Download Nautilus - Belle Vernon Area School District

D.L.P. – Week Seven
G R A DE E IG HT
Day One – Skills
• Elimination of a double subject
Avoid redundancy to avoid the repetition of a subject. (Incorrect: The man on the boat he
was so tall. Correct: The man on the boat was so tall.)
• Capitalization of a proper noun – people with titles
Names of people are always capitalized. If the person has a title such as Mr. or Dr., the title
is also capitalized. Animal’s names are also capitalized.
• Use of an adverb to modify a verb
Adverbs are used to describe verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. An adjective cannot be
used to describe a verb. (opened quick must be opened quickly) An adjective cannot be
used to describe another adjective. (real exciting must be turned into really excited.)
D AY O NE – SE NT E NCE O NE
Philip Nolan in “The Man without a
Country” he is a young officer in the
United States Army in 1805.
Philip Nolan in “The Man without a
Country” is a young officer in the
United States Army in 1805.
D AY O NE – SE NT E NCE T WO
Nolan meets vice president
Aaron Burr and is mighty
impressed by him.
Nolan meets Vice president
Aaron Burr and is very
impressed by him.
Day Two – Skills
• Correction of a misplaced modifier
A misplaced modifier occurs when the word(s) used to describe something are not placed in the sentence
properly. Sometimes the modifier is simply too far away from what it describes. At other times, the modifier is
placed near something else that it mistakenly describes.
• Pronoun case in compounds
Pronouns are used differently depending on what case they are. Subject pronouns, also known as nominative
pronouns can work as subjects or predicate nouns. They are I, we, you, he, she, it, and they. Objective pronouns
can work as direct objects, indirect objects, or objects of the preposition. They are me, us, you, him, her, it, and
them. Possessive pronouns show ownership. They are my, mine, our, ours, your, yours, his, her, hers, its, their,
and theirs. Note that possessive pronouns do not have apostrophes.
To use pronouns correctly, they must be in the right case. See the explanation in the above entry. When the
pronoun is compound, it must still be in the case to match the function of the pronoun in the sentence. (Maxine
and I are friends. I talked to him and her.) If the pronoun is paired with a noun, the noun will precede the
pronoun in the pair (Bobby and me).
• Correction of a run-on sentence with separate sentences
Run-on sentences occur when two complete thoughts run together without proper connection or punctuation.
Run-ons can be corrected in one of three ways. First, simply separate the two sentences with proper end
punctuation. However, if the two sentences can be connected by meaning, connect them with a comma and the
proper conjunction. Finally, the two sentences can have a semicolon placed between them if the clauses relate
closely in meaning. Note that the sentence following the semicolon would not begin with a capital unless that
word is a proper noun or the pronoun I.
D AY T WO – SE NT E NCE O NE
Nolan later agrees to help Burr
carry out a plan, flattered by
Burr’s attention.
Flattered by Burr’s attention,
Nolan later agrees to help Burr
carry out a plan.
D AY T WO – SE NT E NCE T WO
Burr’s plan gets he and his followers
into grave trouble, they are all tried
for treason, and Nolan is convicted.
Burr’s plan gets his followers and
him into grave trouble. They are
all tried for treason, and Nolan is
convicted.
Day Three– Skills
• Use of punctuation in dialogue
Quotation marks are used around the exact words that someone speaks. Punctuation
to separate the spoken and non-spoken words is included inside of the quotation
marks.
• Use of a comma after an introductory participle
When a participial phrase comes at the beginning of a sentence, set it off with a
comma. Remember, a participle looks like a verb so it often ends in “ing” or “ed.”
Participles work like adjectives, so they are not needed in the sentence and can be
removed, but they do add good description. (Excited by the news, Elizabeth jumped up
and down.)
• Use of punctuation with the title of a ship or plane
The names of planes and ships are capitalized just like any other title. They also are
underlined or written in italics.
D AY T HR E E – SE NT E NCE O NE
At his trial, Nolan cries out, I
wish I may never hear of the
United States again.
At his trial, Nolan cries out, “I
wish I may never hear of the
United States again.”
D AY T HR E E – SE NT E NCE T WO
Shocked the court sentences Nolan
to life at sea, beginning
immediately on the ship Nautilus.
Shocked, the court sentences
Nolan to life at sea, beginning
immediately on the ship Nautilus.
Day Four– Skills
• Use of a hyphen
Some compound words are connected by a hyphen. To be certain if a word needed a
hyphen, consult a dictionary.
Hyphens are also used at the end of a written or typed line of text if the complete word
does not fit. Use the hyphen between syllables of the word.
• Correction of a split infinitive
An infinitive is formed when the word to is added to a verb. (to sing, to write) An
infinitive should never be split. That means that no words should ever come between
the to and the verb. (Correct: To write properly is the goal in English class. Incorrect:
To properly write is the goal of English class.)
• Sentence combining – subordinate conjunctions
Two ideas can be combined into one sentence by making one sentence into a
subordinate (dependent) clause. If the dependent clause begins the sentence, a
comma must follow it.
D AY FO UR – SE NT E NCE O NE
Nolan spends his next fifty five
years with companions who are
ordered to never mention the
United States to him.
Nolan spends his next fifty-five
years with companions who are
ordered never to mention the
United States to him.
D AY FO UR – SE NT E NCE T WO
Nolan’s sentence is never lifted.
He serves his country
honorably.
Since Nolan’s sentence is never
lifted, he serves his country
honorably.
Day Five– Skills
• Correction of a misplaced modifier
A misplaced modifier occurs when the word(s) used to describe something are not placed in the sentence properly.
Sometimes the modifier is simply too far away from what it describes. At other times, the modifier is placed near
something else that it mistakenly describes.
• Agreement of pronoun with antecedent
A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun. An antecedent is the noun that the pronoun replaces. They
must agree. For example, if one is singular, then the other must be. If one is masculine, then the other must be.
• Style – Avoidance of here and there after a demonstrative adjective
• The words here and there are adverbs. It is correct to use them to refer to a place. (The book is over there.)
• The words here and there are also called expletives when they are followed by a linking verb. An expletive has no
meaning. Read these two sentences: There are ten people on the team. Ten people are on the team. Technically,
they add nothing to the meaning of the sentence. They are perfectly fine words to use, but they should be
avoided at the beginning of important sentences such as thesis statements and topic/ending sentences since
they have no meaning.
• The words here and there are not adjectives. They should not be used before a noun. (This here book….that
there roadway)
• Easily confused words – lose/loose
The word lose is a verb that means not to win. The adjective loose means not tight.
D AY FIVE – SE NT E NCE O NE
Philip Nolan is a fictional character,
created more than 140 years ago by
Edward Everett Hale, although he
seems real.
Although he seems real, Philip
Nolan is a fictional character,
created more than 140 years ago
by Edward Everett Hale.
D AY FIVE – SE NT E NCE T WO
This here story shows how
someone doesn’t fully appreciate
their country until loosing it.
This story shows how someone
doesn’t fully appreciate his
country until loosing it.