Grammar Flashcards
What are the eight parts of speech?
- Noun
- Adjective
- Verb
- Adverb
- Preposition
- Interjection
- Pronoun
- Conjunction
Each part of speech plays a unique role in sentence construction and meaning.
Define a noun.
A person, place, or thing.
Examples include Ball, Apple, Cat.
Define an adjective.
A word that describes a noun.
Examples include Big, Little, Fast.
Define a verb.
An action or state of being word.
Examples include Run, Is, Look.
Define an adverb.
A word that describes a verb or adjective.
Examples include Quickly, Happily.
What is a preposition?
Specifies location, time, or direction.
Examples include Above, Under, Behind, After.
What does an interjection convey?
Strong emotions.
Example: Wow!
What is the function of a pronoun?
Replaces a noun.
Examples include She, He, It.
What is a conjunction?
Connects two words, phrases, or clauses.
Examples include And, or, but, so, because.
How can some words function in multiple parts of speech?
They can change roles depending on the context of the sentence.
Example: ‘google’ can be a noun, adjective, or verb.
Define an independent or main clause.
Stands alone as a sentence.
Example: The lion roared at the hyenas.
What is a relative clause?
Begins with a relative pronoun and adds detail to the subject of the main clause.
Function: Relative clauses act like adjectives, describing the noun they modify.
Structure: They contain a subject and a verb, but cannot stand alone as a sentence.
Relative Pronouns: These words (who, which, that, whom, whose, where, when, why) connect the relative clause to the noun it modifies.
Example: My best friend, who is allergic to seafood, was maid of honor at my wedding.
Define a dependent or subordinate clause.
Begins with a subordinating conjunction and cannot stand alone as a complete sentence.
Example: My shoes are brown because they are covered in mud.
What is a noun clause?
Functions as a noun in the main clause.
Example: Who I want to call is my dad.
What are the four types of sentence structure?
- Simple sentence
- Compound sentence
- Complex sentence
- Compound-complex sentence
Each type serves a different function in writing.
Define a simple sentence.
One independent clause.
Example: My hat is blue.
What is a compound sentence?
Two or more independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction or semicolon.
Example: My hat is blue, and my shoes are white.
What defines a complex sentence?
Contains one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.
Example: My shoes are brown because they are covered in mud.
What is a compound-complex sentence?
Contains at least two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause.
Example: My hat is blue, and my shoes are brown because they are covered in mud.
What is a coordinating conjunction?
Connects grammatical units of equal rank.
Examples include for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so (FANBOYS).
What is a subordinating conjunction?
Connects a dependent clause to an independent clause.
Common examples include although, because, since.
Define an appositive phrase.
An appositive phrase is just a fancy way of adding extra info to a noun to help clarify or describe it better. It’s like saying, “Hey, here’s a little more about this person, place, or thing!”
My sister, a fantastic cook, made dinner last night.
(Here, “a fantastic cook” is the appositive phrase, giving us more info about “my sister.”)
Or, if it’s essential (no commas):
The author J.K. Rowling is famous for the Harry Potter series.
(Here, “J.K. Rowling” is the appositive, giving us more specifics about “the author.”)
What is an infinitive phrase?
Includes the infinitive (to + verb) and additional words that serve as the object or modifiers.
Example: I want to eat the candy.
What is a gerund phrase?
A gerund phrase is like a noun that’s rocking a verb outfit, but it’s still doing its job as a noun in the sentence. A gerund is the -ing form of a verb (like running, eating, dancing), but when you add a phrase around it, it’s all about giving you extra info while staying solid as a noun.
Example: Drinking water when it’s hot outside can prevent dehydration.
What is a noun phrase?
A group of words that act as a noun in a sentence.
Example: The red car is parked in the driveway.
What is a participle phrase?
A verb + -ing or -ed acting as an adjective.
Example: The running water is cold.
What is a prepositional phrase?
Describes the relationship between a noun and another word in the sentence.
Example: Look behind you! There’s a bear!
What is a verb phrase?
Composed of the main verb and one or more helping verbs and modifiers.
Example: The baby was crawling on the floor.
What is subject-verb agreement?
Present-tense verbs should match their subjects in number.
Example: Abigail runs to the slide. (correct) vs. Abigail run to the slide. (incorrect)
What is pronoun-antecedent agreement?
Pronouns need to match their antecedents in person, number, and gender.
Example: Mrs. Wilson is my friend. He serves lunch every day. (should be she)
List the top uses of commas.
- Compound sentences
- Subordinate clauses
- Introductory words or phrases
- Direct address
- Parts of a list
- Nonessential phrases
- Sequential adjectives
- Direct quotations
Each use helps clarify meaning in writing.
What is an Oxford comma?
A comma before the conjunction in a list, often used to avoid confusion.
Example: At Thanksgiving we ate turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, bread and butter, and cranberry sauce.
What is a comma splice?
When two independent clauses are incorrectly joined with just a comma.
Example: Incorrect: I tried to finish reading the book, I was interrupted by a phone call.
List some capitalization rules.
- The first word of a sentence
- Abbreviations of states
- Names of days and months
- Titles of books, newspapers, and magazines
These rules help in the development of writing conventions.
What are punctuation marks used for?
To help readers avoid confusion and separate parts of sentences.
There are fourteen punctuation marks in the English language.
How many punctuation marks are there in the English language?
Fourteen
What punctuation mark appears at the end of declarative or imperative sentences?
Period
What punctuation mark is used at the end of exclamatory sentences?
Exclamation mark
What punctuation mark appears at the end of interrogative sentences?
Question mark
What is the purpose of a comma?
To separate words, phrases, or clauses and provide clarity within sentences
What is the function of a semicolon?
To combine connected independent clauses or to separate punctuated items in a list
What punctuation mark is used to introduce a quotation, example, or list?
Colon
What is the use of a dash?
To indicate a range in time or connection between things, or in place of a comma, colon, or parenthesis
What punctuation mark is used to create hyphenated words?
Hyphen
What is the purpose of parentheses?
To set off parenthetical expressions or additional information
What is the function of brackets?
To clarify information that can be removed from the sentence
What are braces used for?
To group text together, commonly in mathematical expressions
What is the use of an apostrophe?
To show possession, in contractions, or plurals of letters
In what situations are quotation marks used?
To separate a direct quotation from the rest of the sentence
What is the use of an ellipsis?
is a type of punctuation that represents a pause or that something has been intentionally left out.
…
True or False: A period is the most common way to end a sentence.
True
Fill in the blank: The ratio of girls to boys is _____ .
2:1
Which punctuation mark is often used improperly in plural words and numbers?
Apostrophe
What is parallel structure?
The repetition of specific grammatical structures within a sentence or paragraph
✅ Correct Example:
She likes dancing, singing, and painting. (All verbs end in -ing = balanced!)
❌ Wrong Example:
She likes to dance, singing, and to paint. (Mixing “to dance” and “-ing” forms = not parallel!)
Rule: If you start with one form (verbs, nouns, phrases), keep it consistent! 💯
What is an example of non-parallel structure?
In the evening I water the plants, feeding the dogs, make dinner, and will watch the news.
Provide an example of parallel structure.
In the evening I water the plants, feed the dogs, make dinner, and watch the news.
What should be added to a sentence beginning with a subordinate clause?
A comma
What is a common mistake when using apostrophes?
Using them incorrectly in plural words
What punctuation is used inside the closing quotation mark?
Comma
What is the correct punctuation for the following sentence: ‘It snowed heavily last night, we decided to make a snowman.’?
It snowed heavily last night, so we decided to make a snowman.
Which sentence is correctly punctuated?
A) To celebrate my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary, my sisters and I planned to deliver flowers to their house; arrange a dinner at the Seaside Grill, the restaurant where they met; and surprise them with a trip to the Bahamas.
The correct use of apostrophe for plural ‘parents’ and semicolons for list separation.
What is a common error in sentence B?
The apostrophe in ‘parent’s’ should be after the ‘s’.
It incorrectly implies possession by one parent instead of both.
Why is the colon in sentence C incorrect?
A colon should not be used if the list items are incorporated into the sentence flow.
Colons introduce lists but shouldn’t interrupt the sentence structure.
What is a key rule regarding subordinate clauses?
When a subordinate clause begins a sentence, it should be followed by a comma.
Example: ‘While I was at work, the fire alarm went off.’
When should commas be used in compound sentences?
Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction that joins two independent clauses.
Example: ‘Tara went to the store, and Tia stayed home.’
What is a comma splice?
A comma splice happens when you smash two independent sentences together with just a comma—but no conjunction or proper punctuation. 🚨
❌ Wrong (Comma Splice):
I love tacos, they are delicious.
✅ Fix It:
Use a period: I love tacos. They are delicious.
Use a semicolon: I love tacos; they are delicious.
Add a conjunction: I love tacos, and they are delicious.
Rule: A comma alone can’t hold two sentences together—give it some backup! 💪A comma splice occurs when two independent clauses are joined with just a comma.
What are three uses of commas?
- Introductory words or phrases
- Parts of a list
- Nonessential phrases
Each use helps clarify the sentence structure.
What is the Oxford comma?
The Oxford comma is the final comma in a list before the conjunction.
It helps clarify items in a list, especially if they are compound.
When do we capitalize titles?
- First word of a sentence
- Proper nouns
- Titles before a person’s name
Example: ‘Jackie Robinson’ vs. ‘uncle’.
What is an example of incorrect capitalization?
In ‘her Niece’, ‘Niece’ should not be capitalized.
It is not a proper noun without a name.
What is subject-verb agreement?
The verb must match the subject in number.
Example: ‘Zeke and Mia run’ vs. ‘Zeke and Mia runs’.
What happens with indefinite pronouns in subject-verb agreement?
Singular Indefinite Pronouns (Take a Singular Verb)
Words like everyone, someone, anybody, each, neither, nothing always take a singular verb.
✅ Example: Everyone loves pizza. (Not love!)
Plural Indefinite Pronouns (Take a Plural Verb)
Words like both, few, many, several always take a plural verb.
✅ Example: Many are excited for summer.
Can Be Singular or Plural (Depends on What They Refer To)
Words like some, all, none, most, any can go either way based on what they’re talking about.
✅ Example: Some of the cake is gone. (Cake = singular)
✅ Example: Some of the cookies are missing. (Cookies = plural)
Rule: Match the verb to whether the pronoun is singular or plural! 🔥
What is a common error with collective nouns?
Collective nouns take a singular verb.
Example: ‘My family is going to the store.’
What is a dangling modifier?
A dangling modifier is when a descriptive phrase is left hanging in a sentence because it’s not clearly attached to the right noun. Basically, the sentence sounds confusing or unintentional because it’s unclear who or what the modifier is describing.
Example of a Dangling Modifier (❌ Wrong):
Running down the street, my hat flew off.
(Who was running? The hat?? 🤨)
Fixed Version (✅ Correct):
Running down the street, I saw my hat fly off.
(Now we know I was running, not the hat!)
Rule: Always make sure the thing you’re describing is clearly stated right after the modifier! 💯
What should be done with limiting modifiers?
Placement matters; they must be positioned correctly to avoid confusion.
Example: ‘almost always’ can lead to ambiguity.
What does the term ‘stressed’ refer to?
Adjective describing a state of mental or emotional strain.
What is a participle phrase?
A participle is a verb that acts as an adjective, to describe a noun.
It can be present (-ing) or past (-ed, -en, etc.).
“The students participating in the contest were excited.” → “Participating in the contest” describes “students” (tells us which students).
Rule: Participles = description 🎯
Define ‘misplaced modifiers’.
Modifiers that are in the wrong place in the sentence.
What is an example of a misplaced modifier?
Incorrect: The child ate a cold plate of spaghetti for lunch.
The misplaced modifier here is “cold” because it sounds like it’s describing the plate instead of the spaghetti. Unless the plate was actually cold (and not the food), the sentence is unclear.
Fixed Version:
✅ The child ate a plate of cold spaghetti for lunch.
Now it’s clear that the spaghetti was cold, not just the plate!
What is the correct placement of the modifier in this sentence: ‘The child ate a cold plate of spaghetti for lunch’?
The child ate a plate of cold spaghetti for lunch.
What do limiting modifiers do?
A limiting modifier restricts or narrows down the meaning of the word it modifies. It limits or specifies what you’re talking about. These modifiers tell you exactly what is being referred to or how much of it.
Examples of limiting modifiers:
- Only: She only likes chocolate ice cream. (She doesn’t like anything else—just chocolate.)
- Just: I have just one pencil. (No more than one.)
- Almost: He has almost finished the book. (Very close, but not quite.)
- Even: She even brought her cat to the party. (Unexpected, going beyond what’s typical.)
- Exactly: This is exactly what I wanted! (No more, no less.)
Rule: Limiting modifiers focus and narrow the meaning of the word they’re modifying, giving you a clearer, more precise picture!
True or False: ‘Only Sophia ordered a salad’ implies that Sophia is the only person who ordered a salad.
True.
True or False: ‘Sophia ordered only a salad’ implies that Sophia wants nothing more than a salad.
True.
Define ‘dangling modifiers’.
Modifiers that are not clearly related to the word or phrase they modify.
What is an example of a dangling modifier?
Incorrect: Walking to school, the roads were covered with snow.
What is the correct version of the dangling modifier example: ‘Walking to school, the roads were covered with snow’?
Walking to school, I noticed the roads were covered with snow.
What should you identify when fixing modifiers on an exam?
Identify the modifying phrase that needs to be relocated.
Misplaced Modifiers
🔄 The modifier must be next to the word it describes.
Incorrect: She almost drove the car for 3 hours.
Why it’s incorrect: This suggests that she “almost drove” rather than driving for “almost 3 hours.”
Correct: She drove the car for almost 3 hours.
Dangling Modifiers
🔄 The subject should be clearly stated and match the modifier!
Incorrect: Walking down the street, the car honked at me.
Why it’s incorrect: It sounds like the car is walking! The modifier is “walking down the street,” but it’s not clear who or what is walking.
Correct: Walking down the street, I heard the car honk at me.
Ambiguous Modifiers
🔄 Place the modifier where it makes sense and is clear!
Incorrect: He almost drove the car for 3 hours.
Why it’s incorrect: The placement of “almost” is confusing, making it seem like he “almost drove” the car, not that he drove it for nearly 3 hours.
Correct: He drove the car for almost 3 hours.
Wrong Placement of Modifiers
🔄 Ensure the modifier fits logically within the sentence.
Incorrect: She served a delicious dinner to the guests in the kitchen.
Why it’s incorrect: It sounds like the guests are in the kitchen, not the dinner!
Correct: She served a delicious dinner in the kitchen to the guests.
What are the three pronoun cases?
Subjective, objective, and possessive.
List the subjective pronouns.
- I
- he
- she
- we
- they
- you
- it
List the objective pronouns.
- me
- him
- her
- us
- them
- you
- it
List the possessive pronouns.
- my, mine
- his
- her, hers
- our, ours
- their, theirs
- your, yours
- its
What is pronoun/antecedent agreement?
Pronouns must match their antecedent in person, number, and gender.
An antecedent is the noun or pronoun that a pronoun refers back to in a sentence. It helps provide clarity and avoid repetition.
Identify the error in this sentence: ‘Mrs. Wilson is my friend. He serves lunch every day.’
The pronoun ‘he’ is incorrect; it should be ‘she’.
What is a personal pronoun?
Refers to the one speaking, the one spoken to, or the person spoken about.
What is a relative pronoun?
Relative pronouns connect clauses
✅ Who – for people (The teacher who helped me was kind.)
✅ Whom – for people (object form) (The student whom I called was absent.)
✅ Whose – shows possession (The girl whose book was lost is upset.)
✅ Which – for things or animals (The book which I borrowed is interesting.)
✅ That – for people or things (The movie that we watched was exciting.)
What is the difference between ‘who’ and ‘whom’?
‘Who’ refers to the subject; ‘whom’ refers to the object.
What is an interrogative pronoun?
Introduces a question.
What is a demonstrative pronoun?
Points out a person, place, thing, or idea.
Let me demonstrate like THIS
This, that, these, those. “Point at it!”
What is an indefinite pronoun?
Indefinitely a secret.
Refers to a person, place, thing, or idea that may or may not be specifically named.
Anyone, someone, everyone, nobody, all.
What are reciprocal pronouns?
Indicates a mutual action by the subjects of the verb.
each other or one another
What are intensive pronouns?
Emphasizes a noun or another pronoun and is not essential to the sentence meaning.
I myself baked this cake. 🎂
She herself finished the entire book in one day! 📖
The president himself gave the speech. 🎤
What is a reflexive pronoun?
Refers to the subject and directs the action of the verb back to the subject.
Singular: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself
Plural: ourselves, yourselves, themselves
Identify the pronoun error in this sentence: ‘The coach asked each player on the team to get their soccer ball.’
‘their’ is incorrect; it should be ‘his or her’.
What is the active voice?
The subject of the sentence performs the action.
Lily (subject) bakes (verb) a cake (object).
The dog (subject) chased (verb) the cat (object).
We (subject) watched (verb) a movie (object).
What is the passive voice?
The object receives the action of the verb.
🔄 Passive Voice 🔄
✅ The object gets the action!
📌 Example:
🎂 A cake (object) was baked (verb) by Lily (subject).
In passive voice, how is the present tense structured?
[Object] + [is/are] + [past participle of verb] + [by] + [Subject].
Provide an example of a passive sentence in the past tense.
The lightbulb was invented in 1879.
When is passive voice often used?
- The subject is unknown
- The subject is unimportant
- The subject is obvious from context
- To emphasize the object
- To make generic statements
What is the structure of a passive sentence in future tense?
[Object] + [will / ‘to be’ going to] + [be] + [past participle of verb] + [by] + [Subject].
Fill in the blank: ‘Active voice sentences can also use a verb form of _______.’
[be].
What are the three main learning styles?
Auditory, Visual, Tactile/Kinesthetic
These learning styles describe how individuals prefer to engage with information.
How do auditory learners benefit in the classroom?
Through read alouds, verbal instructions, and discussions
Auditory learners grasp concepts better when they hear information.
What instructional examples are beneficial for visual learners?
Charts, graphs, graphic organizers, visual aids
Visual learners understand better through seeing information presented.
Describe how tactile/kinesthetic learners engage with learning.
Through hands-on activities and movement
Tactile learners benefit from touching and manipulating materials.
Fill in the blank: Students benefit from seeing, hearing, and _______ the word.
touching
This approach engages multiple learning styles.
Why is it important to incorporate various activities into instruction?
To address all learning styles
This ensures that all students have opportunities to learn.
What should teachers do to accommodate diverse learning styles?
Offer student choice and incorporate various activities
This helps meet individual student needs.
What does morphology study?
Word form in a language
Morphology is crucial for understanding how words are constructed.
Differentiate between roots and affixes.
Roots provide core meaning; affixes modify roots
Roots can be free or bound, while affixes can be prefixes or suffixes.
What is a free root?
A root that can stand alone as its own word
Examples include ‘help’, ‘love’, and ‘friend’.
What is a bound root?
A root that cannot stand alone
Examples include ‘geo’ (earth) and ‘omni’ (all).
Define a prefix.
An affix that comes before the root of a word
Examples include ‘un-‘, ‘re-‘, ‘dis-‘.
Define a suffix.
An affix that comes after the root of a word
Examples include ‘-ed’, ‘-ful’, ‘-ing’.
What is a derivational affix?
A derivational affix is a prefix or suffix that is added to a root word to create a new word with a different meaning or part of speech.
📌 Types of Derivational Affixes:
Prefixes (added at the beginning)
Un + happy → Unhappy (changes meaning)
Pre + view → Preview (changes meaning)
Suffixes (added at the end)
Teach + er → Teacher (verb → noun)
Happy + ness → Happiness (adjective → noun)
How to Spot a Derivational Affix:
✔️ It changes the meaning of the word.
✔️ It can change the word’s part of speech.
What is an inflectional affix?
An affix that alters the form of a word without changing its part of speech
Examples include ‘jump’, ‘jumps’, ‘jumped’, and ‘jumping’.
Analyze the word ‘unacceptable’. What is its root?
Accept
‘Accept’ means to agree or take something offered.
What does the prefix ‘un-‘ mean?
Not
It changes the root to its opposite meaning.
What does the suffix ‘-able’ indicate?
Capable of
It also changes the root from a verb to an adjective.
What happens to the spelling of a root when adding a prefix?
It does not change
Prefixes do not alter root spelling.
Fill in the blank: When the root ends with a y, you will often change the y to an _______.
i
Happy → Happiness
Cry → Cried
Lucky → Luckier
trying stays the same so theres exceptions
When do you double the consonant when adding a suffix?
If the root ends in a short vowel followed by a consonant
Example: ‘bat’ becomes ‘batter’.
What is an idiom?
A common phrase with a figurative meaning
Example: ‘Raining cats and dogs’.
What are context clues?
Surrounding text that helps determine the meaning of an unknown word
This can include definitions, synonyms, antonyms, and examples.
What is morphemic analysis?
Using meaningful word parts to determine the meaning of a word
It involves breaking down words into roots and affixes.
What is contextual analysis?
Using surrounding text to determine the meaning of a word
Context clues play a crucial role.
What are homographs?
Words that are spelled the same but have different meanings
Context is essential to understand their use.
What is jargon?
Unique words or expressions used in a particular profession
Examples include medical and business jargon.
Fill in the blank: The author uses the word X to _______.
convey
This type of question helps identify word meanings.
What should you do if an answer choice is clearly not the same meaning of the word?
Eliminate that choice
This helps narrow down options.
What is the device called that measures the altitude of stars, the moon, and the sun to determine the latitude of a ship?
Quadrant
A quadrant is a fan-shaped magnetic object used by sailors for navigation.
What device uses Earth’s magnetic poles to point navigators in cardinal directions?
Compass
The compass is essential for navigation, indicating north, south, east, or west.
What time-keeping devices were important for calculating a ship’s speed and distance traveled?
Hourglasses
Hourglasses helped sailors keep track of time during voyages.
What is the term for the smallest individual sounds in a word?
Phonemes
Phonemes are fundamental to the study of phonetics and phonology.
What study focuses on the systematic organization of sounds in languages?
Phonology
Phonology is crucial for understanding how sounds function in particular languages.
What is the study of forms of words, including prefixes, roots, and suffixes?
Morphology
Morphology examines how word structures are formed and their meanings.
What is the relationship between symbols of an alphabetic writing system and sounds of a language called?
Phonics
Phonics is essential for teaching reading and writing skills.
Fill in the blank: The study of language in use, not in its structure, is known as _______.
Pragmatics
Pragmatics helps understand how context influences the meaning of language.
What refers to recognizing the boundaries between words, syllables, or phonemes in spoken language?
Segmentation
Segmentation is an important skill in language acquisition.
What refers to students’ ability to effectively know and use words in listening, speaking, reading, and writing?
Vocabulary Development
Effective vocabulary development enhances comprehension in reading.
True or False: Vocabulary is primarily learned directly through definitions from dictionaries.
False
Most vocabulary is learned indirectly through context and usage.
Fill in the blank: The conventions for proper spelling in a language are known as _______.
Orthography
Orthography is vital for literacy and effective communication.
What are the key differences between spoken and written discourse?
Spoken discourse communicates quickly and does not require literacy; written discourse communicates slowly and requires literacy
These differences affect how information is conveyed and understood.
What is the practice of choosing the best word to convey meaning in written communication called?
Precise Language
Using precise language helps avoid ambiguity in writing.
What are the essential transitional words or phrases used to communicate meaning in writing?
Transition Words
These words help guide readers through the text and improve flow.
What type of quotation is used when the writer is quoting the speaker word for word?
Direct Quotations
Direct quotations require quotation marks and a dialogue tag.
What type of writing aims to persuade the reader by making an argument?
Persuasive Writing
Persuasive writing seeks to convince the audience of a particular viewpoint.
What is the term for writing that delivers information to the reader?
Informative Writing
Informative writing focuses on providing facts and explanations.
What should students practice to improve their writing organization and flow?
Using transition words and phrases
Transition words help connect ideas and improve readability.
What are the three main types of writing?
Narrative, persuasive, informative
These types serve different purposes and audiences.
What defines narrative writing?
Writing that tells a story
It includes details, mood, atmosphere, and sensory details.
What is the purpose of persuasive writing?
To argue a point of view or convince the reader of an opinion
Subgenres include speeches, ads, and debates.
What characterizes informative writing?
Writing that explains or informs
Common subgenres include essays, reports, and brochures.
What are some applications of writing skills in various contexts?
- Express oneself with words
- Describe experiences, people, and objects
- Explain and summarize important information
- Reflect upon ideas and experiences
- Persuade others
- Solve problems
- Appreciate others
- Entertain others
These applications can be used both in and out of the classroom.
What should students consider when choosing their tone and mode of writing?
- Task
- Purpose
- Intended Audience
These factors influence the effectiveness of the writing.
Define the mode of writing: Letter.
A direct or personal message addressed to a specific person or organization
Its purpose is to communicate directly with the recipient.
What is an essay?
A short piece of writing on a particular subject
Its purpose is to educate the reader.
What is a blog?
An online journal
Blogs share the author’s informal thoughts with a wide audience.
What defines an article in writing?
A nonfictional prose composition usually forming an independent part of a publication
Articles are typically written for newspapers or magazines.
What is a text message?
An electronic communication sent and received by mobile phone
It is an informal and instantaneous form of communication.
What characterizes a column in writing?
A recurring opinion piece or article in a publication
Columns share the journalist’s personal opinions with readers.
What is the purpose of a journal?
A record of experiences, ideas, or reflections kept regularly for private use
Journals help authors remember and reflect on specific thoughts.
Define a speech.
A formal address or discourse spoken to an audience
It communicates a large amount of information quickly.
What is an editorial?
An article written by or on behalf of an editor that gives an opinion on a topical issue
Editorials share personal opinions on current events.
What is a report?
An account given on a particular subject in the form of an official document
Reports share objective data compiled by appointed individuals or groups.
What is a memorandum?
A written message in business or diplomacy
employee handbook, office policy
Memorandums share important information quickly within an organization.
What is a summary abstract?
A brief summary of a research article or thesis
It communicates important points quickly to the reader.
Define a resumé.
A document highlighting an individual’s professional accomplishments and experience
Resumés are used to secure employment.
What characterizes a play?
A dramatic work for stage or broadcast
Plays are spoken aloud by actors to entertain an audience.
What is a short story?
A story with a fully developed theme that is shorter than a novel
Short stories share a self-contained incident or series of incidents.
What is an example of a time-related term?
Afterward, immediately, earlier, meanwhile, recently, lately, now, since, soon, when, then, until, before
These terms indicate various points in time.
List three sequence transition words.
- Too
- First
- Second
These words help indicate the order of events or points.
What is a term used for comparison?
Similarly, in the same way, likewise, also, again, once more
These terms are used to highlight similarities between two ideas.
Name a contrasting transition word.
But, although, despite, however, instead, nevertheless, on the one hand… on the other hand, regardless, yet, in contrast
These words are used to present opposing ideas.
Identify a term that indicates cause and effect.
Because, consequently, thus, therefore, then, to this end, since, so, as a result, if… then, accordingly
These terms demonstrate the relationship between a cause and its effect.
Give an example of a word that introduces an example.
For example, for instance, such as, to illustrate, indeed, in fact, specifically
These terms are used to provide clarification or specific instances.
What are some terms that indicate place?
- Near
- Far
- Here
- There
- To the left/right
- Next to
- Above
- Below
- Beyond
- Opposite
- Beside
These words help describe the location of objects or events.
Name a term used for concession.
Granted that, naturally, of course, it may appear, although it is true that
🧐 How It Works:
Acknowledge the opposing view
Show understanding of it
Refute or explain why your view is stronger
What are some words used for repetition, summary, or conclusion?
- As mentioned earlier
- As noted
- In other words
- In short
- On the whole
- To summarize
- Therefore
- As a result
- To conclude
- In conclusion
These phrases help to reinforce or summarize previously stated ideas.
List words that denote addition.
- And
- Also
- Furthermore
- Moreover
Denote means to directly indicate, mean, or refer to something in a clear and literal way. It’s the literal definition of a word, symbol, or sign.These terms are used to add information or points.
What is a generalization term?
In broad terms, broadly speaking, in general
These phrases are used to make overarching statements that apply to a group.
What’s an ad hominem?
An ad hominem is a type of argument where someone attacks a person’s character, motives, or other personal traits instead of addressing the actual issue or argument being made. It’s a way of sidestepping the real debate by focusing on the individual rather than their ideas or reasoning.
For example, if someone says, “You can’t trust their opinion on climate change because they’re a terrible person,” that’s an ad hominem—it’s attacking the person, not their argument.
Apophasis
Apophasis is a rhetorical device where someone brings up a subject by pretending to dismiss it or saying they won’t mention it, but in doing so, they actually draw attention to it. It’s a sneaky way of making a point while acting like you’re not.
For example, if someone says, “I won’t even mention how my opponent cheated in the last election,”they’re using apophasis—they’re bringing up the cheating accusation while pretending to avoid it, making sure the audience notices it.
What is active listening?
Active listening is when you really think about what you hear, understand it, and make smart choices about it.
It’s like listening and thinking hard at the same time!
How fast do people talk compared to thinking?
People talk at about 125 words a minute, but you can think at 500 words a minute—that’s four times faster!
So your brain has extra time while listening.
What should you do with extra time while listening?
You should think about the lesson and summarize it in your head.
That’s called active listening, and it helps you understand better!
Why do students’ minds sometimes wander?
Students’ minds wander because they think faster than people talk, so they have extra time and might get distracted.
This can lead to a lack of focus during lessons.
Why are listening and learning social?
Listening and learning are social because you do them with others, like teachers and friends, and they help you get curious and think about what you hear.
Engaging with others enhances comprehension and retention.
What is a running record?
It’s when a teacher listens to you read out loud and marks any mistakes, like if you skip a word or say it wrong, to see how well you read.
What does a teacher do during a running record?
The teacher follows along with the book, marks if you miss words, and notes if you pause or struggle with any words.
What does 95% correct mean when reading?
It means you read really well and can read the book all by yourself! This is called the ‘independent’ level.
What does 90–94% correct mean when reading?
It means you read pretty well but might need a little help. This is called the ‘instructional’ level.
What does 89% or less correct mean when reading?
It means the book is too hard for you right now, and you might not understand it. This is called the ‘frustration’ level.
What is the reading continuum?
It’s a way to figure out if a book is easy, just right, or too hard for you by checking how many words you read correctly.
What are some important skills for getting along with others?
Understanding different cultures, disagreeing nicely, keeping secrets safe, being okay with compromise, sharing feelings with ‘I’ statements, accepting others’ ideas, and listening carefully.
Why are these skills important in school?
They help you work together with friends, family, and teachers, and understand people who are different from you.
What do some teachers do at the start of the school year?
They teach skills like understanding cultures and listening carefully to help everyone get along better.
What is culturally responsive standards-based instruction (CRSBI)?
It’s a way of teaching that cares about everyone’s background, helps them talk and work together, and fits with school lessons.
What should teachers do to help students from different cultures?
Teachers should build good relationships with students and be positive role models for everyone.
