basic writing mechanics and usage

BASIC WRITING MECHANICS and USAGE

(for Grades 3 through 6)

Compiled by Mrs. LoParrino

BASIC WRITING MECHANICS and USAGE

(for Grades 3 through 6)

Compiled by Mrs. LoParrino

CREDITS

How to Capitalize and Punctuate, Teacher Created Materials Inc. (1988)

Basic Writing Skills, Instructional Fair, Inc. (1993)

How to Write a Sentence, Teacher Created Materials Inc. (1998)

Reading and Writing Skill Builders, Scholastic (1998)

Capitalization

The Basics in a NutshellTo capitalize, you begin a word with a capital letter. Here is a list of the things you should alwayscapitalize.

o the word IAt the fair I bought a balloon.

o the first word in a sentenceMy dog doesn't like the rain.

D the names of people and places(proper nouns)James Eiffel TowerSan Francisco Germany

D words derived from proper nouns(proper adjectives)German New YorkerAfrican Texan

D titles with people's names(titles of position, rank, etc.)Dr. William Mrs. HernandezCaptain Ross President Eisenhower

o title (of a person) when used in place of thatperson's name.Thank you, Doctor. You're very helpful.(Family members also have "titles" whichshould be capitalized when they are used aspart of a name or in place of a name.)This is Uncle Bob. I told Grandma I wouldcome see her.

o days of the week and monthsSunday Monday Tuesday WednesdayThursday Friday SaturdayJanuary February March April MayJune July August SeptemberOctober November December

D the first word in a letter to a friend orrelativeDear Janny, Dear Friends,

o the first letter of each word in a businessletter greetingTo Whom It May Concern: Dear Students:

#2329 How to Capitalize and Punctuate

o the main words (usually all words exceptprepositions. conjunctions, or the, an and a)in titles of books, movies, newspapers,television shows, plays, operas, musicals,or magazines (These titles need to be initalics or underlined.)A Wrinkle in TimeThe Los Angeles TimesPhantom of the Opera

D school subjects if they are languages oractual class titles listed in a catalogItalian Modem American ArtWomen Inventors Algebra I

D geographic locations when they namespecific areasHe lived in the East all his life.She wrote about the South.

D holidaysLabor Day Fourth of July Cinco de MayoGarlic Festival Memorial DayPassover Christmas

Here are some times when you should notcapitalize.

D persons' titles when not used with a nameor in place of a nameMy mother told me to call the doctor.The president went to the same school thatmy dad attended.

D the four seasonswinter spring summer autumn or fall

o regular school subjectsmathematics history social studies

D geographical directionsWe decided to head west.Go north along Campfire Street.

4 © Teacher Created Materials. Inc.

Punctuation

When and Why to Punctuate IMAGINEREADINGASTORYTHATHASNOPUNCTUATIONANDNOSPACESSOEVERYTHINGRU NSTOGEHTHERHOWDIFFICULTWOULDITBETOCOMMUNICATEWITHOTHERSDONTYOUT HINKTHATWOULDB EAMES S YOURERIGHTITWOULDBEAMES SPEOPLEWOULDHAVES OM UCHTROUBLEBEINGUNDERSTOODWOULDNTTHEYPUNCTUATIONWASINVENTEDTOBEA NIMPORTANTPARTOFOURLANGUAGESYSTEMPUNCTUATIONMARKSMAKEITPOSSIBLEFO RUSTOMANAGEOURWORDSANDIDEASANDTHEYHELPTHEREADERUNDERSTANDIUSTEX ACTLYWHATITISTHATYOUWANTTOSAY.

Did you manage to read what is written above? If you did, was it very difficult? (If you couldn't read it at all, there is a "translation" in the answer key). Punctuation marks are like markers on the highwaythey tell us which way to go, when to slow down and when to stop.

The Basics of Punctuation Apostrophes

D Use apostrophes for contractions. You've got to come and visit soon. I'm missing you!

D Use apostrophes to show possession or ownership with nouns. Amber's dad found David's wallet in the Fletchers' car.

D Use apostrophes also to show the plurals of letters and words but not for other plurals. Erin got three A's on her report card. Jake used too many very's iri his story. Erin has three kittens in a basket. Jake shot three baskets at the game last night.

Colons D Use a colon in a business letter right after the greeting.

Dear Sirs: Dear Mrs. Gonzales: o Use a colon to introduce a list.

Please bring the following items to school: white paper, colored pencils, and a compass. D Use a colon between the hour and the minutes of the time of day.

5:30 A.M. 3: 15 P.M.

D Use a colon to introduce a long, direct quotation. At the Galaxy Alien Convention, the keynote speaker said:

Things are looking up for space aliens these days. We can now make Earthlings better looking! Our handsome bug eyes, snake-like tongues, and slimy ears are easily 'cloned to replace ugly human features. Not only can we can help the poor things raise their selfesteem, but we will finally be able to view them without throwing up!

(Hint: There are no quotation marks around the passage above. If you wonder why, it is because you don't use them with a long, direct quote. Instead, indent on both sides to set it off from the other text).

#2329 How to Capitalize and Punctuate 24 © Teacher Created Materials, Inc.

Punctuation

When and Why to Punctuate (contJ

Commas

D Use a comma between two independent clauses joined by or, and, or but. There are always creative excuses for not turning in homework, but no excuse is acceptable.

My dad loves music, and my mom loves to sing.

D Use a comma after a dependent clause that comes at the beginning of a sentence. Even though I forgot my notes, I still did a good job on my speech.

D Use a comma between words, phrases, or clauses that are a series of three or more things. I will be writing a report that is brilliant, insightful, and a delight to read.

My mother asked me to feed the dog, take out the trash, and fold all my baby brother's diapers.

My brothers are Jason (who is scientific), Michael (who is artistic), and Chris (who is musical),

D Use commas to set apart hundreds, thousands, and milHons, etc., when writing numbers. My brother had 234,556,000 telephone messages when we got home, and they were all from girls!

D Use a comma to set apart the city from a state and a street from a city. When I grow up I intend to live at 12234 Monster Mash Lane, Transylvania, PA.

D Use a comma between the day and the year in a date. June 17, 1983

D Use a comma after a greeting or a closing in a letter to a friend or relative. Dear Granny,

Lovingly yours,

D Use a comma after introductory words at the beginning of a sentence or after an interjection (an introductory exclamation).

Yes, of course you may dye your hair purple.

No kidding, I dyed my hair purple.

D Use a comma after an interjection that is not an exclamation. Oh, I don't know what I'll do.

D Use a comma to separate the person to whom you are speaking from the rest of the sentence. Julie, I heard you dyed your hair purple.

D Use a comma to set otT dialogue. Her mom asked, "What on earth happened to your hair?"

She said, ··You don't remember?" and she walked into the light so her mom could get a better look. "You told me it was okay to dye it purple."

D Use commas to set otT interruptions. My dog will do the craziest things. The other day, for example, he was eating broccoli.

© Teacher Created Materials, Inc. 25 #2329 How to Capitalize and Punctuate

Punctuation

When and Why to Punctuate (cont.)

D Use commas· to set otT appositives (words or phrases that explain, identify, or rename a noun or pronoun). Licorice, my dog, tore a hole in the screen to get a tortilla! My sister, the world's smartest girl, forgot her orthodontist appointment.

D Use commas to set otT phrases. Positive-negative film, rarely used except in the movie industry and by some photographers, will take negatives, prints, and slides. A drooling, snarling dog chased me across the park, over a fence, and into a trash bin.

D Use commas between two adjectives that modify the same noun. We drove all day across the dry, dusty desert.

Dashes D Use a dash to indicate a sudden break in a sentence.

There is one thing that really bugs me about my brother-no, actually there are a zillion thingsbut it really bugs me when my friends call and he puts them on hold and forgets all about them.

D Use a dash to add emphasis to a word, a series of words, a phrase, or a clause. Let me just remind you that you will need to complete all the requirements-have a title page, a bibliography, and a video-in order to get the highest possible grade.

D Use a dash to show that someone's speech is being interrupted. Hello-yes, I remembered-what?-oh, okay-no, that really won't be necessary-no, really-I mean it-no, of course not-really, you don't need to-I really mean it, you don't need to-don't.

Ellipses D An ellipsis is three spaced periods used to replace words that have been left out or to

indicate a pause in dialogue • .. . ah ... well ... it's like this ... ah ... aliens came down ... that's it ... they came down in

this huge saucer and sucked up my homework with some strange vacuum-like device!

Twinkle, twinkle ... like a diamond in the sky. D When an ellipsis ends a sentence, add a period, making it a total of four dots.

I was thinking of going with you, but ....

Exclamation Points

D An exclamation mark is used to show strong feeling after a word, a phrase or an exclamatory sentence. (Be careful with exclamation points; they should not be overused. And don't ever use multiple exclamation marks all in a row!!!) Dh no! My underwear just fell out the window!

Hyphens D Use a hyphen to break a word between syllables at the end of a line.

I don't like that movie because it is too much like a cartoon.


Punctuation


Note: Avoid dividing words with five letters or less, don't ever try to divide one-syllable words, and don't divide contractions or abbreviations.

D Use a hyphen with two-part numbers. forty-eight twenty-three

D Use hyphens when writing fractions as words. one-fourth four-tenths

D Use hyphens to create new words. We found some fat-free chips. You've got an I-know-something-you-don't-know look on your face.

D Use hyphens for compound nouns and adjectives. drive-through bank four-year-old boy G-rated e-mail

Parentheses D Use parentheses around words or phrases that add information or make an idea more clear.

For more information about llama toenails, read chapter 13 (pages 56-72). The national park had something for everyone, including the fit (trails, mountain climbing, and whitewater rafting), the consumer (shops and concession stands), the curious (nature centers, museums, and ranger tours), and the tired (hammocks, benches, and cabins). He asked his neighbor Paul (he's a whiz with cars) to help him repair his truck.

D Use parentheses around an abbreviation after you have written the full name. My high school is on the same street as Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL).

Periods D Use a period at the end of a declarative or imperative sentence that is not an exclamation.

Always turn off the light when you leave the room. My puppy chewed my algebra book. In the future most of us will be telecommuting.

D Use periods after initials. A. A. Milne Mr. P. J. Winterhouse

D Use periods after abbreviations. P.O. Box 987 234 Slippery Hill S1. M1. Awesome, CA

Question Marks D Use a question mark at the end of an interrogative sentence (a question) and to show doubt

about the accuracy of a figure or fact. What were you thinking when you decided to do that? By the year 2040 (?) marine biologists will be living in laboratories on the ocean floor.


Punctuation


Quotation Marks o Use quotation marks to set off the words of a direct quote.

I was laughing so hard. When my brother woke up this morning, he came out of his room all rumpled and said, "I don't know what President Lincoln would do because I haven't asked him."

o Use quotation marks to indicate the title of an article in a magazine or newspaper. J cut out an article titled "My Best Friend, Llama" from yesterday's paper.

D Use quotation marks to indicate the title of a chapter. Read the chapter titled "My Brother, the Denizen of the Deep."

D Use quotation marks to indicate the titles of essays and short stories. My essay, "How I Almost Spent My Summer Vacation," was in the school newspaper. My mom just sold a short story titled "Jackie, the Mad Hugger."

D Use quotation marks to indicate the titles of songs and poems. My dad keeps listening to "Free as a Bird" on the CD player. It's starting to drive me crazy! I am going to read "Bed in Summer" by Robert Louis Stevenson.

o Use quotation marks around certain words used in a special way. I can't believe I got "punctuation" right on the spelling test! Please send me your e-mail address or I will have to send this by "snail mail." J called my brother a "dork" after he called me a "dweeb."

D A quote within a quote uses only one quotation mark at each end of the inside quote. She said, "He told me that 'The Little Princess' is his favorite poem." "Listen;' Amber said, "Mr. Zone clearly stated, 'Do not leave CDs in the CD-ROM drive! '"

Semicolons D (A semicolon is like a cross between a period and a comma.) Use a semicolon to join the

independent clauses of a compound sentence when you are not using a comma and a conjunction. My mom got a scanner for the computer; I couldn't wait to try it.

D Use a semicolon in front of a conjunction when you are joining two simple sentences. She usually adores frozen yogurt; however, today she didn't want any.

D Use a semicolon in a series of three or more items when commas are used within those items. Our talent show has been planned. We will have Jazz, a group of dancers; Klutzy Kyle, a magical extravaganza; Barknikov, a poodle ballet dancer; and Spring Showers, a folk singer.


Name _Mechanicsand Usage:Capitalization....................................................... ~~~~ .

Grammar Copand the case of the missingcapital lettersThe person who wrote this letter didn't reallyunderstand the laws of capital letters. Can you helpGrammar Cop find the mistakes?

~ __~--~_A--~~------------------------~

Dear cinderella and Prince Charming,there must be a terrible mistake! the

stepsisters and I have not yet received aninvitation to your wedding. i keep tellingthe stepsisters that the invitation willarrive soon. i'm getting worried that ourinvitation got lost. i hear you often haveproblems with the unicorns that deliver thepalace mail.

I'm sure you intend to invite us! Afterall, you were always my special favorite.How i spoiled you! i let you do all the bestchores around the house. are you still madabout that trip to disney world? i don'tknow how we could have forgotten you!anyway, florida is too hot in the summer.

so cinderella, dear, please send alonganother invitation as soon as you can. iknow how busy you are in your new palace.if you need any cleaning help, i can sendone of your stepsisters along. they bothmiss you so much!

Best wishes,Your not really so wicked stepmother

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Directions: Circle theletters that should havebeen capitalized. Hint:There are 19 mistakes.

Remember these basiclaws of capital letters:

• NamesAlways capitalizesomeone's proper name.(Example: Gina, Kenneth,Tyrone)

• PlacesAlways capitalize thename of the town, city,state, and country.(Example: I live in OrchardBeach, California, whichis in the United States.)

• IAlways capitalize theletter I when it stands fora person. (Example: I amin fourth grade, and I'mten years old.)

• First letterAlways capitalize the firstletter of the first word ofa sentence.

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Name _Mechanicsand Usage:Possessives....................................................... ~~~~ .

Grammar Copand the Apology of GoldilocksGoldilocks feels guilty about messing up the home ofthe three bears. She wants to make it up to them. Butshe doesn't understand the laws of possessive words.Can you help Grammar Cop fill in the blanks?

Dear Mama Bear, Papa Bear, and Baby Bear,I owe you guyD an apology. I didn't mean to

get my germD all over everyoneD porridge andbreak Baby BearD chair. I didn't say to myself, "Ithink I'll head to the bearD cottage and mess uptheir stuff." I had been hiking through the woodD,gathering rockD for my science project. I hadstuffed all the rocks into my jacketD pocket. When

I sat down in Baby BearD chair, the rockDweight caused me to crush the chair.

To make it up to you, I would like you to come tomy familyD house for dinner. I have a new chairfor Baby Bear. (I used all my baby-sitting money topay for it.) Please let me know if you can come.

Love,

Goldilocks

P.S. I'll be serving some of myparentD homemade honey.


Directions: Wherever yousee a box, decide whetherthe word needs an's, an s'or a plain s. Write youranswer in the box.

Remember these basiclaws of possessives:

• Singular possessive ('5)Use '5 when you want toshow that somethingbelongs to someone orsomething. (Example: Thatis Bozo's clown wig.)

• Plural possessive (5')Use 5' when somethingbelongs to more than oneperson. (Example: Those arethe clowns' wigs.)

• Plural noun (5)Use a plain 5 when yousimply want to show thatthere is more than one ofsomething. (Example: Thereare lots of clowns in town.They are all wearing wlgs.)

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Name _Mechanicsand Usage:Its Versus It's.............••••...•...•.....•.•....•........•........ ~~:.t:l~ .

Grammar Copand the Case ofthe Big Bad WolfThe wolf from "Little Red Riding Hood" is trying to tellhis side of the story. But he doesn't really understandthe difference between its and it's. Can you helpGrammar Cop fill in the blanks?

I'm the wolf from "Little Red Riding Hood." Youprobably know me as the guy who ate Grandma. I'mhere to tell you I I all a big lie.

Every bedtime story needs I I bad guy. But Ididn't eat Grandma. I didn't dress up in Grandma'snightgown and chase Little Red Riding Hood. Ididn't get killed by a hunter. I I a big mistake.

I I very simple. I was walking through thewoods. I saw a basket with I I lid open. I peekedinside and saw some cookies. I took just one cookie.

All of a sudden, someone yelled, "Hey! Put thatcookie back! I I mine!"

I looked over, and there was a little girl wearing ared cape and hood. She ran over and started yellingat me. She looked so scary! So I dropped the cookie.I I crumbs flew behind me. I ran all the wayhome.

Little Red Riding Hood was so mad about hercookie. She started telling everyone that I had triedto eat her up. I I all lies. You have to believe me.So the next time someone tells you the story of"Little Red Riding Hood," tell my side of the story.

I I the truth!

Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders Scholastic Professional Books8

Directions: The word its orit's belongs in each of theboxes. Choose the correctword and write it in.

Remember these basiclaws of its and it's:

• It'sIt's is a contraction of "itis." A contraction is madeup of two words that arejoined by an apostrophe.The apostrophe showswhere one or more lettershave been left out.(Example: It's time forlunch.)

• ItsIts is the possessive formof "it." The word its showsthat "it" owns something.(Example: The squirreldropped its acorn.)

Name _Mechanicsand Usage:Your, You're

.. ·.. · · · ·.. · · ·..•. ··· · ·.~~:.t:1~ ·.. ··

Grammar Copand the Educationof Snow WhiteSnow White has left the seven dwarfs' cottage. Shewants to explain her disappearance, but she doesn'treally understand the difference between your and

you're. Can you help Grammar Cop fill in the blanks?

Dear Dwarfs,

I I probably wondering why I left. I have to

admit Ihave gotten tired of I I strange habits.It seems like if I 1 not sneezing, then

1 1 sleeping or 1 1 acting grumpy.Also, it turned out that the prince wasn't for me.

As I said to him, "I 1really nice, but Idon'twant to sit around I 1 castle all day while

I 1 off slaying dragons."The other day, I took a good look in the mirror.

Sure it said, "I I the fairest of them all." But italso said, "Plan for 1 I future. What about

I 1 education? I 1 career?"That was it. "Snow," I said, "say good-bye to

___ I dwarfs. 1 I going back to school."

I hope I haven't hurt 1 1 feelings. Iappreciate 1 I kindness. I 1 all verygenerous. But for now, 1 1 on 1 I own.

'-------__ I friend,Snow White


Directions: The word youror you're belongs in eachof the boxes. Choose thecorrect word and write it in.

Remember these basiclaws of your and you're:

• YourYour is the possessiveform of you. Use it whenyou are talking aboutsomething that belongs tothe person with whom youare speaking. (Example: Ireally like your new jeans.Where did you get them?)

• You'reYou're is a contraction of"you are." Here's a tip:Whenever you write you're,read over the sentence andsubstitute you are foryou're. If the sentencemakes sense, you've madethe right choice. (Example:I always tell people thatyou're my best friend.)

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Name _Mechanics andUsage: Their,They're, and There...................................................... ~.~~~~~ .

Grammar Copand the Case of the Worried ElfSanta's head elf is worried. But he doesn't know thedifference among their, they're, and there. Can youhelp him? Fill in the right word in the blanks.

Directions: The word their, they're, or there belongs ineach of the boxes. Choose the correct word and writeit in.

Dear Santa,I is a problem with some of the elves.

---'====;---"___ I acting very lazy. Iknow that Christmas isn'tuntil the end of December. But the elves aren't ready.Many of them can't even find C=:J tools. I caughta group of doll-making elves playing with I IBarbies. I saw some of the candy makers having asword fight with I I candy canes. I inspectedI I sleeping area, and Imust tell you it's adisgusting mess down I I. I found candywrappers and soda cans everywhere.

Santa, Iknow that the elves are a good bunch.'------ __ I all very sweet and nice. But 1 I like abunch of kids. We must ask them to improveI I work habits. We must make sure '-1---ready for the big day. We need to make themresponsible for cleaning up all of [ I garbage.Most of all, we must make them understand that1 I Santa's elves! Let's hope they get themessage.

Very sincerelyRocko, your head elf

10 Super-Fun Reading & Writing Skill Builders Scholastic Professional Books

Remember these basiclaws of their, they're,and there:

• TheirTheir is the possessiveform of they. You use itwhen you want to say thatsomething belongs to agroup of people. (Example:They went sledding, butthey forgot their mittens.)

• They'reThey're is a contraction ofthey are. (Example: Mindyand Jessica are bestfriends. They're alwaystogether.)

• ThereThere is a place. It is theopposite of here.(Example: Australia is faraway. I wonder if I'll evergo there.) There is also apronoun used to introducea sentence. (Example:There is someone at thedoor.)

Name _Mechanicsand Usage:Quotation Marks

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • j'!- ~~~~II •••••••••••••••••••

Grammar Copand the Three Little Pigs'Day in Court

The Three Little Pigs are trying to prove their caseagainst the Big Bad Wolf. But they don't know therules for using quotation marks. Can you helpGrammar Cop by adding the quotation marks in theirstory?

One day the Three Little Pigs-Hambone, Porky,and Daisy-agreed that Wolf had bothered them longenough. I hate to be a pig, Daisy said, but I think weshould sue him.

A few weeks later, they went to court. Thecourtroom was packed with other animals.

What's the problem? asked the judge.Wolf won't leave us alone, said Hambone. He

keeps blowing down our houses.Porky said, He turned my house into a pigsty!The judge asked Wolf if the charges were true.They're all hogwash, said Wolf. I'm not guilty.The judge said that he didn't know what to

believe. Do you have witnesses? he asked the pigs.The pigs looked at the other animals for help. But

they all said that they were scared of Wolf.The pigs were losing hope when a flea jumped out

of Wolf's fur. I saw everything, she said. The pigs aretelling the truth. Wolf is a real beast!

What a relief, Daisy said. Maybe now we'll all livehappily ever after!


Directions: Add quotationmarks to the story.

Remember these basiclaws for quotation marks:

• Direct quotesPut quotation marks aroundwords that someone isactually saying. (Example:"Are you positive," Bill'smother asked, "that youwant to put turnips on yoursandwich?")

• Indirect quotesDon't put quotation marksaround words thatsummarize what someonesaid. (Example: Bill saidthat he likes to eat turnipsat every meal.) Tip: Phrasessuch as said that orreported that are oftengood clues that you don'tneed quotation marks.)

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Don't Forget to Punctuate and Capitalize!

Some words need to be capitalized. This means they start with capital letters.

You should always capitalize• the first word in a sentence. Example: We close the windows when

it rains.• the word I. Examples: When I went to the park, I climbed a tree.• the special names of people and places. Examples: Carl, France,

Empire State Building• titles of people. Examples: Dr. Martin, Mrs. Garcia, President

Washington• titles or family names when they are used in place of a person's name.

Examples: Good morning, General. I saw Grandpa. Give the list toMom.

• the days of the week and months of the year. Examples: Monday,Tuesday, Wednesday; January, February, March

• titles of books, movies, songs, plays, musicals, magazines,newspapers, and television shows.

• school subjects, when they are the names of languages or subjecttitles. Examples: English, French, Modern Art in America

• holidays. Examples: Martin Luther King, Jr., Day; Thanksgiving

The following sentences have some words that need to be capitalized. Cross out each letterthat needs to be changed to a capital. Write the capital above the crossed out letter. The firstletter is done for you.

W1. Xhen i went to the store, i saw my teacher, mrs. roe, buying strawberries.

2. my family will go to disneyland in july.

3. i am reading old yeller this week.

4. my sister, sarah, says her favorite subject is spanish.

5. on wednesday, we will celebrate groundhog day.

6. my brother said that mom was a cheerleader at roosevelt high school.

7. in august, we're going to visit aunt margaret in san francisco, california.

8. benjie, my little brother, had a birthday and we sang, "happy birthday to you."

9. my friend, rosa, speaks spanish and i speak english.

10. my neighbor, julia, is going to be an exchange student in paris, france, next august.

#2326 How to Write a Sentence 14 © Teacher Created Materials, Inc.

Capitalization

Each year the students at Wiggleworm School have a pet day. On pet day each student is allowed tobring a pet to school to share. Usually things go pretty well, but this year things got a little out of hand.In this story about the pet show, draw a line through each letter that needs to be capitalized and writethe capital letter above it.

Pet Day at Wiggleworm Elementary School

mrs. wolfe was in charge, and she stood at the entrance of wigglewormelementary school to welcome the students. lindsay harper entered firstwith her goldfish named twitty. Next came lorenzo lopez with a cat, fang.fang scratched lorenzo and tried to get a bite of the goldfish, twitty. Whensamantha rissota arrived with her big, shaggy dog named crackers, crackersimmediately took off after fang, the cat, dragging samantha behind as sheheld fast to the leash. As samantha went flying by, she accidentallyknocked over jacob fritz and his ant farm. The ant farm broke, andthousands of ants began to crawl away. "doc, loretta, steve and darlene,licorice, pepper-come back!" jacob knelt over the ants and pleaded withthem to return. Just then, fibber, tasha armstrong's parrot, landed next tothe ants and looked at them with great interest. "fibber!" tasha cried andraced across the room to tackle her parrot. The parrot flew to perch on thelight fixtures, and tasha flew into jonny mcandrew, who was carrying two petfrogs, antony and Cleopatra. The frogs hopped away slowly and then morequickly as they realized they were being chased by fang the cat. fang thecat was being chased by crackers the dog, and lindsay harper was trying toget her goldfish, twitty, back into the bowl, but she was too slippery. mrs.wolfe was trying to remove the ants that were crawling on her when she sawvictoria pleasant arriving with her snake, priscilla, and jake jasso coming upbehind victoria with his pet monkey, billie. mrs. wolfe, scratching her armsand legs, blocked the doorway, which surprised victoria, priscilla, jake, andbillie. "Stop! You're too late. Pet day is over. This was the last pet day ever,and you may go home now. Try not to be late for school tomorrow!"victoria, with priscilla wrapped around her neck, smiled and skipped home.When jake peeked in the window to the classroom, he saw that mrs. wolfewas clapping her hands and saying, "Now class! It's a short day today; youmay go home now!"

Extension: Illustrate the story. It might help if you make a list of all the pets and their owners first.Be sure to capitalize all their names.

8 © Teacher Created Materials, Inc.#2329 How to Capitalize and Punctuate

Punctuation

A comma is used between words in a series. Three or more things together make aseries.

We will be talking today about muffins, kittens, and lollipops.

Add the missing commas to the sentences below.

1. All birds have feathers wings and beaks.

2. My sister is sleepy grumpy and clueless.

3. I would have done my homework but I was abducted by aliens was left in Siberia andhad to wait for the Marines to rescue me.

4. I ordered a pizza with cheese pickles and sliced cherries.

5. Please go to the store and get flypaper chopsticks and kumquats.

6. I went to the door with rollers in my hair a mud mask on my face and wearing myheadgear.

7. My dog has brown spots a short tail and fuzzy feet.

8. My little brother can't go anywhere without his blanket his stuffed duck and his rabbit'sfoot key chain.

9. When I go to college, I am taking a stereo a microwave and a treadmill.

10. For her birthday, Mindy wants some edible flowers sparkly socks and a pony.

A comma is also used between two or more describing words (adjectives).

A friendly, playful dog makes a good pet.

Add the missing commas to the sentences below.

1. My rabbit has long floppy ears.

2. A large heavy sparrow could weigh 200 pounds.

3. My teacher has a green pointy nose.

4. My dad used to have curly frizzy hair.

5. A friendly playful giraffe ate all my spaghetti.

#2329 How to Capitali;e and Punctuate 36 © Teacher Created Materials, Inc.

Don't Forget to Punctuate and Capitalize!

Every sentence must end with a punctuation mark. As you have been learning, a sentence may endwith a period, a question mark, or an exclamation point.

• A period comes at the end of a sentence that tells something.

Examples: I have a purple bicycle. Turn left at the corner.

• A question mark comes at the end of a sentence that asks a question.

Examples: What color is your bicycle? Is that your house?

• An exclamation point comes at the end of a sentence that contains astrong feeling.

Examples: Watch out for that car! What a wonderful surprise!

The following sentences need end marks. Think about which kind of end mark each sentenceneeds. Then write the correct punctuation mark at the end of each sentence.

1. I love my purple bicycle D2. I saved enough money to buy it last year D3. Would you like to try it

4. My brother has a blue bicycle D5. One time he crashed into me, and I fell off my bike [J

,·'·1

6. Have you ever fallen off your bike LJ

7. Did you skin your knee 08. I was so mad at my brother D9. He told me he was sorry D

10. I'm so glad that my bike did not break D11. Watch out for the glass in the road [J12. Don't ride your bike in the street D13. Can you park a bike right here D14. I have to go inside now D15. Will I see you tomorrow D

© Teacher Created Materials, Inc. 15 #2326 How to Write a Sentence

Punctuation

Every sentence ends with a punctuation mark. Some sentences are "telling" sentences(a declarative sentence which makes a statement), and these end with periods. Other sentences are"asking" sentences (an interrogative sentence which asks a question), and these end with questionmarks. Another kind of sentence is a "commanding" sentence (an imperative sentence which makes arequest), which also ends with a period. And then, last but not least, there are sentences which showstrong feelings or surprise (an exclamatory sentence which makes an exclamation), which end with anexclamation mark.

Here is an example of each kind.

Declarative Sentence

An insect is sometimes called a bug.

Interrogative Sentence

Do you know anything about insects?

Imperative Sentence

Close the lid to the bug box.

Exclamatory Sentence

Oh no, the bugs are escaping!

Here is a chart to remind you of what kind of punctuation to use.

• Declarative SentenceInterrogative SentenceImperative SentenceExclamatory Sentence

?•

•,•


The Predicate: Another VI.P

Here are some sentences that are missing subjects or predicates. Choose a subject or predicate from thebox to complete each sentence. Then, on the line before each number, write a P if you added apredicate or an S if you added a subject to the sentence. The first one is done for you.

The following subjects and predicates may be used more than once.

My teacherThe mail carrierMy kittenhas a cute little hat.A ladybugUncle GeraldMy sisterA cute little babyA suitcaseis very gross.is drooling.

An ugly grasshopperThe treehas an attitude.is crying.climbs on the furniture.is lost in space.DinnerMy beddrove over the hillsran on the playground.snores.

fell on my toe.is growling.is singing in an opera.is really an alien.is covered in stripes.was under the house.is as big as Australia.is a spy.The doctorfloats away.is purple with polka dots.

5 1. My Kitten

2.

3. Laurie

4.

5. Mrs. Crabapple

6.

7. A giant elephant

8. My little brother

9. The grizzly bear

10.

11.

12. A jet plane

13.

14. My science book

15.

________________ sat on the birthday cake.

_________________ ate worms for breakfast.

_________________ slipped on a banana peel.

________________ is a big, hairy beast.

_________________ is very heavy.

_________________ has the measles.

__________________ isgreen.

__________________ is growing blue fur.


The Verb: The Active V/.P.

An action verb tells what the subject does. It shows action.

Examples: run, swing, jump, laugh, see, hit, leap

What are some of your favorite action verbs? Write them here: _

In the following paragraph, there are fifty action verbs. Can you find at least forty of them? When youfind one, underline it and write it in the box at the bottom of the page.

In the morning, Benjamin woke up and jumped out of bed. He landed on his brother,Timothy, who was asleep in the bottom bunk. Timothy sat up and rubbed his eyes.He grumbled at Benjamin then fell back on his bed. Benjamin looked at Timothy fora long time. He wanted to see if Timothy was asleep. Then Benjamin ran to thecorner and grabbed his horn. Benjamin blew into his horn and played some musicalnotes. He liked the way his horn sounded. But he heard another sound. Hestopped and listened. A moaning sound came from Timothy. Benjamin didn't likethat sound. He grabbed his horn and ran out the door. He sat on the front lawn andplayed some more music. The notes floated in the air. He felt happy until he heardanother sound. He stopped and listened. A groaning sound came from his next doorneighbor. Benjamin ran into the backyard. He played his horn some more. He likedthe notes. Then he heard another sound. It was his mother. She called his nameagain. He went inside. His mother took his horn and put it away. Then she putBenjamin back in his bed. She told him it was too early to get up. Benjamin'smother went back to bed, too. Benjamin tried to imagine the sounds of his horn.Suddenly, he heard another sound. He stopped and listened. Timothy snored againand again. Benjamin moaned. He stuck his fingers in his ears, but he still heardTimothy. So he covered his ears with his pillow. Soon he fell fast asleep.


Expanding Sentences

By adding words to simple sentences, they willbe more descriptive and exact.Rewrite each sentence below, Add the kind of wordsas directed in place of the parentheses,Example: The (what kind) boy studied science (when),

The brainy boy studied science after school,

The (what kind) animal sat (how. where), ~

(How many) balls were kicked (where, by whom),

(What kind) butterflies return (where, when),

(When) the dog barked (at what),

(What kind) cliffs dropped (how) into the river,

The (how many, what kind) monkeys chattered (how) at each other,

Nancy lost her (what kind) purse (when, where),

(When) we saw (how many) kites (where),

The (what kind) table had (what kind) flowers on it,

(How many) boys crossed (what, where, when),

Our (what) waited for us (where),

The (what kind) room had (how many) windows,

(Where) there are a (what kind) bucket and (how many) mops,

(How many) horses ran (how, where),

Marty called (how) for her (what kind) dog,

I play (what, when, where),

©1993 Instructional Fair, Inc. 7 IF5066 Basic Writing Skills

Capitalization

It is time to see how much you have learned about capitalization. Circle all the letters below thatshould be capitals. (Hint: there are 63 of them.)

1. the first day of school is exciting.

2. freddy wilson's frog peepers hopped into mrs. woolsey's purse.

3. as i walked outside, i smelled smoke.

4. In the play, robin hood was played by lieutenant bronksy.

5. the fourth thursday in november is thanksgiving.

6. i like halloween best when it is on a saturday.

7. aunt susan went to yellowstone national park.

8. connie lives on maple street in bismark, north dakota.

9. brazil, argentina, and peru are in south america.

10. the mediterranean sea and the atlantic ocean touch spain.

11. the letter was signed, "love always, esther."

12. davis medical center opened in january last year.

13. one of the religions practiced by many african people is islam.

14. italians and germans belong to the caucasian race.

15. last tuesday ruben walked his dog spotty down tulip street to central park.

© Teacher Created Materials. Inc. 21 #2329 How to Capitalize and Punctuate

P 1111 (' III (if i011

If a comma were a road sign, it would be yellow and it would say, "pause." Commas are very useful fortelling readers when to slow down.

Here are some ways to use commas for this purpose.

D Use a comma after the words yes, no, well, and all right. They should also he used afterphrases like "No kidding,"and "Of course." These kinds of words and phrases are calledinterjections, and they are separated from the rest of the sentence with a comma.

• Yes, I did stay up all night at the slumber party.• No, we didn't go to Marc's house.• Well, it's a long story.• All right, we were going to Marc's house but he wasn't home.• No kidding, you know where he was?• Of course, but I won't tell anyone.

D When a person is being addressed, a comma is used to separate his or her name from therest of the sentence.

• Jeremy Jackson, get in here right this minute!• Erin, would you like some help with that banana split you are trying to eat?• Don't worry, Jaime, we'll find your boa constrictor.

D Use commas to set off interruptions when a word, phrase, or clause interrupts the mainthought of a sentence. To check that a word, phrase, or clause is an interruption, see if that partof the sentence can be removed without changing the meaning of the sentence, or see if theinterruption can be placed nearly anywhere in the sentence without changing its meaning.

• Most dogs think that the humans they live with are part of their doggy family. Our dog, forexample, likes to eat her dog food whenever my daughter appears.You can remove "for example," and the sentence will still make sense. You can also move thephrase.

• For example, our dog likes to eat her dog food whenever my daughter appears.• Our dog likes to eat her dog food, for example, whenever my daughter appears.

o Use commas to set off an appositive (an explanatory word or phrase) from the rest of thesentence.

• Mr. Gargoyle, my science teacher, says he is going to visit all of his students on Halloween.• My best friend, Lucy Licorice, lives on a houseboat.

D Also use commas to set off phrases and clauses.• In bookstores of the future, we will find books stored on disks instead of on shelves.• English, which students learn throughout the world, is the most widely used language in all fields

of medicine and science.


Punctuation

~ ~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!~!!!!!!~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!~!!!!!!~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.!!!!!!!!!!~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!~-

Set It Off! (coni.)

In the sentences below, add the missing commas to "set it off."

1. No Marlene does not like being squirted in the face.

2. Christopher how long have you been on the telephone?

3. Well just what did you have in mind?

4. Sure Laura I'd love another jelly donut.

5. My brother the world's scariest boy likes escargots.

6. The plane we are taking a 747 will have plenty of room.

7. You realize of course that you will not be allowed out of the house in that outfit.

8. My orthodontist Dr. Baugh decorated his office for Halloween.

9. All right if that's what you think, let's just eat all of the chocolate.

10. In the future we will be able to speak to our computers.

11. No kidding you went rock climbing?

12. We went to Bouquet Canyon a canyon near Valencia to attend a harvestfestival.

13. You could read for example some books about the historical period in whichyour novel takes place.

14. For Valentine's Day my dad gave me two pounds of my favorite treat candycorn.

15. I don't care what you think I'm going to go back there and help that little boy.


Capitalization and Punctuation

Here is a story that has no punctuation and no capitalization whatsoever. Your mission: capitalize andpunctuate. Using a colored pen, write a capital letter over any letter that needs one. Be careful. Don'tcapitalize anything that shouldn't be. Insert punctuation marks wherever you think they need to go.Good luck!

our class went on a very special field trip we saved up money from newspapers and recyclingaluminum cans until we had enough for a group rate to disneyland isnt that exciting

we also had to save up enough for the bus which wasnt too expensive when the day finallycame we were so excited we sang songs like bingo and the ants go marching in all the waythere the bus driver said he was going to go crazy but he was just kidding because he wasalso going to disneyland and he was happy about that

when we got there marisa said i see space mountain then luke said I see the matterhornmountain then hector said i see splash mountain and of course then olivia said i see thundermountain

the bus driver said maybe they should call it mountain land instead nobody said anythingbecause just then we all saw the monorail go by I want to go on the monorail cassie said butmrs martinez said that we had to go through the entrance first

after we went through the entrance everybody forgot about the monorail we were divided intogroups so we could go wherever our group wanted to go and we could join with other groupstoo whenever we wanted to because we all wore bright orange shirts it wouldnt be too hard tofind each other mrs martinez took a group and so did mr rawlings ms white mrs hojito and billthe bus driver guess what i was in bill the bus drivers group ill never forget this day our grouphad more fun than any other group because bill went on all the rides with us and he didntcomplain at all in fact he said im having too much fun isnt that great bill the bus driver evenrode the bobsleds with us and he went on the autopia too he didnt get sick on dumbo or themerry go round and he even went on splash mountain thunder mountain and space mountainon indiana jones he covered his eyes when a snake hissed at him and on the jungle cruise heshrieked when a hippopotamus blew water on him he made us all laugh all the time at thevery end bill the bus driver got motion sickness on the teacups someone was coming to pickhim up and to bring a new bus driver that meant we got to go back into disneyland for onemore hour we felt sorry for bill but we were so glad to have another hour


Friendly Letter Name -----,,----,----:;r.;~---

A friendly letter is like having a "chat" with a friend, but it is /la one-sided chat because the friend does not have a /~/chance to talk. The letter writer tells a friend about atopic or topics of interest to them. He tells about it in anorderly way. Transition words help organize the letter. ~..;L-J-~

Write a friendly letter to a friend. Make it sound personal. Tellyour friendabout a day you had recently that was special. Tellwhat happened, andwhy it was special. Write as many paragraphs as are necessary in the bodyof the letter. Remember to indent at the start of each paragraph.

=-+'Heading

Greeting t _Bodv]

.-Closing ,•Signature

©1993 Instructional Fair, Inc. 29 IF5066 Basic Writing Skills

WRITING MECHANICS AND USAGE WITH MRS. LOPARRINO

Basic Writing Skills Notes: 1. When/Why to Capitalize 2. Set it Off! Reviews/Final Assessments: 1. Capitalization 2. Caps/Punctuation 3. What’s in a Name? 4. Friendly Letter

Mechanics and Usage Grammar Cop:

a. Cinderella/Prince b. Goldilocks c. Big Bad Wolf d. Snow White e. Worried Elf f. Three Little Pigs

Punctuation: a. End Marks b. Where’s My List? c. Set it off d. That’s Capital! e. End Marks

Sentences: a. What is Missing? b. Take Action! c. Expanding Sentences

basic writing mechanics and usage

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