Daily Grammar 16-25

 

 

Daily Dose # 16

 

Define the colon and describe its uses.

 

The colon is a mark of expectation or addition. Major uses are to: introduce lists or tabulations; introduce

a word or phrase; precede an example or clarification of an idea suggested before the colon; to introduce

a long or formal quotation; act as a separating mark in special situations (letters, time, stating

proportions, titles of books, acts verses, etc.)

 

 

Daily Dose # 17

 

Define the dash and describe its uses.

 

The dash is an emphatic mark that usually indicates an interruption of thought, a sharp break

or a shift in thought. Uses are to: introduce a word or group that you wish to emphasize; a break

in thought; to set off distinguished parenthetical material.

 

Daily Dose # 18

 

Define quotation marks and describe the placement of end punctuation with quotation marks.

 

Quotation marks enclose words, phrases, clauses, sentences and paragraphs indicating the

beginning and ending of material being repeated or quoted. The comma and period always

come inside quotation marks. Question marks, exclamation points and dashes come outside

quotation marks unless they are part of the quotation. The semicolon and colon always go outside

quotation marks.

 

Daily Dose # 19

 

Describe the uses of the apostrophe.

 

The apostrophe is a mark of punctuation and a spelling symbol. It indicates omission

of a letter or letters (wasn’t, can’t, he’s); forms the possessive case of a noun

(the horse’s saddle, the boys’ clubhouse).

 

Daily Dose # 20

 

What is a verb?

 

A verb is a word that specifies actions or events that take place in time or a relation between two things.

 

Daily Dose # 21

 

What is an adjective?

 

An adjective modifies a noun or pronoun by describing, limiting or making it more exact; it may

indicate quality or quantity. There are three general types: descriptive, limiting, proper

 

Daily Dose # 22

 

Give an example.

 

descriptive (yellow, wide house), limiting (third, several boys), proper (Canadian policy).

 

Daily Dose # 23

 

What is an adverb?

 

An adverb modifies a verb, an adjective or other adverb by describing or limiting to

make meaning more precise; often have an –ly ending.

Generally tell how, when, why, where, how

often and how much.

 

Daily Dose # 24

 

Give an example.

 

quickly ran, moved sideways, he treated us kindly

 

Daily Dose # 25

 

What is a conjunction?

 

 

A conjunction is a linking word used to connect words or groups of words in a sentence.

Write two examples from each category.

 

Coordinating: and, but, for, or, nor, yet, neither, either,

Subordinating: since, because, as, while, so that, although, unless

Correlative: both/and, either/or, neither/nor, so/as, not only/but also

 

Daily Dose # 26

 

What is a preposition?

 

 

A preposition is a linking word used before a noun or pronoun to show its relationship

to some other word in the sentence; usually indicate a location.

 

Examples:

 

above, in, at, down, onto, over, upon, toward, within, for, except

 

 

 

Daily Grammar

 

Daily Dose # 9

Nouns can be made by simply adding -ing to a verb. The result is a gerund, or a verb functioning as a noun.

·        Swimming is a healthy exercise

·        Healthy exercise includes swimming.

 

Daily Dose # 10

Similarly, an infinitive, a verb in its infinitive form (the base verb plus to), can be a noun:

·        To swim is healthy

·        Her goal is to become a veterinarian.

 

 

When reading or hearing an unfamiliar word, or working with words, it might be helpful to remember that some nouns have distinct

endings; here are some of them:

-ment (resentment, government, parliament)

-ism (communism, liberalism)

-ness (happiness, wellness)

-tion (multiplication, domestication)

-ty (equality, fraternity)

-ence or ance (independence, indifference, temperance, deliverance)

 

Daily Dose # 11

Define a noun.

 

  

A noun designates or names a person, place, or thing; a quality, idea or action; an event or point in time.

 

Daily Dose # 12

 

Write down the nouns in the following sentence:  Albert met his sisters’ best friend, a pretty girl.

 Albert met his sisters’ best friend, a pretty girl.  (Persons)

 

 

Daily Dose # 13

Write down the nouns in the following sentence:  Her pride suffered because of her forgetfulness, but his courtesy brought her happiness. (Qualities)

 

  

Daily Dose # 14

 

Write down the nouns in the following sentence: She sold her car to the man from Detroit on Saturday. (Combo)

 

 

 

Daily Dose # 15

 

Define the semicolon and describe its uses.

 

The semicolon is a mark of separation; it is never used to introduce, enclose or terminate a statement. Uses are: to separate independent clauses not joined by a simple conjunction; to separate clauses joined by a conjunctive adverb (also, besides, however, for example, otherwise, thus, therefore, still); between independent clauses that are lengthy or contain internal punctuation; to separate phrases and clauses of considerable length and also series of words that need complete clarity.

 

 

Conjunctive adverb example: We regret selling all of the blue shirts; however, we still have some white ones.

 

In a series: Here is what you need in life; money, health, and ambition.

 

Daily Dose # 16

 

Define the colon and describe its uses.

 

The colon is a mark of expectation or addition. Major uses are to: introduce lists or tabulations; introduce a word or phrase; precede an example or clarification of an idea suggested before the colon; to introduce a long or formal quotation; act as a separating mark in special situations (letters, time, stating proportions, titles of books, acts verses, etc.)

 

Daily Grammar

 Daily Grammar Questions we have done thus far.

#1

 

Sentences

 

Every sentence contains a noun and a verb; that is, a sentence must have a subject and a predicate.

 

A sentence is a group of words that express a complete thought, begins with a capital letter, and ends with a period or other punctuation.

 

Daily Dose # 2 

Parts of speech are the building blocks of sentences:

The subject is a noun and everything attached to that noun.	The predicate is a verb and everything attached to that verb.
Cattle	graze.
A tall girl	ran to the gate.
Penelope, the faithful wife of Odysseus,	slowly wove an intricate tapestry.

 

 

 Daily Dose # 3

·        Sometimes a complete sentence seems to be missing a necessary part. Stop! is an example, since it seems to have no subject. However, the subject, you, is understood. Similarly, some sentences contain parts of speech that are understood and are omitted.

·        Here is a copy of the assignment I gave you. (that I gave to you)

·        Write me when you find work. (Write to me)

 

 

 

Daily Dose # 4

As a general rule, do not write sentence fragments (incomplete sentences). When you edit, look for fragments and rewrite them into complete sentences.

You are not likely to write:

·        While watching television

However, you may lose track of a complicated sentence:

·        While watching television and keeping an eye on the clock, Emma began to wonder if, despite what she had been told and in spite of what she had promised, that she was already late.

Something happened on the way to the period. The sentence needs rewriting.

 

 

 

Daily Dose # 5

Of the eight parts of speech that combine to make a sentence, at least two are required to make a sentence: a noun (the subject) and a verb (the predicate).

 

Phrases

·        groups of words that belong together

 

Clauses

·        a group of words that contains a subject and a predicate

 

Daily Dose # 6

Nouns

Nouns name things: soil, tree, liberty, unicorn, country, William Shakespeare.

Nominals are words or phrases that act like nouns:

·        That red one is the one I want.

·        Choosing the right word can be hard.

 

Appositives are words and phrases that rename a noun.

·        Abigail Moriarty, the notorious swindler, is back in town.

·        Jane, the friend I told you about, is going to visit.

 

Daily Dose # 7

An appositive must have the same grammatical relationship to the other parts of the sentence as the noun it renames. In other words, if you were to cross out the original nouns

and the extra commas, then you would still have a perfectly good sentence.

·        The notorious swindler is back in town.

 

Daily Dose # 8

From these examples we see that appositives are also nominals. Remember that a word or group of words can act as more than one part of speech. It all depends on how the word is used.

 

 

Explore English...Poetry Terms

Poetry

Alliteration

Allusion

Assonance

Blank Verse

Free Verse

Quatrain

Hyperbole

Understatement

Image

Lyric

Metaphor

Simile

Onomatopoeia

Oxymoron

Paradox

Personification

Rhythm

Rhyme

Sonnet

Speaker

Symbol

Explore Poetry

Poetry Challenge:

Draw on your current situation to inspire your writing. Write 3-4 Haiku poems and select your best one to share. I look forward to reading your work.

Explore Poetry

Introduction to Poetry

Like music, poetry can be a window to the mind and it's a wonderful form of expression.

Poems can convey feeling, emotions and ideas.

When it comes to poetry, there are three essential ingredients that contribute to the meaning and message behind a poem. They are form, devices and theme.  As an example, we will look at the ancient Japanese poetic form called haiku as it relates to these three concepts.

Form:  This refers to the actual way the poem is put together, such as the number of stanzas, the type of rhyme scheme, and the type of poem. Just like the body has a skeleton to hold its shape, poems have a structure that holds their ideas together. In poetry, that "skeleton" is called form. There are many different types or forms of poetry such as Haiku, Couplet, Quatrain, Limerick, and Free Verse. Poem’s form may be very restricted and limited or very free without many restrictions. Rules for form might include number of words, indention, capitalization, number of syllables, placement of rhymed words, and number and/or placement of lines.

• With a haiku, the poem is usually three lines long, has been broken up so that there are 5 syllables in the first line, 7 in the next and back to 5 syllables in the last line. There is usually no rhyming, so the scheme would be ABC, and the type of poem is descriptive.

Poetic Devices: There are numerous devices employed within poetry, essentially it is language being used in a particular way to convey a certain feeling or meaning. Poetic devices are tools that an author uses to help the reader visualize what is happening in a story or poem. Devices include imagery, alliteration, metaphor, onomatopoeia and simile.

• With haikus, imagery is the main poetic device.

Theme: Theme is just that, it is the general idea or thought being conveyed through the poem.  The theme is the point a writer is trying to make about a subject. Learning about theme helps you decide what is important. The theme of the poem tells what the whole poem is about. All the words, descriptions, figurative language, detail sentences, and scenes are all small parts that add to the reader's understanding of what you feel about the theme.

• With haikus, the general theme has to do with a moment in nature.

Explore Poetry

Good morning gang, 

This week I will be posting my Introduction to Poetry outline. This is my favourite unit and it pains me to be sharing online as I believe poetry to be a visceral experience. That being said, in order to prepare for grade 12, be sure to know the literary terms as well as poetic devices that I will be sending along. 

This week, read my outline, work on the terms worksheet, and prepare for the Haiku challenge.

But first, a poem…

Introduction to Poetry

I ask them to take a poem

And hold it up to the light

Like a colour slide

Or press an ear against its hive.

I say drop a mouse into a poem

And watch him probe his way out,

Or walk inside the poem’s room

And feel the walls for a light switch.

I want them to waterski

Across the surface of a poem

Waving at the author’s name on the shore

But all they want to do

Is tie the poem to a chair with rope

And torture a confession out of it.

They begin beating it with a hose

To find out what it really says.

          -Billy Collins

Good morning,

As promised, here are daily dose answers to add to your list.

Daily Dose # 21

What is an adjective?

An adjective modifies a noun or pronoun by describing, limiting or making it more exact; it may indicate quality or quantity. There are three general types: descriptive, limiting, proper

Daily Dose # 22

Give an example.

descriptive (yellow, wide house), limiting (third, several boys), proper (Canadian policy).

Daily Dose # 23

What is an adverb?

An adverb modifies a verb, an adjective or other adverb by describing or limiting to make meaning more precise; often have an –ly ending. Generally tell how, when, why, where, how often and how much.

Daily Dose # 24

Give an example.

quickly ran, moved sideways, he treated us kindly

Daily Dose # 25

What is a conjunction?

A conjunction is a linking word used to connect words or groups of words in a sentence. Write two examples from each category.

Coordinating: and, but, for, or, nor, yet, neither, either,

Subordinating: since, because, as, while, so that, although, unless

Correlative: both/and, either/or, neither/nor, so/as, not only/but also

Daily Dose # 26

What is a preposition?

A preposition is a linking word used before a noun or pronoun to show its relationship to some other word in the sentence; usually indicate a location.

Examples:

above, in, at, down, onto, over, upon, toward, within, for, except

Daily Dose # 27

What is a pronoun?

A pronoun acts in the place of a noun.

I, you, he, she, the, they, him, her, we, etc.

Daily Dose # 28

Insert the correct punctuation in the following sentence.

                                        Joe asked politely May I borrow a dollar

Joe asked politely, “May I borrow a dollar?”

Daily dose # 29

Insert the correct punctuation in the following sentence.

                      Ill never go there again said jack unless I get dragged there

“I’ll never go there again,” said Jack, “unless I get dragged there.”

Daily Dose # 30

Insert the correct punctuation in the following sentence.

                                      Mary had an old ugly chair and Toms was worse

Mary had an old, ugly chair and Tom’s was worse.

Daily Dose # 31

Insert the correct punctuation in the following sentence:

In 1968 982 students came to sing dance and march 

In 1968, 982 students came to sing, dance and march.

Daily Dose # 32

Insert the correct punctuation in the following sentence:

 We dont however disagree to often 

We don't, however, disagree too often.

Daily Dose # 33

Insert the correct punctuation in the following sentence:

Many books especially cheap ones are put together in haste however with proper care even cheap books can last for a long time

Many books, especially cheap ones, are put together in haste; however, with proper care even cheap books can last for a long time.