Grammar ReviewGrammar ReviewGrammar ReviewGrammar ReviewEighth Grade EnglishEighth Grade English

Brandon Valley Middle SchoolBrandon Valley Middle School

Sentence TypesSentence TypesSentence TypesSentence Types

Sentence Types• Declarative: gives information.

– Joan sat on a cactus.• Interrogative: asks a question.

– Did Joan sit on a cactus?• Exclamatory: expresses enthusiasm or

disbelief.– Joan sat on a cactus!

• Imperative: gives a command.– Don’t sit on the cactus.

PrepositionsPrepositionsPrepositionsPrepositions

Prepositions• Remember these? They go anywhere a

mouse can go.– Aboard, about, above, across, after, against,

along, amid, among, around, as, at, atop, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, between, beyond, but (except), by, concerning, down, during, except, for, from, in, inside, into, like, near, of, off, on, onto, out, outside, over, past, regarding, since, throughout, to, toward, under, underneath, until, up, upon, within, without.

Prepositional Phrases• Begin with a preposition, and include an

object, which must be a noun or a pronoun.– She sat (under the tree).

• Any modifiers of the object are also included in the prepositional phrase.– She sat (under the big, old oak tree).

• You will never find a subject or a verb inside a prepositional phrase.

Conjunctions and Conjunctions and InterjectionsInterjections

Conjunctions and Conjunctions and InterjectionsInterjections

Conjunctions and Interjections

• Conjunctions join parts of sentences– And, but, or, so, neither/nor, either/or

• Interjections show surprise– Wow! You do that well.– Golly! I meant to do that.

Phrases, Clauses, and Phrases, Clauses, and SentencesSentences

Phrases, Clauses, and Phrases, Clauses, and SentencesSentences

Phrases• Phrases are groups of words.• They cannot stand alone as

sentences.– Living in Arizona.– Because I was early.

Clauses• Clauses have a subject and a verb,

but don’t always express a complete thought.– She bought ice cream.– Go away.– If you were right.

Dependent and Independent Clauses

• Clauses are dependent if they need more information to express a complete thought.– Because it rained on Saturday.

• Clauses are independent if they express a complete thought and can stand alone.– It rained on Saturday.

Sentences• Sentences contain a subject, a verb,

and express a complete thought.• Independent clauses are sentences.• Dependent clauses may be combined

with others and with independent clauses to become sentences.

Fragments and Run-Fragments and Run-OnsOns

Fragments and Run-Fragments and Run-OnsOns

Fragments• Incomplete thoughts punctuated

as sentences are fragments.– Up above the house.

• Dependent clauses and phrases are fragments when left by themselves.– Across the ocean.

Run-Ons• Run-ons are two or more independent clauses

improperly punctuated.– I gave the dog a bone he buried it in the yard.

• Run-ons also include too many ideas joined by conjunctions, or by commas only.– We went to the store and we bought some bananas and

then we went to the park and played in the sunshine until it was time to go home and eat dinner so we took our shoes off and ran in the grass.

– We went to the store, we bought some bananas, then we went to the park, and played in the sunshine until it was time to go home, and eat dinner, so we took our shoes off, and ran in the grass.

Fix Run-Ons• One: Make the run-on into two

sentences.– Incorrect: We went to the store we

bought cookies.– Correct: We went to the store. We

bought cookies.

Fix Run-Ons• Two: insert a comma and a

conjunction. ( A comma or a conjunction alone still result in a run-on.)– Incorrect: We went to the store we

bought cookies.– Correct: We went to the store, and

we bought cookies.

Fix Run-Ons• Three: use a semicolon.

– Incorrect: We went to the store we bought cookies.

– Correct: We went to the store; we bought cookies.

Fix Run-Ons• Four: change one of the

independent clauses into a dependent clause.

• Incorrect: We went to the store we bought cookies.

• Correct: When we went to the store, we bought cookies.

ContractionsContractionsContractionsContractions

Contractions• Contractions shorten words by

replacing letters with apostrophes.– Could not couldn’t– Will not won’t– I am I’m– It is it’s

Singular and PluralSingular and PluralSingular and PluralSingular and Plural

Singular and Plural• Singular is one of something

– Chair, desk, pencil

• Plural is two or more than two of something.– Chairs, desks, pencils

Plurals• Some plurals add “s”

– Chair chairs– Repair repairs

• Some plurals add “es” after ch, sh, x, s, z.– Box boxes– Church churches– Fox foxes– Class classes– Buzz buzzes

Plurals• After oy, ey, ay, or uy, add “s”

– Boy boys– Key keys– Monkey monkeys– Guy guys

Plurals• Words ending with a consonant + y change

the y to i and -es– Cry cries– Berry berries

• Words ending in an f sometimes change f to v and add -es– Wolf wolves– Leaf leaves

• But not always: proof proofs• When in doubt, check the dictionary!

Plurals• Some words change completely

– Woman women– Child children– Cactus cacti

• Some words are the same form in each singular and plural– Moose moose– Deer deer

Plurals• Words ending in “o” sometimes add

“es,” sometimes just add “s”– Potato potatoes– Hero heroes– Photo photos

• Sometimes they can go either way– Zero zeroes zeros

• When in doubt, check the dictionary!

NounsNounsNounsNouns

Nouns• Common nouns describe everyday

things– Teacher, school, product

• Proper nouns are specific people, places or things– Mrs. Schilf– Brandon Valley Middle School– Sham-wow

Nouns• Concrete nouns are things that

can be seen, heard, touched, or sensed– Sidewalk, moose, cabbage, air

• Abstract nouns are ideas or concepts– Justice, hope, frustration

Nouns• Possessive nouns show ownership. Use

an apostrophe, or apostrophe s– Jim’s boat– The class’s teacher– The busses’ routes

• Singular always adds “’s”• Plurals ending in anything but s, add “’s”• Plurals ending in s, add an apostrophe

VerbsVerbsVerbsVerbs

Verbs• Action verbs show action

– Run, hop, skip, jump, fall, cry, kiss, nap

• Helping verbs help other verbs– Has run, will hop, can jump

• Linking verbs join parts of sentences together– Feel, appear, smell, remain, be, taste

• Linking verbs can be replaces with some form of “to be” and keep the meaning of the sentence– This carpet appears worn.– This carpet is worn.

Verbs• Infinitive: To + verb

– The main form of a verb

• To run• To sing• To go• To be• To speculate

Helping Verbs• Sing them to “London Bridge”

– Be, am, is, are, was, were, been, have, has, had, do, does, did, can, could, will, would, shall, should, may, might, must, being.

Predicate Adjectives, Predicate Adjectives, Predicate Nominatives,Predicate Nominatives,

Direct and Indirect Direct and Indirect ObjectsObjects

Predicate Adjectives, Predicate Adjectives, Predicate Nominatives,Predicate Nominatives,

Direct and Indirect Direct and Indirect ObjectsObjects

Predicate Adjectives• Predicate adjectives are adjectives

that follow a linking verb, and describe the subject.– My spaghetti tastes delicious.– Check: delicious spaghetti

Predicate Nominatives• Predicate nominatives are nouns

that follow a linking verb and rename the subject– The coach is Mr. Block.– Check: Mr. Block is the coach.

Direct Objects and Indirect Objects

• Direct objects receive the action of the verb.– I baked a cake.

• Indirect objects receive the direct object.– I baked Grandmother a cake.

Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

• Transitive verbs have a direct object– S-AV-DO = transitive– I baked a cake.

• Intransitive verbs do not have a direct object.– S-AV = intransitive– I baked.

AdjectivesAdjectivesAdjectivesAdjectives

Descriptive Adjectives• Adjectives describe nouns or

pronouns. They answer “what kind?”– Pretty girl– Quiet dog– Many pieces

Limiting Adjectives: Determiners

• These signal that a noun is nearby. They are adjectives.– Articles: a, an, the– Possessive adjectives / pronouns: my, his,

her, its, your, our, their– Possessive nouns: the bank’s teller, Craig’s

shoe– Numbers: one, two, seven– Indefinite: some, many, few– Demonstratives: this, that, these, those

Proper Adjectives• These are describing words

derived from proper nouns. They are capitalized, but the word they describe is not.– Swiss cheese– Dutch tulips– Mexican food

Degrees of Adjectives• Comparative adjectives compare two

things– This horse is quicker than that one.– This pencil is sharper than that one.

• Superlative adjectives compare three or more things.– Of the three horses, the black one is

quickest of all.– Of all of the pencils, the blue one is the

sharpest.

Degrees of Adjectives• Some comparatives and

superlatives use “more” and “most,” or “less” and “least.”– This book is more interesting than that

one. This book is most interesting of all.

– This game is less interesting than reading. That game is the least interesting of all.

Appositives and Appositives and GerundsGerunds

Appositives and Appositives and GerundsGerunds

Appositives and Gerunds

• Appositives make “a positive identification” by adding more information set off by commas– Bill, my neighbor, rides a bicycle.

• Gerunds use –ing verbs as nouns– Bill’s hobby is cycling.

AdverbsAdverbsAdverbsAdverbs

Adverbs• Adverbs modify verbs, or

sometimes adjectives and other adverbs.

• Adverbs answer the questions– How?– When?– Where?– To what extent?

Adverbs• Grandmother drives __________.

– Quickly, slowly, Tuesdays, often, downtown

• Seven adverbs tell “to what extent”– Not, so, very, too, quite, rather,

somewhat

Adverbs• Degrees of adverbs make use of

comparatives and superlatives, just like adjectives do.– This car is fast. That car is faster.

The blue one is fastest of all of them.– I drove crazily. You drive more

crazily than I do. Grandmother drives most crazily of all.

TensesTensesTensesTenses

Tenses• Tense shows time

– Regular verbs add –ed to the infinitive form

– Irregular verbs change the infinitive form

Simple Tenses• Present tense is happening now.

It never uses a helping verb.– Sing, weep, dance

• Past tense happened yesterday. It never uses a helping verb, either.– Sang, wept, danced

Simple Tenses• Past participles happened the day

before yesterday. They use the helping verbs have, has, had.– Have sung, have wept, have danced.

• Future tense will happen tomorrow. It always uses will or shall as helping verbs.– Will sing, will weep, will dance

Perfect Tense• Perfect tense describes actions

that have already happened.

• To Have + past participle (-ed)– I have talked– He/she/it has talked– They have talked

Progressive Tense• Progressive tense is happening

now. • To Be + present participle (-ing)

– I am talking– He/she/it is talking– They are talking

Perfect and Progressive Tenses

Infinitive Present Past Participle

To be am, is, are was am being

To have have, has had have had