Grammar Study Guide: Possessive Pronouns

A possessive pronoun takes the place of a possessive noun. A possessive noun is one that shows ownership. In the sentence Lola’s sandwich is much thicker than Larry’s. Lola’s and Larry’s are both possessive nouns. That sentence could be rewritten as Her sandwich is much thicker than his. In that sentence her and his are possessive pronouns, taking the place of Lola’s and Larry’s, respectively.

Some possessive pronouns are used with nouns. They are my, your, his, her, its, our, and their.

Examples: This is my cup. That is her cup.
Your jacket is blue, while his jacket is green.
The bird ruffled its feathers.

Some possessive pronouns are used on their own. They are mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, and theirs. Notice that only his and its are in both groups.

Examples: This cup is mine. That is hers.
Yours is blue, while his is green.
That bird feed is its.

Grammar Study Guide: Subject and Object Pronouns

A pronoun is a word that replaces a noun. A subject pronoun is used as a subject or a predicate noun. I, you, he, she, it, we, and they are subject pronouns. Use a subject pronoun as the subject of a sentence or after forms of the verb be.

Examples: I am the teacher, and you are the student.
It was she who did that.

An object pronoun is used as the object of a sentence, whether direct or indirect, or as the object of a preposition. Me, you, him, her, it, us, and them are object pronouns. Use an object pronoun as the object of an action verb or after words like to, for, or with.

Examples: The teacher saw her.
Her dad gave the ball to us. We then gave it back to him.
Diana said thank you to them.

Grammar - Theme 5

Here are the topics and Practice Book pages that will be tested on this grammar test:

• Prefixes un-, dis-, in-, re- and Suffix -ion (278)
• Subject and Object Pronouns (283-285)
• Possessive Pronouns (303)
• Contractions with Pronouns (304-305)
• Double Subjects (318)
• Using We and Us with Nouns (319)
• Writing Clearly with Pronons (320)
• Changing final y to i (328)
• Adverbs (333-335)

Grammar Study Guide: Quotations

A direct quotation gives a speaker's exact words. Set off exact words using quotation marks. Begin each quotation with a capital letter. Place end punctuation marks, like periods, question marks, and exclamation marks, inside the quotation marks.

Examples: "Why haven't you finished that yet?"
"Because I just got home, that's why!"

Use commas inside the quotation marks to separate quotations from the rest of the sentence. The only time you don't do this is if you are using a period, question mark, or exclamation mark; compare the first two examples below. Remember to begin each quotation with a capital letter, unless the quotation is interrupted by the name of the speaker, as in the third example below.

Examples: At dinner, I asked, "Would you pass the salt, please?"
"Would you pass the salt, please?" I asked at dinner.
"Well, certainly," my mother replied, "since you asked so politely."
"There may be hope for him yet," my father remarked.

If a quotation is two sentences, use a period after the speaker's name, and be sure to start the second quotation with a capital letter.

Example: "I'd really like to go," I said. "I just have to get my parent's permission first."

Do not use quotations with indirect quotations.

Example: My mom said I could go if I finished all my chores first.

Grammar Study Guide: Interjections

An interjection, one of the eight parts of speech, is a word or phrase that expresses feelings. They almost always appear at the beginning of a sentence.

Mild interjections are followed by a comma.

Example: No, I didn't do my homework.

Strong interjections are followed by an exclamation point. Don't forget to capitalize the word that comes after the exclamation point.

Example: No! I didn't do it, I tell you. I swear I'm innocent.

Here are a few common interjections: ah; aha; ahem; all right; ew; fine; gee whiz; good grief; gosh; hello; help; hey; hooray; my goodness; no; no way; oh; oh, no; oops; ouch; phew; right on; super; ugh; well; whew; wow; yes; yikes; yippee; and yuck.

Grammar Study Guide: Words ending in -ed or -ing

Because both suffixes –ed and –ing start with vowels, there are some rules that we must follow when adding them to the ends of base words.

If the word ends with a silent e, then you drop the e and then add –ed or –ing.

Examples: hope becomes hoped or hoping, store becomes stored or storing

If the word ends with a consonant and then y, change the y to i and then add the suffix –ed. When adding –ing, you leave the y as it is. Note: all words that we're adding these suffixes to are verbs. Also notice that we do something similar with words ending with ie. When adding –ed, drop the final e and add the suffix. When adding –ing, drop the final e and change the y to i.

Examples: study becomes studied or studying, try becomes tried or trying, die becomes died or dying, lie becomes lied or lying

If the word ends with a consonant, there a couple of different rules to follow.

1) If the word ends with a consonant, and has a short vowel, double the final consonant and then add the suffix. Most of these words are just one syllable long.

Examples: hop becomes hopped or hopping, skip becomes skipped or skipping, control becomes controlled or controlling, submit becomes submitted or submitting

Of course, if the verb already ends in a double vowel, then you just add the suffix, so that kiss becomes kissed or kissing.

There is one important exception to this rule. If the verb ends with an x, then just add the suffix.

Examples: mix becomes mixed or mixing, box becomes boxed or boxing

2) If the word ends with a consonant and has two or more syllables, then just add the suffix.

Examples: offer becomes offered or offering, visit becomes visited or visiting

Grammar Study Guide: Interjections

An interjection, one of the eight parts of speech, is a word or phrase that expresses feelings. They almost always appear at the beginning of a sentence.

Mild interjections are followed by a comma.

Example: No, I didn't do my homework.

Strong interjections are followed by an exclamation point. Don't forget to capitalize the word that comes after the exclamation point.

Example: No! I didn't do it, I tell you. I swear I'm innocent.

Here are a few common interjections: ah; aha; ahem; all right; fine; gee whiz; good grief; gosh; hello; help; hey; hooray; my goodness; no; no way; oh; oh, no; oops; ouch; phew; right on; super; ugh; well; whew; wow; yes; yikes; yippee; and yuck.

Grammar Study Guide: More Uses for Commas

We also use commas to set off introductory words at the beginnings of sentences and to set off the names of people who are being directly addressed.

Introductory Words: Words like yes, no, and well which are used to start a sentence are separated by a comma from the rest of the sentence.

Examples: Yes, you have to do your homework tonight.
"Well, let me think about that," said Mr. Walker

Direct Address: When you are speaking directly to someone, you set off what you are calling them, usually their name, by using a comma. This can happen at the beginning of a sentence, in the middle, or at the end.

Examples: Jessica, would you collect the homework please?
If I've told you once, young man, I've told you a thousand times to pick up your socks and put them in the laundry basket.
Isn't that right, Claudia? and I don't want any more, honey.

Both: You can also have an introductory word and a direct address in the same sentence. If that is the case, then set off both the introductory word and the name of the person being spoken to with commas.

Examples: No, you can't go to the movies tonight, Michael.
Yes, Minh, I expect you to take out the trash.

Grammar Study Guide: Commas in a Series

One way we use commas is to separate items in a series, a list of three or more items. Put a comma after each item in the series except the last one. Use and or or before the last item in a series.

Examples: I like to read history, science, and mystery books.
My dad said we could order French fries, baked potatoes, or potato salad.

Grammar Study Guide: Comparing with Adjectives

Adjectives that compare two things are called comparative adjectives. Adjectives that compare three or more things are called superlative adjectives.

Comparative Adjectives: If an adjective is just one syllable or two syllables ending with a y, then just add the suffix –er to the end to make it a comparative adjective. Note: don’t forget the y changing to i rule when adding suffixes.

Examples: fast becomes faster, mild becomes milder, sleepy becomes sleepier, and sturdy becomes sturdier

Some two-syllable adjectives and adjectives with three or more syllables add the word more before the base adjective rather than adding a suffix.

Examples: modern becomes more modern, generous becomes more generous, and fortunate becomes more fortunate

Superlative Adjectives: If an adjective is just one syllable or two syllables ending with a y, then just add the suffix –est to the end to make it a superlative adjective. Note: don’t forget the y changing to i rule when adding suffixes.

Examples: fast becomes fastest, mild becomes mildest, sleepy becomes sleepiest, and sturdy becomes sturdiest

Some two-syllable adjectives and adjectives with three or more syllables add the word most before the base adjective rather than adding a suffix.

Examples: modern becomes most modern, generous becomes most generous, and fortunate becomes most fortunate

Irregular Comparative and Superlative Adjectives: Some adjectives are irregular and do not use –er, –est, more, or most. The adjectives good and bad have irregular comparative and superlative forms. (Yes, I know you'll see more and most below, but you use more or most just by themselves, not as more bad or most bad.)

The comparative form of good is better and the superlative is best.

The comparative form of bad is worse and the superlative is worst.

The comparative form of many and much is more and the superlative is most.

The comparative form of little is less and the superlative is least.

Theme 3 Grammar Topics

Here are the Practice Book pages and topics that will be on Monday's grammar test:

• 144 - Possessives & Contractions
• 149 - Subject-Verb Agreement
• 150/151 - Regular & Irregular Verbs
• 169 - Verb Phrases with have
• 170/171 - Teach, Learn; Let, Leave; Sit, Set; Can, May
• 179 - Prefixes sub- & sur-
• 184 - Adjectives
• 185 - Proper Adjectives

Grammar - Theme Three

Here are the grammar topics and Practice Book pages that will be covered in Theme Three, which we started today:

• Possessives and Contractions (144)
• Subject-Verb Agreement (149)
• Regular and Irregular Verbs (150, 151)
• Verb Phrases with have (169)
• Teach, Learn; Let, Leave; Sit, Set; Can, May (170, 171)
• Prefixes: sub- and sur- (179)
• Adjectives (184)
• Proper Adjectives (185)

Grammar - Theme Two

Here are the topics and Practice Book page numbers of the content that will be tested on the grammar test for theme two:

• Compound Words (68)
• Common and Proper Nouns (73)
• Singular and Plural Possessive Nouns (74, 75)
• Word Roots: spec/t and opt (88)
• Action Verbs (93)
• Direct Objects (94)
• Suffixes: -ward and -ous (103)
• Main Verbs and Helping Verbs (108)
• Linking Verbs (109, 110)
• Suffixes: -ive and -ic (118)
• Verb Tenses (123, 124, 125)

Grammar - Theme One

Today we reviewed the first grammar homework of the year on base words. Please help your child to be responsible and to keep this worksheet so that they can study for the first grammar test. I have quite a few grammar lessons to teach before we get to the first grammar test. Listed below you will see the names and Practice Book pages for all the topics that will be included on the Theme One grammar test:

• Base Words - PB 8
• Kinds of Senteces - PB 13
• Subjects and Predicates - PB 14 & 15
• Conjunctions - PB 33
• Compound Sentences - PB 34
• Word Roots: struct and rupt - PB 43
• Singular and Plural Nouns - PB 48 & 49

By the way, we have already reviewed the eight parts of speech. Ask your child who Ivan Capp is.