|
Part One. Idiom of the Day: Directions: What is the meaning of the idiom in bold, italic print? Rona knew her friend was in some sort of trouble; after all, where there's smoke, there's fire. Idiom Meaning: Part Two. Root of the Day: Directions: Let's look at a Latin root--how can we extend its meaning to other words? Root: contra/counter Definition: against Examples: contradict, encounter, counter-clockwise contraband, counteract, contrary Sentence Samples: I said the color of the wall was blue, and Richie said it was green. He always contradicts my statements. When did you first encounter the man who sold you this watch? Jim decided to have his students exchange papers in a new direction; this time, his class passed their work to a friend in a counter-clockwise motion instead. The thief thought he would get away with hiding the contraband he had taken into the country. You can counteract your opponent's statement in the debate with a stronger one of your own! It is not a mild snowstorm that is heading our way; on the contrary, this one could be a blizzard! Part Three Grammar: Today's Lesson: The Clause Directions: This grammar lesson may be a review for some, but it is good practice for us all! A clause is a group of words that has a verb (and often its own subject) and either depends on the rest of the sentence to make sense or stands alone. When a clause depends on another part of the sentence, the clause is said to be dependent (or subordinate). Example: Is this the puppy that you rescued from the MSPCA? Note: The clause that you rescued from the MSPCA is not a sentence on its own. It needs the meaning of the rest of the sentence to make sense to us. Note: The word that is used as a conjunction. When the clause stands alone (as a sentence does), it is referred to as an independent clause. Example: Tanika loves to watch movies, and Kevin enjoys playing basketball. In this sentence, we have two independent clauses. Each one could be a sentence of its own! Each one does not rely on the rest of the sentence for meaning. Note: The word and is used as a conjunction. Now It's Your Turn! Directions: In each of the following sentences, one clause is in bold print. Please indicate whether this clause is dependent or independent. 1. I don't know what to do with the cans of tomatoes that arrived with dents! Dependent Independent 2. Do you know where Bob is, and can you lead me to him? Dependent Independent 3. Are you going to the beach in the new sports car that you just bought? Dependent Independent 4. Where is Jim, and when will he be back? Dependent Independent 5. The children played at the park, which had been created for their age group. Dependent Independent Part Four. Literary Term of the Day: Couplet Definition: A couplet is made up of two lines of poetry that usually rhyme, may contain the same amount of syllables (known as meter), and often have their very own stanza (a group of poetic lines that stands apart from the rest). Example: Couplets are fun and quite simple to make Why not create one while cookies you bake? Try one with this first line: What will you do when you're snowed in at home? ____________________________________________________________ Take a moment to notice that each line of the couplets we made has ten syllables in it. A syllable is that part of a word that contains a vowel sound. Vowels are: a, e, i, o, u and sometimes y or w when they sound like a, e, i, o, or u!! Example of y as a vowel: hyphen (The y sounds like an i.) Example of y as a consonant: yard (The y has its own sound.) Examples: Maria has three syllables because I can hear each vowel! Ma ri a Plain only has one syllable because we do not hear the i! Let's try some! Write down how many syllables each word has in the space that follows it. 1. neighbor 2. me 3. neighborhood 4. bicycle 5. top 6. game 7. hop 8. hope 9. family 10. scale
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
December 2025
|