Made by the people who make the books!

Years 6-10

Literacy

Master the essential skills for academic achievement

with your tutor in a book!

Literacy

Years 6-10

Prepare forNAPLAN

success!

Juvenile Nonfiction/Literacy /General

Help is now at hand with your best literacy tutor ever — in a book!

• Punctuate effectively

• Work with verbs, adjectives and adverbs to improve your writing

• Use tenses correctly

• Include speech in your writing

• Write with clarity and cohesion

• Build your vocabulary, and improve your spelling and comprehension

• Complete homework and prepare for tests with confidence

Cover Image: © Wiley

Does your son or daughter worry about their essay writing?

Are you concerned about their grammar, punctuation and spelling?

Does the thought of writing an essay or editing your work worry you?

Are you concerned that other students understand what is happening in class, but it is all just !?(@;& to you?

Years 6–10 Literacy

FOR STUDENTS

Years 6–10 Literacy

FOR STUDENTS

Made by the people who make thebooks!

by Wendy M AndersonGeraldine Woods

Lesley J WardChristopher Danielson, PhD

Tracey Wood, MEd

Years 6–10 Literacy for Students®Published byWiley Publishing Australia Pty Ltd42 McDougall StreetMilton, Qld 4064www.dummies.com

Copyright © 2016 Wiley Publishing Australia Pty Ltd

The moral rights of the authors have been asserted.

National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication data:

Author: Wendy M Anderson

Contributors: Geraldine Woods, Lesley J Ward, Christopher Danielson, Tracey Wood

Title: Years 6–10 Literacy for Students

ISBN: 9780730326762 (pbk.)

9780730326755 (ebook)

Series: For Dummies

Notes: Includes index.

Subjects: Literacy — Study and teaching (Secondary) — Australia.

English language — Study and teaching (Secondary) — Australia.

English language — Australia — Textbooks.

English language — Problems, exercises, etc.

Dewey Number: 428.00712

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Contents at a GlanceIntroduction ................................................................ 1

Part I: Understanding Verbs and Sentences .................... 5Chapter 1: Why is Grammar Important? ......................................................................... 7Chapter 2: Vivid Verbs ..................................................................................................... 21Chapter 3: Timing is Everything: Understanding Verb Tense .................................... 37Chapter 4: Completing Sentences .................................................................................. 47Chapter 5: Peaking with Pronouns ................................................................................ 67

Part II: Adding Detail and Avoiding Common Errors ...... 79Chapter 6: Modifying with Adjectives and Adverbs .................................................... 81Chapter 7: Punctuation for Sense .................................................................................. 91Chapter 8: Apostrophes: They’re There for a Reason ............................................... 109Chapter 9: Choosing Capital Letters and Numerals .................................................. 117Chapter 10: Reporting Speech and Quoting Others .................................................. 125

Part III: Polishing Your Writing and Comprehension ... 143Chapter 11: Writing with Cohesion and Coherence .................................................. 145Chapter 12: Building Vocabulary and Comprehension ............................................. 153Chapter 13: Blitzing the Spelling Bee .......................................................................... 167

Part IV: The Part of Tens .......................................... 183Chapter 14: Ten Solutions to the Most Common Grammar Errors ......................... 185Chapter 15: Ten Things Grammar and Spell Checkers Can’t Do .............................. 191Chapter 16: Ten Ways to Improve Your Writing ......................................................... 197

Index ...................................................................... 203

Table of ContentsIntroduction ................................................................. 1

About This Book .............................................................................................. 1Foolish Assumptions ....................................................................................... 2Icons Used in This Book ................................................................................. 2Where to Go From Here .................................................................................. 3

Part I: Understanding Verbs and Sentences .................... 5

Chapter 1: Why is Grammar Important? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Functioning with Good Grammar .................................................................. 8Choosing Levels of English ............................................................................. 9

Impressing with formal English ............................................................ 9Chatting in informal English ............................................................... 10

Labelling Words ............................................................................................. 11Nouns .................................................................................................... 11Pronouns ............................................................................................... 11Verbs ...................................................................................................... 12Adjectives ............................................................................................. 12Adverbs ................................................................................................. 12Determiners .......................................................................................... 13Prepositions .......................................................................................... 13Conjunctions ........................................................................................ 14Articles .................................................................................................. 14

Turning to Reference Books for Help .......................................................... 15Digging into dictionaries ..................................................................... 15Thumbing through the thesaurus ...................................................... 17

What Parents Can Do to Help ....................................................................... 17Helping your child with homework (without doing the work

yourself) ............................................................................................ 17Becoming unstuck: What to do .......................................................... 19

Chapter 2: Vivid Verbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21Verifying Verbs ............................................................................................... 21

Happening with action verbs ............................................................. 22Being with linking verbs ...................................................................... 22Helping out in verb groups ................................................................. 24Finding the whole verb........................................................................ 25

Simplifying Subjects ...................................................................................... 26

viii Years 6–10 Literacy for Students

Locating the subject ............................................................................ 26Baring the complete subject .............................................................. 26Uncovering a hidden subject.............................................................. 27Commanding an understood subject ................................................ 27

Making Subjects and Verbs Agree ............................................................... 28Separating singles from plurals .......................................................... 28Adjusting verbs to match subjects .................................................... 29Matching two subjects ........................................................................ 31

Looking like Verbs: Verbals .......................................................................... 32Participating with participles ............................................................. 32Naming gerunds ................................................................................... 33Defining infinitives ............................................................................... 34

Chapter 3: Timing is Everything: Understanding Verb Tense . . . . . . . .37Simplifying Matters: The Simple Tenses ..................................................... 37

Simple present tense ........................................................................... 38Simple past tense ................................................................................. 38Simple future tense .............................................................................. 40

Using the Tenses Correctly .......................................................................... 41Continuous tense ................................................................................. 41Past continuous ................................................................................... 41Present continuous .............................................................................. 42Future continuous ................................................................................ 42

Finding the Right Voice: Active and Passive .............................................. 43

Chapter 4: Completing Sentences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47Understanding Sentence Basics .................................................................. 47You Complete Me: Subject and Verb Pairs ................................................. 48Expressing Complete Thoughts ................................................................... 50Clauses: Nothing to do with Santa ............................................................... 51

Identifying single and multiple clauses ............................................. 51Main clauses ......................................................................................... 52Subordinate clauses ............................................................................ 53

Coordination and Subordination ................................................................. 54Pairing equal ideas: Coordination ...................................................... 54Demoting lesser ideas: Subordination .............................................. 55Creating logic with coordination and subordination ...................... 57

Considering Sentence Fragments ................................................................ 58Fragmented subject–verb pair ........................................................... 58Fragmented ideas ................................................................................. 59

Proposing Relationships: Prepositions ....................................................... 61Understanding how prepositions work............................................. 61Prepositions and objects .................................................................... 62Ending a sentence with a preposition ............................................... 64

Stopping Safely: Finishing a Sentence ......................................................... 65

ix Table of Contents

Chapter 5: Peaking with Pronouns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67Matching Nouns and Pronouns ................................................................... 67Avoiding Vague Pronoun Use ....................................................................... 68Choosing Singular and Plural Pronouns ..................................................... 69Pairing Pronouns with Collective Nouns .................................................... 70Selecting Pronouns as Subjects ................................................................... 71

Matching more than one subject ....................................................... 72Selecting pronouns as objects ........................................................... 73

Owning Possessive Pronouns ...................................................................... 73Reflecting on Reflexive Pronouns ................................................................ 74This, That and the Other .............................................................................. 76

Part II: Adding Detail and Avoiding Common Errors ..... 79

Chapter 6: Modifying with Adjectives and Adverbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81Adding Meaning with Adjectives ................................................................. 82

Uncovering adjectives ......................................................................... 82Adding adjectives to nouns ................................................................ 83Adding adjectives to pronouns .......................................................... 84Using adjectives with linking verbs ................................................... 85

Describing with Adverbs .............................................................................. 85Finding the adverb ............................................................................... 86Using adverbs to describe adjectives and other adverbs .............. 87

Distinguishing Between Adjectives and Adverbs ...................................... 88Using the -ly test .................................................................................. 88Sorting adjective–adverb pairs .......................................................... 89

Chapter 7: Punctuation for Sense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91Understanding the Point of Punctuation .................................................... 91Conquering Commas ..................................................................................... 92

Using commas in lists .......................................................................... 92Addressing people directly ................................................................. 95Noting introductory and concluding words ..................................... 95Adding extra detail with pairs of commas ........................................ 96Connecting commas with conjunctions ............................................ 97

Simplifying Semicolons ................................................................................. 98Hinging complete thoughts ................................................................ 98Joining with conjuncts ........................................................................ 99Separating items in a list with semicolons ..................................... 100

Clarifying Colons .......................................................................................... 101Setting up long lists ........................................................................... 101Setting up extracts ............................................................................. 102Expanding on an idea ........................................................................ 102

x Years 6–10 Literacy for Students

Dealing with Dashes .................................................................................... 103Using the humble hyphen with words ............................................ 103Using the humble hyphen with numbers........................................ 105Embracing em and en dashes........................................................... 105

Bracketing Information ............................................................................... 107

Chapter 8: Apostrophes: They’re There for a Reason . . . . . . . . . . . . .109Shortening Words with Contractions ........................................................ 110Using Apostrophes to Show Possession ................................................... 111

Showing ownership with singular nouns ........................................ 111Showing ownership with plural nouns ............................................ 111Possessives with hyphens ................................................................ 113Possessives ending in s ..................................................................... 114Apostrophes with possessive pronouns ......................................... 114

Using Apostrophes with Abbreviations and Numbers ........................... 115

Chapter 9: Choosing Capital Letters and Numerals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117Covering the Basics of Capitalisation ....................................................... 117

Speaking officially .............................................................................. 118Addressing family .............................................................................. 118Capitalising directions ...................................................................... 119Understanding geographical capital letters ................................... 119Talking about history ........................................................................ 120Referring to times and times of year ............................................... 121Looking at titles .................................................................................. 122

Deciding When to Use Numerals ............................................................... 123

Chapter 10: Reporting Speech and Quoting Others . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125Writing Conversation: Quotation Marks ................................................... 125

Indicating indirect speech ................................................................ 126Dealing with direct speech ............................................................... 126Showing a change of speaker ........................................................... 132Writing someone’s thoughts ............................................................. 134

Recording Titles ........................................................................................... 135Quoting Someone Else ................................................................................ 136Punctuating Quotations .............................................................................. 137Joining the Dots with Ellipses .................................................................... 139Putting Brackets within Quotations .......................................................... 141

Part III: Polishing Your Writing and Comprehension ... 143

Chapter 11: Writing with Cohesion and Coherence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145Creating Writing That Flows: Cohesion .................................................... 145

Putting ideas in order: Sequencing .................................................. 146Connecting ideas with transition words ......................................... 146

xi Table of Contents

Being Absolutely Clear: Plain English ....................................................... 148Avoiding word-wasting ...................................................................... 148Selecting the best words ................................................................... 150Staying positive .................................................................................. 151

Chapter 12: Building Vocabulary and Comprehension . . . . . . . . . . . .153Working on Your Vocabulary...................................................................... 153

Sizing up synonyms and antonyms ................................................. 154Homing in on homographs and homophones ................................ 154Tackling word relationships ............................................................. 156

Looking at Literary Devices ....................................................................... 157Adding depth with simile, metaphor and symbolism ................... 157Adding analogy and allusion ............................................................ 159Playing with irony, hyperbole and oxymoron ................................ 159

Improving Your Reading Comprehension................................................. 160Considering the literal facts and details ......................................... 160Using prior knowledge to interpret texts........................................ 161Identifying the main idea and structure .......................................... 162Separating fact from opinion ............................................................ 163Looking for context clues ................................................................. 163

Considering Connections within Texts ..................................................... 165

Chapter 13: Blitzing the Spelling Bee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167Understanding the Basics of Spelling ....................................................... 167

Keeping it together: Word families .................................................. 168Working out Greek and Latin word roots ........................................ 168Spotting a prefix and a suffix ............................................................ 170Solo or a group: Singular and plural forms ..................................... 171Silencing silent letters ....................................................................... 174Staying regular (and irregular) ......................................................... 174

Taking Advantage of Spelling Strategies ................................................... 175Being syllable savvy .......................................................................... 175Applying spelling rules and tips....................................................... 176Handling hard and soft sounds ........................................................ 177Getting around tricky sounds ........................................................... 177

Using Vowel and Consonant Sounds ......................................................... 180Knowing the Correct Endings .................................................................... 181

Part IV: The Part of Tens .......................................... 183

Chapter 14: Ten Solutions to the Most Common Grammar Errors . . .185Adding Apostrophes (Or Not) .................................................................... 185Reaching Agreement ................................................................................... 186Staying in the Right Tense .......................................................................... 186Splicing Sentences with a Comma ............................................................. 187

xii Years 6–10 Literacy for Students

Running Sentences On ................................................................................ 187Fragmenting Sentences ............................................................................... 187Misplacing Modifiers ................................................................................... 188Knowing When to Use Subject and Object Pronouns ............................. 188Selecting Prepositions ................................................................................. 188Confusing ‘Of’ with ‘Have’ .......................................................................... 189

Chapter 15: Ten Things Grammar and Spell Checkers Can’t Do . . . .191Always Be Right ........................................................................................... 191Ask What You Meant ................................................................................... 192Make Decisions ............................................................................................ 192Detect Right Spelling but the Wrong Word ............................................... 192Question Vague Pronoun Use ..................................................................... 193Know When Passive Voice Is Best ............................................................. 194Emphasise What Matters ............................................................................ 194Create Sentences That Flow ....................................................................... 194Identify Plain English ................................................................................... 195Replace a Careful Reader ............................................................................ 195

Chapter 16: Ten Ways to Improve Your Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .197Think about Your Reader ............................................................................ 197Make a Good First Impression ................................................................... 198Choose Strong Verbs ................................................................................... 198Choose Precise Words ................................................................................ 199Choose the Right Voice ............................................................................... 199Be Consistent ............................................................................................... 200Stay on Track................................................................................................ 200Vary the Sentence Length ........................................................................... 200Vary the Sentence Type .............................................................................. 201End with a Bang ........................................................................................... 201

Index ....................................................................... 203

Introduction

L iteracy and English grammar can be tricky, and they make lots of people nervous. Chances are, you’re reading this now because you’re

one of those people. This can be stressful and make you feel self-conscious. And it’s worse if everyone else seems to understand, and knows how to use perfect grammar (even in text messages) or has amazing spelling and vocabulary abilities.

Happily, however, literacy and English grammar are easier than you may think. You don’t have to memorise all of the technical terms, and you’re likely to find that you already know a lot of it anyway. In this book, we tell you the tricks of the trade, and the strategies that help you make the right decision when you’re facing such grammatical dilemmas as how to choose between I and me, whether to say had gone or went, or if you should put the apostrophe in its. And we help you with spelling demons and comprehension clunkers.

Importantly, we explain what you’re supposed to do, tell you why a particular way of doing things is correct or incorrect, and even show you how to revise your sentences if your grammar checker puts a squiggly green line under some part of your sentence. We help you polish your vocabulary and improve your writing, and provide tips on when a particular way of spelling a word is correct (something your grammar checker can’t always help you with). When you understand the reason for a particular choice, you’ll pick the correct option automatically.

About This BookIn this book, we concentrate on the common errors. We tell you what’s what in the sentence, in logical, everyday English, not in obscure terminology. You don’t have to read the chapters in order, but you can. And you don’t have to read the whole book. Just browse through the table of contents and look for things that have always troubled you. For example, if you know that verbs are your downfall, check out Chapters 2 and 3 for the basics. Chapter 12 covers vocabulary and writing techniques such as similes and metaphors. You decide what you need to focus on.

Most chapters in this book introduce some basic ideas and then show you how to choose the correct sentence when faced with two or three choices. If we define a term — linking verbs, for example — we show you a practical

2 Years 6–10 Literacy for Students

situation in which identifying a linking verb helps you pick the right pronoun. The examples are clearly displayed in the text so that you can find them easily. One good way to determine whether or not you need to read a particular section is to have a go at the ‘Have a Go’ tasks that are sprinkled around most chapters. If you get the right answer, you probably don’t need to read that section. If you’re stumped, however, backtrack and read the chapter.

Throughout the book, we’ve used grey text boxes — the sidebars — for information that you may find interesting but isn’t required for your understanding of the subject. Feel free to flick straight past them.

Foolish AssumptionsWe wrote this book with a specific person in mind. We assume that you, the reader, already speak English (although you may have learned it as a foreign language) and that you want to speak and write it better. We also assume that you have better things to do than worry about who and whom. You want to speak and write well, but you don’t want to go on to get a doctorate in English grammar in a few years’ time. (Smart move. Doctorates in English don’t move you very far up the salary scale.)

This book is for you if you aspire to

6 Improving your skills in grammar, punctuation, spelling, vocabulary and reading comprehension.

6 Transferring these improvements to your writing and reading, both for school purposes and for life.

6 Preparing for the NAPLAN tests.

Icons Used in This BookThroughout this book you can find useful icons to help you note specific types of information. Here’s what each icon means:

Have you ever been confused by the message your grammar checker gives you when it puts a wiggly line under a possible problem and asks you to ‘consider revising’ some part of your sentence? Your days of confusion end here. This little fellow appears at the same points that a wiggly line would appear, and the information alongside it tells you exactly how to revise those troublesome sentences.

3 Introduction

Think you know how to find the subject in a sentence, identify a pronoun or spell a tricky word? Have a go at these exercises, located throughout this book, to find out what you know and what you may want to learn.

Wherever you see this icon, you’ll find helpful strategies for understanding the structure of the sentence, choosing the correct word form or improving your writing.

Not every grammar and vocabulary trick has a built-in trap, but some do. This icon tells you how to avoid common mistakes as you unravel a sentence.

Where to Go From HereNow that you know what’s what and where it is, it’s time to get started. Pick any chapter or specific area you need more help with and jump in. Before you do, however, one last word. Actually, two last words. Trust yourself. You already know a lot. You’d be amazed how much grammar, vocabulary and spelling awareness can be absorbed by osmosis from day-to-day language. If you’re a native speaker, you’ve communicated in English all of your life, including the years before you set foot in school and saw your first textbook. If English is an acquired language for you, you’ve probably already learned a fair amount of vocabulary and grammar, even if you don’t know the technical terms. So take heart. Browse through the table of contents, have a go at a few tasks and dip a toe into the sea of English literacy and grammar. The water’s fine.

4 Years 6–10 Literacy for Students

Part IUnderstanding Verbs

and Sentences

In this part . . . ✓ Understand the difference between formal and informal

English — and when each is appropriate.

✓ Work out the building blocks of a sentence and why verbs are so important.

✓ Identify the verb in a sentence — and know what to do with it once you’ve found it.

✓ Discover the subject in a sentence and how to match subjects and verbs so they get along.

✓ Match pronouns with their correct noun, and avoid vague (or just plain incorrect) pronoun use.

Chapter 1

Why is Grammar Important?In This Chapter

a Defining good grammar

a Identifying features of accepted Australian English

a Understanding the main word classes

a Focusing on how parents can help

G ood communication and good grammar go hand in hand. The very point of using language is to express and exchange ideas in a way

that conveys them clearly, with as few misunderstandings as possible. Sure, an occasional ‘Oh, you know what I mean’ is not going to stop the world from turning or upset your friends and family, but if you need to impress somebody, you need your communication to be accurate. If you want your essay to shine, your history presentation to captivate or (in a few years’ time, perhaps) your application for that part-time job to be successful, using good grammar will help you to achieve these things.

Of course, you probably already have pretty good grammar. Most people learn the basics of language use as if by osmosis, picking it up without necessarily understanding the rules. After all, you’re likely to have been talking almost all of your life and have probably forgotten when and how you first learned to read and write. But the fact that you have this book in your hands means that you have decided that improving your English grade and learning better language skills and grammar is a valuable strategy. Yay you! This book will help you become a better communicator.

In this chapter, we look closely at what constitutes proper grammar and how language use can change, depending on the situation. We also take a trip back in time to revisit probably the first thing you were taught about grammar as we consider the very basic unit of communication: the word.

You may be reading this book for a number of reasons. Perhaps you’re hoping to impress your English teacher or hoping for a good NAPLAN score. If English was your first language, you probably learnt English

8 Part I: Understanding Verbs and Sentences

comprehension and grammar by osmosis, by hearing what others say, which, all too often, means absorbing a fair chunk of incorrect grammar along with the correct bits. If English wasn’t your first language, you’ve likely similarly picked up correct (and incorrect) vocabulary and grammar as you’ve learnt the language.

Whatever your ultimate goal is, you seem to have decided that learning better grammar is a valuable strategy. Good for you! In this chapter, we look a little more closely at why good grammar is so important. We also look at how the definition of better grammar changes according to your situation, purpose and audience. And we provide some tips for parents helping you as you build your skills.

Functioning with Good GrammarRightly or wrongly, your audience or readers judge you by the words you use and the way you string them together. Listen to the speech of the people in movies. An uneducated character sounds different from someone with five diplomas on the wall. The dialogue reflects reality: educated people follow certain rules when they speak and write. In fact, people who use language according to formal grammar rules are said to be speaking properly. After you leave school, if you want to present yourself as an educated person, you’ll have to follow those rules too.

Actually, several different types of grammar exist, including historical (how language has changed through the centuries) and comparative (comparing languages). Some English teachers love to complicate things. But don’t worry; we love to keep things simple. In this book, we use the best bits of the two easiest, most familiar ways of presenting the rules of grammar to come up with what’s proper.

Descriptive grammar gives names to things — the parts of speech, or word groups, and parts of a sentence. When you learn descriptive grammar, you understand what every word is (its part of speech) and what every word does (its function in the sentence). Learning some grammar terms has a couple of important advantages — to be clear about why a particular word or phrase is correct or incorrect, and to be able to understand the explanations and advice given by your computer’s grammar checker or in a dictionary or style guide.

Functional grammar tells you how words behave when they’re doing their jobs properly. It guides you to the right expression — the one that fits what you’re trying to say — by ensuring that the sentence is put together

9 Chapter 1: Why is Grammar Important?

correctly. When you’re agonising over whether to say I or me, you’re solving a problem of functional grammar. Most of the grammar we use in this book is functional grammar.

So here’s the formula for better grammar: a little descriptive grammar plus a lot of functional grammar. Better grammar equals better self-expression. And better self-expression equals improved self-confidence. And with improved self-confidence, anything is possible. The news is all good!

Choosing Levels of EnglishSo, using good grammar clearly sounds like a great idea, but you may not always need to use standard English because the language of choice depends on your situation. Here’s what we mean. Imagine you’re out with your friends and realise you’re hungry. How would you invite them back to your house for lunch?

Would you care to accompany me home for lunch?

Wanna come to mine for a bite?

Different levels of English are used in everyday life. We call the first example formal English, and the second example informal English. If you’re like most people, you switch between levels of English without even thinking about it. You choose the most suitable level of language depending on where you are, what’s going on and who your audience is.

Impressing with formal EnglishFormal English shows that you’ve trotted out your best behaviour in someone’s honour. You may use formal English when you have less power, importance and/or status than the other person in the conversation. Think of formal English as English on its best behaviour and wearing a business suit. If you’re in a situation where you want to look your best, or in which you’re being judged, use formal English.

Situations and types of writing that call for formal English include

6 Authoritative reference books

6 Business letters and emails (from individuals to businesses, as well as from or between businesses)