The Bare Essentials!

1
The Bare Essentials!

• A Grammar Presentation
• By Mrs. Meldrum

2
Who Cares? Imagine saying,

• I cant read clocks. What time is it?
• I didnt learn how to multiply whats 6x4?
• I cant tie my shoes. Could you tie them for
  me?
• How powerless would you feel?
• What kind of an impression would you leave on
  people around you?

3
Grammar is Power

• Actually knowing and working on grammar skills
  gives a person power the power to appear
  knowledgeable and polished and educated.
• Many people respect that kind of power,
  especially older people who have power and
  education.

4
Who are these people?

• Your teachers, guidance counselors, volunteer
  coordinators, bosses, university admissions
  officers, professors, etc.
• These people often determine parts of your life
  /or your choices. If you write and speak like
  them (or better), you have more chances of
  influencing them.
• When you fit in, you get respect and control,
  just like with any clique.

5
Good grammar will get you

• Better grades in ALL courses! (without more
  reading or work on harder skills)
• Better grades give you
• More options for post-secondary education
• Jobs with more choices, higher pay, less physical
  labour (in general)
• More respect from adults / persons of power
  more control over your life
• More independence

6
Even Adults Err!

• All 10 are mistakes made in this class!
• http//news.zdnet.co.uk/itmanagement/0,1000000308,
  39273376,00.htm

7
Homophones

• Words that sound alike but have different
  spellings and meanings
• its, its your, youre too, to, two there,
  their, theyre which, witch passed, past
  weather, whether
• Tip where there here

• Whats the whether like?
• Whats the weather like?
• Its snowing, witch is good for skiing later.
• Its snowing, which is good for skiing later.
• Your going to need to study for the exam.
• Youre / you are going to need to study for the
  exam.

8
Apostrophes

• Used to show possession / ownership
• Kaylas purse Dennis homework
• Used to create a contraction
• do not/dont cannot/cant I will/Ill
• Oddity its (short for it is, not ownership)
• Never used to show plurals!
• students plural, students one student owns
  something

9
Noun Pronoun Agreement

• Check that the noun and its pronoun agree are
  both singular or plural as needed.
• The actor should toss their hair, and their voice
  should be angry.
• The actor should toss his hair, and his voice
  should be angry.
• A person should make sure their cell phone is
  turned off at the beginning of class.
• A person should make sure his/her cell phone is
  turned off at the beginning of class.

10
Cruelty to the Common CommaThe Rules (9)
(Kiester)

• 1. To separate items in a series.
• Mrs. Meldrum marked quizzes, tests, and
  assignments.
• Mrs. Meldrum baked cookies, cleaned the house,
  and washed the dogs to get ready for Christmas.
• 2. Between two or more adjectives before a noun
  (unless one expresses a single idea) or the last
  one is age or colour.
• The noisy German Shepard dog barked at the
  mailman.
• The lame old dog barked at the window.
• The lame, noisy dog barked at the mailman.

11
Cruelty to the Common CommaThe Rules (9)

• 3. To separate the month and day from the year.
• I was born on May 8, 1972.
• 4. Between the city and state or city and
  province and after the state or province if it is
  within a sentence.
• I grew up in Johnstown, Ontario, and moved to
  Ottawa in 1991.
• 5. After words, phrases, and clauses at the
  beginning of a sentence.
• Wow, Mrs. Meldrum is really old!
• Before class yesterday morning, I walked the dogs.

12
Cruelty to the Common CommaThe Rules (9)

• 6. Compound Sentences two simple sentences
  joined by a conjunction should have a comma.
• This afternoon, I am going to the store, and I am
  going to the theatre afterwards.
• When I get home, well have dinner, and Ill help
  you with your homework.
• 7. Complex sentences If the first half of a
  sentence has a subject and a verb and cant stand
  alone, I should put in a comma before the second
  subject.
• As soon as Rudy finishes his homework, hell
  check his phone for messages.
• When I walk my dog, I like to listen to my
  iPod.
• I like to listen to my iPod when I walk my dog.

13
Cruelty to the Common CommaThe Rules (9)

• 8. Direct Address commas before after a
  persons name in dialogue unless at the start or
  end of a sentence.
• Hey, Bessem, are you coming to the caf? queried
  Simon.
• Ill be there in a minute, Simon, Bessem
  replied. Bill, well meet you there.
• 9. Dialogue Punctuation - Use a comma after a tag
  / before an open quotes Use a comma inside
  quotes / before a tag
• Mohammed whispered, Its snowing.
• Look at it come down, replied Ibrahim.

14
Cruelty to the Common Comma Classic Mistakes

• CS/Comma Splices - Using a comma between two
  sentences. Use a .///!/? Instead.
• Jims going to the store, hell be back later.
• Jims going to the store. Hell be back later.
• Israa is a great actress, she really gets into
  her role.
• Israa is a great actress she really gets into
  her role.

15
Cruelty to the Common CommaClassic Mistakes

• Dont put a comma between a subject and a verb.
• J.J. and Maddie often, work together.
• J.J. and Maddie often work together.
• Dont put a comma before because, when,
  which, who, since in most cases because
  these words are usually in the second half of a
  complex sentence.
• I need to wear my hood in the winter since the
  wind is so cold.
• Exception I need to wear my hood in the winter
  since the wind is so cold, which is annoying.
• I need to wear my hood in the winter, which is
  annoying, since the wind is so cold.

16
Dialogue Punctuation

• Different uses of commas and capitals with
  interrupted quotes, questions exclamations
• Hey, Michael! said Fatima. Quit stealing my
  pen. Dont you have your own?
• Yeah, joked Michael, but your purple one is
  just my colour.

17
ROS / Run On Sentences

• Not putting in a .///!/? Between two sentences
• Tori really enjoys texting Fatima they keep
  trying to do it in class.
• Tori really enjoys texting Fatima. They keep
  trying to do it in class.

18
General Tips Pay Attention!

• If you dont know why youre putting the
  punctuation there, find out put an asterisk /
  highlight it.
• Find a friend who is a better proofreader than
  you are!
• Ask the teacher find her when she isnt too
  busy.
• Use the internet there are a lot of great
  grammar websites.
• Buy (or ask your parents for) a grammar book.
• Pay attention to the underlining in Word and
  right click to get correction options.

19
Internet Sites

• Online exercises grammar http//www.smic.be/smic50
  22/exercisesgrammar.htm
• Grammar Bytes http//chompchomp.com/menu.htm
• Exercises at Grammar Bytes http//www.chompchomp.c
  om/exercises.htm
• Common Mistakes and Tricky  Choices
  http//englishplus.com/grammar/mistcont.htm
• Common Errors in English http//www.wsu.edu/brian
  s/errors/errors.html

20
Grammar Books

• Some that I own
• Mini Oxford
• Mini Collins
• spelling, grammar, thesaurus
• Other grammar books

21
Underlining in Word Red is spelling Green is
grammar
22
Quiz

• Its time for dinner.
• Hey dont eat that! Pat yelled.
• Its his book.
• After Ilwad read the book she wrote an essay.
• Shaun gave the bird its toy.
• Ian is late, because he forgot his books.
• The girls are playing rugby.

• It is / Its time for dinner.
• Hey, dont eat that! Pat yelled.
• It is / Its his book.
• After Ilwad read the book, she wrote an essay.
• Shaun gave the bird its toy.
• Ian is late because he forgot his books.
• The girls are playing rugby.
• Want more? Read your own work!

23
Bibliography

• Exercises at Grammar Bytes http//www.chompchomp.c
  om/exercises.htm
• Kiester, Jane Bell. The Chortling Bard
  Caughtya Grammar with a Giggle for High School
  Students. Maupin House Publishing Inc. Florida,
  1998.

• Created Jan 09 by T. Meldrum