1. Quarter 2 ~ 8th Grade - How to complete Grammar Notes from home:
Write down the title for each NB entry
Set up notebook page the same way the PPT slide looks
Watch the Brain Pop video associated with notes (search on for video name)
LOG IN: username = rcspop password = rcspop14
Fill in the missing information with help from Tim & Moby on each video

2. 8th Grade - Quarter 2 Grammar Notes
1.) Semicolons
2.) Commas & Colons
3.) Punctuating Dialogue Rules
4.) Pronouns & Antecedent Agreement
5.) Problems with Pronouns
6.) Correct Verb Tense
7.) Infinitives
8.) Gerunds
9.) Prepositions & Particles
10.) Ellipses, Hyphens, & Dashes

3. Grammar Notes: Semicolons
Writer’s nb entry:
Grammar Notes:
Semicolons

4. Semicolons can be used to…
connect independent sentences that are similar
The dog wagged its tail. He was excited to see his owner.
The dog wagged its tail; he was excited to see his owner.
work with a transitional word/phrase to help link similar sentences
The cat opened his eyes. He was not excited to see the dog.
The cat opened his eyes; although, he was not excited to see the dog
Add semicolon and change the next capital letter to lowercase
Insert a semicolon at the end of the first complete sentence. Add a linking transition and follow it up with a comma.

5. Semicolons can also be used to…
separate items in a list with internal commas or very wordy items.
For Mrs. Pathenos’s class, we need to bring our novel, our textbook, and our Writer’s NB every Wednesday.
For Mrs. Pathenos’s class, we need to bring an independent reading novel that we chose to read based off interest; our heavy and burdensome Literature book; and finally, our handy-dandy Writer’s NB every Wednesday.
Since these items are discrete, it’s acceptable to use commas.
These items are pretty wordy; it’s best to use semicolons so we can read fluently without getting confused with tons of commas!

6. Practice – Write down each sentence and add either a semicolon or a comma to the __ open space.
1.) On her trip_Nan Adams traveled to Manhattan _ New York_ Hershey _ Pennsylvania _ and Nashville_ Tennessee. 2.) I enjoy scary movies _ I also enjoy comedies.

7. Grammar Notes: Commas & Colons
Writer’s nb entry:
Grammar Notes:
Commas & Colons

8. Commas Colons Pause when you see a comma
Traveling through the Reuther hallways can be fun, but getting a tardy is not so much fun.
Insert a comma where you need a pause
On her iPad, Mrs. Pathenos likes to play games, browse Buzzfeed, and check her .
Colons
Use colons to introduce or define something
I have dress socks in the following colors: brown, black, and ivory.

9. Practice – Write each sentence correctly in your NB by adding commas where a pause should be
1.) I need to get pencils paper pens and a notebook for school. 2.) My classroom chair the place where I have to sit is usually warm. 3.) “Let’s eat grandpa!” I exclaimed.

10. Extension: Commas in a Series a.k.a. The Oxford Comma
You may have learned about commas in a series and you may have been excused from using a comma if you insert a conjunction… Ex: I like oranges, apples, bananas and cream. JUST TO BE SAFE: Use the comma before the conjunction to avoid misunderstandings! Ex: I like oranges, apples, bananas, and cream.

11. Grammar Notes: Punctuating Dialogue RULES (tape in NB)
Writer’s nb entry:
Grammar Notes:
Punctuating Dialogue RULES (tape in NB)

12. Using quotation marks:
RULE #1: A direct quotation begins with a capital letter. Jimmy shouted, “See you at the game!” “Is it true?" asked Cindy.

13. Using quotation marks:
RULE #2: When a quotation is interrupted into two parts with words like “he asked” or “the teacher demanded,” the second part begins with a lower case letter.
“What are some of the things,” Mrs. Baskin inquired, “that make school so much fun?”
“One thing I like,” replied Sarah, “is recess!”

14. Using quotation marks:
RULE #3: When writing dialogue, all punctuation marks at the end of the quotation go inside the quotation marks.
“Let's visit the museum,” suggested Samantha.
Jon replied, “Didn't we go there last weekend?”
“But when we did,” Beth added, “we didn't see the Ancient Egyptian exhibit.”

15. Using quotation marks:
RULE #4: Do not put a period at the end of a quotation followed by things like she said, mom asked, he explained, etc. Use commas, question marks, and exclamation marks but not periods. Periods end sentences.
“My Algebra class is driving me crazy!” Paul yelled.
“That's my favorite class,” Becky replied.

16. Formatting dialogue:
RULE #5: Make a new paragraph (indent) when a different person begins to speak.
"Last night, I dreamt that I ate a giant marshmallow," Kevin said.
"Was that anything like the dream you had about eating your way through a mountain of fruit cocktail?" asked Suzy.
"Scarier," Kevin explained. "This time I woke up and my pillow was gone."

17. Other reminders: Always make it clear who is speaking in the dialogue.
Try to avoid using the word “said” repeatedly.
SAID
muttered, yelled, whispered, claimed, shouted, announced, declared, cried, murmured, stammered, whimpered, giggled, suggested, replied, added, etc.

18. Practice – Copy down all 4 sentences in your Writer’s NB with correct punctuation. Words do not need to be added or taken out.
1.) Leona whispered i have two cats do you have any pets (6 punctuation marks missing) 2.) i have two dogs three fish and seven snails Jesi exclaimed. (6 punctuation marks missing) 3.) i have two cats replied Melodie do you have any pets (9 punctuation marks missing) 4.) i’m not sure murmured Anna if i know how to do this test

19. Answers – Correct punctuation is in blue.
1.) Leona whispered, “I have two cats. Do you have any pets?” 2.) “I have two dogs, three fish, and seven snails!” Jesi exclaimed. 3.) “I have two cats,” replied Melodie. “Do you have any pets?” 4.) “I’m not sure,” murmured Anna, “if I know how to do this test.”

20. Grammar Notes: Pronouns & Antecedent Agreement
Writer’s nb entry:
Grammar Notes:
Pronouns & Antecedent Agreement

21. Pronouns + Antecedents = 
Remember, a pronoun takes the place of a noun. Here are some pronouns: he, she, I, me, my, us, we, etc.
An antecedent is the word that the pronoun is linked to. Here is an example: Mrs. Pathenos would be an antecedent to she and her.
Mrs. Pathenos likes to travel, and she is flying to Greece this summer!
antecedent
pronoun

22. Pronouns + Antecedents = 
Pronouns should agree with their antecedents in number, gender, and person. If an antecedent is singular, use a singular pronoun. Ornan created a webpage. It was awesome!
antecedent
pronoun
Webpage is singular because it is only ONE and does not end in the plural “s”
It is a singular pronoun. It wouldn’t make sense if I used “they”

23. Pronouns + Antecedents = 
Pronouns should agree with their antecedents in number, gender, and person. If an antecedent is plural, use a plural pronoun. Kethan loves mysteries, and he reads them all the time.
antecedent
pronoun
Mysteries is plural for “mystery”
Them is a plural pronoun. It means more than one. It wouldn’t make sense if I used “it”

24. Pronouns + Antecedents = 
Pronouns should agree with their antecedents in number, gender, and person. The gender of a pronoun must be the same as the gender of its antecedent. Mr. Lazzo talks in a loud voice when he is angry.
antecedent
pronoun
“he” is a pronoun with a male connection. It wouldn’t make sense if I used “she.” Using “she” would cause Mr. Lazzo to yell really loud!
Mr. Lazzo is a male. We know because of the “Mr.”

25. Let’s try this together – Does the underlined pronoun agree with its antecedent?
1.) Lawrence Yep, author of “The Great Rat Race,” had asthma when it was young.
2.) The story’s suspense keeps readers interested in them.
3.) Yep and his father put out rat traps and place bait on it.
4.) When the rat shows their teeth, Yep panics.
5.) You and her friends should read the story sometime.

26. Practice – Write out the following sentences and correct the pronoun antecedent error in each sentence.
1.) Ronald Adams first saw someone holding their bag on the bridge. 2.) Adams’s scary story would make anybody fear for their life. 3.) Nobody could have suspected that they got a ride from a dead man. 4.) The student needs to make sure their table of contents is numbered properly.

27. Grammar Notes: Problems with Pronouns
Writer’s nb entry:
Grammar Notes:
Problems with Pronouns

28. 3 Pronoun Reference Problems
#1 An indefinite reference occurs when the pronoun it, you, or they does not clearly refer to a specific antecedent. Unclear: Students appreciate it when they learn from an author’s experience. Clear: Students appreciate learning from an author’s experiences.

29. 3 Pronoun Reference Problems
#2 A general reference occurs when the pronoun it, this, that, which, or such is used to refer to a general idea rather than a specific antecedent. Unclear: I picture myself in the author’s situation. This helps me understand her reactions. Clear: I picture myself in the author’s situation. Putting myself in her position helps me understand her reactions.

30. 3 Pronoun Reference Problems
#2 An ambiguous reference occurs when a pronoun could refer to two or more antecedents. (Ambiguous means having more than one possible meaning.) Unclear: Laura urged Molly to edit her compare/contrast essay. Clear: Laura urged Molly to edit Laura’s compare/contrast essay.

31. Practice: Rewrite the following sentences to correct indefinite, ambiguous, and general pronoun references.
1.) Ronald Adams kept seeing the hitchhiker as he walked down the road. 2.) Adams didn’t pick the hitchhiker up, but it made him feel like a fool. 3.) The car stalled on the railroad tracks with a train coming. That almost got Adams killed. 4.) When Adams tells his story, they think he is crazy.

32. Grammar Notes: Correct Verb Tense
Writer’s nb entry:
Grammar Notes:
Correct Verb Tense

33. Present Past Future Verb Tense
The tense of a verb indicates the time of the action or the state of being.
The tense of a verb indicates the time of the action or the state of being.
Past
Future

34. Be Consistent with Tenses:
I got home late and Mom fusses at me for not calling to let her know where I will be. I got home = past tense Mom fusses = present tense where I will be = future tense I got home late and Mom fussed at me for not calling to let her know where I had been. What tense is the sentence in now?

35. Practice: Rewrite the following sentence so the verb tenses are consistent with each other.
1.) My puppy had been eating his food when the doorbell rings and he is rushing through the house to get to the door; on the way to the door he will bump into the table before I even stand up.

36. Past, Present, and Future walked into class . . . It was TENSE!
NERD ALERT
Past, Present, and Future walked into class It was TENSE!

37. Grammar Notes: Infinitives
Writer’s nb entry:
Grammar Notes:
Infinitives

38. Split infinitives
Weak: It is usually better to not split infinitives. Better: It is usually better not to split infinities. It is okay to split an infinitive when you want to emphasize the word or words in between. Right: I want you to study the material for the test. More Emphasis: I want you to thoroughly study the material for the test.

39. Let’s Practice! Write down the sentences and label each infinitive.
1.) The baby quickly learned to stand and to walk. 2.) I want my team to win the game.

40. Grammar Notes: Gerunds
Writer’s nb entry:
Grammar Notes:
Gerunds

41. Gerunds I eat ice cream. Eating ice cream is better than running.
If you put –ing on the end of a verb, you can turn the verb into a noun – and that noun is called a gerund!
I run.
Running is fun.
I eat ice cream.
Eating ice cream is better than running.

42. Let’s Practice! Write down each sentence and label the gerunds.
1.) That tribe was successful at planting, hunting, and fishing. 2.) Writing is a skill that is required for most jobs.

43. Grammar Notes: Prepositions & Particles
Writer’s nb entry:
Grammar Notes:
Prepositions &
Particles

44. Prepositions
A prepositional phrase tells you information about where, when, or how.
Prepositions are words which begin prepositional phrases.
A preposition is a word that connects nouns or pronouns to other words in the sentence.
A prepositional phrase is a group of words containing a preposition,
a noun or pronoun (object of the preposition), and any modifiers of the object.
A preposition sits in front of (is “pre-positioned” before) its object.

45. COMMONLY USED PREPOSITIONS:
Remember: A prepositional phrase tells you information about where, when, or how.
about
below
excepting
off
toward
above
beneath
for on
under
across
beside(s)
from
onto
underneath
after
between in
out
until
against
beyond
in front of
outside up
along
but
inside
over
upon
among by
in spite of
past
up to
around
concerning
instead of
regarding
with
at 
despite
into
since
within
because of
down
like
through
without
before
during
near
throughout
with regard to
behind
except of to
with respect to

48. What is the prepositional phrase?

49. Label prepositions carefully!
If you see one of the “commonly used prepositions“ in a sentence don’t just assume it’s a preposition!
A word that looks like a preposition but is actually part of a verb is called a particle.
Held up is a verb meaning “to rob.”
Therefore, up is not a preposition, and bank is not the object of a preposition.
Instead, bank is the direct object of the verb held up.

50. Preposition or Particle??
 The following examples illustrate the difference between prepositions and particles:
    
Some other examples of particles:
give in
turn in
pull through
wore out
broke up
go in for
put in for
bring up
found out
blow up
look up
make up
look over

51. Are you ready?
It’s about to get REAL…

52. Practice – Write each sentence down in your Writer’s NB. 1
Practice – Write each sentence down in your Writer’s NB. 1.) Label all four parts of speech *Adj, Adv, N, V (if applicable) 2.) Draw one line under the complete subject and draw two lines under the complete predicate. Draw a circle around the simple subject and draw a rectangle around the simple predicate. 3.) Put a “P” above the preposition(s) and use a brace to identify the prepositional phrase.
1.) The young boy quickly ran across the street. 2.) A frantic mother angrily scolded her child for carelessly running toward the ice-cream truck.

53. How’d you do? 1.) The young boy quickly ran across the street.V.
AdV. N.
1.) The young boy quickly ran across the street.
2.) A frantic mother angrily scolded her child for
carelessly running toward the ice-cream truck.
Adj. P.
ARTICLE
ARTICLE
Adj. N.
AdV. V. N. P.
ARTICLE
Pronoun
AdV. V. P.
Compound n.
ARTICLE

54. Grammar Notes: Using ellipses, hyphens, and dashes
Writer’s nb entry:
Grammar Notes:
Using ellipses, hyphens,
and dashes

55. Hyphens ( - ) Used in compound words Used with compound numbers
Kind-hearted, mother-in-law, well-being, one-way street
Used with compound numbers
Forty-two, eighty-one
Used when attaching a prefix like ex-, self-, mid-, and pre-
Ex-boyfriend, self-assured, mid-1990s, pre-Civil War
Used when connecting numbers with words
13-year-old

56. Dash ( — )
A dash can be used to indicate a very abrupt break in thought.
Ex: “After the storm, reporters began to assess the scene—Yikes! A power line just sparked!”
A dash can also be used to add information to a statement.
Ex: Andrew—son of two Greek parents—learned to speak Greek at home.
Quick Note: dashes emphasize importance and parentheses minimize importance.

57. Ellipsis ( )
An ellipsis is a set of three spaced periods (. . .) not (…) preceded and followed by a space-except when it is used at the end of the sentence
Usually used to indicate a pause:
Ex: I had no idea how to respond I was so embarrassed.
Also used to show that something has been left out of a quotation:
Ex: “Angela learned about two cultures…”
WARNING: Do not omit important information OR information that could misconstrue the original quote.

58. 1.) The seven year old dog still plays fetch.
Practice – Write the following sentences in your NB. Add the missing hyphens and dashes. (Label with “H” and “D” so you can tell the difference)
1.) The seven year old dog still plays fetch.
2.) Milkshakes are half price every Wednesday Friday from 2:00 4:00 pm.
3.) This slide is really interesting Whoa, is that Lord Higa?

59. NERD ALERT
There used to be a space between these two words, but there isn’t anymore. WHY? Because the HYPEN ate it!