Grammar and Mechanics 5-6

Sentence Types	Parts of Speech
Capitalization	Punctuation
Miscellaneous	Transition Words

Sentence types

    --Declarative sentences make statements or express opinions. They tell something about a person, place, thing or idea. (Example: I am in sixth grade at the Middle School where my teacher is Ms. Davidson.)

    --Imperative sentences make commands. The subject is often "you" and is understood.  (Example: Please clean the room and feed the dog.) The sentence doesn't say who should clean their room and feed the dog, but when your mom asks you to do those things, you know who she means!

    --Interrogative sentences ask questions. (Example: Did you do your homework last night?)

    --Exclamatory sentences express strong emotions or surprise. (Example: Wow! That was the best fireworks display I've ever seen!)

    -Sentence combining
Here's a simple quiz to see how well you know how to combine sentences. Give it a try!
http://www.aitech.ac.jp/~iteslj/quizzes/vm/m-sco01.html

Parts of Speech

Parts of Speech Quiz -- Simple 10 question quiz that kids can take online. Answers are given immediately. It's a nice quiz, but when a wrong answer is given, the site does not provide the correct answer.
http://www.cityu.edu.hk/elc/quiz/partspee.htm

Parts of Speech Games from Quia
Students will match the part of speech with the correct definition.
http://www.quia.com/custom/365main.html

Nouns
Check out this page if you need help learning about nouns!
http://teachers.k12.sd.us/si003/Pages/nouns.htm

Pronouns
Check out this page if you need help learning about pronouns!
http://teachers.k12.sd.us/si003/Pages/pronouns.htm

Verbs
Check out this page if you need help learning about verbs!
http://teachers.k12.sd.us/si003/Pages/verbs.htm

Adjectives
Check out this page if you need help learning about adjectives!
http://teachers.k12.sd.us/si003/Pages/adjectives_and_adverbs.htm

Adverbs
Check out this page if you need help learning about adverbs!
http://teachers.k12.sd.us/si003/Pages/adjectives_and_adverbs.htm

Prepositions/phrases --
Check out this page if you need help learning about prepositions!
http://teachers.k12.sd.us/si003/Pages/Prepositions.htm

A Preposition --is a word or phrase placed before a noun or noun equivalent to form a phrase modifying another word in a sentence. Prepositions indicate the relation between the noun and the word the phrase modifies. The most common prepositions are: about, across, after, against, along, among, around, at, before, behind, below, beside, besides, between, beyond, by, down, during, except, for, from, in, inside, into, like, near, next, of, off, on, onto, out, outside, over, past, since, than, through, to, toward, under, unlike, until, up, with, without.
Source: Hacker, Diana. A Pocket Style Manual. Boston: Bedford, 1993
 
 

Capitalization
  -Capitalize proper nouns and proper adjectives
        -a proper noun is the name of an individual person, place, thing or idea
 

    -Capitalize words like mother, father, mom, dad, aunt, and uncle when they are used as names.
        -Examples:
            1.  Did Mom go to the grocery store yet?
           2.  I saw the note that Dad left on the kitchen table when I got home from school.
           3.  We invited Uncle Bob and Aunt Marie to come over for dinner.
           4.  Did you know that Father taught Mother how to cook an omlet?

    -Capitalize major words in geographical names.
 
 

Punctuation

Commas--When do  you need a comma? Check this site to find out!
http://web.nwe.ufl.edu/~llwillis/commas.html
 

Transition Words
Need a list of transition words?  This site has a list of words to use that show similarity.
http://teenwriting.about.com/library/blank/blstory2037.htm

This site has a list of words to use that show conclusion or result.
http://teenwriting.about.com/library/blank/blstory2034.htm

This site has a list of words to use that show contrast.
http://teenwriting.about.com/library/blank/blstory2035.htm
 
 

Miscellaneous

Student Dictionary -- type in a word and get its definition!
http://www.wordcentral.com/

Daily Buzzword--learn a new word each day and astonish your friends and relatives with your new knowledge! Also shows you the new word in other languages!
http://www.wordcentral.com/

Rhyming Dictionary--go to http://www.wordcentral.com/ and click on "select destination".  Then select "Ryhming Dictionary". Type in your word. You will see a list of words that rhyme with yours on the left side of the page,

Dictionary at factmonster.com
http://www.factmonster.com/dictionary.html

Atlas at factmonster.com
http://www.factmonster.com/atlas/index.html

Encyclopedia at factmonster.com
http://www.factmonster.com/encyclopedia.html

Almanac at factmonster.com
http://www.factmonster.com/almanacs.html