Download The village where verbs…

Engaging Grammar: Practical Advice for Real Classrooms
Presented by Amy Benjamin and Tom Oliva
www.amybenjamin.com
“ I’ve never known a person
who wasn’t interested in language.”
-Steven Pinker, The Language
Instinct
I
teaching grammar.
I never learned it.
What if I’m wrong?
Shouldn’t they already
have had this in the
lower grades?
Do kids really have to learn
all these terms?
There’s no interesting
way to teach grammar.
It’s just drill and workbook.
M
I.
Cesar Chavez helped the farm workers.
He advocated for them. He did not
encourage violence. He led a boycott
instead of violence. The boycott was an
effective method of resistance. (30)
III.
Cesar Chavez, advocate for farm
workers, helped them not by
encouraging violence, but by leading
a boycott. The boycott was an effective
method of resistance.. (25)
II.
Cesar Chavez helped the farm workers,
and he advocated for them. He did not
encourage violence. He led a boycott
instead of violence, and the boycott
was an effective method of resistance.
(32)
IV.
Cesar Chavez, advocate for farm
workers, helped them not by
encouraging violence, but by leading
a boycott, which is an effective method
of resistance. (24)
Grammar is the most significant
determiner of sophisticated style.
M
Students struggle with going from speech
to writing, and then from informal
to formal style.
1. Grammar is a system of making sentences out of parts.
The parts have to match (agree):
Number (singular or plural)
Gender (masculine, feminine, neutral)
Case (subjective, objective, possessive)
Tense (past, present, future)
2. Writers and speakers place the parts in a certain order
and that order affects the impact of the message.
3. The two main parts of language are nouns and verbs.
Everything else either modifies nouns or verbs or joins words,
phrases, and clauses.
M
How?
Learning Principles Based On:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Manipulatives
Visuals
Patterns
Intuition
Inductive reasoning
Authentic language
M
Grammar instruction to
create stylized sentences
Grammar instruction to
fix errors
GRAMMAR IN THE HEART OF THE WRITING PROCESS:
Reconsider placement:
achieve end focus
Animate your sentences:
“Put people in your
subjects and have them
do things”
Get to the verb quickly
Pre-writing
experience:
(non-sentence
form)
Drafting
Sharpen your nouns
Minimize your modifiers
Replace BE verbs and weak verbs with strong
action verbs
Achieve parallel structure
Combine sentences: create complex sentences
use appositives
use absolutes
Expand and shrink noun phrases. Turn clauses
into modifying phrases. Decide where
to place them for desired effect.
Revising
Publication
Editing
Point of
intervention for
substantial
language
improvement
Point of
intervention
for surface
error correction
Kinds of Information
Noun Phrases:
Who?
What?
Adjective Structures
Which one?
What kind?
How many?
Verb structures:
What is its action?
What is its nature?
Adverb structures:
Where?
When?
Why?
In what manner?
How often?
Now Entering the Complete Sentence Zone:
Please write 2 complete sentences,
2 sentence fragments (that your students might write),
and 1 run-on sentence (that your students might write)
2 Complete sentences: 1.__Amanda is watering the petunias.
2 Sentence fragments (that your students might write):
1. Because their petalsl look dry.
2. When their petalsl look dry.
1 Run-on sentences (that your students might write)
1. Amanda is watering the petunias, their petals look dry.
Declarative Sentences
Can you turn it into
a yes/no question?
Can you put
It is true that….
in front of it?
(or “I intend to prove that…”
or “They believed the idea that…”)
Complete
Sentence
Can you
add a “Stick-on” question?
Isn’t it?
Aren’t we?Don’t you?
Subject “wheel”:
Who or what?
Predicate “wheel”:
What about it?
A complete sentence can be turned
into a yes/no question:
• Amanda needs to water the
petunias.
• Petunias’ petals dry out.
• The petunias are blossoming.
• The watering can has grown
rusty.
When Amanda waters the petunias.
Because their petals look dry.
If their petals dry out.
A watering can near the
petunia patch.
Match the“Stick-On” Questions
I forgot to water the petunias.
I have forgotten to water the petunias.
It’s time to water the petunias.
The neighbors should water their peturnias soon.
He grows purple petunias.
Haven’t I?
Doesn’t he?
Aren’t I?
Didn’t you?
Don’t they?
Shouldn’t they?
Don’t I?
Isn’t it?
Didn’t I?
Do you?
Gardening is my favorite weekend activity
Because I like worms
,
because I like worms.
gardening is my favorite activity.
M
Gardening is my favorite activity on a rainy day because I like worms.
(add modifiers: When? Where? Why? How? To What Extent?)
The Sentence-Making Kit
Fold a 5 x 8 index card in half, width-wise:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Write your four cues that will help you recognize a complete sentence:
1. It is true that…
2. The bicycle: Who or what? What about it? (2 wheels)
3. Can you turn it into a yes/no question?
4. Can you add a “stick-on” (tag) question to the end of it?
The Sentence-Making Kit
On the inside of the card:
AAAWWUBBIS:
although, as, after
while, when
until
because, before
if, since
If a sentence begins
with any of these words,
it must have two parts.
Place a comma between
the two parts if one of
these words begins
the sentence.
These words, plus the comma, may join
,and two sentences. Writers sometimes begin
,but sentences with these words if they are
,so
doing so for emphasis.
Use as many
These words will help you
ACTION VERBS as possible.
give detail in your sentences:
Try beginning some of your
Use words and groups of words that
sentences with these words:
answer the ADVERB QUESTIONS:
IN
FOR
ON WITH
When? Where? Why? How?
AT
To what extent? How often?
Flip the switch into formal English:
a lot = a great many or a great deal
gonna= going to
wanna= want to
hafta= have to
get,got = become, became, receive
received, obtain, obtained
gotta: must
“Word Splash” Sequence
Word Splash: A form of brainstorming that generates a profusion of words
and phrases on a particular topic
Purpose: To expand students’ vocabulary and nurture language fluency
Sequence:
Step One: Words
Step Two: Build words into phrases
Step Three: Build phrases into simple sentences
Step Four: Use subordinating conjunctions to build complex sentences
AAAWWUBBIS:
although, as, after
when, while
until
because, before
if
since
Vocabulary Handout 3
The Sentence-Making Kit
On the back of the card:
Substitutions for homophones and spelling problems:
their = his
there = here
they’re = they are
your = his
you’re = you are
its = his
it’s = it is; it has
I before E except after C
Or when sounded as A
As in neighbor or sleigh
woman = man
women = women
Morphology Chart
Noun:
The…
Verb:
They…
He/She…
Is…
_______yesterday
Adjective
Which one?
What kind?
How many?
The___truck
Adverb
Where? When?
Why? To what
extent? In what
manner?
arrogance
urbanite
urbanism
urbanize
urbanizes
urbanizing
urbanized
arrogant
urban
arrogantly
urbanization
Morphology Chart
Noun:
The…
Verb:
They…
He/She…
Is…
_______yesterday
Adjective
Which one?
What kind?
How many?
The___truck
Adverb
Where? When?
Why? To what
extent? In what
manner?
Morphology Chart
NOUNS:
VERBS:
ADJECTIVES:
ADVERBS:
They will fit into the frame:
The_____.
They will fit into the frame:
To____
They answer one of these
questions:
Which one?
What kind?
How many?
They answer one of these
questions:
Where? When? Why?
To what extent? How
often?
In what manner?
Product, products
Productivity
Produce
Productiveness
Produce
Produces
Producing
Produced
Productive
Productively
Expense,
expenses
expensiveness
Expend
Expends
Expending
expended
Expensive
Expensively
Morphology Kit
Noun-Making
Suffixes
Verb-Making Suffixes Adjective-making
suffixes
-ment
-ness
-ation, sion
-ity
-ism
-hood
-itude
-ence
-ance
-ide
-ate
-ify
-ize
-acious,icious
-y
-ous, ious
-ant
-able, ible
-er; est
Adverb-making suffix:
-ly
Vocabulary Handout 5
www.amybenjamin.com
Why Teach Verbs?
1. Strong verbs energize writing.
2. Writers must decide on a consistent
verb tense.
3. Writers must decide whether to use
active or passive voice.
4. Errors in verb usage are highly
stigmatized: Incorrect form of irregular verbs
(*I seen,
*brung, *brang, *have went, *have sang, etc.)
5. Whether we have an action verb or a BE verb
determines pronoun case use and adjective/adverb use.
Base form: walk, sing
Progressive form: walking, singing
Past form: walked, sang
Participial form: (have) walked, (have sung)
Hanout, 11
Verb Land, USA
Active Voice: I stole the cookie
from the cookie jar.
Passive Voice: The cookie was
stolen from the cookie jar by me.
(BE + Participial form= passive voice)
“Where We Find Out
the Action of Things”
ACTION TOWN
Verbals:
1. Participle: (acts as adjective)
ACTION verbs are modified by
adverbs:She sings happily.
the dancing bear;
the stolen cookie
2. Infinitive: (acts as noun)
Let us never fear to negotiate.
3. Gerund: (Acts as noun)
Teaching makes me happy.
ACTION verbs take objective case pronouns as objects:
We saw him steal the cookie from the cookie jar.
Auxiliaries:
Modal Auxiliaries:
Would Will
Have: creates
the perfect tenses Should Shall
Could
May
(has sung, etc.)
Can
Might
Be: creates the
Must
progressive tenses
(am singing, etc.)
Auxiliaries and
modal auxiliaries
combine with action
verbs to create various
tenses.
www.amybenjamin.com
TO BE:
I am,was We are,were
You are
;were
He, she, it is They are,were
Sense Verbs:
feel, look, sound
smell, taste
Also: seem,
become, appear
grow
BE TOWN
“Where We Find Out the
Nature of Things”
BE verbs are completed by
adjectives: He is happy.
BE verbs take subjective case
pronouns as complements:
It was I who stole the cookie from
the cookie jar.
Village 5:
The village where verbs…
www.amybenjamin.com
Irregular Verb Villages
Village 1:
The village where verbs…
have, had, have had
send, sent, have sent
build, built, have built
Pop. approx 20 verbs
Village 2:
The village where verbs…
Village 3:
The village where verbs…
keep, kept, have kept
sleep, slept, have slept
sell, sold, have sold
bring, brought, have brought
catch, caught, have caught
Pop: approx 40 verbs
Village 4:
The village where verbs…
cut, cut, have cut
hit, hit, have hit
put, put, have put
quit, quit, have quit
Pop: approx 40 verbs
Village 6:
The village where verbs…
spin, spun, have spun
sit, sat, have sat
stand, stood, have stood
Pop: approx 70 verbs
Village 7:
The village where verbs…
mow, mowed, have mown
sew, sewed, have sewn
swell, swelled, have swollen
blow, blew, have blown
fly, flew, have flown
take, took, have taken
shake, shook, have shaken
see, saw, have seen
Pop. approx 10 verbs
Pop: approx 75 verbs
swim, swam, have swum
ring, rang, have rung
sing, sang, have sung
go, went, have gone
Pop: Approx 25 verbs
www.amybenjamin.com
1. Characterize the pattern of each of the irregular verb villages.
2. The following verbs are lost. Help them find their villages. So that
they don’t get lost again, explain to them the ways of their villages:
teach
wring
shrink
break
steal
drink
think
speak
cost
win
lie
lay
hurt
get
seek
make
choose
broadcast
bet
bid
freeze
English Regular Verb Patterns
Base form
I walk.
to walk (infinitive)
I walk on the
treadmill every
day.
To walk on the
treadmill is
my hobby.
S form
He walks.
ING form
She is walking.
Past and
Participial form
(have…)
She walked yesterday.
(past)
(present progressive) We have walked
four miles already.
She was walking.
(present perfect)
(past progressive)
(Can be used as an
adjective*)
(Can be used as an
adjective)
The walking child… The walked dog is
a happy dog.
*An adjective that is
(Can create the
formed from a verb
passive voice)
is called a participial The dog was walked
adjective.
an hour ago.
Walking (gerund: ING
form used as a noun)
on the treadmill is my
hobby.
English Regular Verb Patterns
Verbals: A verb form that is used as
another part of speech:
1. Participle: (acts as adjective)
the dancing bear;
the stolen cookie
2. Infinitive: (acts as noun)
Let us never fear to negotiate.
3. Gerund: (Acts as noun)
Teaching makes me happy.
Sentence Patterns
S-V*
S-V-O*
S-V-SC
Rocks explode.
Lizards like rocks.
Rocks are expensive.
A diamond is a rock.
*SV: Subject-Verb: This pattern uses an intransitive verb. Intransitive verbs take
no direct object.
*S-V-O: Subject-Verb-Object: This pattern uses a transitive verb. Transitive verbs
take direct objects. (Direct objects answer Who? Or What? They are used with
action verbs only.
*S-V-SC: Subject-Verb-Subject Complement: This pattern uses a linking verb.
Linking verbs take subject complements, which can be either nouns (and when
pronouns, are in the subjective case) or adjectives.
Sentence Patterns
S-V*
S-V-O*
S-V-SC
Rocks explode.
Lizards like rocks.
Rocks are expensive.
A diamond is a rock.
*SV: Subject-Verb: This pattern uses an intransitive verb. Intransitive verbs take
no direct object.
*S-V-O: Subject-Verb-Object: This pattern uses a transitive verb. Transitive verbs
take direct objects. (Direct objects answer Who? Or What? They are used with
action verbs only.
*S-V-SC: Subject-Verb-Subject Complement: This pattern uses a linking verb.
Linking verbs take subject complements, which can be either nouns (and when
pronouns, are in the subjective case) or adjectives.
The expandable, shrinkable
nominal (noun + its modifiers)
The expandable, shrinkable nominal
standing over the fish bowl
the
curious
IT
little
pink
on the bookshelf,
looking hungrily at the
rainbow fish
Order of adjectives:
cute
two
well-trained these
Himalayan
little
Action verbs are modified by adverbs.
bouncy
shy
friendly
shyly
vivaciously
protectiveprotectively
Pepper is… recklessly
hungry
silly
Pepper behaves…
Pepper acts…cautiously
jovially
Pepper looks..l
Pepper seems…
Pepper became…
playfully playful
adventurously
curiously
Linking verbs are completed
by adjectives.
adventurous
curious
Linking verbs
tell the nature of
things.
Linking verbs: BE, + sense verbs: look, sound, smell, feel; seem verbs: seem appear,
become, grow