Writing 2 Class Notes -- Week 8 (March 17)

Greetings!

This week in class we started with a Quick Write that asked about family heritage since it was St. Patrick's Day.  While my kids are "mutts," a blend of 8 or 9 nationalities, we have incorporated some Scandinavian traditions into our family celebrations.  As I write this, I'm thinking that it would be fun to incorporate some those British, German, and Scotch-Irish elements into our family, too.

The Words of the Day were short words or words for very small items:

aglet -- fr. OF aiguillette, a small needle -- the plastic or metal end of a shoelace

chad -- origin unknown -- a small round or square bit of paper formed when a hole is punched

grommet -- fr, OF gromette, curb of a bridle -- a metal or plastic ring encasing and reinforcing a hole

vim -- fr. an Americanism; fr. Latin vis, energy, force -- a lively and enthusiastic spirit

mauw -- fr. German, maul, muzzle -- the mouth, throat, or gullet of an animal

I handed back the Rough Drafts of the Cause/Effect or Problem/Solution Essays.  The class did a wonderful job with this assignment.  When I hand back rough drafts, I like to use that as an opportunity to go over common errors.  Students can learn points of grammar with worksheets, but it makes the most sense in the context of their own writing.  Our list included such items as not using contractions, avoiding "there is/are" sentences, avoiding the word "things," subject-verb agreement, noun-pronoun agreement, etc.

For the past few weeks, during the Grammar portion of class we've been learning about various types of phrases.  This week we concluded this unit by reviewing infinitive phrases.  Students shouldn't be surprised if they are confused.  These are really advanced grammar topics and are not as simple as picking out the subject or verb of a sentence.  When verbs (action words) morph into adjectives (participles) or nouns (gerunds) or nouns/adjectives/adverbs (infinitives), it gets pretty complicated.  We're now leaving phrases, and will be exploring types of sentences and elements in a sentence.

The class had read 4 Short Stories for this week; to close out the class we watched a Lego version of Twain's "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaverous County.

Assignments for this Week:

Read the following stories:  Chopin (p. 30), London (p. 122), Mansfield (p. 130), Gilman (p. 50)

Write 3 Discussion Questions per story

Final Drafts of Problem/Solution or Cause/Effect Essays

Grammar Worksheets -- 9.2

Links for this Week:

Class Notes

A Pair of Silk Stockings (audiobook)

The White Silence (audiobook)

If I were a Man (audiobook)

Direct and Indirect Objects video

Have a beautiful week!

Mrs. Prichard

PHRASES WORKSHEET, Part 2, page 1

PHRASES WORKSHEET, Part 2

Infinitive and Appositive Phrases

INFINITIVE PHRASES

Infinitive Phrases:  Infinitive phrases can be used as three parts of speech:  noun, adjective, or adverb.  An infinitive phrase will begin with an infinitive (to + simple for of the verb).  It may include direct objects and/or modifiers

            Examples:

·  To finish her shift without spilling was Michelle’s only goal.  (functions as a noun)

·  Connor hopes to win the approval of his coach by showing up early for practice. (functions as a noun)

·  The best way to survive Mrs. Prichard’s class is counting backwards from 100 until class is over. (functions as an adjective)

·  Calvin, an aspiring doctor, is taking British Literature to give himself a well-rounded education. (functions as an adverb – “why”)

Note:  The word “to” can also be used as a preposition.  If it is followed by a noun or pronoun, the phrase is a prepositional phrase, not an infinitive.

Instructions:  Underline the infinitive phrase.  Label it as a noun, adjective or adverb phrase.

1.     Roger needs to listen more clearly.

2.     Jack has an assignment he needs to complete.

3.     Carol likes to sing in the choir.

4.     The family’s dream was to build a cabin in the woods.

5.     I need a book to read this week.

6.     Let him show you the best way to paint the house.

7.     To write a novel is on my bucket list.

8.     Last year they moved to Texas to run a ranch.

9.     Candy has the patience to babysit her neighbors.

10.            Mr. Hornsby managed to finagle some money from the children.

Video for Gerund Phrases

Please watch this video to review gerunds.  Take notes if it will help!

Writing 1 Class Notes -- Week 6 (March 3)

Oops!  I posted the Class Notes for Writing 1 in the Writing 2 blog.  Please follow this link to the Writing 1 class blog.

Videos for Infinitive and Appositive Phrases

Watch and take notes if it would help. Infinitive Phrases



 Appositive Phrases

PHRASES WORKSHEET

Name:  _______________________________

PHRASES WORKSHEET

Prepositional Phrases, Participle Phrases, Gerund Phrases

PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES:  These phrases are either adjectives or adverbs depending upon how they are used.  A prepositional phrase begins with a preposition and ends with a noun or pronoun.

            Examples:

·  At the high school, Mr. Thompson taught history.  (adverbial modifying taught)

·  The gym at the high school is sold out for the big game.  (adjectival modifying gym)

·  In 1892, James Corbett became the heavy weight champion of boxing.  (first phrase is and adverb; second phrase is an adjective)

            Same phrase used two different ways:

·  Ann found in her drink a fly.  (adverb phrase modifying found)

·  The fly in her drink bothered Ann.  (adj. phrase modifying bee)

·  From the shore, Randy caught fifteen catfish.  (adverb modifying caught)

·  Greg visited his friend from the shore of Lake Superior.  (adj. modifying friend)

PRACTICE

For each sentence, put the prepositional phrase in parentheses.  Circle the preposition.  Finally, determine if this phrase is an adjective phrase or an adverb phrase.  Draw an arrow to the word it modifies.        

                       

1.     The table in the kitchen was my mother’s.

2.     We put the table in the kitchen

3.     The keys in my pocket belong to my boss.

4.     I found the keys in my pocket.

5.     The bridge over the river is longer than the one over the creek.

6.     Using the bridge, the cars went over the river.

7.     The stars beyond the solar system are still a mystery.

8.     Let’s build a rocket that goes beyond the solar system.

9.     Between you and me, this cake of my aunt’s is dry on the outside.

10.                        The house of the father of my best friend’s uncle from Kansas is for sale.

PARTICIPLE PHRASES:  These phrases function as adjectives and contain a present or past participle.  Participles all tend to end in “’ing” (present participle), “-ed,” “-d,” “-en,” “-n,” or “-t” with a few exceptions like “swum” and “hung.”  Participial phrases are made up of a participle along with an object or modifier or both.  These adjective phrases are usually placed as near as possible to the words they modify.  Participles are the third and fourth principle parts of verbs.

Examples:

·  Fortified against an attack, Macbeth’s army almost deserted their leader.

·  Singing “Aida” in the shower, Gary annoyed his roommates. 

·  Marching in the parade, Patrick showed his Irish pride.

·  Dedicated to the health of the poor, Mother Theresa helped others.

·  Thrashing the shore with great force, the storm pounded the rocky coast of Maine.

PRACTICE

For each sentence below, underline the participle phrase.  Include the present or past participle and other parts of the phrase.  Draw an arrow to the noun or noun phrase that the participle phrase modifies. 

1.     Sam, encouraging his brother, cheered him on at the finish line.

2.     The growing population forced the city to build a new school.

3.     Studying math, Calvin is planning a career as an accountant.

4.     The mother quieted the sleeping baby.

5.     April, expecting an important phone call, waited in the hallway outside.

6.     The defeated soldiers laid down their weapons.

7.     The coffee shop, located on the north side, hosted a sing-along.

8.     She found the exhausted doctor asleep on one of the hospital beds.

9.     Mr. Larsen found the opened letter on his desk.

10.                        The basketball players walked away with wounded pride.

GERUND PHRASES:  Like any noun, a gerund phrase can function as a subject, direct object, indirect object, object of the preposition, or predicate nominative.  The gerund phrase is made up of the present participle (“-ing”) and can contain an object and/or a modifier (and sometimes many modifiers).  The gerund is a verbal noun.

Examples:

            Gerund phrase as a subject:

·  Making the varsity team is a challenging endeavor.

Gerund phrase as a direct object:

·  The rookie catchers practiced protecting the plate.

Gerund phrase as an indirect object:

·  If students give learning grammar a fair chance, their writing will improve.

·  My brother once gave swinging a golf club his undivided attention.

Gerund phrase as an Object of the Preposition:

·  Carrie got first prize by memorizing the most poetry.

Gerund phrase as a Predicate Nominative:

·  Robyn’s greatest accomplishment is singing in the opera.

PRACTICE

For each sentence below, underline the gerund phrase.  Label the phrase Subject, Direct Object, Indirect Object, Object of the Preposition, or Predicate Nominative.

1.     I love eating burgers and fries.

2.     Listening to the orchestra inspired me to practice more.

3.     Mrs. Jones heard loud growling in his back yard.

4.     A trait of successful employees is working cheerfully.

5.     I can hear from my window the hammering on the building.

6.     Ben is not very good at staying awake after 10:00 pm.

7.     Jumping on the trampoline gives Mandy all the exercise she needs.

8.     I am not very good at locating cities on a map.

9.     The candidates reveal their personalities by arguing with one another.

10.                        Some women use group cooking to prepare food for their families.

Prepositional Phrases as Adjectives and Adverbs

Prepositional Phrases as Adjectives

Prepositional Phrases as Adverbs

Prepositional Phrases and Objects

Objects of Prepositions

Prepositional Phrases

Parallel Phrases

WEEK 4  – Parallel Structure, part 1

One of the ways writers can improve their writing is to use parallel structure when the text demands the use of a coordinating conjunction to join words, phrases, or clauses; also, when the text demands items in a series (three or more); and finally when the text demands the use of correlative conjunctions.  In each of these three cases, the writer is obligated to “express himself in the same grammatical form,” pairing like items together.  Parallel structure is also effective with comparisons.

Using parallel structure consists of writing using like grammatical terms.  ‘Like grammatical terms” means nouns with nouns, gerund phrases with gerund phrases, etc.

            Examples:

– Wrong:  Prevent dust buildup by cleaning your computer monthly and dust your house weekly.

– Corrected:  Prevent dust buildup by cleaning your computer monthly and by dusting your house weekly.

– OR:  Clean your computer monthly and dust your house weekly in order to prevent dust buildup.

– Wrong:  I love to read and writing.

– Corrected:  I love to read and to write.

– OR:  I love reading and writing.

USING COORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS IN PARALLEL STRUCTURE

“Coordinating” means equivalent.  When a coordinating conjunction is used, those elements must be the same grammatical form.  Items (words, phrases, clauses, and sentences) in a series (three or more) demand the use of parallel structure.

Words in a Series

Examples:

– Wrong:  Most students consider the SAT impossible, useless, and a waste of time. (adj., adj., & noun)

– Corrected:  Most students consider the SAT impossible, useless, and wasteful.  (adj., adj., & adj.)

– Wrong:  Tony considers himself a good father, a loving husband, and in a good occupation.  (noun, noun, prep. phrase)

– Corrected  Tony considers himself a good father, a loving husband, and a hard worker. (noun, noun, noun)

Phrases in a Series

Prepositional, gerund, participial, and infinitive phrases by simple definition are groups of words that do not contain a verb, although the last three will have words resembling verbs (designated as verbals).  When phrases are used, each must be the same, grammatically as the others.

Prepositional Phrase

Example:

– Wrong:  Over the river, through the woods, and climbing the mountain, we trekked to grandmother’s house.  (prep. phrase, prep. phrase, verb)

– Corrected:  Over the river, through the woods, and up the mountain, we trekked to grandmother’s house.  (prep. phrase, prep. phrase, prep. phrase)

Gerund (Noun) Phrase

Example:

– Wrong:  Rushing the quarterback, protecting their own players, and when they recovered a fumble won the game for the Colts.  (gerund, gerund, participial phrase)

– Corrected:  Rushing the quarterback, protecting their own players, and when they recovered a fumble won the game for the Colts.  (gerund, gerund, participial phrase)

Participial Phrase

Example:

– Wrong:  Captain Ahab, pacing the deck, while he was exhorting his crew, and seeking only one thing, turned the Pequod into a nightmare for the mates and the crew.  (part. phrase, adverb clause, part. phrase)

– Corrected:  Captain Ahab, pacing the deck, exhorting his crew, and seeking only one thing, turned the Pequod into a nightmare for the mates and the crew.  (part. phrase, part. phrase,, part. phrase)

Infinitive Phrases

Infinitive phrases are the most complicated only because they can be used as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. 

Examples:

Nouns:  To pet a cat, to sit in the woods, and to handle weeds makes one itchy.

Adjectives:  Kathy developed a plan to ride her bike, to clip coupons, and to budget for vacations.

Adverbs:  For punishment, I was made to sit in the corner, to read a grammar book, and to write essays.

Clauses in a Series

Examples:

Adjective Clauses:  The crew of the ship was composed of men (who drank great quantities of beer on land,) (who lived wildly while not at sea,) but (who knew their business and toiled bravely in the terrible conditions of the sea.)

Noun Clauses:  (The Joe Dimaggio connected himself to the Mafia,) (that he carried the Yankees to a record number of World Series wins,) and (that he attracted beautiful women define him as a complicated character.)

Adverb Clauses:  Mark Twain reigns as an unforgettable literary figure because he traveled the Mississippi River,) (because he wrote for newspapers,) and (because he lectured about his many books.)

Sentences in a Series

Sentences in a series are actually compound sentences.  The writer can string as many  sentences together as he wants, as many as he needs to convey ideas.  When combining a series (three or more) it must remain parallel.