English Language Conventions /Grammar Intensive

1. English Language Conventions /Grammar Intensive

2. 9WC1.0 WRITTEN AND ORAL ENGLISH LANGUAGE CONVENTIONS: Students write and speak with a command of standard English conventions. • 9WC1.1 Grammar and Mechanics of Writing: Identify and correctly use clauses (e.g., main and subordinate), phrases (e.g., gerund, infinitive, and participial), and mechanics of punctuation (e.g., semicolons, colons, ellipses, hyphens). • 9WC1.2 Grammar and Mechanics of Writing: Understand sentence construction (e.g., parallel structure, subordination, proper placement of modifiers) and proper English usage (e.g., consistency of verb tenses). • 9WC1.3 Grammar and Mechanics of Writing: Demonstrate an understanding of proper English usage and control of grammar, paragraph and sentence structure, diction, and syntax. • 9WC1.4 Manuscript Form: Produce legible work that shows accurate spelling and correct use of the conventions of punctuation and capitalization. • 9WC1.5 Manuscript Form: Reflect appropriate manuscript requirements, including: 1) title page presentation 2) pagination 3) spacing and margins.

3. Rationale By practicing writing conventions at a level higher than required by testing you will have a command useful in actual situations calling for written communication and be well-equipped to deal with testing pressures at a Proficient to Advanced level. We are starting with these question types because they do not require significant reading: either you know the way a sentence should be structured according to the rules (and can therefore prove to yourself the right answer), or you know enough to make an gut-guess or you get them wrong.

4. Testing Prior Knowledge and Educated Guessing • Can you match each term with its definition? • These are the most basic terms you must know the definitions of and be able to logically identify to be successful at correcting and writing correct sentences. B A preposition B subject C verb D Subject pronoun A word like “aboard, about, above, across, after, against, along, as, at, before, behind, below, by, concerning, from” that tell the relationship of one noun or pronoun to another noun or pronoun The action being done by the subject of the sentence. Subject pronouns can be the subject of a sentence. 1st person: I / we 2nd person: you/you (all) 3rd person: he, she, it/they The noun or pronoun that is doing the action of the sentence.

5. Testing Prior Knowledge and Educated Guessing • Can you match each term with its definition? • These are the most basic terms you must know the definitions of and be able to logically identify to be successful at correcting and writing correct sentences. clauses run-on phrases fragments A group of words that contain a subject and verb. Some are main or independent and can stand alone. Some are dependent or subordinate and need more information. An incomplete sentence that is incorrect because it is missing its subject or verb. A group of words that act as a unit to describe or add detail to a sentence; they do not contain a subject-verb combination. A sentence that is incorrect because it uses too many phrases or clauses, but does not connect them correctly.

6. Testing Prior Knowledge and Educated Guessing • Can you match each term with its definition? • These are the most basic terms you must know the definitions of and be able to logically identify to be successful at correcting and writing correct sentences. Compound Sentence Simple Sentences Complex Sentence A sentence that uses phrases or subordinate clauses to extend an add detail to the sentence; a sentence with multiple smaller parts. A sentence with a subject and verb, but no additional phrases or clauses. A sentence that combines two simple sentences or independent clauses by correctly using a conjunction to join them.

7. Attack this passage: Add and Identify Since Tuesday is Valentine’s Day, or as men like to call it “Extortion Day,” according to comedian Jay Leno, across the United States and in other places around the world, loved ones will exchange a slew of sundry tokens of affection namely: candy, flowers, and gifts all in the name of St. Valentine. • Identify • Subordinating conjunction (1) • Identify • Subordinate clause (1) • Add • Quotations • Brackets • Apostrophes • Ellipses • Exclamation • Colon • Commas • Periods • Capitalization • Identify • Prepositions (I’m not giving you the # )

8. Attack this passage: Add and Identify • the legend of st valentine the history of valentines day and the story of its patron saint is somewhat shrouded in mystery we do know that february has long been celebrated as a month of romance and that st valentines day february 14thas we know it today contains vestiges of both christian and ancient roman tradition. • Identify • Abstract noun (3) • Identify • Main clause • Add • Apostrophes • Colon • Commas • Periods • Capitalization • Parenthesis • Identify • Proper nouns

9. Attack this passage: Add, Correct, and Identify • but who was saint valentine and how did he become associated with this ancient rite the catholic church recognize at least three different saints named valentine or valentinus all of who are martyred. • Correct • Verb tense • Verb consistency • Add • Colon • Commas • Ending Punctuation • Capitalization • Identify • The verbs (4)

10. Attack this passage: Eliminate and Rearrange Perhaps during the third century in Rome one legend contends that there was Valentine a priest who served. • Eliminate • all passive • was • Rearrange • The modifiers and prepositional phrases • Identify • Prepositional phrases (3)

11. Attack this passage: Add, Identify, Correct When Emperor Claudius II decide that single man made best soldiers than those with wives and families he outlawed marriage for young men however Valentine realizing the injustice of the decree defied Claudius and continues to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. • Identify • Subordinating clause (1) • Identify • Conjunctive adverb (1) • Add • Semi-colon • Commas • Periods • Capitalization • Correct • Verb tense • modifiers

13. On the CST & SAT & SAT, the questions look like: Which of the following is the correct way to punctuate the sentence from the passage? A They recognize one another by sight smell, and voice. B They recognize one another by sight, smell, and, voice. C They recognize one another by, sight, smell, and voice. D They recognize one another by sight, smell, and voice.

14. On the CST & SAT & SAT, the questions look like: Read this sentence from paragraph 1 of the report. What is the correct way to rewrite the underlined part of the sentence to maintain consistent verb tense? When Josephine was ten years old, her mother was moving the family west to Los Angeles, California. A had moved B moved C is moving D is moving will move

15. On the CST & SAT & SAT, the questions look like: • Read this sentence from paragraph 7 of the report. • To satisfy the demands of this new generation of listeners, radio technology was improved by radio manufacturers. Which is the best way to rewrite the selectedpart of the sentence using the active voice? • radio manufacturers improved radio technology • improvements to radio technology were made by radio manufacturers • improvements by radio manufacturers were being made to radio technology • radio technology had been improved by radio manufacturers

16. On the CST & SAT & SAT, the questions look like: • Read the sentence from paragraph two. • Listeners used a primitive set of headphones, which were attached to the box with thin wire called cat whisker, to hear talk and music. • What is the correct way to punctuate the selected part of the sentence? • headphones which were attached, to the box with thin wire, called cat whisker • headphones which were attached to the box, with thin wire, called cat whisker • headphones which were attached to the box, with thin wire called, cat whisker • Leave as is.

17. On the CST & SAT & SAT, the questions look like: Read this sentence from paragraph 2 of the report. What is the correct way to rewrite this sentence using parallel structure? By the time Whitman was seventeen years old, he had already worked as a printer’s apprentice, he had worked as a compositor, and a teacher. By the time Whitman was seventeen years old, he had already worked as a printer’s apprentice, a compositor, and a teacher. By the time Whitman was seventeen years old, he had already worked as a printer’s apprentice, and a compositor, and also worked as a teacher. By the time Whitman was seventeen years old, he had already worked as a printer’s apprentice, as a compositor, and had worked as a teacher.

18. On the CST & SAT & SAT, the questions look like: • Read this sentence from paragraph 1 of the report. • Outside of the classroom, most of Whitman’s education was received. • What is the correct way to rewrite the sentence using the active voice? • Most of his education outside of the classroom was received by Whitman. • Whitman received most of his education outside of the classroom. • By Whitman, most of his education outside the classroom was received. • Leave as is.

19. On the CST & SAT & SAT, the questions look like: Read this sentence. Mexico, however, should also be mentioned in the same breath, thanks to the following artists Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco, and David Alfaro Siqueiros. What is the correct punctuation of the selected part of the sentence? artists: Diego Rivera artists; Diego Rivera artists—Diego Rivera artists, Diego Rivera

20. On the CST & SAT & SAT, the questions look like: • Read this sentence. • He went to the University of California and then to Harvard after he got well, where he earned a master’s degree. • What is the best way to rewrite the sentence to improve the placement of modifiers? • After he got well, he went to the University of California and then to Harvard, where he earned a master’s degree. • He went to the University of California and then to Harvard, where he earned a master’s degree after he got well. • He went after he got well to the University of California and then to Harvard, where he earned a master’s degree. • To the University of California he went and then to Harvard, where he earned, after he got well, a master’s degree

21. On the CST & SAT, the questions look like: • Read this sentence. • If Howard had not believed in himself and his play—if he had not persevered until failure became success—he might of given up and pursued a different career. • What is the correct way to revise the selected words in this sentence? • he might of give up and pursue a different career. • he might of given up, pursued, a different career. • he might have given up and pursued a different career. • he might give up and pursue a different career.

22. On the CST & SAT, the questions look like: • What is the correct way to combine sentences 14 and 15? • (14) Success was instantaneous. (15) This theater was a favorite of audiences and actors alike. • Success was instantaneous the theater was a favorite of audiences and actors alike. • Success was instantaneous, and the theater was a favorite of audiences and actors alike. • The theater was a favorite of audiences and actors alike because success was instantaneous. • The theater was a favorite of audiences and actors alike, success was instantaneous.

23. On the CST & SAT, the questions look like: Which of the following would improve the structure of sentence 15? Infrasounds which animals make are sounds which causes a vibration in the air which is an inaudible sound. Infrasounds, inaudible to humans, are vibrations in the air caused by animals. Infrasounds are sounds we can’t hear that animals make that cause a vibration in the air. Infrasoundsare sounds humans can’t hear that animals make that make a vibration in the air.

24. On the CST & SAT, the questions look like: Which of the following is the correct way to punctuate sentence 8? They recognize one another by sight smell, and voice. They recognize one another by sight, smell, and, voice. they recognize one another by, sight, smell, and voice. They recognize one another by sight, smell, and voice.