Grammar Notes

Grammar Notes

Grammar NotesUnit 3 Week 1 and 2(lessons 29 33) Grammar Unit 3 Lessons 29 - 46Parts of Speech Part 3 and Sentences

Please take out your notes for your studies in Grammar

GRAMMARWhat are modifiers and what do they describe?

Critical Question You have your nouns, verbs, pronouns, but how do you add color and texture to those words? With modifiers, of course! They describe or make something specific. Adjectives and adverbs are modifiersthe parts of speech that describe nouns, verbs, pronouns, and in some cases one another.Adjectives and Adverbs: ModifiersAn adjective describes a noun (or a pronoun) by telling you which one, what kind, or how many. Aardvark threw some pillows at Squiggly. Adjectives Examples:Aardvark threw a square pillow at Squiggly. An adverb works harder than the adjective. It can describe verbs, other adverbs, clauses, and whole sentences. The adverbs tells you where, when, and how (how often and how much). Adverbs often end in ly, but not always. Squiggly deftly dodged the pillows. Adverbs Examples:Squiggle quite deftly dodged the pillows.Squiggly dodged the unusually hard pillow.Today answer in ONE concise sentence.

Thank you.The Critical Question of the day:

Summary Please use your notes to answer the critical question - 3 minutesWhat are the two types of speech that are called modifiers and what do they describe?

Grammar Matters ------


GRAMMARCan some words be adjectives or adverbs?Critical Question Some words can be adverbs or adjectives depending on how they are used in a sentence.Words that can be Adjectives or Adverbs nounadjectiveverbadverbYou can tell the difference by noting what the word is modifying. POP Quiz Adverb or Adjective???

He kept a weekly calendar.He jogged weekly.He stayed late.They made it a late night.The hard nails worked. He worked hard.

adjectiveADVERBADVERBAdjectiveAdjectiveADVERBToday answer in ONE concise sentence.

Thank you.The Critical Question of the day:

Summary Please use your notes to answer the critical question - 3 minutesCan some words be adjectives or adverbs?



GRAMMARDo action and linking verbs take different modifiers?

Critical Question Remember linking verbs? Linking Verbs With Adjectives and Adverbs: The Missing Link When dealing with sensing verbs, such as taste, smell look, or feel, you have to take a minute to decide whether youre describing the noun or the verb.Consider the different meanings of these two sentences:

Linking Verbs With Adjectives and Adverbs: The Missing Link I smell bad.I smell badly.You just ran a marathon your and you have been sweating. Bad describes your physical being. It is an adjective describing the pronoun I. Remember to test the sentence by replacing the verb with a form of to be.

I am bad works so you know smell is a linking verb in the sentence. I smell bad.Its correct to say I smell bad when you are expressing an emotion. Adjectives follow linking verbs.

Since the action verb smell can imply to smell things smelling badly can imply that something is wrong with your sense of smell.I know that people think that they need to describe how they feel so they can use an adverb by mistake. It is those pesky linking verbs that cause such confusion. Do not fall into the sinking-linking-verb quicksand. I smell badly.When you say I smell badly, the adverb badly describes the action verb smell. Use adverbs with action verbs. For example, I you give a horrible speech you could say, I spoke badly. because spoke is an action verb. You can tell that because speaking is an action and the test sentence :I am badly doesnt work.With sense verbs, first test whether they are linking verbs or action verbs. Then use my adjective/ adverb tip :Adjectives follow linking verbs.Adverbs modify action verbs.

Summary Critical question --- Do action and linking verbs take different modifiers?


Week 2 Please take out your notes for your studies in Grammar

GRAMMARWhen do you use more and when do you use most in sentences?

Critical Question Adjectives and adverbs can be used to compare nouns or verbs.

When comparing items, notice whether you are comparing two things or more than two things.

Comparatives and Superlatives:When comparing two items, use a comparative.

Comparative.You can remember this word is used to compare two things because it has the word pair in it, and a pair is always two things. For Comparatives, use -more before the adjective or the adverb OR the suffix er on the end of it.more peculiartallerfasterWhen comparing three or more items, use a superlative.

Superlative.You can remember that superlatives are more than two things because superlative has the word super in it, and when you want a whole bunch of something, you supersize it. With superlatives use most before the adjective or the adverb, or the suffix -est on the endmost peculiartallestfastest

It was the _________ choice given the limited options. It was the _________________choice of the day.

Someone else had already chosen the _________ tree.Aardvark chose the ______ tree of the remaining pair.

Squiggly ran ______________________ than AardvarkBob ran ___________. betterbesttallesttallerfasterfastestBetter or Best ?Taller or Tallest??Faster or Fastest?Summary Please answer the critical question. When do you use more and when do you use most in sentences?



GRAMMARHow do you know when to use er or more or -est or most when working with comparatives and superlatives?

Critical Question Comparison involving words with one syllable or three or more syllables follow clear rules. The two syllable words are tricky.

NOTE: Some people ask about fun. Technically, it is not an adjective, so you shouldnt use funner or funnest.One smartI am smarter than my sister, but Im not the smartest in my family.One-syllable words use suffixes er or est.Three spectacularThat is the most spectacular painting I have ever seen.Three-syllable words use more or most in front of them.TWO Two-syllable adjectives that end in y, ow, or lecan take the suffixes er and est.Two-syllable words use more or most and er and est depending on the word. With words ending in y, change the y to imellowmellowermellowestsubtlesubtlersubtlestfunnyfunnierfunniestIf you have a two-syllable adjective that doesnt end in y, ow, or le (if it is not yowlier), youll need to rely on your ear or your dictionary. Note

Summary Please answer the critical question. How do you know when to use er or more? -est or most when working with comparatives and superlatives?


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