Sunday, December 20, 2020
Civility in the Classroom
Sunday, November 15, 2020
Help with the Active and Passive Voice of Verbs
To change a sentence into the active voice do the following:
- Remove the form of the to be helping verb. Be sure to keep the tense of the verb the same as it was.
- Remove the word by.
- Flip the ends of the sentence.
Step 2 in SimpleSteps to Sentence Sense is all about finding the verb and the verb phrase.
Click here to access a mini-lesson from pages from the All About Verbs exercise that you can assign in Google Drive. Click here to access the answers to the exercise.
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Tips for Knowing When to Use Who, That, and Which
Here are a few simple hints to help you decide whether to use “who,” “that,” or “which” in the sentences you write.
Use “who” when referring to people. For example, The man who answered the phone was very polite.
Use "that" for clauses that define specific people or things and provide necessary information. For example, The cake that I made yesterday was delicious. (You are talking about a specific cake.)
Use "which" in a nonessential clause that adds information but is not necessary to the meaning of the sentence. For example, The movie, which I saw yesterday, was about a war hero.
Nonrestrictive clauses that begin with “which” should be placed in between commas or in between parentheses. A nonrestrictive clause is one that can be omitted without changing the meaning of the sentence.
Sunday, September 20, 2020
Misplaced Modifiers Often Create Strange Mental Pictures
Misplaced modifiers can create mental pictures that are often humorous. Sometimes, it's possible to read a sentence that contains a misplaced or dangling modifier and not notice the error. As always, it is easier to detect the mistakes in other people's writing than it is in your own. You know what you are trying to say, but you will say it badly if the modifiers are out of place in the sentence.
A modifying phrase or clause must clearly modify a word in the sentence. If there is no word to which the modifier is attached, the modifier is misplaced.
For example, Carrying an armful of flowers, his foot caught on the steps.
His foot is not carrying the flowers. There is no word in the sentence for the participial phrase to modify, so it contains a dangling modifier.
Corrected: Carrying an armful of flowers, he caught his foot on the steps.
Another way writers can confuse readers is by placing a modifier in a sentence that may be taken to modify two different words. As a result, the reader will not understand the writer's intended meaning. This error is called using a squinting modifier. (Sometimes it is called using a two-way modifier.)
For example, Todd said after the game Jack acted like a jerk.
Since the phrase after the game could modify said or acted, the meaning of this sentence is not clear. Did Todd say this after the game, or did Jack act like a jerk after the game?
Clear: After the game, Todd said Jack acted like a jerk.
Clear: Todd said Jack acted like a jerk after the game.
To avoid dangling modifiers, be sure to place the modifier close to the word it modifies. Sometimes you will have to add a word to the sentence, and sometimes you can just move the modifying phrase or clause closer to the word it modifies.
To avoid squinting modifiers, carefully construct your sentences to say what you mean, and make it clear which word is being modified.
How do you avoid errors such as these? Proofread what you write carefully and make sure to write sentences that are well constructed. The more you write, the better you will be at avoiding errors with misplaced and squinting modifiers.
For practice, here are a few examples for you to correct.
- The bear was near the empty garbage can searching for food.
- The dog ran into the room wiggling and jumping for joy.
- He saw her at the meat counter talking to the butcher.
I also have a self-grading deck of BOOM Cards™ that your students will love to play while reviewing misplaced modifiers. The resource comes with a mini-lesson. You can preview the deck before you buy it.
I hope you will find this information useful. Your students will become better writers if they can identify and correct errors with misplaced, dangling, and squinting modifiers.
Take a look at these helpful blog posts from my teacher friends at The Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs Marketing Cooperative.
Thanks for reading,
Charlene
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Tips for Sequencing When Reading and Writing
Even though a writer may have outlined the plot of the story, the sequence of events can rearrange themselves when you least expect it. That usually happens to me when one of my characters takes over the novel and leads me down a path I did not expect to follow.
I have found that a stack of 3x5 cards comes in handy when I am writing fiction. I name the day and time that the action occurs at the top of the card and write a sentence describing the key action that occurs in each scene.
Later, after I am well into the novel, if I need to rearrange the sequence of events, I can do so by shuffling the cards into the proper order. When I am sure that I have the sequence exactly as I want it to be, I can begin to cut and paste on the computer and move chapters or scenes around without the risk of becoming confused.
If your students need help with sequencing when they read or write, have them use 3x5 cards as an easy way to arrange the order of events. I found this method especially helpful while students are reading difficult material.
While reading fiction, they could write the plot points on cards and then arrange them in order to see the exposition and rising action, and more easily determine the climax, the falling action, and the denouement.
Students may enjoy another creative writing lesson with which they'll have fun choosing a scenario to plot a mystery story. Click here to read the description in my store.
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Click here to enterMonday, August 3, 2020
Back to School on TpT
I have many distance learning resources that you can use in Google Drive. They include lessons, exercises, and the answers. You will find them here.
Have you tried BOOM Cards? They are self-grading digital task cards that your students will love. I have created several decks. You will find them here. Play the previews to see what you think.
My big news is that now all three editions of Simple Steps to Sentence Sense are now in Google Drive and students will type their work into text boxes on GOOGLE Slides.
Simple Steps to Sentence Sense for Elementary and ESL
Simple Steps to Sentence Sense for Middle School
Simple Steps to Sentence Sense for High School
BUNDLES are always a bargain, but during a TpT sale, they become a SUPER BARGAIN. I have some new bundles in my store. Click here to see them.
Please stay well and safe. If I can help you, please send me an email at booksbycharlenetess@gmail.com.
All the best,
Charlene
Friday, June 19, 2020
Sun, Sand, and Savings Week is Coming Soon
This summer, a group of teachers who write lessons for TeachersPayTeachers.com will participate in a sale that will offer fantastic savings. A special selection of products will be priced at $1 and $2.
The sales will continue from June 22nd to July 27th. It is the perfect time to stock up on resources that you can use for the new school year. Each week there will be a $1 sale on digital resources that may be especially useful in the fall. These will include BOOM cards, Google Drive Digital Lessons, and Interactive PDF lessons.
I am in the process of choosing which of my resources will be in the sale. I plan to include some of my best selling products and put them on sale for the amazing price of $1 and $2. Don't miss your chance to get these now, as the price will go back up on July 28th.
You will also have an opportunity to enter a contest each week for exciting Giveaway Prizes.
Visit and follow my Facebook Page for the latest information on the sale and frequent updates.
http://www.facebook.com/booksbycharlenetess
I hope your summer is going great, and that you are safe and well!
Thanks for reading.
Sunday, April 19, 2020
Teachers Helping Teachers with Distance Learning
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Sunday, March 15, 2020
How to Choose Between Affect and Effect
- Effect usually means
the result, consequence, or outcome.
- Affect usually means to
influence, to impact, or to sway.
Here are some interesting and helpful blog posts from my friends from The Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs Marketing Cooperative: