Common Core Language Progressive Skills

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• L.6.1e
• Students will be able to recognize variations
  from standard English
• in their own and others
• writing and speaking, and
• identify and use strategies
• to improve expression
• in conventional language.

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EXPLANATION 1

• Do not write sentences with
• double negatives.
• (Use only one negative word in a single clause.)
• Example 1
• I havent but a dollar. (Incorrect)
• I have but a dollar. (Correct)
• Example 2
• We didnt have hardly any food left. (Incorrect)
• We had hardly any food left. (Correct)
• We didnt have any food left. (Correct)

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Remember

• Do not use
• barely,
• hardly,
• scarcely, or
• but (negative)
• with another
  negative.

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PRACTICE I

• 1. They dont expect (anyone, no one) before 700
  P.M.
• 2. The storekeeper seldom wants (nothing,
  anything) gaudy in the window.
• 3. We havent (ever, never) performed before such
  a large audience.
• 4. The President refused to say (anything,
  nothing) about the budget.
• 5. William would allow hardly ( no one, anyone)
  to ride his motorcycle.

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PRACTICE I ANSWERS

• 1. They dont expect (anyone) before 700 P.M.
• 2. The storekeeper seldom wants (anything) gaudy
  in the window.
• 3. We havent (ever) performed before such a
  large audience.
• 4. The President refused to say (anything) about
  the budget.
• 5. William would allow hardly (anyone) to ride
  his motorcycle.

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EXPLANATION 2

• Avoid the following problems of conciseness
• 1) Eliminate wordy phrases/unnecessary words.
• Incorrect-The Red Wheelbarrow exemplifies
  in a clear fashion William Carlos Williamss
  approach to poetry.
• Correct-The Red Wheelbarrow is a clear
  example of William Carlos Williamss approach to
  poetry.

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EXPLANATION 2

• 2) Eliminate redundant words, phrases, and
  clauses.
• Incorrect- The title to Robert Frosts poem Out,
  Out- is an oblique, indirect allusion to the
  final, concluding lines of a famous speech by
  Macbeth.
• Correct- The title of Robert Frosts poem out,
  Out- is an allusion to the concluding lines of
  a famous speech by Macbeth.

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PRACTICE II

• 1. I decided to do research on aardvarks because
  of the fact that all I know about aardvarks is
  the unusual way their name is spelled.
• 2. In spite of the fact that two as do not occur
  in succession in English, the spelling is not at
  all unusual in the Dutch language.
• 3. The reason why the Dutch settlers in Africa
  called the animal aardvark was that the name
  means earth pig in Dutch.
• 4. The fact that the aardvark lives in the ground
  and has a snout probably earned the animal its
  name.
• 5. Aardvarks, which are ant and termite eaters,
  have a long, sticky tongue with which they catch
  these insects.

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PRACTICE II ANSWERS

• (Answers may vary)
• 1. I decided to do research on aardvarks because
  all I know about these animals is the unusual
  spelling of their names.
• 2. Although two as do not occur in succession in
  English, the spelling is not at all unusual in
  the Dutch language.
• 3. The Dutch settlers called the animal aardvark,
  because the name means earth pig in Dutch.
• 4. The aardvark probably earned its name because
  it lives in the ground and has a snout.
• 5. Aardvarks have a long, sticky tongue with
  which to catch ants and termites.

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EXPLANATION 3 Idioms

• Idiom refers to the commonly accepted usage of a
  word or phrase.
• Standardized tests often assess your ability to
  recognize idiomatic prepositional phrases.
• Example
• (Incorrect) The college professor had a method
  about calculating grades.
• (Correct) The college professor had a method for
  calculating grades.

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PRACTICE III

• 1. The doctor focused his imagination and
  intelligence to devising a way to solve the
  problem.
• 2. By the parks stewardship, the citys park
  system flourished.
• 3. My father did not understand that information
  is communicated different from other cultures.
• 4. Steven should have known that Angelas comment
  was not meant for an insult.
• 5. Since Matt was superstitious, his first
  thought was to knock with wood whenever someone
  wished him good luck.

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PRACTICE III ANSWERS

• 1. The doctor focused his imagination and
  intelligence on devising a way to solve the
  problem.
• 2. Under the parks stewardship, the citys park
  system flourished.
• 3. My father did not understand that information
  is communicated differently in other cultures.
• 4. Steven should have known that Angelas comment
  was not meant as an insult.
• 5. Since Matt was superstitious, his first
  thought was to knock on wood whenever someone
  wished him good luck.

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ACT PRACTICE I

• Although you may get an infection at the wound
  site, you
• can be effectively treated, seeing as you are
  still shaken from
• the encounter, you will survive.
• A. NO CHANGE
• B. but because
• C. and even if
• D. however

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ACT PRACTICE I ANSWER

• Although you may get an infection at the wound
  site, you
• can be effectively treated, seeing as you are
  still shaken from
• the encounter, you will survive.
• A. NO CHANGE
• B. but because
• C. and even if
• D. however

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ACT PRACTICE II

• However, Cahokias site, containing its
  mysterious mounds,
• continues to provoke curiosity and study of this
  lost culture.
• A. NO CHANGE
• B. However, Cahokias site continues to provoke
  curiosity containing its mysterious mounds and
  study of their lost culture.
• C. However, Cahokias site continues to provoke
  curiosity and study containing its mysterious
  mounds of their lost culture.
• D. However, containing its mysterious mounds,
  Cahokias curiosity and study continues to
  provoke the lost culture.

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ACT PRACTICE II ANSWER

• However, Cahokias site, containing its
  mysterious mounds,
• continues to provoke curiosity and study of this
  lost culture.
• A. NO CHANGE
• B. However, Cahokias site continues to provoke
  curiosity containing its mysterious mounds and
  study of their lost culture.
• C. However, Cahokias site continues to provoke
  curiosity and study containing its mysterious
  mounds of their lost culture.
• D. However, containing its mysterious mounds,
  Cahokias curiosity and study continues to
  provoke the lost culture.

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HOMEWORK OPTION

• Rewrite the following sentences to improve
  expression.
• 1. You may want to do what a lot of beginning
  collectors do, which is buy a reference
  collection so you can compare unknown specimens
  with known specimens.
• 2. Minerals have characteristics, such as
  chemical composition and color of a streak it
  makes, that will help you to identify them.
• 3. To find out the chemical composition, or what
  the rock is made of, you can do any number of
  chemical tests that will give you an idea of the
  mineral elements that make up the rocks
  contents.
• 4. To find out what the streak color is, which
  is also important, you can rub a mineral across a
  hard, rough surface such as porcelain that hasnt
  been glazed an observed the color of the powder
  that is obtained.

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HOMEWORK OPTION

• 5. Knowing where a rock was found and how it
  looks may also help you to identify a rock, so
  you will know what kind of rock it happens to be.
• 6. Gene hadnt never seen such a colorful parade.
• 7. You shouldnt do nothing until next week.
• 8. Phillip wouldnt admit his mistake to nobody.
• 9. We werent surprised by anything we saw.
• 10. Claire and I havent made no decisions yet.

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HOMEWORK OPTION ANSWERS

• (Answers may vary)
• 1. Like many beginning collectors, you may want
  to buy a reference collection to help you
  compare unknown specimens and known specimens.
• 2. Minerals have identifiable characteristics,
  such as chemical composition and streak color.
• 3. To determine the chemical composition of the
  rocks, you can do any number of chemical tests.
• 4. To find out the streak color, you can rub a
  mineral across a hard, rough surface, such as
  unglazed porcelain, and observe the color of the
  powder obtained.

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HOMEWORK OPTION ANSWERS

• 5. Knowing where a rock was found and how it
  looks may also help you to identify it.
• 6. Gene had never seen such a colorful parade.
• 7. You shouldnt do anything until next week.
• 8. Phillip wouldnt admit his mistake to anybody.
• 9. Correct
• 10. Claire and I havent made any decisions yet.

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EXTENDED LEARNING OPTION (Teacher Discretion)

• EXAMPLE
• Have students write a paragraph
• of at least 5 sentences
• about a topic you are covering in class,
  demonstrating their knowledge
• of formal, concise English.