Grammar and Punctuation Guide for Students
- 2. 4 CATEGORIES OF WORDS Nouns(things) Adjectives (A word that describes a noun) Verbs (action words) Adverbs (a word that describes a verb) Top tip: Look at the “Adv” part of the words adjectives & adverbs…think of advertising!! These words are used to advertise or decorate the noun or verb
- 3. DISSECT THIS SENTENCE: “The dog ran quickly after the bold cat” Q. Can you add any more nouns, verbs, adjectives or adverbs to the sentence? Nouns Verbs Adjective Adverb
- 4. REWRITE: Rewrite the following sentences using more adverbs and adjectives. 1. The student looked at the clock, it was an hour until lunchtime. 2. As morning began, the sun rose its head from sleeping. 3. We walked for hours until our feet were sore. 4. The sweet shop sold a variety of sweets. 5. The door slammed in the house.
- 5. WHATS ALL THIS NOUNSENSE?? Types of Nouns Proper Noun Common Noun Abstract Noun Collective Noun
- 6. 1. COMMON NOUNS • When we use names for things, or objects that are common, everyday things. • Don’t begin a common noun with a capital letter except at the start of a sentence. Examples: Animals: horse, cat, duck, dog. Objects: pen, book, football, lunch. Places: school, house, city, country, sky Activity: Write about your day in school so far. Try to use ten common nouns!!
- 7. 2. PROPER NOUNS • The actual names of specific people, places, organisations and titles. • Proper nouns always have a capital letter. Examples People: Michaela, Cian, Sophie, Liam Titles: Mr, Miss, Principal, Manager, Dr Months/Days/Holidays: August, Wednesday, Easter Specific Places: Galway, Europe, United States of America Organizations and awards: United Nations, Trócaire, Nobel Peace Prize Commercial Names: Ford, Liverpool Football Club, Rimmel
- 8. 3. ABSTRACT NOUNS • Describe ideas, qualities and emotions. • These things are not concrete so we cannot touch them Examples: Happiness, friendship, love, generosity, hope. A feeling quickly becomes a noun for example, I feel sad becomes sadness Activity: Think of feelings you have encountered in the past week and turn those feelings into nouns. Write a list of 5 in your copy.
- 9. ABSTRACT NOUNS CONTINUED… • Another way of making an abstract word is to take a verb (an action word) and add one of the following endings • -ation • -ment • -ism Examples: admire becomes admiration Celebrate becomes celebration Resent becomes resentment Can you think of anymore??
- 10. 4. COLLECTIVE NOUNS Used for a group of people or things Examples Team Staff Herd Flock Pack GROUP WORK
- 11. Adjectives Words used to describe nouns You can use adjectives before or after a noun e.g. The noisy, busy street = The street was noisy and busy When you use more than one adjective you usually separate them with a comma e.g. The lonely, dark forest
- 12. Describe this noun using as many adjectives as you can think of
- 14. Adjectives to describe food • https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=DIrQ9ilL8aw
- 15. Verbs: Action Words Imagine a train… What the train carries are nouns (passengers, luggage, steps, tickets) What the train does are verbs (races, whistles, accelerates, slows)
- 16. Verbs (three tenses) Past tense Infinitve Future tense walked to walk will walk arrived to arrive took needed closed went met talked scored rang began Page 93 of Branching Out
- 17. Irregular verbs The majority of verbs change from the present tense into the past tense using “ed” For example: walk changes to walked, talk changes to talked, laugh changes to laughed However, some verbs are irregular in that their past tense don’t follow the “ed” rule Swim changes to Swam Fall changes to fell Write changes to wrote
- 18. Improve your vocabulary Can you think of an alternative verb for the following: Talk Walk Run Cry Laugh Hit Look
- 19. Adverbs Describe verbs: They tell us how, when or where something happened (1)The teacher walked angrily into the room (how) (2)The fight broke out after the party (when) (3)I walked inside the building (where)
- 22. Lesson 1 will look at: – Pronouns – Conjunctions – Prepositions
- 23. Pronouns – A pronoun is a word that replaces a noun Example: – Ms Mernagh teaches us English – She teaches us English Activity: Look around the room and replace nouns with pronouns.
- 24. Conjuntions – A conjunction can join words, phrases and even sentences together. – Examples: And, but, before, because. Activity: Write a short paragraph about your earliest memory. Try to include as much conjunctions as possible. Swap copies with your partner. Read their paragraph and highlight all of the conjunctions they’ve used!
- 25. Prepositions – A preposition is a word that links nouns and pronouns to the rest of a sentence. – Example: in, at, on, up – The truck driver drove through the tunnel – I gave the chocolate to him – The band appeared on stage
- 26. Prepositions Activity between, during, towards, at, among, under, outside, around, off, in, behind 1. Peace was announced ____________ the two countries 2. The teacher divided the sheets ___________ the pupils 3. They met __________ Clery’s clock. 4. The engineer repaired the wireless network _______ the evening 5. The taxi parked ____________ the night club.
- 27. Lesson 2: Punctuation Capital Letters Full Stops Question Marks Commas Apostrophes Exclamation Marks Quotation Marks
- 28. Capital Letter Use capital letters… At the beginning of sentences Names of people, places, organisations and companies Write a paragraph about yourself/your idol. The goal is to use as many capital letters as possible (1 CAP = 1 point). The person with the most points wins.
- 29. Capital Letters 1. TRISH AND JEAN VISITED BOSTON , NEW YORK, WASHINGTON DC, PHILADELPHIA AND ATLANTIC CITY ON THEIR AMERICAN ROAD TRIP. 2. it was decided by judge brown that the da vinci code was not a copy of two books that had been written previously. 3. MY APPOINTMENT TO VISIT DOCTOR O BRIEN IS ON THURSDAY THE SIXTEENTH OF DECEMBER.
- 30. Capital Letters 1. the top three films of all time as voted for by readers of empire magazine were: the godfather, one flew over the cuckoo’s nest and the good, the bad and the ugly. 2. some people love hugo boss aftershave, but I prefer armani or calvin klein myself.
- 31. Full stops – Use a full stop at the end of every sentence! – Full stops are also used for abbreviations (a shortened version of a word) – Senator Norris = Sen. Norrie – Example = e.g. – November = Nov. If the last letter of the abbreviate word is the same as that of the full word we don’t use a full stop e.g. Mister = Mr
- 32. Question Marks – Use a question mark every time you ask a direct question – How old are you? – What now? Direct Questions – Where are you spending Christmas? Note: Indirect questions do not take a question mark. For example, I asked the air hostess if the plane would land soon.
- 34. Commas. A comma is a piece of punctuation that is used within sentences. ,
- 35. How to use commas 1. Commas are used in lists to separate items. The comma is placed after each item in the list. He had six cats two dogs three mice and seven goldfish.
- 36. 2. Commas are used in sentences to show where a reader should pause (take a breath in the sentence), so that sentences make sense. For example, Suddenly, the fire alarm went off. He had never travelled by plane, and he didn’t intend to start.
- 37. Commas are used to separate terms of address from the main part of the sentence Commas are used to a separate name, title or description inside a sentence, for example: My dears, I’m delighted to see you Answer the phone, Sally! I regret to say, ladies and gentlemen, that our play tonight is cancelled
- 38. Right or wrong? Hold your cards up to show whether commas have been used in the right or wrong places.
- 39. Right or wrong? Actually, I have already read that book.
- 40. Right or wrong? You may say what you like, but I don’t care.
- 41. Right or wrong? Sadly he , never heard from her again.
- 42. Right or wrong? She hates housework and cooking, but she doesn’t have a washing machine.
- 43. Right or wrong? He was a short man who walked with , a limp.
- 44. Right or wrong? My mother did not notice , the bike she was too upset.
- 45. Right or wrong? The waves had become huge, crashing against the pier.
- 46. Activity Where do the commas go? 1.Although he had eaten his gruel Oliver still felt hungry. 2.While stuffing his face with roast Beef and gravy the gentleman chatted happily.
- 47. Your turn! 1. You look very pale Sally 2. Have you met my mother Mr Ponting? 3. What do you think Emma? 4. No Sir I’m not chewing gum. 5. Some conjurers say that three is a magic number dear boy. 6. Dad Dr Brainstorm the head of the Department of Psychiatry at the hospital has diagnosed me with chronic naivety!
- 48. Here’s a mix of sentences with lists and terms of address 1. Robert when will you arrive? 2. Time for another talk Jim! 3. I find you completely arrogant over- confident and a general waste of space! 4. Come here James and pick up your mess. 5. You don’t know what you’re talking about idiot! 6. She grabbed a handful of Mars bars chewy sweets and bubblegum and went
- 49. Using a Camera (add the commas) Using a camera we are told is the most popular route into art. However as well as being creative photos are a great way to keep memories. Most of us have a photo album at home. In the old days when I was young taking pictures was hard work. Now with new cameras it’s easy. You just point and shoot. Digital cameras although expensive are really easy to use. You don’t even have to print off pictures you don’t like. You can delete your mistakes before anyone else sees them. Now we can all look like experts.
- 50. Homework!! Mind your language teacher resource book handout