Types of Poems Week Skills and Principles Day 1 Subject and Verb Agreement: Both plus a Verb The verb of a sentence should argree in number with the subject. In the case of sentences that has the word both as the subject, the verb is plural. Both the student and the teacher is shocked. Incorrect Both the student and the teacher are shocked. Correct Italics for Foreign Words When using a word from another language, italicize, if using a word processor, or underline, if writing by hand, the word. I hope to win mucho dinero. Incorrect I hope to win mucho dinero. Correct

Ordinal numbers Numbers that show order (first, second etcetera) are written out as words. She is the 1st student to realize that the danger was in the hallway. Incorrect She is the first student to realize that the danger was in the hallway. Correct

Day 2 Commonly Misspelled Word: Definite The word is spelled with two i's and no a. It is spelled definite not definate. Sentence Fragment--Dependant Clause A sentence fragment is a group of words punctuated like a sentence that is not a complete thought. One type of sentence fragment is when the writer has written a dependant clause and punctuted as a sentence. Correct this type of sentence fragments by connecting it to the independent clause to which it is dependant b y adding it to the beginning of the sentence with a comma after it or by adding it to the end of the sentence without a comma. When he ate the fish. Milo felt as if he were at the beach. Incorrect When he ate the fish, Milo felt as if he were at the beach. Correct Milo felt as if he were at the beach when he ate the fish. Correct

Use of a Dash for Additional Information When you add information that adds to something in your sentence, you can set it off from the rest of the sentence with a dash (if at the end) or dashes (if in the middle--one on either side of the information). We wish you had a new way of sneezing--we're all wet.

Day 3 Subject and Verb Agreement: Pair plus a Verb The verb of a sentence should argree in number with the subject. In the case of sentences that has the word pair as the subject, the verb is singular. My pair of butchering gloves are missing. Incorrect My pair of butchering gloves is missing. Correct Run-on Sentence: Corrected with a Semicolon One way to correct a run-on sentence is to place a semicolon between the two independent clauses. Do this if both clauses are related in idea very strongly. I like to run from monsters on Saturday night it is a fun way to get exercise. Incorrect I like to run from monsters on Saturday night; it is a fun way to get exercise. Correct

Misplaced Modifiers Modifiers give additional information. They need to be close to the word or words that they modify. A misplaced modifier is one that is not close to the word or words that it modifies. A misplaced modifier can cause confusion for the reader and should be moved close to the word or words it modifies. Frank found a silver woman's necklace. Is the woman silver? Or, is it the necklace that is silver? Correction: Frank found a woman's silver necklace.

Day 4 Pronoun Cases: Us versus We with a Noun When the pronouns us or we is followed by a noun that identifies who we or us is, decide the case of the pronoun by taking out the noun to see which sounds correct. Us teachers love to watch students squirm. Incorrect Us love to watch students squirm. We love to watch students squirm. We teachers love to watch students squirm. Correct

Relative Pronouns When referring to people, use who, whom or whose. Use who to refer to people who are subjects of sentences and phrases, whom to refer to people who are objects of sentences and phrases and whose to refer to people who are possessing something.When referring to things, use which (preceded by a comma) in clauses that are not important to the main meaning of the sentence. Never use which to refer to people because this implies that the person is an object rather than a human being. When referring to things, use that (not preceded by a comma) to refer to things in clauses that are important to the main meaning of the sentence.

Day 5 Illogical Comparison When you have something being called a better noun than any, you are making an illogical comparison. If it is better than any, then you must put better than any other because, without this addition, this statement automatically includes what is being called better. Something cannot be better than itself.

Titles of Poems Unless a poem is an epic or of book length for some other reason, put its title in quotation marks. If it is book length, underline or italicize it. We love The Oddyssey. (The Odyssey is an epic--book-length poem.) Correct The poem "Mosquito" by Updike has an unusual subject. ("Mosquito is not a book length poem.) Correct Punctuation of an Indirect Quotation An indirect quotation is when you write down what someone has said or written in your own words--not writing down exactly what the person wrote or said. These types of quotations are usually introduced by that (Steven said that he was angry), and you do not put quotation marks around what is being restated.