Sic Transit Gloria Grammar
Jun. 27th, 2007 12:20 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
talkstowolvesToday's summer school session marked the last of the grammar-oriented classes. In the last two and a half weeks, we've gone over the topics contained within Chapters 1-11 of English Grammar for Dummies. I know it sounds a bit ridiculous, a schoolteacher using that book: however, the information is organized and presented in a manner that's pretty consistently understandable by my students. Also, it was a book they could easily buy at the bookstore; I didn't really have time to order proper grammar books through my school.
However, despite my repeated warnings to my students to do their readings outside of class and review their notes, their grades have been declining. I'm getting tired of sounding like a broken record each session, telling them again and again that they must read the chapters, that I tell them which sections to focus on just in case they don't read the entire chapters, that the quizzes they're taking each session are all part of their final grade, and that they're kind of screwed if they don't pass Summer School.
One thing that continues to annoy me, no matter how many times I encounter it, is that the students won't just think. Many times, the answer to a question on their quizzes is evident if they'd just take the time to think. Today, none of them could remember what an antecedent is. So I told them that the antecedent is the word that a pronoun replaces, basically. (They were asked to identify the antecedent for the underlined pronoun.) Not one of them could identify the antecedents correctly. Yet later, when I read the question and pointed at the underlined pronoun and said, "Alright, so who is she?" a lightbulb went off over their heads.
Anyway, under the cut you can see the quizzes I've given them so far. All the material that the quizzes cover was either in their notes, in specific sections I told them to pay close attention to, or in the grey boxes that run rampant through English Grammar for Dummies.
SS – English – Quiz #1
Name: ______________________
For each of the following words, write an example of that term:
1. Noun:
2. Verb:
3. Adjective:
4. Adverb:
5. Pronoun:
6. Contraction:
Underline the subject and circle the verb in the following sentences:
1. Our mothers will meet at the church tomorrow.
2. I always hated doing homework.
3. The monkey likes to hang in trees all day.
Each sentence contains a verb in one of the simple tenses:
Present
Past
Future
Please underline the verb and write which tense it's in under the sentence.
1. I went to the mall yesterday.
2. The monkey eats fruit.
3. I will ask my mom later.
4. I ate all the bananas.
SS - English - Quiz #2
Name: _____________________________
1. Which of the following sentences is correct? Circle the letter next to the correct sentences.
A. She was suppose to take the dog for a walk today.
B. She was supposed to take the dog for a walk today.
C. I used to go to the beach every summer.
D. I use to go to the beach every summer.
2. Read the following sentences. If the sentence is correct, write a C after the end of the sentence. If the sentence is incorrect, circle the mistake and write the correct word or words under the mistake.
A. She likes to read alot.
B. I'm not altogether sure what you're talking about, but you sound smart.
C. We have to help eachother study for the test tomorrow!
D. She tries to take her dog for a walk everyday.
3. Finish each sentence below by writing me, myself, or I in the blank.
A. Mary and ______ are going to the movies tonight.
B. I told ______ not to be such an idiot!
4. For each of the following words, please write the past participle in the blank provided:
Example:
steal stole stolen
begin began ______
choose chose ______
eat ate ______
shake shook ______
5. Is it okay to split infinitives? _____*
Is the following sentence (spoken by Captain James. T. Kirk on Star Trek) correct? If it's not, please write it correctly! (Please ignore the fact that it's not a complete sentence for now.)
"To boldly go where no man has gone before."
6. Underline the subject once and the verb twice in each of the following sentences:
A. The dog and the cat ran around each other until they were too dizzy to stand.
B. The boy ate his sandwich and drank his juice during lunchtime.
C. Mr. Dumas forgot his breakfast today.
D. Ms. B has not slept late since last Friday.
7. Please write the plural form of each noun below:
(The plural form means there's more than one.)
A. nerd _________
B. box _________
C. monkey _________
D. pinky _________
E. sheep _________
F. knife _________
* You wouldn't believe how many people answered "no" to this question and then said that Kirk's statement is correct.
Summer School – English – Quiz #3
Name: _________________________________
1. Please underline the DIRECT OBJECT in each of the following sentences:
A. Charles called Emily when his car broke down.
B. The Petersons took a picture of their lawn after a snowfall.
2. Please underline the INDIRECT OBJECT in each of the following sentences:
A. Charles will tell Emily the story when she arrives.
B. The Petersons will show the Robinsons the picture next time they visit.
3. Please examine each sentence below to see if the subject and verb agree. If they do, write a C after the sentence. If they DO NOT, change the sentence so that they agree.
A. We is going to the movies tonight.
B. The boys be there already.
C. I am hoping I will meet someone cute at the dance.
4. Which of the following sentences DOES NOT have proper punctuation? Circle it.
A. She lives at the corner of Fifth Ave. and Limbergher St.
B. I don't care what you think!
C. Where did she get that ugly little dog?!
D. When you call me tonight, will you remind me about the game?
5. Punctuate the following sentence correctly:
Ms. Thing will cut her hair short she is afraid of being too hot in the summer.
6. Join the following sentences together:
A. The sudden rain soaked Daisy's purse. Her new dress was completely wrecked.
B. Jennifer cleaned her entire house. Her mother had called her a slob.
7. Please complete each of the following sentences by writing either whether or if in the blanks:
A. The dancer is not sure __________ she is ready for her final performance.
B. ________ I have my way, those barking dogs will never wake me up again!
8. Circle the letter next to the CORRECT sentence below:
A. I have to do my homework before I can go out tonight.
. I gotta do my homework before I can go out tonight.
Please circle the letter next to the correct answer for each of the following questions based on your readings from White Fang by Jack London:
9. Why are the two men, Henry and Bill, traveling across the frozen wasteland?
A. They're going for pizza.
B. They are participating in a dogsled race.
C. They just wanted to go out for a walk.
D. They are transporting a dead body back to its home.
10. What is chasing the two men across the snow, making them more and more nervous?
A. Bears.
B. Dustbunnies.
C. Wolves.
D. Their shadows.
Summer School - English - Quiz #4
Name: ________________________
1. Please underline the pronoun once and circle the adjective in each of the following sentences:
A. There's something weird about her hair.
B. Everyone awake at the end of the night was still watching television.
2. Which of the below sentences is correct? Circle the letter.
A. When asked how she was feeling, Ruby smiled at her friend and replied "Not good."
B. When asked how she was feeling, Ruby smiled at her friend and replied "Not well."
3. If the underlined word is an adjective, write ADJECTIVE after the sentence. If the underlined word is an adverb, write ADVERB after the sentence.
A. Janene is right about one thing: you are an idiot! ________________
B. You must turn right at Fain Street to reach the mall. ________________
4. In the space below, please list six prepositions. You can earn bonus points by listing more than six.
5. Please place one of the following pronouns in the blanks below: me, you, him, her, it, us, them, whom, or whomever.
A. Among the three of ___, I am the smartest.
B. She doesn't really like either you or ____.
6. Circle the antecedent for each of underlined pronouns below:
A. Marianne grew her hair out for the winter. She hoped it would keep her neck warm.
B. The cat with the black spots on her coat decided to take a nap.
C. Rusty, who takes many different medications daily, had a large pharmacy bill.
7. Write either farther or further in the following blanks:
A. If you wish to discuss this __________, please call me back tomorrow.
B. The ____________ she walks, the more tired she feels.
8. Write either between or among in the following blanks:
A. ______ you and me, I don't know what she's talking about.
B. When he walks ________ the roses, he feels pretty.
9. Write either their, there, or they're in the following blanks:
A. ________ are seven slices of pizza in the refrigerator.
B. ________ not going to hear you if you don't shout more loudly.
C. ________ clothes disappeared from the beach as they swam in the lake.
10. Which of the following sentences is correct? Circle the letter.
A. Everyone must bring their pens to class tomorrow.
B. Everyone must bring his or her pens to class tomorrow.
However, despite my repeated warnings to my students to do their readings outside of class and review their notes, their grades have been declining. I'm getting tired of sounding like a broken record each session, telling them again and again that they must read the chapters, that I tell them which sections to focus on just in case they don't read the entire chapters, that the quizzes they're taking each session are all part of their final grade, and that they're kind of screwed if they don't pass Summer School.
One thing that continues to annoy me, no matter how many times I encounter it, is that the students won't just think. Many times, the answer to a question on their quizzes is evident if they'd just take the time to think. Today, none of them could remember what an antecedent is. So I told them that the antecedent is the word that a pronoun replaces, basically. (They were asked to identify the antecedent for the underlined pronoun.) Not one of them could identify the antecedents correctly. Yet later, when I read the question and pointed at the underlined pronoun and said, "Alright, so who is she?" a lightbulb went off over their heads.
Anyway, under the cut you can see the quizzes I've given them so far. All the material that the quizzes cover was either in their notes, in specific sections I told them to pay close attention to, or in the grey boxes that run rampant through English Grammar for Dummies.
SS – English – Quiz #1
Name: ______________________
For each of the following words, write an example of that term:
1. Noun:
2. Verb:
3. Adjective:
4. Adverb:
5. Pronoun:
6. Contraction:
Underline the subject and circle the verb in the following sentences:
1. Our mothers will meet at the church tomorrow.
2. I always hated doing homework.
3. The monkey likes to hang in trees all day.
Each sentence contains a verb in one of the simple tenses:
Present
Past
Future
Please underline the verb and write which tense it's in under the sentence.
1. I went to the mall yesterday.
2. The monkey eats fruit.
3. I will ask my mom later.
4. I ate all the bananas.
SS - English - Quiz #2
Name: _____________________________
1. Which of the following sentences is correct? Circle the letter next to the correct sentences.
A. She was suppose to take the dog for a walk today.
B. She was supposed to take the dog for a walk today.
C. I used to go to the beach every summer.
D. I use to go to the beach every summer.
2. Read the following sentences. If the sentence is correct, write a C after the end of the sentence. If the sentence is incorrect, circle the mistake and write the correct word or words under the mistake.
A. She likes to read alot.
B. I'm not altogether sure what you're talking about, but you sound smart.
C. We have to help eachother study for the test tomorrow!
D. She tries to take her dog for a walk everyday.
3. Finish each sentence below by writing me, myself, or I in the blank.
A. Mary and ______ are going to the movies tonight.
B. I told ______ not to be such an idiot!
4. For each of the following words, please write the past participle in the blank provided:
Example:
steal stole stolen
begin began ______
choose chose ______
eat ate ______
shake shook ______
5. Is it okay to split infinitives? _____*
Is the following sentence (spoken by Captain James. T. Kirk on Star Trek) correct? If it's not, please write it correctly! (Please ignore the fact that it's not a complete sentence for now.)
"To boldly go where no man has gone before."
6. Underline the subject once and the verb twice in each of the following sentences:
A. The dog and the cat ran around each other until they were too dizzy to stand.
B. The boy ate his sandwich and drank his juice during lunchtime.
C. Mr. Dumas forgot his breakfast today.
D. Ms. B has not slept late since last Friday.
7. Please write the plural form of each noun below:
(The plural form means there's more than one.)
A. nerd _________
B. box _________
C. monkey _________
D. pinky _________
E. sheep _________
F. knife _________
* You wouldn't believe how many people answered "no" to this question and then said that Kirk's statement is correct.
Summer School – English – Quiz #3
Name: _________________________________
1. Please underline the DIRECT OBJECT in each of the following sentences:
A. Charles called Emily when his car broke down.
B. The Petersons took a picture of their lawn after a snowfall.
2. Please underline the INDIRECT OBJECT in each of the following sentences:
A. Charles will tell Emily the story when she arrives.
B. The Petersons will show the Robinsons the picture next time they visit.
3. Please examine each sentence below to see if the subject and verb agree. If they do, write a C after the sentence. If they DO NOT, change the sentence so that they agree.
A. We is going to the movies tonight.
B. The boys be there already.
C. I am hoping I will meet someone cute at the dance.
4. Which of the following sentences DOES NOT have proper punctuation? Circle it.
A. She lives at the corner of Fifth Ave. and Limbergher St.
B. I don't care what you think!
C. Where did she get that ugly little dog?!
D. When you call me tonight, will you remind me about the game?
5. Punctuate the following sentence correctly:
Ms. Thing will cut her hair short she is afraid of being too hot in the summer.
6. Join the following sentences together:
A. The sudden rain soaked Daisy's purse. Her new dress was completely wrecked.
B. Jennifer cleaned her entire house. Her mother had called her a slob.
7. Please complete each of the following sentences by writing either whether or if in the blanks:
A. The dancer is not sure __________ she is ready for her final performance.
B. ________ I have my way, those barking dogs will never wake me up again!
8. Circle the letter next to the CORRECT sentence below:
A. I have to do my homework before I can go out tonight.
. I gotta do my homework before I can go out tonight.
Please circle the letter next to the correct answer for each of the following questions based on your readings from White Fang by Jack London:
9. Why are the two men, Henry and Bill, traveling across the frozen wasteland?
A. They're going for pizza.
B. They are participating in a dogsled race.
C. They just wanted to go out for a walk.
D. They are transporting a dead body back to its home.
10. What is chasing the two men across the snow, making them more and more nervous?
A. Bears.
B. Dustbunnies.
C. Wolves.
D. Their shadows.
Summer School - English - Quiz #4
Name: ________________________
1. Please underline the pronoun once and circle the adjective in each of the following sentences:
A. There's something weird about her hair.
B. Everyone awake at the end of the night was still watching television.
2. Which of the below sentences is correct? Circle the letter.
A. When asked how she was feeling, Ruby smiled at her friend and replied "Not good."
B. When asked how she was feeling, Ruby smiled at her friend and replied "Not well."
3. If the underlined word is an adjective, write ADJECTIVE after the sentence. If the underlined word is an adverb, write ADVERB after the sentence.
A. Janene is right about one thing: you are an idiot! ________________
B. You must turn right at Fain Street to reach the mall. ________________
4. In the space below, please list six prepositions. You can earn bonus points by listing more than six.
5. Please place one of the following pronouns in the blanks below: me, you, him, her, it, us, them, whom, or whomever.
A. Among the three of ___, I am the smartest.
B. She doesn't really like either you or ____.
6. Circle the antecedent for each of underlined pronouns below:
A. Marianne grew her hair out for the winter. She hoped it would keep her neck warm.
B. The cat with the black spots on her coat decided to take a nap.
C. Rusty, who takes many different medications daily, had a large pharmacy bill.
7. Write either farther or further in the following blanks:
A. If you wish to discuss this __________, please call me back tomorrow.
B. The ____________ she walks, the more tired she feels.
8. Write either between or among in the following blanks:
A. ______ you and me, I don't know what she's talking about.
B. When he walks ________ the roses, he feels pretty.
9. Write either their, there, or they're in the following blanks:
A. ________ are seven slices of pizza in the refrigerator.
B. ________ not going to hear you if you don't shout more loudly.
C. ________ clothes disappeared from the beach as they swam in the lake.
10. Which of the following sentences is correct? Circle the letter.
A. Everyone must bring their pens to class tomorrow.
B. Everyone must bring his or her pens to class tomorrow.