GRAMMAR ESSENTIALS
CAPITALIZATION RULES Rule #1: Capitalize ALL proper nouns (name of a person, place, or thing) Examples: Native Americans, Plymouth Colony, Crazy Horse, Battle of Little Bighorn (historical event), George A. Custer Rule #2: Capitalize titles of person if they come right before his or her name Examples: Governor John Carver, President Barack Obama, Senator Claire McCaskill Rule #3: Capitalize titles when used as a proper noun (replaces the person s name) Examples: Yesterday Mom went to the store. / My mom went to the store yesterday.
CAPITALIZATION RULES Rule #4: Do not capitalize seasons. Examples: fall, spring, autumn, summer, winter Rule #5: Capitalize proper adjectives Examples: American history, Chinese food, Mexican restaurant
CAPITALIZING TITLES Rule #1: ALWAYS capitalize the first and last words in a title Rule #2: Capitalize nouns, pronouns, verbs (linking and action), adjectives, and adverbs Rule #3: DO NOT capitalize prepositions (of, in, on, under, with, etc.) OR conjunctions (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so), articles (the, a, an) UNLESS THEY START OR END THE TITLE Examples: Where the Red Fern Grows How to Promote Your Small Business in Five Easy Steps The Running Dream What Color Is Your Parachute?
EXIT TICKET Rewrite the following sentences using correct capitalization. 1. i wish my teacher would read the adventures of tom sawyer to us. 2. if i could vote in the next election, i would vote congressman sam graves into the house of representatives. 3. when discussing the civil rights movement, we discuss the book to kill a mockingbird and what it means to african americans.
GRAMMAR ESSENTIALS
COMMA AND SEMI-COLON (COMPOUND SENTENCES) Using your whiteboard, write the subject or subjects of the following sentence. My mom went to the store yesterday, but she forgot to get milk. Using your whiteboard, write down the verb(s) of the above sentence.
WHAT IS A COMPOUND SENTENCE? Compound sentences are. two complete sentences at least two subjects at least two verbs connected with a semi-colon OR a comma and conjunction (FANBOYS)
PRACTICE 1. Mrs. Reinsch loves using a semi-colon she prefers them over using a comma and conjunction. 2. Mrs. Reinsch loves using a semi-colon and she prefers them over using a comma and conjunction. 3. Jill wrote about her work in Africa she is teaching English in Tanzania. 4. The equator cuts through Africa however most land lies north of it. 5. Southern Africa lies in the temperature zone but snow falls there occasionally.
COMMA AND SEMI-COLON EXIT TICKET 1. Write a compound sentence using a comma and conjunction. 2. Write a compound sentence using a semi-colon. 3. Connect two sentences using the transition additionally and a semi-colon.
SINGULAR/ PLURAL What does it mean when a word is singular? Examples: city, boy, friend, ox, man, woman What does it mean when a word is plural? Examples: cities, boys, friends, oxen, men, women What does it mean when a word is possessive? Examples: cat s, boys, men s,
POSSESSIVE VS. CONTRACTION What does it mean when a word is possessive? Examples: cat s, boys, men s What is a contraction? Examples: it s, we ll, isn t, we re
USING APOSTROPHES Rule #1: Use an apostrophe and s to form the possessive of a singular noun. Examples: Jason s, baby s, car s Rule #2: Use an apostrophe and s to form the possessive of a plural noun that does not end in s. Examples: men s, women s, oxen s, geese s Rule #3: Use an apostrophe alone to form the possessive of a plural noun that ends in s. Examples: boys, babies, Thompsons Rule #4: Use an apostrophe to replace letters that have been omitted in a contraction. Examples: it + is = it s / I + will = I ll
EXIT TICKET Do not write the following sentences. Only write words that are possessive, contractions, and plural. Add apostrophes when necessary. 1. My friends bicycles are ready for a long trip. 2. The coach gave rings to the girls. 3. Well have to go pick up the babys pictures tomorrow. 4. Todays cities arent built beneath the earth.
PUNCTUATING TITLES Underlining/Italics Quotes Books Short stories/chapter of Book Plays/Long Poems Poems Magazines/Newspapers Articles Movies/T.V. Programs Episodes of T.V. programs Art Work Long Musical Compositions Songs Ships Aircrafts Spacecrafts ~ Don t punctuate any title of your personal writing.~
RULES OF DIALOGUE 1. Use quotation marks before and after a character's exact words. Tell me about the books you are reading, announced Mr. Hayes. 2. Commas and periods are placed inside the quotation marks. We are not talking about movies, Mr. Hayes replied. Mr. Hayes replied, We are not talking about movies. 3. Use a comma after a dialogue tag, if it starts the quote. 4. If a quotation is not split or separated by a dialogue tag, don t close the quotation until the speaker is finished. Fred replied, Hey, has anyone seen the TV series, Crisis? My friend Caleb played a stand-in part in the first episode.
RULES OF DIALOGUE CONTINUED Use the following format if the dialogue tag interrupts two complete sentences. We are not talking about movies, Mr. Hayes replied. We are discussing books. Use the following format if it interrupts one complete thought. If we do not get back on track, yelled Mr. Hayes, we will not finish our assignment.
DIALOGUE AND TITLES When someone new starts talking, you must start a new paragraph. Tell me about the books you are reading, announced Mr. Hayes. I am reading Divergent, exclaimed Fred. Divergent? asked Tony. I love that movie. We are not talking about movies, Mr. Hayes replied. We are discussing books. Oh, I don t like reading, but I ll go to the movies any day, Tony chuckled. Fred replied, Hey, has anyone seen the TV show, Crisis? My friend Caleb played a stand-in part in the first episode. Ok, class, I think we need to get back on track, Mr. Hayes proclaimed as he looked sternly over his glasses.
EXIT TICKET Write the following correctly. I was walking through the mall one day when I met a group of my friends. Hey, what are you doing here? I asked. I thought you guys had to stay after school today to finish your report over the book the running dream. no, we got out of that detention because Mrs. Jones decided we really didn t deserve it said Mary. Sue said are you here to shop or browse? A little bit of both I replied because I need to find a birthday card for my cousin. I also really want to check out the sales, and I m meeting my family later to see the new movie catching fire.