might write this sentence as
follows: Tessa Flurry, the Fastest Texter in the West,
is the name with which she’s stuck. The revised
sentence doesn’t fit the tone of the rest
of the tall tale.
30
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
KEY POINTS
• The English language contains about 70 simple
prepositions, including about, between, on,
through, and with. Then there are compound
prepositions, such as with respect to and at that
point in time.
MODEL PASSAGE
Prepositions
The Fastest Texter in the West: A Cyber Tall Tale
A software program sent the following text message in just 16 seconds: The razor-toothed
piranhas of the genera Serrasalmus and Pygo centrus are the most ferocious freshwater fish in
1
the world. In reality they seldom attack a human.
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
That was a world record until Tessa Flurry tackled the text. In spite of the fact that one hand
2
was tied behind her back, Tessa beat that record. She sent the message into cyberspace
3
in less than 10 seconds. Tessa Flurry is the fastest texter in the West. She can send 104 messages
3
before most people’s thumbs or fingers even touch their keypads. Just thinking about sending so
many messages into cyberspace gives my fingers the cramps!
Some say that baby Tessa was found crawling on one hand
in the desert, carrying a cell phone in her other hand, searching
for a signal. By the time she was two years old, Tessa could
4
walk and talk and text different messages from three different
cell phones—at the same time!
Nobody knows Tessa’s real last name. They call her Tessa
Flurry because she texts so rapidly that the flurry of her fingers
on the key pad makes people dizzy. Tessa Flurry, the Fastest
Texter in the West, is the name she’s stuck with.
5
At last count, there were about 6,700 different languages in the world. Tessa can text in
3,765 of them! Some people say that soon everyone in the world will have received a text from
Tessa. Who knows? Maybe Tessa Flurry is tapping messages to you and me on her keypads
6
right now!
In this passage, you’ll explore the following:
• simple and compound prepositions
• prepositional phrases
31
• prepositions and pronouns
• ending a sentence with a
preposition
WRITING PROMPTS
Prepositions
$
Teachers: Duplicate these prompts on sturdy paper and then cut them apart. You may also write the prompts on the board or display them onscreen.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ----------------------------------------------- - - - - - - -
Name _______________________________________________________________ Date _______________
A Classroom Makeover
Take a look around your classroom and think about how you would
make it over. Consider questions such as these: Would the classroom
have a theme? What colors would you paint it? What kind of coverings
Wr ite yo ur
ful l respo ns e
on a sepa rat e
sh eet of pa per.
would you put on the windows and the floor? How would you rearrange
the furniture? Write a plan describing your makeover.
With the Rest of the Class: Which makeover ideas of other students’ did you like? Then talk
about how important prepositions were in your plan.
$- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ----------------------------------------------- - - - - - - Name _______________________________________________________________ Date _______________
My Place in the Class
Write! Where do you sit in the classroom? Write a short chant
describing your position in relation to at least two other students who
are nearest to you. For example, who sits in front of you? Behind you?
Next to you? To the left of you? Across from you? Here’s an example:
Wr ite yo ur
ful l respo ns e
on a sepa rat e
sh eet of pa per.
Sitka sits behind me. I sit behind Jason.
With the Rest of the Class: Share your chant with the class. Talk about whether you had to
think about using objective pronouns in the prepositional phrases you created, or if they seemed to
come naturally.
32
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Write! Have you seen home makeover programs on television?
Activities: Prepositions
Preposition Poetry
Ask pairs to collaborate to write a preposition poem. Each line of the poem should
begin with a different prepositional phrase. Remind students that a prepositional
phrase begins with a preposition and ends with a noun or a pronoun in the objective
case: between you and me/from him and me. Encourage pairs to practice doing a choral reading of
their poem, in which partners take turns reciting the lines.
With the Class: Have pairs perform a choral reading of their poem for the other students. Let
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
them share their creative processes and then ask: How did the prepositional phrases drive the
construction of your poem?
Is It Under the Clock?
Choose a classroom object but don’t reveal what it is. Then give the following
directions to the class:
•Y
our job is to locate an object I’ve picked out in the classroom. Each of you must ask me
a question containing a prepositional phrase to try to narrow down the location of the
object. For example, you might ask, “Is it under the clock?”
• I f the answer is “Yes,” then you get to try to guess what the object is. If the answer is “No,”
or you guess incorrectly, then another student takes a turn. Remember to use the answers
to help you refine your own question when it’s your turn.
The first student to locate the object and identify it gets to choose another object for the class to
attempt to identify.
With the Class: Call on students to describe how they used prepositions in their questions to
help them figure out where the object was and what it was.
Move That Phrase!
Materials: books and magazines
Tell individuals to look through books and magazines to find examples of sentences
that use prepositions and prepositional phrases especially well. Have them share
some with the group, noting the different positions in which prepositions and
prepositional phrases occur in the sentences. Then challenge the group members to take
turns adding different prepositional phrases to the following sentence: The bird sat. One group
member should write down each new version of the sentence. After everyone has had a chance
to contribute a prepositional phrase, the entire group should discuss whether they’d like to
revise the sentence and move any of the phrases. Use examples from the groups to discuss what
students learned about the placement of prepositional phrases.
With the Class: Suggest that groups share and discuss their sentences. Talk about how they
decided where to place each prepositional phrase. Ask: What did you learn about the placement
of prepositional phrases? Which can be moved easily within a sentence, and which can’t? Why do you
think this is so?
33
ACTIVITY
Name _____________________________________________________________
Date _________________
Prepositions
A Preposition Puzzle
A simple preposition is only one word—and some simple prepositions are short words, too—but
Some Common Simple Prepositions
about
above
after
against
at
before
behind
beside
between
beyond
for
in
into
of
off
on
onto
to
toward
under
up
upon
with
without
To understand how much power a preposition has in a sentence, try rewriting one of these
sentences—without using a preposition. You can add any other parts of speech—nouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, and so on. Your revised sentence should have the same meaning as the
original sentence.
Michael hid his locker key in the fish tank.
_________________________________________________________________________________ _
________________________________________________________________________________
Don’t leave without me!
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Beyond the trees, the sun is setting.
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Stella quickly slides between Jason and me.
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
34
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
it has a lot of power in a sentence.
All About Subject-Predicate Agreement
]
He [William Faulkner] uses a lot of big words, and his sentences run
from here back to the airport.
No matter how long a sentence is—or how challenging the words in
it are—its subject and predicate must agree. This agreement grounds
readers. Understanding what the subject and predicate are helps
the reader understand what the sentence is about. This mini-lesson
focuses on the following aspects of subject-predicate agreement:
• compound subjects
• compound predicates
Note: Earlier in the book, you’ll find the phrase subject-verb
agreement. This chapter expands the concept of the verb as
the predicate (or the key part of the predicate.)
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Distribute copies of the passage “The Youngest Mayor” on page 37 to
students. Allow time for the students to read it on their own or ask them
to follow along as you read it aloud. Then use the teaching guide on page
36 to discuss the agreement of subjects and predicates in the passage.
(Also see the lessons on nouns, pages 5­­–10; verbs, pages 17–22; and
sentences, pages 59–64.)
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Activities
Begin a mini-lesson on subject-verb agreement by writing a short
definition of this essential part of a sentence on the board, such as:
“The subject is what or whom the sentence is about. The predicate
tells who or what the subject is or does. The subject determines
whether the verb in the predicate should be singular or plural: The
students in the band practice twice a week.”
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35
Activities
Give a copy of the Those Are Some Sentences! reproducible on
page 40 to each student. It shows sentence structures from different
works of literature. Go over the first one with students and work with them to identify
the simple subject and predicate and then the complete subject and predicate. Talk about
differences in structure between the first and last sentences of each work and among the
different authors. You can also use this reproducible with the lesson on sentences, pages 59–64.
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Grammar
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
—Carolyn Chute
Subjects
The most important part of the subject is its noun, or simple subject.
KEY POINTS
• Other nouns may be closer to the simple
predicate than the simple subject is, so it’s
important to identify the correct noun as
the subject.
TEACHING WITH THE MODEL PASSAGE
3 The noun United States is part of a prepositional
phrase that separates the simple subject mayor
from the simple predicate was.
8 Since news is a singular noun, the predicate
must contain a singular verb.
• The words there and here are never the
subjects of a sentence. Remind students to
rewrite sentences such as There are sixteen
people in the class, to make the subject and
predicate clear: Sixteen people are in the class.
The main verb, or simple predicate, helps us identify the subject.
TEACHING WITH THE MODEL PASSAGE
6 The subject in this sentence is catch. You can
see that it’s singular when you rewrite it: A catch is
there, though.
KEY POINTS
• Remind students to watch out for using plural
subjects with the contraction there’s:
There’s no rules about doing homework.
(incorrect agreement)
7 The simple predicate is replied. Who replied?
Zimmerman replied. You could also rewrite
this sentence: Zimmerman replied, when he was
asked what he would do if he lost his job as mayor,
“I don’t know.”
There are no rules about doing homework.
(correct agreement)
• If students are unsure what the subject is,
they can find the verb and then ask, “Who
or what did that?”
Compound Subjects
A compound subject is two or more subjects joined by a conjunction—and, or.
KEY POINTS
• If and joins the subjects, the subjects are
plural and take a plural verb.
TEACHING WITH THE MODEL PASSAGE
1 Each of these subjects is plural, but subjects
joined by and always take a plural verb.
• If or joins the subjects, the subject
immediately before the verb determines
whether the verb is singular or plural: My
father or my sisters are coming to the show.
4 Traffic—a collective noun, which is always
singular—determines that the verb (was) is
singular.
Compound Predicates
A compound predicate is two or more predicates joined by a conjunction.
KEY POINTS
• No matter which conjunction is used, all the
verbs in the compound predicate must agree
with each other—and the subject.
TEACHING WITH THE MODEL PASSAGE
2 The predicate, have run for and have been
elected, refers to the same subject—eighteen-yearolds. It could also be written as, Eighteen-year-olds
have run for and been elected. . . .
5 Ask who would be governed by Houston and
who would have to pay city taxes. The people
would. Again, this compound predicate shares the
same subject, people.
36
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Predicates
MODEL PASSAGE
Subject-Predicate Agreement
The Youngest Mayor
Many cities and towns have elected young mayors. Eighteen-year-olds have run for and
2
1
have been elected mayors of Union, Oregon; Mount Carbon, Pennsylvania; and Roland, Iowa,
but the youngest mayor in the United States was 11 years old! Voters in the small town of
3
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Crabb, Texas, selected Brian Zimmerman as their mayor in 1983.
Crabb, Texas, is close to Houston. It was an unincorporated town, so it didn’t have a city
government. Instead, taxes, road repairs, or traffic was handled by the county. Brian Zimmerman
4
was worried that Houston might annex Crabb. If that happened, his town would become part of
Houston. The people who lived in Crabb would be governed by Houston and would have to pay
5
5
city taxes. Zimmerman thought Crabb should incorporate. Then it couldn’t be gobbled up by
Houston or another large community. Crabb could govern itself.
There’s a catch, though. If Crabb did incorporate, Mayor
6
Zimmerman would lose his job. According to Texas law, the
mayor of an incorporated city has to be 18 years old. When
he was asked what he would do if he lost his job as mayor,
Zimmerman replied, “I don’t know. There isn’t that much to do
7
around here. I’ll go fishing, probably.”
The bad news is that the voters of Crabb, Texas, voted against
incorporation, so it didn’t need a mayor or a city government. The good news is that Brian
8
Zimmerman remained the mayor. Instead of going fishing, he attended a mayor’s conference in
Paris, France, and appeared on the “Today” show. There was even a movie made about his life,
called The Lone Star Kid.
In this passage, you’ll explore the following:
• simple and compound subjects
• simple and compound predicates
37
WRITING PROMPTS
Subject-Predicate Agreement
$
Teachers: Duplicate these prompts on sturdy paper and then cut them apart. You may also write the prompts on the board or display them onscreen.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ----------------------------------------------- - - - - - - -
Name _______________________________________________________________ Date _______________
Write! Most towns and cities have city councils. Explain whether you
think your town or city should have a student representative on the city
council—and whether you’d be interested in running for the position.
Wr ite yo ur
ful l resp on se
on a sepa ra te
sh eet of pa per.
Read over your work to make sure that all subjects and predicates agree.
With the Rest of the Class: What do most students think about this issue? Are many
interested in serving as a student representative in your community? Then share any subjects and
predicates whose agreement you’re unsure about.
$- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ----------------------------------------------- - - - - - - Name _______________________________________________________________ Date _______________
Striped Pants, a Yellow Tank Top, and No Socks
Write! Suppose you could judge a book by its cover. What would your
clothing reveal about you? Write in detail about one of the following
outfits, and how your clothing might affect people’s ideas about you:
• the outfit you’re wearing today
Wr ite yo ur
ful l resp on se
on a sepa ra te
sh eet of pa per.
• your favorite outfit
Read over your work, paying special attention to any compound subjects and/or compound
predicates you used. For compound subjects, did you follow these rules?
• If the subjects are joined by and, use a plural verb.
• If the subjects are joined by or, the verb in the predicate should agree with the last subject:
A yellow tank top or green socks are on my list.
Green socks or a yellow tank top is on my list.
With the Rest of the Class: Share the details of your outfit, and explain why you chose to
describe that outfit. How did you use compound subjects and/or compound predicates?
38
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Listen to Our Voices
Activities: Subject-Predicate Agreement
“Agreement or No Agreement?” Game Show
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Materials: 10 envelopes numbered 1–10, slips of paper, marker, paper bag, play money
This game is based on the game show “Deal or No Deal.” Write five different singular
verbs and five different plural verbs on slips of paper and put each slip in a numbered
envelope. Then write five different singular nouns (including collective nouns) and
five different plural nouns on slips of paper and put them in the paper bag. The game will need
a host, a player, ten students to hold envelopes, a banker, and an audience. The player draws a
noun from the bag. Then play begins. The player selects envelopes one at a time. If the simple
subject and simple predicate agree, the banker gives him or her a set amount of money. If they
don’t agree, then the player can earn the money by making them agree. The player can earn
more money by creating a sentence containing the simple subject and predicate.
With the Class: Talk about the following questions: Which subjects and predicates were the trickiest
to place in agreement? How could you make the game more difficult?
That’s a Fine Kettle of Hawks
Materials: computer, index cards, markers
Collective nouns name different groups of the same kind of animals.
For instance, a group of hippos is called a bloat and a group of hawks is
called a kettle. Challenge groups to find out the collective nouns for at
least five different animals. A good resource on the Internet is the San Diego Zoo Web site at
http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/got_questions_groups_list.html. Students should
create a fact card for each group of animals, including the group name, text with full sentences,
and photos or illustrations.
With the Class: Ask: Why does it make sense that a collective noun would take a singular verb?
Compound Meals
Materials: a variety of take-out menus, drawing paper and markers
Ask groups to study the take-out menus and then design one of their own. They
should decide what kind of food they want to serve and divide their menu into the
following categories: appetizers, salads, main courses, and desserts. For each food
item, groups should write a brief description, using complete sentences, and make the food,
sound as mouth-wateringly delicious as they can. Then they trade menus with another group
and look at its menu with the eyes of a restaurant critic. Each group draws up several sample
meals that the members might order to review the restaurant and explain why those foods
appeal to them. They should use compound subjects in their sample meals, and include
the conjunctions or and and. Remind students to try to use compound predicates whenever
they can.
With the Class: Discuss these questions: How did the descriptions on the menu influence
your choice of food to try? Which was more difficult—creating compound subjects or
compound predicates?
39
ACTIVITY
Name _____________________________________________________________
Date _________________
Subject-Predicate Agreement
Those Are Some Sentences!
Here are the first and last sentences from well-known works of literature. Can you identify the
from Holes by Louis Sachar
FIRST:
Subject
Predicate
Agree?
Subject
Predicate
Agree?
Subject
Predicate
Agree?
“There is no lake at Camp Green Lake.”
LAST:
“And hardly anything was green.”
from The
Moviegoer by Walker Percy
FIRST:
“This morning I got a note from my aunt
asking me to come for lunch.”
LAST:
“I watch her walk toward St Charles,
cape jasmine held against her cheek, until
my brothers and sisters call out behind me.”
from To
Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
FIRST:
“When he was nearly thirteen, my brother
Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow.”
LAST:
“He would be there all night, and he
would be there when Jem waked up
in the morning.”
40
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
simple subject and predicate in each one? Do they agree? Complete each chart.
All About Gerunds, Participles,
and Infinitives
]
The words of the world want to make sentences.
—Gaston Bachelard
• gerunds: nouns
• participles: adjectives
• infinitives: nouns, adjectives, and adverbs
Introduction
Begin a mini-lesson by reading aloud the Bachelard quote at the top of the page. Explain that
some of those “words of the world” are gerunds, participles, and infinitives. Write a short
definition of each and an example, such as the following, on the board:
• A gerund is formed by adding –ing to a verb. It always acts as a noun:
Dancing to music makes me happy.
• A
participle is formed by adding –ing or –ed to a verb. It always acts as an adjective:
The dancing girl turned up the volume on her overloaded iPod.
• A
n infinitive is formed by adding to in front of the verb. It can act as a
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noun, adjective, or adverb:
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To dance is my dream. (noun: subject)
I have a date to dance on Saturday. (adjective modifying date)
I went to the gym to dance. (adverb modifying went)
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face hurt
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was upse
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or –ed: grinn
ing, grinn
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ed; teari
ciples are
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formed by
Past parti
adding –ing
ciples are
to the end
formed by
of the verb
adding –ed
have irreg
.
ular form
to the end
s: bringing,
of the verb
Participle
brought;
. However,
s are used
seeing, saw.
some past
as adjective
participle
s.
s
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The grinn
ing boy mad
e me smile
A dusty lace
, too. (pres
curtain, tatte
ent parti
ciple)
red and torn
, swung
in the lazy
breeze. (pas
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: to smile,
to break,
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Infinitive
Apply
of three
hours ever
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teeth is the
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best way
genuinely
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widely. (adje
must be
ctive)
truly happ
y. (adverb)
)+
Distribute a copy of the Who We Are reproducible on page 52 to each
student. Use it with students to document all the gerunds, participles, and infinitives in the
model passage. Encourage them to record the gerunds, participles, and infinitives they see
in other print sources. You also may want to refer them back to this reproducible in the next
lesson, on phrases and clauses, pages 47–52.
Grab ‘Em!,
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Activities
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To smile
is to smil
Grammar
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41
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Distribute copies of the passage “Wrong Side of the Bed” on page 43 to
students. Allow time for them to read the passage on their own, or ask them to
follow along as you read it aloud. Use the teaching chart on page 42 to discuss
how the writer uses gerunds, participles, and infinitives in the passage.
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(Also see the lesson on phrases and clauses, pages 47–52.)
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Waking up
on the wron
1
g side of
see, my bed
the bed sent
sits tight
me swim
in a corn
ming in spac
er of my
and so does
bedroom
e—literal
the right
ly. Really!
. The head2
side. I wok
You
of the bed
through
e up on the
butts up
my bedroom
right side
against a
wall and
of the bed,
wall
into an alter
ounce gupp
which mea
nate univ
y in a huge
ns I wen
erse. Sudd
t right
fish tank
enly, I felt
sink. Look
. My arms
as weightles
ing down,
and feet
began to
I realized
s as a two4
move invo
that I wasn
Then I reali
luntarily
’t treading
3
zed that
as I bega
water—I
I was drift
n to
4
was tread
Saturn. I
ing past
ing air!
grabbed
the hazy
one of the
rings of
4
rings and
figure out
held on until
how to quic
I could
kly get hom
but I was
e. A com
able to reac 5
et shot past
h out and
me,
comet drop
grab its tail.
ped me off
The spee
ding
500,000,
left only
000 mile
2,569,83
s from hom
8,008 mile
e. That
s to go!
I was too
close to an
undiscov
into its orbit
ered plan
et and got
. Burned
by the sun
pulled
planet for
and then
bitten by
hours and 6
the cold,
hours. Fortu
I spun arou
me out of
nately, a
6
nd that hot
shuttle ship
the planet’s
and cold
from anot
orbit. Wat
sight mad
her galaxy
ching Earth
e me hom
stopped
from the
esick. I mad 7
and pluc
shuttle’s
ked
window
Don’t ask
e a whispere
was fun,
me to tell
d wish: I
but then
you how
wish I were
the
. I wonder
home in
how muc
bed. Then
h money
I was!
I owe for
that shut
tle
ride? . . .
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Grammar
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Gerunds, participles, and infinitives are formed from verbs, but each
performs a different function in a sentence. This mini-lesson focuses
on the following:
Gerunds
To create a gerund, add –ing to the end of a verb.
KEY POINTS
• A gerund is used as a noun.
• Students may find it difficult to tell the
difference between a gerund and a present
participle. Emphasize that to identify a gerund
correctly they will have to understand which
part of speech the word is.
TEACHING WITH THE MODEL PASSAGE
1 To find the subject of this sentence, ask
yourself, “What sent the writer swimming in
space?” The complete subject is Waking up on the
wrong side of the bed. Since Waking is used as a
noun, it’s a gerund.
7 Notice that there is no punctuation setting off
the gerund from the rest of the sentence. Gerunds
don’t require any punctuation.
To create a present participle, add –ing to the end of a verb. To create a past participle, add
–ed to the end of a verb.
KEY POINTS
• A participle is used as an adjective.
TEACHING WITH THE MODEL PASSAGE
2 Swimming is a present participle because it acts
as an adjective modifying me.
• A present participle ends in –ing. A past
participle usually ends in –ed.
• Some past participles have irregular forms: the
bent or broken branch.
4 Both uses of treading are verbs; they go with the
verb was. Looking is a present participle.
6 Burned by the sun and bitten by the cold are
adjectives describing the writer. Both are past
participles, and bitten is an irregular participle.
Infinitives
To create an infinitive, add to before a verb.
KEY POINTS
• An infinitive can be used as a noun, adjective,
or adverb.
TEACHING WITH THE MODEL PASSAGE
3 Some verbs, such as begin, decide, agree, and
want, are followed by infinitives.
• Students may confuse infinitives with
prepositional phrases. Remind them that an
infinitive consists of to plus a verb, while a
prepositional phrase consists of to plus a noun
or a pronoun.
5 This sentence contains a split infinitive—the
adverb quickly splits the infinitive to get.
• It’s really okay to split an infinitive. This myth
got started because a lot of our language comes
from Latin words. You can’t split infinitives in
Latin because in Latin the infinitive is simply
the verb without to before it.
42
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Participles
MODEL PASSAGE
Gerunds, Participles, and Infinitives
Wrong Side of the Bed
Waking up on the wrong side of the bed sent me swimming in space—literally. Really! You
2
1
see, my bed sits tight in a corner of my bedroom. The head of the bed butts up against a wall
and so does the right side. I woke up on the right side of the bed, which means I went right
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
through my bedroom wall and into an alternate universe. Suddenly, I felt as weightless as a twoounce guppy in a huge fish tank. My arms and feet began to move involuntarily as I began to
3
sink. Looking down, I realized that I wasn’t treading water—I was treading air!
4
4
Then I realized that I was drifting past the hazy rings of
4
Saturn. I grabbed one of the rings and held on until I could
figure out how to quickly get home. A comet shot past me,
5
but I was able to reach out and grab its tail. The speeding
comet dropped me off 500,000,000 miles from home. That
left only 2,569,838,008 miles to go!
I was too close to an undiscovered planet and got pulled
into its orbit. Burned by the sun and then bitten by the cold, I spun around that hot and cold
6
6
planet for hours and hours. Fortunately, a shuttle ship from another galaxy stopped and plucked
me out of the planet’s orbit. Watching Earth from the shuttle’s window was fun, but then the
7
sight made me homesick. I made a whispered wish: I wish I were home in bed. Then I was!
Don’t ask me to tell you how. I wonder how much money I owe for that shuttle ride? . . .
In this passage, you’ll explore the following:
• gerunds
• participles
• infinitives
43
WRITING PROMPTS
Gerunds, Participles, and Infinitives
Teachers: Duplicate these prompts on sturdy paper and then cut them apart. You may also write the prompts on the board or display them onscreen.
$- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ----------------------------------------------- - - - - - - Name _______________________________________________________________ Date _______________
Write! What is your least favorite chore or job to do around the
house? Explain why you dislike doing this chore so much. Make
readers really feel how much you dislike it.
With the Rest of the Class: Exchange your writing with a partner.
Wr ite yo ur
full resp on se
on a sepa ra te
sh eet of pa per.
After reading each other’s work, compare and contrast the chores
and your response to them. Then talk about how you used gerunds,
participles, and/or infinitives in your writing.
$- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ----------------------------------------------- - - - - - - Name _______________________________________________________________ Date _______________
The Three Faces of . . .
Write! Read the passage “Wrong Side of the Bed” again.
Think about the elements that go into writing a fantasy.
Then write your own fantasy passage. Before you begin writing,
think of a verb. In your passage include three forms of that verb—
Wr ite yo ur
full resp on se
on a sepa ra te
sh eet of pa per.
gerund, participle, and infinitive. Read over your work to make sure
you’ve used all three forms of the verb, and that you’ve used each
one correctly.
With the Rest of the Class: Exchange passages with a partner. See if you can identify which
verb he or she included and find all its forms.
44
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Don’t Make Me Do That!
Activities: Gerunds, Participles, And Infinitives
What Did Shakespeare Mean?
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
The title character in Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, says the following:
To be or not to be, that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them. To die, to sleep;
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to—’tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish’d. To die, to sleep;
To sleep, perchance to dream. . . .
Write Hamlet’s soliloquy on the board or make copies for the group. Have members take turns
reading it aloud. What do they think Hamlet means? Guide them in a rewrite of his speech
using modern-day language.
With the Class: As a class, talk about Shakespeare’s use of infinitives. How do the infinitives
help the rhythm and flow of the speech? How did groups incorporate infinitives into their
revision?
Participle Poetry
Have students think about a noun to write a poem about. It could be something as
concrete as leaf or as abstract as freedom. The title of the poem is the noun selected.
Challenge pairs to write the poem using only participles to describe the noun.
With the Class: After pairs practice, ask them to perform a choral reading of their poem for the
class and then discuss how they created their poem.
Is “to” Your BFF? Does “–ing” Follow You Around?
Play a grammar game featuring gerunds, participles, and infinitives. Here are
the rules: Three people are contestants and the rest of the class is the audience.
The teacher assigns the gerund, participle, or infinitive form of the same verb
to each contestant, for example: Contestant 1—irritating (gerund), Contestant 2—irritating
(present participle), Contestant 3—to irritate. Then the teacher challenges the audience to ask
questions to identify one of the forms, for example: “Which contestant is a participle that means
‘annoying’”? The audience takes turns asking each contestant a question to find the answer—
without asking obvious questions such as “Are you a participle?”
With the Class: Discuss the following questions: Which was the easiest form to identify—gerunds,
participles, or infinitives? What made it difficult to identify irregular forms of participles? Which
questions helped you tell the difference between a gerund and a present participle?
45
ACTIVITY
Name _____________________________________________________________
Date _________________
Gerunds, Participles, and Infinitives
Who We Are
Add examples of gerunds, participles, and infinitives you come across in the passage.
verb + –ing: smiling, going
Gerunds are used as nouns.
EXAMPLES:
Smiling for too long makes my face hurt.
He was sent to the principal’s office for going to the gym without permission.
Terrence was upset by our leaving the party early.
Participles
verb + –ing or –ed: grinning, grinned; tearing, torn
Present participles are formed by adding –ing to the end of the verb.
Past participles are formed by adding –ed to the end of the verb. However, some past participles
have irregular forms: bringing, brought; seeing, saw.
Participles are used as adjectives.
EXAMPLES:
The grinning boy made me smile, too. (present participle)
A dusty lace curtain, tattered and torn, swung in the lazy breeze. (past participle)
Infinitives
to + verb: to smile, to break, to be
Infinitives are used as nouns, adjectives, and adverbs.
EXAMPLES:
My goal is to smile for a total of three hours every day. (noun)
Displaying all your teeth is the best way to smile widely. (adjective)
To smile genuinely, a person must be truly happy. (adverb)
46
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Gerunds
All About Phrases and Clauses
]
[Henry] James would agonize for hours over a single sentence,
refining and refining it until sometimes only his most devoted
readers cared to thread their way through the innumerable clauses
he found necessary for communication of his exact meaning.
A phrase is a group of words without a subject or a predicate. A clause
contains a subject and a predicate. This mini-lesson focuses on the
following aspects of phrases and clauses:
•
•
•
•
prepositional phrases
gerund, participial, and infinitive phrases
independent and dependent clauses
restrictive and nonrestrictive clause
Introduce
Share the quote at the top of the page with students. Then write the following sentence from
The Golden Bowl by Henry James on the board or display it onscreen: “This situation has been
occupying for months and months the very centre of the garden of her life, but it had reared
itself there like some strange tall tower of ivory, or perhaps rather some wonderful beautiful
but outlandish pagoda, a structure plated with hard bright porcelain, coloured and figured and
adorned at the overhanging eaves with silver bells that tinkled ever so charmingly when stirred
by chance airs.” Are students able to thread their way through the sentence? Do they agree with
Myrick Land’s quote? Tell them that they’ll be learning about the kinds of phrases and clauses
Henry James used in this long sentence. Share with students the definitions in the box.
Teach
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Give a copy of the passage “Wild Horse Annie” on page 49 to each student.
Allow time for students to read the passage on their own or ask them to
follow along as you read it aloud. Use the teaching chart on page 48 to
discuss how the writer used phrases and clauses in the passage.
(Also see the lessons on prepositions, pages 29–34; gerunds,
participles, and infinitives, pages 41–46; and sentences, pages 59–64.)
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Grades 6–8
© 2010 by
Sarah Glassc
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phrase
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itive phra
speeding
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used as a
ducked befo
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adjective,
se as an
re it hit
or an adve
To see her
adjective
rb.
modifying
favorite
player, Jorga
fan)
dressing
stood outsi
room. (infi
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who, whic
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h, that, what
whicheve
, whoever,
r, whatever—
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music was
or a subo
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after, since
honking
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and
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relative pron
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who and
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is the kind
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On you
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Glasscock,
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47
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Activities
That
Hand out the Mind Your Ps and Cs reproducible on page 52 and go
over the information at the top about phrases and clauses. As you lead
students through the activity at the bottom of the reproducible, have a
few bumper sticker slogans ready to share. The slogans should consist
of only a phrase or a clause.
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Grammar
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
—Myrick Land
Prepositional Phrases
A prepositional phrase doesn’t contain a subject or a verb.
KEY POINTS
• A prepositional phrase begins with a
preposition and ends with the noun or
pronoun it connects to the rest of the sentence.
• A prepositional phrase can function as an
adjective or adverb in a sentence.
TEACHING WITH THE MODEL PASSAGE
4 The word before can be a preposition or a
subordinating conjunction. Before 1959 is a
prepositional phrase because it doesn’t have a
subject or a verb.
7 The phrase to factories is a prepositional phrase
because there is no verb.
Gerund, Participial, and Infinitive Phrases
KEY POINTS
• Briefly review how gerunds, present and past
participles, and infinitives are formed from
verbs, and which part(s) of speech each can
become.
TEACHING WITH THE MODEL PASSAGE
2 This is an infinitive phrase because it begins
with the infinitive to stop. Notice that it also
contains a gerund phrase and two prepositional
phrases.
• You’ll often see prepositional phrases
embedded in these types of phrases.
5 Riding in airplanes and on horseback is a gerund
phrase because it begins with the gerund Riding
and is the subject of the sentence.
6 This is a participial phrase because it begins
with the past participle packed.
Independent and Dependent Clauses
A clause contains a subject and a verb.
TEACHING WITH THE MODEL PASSAGE
1 The subordinating conjunction when introduces
this dependent clause.
KEY POINTS
• An independent clause can stand alone as a
sentence or be joined to another independent
clause with a coordinating conjunction or a
semicolon.
8 Since the dependent clause Although
she received death threats appears before an
independent clause, it’s set off by a comma.
• An independent clause following a dependent
clause is set off with a comma.
• Although a dependent clause has a subject and
predicate, it can’t stand alone because it begins
with a relative pronoun—who, that, which,
what—or a subordinating conjunction—if,
when, before, since. 9 The coordinating conjunction and joins these
two independent clauses. Each clause could be a
separate sentence.
Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Clauses
Restrictive clauses are necessary in the sentence. Nonrestrictive clauses are not.
KEY POINTS
• Restrictive clauses contribute to the meaning
of the sentence, while nonrestrictive clauses
can be cut from a sentence without affecting
the meaning.
TEACHING WITH THE MODEL PASSAGE
3 Without the clause who nicknamed her, the
sentence wouldn’t make sense.
• For consistency and simplicity, advise students
to use that with restrictive clauses and which
with nonrestrictive clauses.
10 The fact that Wild Horse Annie had polio as
a child is interesting, but it’s not essential to the
meaning of the sentence. That’s why this nonrestrictive clause is set off by commas.
• Nonrestrictive clauses are set off with commas.
48
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
These phrases are formed from verbs.
MODEL PASSAGE
Phrases and Clauses
Wild Horse Annie
When Velma B. Johnston got the nickname of “Wild Horse Annie,” it wasn’t a compliment.
1
Johnston was trying to stop the killing of wild horses and burros in Nevada and the rest
2
of the west. The person who nicknamed her didn’t want the wild animals to be saved.
3
Before 1959, it was legal in Nevada to hunt wild horses and burros on public land from the air.
4
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Riding in airplanes and on horseback, hunters chased and then captured the animals. The horses
5
and burros, packed into trucks, were taken to factories where they’d be sold for food.
7
6
Johnston began her campaign to protect the wild animals in 1950. She started talking about
the problem to people in Storey County, Nevada, where she lived. Johnston spoke to school
children, ranchers, politicians, and ranchers. Although she received death threats, she didn’t give
up. Nevada enacted legislation to protect the wild
8
animals, and then the federal government did, too.
9
The federal Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro
Act protects these wild animals on public lands.
Wild Horse Annie, who had polio as a child,
10
also went on to create refuges for wild horses.
Today, when the number of wild horses and burros
grows too large, they are placed for adoption.
People who are interested in giving them homes
can contact the Bureau of Land Management at
http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/wild_horse_and_burro.html.
In this passage, you’ll explore the following:
•
•
•
•
prepositional phrases
gerund, participial, and infinitive phrases
independent and dependent clauses
restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses
49
WRITING PROMPTS
Phrases and Clauses
Teachers: Duplicate these prompts on sturdy paper and then cut them apart. You may also write the prompts on the board or display them onscreen.
$- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ----------------------------------------------- - - - - - - Name _______________________________________________________________ Date _______________
Taking the Lead
Write! Choose one of the following phrases or clauses and include it in the lead of a scary
• in the darkness at the top of the stairs
Wr ite yo ur
full resp on se
on a sepa ra te
sh eet of pa per.
• whose hair turned white overnight
• that made the dog howl
• listening to the black silence
• to reach the safety of my room
• which hurtled through the window
• burned into the wallpaper
With the Rest of the Class: Discuss the following questions: How did you use the phrase and
clause to help you set the mood of your story? What other phrases and clauses appear in your story?
$- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ----------------------------------------------- - - - - - Name _______________________________________________________________ Date _______________
We Want You!
Write! Think about your class. What qualities and characteristics do students have that help
the class function well? What kinds of behavior throw the class off track and make it difficult
to learn? Based on your thoughts, write a Want Ad for the perfect student for your class. Spell
out the following requirements, and add any others that you think of: What kind of experience
should the student have? What skills should the student possess? What will the student be
expected to do? Check your use of phrases and clauses to make sure your ad is clear.
With the Rest of the Class: Post your ads on the bulletin board. Then find an ad that you
want to respond to. Write a brief letter explaining your interest in the job and why you would be
perfect for it.
50
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
short story.
ACTIVITIES: Phrases and Clauses
It’s Just a Phrase I’m Going Through
Each member of the group chooses a favorite song and writes down the title and
lyrics. Then, as a group, they point out and identify any phrases—prepositional,
gerund, participial, and infinitive—that they notice, including a phrase within a
phrase, such as “standing in the shadows of love.” Next, groups use their knowledge of phrases
to write the lyrics to a group song. Here are the guidelines:
• Start with a song title that’s a phrase. Don’t force a phrase into the song just because it’s a
phrase, but make it a natural and rhythmic addition to the song.
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
• If anyone is musical or plays an instrument, set your lyrics to music.
With the Class: Ask each group to share its lyrics with another group and talk about how the
phrases they chose enhance the meaning of the song.
I’m an Independent! I Am, Too!
As a class, decide on a topic to write about. Have individual students write one
independent clause about that topic. Then let everyone circulate around the room
and try to join his or her independent clause with another independent clause to
create a sentence that makes sense. Students have to decide whether to use a coordinating
conjunction—and which one—or a semicolon to join the clauses. Keep students circulating to
see how many independent clauses they can add to their original clause.
With the Class: Ask: Who created the sentence with the most clauses? Does the sentence make sense?
Who created the most pleasing sentence? How did using a semicolon or a certain conjunction change
the flow of the sentence?
Is That Really Necessary?
Present the following activity to pairs: An aside is a remark that not everyone is
supposed to hear. For instance, an actor may say something directly to the audience
that the other characters can’t hear. Nonrestrictive clauses make great asides.
Write a short skit about an argument between two characters. Include asides in the form of
nonrestrictive clauses. You can use a format like the one shown below or develop your own.
Lars: The piece of pie that you ate was mine. I can’t believe you ate it, Max! (to the
audience) Max! Who is always doing something like this!
Max: I didn’t see your name carved into the crust. (to the audience) The crust! Which was
so light and flaky and tasty!
Practice your skit, and be sure to place special emphasis on the asides.
With the Class: Pairs should perform their skit for the class. After each performance, pose
the following questions: Does everyone agree that all the asides are nonrestrictive clauses because
they are unnecessary to the skit? If some of the asides are really restrictive clauses, how can you
incorporate them into the body of the skit?
51
ACTIVITY
Name _____________________________________________________________
Date _________________
Phrases and Clauses
Mind Your Ps & Cs
A phrase is a group of words without a subject or a predicate. A clause contains a subject and a
Types of Phrases
Examples
• A prepositional phrase can be used as an
adjective or an adverb.
Let’s go out to the ball game! (prepositional phrase as an
adverb showing where)
• A gerund phrase is always used as a noun.
Driving to the ball game took over an hour. (gerund phrase
as the subject)
• A participial phrase is always used as
an adjective.
The fan, alarmed by the speeding ball, ducked before it hit
him. (participial phrase as an adjective modifying fan)
• An infinitive phrase can be used as a
noun, an adjective, or an adverb.
To see her favorite player, Jorga stood outside the team’s
dressing room. (infinitive phrase as an adverb showing why)
Types of Clauses
Examples
• An independent clause can stand alone, but it can
also be joined to another independent clause by a
coordinating conjunction—and, but, or, nor, neither,
yet, for, so—or a semicolon.
The traffic was even worse on the way home,
so I closed my eyes and went to sleep. (two
independent clauses joined by so)
• A dependent clause begins with a relative
pronoun—who, which, that, what, whoever,
whichever, whatever—or a subordinating conjunction,
such as when, before, after, since, or although.
Although music was blaring out of the cars and
drivers were honking their horns, I slept the whole
way home. (dependent clause introduced by
although)
• A restrictive clause is necessary to a sentence.
It begins with the relative pronoun that or who.
The Toyota that had the busted muffler was the
loudest car. (restrictive clause)
• A nonrestrictive clause is not necessary to a
sentence. It begins with the relative pronoun which or
who and is set off by commas.
The Toyota, which is the kind of car I want, was
the loudest car. (nonrestrictive clause)
On your way home today, look at the cars in the school parking lot and on the road. Write
down some of the bumper sticker slogans you see. Now create your own bumper sticker slogan.
Save space by using only a phrase or a clause for your slogan.
52
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
predicate. There are different types of phrases, including the ones shown below.
All About Specificity
]
Whoever writes English is involved in a struggle that never lets up
even for a sentence. He is struggling against vagueness, against
obscurity, against the lure of the decorative adjective, against
the encroachment of Latin and Greek, and, above all, against the
worn-out phrases and dead metaphors with which the language is
cluttered up.
Specificity is in the details—not too many and not too few. Specificity
is finding the one word that will take the place of two or four or more.
This mini-lesson focuses on the following aspects of specificity:
adding details to enhance clarity
adding details to make writing more descriptive
removing unnecessary words and phrases
using technical terms
Introduction
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Write a short definition of specificity, such as the following, on the
board: “Specificity isn’t a part of speech, but it uses every part of speech.
Specificity isn’t a part of a sentence—it is the sentence: The sun sparked
a fire in the crispy grass.”
A cumulon
imbus clou
d, the talle
and its hea
st type of
d rises in
cloud, form
a towerin
1
s in the sky.
g column.
a giant mus
Its base is
At its very
hroom in
several mile
top, the 2
the sky. Ligh
s wide,
cloud spre
unravels
tning flas
ads out aga
from the
DVNVMPOJN
hes insid
CVT
in. It look
base of the
e the clou
s like
cloud. Tou
the funnel
d. Then a
Q
ching the
long, thin DPOFTIBQFE
spins at 100
gro
, funnel
und
miles per
,
Q
hour. It’s
Rapidly rota
3
a tornado
ting winds
!
create oth
weather
er kinds
phenomena
of
(events?
4
) includin
dust dev
g gustnad
ils, fire whi
oes,
rls, and stea
m devils.
phenomena
Because
don’t des
these
cend from
classified
clouds, they
as tornado
aren’t
es.
A gustnad
o occurs
on the gus
thundersto
t front of
rm. In a
a
gust fron
t, cool air
down and
rushes, or
out of the
gusts,
storm. The
5
like a wea
swirling fun
k tornado
nel may
, but it buil
look
ds from the
A dust dev
ground up
il forms on
instead of
hot, clea
turning the
from the
r days. This
clouds dow
same colo
swir
ling colu
n.
r as the eart
mn of air
h as it pick
A fire whi
skips alon
s up dirt
rl is a spin
g the gro
6
and other
ning vort
und,
The whirl
debris.
ex (?) of
hot air and
carries smo
7
ke, flames,
gases that
rises from
and debris
A steam
an intense
inside it.
devil can
wildfire.
form at plac
plant smo
es that emi
kestacks
t large amo
and desert
unts of smo
hot springs
rotating
ke or stea
column of
. The smo
m, such
ke or stea
rising air.
as power
m is wra
pped and
trapped
inside a
8
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That Really
Bring in several familiar items such as a pair of dress shoes and
a coffee mug that are black, and place them around the room.
Distribute the reproducible Shades of Black on page 58. If possible,
display a copy onscreen. Model the activity by selecting two items
and beginning to describe them. Ask students for their input
to add specificity and contrast. Then have them complete the
reproducible on their own.
_________
>8>IN
What do
Apply
_________
HE:8>;
Activities
Ask students to define the word specific and to give synonyms for
it such as exact, detailed, precise. Then distribute copies of the passage
“Like a Tornado” on page 55 to students. Allow time for them to read
the passage on their own or ask them to follow along as you read it
aloud. Explain that the writer has already revised the first paragraph
for specificity. Then use the teaching guide on page 54 for tips for
discussing specificity.
Grammar
•
•
•
•
Grammar
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
—George Orwell
Adding Details to Enhance Clarity
Don’t assume that your reader knows everything you know about a subject.
KEY POINTS
• It’s always surprising to realize that the ideas
in our mind didn’t make it to the page. This
is why it’s particularly important to have
someone read our work and ask us questions.
TEACHING WITH THE MODEL PASSAGE
4 As she wrote, the writer wondered whether she
needed to define the word phenomena.
5 The details in this sentence not only help
explain what a gust front is, but also show how a
gustnado got its name.
6 This sentence describes what a dust devil looks
like and how it moves.
Look for words that don’t stretch you or the reader. Replace them with words that may
surprise the reader—and you.
KEY POINTS
• Adding sensory details involves more
than describing a cat as black or a rose as
sweet-smelling.
TEACHING WITH THE MODEL PASSAGE
3 Deleting long and inserting cone-shaped creates
a more specific picture of the tornado as it’s
being born.
• As students refine the nouns, verbs, adjectives,
and adverbs they use in a piece of writing,
urge them to take creative risks.
8 The compound predicate wrapped and trapped
accurately describes what happens to the smoke or
steam—and it rhymes.
• Encourage students to make their own
associations with certain colors, smells,
tastes, sounds, and textures to add freshness
to their writing. Removing Unnecessary Words and Phrases
As you revise your work, look for words and phrases that are repeated unnecessarily.
KEY POINTS
• In our eagerness to make a point, it can be
easy to oversell it. Writers have to read their
work to spot repeated words or phrases that
don’t help emphasize a point or intensify
an experience. We also have to seek out
adjectives and adverbs that smother the
words they modify. TEACHING WITH THE MODEL PASSAGE
2 The prepositional phrase in the sky isn’t
necessary because the only place clouds form is
in the sky.
Using Technical Terms
Define technical terms or give solid context clues so readers will understand them.
KEY POINTS
• In speaking or writing, it’s essential that our
audience understands what we’re saying.
TEACHING WITH THE MODEL PASSAGE
1 In this sentence, the tallest type of cloud helps
define the technical word cumulonimbus.
• Remind students to define technical terms
clearly in their writing and to ask for your
help if the terms are confusing.
7 The writer includes “(?)” because she wasn’t
sure if readers would understand that a vortex is a
spinning flow of air.
• Context clues may help some readers, but a
simple and concise definition will reach more
of the audience.
54
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Adding Details to Make Writing More Descriptive
MODEL PASSAGE
Specificity
Like a Tornado
A cumulonimbus cloud, the tallest type of cloud, forms in the sky. Its base is several miles wide,
1
2
and its head rises in a towering column. At its very top, the cloud spreads out again. It looks like
cumulonimbus
cone-shaped
a giant mushroom in the sky. Lightning flashes inside the ^ cloud. Then a long, thin, ^ funnel
3
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
unravels from the base of the cloud. Touching the ground,
the funnel spins at 100 miles per hour. It’s a tornado!
Rapidly rotating winds create other kinds of
weather phenomena (events?) including gustnadoes,
4
dust devils, fire whirls, and steam devils. Because these
phenomena don’t descend from clouds, they aren’t
classified as tornadoes.
A gustnado occurs on the gust front of a
thunderstorm. In a gust front, cool air rushes, or gusts,
5
down and out of the storm. The swirling funnel may look
like a weak tornado, but it builds from the ground up instead of from the clouds down.
A dust devil forms on hot, clear days. This swirling column of air skips along the ground,
6
turning the same color as the earth as it picks up dirt and other debris.
A fire whirl is a spinning vortex (?) of hot air and gases that rises from an intense wildfire.
7
The whirl carries smoke, flames, and debris inside it.
A steam devil can form at places that emit large amounts of smoke or steam, such as power
plant smokestacks and desert hot springs. The smoke or steam is wrapped and trapped inside a
8
rotating column of rising air.
In this passage, you’ll explore the following:
•
•
•
•
adding details to enhance clarity
adding details to make writing more descriptive
removing unnecessary words and phrase
using technical terms
55
WRITING PROMPTS
Specificity
Teachers: Duplicate these prompts on sturdy paper and then cut them apart. You may also write the prompts on the board or display them onscreen.
$- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ----------------------------------------------- - - - - - - Name _______________________________________________________________ Date _______________
A Penny for Your Thoughts/Your Thoughts for a Penny
details on the coin that you may have missed before. Think about how the penny feels in your
hand or when you rub your finger across its surface. How does it smell? Based on the smell,
how do you think the penny would taste? (Don’t put it in your mouth—use your other senses
to help you describe what the taste would be like!) Jot down any ideas or images you think of.
Then write a paragraph describing the penny. Be as specific as you can about the coin.
With the Rest of the Class: Exchange descriptions with a partner. Read over each other’s
work. Write down any questions you have and any words and phrases you thought were specific
and original. How did those words and phrases help you see the penny even more clearly?
$- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ----------------------------------------------- - - - - - - Name _______________________________________________________________ Date ______________
What?!
Materials: dictionary
Write! Rewrite the paragraph below to make it more specific and descriptive.
Carrion flowers smell bad. (Buzzards eat carrion.) Flowers that smell sweet attract
bees and hummingbirds. Flowers that smell bad attract flies and beetles and other
ugly insects. Starfish flowers grow in Africa. They’re pretty, but they smell really
bad. They look like starfish.
With the Rest of the Class: Talk about how you tackled the rewrite. Which details did you
add? Which details did you remove? How were you able to make the paragraph more descriptive,
even though you probably haven’t ever seen—or smelled—a carrion flower?
56
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Materials: penny, magnifying glass
Write! Take a few minutes to examine a penny. Use a magnifying glass to help you see
ACTIVITIES: Specificity
A Tantalizingly Tasty Menu
Materials: drawing paper, colored paper, colored pencils and markers
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Tempt students with the following activity: Suppose you walk into a pizza kitchen
that holds any ingredient you could wish for, and you get to create your own special
pizza. You can choose the kind of crust—thick, thin, whole wheat, peanut butter—sauce,
toppings, and cheese. Write and illustrate a detailed description of your pizza for a class pizza
menu. Even if your favorite pizza is a cheese pizza, be specific about the kind of cheese(s) and
how tantalizingly tasty it is—and why. Finally, give your pizza a name that will make everyone’s
mouth water.
With the Class: Call on students to share the description of their special pizza. Find out which
specific details in the descriptions made the other students’ stomachs flip with hunger. Then
have the class create a pizza menu that features all their special pizzas. (Maybe you can
convince a local pizzeria to add them to its menu!)
Just the Facts, Please
Materials: large index cards, markers or pens
Ask pairs who they think the five most important people in the world are and to create
a list. After pairs research each person’s life and accomplishments, they should make
a set of Top Five trading cards featuring their top five picks. Tell them to choose their words
carefully and to be specific and concise—because they can use only 25 words, in complete
sentences, on each card.
With the Class: Based on everyone’s Top Five trading cards, compile a class list of the most
important people in the world. Combine and refine the information from the original trading
cards to create a new set of the Top Five trading cards for the class choices.
Technical Translation
“Hire” groups to write and produce a television commercial for one of the
following businesses:
• bicycle shop
• iPod/MP3 player repair shop
• dental clinic
• fish and reptile store
• sandwich shop
They must use technical words and phrases in the script for their commercial—without
translating them into everyday English. Then groups should write simple definitions for each
technical word or phrase. After rehearsing their commercial, have groups present it to the rest
of the class. Everyone in the group should have a role in the commercial.
With the Class: Set aside time for groups to act out their commercials. When an audience
member is confused by a technical term, he or she calls out, “Translation, please!” Everyone in
the group should respond with the definition.
57
ACTIVITY
Name _____________________________________________________________
Date _________________
SPECIFICITY
Shades of Black
What do you think of when you hear or read
the word black? Does it matter if the word’s an
Do you picture the same color?
Find at least two objects in the classroom that are black. How would you describe the similarities
and differences between the colors of the two objects? Compare them in the Venn diagram below.
_________________________
_________________________
Both
Now describe the color of each object without using the adjective black.
Object 1
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Object 2
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Repeat this activity for other senses: a salty or sour taste, a soft sound, a rough surface,
and a sweet smell.
58
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
adjective describing a black cat or a black coat?
All About Sentences
]
For me, the big chore is always the same: how to begin a sentence,
how to continue it, how to complete it.
A sentence can be one word—Go!—or it can be constructed out of
layers of phrases and clauses. At the bare minimum, every sentence
must consist of a subject and a predicate. It’s up to the writer to decide
what other parts of speech to hang on it. This mini-lesson focuses on
the following aspects of sentences:
•
•
•
•
simple, compound, and complex sentences
combining sentences
varying sentence patterns
parallel construction
Introduction
To begin a mini-lesson on sentences, read aloud the Claude Simon quote at the top of the
page. Engage students in a discussion of the quote and whether they can identify with this
writer’s dilemma. Then ask them to define what a sentence is and to explain whether all
sentences are equal.
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The city
of Cahokia
sits on the
about 20,0
banks of
00 people
the Miss
issippi Rive
was as large
r. In 1250,
empty. Now
as the city
its populat
all that’s
of London
ion of
left of the
’s. By 140
city are 80
0, the hom
The large
mounds
es of Cah
st mound
and seve
okia wer
is called
1
ral circles
e
Monk’s Mou
Although
of wooden
the build
nd, and it
2
posts.
ers had only
probably
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baskets with
took abo
3
ut 300 year
s, sticks,
earth to
and their
s to build
build the 4
han
.
mound.
leader may
ds, they
A huge build
filled 15,0
have lived
00,000
ing once
there.
sat on top
These peo
of Monk’s
ple also erec
Mound;
ted several
a
calendars.
Woodhe
5
A henge
nges, circl
is a large
es of woo
prehistor
earth or
den pole
ic earthwo
built it up.
s that wer
rk—a plac
Usually cons
e used as
e where
wood, or
tructed in
ancient peo
soil. (You
the shap
ple dug into
’d see slab
e of a circl
the
e, a henge
s of ston
Certain pole
e set in a
could be
s in the circl
circl
made of
e if you visit
e marked
stone,
ed Stonehen
circle had
the beginnin
a different
ge in Eng
g of wint
numbers
land.)
6
er and sum
of poles,
never finis
mer and
yet all the
hed. Tha
spring and
poles wer
t gave scien
7
fall. Each
e made of
tists a clue
After 120
red ceda
about wha
0, the clim
r. One circl
t may have
8
ate
e was
changed
happened
7
. This chan
to Cahokia
ge may have
.
harmed or
9
killed plan
ts, animals,
and othe
r resource
s like red
cedar
trees in the
area. Oth
er theories
about wha
t happen
ed to Cah
okia inclu
Nobody
de war, dise
knows wha
ase, and
t our citie
rebellion
will be won
s might look
by the citiz
dering wha
like in 100
ens.
t happen
0 years.
ed to the
Maybe histo
people who
rians and
used to live
scientists
in your city.
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Activities
That Really
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Grades 6–8
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the sentence
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ng Resour
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How do
stic Teachi
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Grab ‘Em!,
Grades 6–8
© 2010 by
Sarah Glassc
ock, Schola
________
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59
________
H:CI:C
That Really
stic Teachi
ng Resour
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ock, Schola
Sarah Glassc
Bring in an assortment of newspapers—including sensational
tabloids, such as the World Weekly News—that feature stories
about alien and Bigfoot sightings. You can also access front pages
of newspapers on the Internet. Ask students what the purpose of
a headline is. Talk about how a headline is similar to and different
from a sentence (similar: usually has a subject and predicate,
complete thought; different: no punctuation, capitalization,
some words left out). After distributing the Read All About It!
reproducible on page 64, work with students to rewrite the first
headline as the first sentence in a corresponding news story.
Activities
Apply
Grammar
Distribute copies of the passage “What Happened to Cahokia?” on
page 61 to students. Allow time for them to read it on their own or
ask them to follow along as you read it aloud. Use the teaching guide
on page 60 to discuss the variety of sentences in the passage.
Grammar
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
—Claude Simon
Simple, Compound, and Complex Sentences
KEY POINTS
• A simple sentence has a subject and a
predicate and conveys a complete thought:
Sami banged the drum.
TEACHING WITH THE MODEL PASSAGE
1 Although the first three sentences are simple
sentences, not every one begins with a subject.
Some begin with prepositional phrases.
• In a compound sentence, the writer joins two
or more independent clauses: Sami banged the
drum, and his sister covered her ears.
4 This sentence begins with a dependent clause,
set off from the independent clause with a comma,
so it’s a complex sentence.
• In a complex sentence, the writer joins one
or more dependent clauses to an independent
clause: When Sami banged the drum, his sister
covered her ears because she couldn’t concentrate
on her homework. 6 This complex sentence contains a dependent
clause if you visited Stonehenge in England. This
clause also could have begun the sentence.
8 After 1200 is a prepositional phrase and not a
clause; it doesn’t contain a subject and predicate.
Combining Sentences
Coordinating conjunctions or semicolons are used to combine sentences.
KEY POINTS
• A writer can use a coordinating conjunction or
a semicolon to create compound sentences.
TEACHING WITH THE MODEL PASSAGE
3 The coordinating conjunction and joins these
two sentences (independent clauses).
• A comma should not be used to connect
independent clauses; a comma splice creates
a run-on sentence. (See the exception below.)
5 The semicolon takes the place of a coordinating
conjunction in this compound sentence. Ask
students which coordinating conjunction they
would replace it with.
Varying Sentence Patterns
A strong piece of writing contains a variety of sentence patterns.
KEY POINTS
• In sticking to a subject-verb, subject-verb,
subject-verb pattern, a writer runs the risk of
boring the reader.
• Exception: Repeating the same sentence
pattern can create a poetic rhythm or suspense
or can emphasize a point. For example: The
boat rocked on the waves, their white caps
washed the deck, my life vest washed out to sea.
TEACHING WITH THE MODEL PASSAGE
7 You might be tempted to begin this sentence
with but to make it more dramatic: But one circle
was never finished—but the sentence is dramatic
enough as it is.
Parallel Construction
All the parts of a compound subject or a compound predicate must be parallel.
KEY POINTS
• Parallelism helps a reader understand the
connection between the parts of a sentence.
To play basketball and marching in the band
wear me out. (not parallel)
Playing basketball and marching in the band
wear me out. (parallel)
TEACHING WITH THE MODEL PASSAGE
2 80 mounds and several circles of wooden posts are
both noun phrases.
9 The verbs in this sentence are parallel. You
don’t need to write may have harmed or may have
killed because readers understand that may have
goes with each verb.
60
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
When a writer adds one or more clauses to a simple sentence, the sentence becomes
compound or complex.
MODEL PASSAGE
Sentences
What Happened to Cahokia?
The city of Cahokia sits on the banks of the Mississippi River. In 1250, its population of
about 20,000 people was as large as the city of London’s. By 1400, the homes of Cahokia were
1
empty. Now all that’s left of the city are 80 mounds and several circles of wooden posts.
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
2
The largest mound is called Monk’s Mound, and it probably took about 300 years to build.
3
Although the builders had only stone tools, sticks, and their hands, they filled 15,000,000
4
baskets with earth to build the mound. A huge building once sat on top of Monk’s Mound; a
5
leader may have lived there.
These people also erected several Woodhenges, circles of wooden poles that were used as
calendars. A henge is a large prehistoric earthwork—a place where ancient people dug into the
earth or built it up. Usually constructed in the shape of a circle, a henge could be made of stone,
wood, or soil. (You’d see slabs of stone set in a circle if you visited Stonehenge in England.)
6
Certain poles in the circle marked the beginning of winter and summer and spring and fall. Each
circle had a different numbers of poles, yet all the poles were made of red cedar. One circle was
never finished. That gave scientists a clue about what may have happened to Cahokia.
7
7
After 1200, the climate
8
changed. This change may have
9
harmed or killed plants, animals,
and other resources like red cedar
trees in the area. Other theories
about what happened to Cahokia include war, disease, and rebellion by the citizens.
Nobody knows what our cities might look like in 1000 years. Maybe historians and scientists
will be wondering what happened to the people who used to live in your city.
In this passage, you’ll explore the following:
• simple, compound, and complex sentences
• combining sentences
• varying sentence patterns
• parallel construction
61
WRITING PROMPTS
Sentences
$
Teachers: Duplicate these prompts on sturdy paper and then cut them apart. You may also write the prompts on the board or display them onscreen.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ----------------------------------------------- - - - - - - -
Name _______________________________________________________________ Date _______________
That Will Be History One Day
Write! Some of the events that happened in your lifetime will be historical events to people
Wr ite yo ur
ful l resp on se
on a sepa ra te
sh eet of pa per.
America that have happened since you’ve been born. When people
look back at this time period, what do you think they’ll be talking
about? What will they want to know about? Write a description of an
event from your point of view to help future historians really understand
what happened.
With the Rest of the Class: Exchange work with a partner. As you read the work, look for
places where sentences could be combined or rewritten as separate sentences.
$- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ----------------------------------------------- - - - - - - Name _______________________________________________________________ Date ______________
A Desert Island Survival Kit
Write! Imagine you were shipwrecked on a desert island with
no electricity or running water. (Maybe you’re on a reality TV show,
or maybe your expensive yacht hit a sandbar and sank.) What items
would you absolutely, positively have to have with you? Narrow your
Wr ite yo ur
ful l resp on se
on a sepa ra te
sh eet of pa per.
list to five essential items. Write a paragraph about how those items
would help you survive.
With the Rest of the Class: Compare your list of items and record them on the board. Trade
one of your original items for an item on the board and rewrite your paragraph. As you write,
look at the structure of your sentences. Do they all start the same way? If so, vary your sentence
patterns. Be sure to read aloud your work to see how the new sentences fit and flow together.
62
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
50 or 100 years from now. Think about the important events in
ACTIVITIES: Sentences
That’s Simple!
Materials: bells, clackers, or other noisemakers
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Prepare an overhead or whiteboard with simple, compound, and complex
sentences from a variety of sources. Then have students play the following
game: A group of three student contestants competes in this game to
identify different types of sentences. The teacher, as game-show host, reveals one sentence at
a time and asks whether it’s a simple, compound, or complex sentence. Each contestant rings
a bell or uses another noisemaker to answer. Whichever contestant is first must identify the
sentence and explain why it is simple, compound, or complex. The host keeps score.
With the Class: The winner from each group meets and competes in a class-wide contest. The
other members of the original groups help the contestants review the elements of simple,
compound, and complex sentences.
Spin a Conjunction
Materials: spinner divided into five sections and labeled with the following coordinating
conjunctions: and, or, but, for, yet; pencil, paper clip
In this game, one partner thinks of a simple sentence. He or she spins
the spinner. The other partner uses the coordinating conjunction
the spinner lands on and thinks of a sentence to add to create a compound
sentence that makes sense. Pairs take turns and build their compound
sentences into a story. To create complex sentences, they can make
a spinner that’s divided into at least six sections and labeled with some of the following
subordinating conjunctions: when, while, before, after, since, if, although, so, where. One partner
thinks of a sentence and spins. The other partner comes up with a dependent clause that begins
with the subordinating conjunction and adds the clause to the sentence.
With the Class: Have pairs share their stories with the class and then discuss how they created
the first sentence and how it set the tone for the story.
A Parallel Universe
Materials: a variety of age-appropriate graphic novels, paper, colored pencils or markers
Display the graphic novels and explain that a graphic novel tells a story with words
and illustrations. It’s like a comic book or comic strip but longer. Ask partners to work
together to create the idea for a graphic novel about a pair of siblings or friends. They are so
close that they complete each other’s sentences—however, one is invisible to everyone but the
other main character. (In other words, the characters are working together to create simple
sentences with compound subjects or predicates, compound sentences, or complex sentences.)
Then have pairs create at least two sample pages for their graphic novel, including words and
illustrations. Remind pairs to make sure their compound subjects and predicates are parallel.
With the Class: Post sample pages on a bulletin board. Have the writers/illustrators answer any
questions about their books. If students get really inspired, encourage them to keep working
together on their novel.
63
ACTIVITY
Name _____________________________________________________________
Date _________________
SENTENCES
Read All About It!
How do these headlines grab you?
Soda Machines Banned in Local Schools
UFO Lands in Grand Canyon
Buster Named Top Mixed Breed at Dog Show
Route 49 Wiped Out After Heavy Spring Rains
Blue Dogs Bite Back to Beat the Panthers in Overtime
Choose one headline. Turn it into a complex or compound sentence and use the sentence
as the first line of a news story.
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
64
Grammar Activities That Really Grab 'Em © Sarah Glasscock, Scholastic Teaching Resources
White House to Be Painted Sky Blue