Mini-Lesson:Writing Basics and

Grammar Review

• Noun- person, place, or thing

• Pronoun- replaces a noun without being specific

• Verb- action word

• Adjective- describes a noun

• Adverb- describes a verb

• Prepositions- conveys relationship of it’s object to the rest of the sentence

Parts of Speech

Subject/Verb Agreement

◦ Ex. Joe were a tall man.OR

Joe was a tall man. Verb Tense Agreement

◦ Ex. We worked yesterday and drink coffee. OR

We worked yesterday and drank coffee.

Agreement

Clause- a group of related words that contain a subject and a verb

Conjunctions- joining words that link parts of sentences

Comma- punctuation mark that separates and encloses phrases and clauses

A few definitions…

With conjunctions (and, but, so ,or, for, yet) to separate main clauses

Ex. Kristen works at the animal shelter, and she volunteers at the hospital.

Ex. I haven't done my homework, but I know I should.

Comma Use

To introduce sentences

Ex. After going to the gym, Tom was very tired

Ex. When I was young, I liked to play outside.

Comma Use

With adjectives

Ex. The calm, quiet beach was perfect for watching the sunset.

Ex. The baker made a two-tiered, chocolate, sprinkle-covered birthday cake for the party.

Comma Use

With a list of related objects

Ex. The dog chased the ball through the yard, under the porch, and around the house.

Ex. The store was having a sale on shirts, socks, and shoes.

Comma Use

A topic sentence should include a topic and a controlling idea.

Clear topic sentences let the reader know what to expect, therefore understanding your ideas better.

◦ Ex. There are several advantages to enforcing a dress code in schools.

◦ Ex. Students can avoid bad grades by studying for tests.

Topic Sentence

Topic- What are you writing about?

Controlling idea- What do you want to say about the topic?

Topic Sentences

Word choice◦ Slang- continual and ever-changing use of words

in conversation Ex. My paper was a hit with the teacher. My paper was a success with the teacher.

◦ Colloquial Language- words and phrases common to spoken, informal language

Ex. I don’t get why I have to do that assignment. I do not understand why I have to do that assignment.

◦ Regional Language- language specific to a certain geographic area

Ex. We’re fixin’ to go to the store. We are getting ready to go to the store.

Language

Exact Language◦ Connotation and Denotation

◦ Synonyms- use carefully to avoid connotation mistakes (Use the thesaurus, but be aware of meaning.)

◦ Figurative Language

◦ Clichés- Ex. As plain as the nose on your face. It is very obvious.

Language

Concise Language◦ Make every word count.

She called and said she was going to be late to meet us.

She called. She is going to be late.

◦ Use pronouns to reduce repetition. Jeff went to the school to meet Jeff’s teacher. Jeff went to the school to meet his teacher.

Language

Do not write the same way you speak.

Ask these questions:◦ Did you reread your writing out loud? ◦ How does it sound?◦ Is it formal or conversational?

Language

A minimum of 10-12 well developed sentences

Parts of a Paragraph:◦ Topic sentence- What are you going to write

about?◦ Body-Write about it.◦ Conclusion- What did you just write about?

Paragraph

In formal writing, there are some things to avoid.◦ Contractions◦ Ambiguous antecedents-

We went to the store. Jane and I went to the store. Who is “we”?

◦ First and second person pronouns I, we, us, me, my, our, etc. You, your

◦ Run-on sentences- Do not be afraid of punctuation.

Beware!

Read your paper after you write it.

Use the proofreading symbols worksheet to correct assignments.

Proofreading