Grammar

Yeah! Grammar is actually fun (especially when you know what you are doing) and extremely important in the "real world."

So...In the first 5 minutes, everyday I will add a new grammar prompt, which I fondly call a MUG - Mechanics, Usage, and Grammar - Shot, to this page. Your job is to answer the question to the best of your ability. I will come around everyday to check your answer and give you points. If you attempt to answer, you will receive your point (Yes! Even if its wrong). If you don't attempt an answer, you will not receive your point. Its that simple! I would suggest keeping track of all the rules we learn...you will need them later.

9/12/11 - Define the 9 parts of speech. Noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, interjection, article

9/14/11 - What 2 “parts” are necessary for a sentence to be complete? Identify the two “parts” in the following sentence: ‘Biologists study animals.’

9/19/11 - Identify the concrete nouns, abstract nouns, and collective nouns in the following list: //mountain, beauty, jury, silk, couch, audience, popularity, bouquet, freedom//

9/21/11 - Circle the pronouns in the following sentence: ‘All of the other members of my family like to go camping, but a few of them enjoy the outdoors more than I do.’

9/26/11 - Underline the adverbs & circle the adjectives in the following sentence: ‘A wagon train traveling to northern California slowly carried a considerably large number of pioneers.’

10/5/11 - Identify the verb phrases in the following sentence: ‘Some people were leaving the stands when the principal announced over the loudspeaker: “Ladies and gentlemen, the band will now play ‘Thriller.’"

10/7/11 - Circle the prepositions in the following list: in Mark for ladder those below under note ponder outside great around with listen between and

10/11/11 - What does FANBOYS stand for? What part of speech is it connected to?

10/17/10 - Name the parts of speech of the italicized words: The //homes// of many //of// the early farmers on the Great Plains //were quite primitive.//

10/19/11 - Identify the part of speech for each word in the sentence: **Whoa! The little girl was running down an extremely steep hill in sandals and promptly fell on her face.**

11/14/11 - Identify the complete subject and the complete predicate in the following sentences: Some residents of the desert can survive a long drought. Particularly noteworthy is the Australian frog.

11/16/11 **- Identify** the sentence fragments in the following list and, if its a fragment, **explain** why: The magazine’s essay contest for ninth-grade American history students ends Tuesday. Grew up in the Midwest. After she graduated from high school in West Bloomfield, Michigan. She played softball and hockey. And the stadium at the end of the street where Jennifer and her classmates graduated in 1996. Joe ran. Sarah, an intelligent fifteen year old who loves to sing and dance.

11/21/11 - **Underline** the subject(s) and **circle** the verb(s) in each of the following sentences: At the street festival, we danced the rumba and sampled the meat pies. Yesterday, Charlie Brown and I built a kite, then we painted it blue and red. Betsy ran in a marathon and finished in second place! Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer are two of Mark Twain’s most famous characters.

11/28/11 - What is a direct object? What is an indirect object? (Hint: Indirect objects need direct objects in a sentence however, direct object do NOT need indirect objects.)

11/30/11 - Identify the direct and indirect objects in the following sentences:
 * 1) I borrowed my parent’s new camera.
 * 2) They fed the horses fresh oats.
 * 3) Last summer, Leroy told us his plans for the future.
 * 4) Marlee’s coach demands hours of long practice.
 * 5) Jason left you a message.
 * 6) Carrie knitted her grandmother a blanket for her birthday.

1/6/12 - Identify the //phrase// and the //clause// in the following sentence: ‘Known around the world, the Brooklyn Bridge may be the most famous bridge in the United States.’

1/9/12 - Identify the prepositional phrase in the following sentence: ‘A koala is a marsupial, a mammal with an external abdominal pouch.’

1/13/12 - Identify the prepositional phrases in the following sentences:
 * 1) We ordered a dish of salsa and a basket of tortilla chips.
 * 2) The mole burrowed under the lawn.
 * 3) He glanced out the window.
 * 4) The coconut palms in the park near the bay were planted a long time ago.


 * Second Semester!**

2/6/12 - In the following sentence, which of the phrases is an //infinitive// phrase & which one is a //prepositional// phrase? ‘Alice wants to study marine biology, so she moved to the Australian coast.’

2/10/12 - What’s the difference between an independent and subordinate clause?

2/17/12 - Identify the independent and subordinate clauses in the following sentence: 'Until Ms. Beck has her first cup of tea, she speaks slowly.'

2/29/12 - Define the following: Simple sentence; compound sentence; complex sentence; compound-complex sentence

3/9/12 - Classify each of the following sentences & explain why (identify the independent and dependent clauses!):
 * 1) When they had finished their work, they complimented each other on the results.
 * 2) Linda and Julie bought party supplies at the mall.
 * 3) Laura waited for just the right moment to ask Jeff to the banquet, and he promptly accepted her invitation, adding that he had been planning to ask her.
 * 4) Meagan hung colorful streamers from the ceiling, and Tommy set party favors on the table.

3/26/12 - Find the error: ‘During the rainy season, the ranger wraps their poncho in the saddle bags and takes extra care of their horse.’

3/30/12 - What is the difference between objective, subjective, and possessive pronouns? Give an example of each.

4/17/12 - Choose the correct pronoun for each sentence & identify if its objective, subjective, or possessive:
 * 1) (They / Them) gave copies to (his / him) and (I / me).
 * 2) Sam provided (him / his) copies for Mark and ( us / we).
 * 3) The duke directed a haughty sneer at the jester and (he / him).
 * 4) Stacey, Caitie, and (me / I) are best friends.

4/23/12 - Which of the following Indefinite Pronouns are singular & which are plural? anyone few no one everyone many several each someone both neither

5/7/12 - Find the error: ‘Changing the oil every 3,000 miles, the car seemed to run better.’

5/9/12 - Identify the function or name of the bold phrase in the following sentence: The furniture, **a mixture of Logan crafted walnut and oak**, included a walnut bed whose ornate headboard rose halfway up the wall toward the high ceiling. (Mildred D. Taylor)

5/17/12 - Identify the function or name of the bold phrase in the following sentence: **Clearing his throat loudly**, he stepped out from behind the bookshelves. (J.K. Rowling)

5/21/12 - Identify the gerund phrase: Running in the marathon showed Sam’s speed.

Here are the answers to the Grammar Practice Worksheet for final exams

Here is another worksheet to practice your grammar before the final. I would also suggest that you identify as many pronouns on it as you can then determine if they are subjective, objective, or possessive. Good luck!