Grammar Olympics1. Please turn in signed parent form to the table. 2. Grab a Grammar Olympics paper from the table.3. You will need a pen 4. Have the SAT Technology reading passage (handed out

yesterday) on your desk.

Types of nouns

All nouns can be divided into common and proper nouns.

Common nouns

All nouns which are not proper nouns are common nouns.

A few examples: cup, art, paper, work, frog, bicycle, atom, family, mind.

Proper nounsProper nouns start with capital

letters.They are the names of people,

places, times, organizations etc.They refer to unique individuals.Most are not found in the

dictionary.They often occur in pairs or

groups.Here are some examples.

Verbs. What is a verb?

• A verb is a word which describes the action in a sentence (the doing word)

ExamplesI play football.They skip quickly.We eat spaghetti.Bob is seven today.

Auxiliary Verbs

• express a state of being

• connect (or link) the subject to a word or word group that identifies or describes the subject

My teacher is cranky.

Fragments, Comma Splices, and Fused Sentences

How do I know if I have too

little in a sentence . . .

And how can I tell if I have too much?

Andre practiced jump shots to impress Coach Nelson.

A sentence must have a subject, verb, and complete thought.

Andre = subject, practiced = verb, and the thought = complete, so you have a sentence.

Is this a sentence or a fragment?

• McDonalds has a breakfast item called a McGriddle.

• Comprised of cheese, bacon, eggs, and some sort of bread with pancake syrup bubbles in it.

• I tried my first McGriddle this morning. • Ashamed when I ordered it. • But I have to admit, those things are pretty

darn tasty.

To, Too, Two

• Use to as a preposition.Jonathan drove to the seafood shop.

• Use to to begin an infinitive.He hoped to buy fresh squid.

• Use too to show degree.The squid was too expensive to purchase.

• Use too as a synonym for also.

So too was the fresh octopus.• Use two when you mean the number.

Jonathan bought two flounder filets instead.

It’s and Its

• Use it’s as a contraction for “it is” or “it has.”

It’s a shame that Lindsay Lohan ruined her life.• Use its to show ownership because it indicates

possession.

The jury has reached its decision.

There, Their, They’re

• Use there as an expletive, a placeholder to delay the subject.

There is a turtle in the road.

• Use there to indicate place.Across the road is a lake. The turtle hopes to get there before a car hits him.

• Use their as a possessive pronoun.Most drivers don’t see the turtle; their eyes are glued to their cell phones.

• Use they’re as a contraction for they are.

They’re also distracted by other devices, like the radio and navigation system.