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Language Arts Review Lessons
1) Common nouns are the general names of a person, place, or thing. Proper nouns are specific
names and are always capitalized.
Monday, Atlanta, New York, Alabama, January, and Mr. Kriete are all examples of proper nouns.
Be careful! The entire name of proper nouns needs to be capitalized with the exception of some
small words.
Example: Nixon History Museum or Atlanta Society of Art
2) Singular nouns name one and plural nouns name more than one. Irregular plurals are nouns
that form plurals in other ways than adding s or es.
Regular
Irregular
church – churches, book – books, fox – foxes, boy – boys
tooth – teeth, child – children, deer – deer
Helper: Have your child spell the plurals for words ending in consonant y, ch, x, sh, ss, and other
irregulars like foot.
3) A possessive noun shows ownership.
Singular possessives always end in ‘s
Example: girl’s bike
Plural possessives end in s’ unless they are irregular
Example: the teachers’ classes
Irregular go back to ‘s. Example: The men’s shoes
Helper: Have you child spell examples of possessive nouns.
The boy’s hat fell off.
possessive
It owns the hat.
The boys were in their seats.
This is not possessive.
This word can’t be owned.
It is just plural.
4) The subject of a sentence is the who or what that is doing something in the sentence.
The predicate is what the subject is doing.
The complete subject includes all the words describing the subject.
The complete predicate includes all the words describing the predicate.
Example: The silly boy on the swing quickly ran to his house.
simple predicate
simple subject
complete subject
complete predicate
boy = who or what
the silly = describes the boy
on the swing = describes where he is
ran = what he did
quickly = tells how he ran
to his house = tells where he ran
It is called a sentence fragment if either the subject or predicate is missing.
Helper: Have your child identify the complete subjects and complete predicates of some more
sentences.
5) A compound subject has more than one subject.
Example 1:
The boy and his dog ran home .
1
2
Both the boy and dog ran home
Example 2:
Sandra and Molly ate a delicious lunch .
1
2
Be careful! This next one is NOT an example. The girls ran home. That is just
plural.
1
------------------------------------------------------------
A compound predicate has more than one predicate.
Example: Molly ate lunch and washed dishes .
1
2
Notice: Commas are not used to separate the extra subjects or predicates.
Helper: Have your child create sentences with compound subjects. Have your child create
sentences with compound predicates.
6) Compound sentences have more than one subject and more than one predicate. It is like two
small sentences that are joined by a conjunction. A comma is used to separate them where the
first sentence would have ended.
Simple Sentence 1:
Simple Sentence 2:
I walked home.
Mom made me lunch.
conjunction
Compound Sentence:
I walked home , and Mom made me lunch.
The comma goes where the first sentence would have ended.
Helper: Have your child take simple sentences and combine them into compound.
7) A complex sentence has an idea that can’t stand alone. They often contain the words: after,
because, since, while, if, whenever, wherever, before, as soon as.
Example: If these words start the sentence , a comma is needed.
Example: A comma is not needed if these words DON’T start the sentence.
no comma
Helper: Have your child create complex sentences with and without commas using every word
mentioned above.
8) A declarative sentence is a statement that ends in a period (.).
An interrogative sentence is a question and ends in a question mark (?).
An exclamatory sentence shows emotion, surprise, or strong feelings and ends with an
exclamation point (!).
An imperative sentence gives a command or request. It ends with a period (.). The subject
(you) is usually not mentioned in an imperative sentence.
Declarative Example 1:
Declarative Example 2:
Johnny is tall.
Today is my birthday.
Interrogative Example 1: Where are you going?
Interrogative Example 2: Can you come here?
It sounds like when the police
Interrogate a criminal.
Exclamatory Example 1: My foot just fell off!
Exclamatory Example 2: How great you are!
Exclamatory Example 3: What a wonderful day it is!
Be careful! What and how can start
an exclamatory sentence.
Imperative Example 1:
Imperative Example 2:
Go brush your teeth.
Please come here.
The subject (you) isn’t seen. It is implied.
It can be polite.
Helper: Have your child create examples of the different kinds of sentences.
9) An action verb tells what a subject does or did.
Example 1:
Example 2:
Example 3:
I swung the bat.
Larry ate his lunch.
She followed us home.
A helping verb helps the action verb.
Example 1:
He had started his work
hv av
Example 2:
We might win today.
hv av
A linking verb connects a subject to a noun or adjective.
Example 1:
Bread is part of the meal.
Example 2:
My bones are hard.
noun
adjective
Helper: Have your child crate examples of action, helping, and linking verbs.
10) Present-tense verbs tell what is happening now or regularly.
Past-tense verbs tell about something that already happened. Past-tense usually end in –ed.
Future-tense verbs tell about something that will take place. The helping verb (will) is used
before the main verb.
Past-tense Example:
Yesterday I walked home.
Present-tense Example 1:
Present-tense Example 2:
Present-tense Example 3:
I walk home.
She walks home.
They walk home.
Future-tense Example:
I will walk home.
This shows you that it is the future.
There are many irregular verbs that don’t simply add (ed) to make them into past-tense.
Examples:
begin – begun, make – made, think – thought, say – said
With have, has, or had, the irregular verbs often end with an (n).
Examples:
go – gone, saw – seen, throw – thrown
Helper: Have your child fill in the correct missing verbs for sentences.
Example:
My teacher has already _________ home.
a) went
b) gone
c) go
d) goed
11) An adjective describes a noun or pronoun.
Example 1:
The little cat drank its milk.
Example 2:
Henry is funny.
adjective
adjective
A, an, the are called articles.
An comes before words starting with a vowel sound.
Example 1:
an elephant
Example 2:
an igloo
Demonstrative adjectives are (this) and (that) when singular and (these) and (those) when
plural. (This) and (these) are used for things near and (those) and (that) are used for things that
are far.
Example 1:
This finger is hurting
Example 2:
That finger over there is long.
Example 3:
These cupcakes are fresh.
Example 4:
Those cupcakes are not fresh.
Helper: Have your child create helping verb and linking verb sentences with adjectives. Create
action verb sentences with adjectives. Go around the house pointing out things using these,
those, this and that. Have your child create sentences using (an) before words with every vowel
sounds.
12) Comparative adjectives show how two (2) things are alike and different. The letters (er) and
(more) are used.
Example 1:
I am faster than you.
Example 2:
Giraffes are more similar to
deer than alligators.
This clues you that it is comparative.
Superlative adjectives compare three (3) or more things.
Example:
I am the fastest of all.
Most or –est is used.
This clues you that it is superlative.
With words ending in (y), change it to (i) and add –est.
Example:
That is the funniest animal in the world.
Good is an irregular adjective. Best is superlative and better is comparative.
13) An adverb describes a verb, adjective, or other adverb. Most adverbs tell how, when, or where.
Example 1:
She slowly walked home.
Example 2:
how
Example 3:
Today I am happy.
when
She ran away.
where
Helper: Have your child create sentences with all three kinds of adverbs.
14) Beware of double negatives. No should only be used once in a sentence.
Example 1:
She can’t never get home.
Example 2:
negative negative
Correct:
She can’t ever get home.
Nobody can eat no apples.
negative
Correct:
negative
Nobody can eat any apples.
Helper: Have your child fix some double negative sentences.
15) Beware of (good) and (well).
Good must describe a noun.
Example: He is a good player.
Well must describe a verb.
Example: He plays well.
16) Subject pronouns are it, I, he, she, they, we, and you.
They are the who or what that is doing something.
Object pronouns are it, me, him, her, them, us, and you.
Helper: Have your child create a sentence with good, well, and each one of these pronouns.
17) Possessive pronouns own something. Examples include his, her, your, their, my, our, and its.
Examples: That is your car.
Helper: Have your child make a sentence with each one of these pronouns.
18) Practice using quotation marks correctly.
Example 1:
The teacher said , “You are such a great class.”
comma
capitalize
period inside quotes
This clues you that something is spoken.
Example 2:
“You are such a great class , ” said the teacher.
comma
The period goes at the end
Example 3:
“Where is my class?” asked the teacher.
Question marks and exclamation points come at the end of the
quote instead of the end of the sentence.
These were the most difficult concepts. Other concepts such as capitalization and commas are
probably already understood by your child.
Signatures
_________________________
The parent helped the student.
or
_________________________
A brother, sister, or relative helped the student.
or
_________________________
My child was capable of studying this on his/her own.