8 th Grade Grammar

1. 8th Grade Grammar Vocabulary and Notes

2. Grammar Lesson 4 • Vocabulary • Bicameral: a government term meaning “having two branches, chambers, or houses.” • Impeachment: the process of bringing formal charges against a public official.

3. Proper Nouns • A common noun doesn’t name a specific person, place, or thing. • Proper nouns name a specific person, place, or thing. • Proper nouns need to be capitalized. • Common nouns are capitalized when they are part of a proper noun. • Small words in proper nouns are not capitalized unless they are the first or last word.

4. Concrete, Abstract, and Collective Nouns • A concrete noun names a person, place, or thing. • Concrete nouns may be common or proper. • An abstract noun names something that cannot be seen or touched. Abstract nouns name something you can think about. • A collective noun names a collection of persons, places, or things.

5. Grammar Lesson 5 • Vocabulary • Affection: fondness or devotion • Affectation: phoniness, pretension, and artificiality

6. Verb Tense • Tense means time. • Verbs tell us what action is occurring and when it is happening. • Verb form, or tense, changes to show when the action takes place. • Three simple verb tenses: • Present • Past • Future

7. Present Tense • Present tense – shows that action is happening now. • Add an s when the subject is singular. • Don’t add an s when the pronoun is I or you. • Add an es when the verb ends in s, x, z, ch, or sh, and the subject is singular. • When a verb ends in a consonant and a y, change the y to i and add esfor the singular form.

8. Past Tense • Past tense shows action that has already occurred. • Add an ed to form the past tense of regular verbs. • When one-syllable verbs end in a consonant, double the consonant and add ed. • When a verb ends in e, drop the e and add ed. • When a verb ends in y, change the y to i and add ed.

9. Errors to Avoid • Do not use present tense form to express past tense. • Do not shift from past to present in the same phrase.

10. Grammar Lesson 6 • Vocabulary • Placate: to calm or to satisfy • Pacifist: a person who opposes war or violence

11. Helping Verbs • A main verb in a sentence may have one or more helping verbs. • The main verb shows action. • Helping verbs do not show action, but help form verb tense. • Common helping verbs to memorize: • Is, am, are, was, were, be, being, been, has, have, had, may, might, must, can, could, do • Does, did, shall, will, should, would