Download D.L.P. – Week Three Grade eight Day One – Skills Elimination of

D.L.P. – Week Three
G R A DE E IG HT
Day One – Skills
• Elimination of double comparison
The subject and verb of a clause must agree in person and number. This involves something called conjugation. Every verb can be
conjugated as to first person, second person, or third person and as singular or plural. Take the verb go. Use the nominative
pronouns I, you, and he as singular and we, you, and they as plural. Make the verb go match the pronoun. “I go” means the verb is
first person singular. “They go” makes it third person and plural. Note the third person singular – “he goes.” When an action verb
is third person singular, it typically ends in an “s.” Be careful to not let words between the subject and verb such as prepositional
phrases sway the verb choice.
• Subject-verb agreement
The subject and verb of a clause must agree in person and number. This involves something called conjugation. Every verb can be
conjugated as to first person, second person, or third person and as singular or plural. Take the verb go. Use the nominative
pronouns I, you, and he as singular and we, you, and they as plural. Make the verb go match the pronoun. “I go” means the verb is
first person singular. “They go” makes it third person and plural. Note the third person singular – “he goes.” When an action verb
is third person singular, it typically ends in an “s.” Be careful to not let words between the subject and verb such as prepositional
phrases sway the verb choice.
• Punctuation of a title
When referring to a title when writing, it must be punctuated properly. Shorter works are placed in quotations. Shorter works
include poems, short stories, songs, a chapter in a longer book, or a newspaper or magazine article. Longer works include books,
names of magazines or newspapers, and movies.
• Capitalization in a title
The first word of any title is capitalized. After that, all important words are capitalized. Words that are not capitalized are articles,
conjunctions, and prepositions.
D AY O NE – SE NT E NCE O NE
Edgar Allan Poe is the author of
some of the most creepiest
stories ever written.
Edgar Allan Poe is the author of
some of the creepiest stories
ever written.
D AY O NE – SE NT E NCE T WO
Among his most effective tales
are “the Tell-Tale Heart.
Among his most effective tales
is “The Tell-Tale Heart.”
Day Two – Skills
• Use of a dash
A dash is used to set off a part of sentence that may not be directly related to the sentence or
may add information. Commas can also be used where dashes are used.
• Use of an adverb to modify an adjective
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.)
• Correction of a run-on sentence with a coordinating conjunction
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
The narrator Poe never gives him a
name says that he is extremely
nervous and his hearing is unusual
sharp.
The narrator - Poe never gives him
a name - says that he is extremely
nervous and his hearing is
unusually sharp.
D AY T WO – SE NT E NCE T WO
He denies that he is mad, the
reader knows otherwise.
He denies that he is mad, but
the reader knows otherwise.
Day Three– Skills
• Use of commas in a split quotation
The spoken and non-spoken parts of a sentence must be separated. Typically, that is
done with a comma. (“Hello,” Mom said. I said, “How are You?”) The exception would
be when an exclamation or question mark is used to separate the two parts. (“How are
you?” she asked. “How wonderful!” Bob yelled.)
• Avoiding redundancy
Redundancy means that a writer says something more than once. Being repetitive in
writing is unnecessary. (Ex. In my opinion I believe)
• Verb tense consistency
For logic purposes, the verbs used in a sentence or longer piece must be in the same
tense.
D AY T HR E E – SE NT E NCE O NE
“I was never kinder to the old man”
the narrator says ”than during the
whole week before I killed him.”
“I was never kinder to the old
man,” the narrator says, ”than
during the whole week before I
killed him.”
D AY T HR E E – SE NT E NCE T WO
He says that the reason was
because the old man has had an
evil eye.
He says that the reason was the
old man had an evil eye.
Day Four– Skills
• Agreement of pronoun and 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.
• Correction of a double negative
Only one negative word should be used per sentence. Negative words include no, not,
never, and none.
• Use of a period in an indirect question
Unless a group of words asks a question, it is punctuated with a period or exclamation
mark. Telling about what someone would ask is not a question; therefore, it would end
in a period. Ex. I asked if he would need a pencil. The person is not actually asking the
question. They are telling what they would ask. This would be punctuated with a
period.
D AY FO UR – SE NT E NCE O NE
The reader realizes immediately
that the narrator is a madman, but
there isn’t nothing they can do
about it.
The reader realizes immediately
that the narrator is a madman, but
there is nothing he or she can do
about it.
D AY FO UR – SE NT E NCE T WO
Readers ask themselves if the
narrator will get away with his
insane act?
Readers ask themselves if the
narrator will get away with his
insane act.
Day Five– Skills
• Correct spelling plurals rather than possessives
A plural means that there is more than one of something. (boys, cats) A possessive means that something is
owned. (the boy’s bat, the cat’s toy) Do not confuse the two. Plurals never have apostrophes. Possessives
do.
• Correct pronoun case in a compound construction
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).
• Use of compound personal pronouns
The compound personal pronouns are: myself, ourselves, yourself, yourselves, himself, herself, itself, and
themselves. None contain apostrophes. “Hisself” and “theirselves” are not actually words despite people
often using them in conversation.
D AY FIVE – SE NT E NCE O NE
If horror story’s keep you
awake, you probably shouldn’t
read Poe at bedtime.
If horror stories keep you
awake, you probably shouldn’t
read Poe at bedtime.
D AY FIVE – SE NT E NCE T WO
Reading aloud tales by Poe is a
good way for my friends and I to
scare ourself sleepless.
Reading aloud tales by Poe is a
good way for my friends and me
to scare ourselves sleepless.