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Mary Weber
Welcome to Ms. Mary's Level 5 ELA home page. This is your resource tool to catch up on missed classroom assignments and homework. You will be able to find helpful resources, webpage links, and English Language Acquisition tips as you increase your English language skills. Keep using your English and visit here often!
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Grammar Gallery
Here is where you can find grammar we have learned or reviewed in our classroom. I hope these tips and hints will help you increase your English grammar confidence.
Take the link for a helpful grammar website: Grammar Bytes. Choose the area you wish to work on and link to the activities, exercises and other tools available on this website.
Parts of Speech: Noun, Verb, Adjective, Adverb, Preposition, Conjuction, Interjection
Adjective Clause:
- A group of words that are in a sentence giving us more information about a noun
- NOT a complete sentence, no subject in a clause
- describes a noun that comes before the clause using relative pronouns (or clue words)
- Scroll down to Relative Pronouns
- Example: My mom is the person who has influenced me the most in my life.
- Link for more detailed notes: Adjective Clauses
Adjective Questions:
- Comparative or Superlative adjectives
- Pattern = question word + subject (noun) + verb + adjective and/or noun?
- Choose the correct verb tense:
- Choose correct verb ("to be" or "have") based on adjective or noun at the end of your question
- Choose correct tense based on your subject (plural or singular)
- Example: Which houses __________ yards? "to be" or "have" base verb?
- Example: Which place __________ closer to your job? "to be" or "have" base verb?
- See attached notes to find out the correct answer! Adjective Question format
Conjugating Verbs:
- "to be": Be Verb
- "to have": Have verb
- Do/Does/Did: Do, Does, Did
Contractions:
- English speakers (especially American English speakers) use contractions in their conversations!
- A contraction happens when two words are used to create one word, using an apostrophe.
- A few examples: I am becomes I'm, she is becomes she's, will not becomes won't
- Take the link to view a short list of the most common contractions: Contractions in English (this document will download and you will need to open it in a new file)
Contrary-to-fact Conditional Structure Patterns:
- Take the linke to view the pattern to express something that isn't true at the moment: Contrary-to-fact Conditional Patterns
Direct vs. Indirect Speech Patterns:
- Present tense changes to Past tense
- Use pronouns
- See attached notes: Direct vs Indirect Speech
Direct and Indirect Objects:
- The direct object of a verb is the thing receiving the action. To find the direct object ask: who or what is receivng the action?
- Example: My cat caught a mouse!
- Subject = cat
- Verb = caught
- Who or what received the action?
- Direct Object = mouse
- The indirect object is the receipent of the direct object. There must be a direct object to have an indirect object.
- First find the direct object and then ask who for/to or what for/to?
- Example: My cat caught a mouse for her kitten.
- Subject = cat
- Verb = caught
- Direct Object = mouse
- Indirect Object = kitten
- Take the link for the video: Direct & Indirect Objects
Modal Verbs:
- A type of auxiliary (or helping) verb that is used to express:
- ability
- possibility
- permission
- obligation
- See the chart for specific verbs and examples: Modal Verbs Chart
- This chart will download and you will need to open it in a new window.
Passive Voice:
- We use passive voice for three main reasons:
- The subject is unknown
- To emphasize the object
- The subject is obvious from the context
- Take the links to review the passive voice and how we use it in English: Passive Voice with Diane or Active vs. Passive Voice
- Passive Voice game: Passive Voice Game Board with Answer Key
- Notes and examples: Active Voice vs Passive Voice
Present Perfect Tense Patterns:
- Use Present Perfect when:
- Something happened or didn't (did not) happen at an unspecified time in the past
- Something happened more than once in the past and could possibly happen again in the future
- Something started at a specific time in the past and continues in the present
- Take the link to see the patterns for positive and negative sentences and Yes/No and Wh- type questions: Present Perfect Tense Patterns
Present Perfect Continuous Tense Patterns:
- Use Present Perfect Continuous when:
- You want to emphasize the length on an activity or to tell that it started in the past and still continues in the present
- You want to show that an activity has been in progress recently
- Take the link to see the patterns for positive and negative sentences and Yes/No and Wh- type questions: Present Perfect Continuous Tense
- When to use "for" and "since" in present perfect tenses: Using For and Since
Pronouns (Subject and Object):
Proofreading Marks Handout: Proofreading Marks
Reading Strategies:
- Using Reading Strategies can help you comprehend what you read and become a more fluent and better reader.
- Reading Strategies, pg. 1 and Reading Strategies, pg. 2
Relative Pronouns:
- These connect the adjective clause to the noun
- Relative Pronouns
Used to Pattern:
- Used to + a base verb is used to tell about a past habit or experience that is no longer true or has changed.
- Used To Grammar Pattern
Questions
Embedded Questions
- We use embedded questions to find out information about something we don't know or understand.
- These are a polite way of getting information from someone.
- Embedded questions are two questions in one.
- Introductory question
- Embedded question
- Take the link to see the three basic patterns: Embedded Questions Patterns
Tag Questions
- Use tag questions when you want to check if something is true or to ask for agreement
- Tag questions use an auxiliary (helping) verb + subject pronoun
- Use the same verb tense in the sentence and the tag question
- Take the links to see patterns and examples of tag questions: Tag questions rules & patterns and Tag question examples
- Take the links for some online practice:
- Question Tags - Woodward English (you will need to turn on your speakers so you can listen and follow along)
- Tag Questions - English Club (on this site you will read about tag questions)
- After you finish reading you can take the quiz: Tag Questions Quiz - English Club
- Tag Questions with Phil (in this presentation you will have an opportunity to listen, watch & attempt to answer the tags before the speaker does)
Wh- Questions:
- Wh- question words:
- Who, What, Where, When, Why and How
- Questions that begin with these words expect a detailed answer.
Yes / No Questions:
- Questions asked with the expectation of a "Yes" or "No" answer do not use "Wh-" format.
- Questions that begin with "Do" or "Does" expect a short answer, with no detail.
- See attached note on how to properly create a Yes/No question.
- Yes or No questions using Do or Does
