Student Skill Practice Book
Being a Writer™ SECOND EDITION
ISBN 978-1-61003-267-4
1001 Marina Village Parkway, Suite 110 Alameda, CA 9450194501-1042 800.666.7270 collaborativeclassroom.org y(7IB6B0*KNMQRO( +;!z!”!z!”
Illustration by Michael Wertz BW2-SSB5
Project Name: DSC Program Cover Round: 1st pages Date: 05/01/15 File Name: BW2-SSB5_cover.indd Page #: 1 Trim size: 8.375” x 10.875” Colors used: list colors here Printed at: 100% Artist: Name here Editor: Name here Comments: Any comments here. THIS BOOK IS THE PROPERTY OF: STATE Book No. PROVINCE Enter information COUNTY in spaces PARISH to the left as SCHOOL DISTRICT instructed OTHER
CONDITION Year ISSUED TO Used ISSUED RETURNED
Pupils to whom this textbook is issued must not write on any page or mark any part of it in any way, consumable textbooks excepted. 1. Teachers should see that the pupil’s name is clearly written in ink in the spaces above in every book issued. 2. The following terms should be used in recording the condition of the book: New; Good; Fair; Poor; Bad. Student Skill Practice Book
Being a Writer™ SECOND EDITION Copyright © 2014 by Center for the Collaborative Classroom
All rights reserved. Except where otherwise noted, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permissions, write to the Publishing Services department at Center for the Collaborative Classroom.
First edition published 2007. Second edition 2014.
Being a Writer is a trademark of Center for the Collaborative Classroom.
Cover illustration by Michael Wertz
Center for the Collaborative Classroom 1001 Marina Village Parkway, Suite 110 Alameda, CA 945015 (800) 666-7270; fax: (510) 464-3670 collaborativeclassroom.org
ISBN 978-1-61003-267-4
Printed in the United States of America
6 7 8 9 10 EBM 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 CONTENTS Sentences
Lesson 1 Complete Sentences...... 1 Lesson 2 Compound Sentences...... 4 Lesson 3 Dependent and Independent Clauses...... 7 Lesson 4 Combining Sentences...... 10 Lesson 5 Sentence Fragments and Run-on Sentences...... 13 Lesson 6 Review...... 16 Nouns and Pronouns
Lesson 7 Nouns and Possessive Nouns...... 19 Lesson 8 Subject and Object Pronouns...... 22 Lesson 9 Possessive Pronouns...... 25 Lesson 10 Noun-Pronoun Agreement...... 28 Lesson 11 Review...... 31 Verbs
Lesson 12 Verbs...... 34 Lesson 13 Perfect Verb Tenses...... 37 Lesson 14 Progressive Verb Tenses...... 40 Lesson 15 Shifts in Verb Tense...... 43 Lesson 16 Subject-Verb Agreement...... 46 Lesson 17 Review...... 49 Modifiers and Other Parts of Speech
Lesson 18 Adjectives ...... 52 Lesson 19 Adverbs...... 55 Lesson 20 Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases...... 58 Lesson 21 Correlative Conjunctions...... 61 Lesson 22 Interjections and Punctuation to Show Emotion...... 64 Lesson 23 Formal and Informal English...... 67 Lesson 24 Review...... 70 (continues)
Contents iii CONTENTS (continued)
Punctuation
Lesson 25 Commas in a Series...... 73 Lesson 26 Commas after Introductory Words and Phrases...... 76 Lesson 27 Commas to Set Off Yes and No, Tag Questions, and Nouns of Direct Address...... 79 Lesson 28 Commas and Quotation Marks in Dialogue and Direct Quotations...... 82 Lesson 29 Punctuating Titles...... 85 Lesson 30 Review...... 88
Student Grammar Guide...... 91
Proofreading Passages...... 103
iv Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book Dog at Work
A. Read each sentence. Underline the complete subject and circle the simple subject. If the sentence has a compound subject, circle the two simple subjects.
1. A guide dog can be very helpful to a blind person.
2. Chloe and Henry train guide dogs.
3. These animals learn to take people safely from place to place.
4. People should not pet or talk to a working guide dog.
5. The dogs’ trainers and owners take good care of the animals.
B. Write a simple subject from the word box to complete each sentence. Then circle the complete subject. If the subject is a compound subject, write C at the end of the sentence.
dad Dana owner job dog
1. My neighbor uses a guide dog named Ernie.
2. Dana and the go out each morning.
3. Ernie’s is to keep Dana safe while walking outside.
4. Ernie and his know how to work together.
5. My mom and remind me not to bother Ernie while he is working.
C. Write a paragraph about an amazing animal that you know or have read about. Use complete sentences. Include at least one compound subject.
Sentences Lesson 1 1 It’s Not Monkey Business
A. Read each sentence. Underline the complete predicate. Circle the simple predicate. If the sentence has a compound predicate, circle both verbs.
1. Some monkeys help disabled people with everyday tasks.
2. Service monkeys put CDs in a player and turn the pages of a book.
3. These amazing animals attend a special school in Boston.
4. Trainers praise them and give them food as rewards.
5. Most monkeys learn the necessary tasks within two years.
B. Choose a simple predicate from the word box to complete each sentence. Then underline the complete predicate. If the predicate is a compound predicate, write C on the line at the end of the sentence.
understood put watched study
1. Ari and I a TV program about service monkeys last night.
2. Experts these monkeys and learn all about them.
3. One monkey picked up objects from the floor and a woman’s eyeglasses in place on her nose.
4. The two of us really the importance of these monkeys.
C. Write a short passage about something you learned from a book or TV program on nature. Use complete sentences. Include at least one compound predicate.
2 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book The Helpful Llama
A. Read the paragraph. Above each underlined word orComplete phrase, writeSentences simple WA4 subject, compound subject, simple predicate, or compound predicate.
Llamas belong to the camel family. An average llama
weighs up to 400 pounds and has soft pads on its feet.
Sometimes these animals carry tents and other equipment
for people. Day hikers and overnight backpackers enjoy being
with these helpful creatures. A llama may even help keep
hikers safe from wild animals.
B. What’s missing to make each phrase a complete sentence? Complete Sentences WA5 Write S (for subject) or P (for predicate) on the line.
1. Need much less water than other animals
2. The llama’s soft padded feet and small size
3. The easy-going and calm llama
4. Pull heavy carts and guard the sheep
5. Live about twenty years
C. Write a paragraph about whether you think a llama would make a good pet. Include five complete sentences, with one compound subject and one compound predicate.
Sentences Lesson 1 3 Rooting for Recycling
A. Read each sentence. Decide whether it is a simple or a compound sentence. Write simple or compound on the line. Circle the conjunction in each compound sentence.
1. I see a lot of trash around my school.
2. We have garbage cans, but they are always overflowing.
3. I can ignore the problem, or I can do something about it.
4. I would like to start a recycling program at my school.
5. I will come up with a plan, and then I will talk to the principal.
B. Complete each compound sentence by adding a comma and a conjunction. Use each conjunction from the word box one time.
and but or so
1. Tonight I will practice what to say I will be convincing.
2. I know a lot of reasons to recycle I want to present some strong information to the principal.
3. My dad gave me a book about recycling my sister found some information on the Internet, too.
4. I can write down my plan for the principal I could just explain it in detail.
C. Write a paragraph about a recycling program you participate in or have read about. Use both simple and compound sentences.
4 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book The Reading Rockets
A. Complete the story by writing and, or, or but in each space. Add commas where needed.
Patrick’s friend, Rosie, belonged to a book club called the
Reading Rockets the club wanted more members.
Rosie asked Patrick to join. Patrick really liked Rosie
he wasn’t sure he’d enjoy a book club. Patrick could just tell her
no he could try going once. He decided to go.
B. Draw a line from each sentence on the left to a sentence on the right. Write the new sentences on the lines, adding commas and conjunctions.
The kids sat in a circle. He decided to tell his friends about it.
A teacher led the discussion. They started to discuss the book.
Patrick enjoyed the book club. The kids did almost all of the talking.
1.
2.
3.
C. Write a short passage describing a book you would recommend for a book club discussion. Use both simple and compound sentences.
Sentences Lesson 2 5 Moving On
A. Read the paragraph. Find five mistakes with the compound sentences. Cross out each mistake you find and write the correction above it. Add Compound Sentences WA8 any missing commas.
Kia loves middle school now but last summer she worried
about starting sixth grade. In fifth grade she had one teacher,
or the next year she would have a different teacher for each
class. The school would be really big And Kia would have to
move from class to class. She might be late for class, but she
might get totally lost. Kia wanted to get over her worries, so
she talked to her older sister.
B. Draw a line from each sentence on the left to a sentence on the right. Write the new sentences on the lines, adding commasCompound and conjunctions. Sentences WA9
Kia met lots of new kids. Other kids helped her get to class.
She got lost once. She thought they were friendly.
1.
2.
C. Write a paragraph about going to middle school. Include two simple sentences and two compound sentences.
6 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book A Family of Fifty
A. Read each sentence. Draw a line under the independent clause. Draw two lines under the dependent clause. Circle the subordinating conjunction.
1. My family is going to Idaho because we are having a big family reunion.
2. We have not all been together since my brother was born five years ago.
3. Although I know a lot of my cousins, I haven’t met the youngest ones yet.
4. My brother Luke doesn’t want to go unless his favorite cousin is going.
5. If everyone in the family shows up, fifty people will be attending.
6. When we all get together, we play silly tricks on each other.
B. Draw a line from each clause on the left to a clause on the right. Circle each subordinating conjunction. Draw a box around each comma that follows a dependent clause.
1. Although it rained one day, because five people had birthdays.
2. We had five cakes every one exchanged e-mail addresses.
3. When it was time to leave, if there is a reunion next year.
4. My sister will fly in from Ohio we still had a great time.
C. Write a paragraph about having a good time with family or friends. Use both simple and complex sentences.
Sentences Lesson 3 7 Who Needs a Car?
A. Read the passage. Circle the subordinating conjunctions that work best.
Most people drive cars (if, because) they make traveling so
easy. (Although, Unless) Gita and her family lived in the city,
they didn’t use public transportation. Gita’s parents drove her
to school, and a friend’s dad drove her home. (When, Unless)
Gita’s family decided to use less gas, they looked for other ways
to get around. (If, Since) her family made the decision to give up
driving, Gita has been walking to school.
B. Choose a subordinating conjunction from the word box to complete each sentence. Write the conjunction on the line. Then circle the dependent clause.
although because if unless when
1. Gita’s mom always takes the Linwood bus line to work
it stops right in front of her office.
2. there is a traffic jam, the bus ride is
fast and easy.
3. the family gets through a whole year without
driving, they may sell the car.
C. Write a short passage about something you can do to help protect the environment. Use a mix of simple and complex sentences.
8 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book It’s a Chore
A. Read the passage. Circle the correct conjunctions. Add commas where Dependent and Independent Clauses WA12 they belong.
Sal had just turned eleven. (Unless, Although) he was the
youngest in the family, he still had chores to do. He usually didn’t
like doing chores (because, unless) they took time away from
working on his rock collection. (Unless, When) his older sister
was around Sal tried to convince her to do his chores.
B. Read the complex sentences. Rewrite them by switching the order of the dependent and independent clauses. Write the sentences on the lines, adding commas and capital lettersDependent where they and belong. Independent Clauses WA13
1. His sister agreed when Sal promised to stay out of her room for a month.
2. If she has to dry dishes, Sal’s sister listens to music to pass the time.
3. She really doesn’t mind the chore because she loves music more than anything!
C. Write a paragraph about ways to make chores fun. Include two simple sentences and three complex sentences.
Sentences Lesson 3 9 On the Trail
A. Read each sentence pair. Circle S if the subjects can be combined to form one sentence. Circle P if the predicates can be combined.
1. Hannah liked to hike. Her brother liked to hike. SP
2. Some park trails were unsafe. Some park trails SP needed repair.
3. The kids wanted to help. The kids volunteered to SP clean the trails.
4. Weeds had to be removed. Rocks had to be SP removed.
B. Read each sentence pair. Form a compound subject or compound predicate using the conjunction and or or. Write the compound subject or compound predicate on the line to complete the new sentence.
1. Hannah felt good about helping. The other volunteers felt good about helping. felt good about helping.
2. Now the trails look great. The trails are safe. Now the trails .
3. The volunteers spent a day outside. They got a lot of exercise. The volunteers .
4. Hannah could help again tomorrow. Hannah could take the day off. Hannah .
C. Write a short passage about a time you helped someone do something. Include one compound subject and one compound predicate.
10 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book Pancakes for Pennington
A. Read the sentences. Write A if the sentence has an appositive. Then circle the appositive.
1. My town, San Pedro, is having a pancake breakfast.
2. The breakfast will take place next Sunday morning.
3. We are raising money for Pennington, our middle school.
4. My mom and my brother, Bernie, plan to go.
5. I am helping to make posters, flyers, and radio ads.
B. Combine each sentence pair to form a sentence with an appositive. Write the appositive on the line to complete the new sentence. Add commas where they belong.
1. Noreen is my best friend. Noreen is going to help cook. Noreen is going to help cook.
2. Noreen makes great pancakes. Pancakes are my favorite food. Noreen makes great pancakes .
3. We expect Ms. Chin to come. Ms. Chin is the mayor. We expect Ms. Chin to come.
4. A reporter from The Daily might come. The Daily is our local paper. A reporter from The Daily might come.
C. Write a short passage about your city or town. Include two sentences with appositives.
Sentences Lesson 4 11 Run for the Money
A. Read the paragraph. Underline the compound subjects, compound predicates, and appositives. Above each one, writeCombining compound Sentences subject, WA17 compound predicate, or appositive.
Shomer and Kamela plan to take part in a 10-mile
race. The race will raise money for charity. Kamela,
a strong athlete, is helping Shomer get in shape. Both
participants run every day or ride their bikes. The athletic
coach, Mr. Travers, helps them train.
B. Combine each sentence pair to form a sentence with a compound subject, a compound predicate, or an appositive. Use the suggestion in parentheses. Combining Sentences WA18
1. The race attracts a lot of attention. The race is called Jaspers’ Jolly Jog. (appositive)
2. Kamela finishes the race. Shomer finishes the race, too. (compound subject)
3. The runners raise a lot of money. The runners feel proud. (compound predicate)
C. Write a paragraph about something you did that made you feel proud. Include five sentences, with one compound subject, one compound predicate, and one appositive.
12 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book On Top of the World
A. Read each group of words. Circle C if the group of words is a complete sentence. Circle F if it is a fragment.
1. Have died climbing Mount Everest. CF
2. It is the highest mountain in the world. CF
3. People know climbing is dangerous. CF
4. Take risks and challenge themselves. CF
5. Still, thousands of people each year. CF
B. Read each sentence fragment. Circle the words that can be added to form a complete sentence. Write the sentence on the line. 1. Made it to the top of Mount Everest in 1975. The first woman Became famous
2. In 2001, Erik Weihenmayer. Climbed this dangerous mountain On May 25
3. Was the first blind person to reach the top. That day He
C. Write a short passage about learning to do something difficult, such as playing a sport or giving a speech. Be sure to use complete sentences.
Sentences Lesson 5 13 Doing the Impossible
A. Circle R if the sentence is a run-on sentence. Circle C if the sentence is correct.
1. Some people have a strong desire to set world RC records.
2. Ashrita Furman is one of those people he has RC become famous.
3. He has set hundreds of records, and he is not RC done yet.
4. He set his first record in 1979 he did 27,000 RC jumping jacks.
5. Furman is determined this man believes anything RC is possible.
B. Read the paragraph. Correct each run-on sentence by forming a compound sentence, a complex sentence, or two sentences.
Ashrita Furman must be fit he must also be able to
concentrate. In Antarctica he broke the record by traveling the
fastest mile on a pogo stick he also raced a yak in Mongolia.
Some people call him crazy he doesn’t care at all. Breaking
records may sound silly it is hard work. I admire Ashrita Furman
he is talented and inspiring.
C. Write a short passage about something you do that takes practice and concentration. Be sure to use complete sentences.
14 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book Train Your Brain
A. Proofread the passage. CorrectSentence the fragments Fragments and and run-on Run-on sentences. Sentences WA22
My friend Ellen is very curious, she is constantly asking
questions. Reads books in search of the answers. My friend knows
about space travel and other serious things, she also knows a lot of
fun facts. How does my friend fit all that information in her head?
According to Ellen, we use only about ten percent of our brains, there
is always room in our heads for more information. Our brains!
B. Correct each fragment or run-on sentence. Write the new sentence or Sentence Fragments and Run-on Sentences WA23 sentences on the line.
1. I want to try to use more of my brain I am going to read more.
2. Read a book last week about how to become a spy.
3. Today I might learn about caves I might read about flying fish.
4. I don’t read as much as Ellen, I am reading more than before.
5. Maybe some day!
C. Write a paragraph about things you are curious about. Include five complete sentences.
Sentences Lesson 5 15 Whale Sharks
A. Read the paragraph. Draw a line under the complete subject in each sentence. Circle the simple subject. If the sentence has a compound subject, circle the two simple subjects.
Shauna Jackson’s father knows everything about sharks.
Mr. Jackson is a marine biologist. He and his co‑worker came
to talk to our class about sharks. These two marine experts
shared many fascinating facts about whale sharks and other sea
creatures. Their presentation and their videos had us on the edge
of our seats!
B. Read the paragraph. Draw a line under the complete predicate in each sentence. Circle the simple predicate. If the sentence has a compound predicate, circle the two simple predicates.
The whale shark is a huge, slow-moving fish. It measures
about 40 feet in length and is the largest fish in the world. The
whale shark lays eggs the size of footballs. The whale shark’s
color blends into its surroundings and protects it. These sharks
are very rare. Scientists study and learn more about them. Whale
sharks are actually quite gentle, according to experts. This fact
surprises many people.
C. Write a paragraph about another sea creature. Use complete sentences and at least one compound subject and one compound predicate.
16 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book Do It Yourself
A. Read the paragraph. Draw a line under each compound sentence and circle the coordinating conjunction. Draw two lines under each complex sentence, and circle the subordinating conjunction.
Marissa had been asking her dad to redecorate her
bedroom for months, so finally she decided to do it herself.
She scraped off the old wallpaper behind her bed, and she
glued some blank notepaper onto the walls. When she
finished doing that, she drew pictures on the notepaper.
Next, she started ripping up the carpet, but it was too much
for her to handle. Because it was tough work, Marissa knew
she needed some help.
B. Read each pair of sentences. Use a coordinating or subordinating conjunction to combine the sentences and form a new sentence.
1. Marissa’s dad knocked on the door. Marissa said, “Come in!”
2. He saw dust and glue everywhere. He shook his head.
3. There was a lot of work to do. Marissa and her dad worked together.
C. Write a paragraph about a time when doing a project with someone made it easier. Use simple, compound, and complex sentences.
Sentences Lesson 6 17 Babylon
A. Read the paragraph. Circle the sentence fragments. Draw a line under the run-on sentences.
Babylon, a great city of the ancient world. It was built
about four thousand years ago and had many magnificent
palaces and temples it stood on the banks of the Euphrates
River near what is now the town of Al Hillah. Iraq long ago.
When the king died, people began to leave eventually the
beautiful city fell into ruins.
B. Read the paragraph. Correct the sentence fragments and run-on sentences.
Kings in ancient times ruled over separate cities they often
tried to bring people from different cities together as one nation.
Didn’t usually work. The king of Babylon, Hammurabi. Made
some special laws to try to keep all his people together. Wanted
to create the Babylonian Empire. The laws were called the Code
of Hammurabi copies of this code still exist today.
C. Write a passage about an ancient, historical, or imaginary king or queen. Use complete sentences.
18 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book To the Rescue!
A. Read each sentence. Underline the nouns in each sentence. Write S above the noun if it is singular. Write P above the noun if it is plural.
1. There are many times when wild animals need to be rescued.
2. The best way a person can help is to call a rescue center.
3. There, men and women with special skills know what to do.
4. These workers are specially trained to save the lives of very young
animals that might need a gentle touch.
B. Circle the noun that correctly completes each sentence. Then write the noun on the line.
1. Animals with can be dangerous. (injurys, injuries)
2. Untrained adults and should never touch these animals. (children, childs)
3. Hurt animals are frightened and may use their sharp
to bite. (teeth, tooths)
4. Putting over animals that are lying still helps them feel calm. (boxs, boxes)
5. Helping injured animals is a rewarding as long as everyone stays safe! (activity, activities)
C. Write a short passage explaining why you would or would not like to work with animals. Use singular and plural nouns.
Nouns and Pronouns Lesson 7 19 Saving Sea Animals
A. Circle the possessive noun in each sentence. Circle S if the noun is singular possessive or P if it is plural possessive.
1. Lily’s job allows her to work with seals and other SP ocean animals.
2. Sick or injured sea mammals are found on SP California’s beaches.
3. Lily and her co-workers save injured animals’ lives. SP
4. A day’s work might include feeding animals and SP giving them medicine.
5. Lily also answers children’s questions. SP
B. Circle the possessive noun that correctly completes each sentence. Then write the noun on the line.
1. Sea creatures can be injured by trash that has been tossed into the ocean. (people’s, peoples’)
2. A deep cuts may be caused by a boat or a shark bite. (seals’, seal’s)
3. A baby recovery at a rescue center may take several weeks. (animal’s, animals’)
4. Some websites list information about each animal being treated. (center’s, centers’)
5. A help at a rescue center is always appreciated. (volunteer’s, volunteers’)
C. Write a short passage about a sea animal, such as a sea otter, whale, shark, or seal. Use at least three possessive nouns.
20 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book Puppy Love
A. Proofread the passage. Cross out each incorrect form of a singular, plural, Nouns and Possessive Nouns WA4 or possessive noun. Write the correct form of the noun above it.
Guss’ dog, Penny, came from the local animal shelter.
The shelters’ purpose is to care for sick, lost, or abandoned
animals. Some peoples take their animals to a shelter when
they cannot care for them anymore. Familys often come to
shelters to adopt dogs or cat’s.
B. Replace each underlined word or phrase with the correct singular, plural, or possessive noun. Then write the new sentenceNouns and on thePossessive line. Nouns WA5
1. Guss took several classis on animal training at the shelter.
2. When Guss went to the shelter with his parents, he observed the behavior of the dog.
3. The dog, Penny, looked eagerly at the toys that were on two shelfs.
4. Still, she obeyed the command of Guss to sit.
C. Write a paragraph about your pet or about an animal you would like to have for a pet. Include six sentences, and use singular, plural, and possessive nouns.
Nouns and Pronouns Lesson 7 21 How to Crack an Egg
A. Read the passage. Circle each pronoun. Above it, write SP (for subject pronoun) or OP (for object pronoun).
Uncle Leo tried to teach me how to crack an egg. He said,
“First, you must tap the egg against the side of a bowl. Don’t tap
it too hard, though, or pieces of the shell will get into the yolk.
Here, I will show you what to do.” Uncle Leo got out two eggs
and cracked them perfectly. They slid right into the bowl.
B. Read the passage. Circle the correct form of each pronoun in parentheses.
My sister and (I, me) decided to make scrambled eggs.
“First, (we, us) must crack the eggs,” I told (she, her).
(She, He) handed me the egg carton. There were six eggs
in (it, them). (I, They) took the first one and hit it against
a bowl. The shell broke into tiny pieces. I tried to remove
(him, them), but (they, it) were too slippery. The same thing
happened with two more eggs.
“(You, She) better go get Uncle Leo,” I said. “I think we
need (he, him). Maybe he can help (us, it) before we run out
of eggs.”
C. Write a paragraph about cooking with a friend or a relative. It can be about a real or made-up experience. Use at least three different pronouns.
22 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book Stuffed Peppers
A. Read the passage. Write a pronoun from the word box to complete each sentence. Use each pronoun only once.
I You he she it They We us me them her him
Claudio’s class was having a Food Fair. Everyone was
supposed to bring a different dish to . Claudio
had no idea what to bring, so asked his aunt Iris.
She said, “ should bring stuffed peppers. Your
classmates will love . will give you
my special recipe. can even make them together.”
Claudio did not like Aunt Iris’s stuffed peppers.
were too spicy. “No thank you,” he said to
.
Aunt Iris glared back at . “Why not?”
asked.
Claudio thought quickly. “Well, you shouldn’t share
your special recipe with or anyone else. Mom
and I love those peppers. You should only make them for
.”
B. Write about a time when someone offered you something you didn’t want. Use at least four different pronouns. Try to use a combination of subject and object pronouns.
Nouns and Pronouns Lesson 8 23 Chef Jeff and His Sister Steff
A. Complete each sentence by writing a pronoun that could replace the Subject and Object Pronouns WA9 underlined word or words.
1. Chef Jeff filled a big pot with water and put on the stove.
2. He cut up chunks of vegetables and tossed in the pot.
3. Jeff knew the soup would take a while to cook, so left the kitchen.
4. Jeff’s sister Steff came by and noticed something funny. laughed.
5. “The stove is not on, Jeff!” she called to .
B. Proofread the passage. Cross out each incorrect pronoun and write the correct pronoun above it. Subject and Object Pronouns WA10
Steff was hungry, so her decided to make a snack. She asked
Chef Jeff for help. He said, “Sure! Us should make some real
popcorn in a pot instead of in a bag. Me will cook it on the stove,
and this time I promise to turn them on.” He both laughed out
loud together.
C. What do you think happens to Jeff and Steff next? Write about it, using at least five pronouns. Include both subject and object pronouns.
24 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book What a Stinger!
A. Read the sentences. Circle the possessive pronouns. (Hint: Two sentences have more than one pronoun.)
1. My friend, Theresa, got a bee sting while hiking.
2. According to her mom, lots of people in our state get
stung each year.
3. Sometimes their pets also get stung.
4. If a bee stings your dog, don’t panic.
5. Mine got stung last year on its paw and survived with no problems.
B. Read the passage. Circle each possessive pronoun.
The bee will leave its stinger in your dog’s skin. My neighbor,
Clara, works in an animal hospital. She helped me get the stinger
out of Rosco’s skin. First, we had to remove the stinger using a
pair of tweezers. I couldn’t find mine, so we used hers. Then we
applied a paste made from baking soda and water to draw the
poison out of Rosco’s skin. His bravery was amazing! Finally, we
put an ice pack over the sting. We stayed with him to make sure
he was OK.
C. Write a short passage telling what you know about bees or describing an experience you had with one. Use at least five possessive pronouns.
Nouns and Pronouns Lesson 9 25 Hungry Birds
A. Read each sentence. Circle the possessive pronoun that correctly completes it. Then write the pronoun on the line.
1. family had a picnic in the park to celebrate Memorial Day. (My, Mine)
2. Granny and Uncle Sid brought favorite foods. (our, ours)
3. was a turkey and cheese sandwich, with pickles. (Hers, Mine)
4. As we began to eat, we noticed the sound of birds flapping wings. (its, their)
5. Granny said, “Those birds probably think this food is .” (theirs, his)
6. Suddenly, one noisy bluejay made way to the picnic table. (our, its)
7. “This sandwich is not ,” I yelled out as it headed toward me. (your, yours)
8. Just then another hungry jay landed near Granny and grabbed a slice of apple right off plate! (her, hers)
9. I guess the bird wanted a lunch as good as ! (theirs, ours)
B. Write a short passage about a family gathering when something funny or unusual happened. Use at least five possessive pronouns.
26 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book The Big Mix-up
A. Proofread the passage. Cross out each incorrect possessive pronoun. Possessive Pronouns WA14 Write the correct pronoun above it. One windy weekend my family went camping with Josh’s
family. Each family brought equipment to share. The tents were
our, and the coolers were their. We put all of its food in the two
coolers. Josh brought her own sleeping bag and so did I. Josh’s
sister and my sister even brought his own special pillows. When
it was time to go home, we had a lot to pack up!
B. Read the passage. Then write a possessive pronoun on each line to Possessive Pronouns WA15 complete the sentences.
As we packed up, we tried to sort things out. “Are these hiking boots or your sister’s?” Dad asked me as he pointed to a pile of boots. I replied, “The ones that match Laurie’s orange raincoat are , and the green ones are .” Then we couldn’t figure out whose pillow was whose. Just when we thought we were ready to go, I realized Josh had picked up backpack by mistake. “I’ll help you find ,” I told Josh. At that second we spotted it hanging on a tree branch. A silly squirrel was sitting right on top of it!
C. Write a paragraph about a big mix-up you had with a friend or family member. Include five possessive pronouns.
Nouns and Pronouns Lesson 9 27 Memories
A. Read each sentence. Circle the antecedent of the underlined pronoun. Draw an arrow from the pronoun to its antecedent.
1. Last Sunday Mom got a trunk out of the attic and opened it.
2. In the trunk there was a beautiful photo of Mom and Dad at their wedding.
3. Dad looked handsome in his tuxedo.
4. The trunk also contained some baby clothes with old stains on them.
5. My mother had worn these clothes when she was little!
B. Read the passage. Circle the correct form of each pronoun in parentheses.
Mom found a tiny dress that (he, she) had worn as a little
girl. The dress had purple frogs on (them, it). I could not imagine
(my, her) mother in that dress! She said that Great-Gramps had
given it to (him, her) just before (he, we) had taken the picture.
Mom loved the purple frogs. I thought (it, they) looked like blobs
of grape jelly. “I would never wear that dress,” I said.
“But you did,” Mom replied. “It was (their, your) favorite
outfit a long time ago. (You, We) just don’t remember.”
C. Write a paragraph about a memory you have of when you were younger. Use at least three different pronouns. Be sure they agree with their antecedents.
28 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book Studying for the Test
A. Choose pronouns from the word box to complete the story. Then write
them on the lines.. Use each pronoun once.
he she it we they him her them his our your
Chelsey and Hiroto had a big spelling test coming up, so
decided to study together. Chelsey invited Hiroto over
to house. When Hiroto arrived, he had a box full of
sticky notes with .
Chelsey was puzzled. “What are those for?” asked.
“These will help us study,” answered. “You and I
will write the spelling words on the notes. Then will
each take a note, say the word, and stick on the other’s
back. You must spell the word I put on back, and I
must spell the word you put on mine. Then we will check each
other’s words. If both of us spelled words correctly, we
take two more words. But if either word was misspelled, we have
to stick both of on our foreheads!”
Chelsey laughed. But she liked idea.
B. What do you do to prepare for a test? Write a paragraph about it. Use at least four pronouns. Be sure they agree with their antecedents.
Nouns and Pronouns Lesson 10 29 Forget It
A. Proofread the passage. Cross out each incorrectNoun-Pronoun pronoun and Agreement write the WA18 correct pronoun above it.
Ash is a very forgetful boy. She leaves their sneakers at school
and homework at home. When Ash borrows books from the
library, he forgets to return it. Once the neighbors asked Ash to
watch her little dog, Lola. Ash took Lola to the park and left him
there! Luckily, Lola can find her way home.
B. Read each sentence. Above each underlined word or phrase, write the Noun-Pronoun Agreement WA19 pronoun that could replace it.
Ash once forgot Ash’s own birthday. Ash went downstairs
for breakfast and saw presents on the table. “Who is getting
the presents?” he asked.
Ash’s mom could not believe Ash’s mom’s ears. “The presents
are for you! Don’t you know what today is? Today is your birthday!”
C. Write a paragraph about something that is hard for you to remember. Use at least four pronouns. Include one subject pronoun, one object pronoun, and two possessive pronouns.
30 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book The Art of Escaping
A. Circle the noun that correctly completes the sentence. Write the noun on the line.
1. Some have unusual talents. (people, peoples)
2. They can escape from locked rooms and
nailed tight. (boxses, boxes)
3. These performers, called escape artists, do not pull rabbits from a
hat or long from their sleeves. (scarves, scarfs)
4. One amazing escape artist whom enjoyed
watching was a man named Harry Houdini. (familys, families)
B. Circle the possessive noun that correctly completes each sentence. Write the noun on the line.
1. Born in 1874 in Hungary, real name was
Erik Weisz. (Houdini’s, Houdinis’)
2. He began performing in New York City as a teen and later used his
assistance in his shows. (wife’s, wives)
3. Just imagine the reaction when Houdini
escaped from ten pairs of handcuffs! (audience’s, audiences)
4. mouths hung open in astonishment. They
couldn’t believe their eyes! (Childrens’, Children’s)
C. Write a short passage about an amazing performer you have seen in person, on TV, or in a movie. Use singular, plural, and possessive nouns.
Nouns and Pronouns Lesson 11 31 Up in the Air
A. Circle the pronoun that correctly completes each sentence. Then write the pronoun on the line.
1. Last week mom told me about a man who
walks on wires high above the ground. (my, mine, me)
2. name is Nik Wallenda. (His, Her, He)
3. In 1981 at age two, Nik had first performance.
(he, his, him)
4. was dressed as a tiny clown. (Him, He, His)
5. Yesterday Mom and watched Nik on TV as he
walked across Niagara Falls on a high wire. (me, us, I)
6. hearts were thumping as Nik began the walk
almost 200 feet above the rushing water. (Ours, Our, My)
7. heart was beating harder than Mom’s.
(Ours, My, Mine)
8. Nik completed the dangerous walk although some people
thought couldn’t be done. (its, it, he)
9. Nik Wallenda performs such daring acts to inspire people to
follow dreams. (them, their, theirs)
B. Write a short passage about something that takes a lot of courage to do. Use subject, object, and possessive pronouns.
32 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book Lions and Tigers
A. Proofread the passage. Cross out each incorrect pronoun and write the correct pronoun above it.
Patricia White loves lions, tigers, and leopards. In fact,
her worked with these wild cats in circuses. Pat trained the
animals by giving them rewards and took very good care of
him. To train wild animals, Pat knows that it is important
to understand its behavior. She says that each animal has
their own personality. Pat thinks tigers are harder to train
than lions. Still, she worked with tigers, and them were part
of her circus act.
B. Read the passage. Complete each sentence by writing the correct pronoun on the line. Then draw an arrow from the pronoun to its antecedent.
Dan and Ahmed went to the circus for the first time.
were excited. Dan brought along
camera. He quickly snatched from his pocket as
the elephants paraded into the circus tent. The boys laughed as
the huge elephants pointed trunks right at them.
Ahmed smiled at Dan and said, “ are lucky to have
such great seats.”
C. Write a paragraph about a wild animal such as a lion, a tiger, or an elephant. Use at least one subject pronoun, two object pronouns, and two possessive pronouns. Make sure each pronoun agrees with its antecedent.
Nouns and Pronouns Lesson 11 33 Wake Up!
A. Read the passage and underline each verb. Above the verb, write AV if it is an action verb, LV if it is a linking verb, or HV if it is a helping verb.
Most of us yawn throughout the day. Why? It feels
good. We may be tired or bored. Our brain needs oxygen. So
it sends a signal to our mouth, which stretches wide open.
Air rushes in, and oxygen flows into our bloodstream. This
wakes our brain. A yawn might look silly, but it is great for
your body.
B. Read the passage and underline each verb. Above the verb, write past, present, or future to show what tense it is.
Every morning my alarm rings at 6:30 a.m. I wake slowly
and prepare for school. I catch the bus at 7:15. This morning,
however, was different. When I woke and opened my eyes,
the clock said 7:10! I jumped out of bed and ran downstairs.
My parents were in the kitchen. “Why are you up so early?”
Dad asked. “You usually sleep late on Saturdays.” I felt so silly!
Tomorrow will be different. I will enjoy Sunday morning in bed.
C. Write a short story about getting up in the morning. Use at least four different verbs, including one past-tense, one present-tense, and one future-tense verb.
34 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book Night Life
A. Write a verb from the list to complete each sentence. Use each verb only once. Change the form of the verb, if necessary, to show the correct tense.
wake be run tip search get
1. Raccoons are animals that often for food at night.
2. Last night a raccoon over a garbage can under my window.
3. The loud noise me from a deep sleep.
4. I opened the window and yelled, “Hey, out of there!”
5. The raccoon away into the darkness.
6. I wonder if the raccoon back tonight.
B. Read the passage. Circle the correct form of each verb in parentheses.
When I got up this morning, I (tell, told) my mom
about the raccoon. She (was, will be) not surprised. She
(said, say), “Raccoons (do, did) things like that all the time.
They (looked, look) cute, but they (are, were) still wild
animals. Tonight we (check, will check) the garbage can
to make sure the lid is on tight. Otherwise, the raccoons
(will make, made) a big mess.”
C. Imagine that you hear a noise in the night. Write a short story about it, using at least five verbs. Include past-tense, present-tense, and future- tense verbs.
Verbs Lesson 12 35 Am I Dreaming?
A. Complete the chart. Fill in the missing tenses of the verbs to show their Verbs WA4 correct forms.
Present Past Future
1. laughed will laugh
2. is will be
3. begin began
4. hurry will hurry
5. feel will feel
B. Proofread the passage. Cross out any verb that is not in the correct tense. Verbs WA5 Write the correct form of the verb above it.
I had a funny dream last night. It will be about a mouse in
a clown costume. The mouse said, “Please followed me.” When
I asked where we were going, the mouse reply, “You see soon
enough.” Then suddenly I become a mouse, and we went to
the circus!
C. Write about a funny or scary dream you have had. Use at least five verbs, including one present-tense, one future-tense, and three past-tense verbs.
36 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book Excitement on the Ice
A. Read the passage. Draw one line under each present-perfect verb phrase, two lines under each past-perfect verb, and three lines under each future- tense verb.
My cousins Tina and Tayhon love hockey. They have played
since they were little. For years their favorite professional team
has been the Philadelphia Flyers. Until last week, though, neither
of them had gone to a real game. They had watched the Flyers
play only on TV. Then one day Aunt Annalise came home with
a surprise. She had bought four tickets!
“Yahoo!” shouted Tayhon. “By this time next week, we
will have seen the Flyers beat the Rangers!”
B. Read the passage. Circle the correct helping verb or past participle to complete each sentence.
The arena was filled with fans who (have, had) come to
see the hockey game. The Flyers were losing, and their star
player had (be, been) injured. Suddenly, one of the Flyers
zoomed down the ice and scored. “Yes!” Tina shouted. “He
(has, had) just tied the game! If the Flyers score once more,
we will have (taken, took) the lead!”
C. Write a paragraph about watching an athlete or your favorite team in action. Use one present-, past-, and future-perfect tense.
Verbs Lesson 13 37 Battle on the Ball Field
A. Write the correct perfect-tense form of each verb shown in parentheses to complete the paragraph.
“This is Ned Lane coming to you from Gigantic Stadium,
where the Muskrats the lead. (take) A few moments ago, they were losing 6 to 3, but Ira Blansky’s
home run all that. Let’s go to (change) Lisa Lu on the field.”
“Hi, Ned! When I interviewed Blansky yesterday, he was in
a great mood. He his hand a few (injure) weeks ago, but now the injury . He (heal) told me, however, that he needs knee surgery. He will do it later
this year, but by next season he (recover) fully. Also, the Muskrats another (get) strong catcher by then, so fans shouldn’t worry. Back to
you, Ned!”
“Thanks, Lisa. Today’s game sure (be) interesting. Before today I the (expect) Muskrats to lose. But now, well, who knows?”
B. Imagine you are a sports announcer describing an exciting game or race. Write what you would be saying. Use at least four perfect-tense verbs.
38 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book Super Football
A. Complete the chart. Fill in the missing forms of thePerfect verbs. Verb Tenses WA9
Present-perfect Past-perfect Future-perfect
1. score has or have scored
2. break had broken
3. go will have gone
B. Proofread the sentences. Cross out each incorrect verbPerfect form Verb and Tenses write the WA10 correct form above it.
1. The San Francisco 49ers have win the Super Bowl five times since 1982.
2. Before he retired from the team in 2005, Jerry Rice had breaked many records.
3. If the San Francisco 49ers win the Super Bowl next year, it has been the first time since 1994.
4. The New Orleans Saints finally won the Super Bowl in 2010. They have never played in the Super Bowl before that.
5. I have watch the Super Bowl with my friends every year for the past four years.
C. Pretend you have just broken a record in your favorite sport. Write about it, using at least four perfect-tense verbs.
Verbs Lesson 13 39 The Roller Coaster Ride
A. Draw one line under each present-progressive verb phrase, two lines under each past-progressive verb phrase, and three lines under each future-progressive verb phrase.
My heart was pounding as I climbed into the little car.
Levi and Alondra were sitting in front of me. “Don’t be afraid,”
shouted Alondra, but her voice was shaking. “In a few minutes,
we will be having more fun than we’ve ever had in our lives!”
“I’m not so sure of that!” I shouted back. Then the ride
started. The wheels were squeaking as the car crept upwards
along the track. “This is feeling pretty good,” I said. “We are
moving at the perfect speed!”
B. Read the rest of the passage. Circle the correct form of the verb to complete each sentence.
Suddenly, the car reached the top of the track and
we (are, were) zooming toward the ground. Alondra
(was, were) shrieking with delight. Before I knew it, the car
(was, were) whipping around a curve and going up again.
“I (am, is) closing my eyes,” I screamed. “And they
(will be, were) staying shut until the end of the ride!”
C. Write a paragraph about a thrilling experience you have had. Use at least one verb in the present-progressive tense, one in the past-progressive tense, and one in the future-progressive tense.
40 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book Whirling and Twirling
A. Write the correct progressive-tense form of each verb shown in parentheses to complete the passage.
As we walked away from the roller coaster, my legs
. Levi . (shake) (laugh) “Come on,” he said. “Let’s go on the Whirl-and-Twirl next!”
“No way,” I replied. I saw a bench and said, “I
down. You can go if you want. (sit) I right here when you get back.” (wait) Levi and Alondra ran off. I (feel) thirsty, so I bought a cold drink and returned to the bench.
“This drink me feel better,” I said. (make) A little while later, Levi and Alondra reappeared. Both of them
ill. “How was the ride?” I asked. (look) “Right now we we had not gone (wish) on it,” said Alondra.
“Yeah,” admitted Levi. “My head (spin) for the rest of the day.”
B. Write the beginning of a story about a group of friends at an amusement park. Use at least four progressive-tense verbs in your writing.
Verbs Lesson 14 41 Tunnel of Fun Progressive Verb Tenses WA13 A. Complete the chart. Fill in the missing forms of the verbs.
Present-progressive Past-progressive Future-progressive
1. laugh She . She . She .
2. stop We . We . We .
B. Proofread the passage. Cross out each incorrectProgressive verb form Verband write Tenses the WA14 correct form above it to make it the progressive tense.
“You is now entering the Tunnel of Mirrors,” said the man
at the gate. He is wearing a purple hat. “I will be your guide. In a
moment you are seeing some unusual things, so be prepared!”
He led us into a dark hall. I am getting scared. Then the lights
came on, and we were stare at millions of copies of ourselves.
C. Pretend you are walking into a dark room. Write about it, using four progressive-tense verbs. Include each type of progressive tense—present, past, and future—at least once.
42 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book A Woman for President
A. Read the passage. Circle the correct form of the verb to complete each sentence.
Victoria Woodhull (was, is) a newspaper owner in the 1800s.
She also (buys, bought) and (sells, sold) stocks on Wall Street.
Today these (are, were) not unusual activities for a woman. But
back then, Woodhull (is doing, was doing) something that few
other women (did, do). In 1872 women could not even vote, yet
Woodhull (will run, ran) for U.S. president. She (did, does) not
win. However, she (gets, got) a lot of attention from people.
B. Read each pair of sentences. If the verb tense in the second sentence is correct, write C above it. If it is incorrect, write I.
1. Victoria Woodhull died in 1927. Today few people remember
Woodhull’s amazing story.
2. Shirley Chisholm became the first African American woman
elected to Congress in 1968. Then in 1972 she runs for the
U.S. presidency.
3. Hillary Clinton ran for president in 2008. Her husband,
Bill Clinton, is president from 1993 to 2001.
C. Write a paragraph about a woman you admire. She can be famous or someone you know. Include at least three verbs, and make sure they are the correct tense.
Verbs Lesson 15 43 Mr. Baker
A. Read the story. Write the correct form of the verb to complete each sentence.
Mr. Baker had recently next (move) door to Felipe and Juan from another state. The boys’ mother
them to drop a “Welcome” card into (ask) Mr. Baker’s mailbox.
Felipe and Juan the card into the (drop) mailbox. Then they that all the windows (notice) were open.
“Yum,” Juan. “Something (say) good in there.” (smell) Just then, Mr. Baker (see) the boys and . He (smile) the front door. “Would you like some (open) fresh bread?” he to them. “I just (say) a few loaves.” (bake) The boys . “Are you a baker?” (laugh) “Yes! In my old town, I an award- (own) winning bakery. Next month I one here.” (open)
B. Write a story about someone in your neighborhood with an interesting job. Use at least four verbs. Use each tense at least once.
44 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book The Sky Is the Limit
A. Read each set of verbs in the word boxes. Write theShifts correct in Verbform Tenseof the verbWA18 on each line. fliesflies flewflew willwill flyfly
1. When my grandfather was in the Navy, he helicopters.
Now he passenger planes for an airline. Next week he
to Japan.
visitvisit visitedvisited willwill visitvisit
2. I always my grandma when Grandpa goes on a long trip.
So I her next week. Last month I her when
Grandpa went to Spain.
B. Proofread the paragraph. Look for incorrect verb tenses. Cross out each Shifts in Verb Tense WA19 one and write the correct tense above it.
In 1991 Dr. Ellen Ochoa becomes an astronaut. She was
already an engineer and inventor. Two years later she went into
space. She will be the first Hispanic woman to do so. Then in
1999 Ellen will fly on the Space Shuttle Discovery. This flight
made history when the shuttle docks with the International
Space Station.
C. Pretend it is 50 years from now, and you are looking back on your life. Write a paragraph about what you have done or become. Use five verbs. Be sure to use tenses correctly.
Verbs Lesson 15 45 Music for Everyone
A. Read each sentence. Underline the complete subject and circle the verb. Above the subject, write S if it is singular or P if it is plural.
1. Mrs. Garafoli and her husband teach music at the
Community Center.
2. Mrs. Garafoli goes to the Community Center every day.
3. She gives piano and guitar lessons.
4. Jazz, blues, and hip-hop are her favorite types of music.
5. Mr. Garafoli likes classical music and opera.
B. Read each sentence. Make the subject and verb agree by circling the correct word or words in parentheses.
1. Mr. Garafoli (was, were) an opera singer many years ago.
2. He and his wife (has, have) beautiful voices.
3. (Mr. Garafoli, Mr. and Mrs. Garafoli) also writes songs.
4. (The songs, One song) are funny and clever.
5. The words and the music (go, goes) together perfectly.
6. Bobby and Billy Thompson (take, takes) voice lessons from
Mr. Garafoli.
7. Bobby or Billy (sing, sings) the melody.
8. Mr. Garafoli’s (student, students) learn a lot from him.
C. Imagine you are taking a lesson with Mr. or Mrs. Garafoli. Write a paragraph about it, using at least two compound subjects.
46 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book Band Practice
A. Write a verb from the word box to complete each sentence. Add an ending to the verb if it needs one.
sing wonder bang want break play screech miss name say
Edwardo and his friends start a band. They
themselves The Tuners. Carter that he will
play the drums. Shakir and Chloe to play
their trumpets. Trevor and Ziva both guitar.
Edwardo is the lead singer.
The first practice does not go well. Carter
noisily on his drums. Shakir’s trumpet loudly
like a parrot. One of Trevor’s guitar strings
into two parts. Chloe some of the notes
completely. Edwardo at the wrong time.
They all if the band should change its name
to The Out-of-Tuners.
B. Imagine you are in a band. Write a short story about it, using singular and plural subjects. Include at least two compound subjects.
Verbs Lesson 16 47 Strumming and Plucking Subject-Verb Agreement WA22 A. Write the correct word from the word box to complete each sentence.
is are is pluckare pluckstrums strumshave hashave has
1. A guitar and a banjo both string instruments.
2. A player the instrument.
3. Guitar and banjo players also the strings.
4. The two instruments different-shaped bodies.
5. A banjo a body shaped like a circle.
6. A guitar’s body curved like an hourglass.
B. Proofread each pair of sentences. Cross out the incorrect verb and write the correct form above it to show subject-verbSubject-Verb agreement. Agreement WA23
1. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is in Cleveland. It have a huge
collection of guitars.
2. The electric guitar was invented by George Beauchamp. He
and John Dopyera was trying to make their guitars louder.
3. An electric guitar plug into an amplifier. The amplifier sends a
signal to a speaker.
4. The amplifier and speaker works together to produce sound.
The sound comes out of the speaker.
C. Invent an instrument. Write five sentences to describe it.
48 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book A Southwestern Sight to See
A. Read the passage and circle each verb. Above the verb, write AV if it is an action verb, LV if it is a linking verb, or HV if it is a helping verb.
The Rio Grande is the fifth-longest river in the United
States. This famous river flows for about 1,900 miles through
Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. Along the way, it becomes the
border between Texas and Mexico.
The river may seem calm in some places, but other sections
are fast and wild. In New Mexico, people ride down the rapids in
huge rafts. You can also hike along the banks.
B. Proofread the passage. Cross out each incorrect verb and write the correct form above it to show subject-verb agreement.
Every year a place in the southwestern United States attract
thousands of visitors. At Four Corners Monument, you can
stand in four different states at once! Arizona, New Mexico,
Colorado, and Utah all meets at a point here. You put your right
foot in Arizona. Your left foot go in Utah. Then you bend down
and places your hands in the other two states. One hand touch
Colorado while the other hand are in New Mexico.
C. Write a brief passage about an interesting place you visited or want to visit. Be sure to use action, linking, and helping verbs correctly.
Verbs Lesson 17 49 What’s New in New Jersey?
A. Read the passage. Circle the correct form of each verb in parentheses.
Yesterday our teacher (tells, told) us some interesting facts
about New Jersey. For instance, the state (has, have) one of
the largest seaports in the United States. Also, the light bulb,
phonograph, and movie camera (was, were) invented by
Thomas Edison in New Jersey. But our teacher’s favorite thing
(may be, been) the spoon collection at the Lambert Castle
Museum. There you (saw, can see) hundreds of different spoons
from all over the world.
B. Write a verb from the word box to complete each sentence. Change the form of the verb, if necessary, to show the correct tense. Use each verb only once.
find donate have tell
If you go to the Lambert Castle Museum, you
some amazing spoons. A woman named
Bertha Schaefer-Koempel the collection
to the museum in 1966. She more than
5,400 spoons in her possession when she died. Every spoon
a story about someone’s adventures.
C. Write a brief passage about something that you or someone you know collects. Use past-, present-, and future-tense verbs.
50 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book Travel Plans
A. Read each sentence. Write the missing helping verb to correctly form the perfect or progressive tense.
Last night my family and I
discussing our plans for the summer. My older brother
Sam complaining because he
hoped for something other than a
trip to see Grandma. She moved to Chicago five years ago,
and she lived there ever since.
“I not going,” Sam announced.
“If you don’t go, you missing all the
fun,” said Dad. “I already bought tickets to
a Cubs game and the Planetarium. Also, we
going to a big festival in Millennium Park. Besides, by next
month, it been two years since we
seen her.”
B. Write a brief passage about a discussion you have had recently about making plans with friends or relatives. Use perfect- and progressive-tense verbs correctly.
Verbs Lesson 17 51 The Most Important Star
A. Read the passage. Circle each adjective. Draw an arrow to the noun or pronoun it describes.
On dark, cloudless nights, the sky twinkles with stars.
However, there is one star that is special, and it can be seen
only during the day. That star is the sun. The sun provides us
with bright light, warmth, and energy. Green plants convert the
sun’s energy into food. So when you eat a crunchy carrot or a
sweet, juicy strawberry, it is as if you are eating a small piece of
sunshine.
B. Read the passage. Circle the correct form of the adjectives in parentheses to complete the sentences.
The sun is not the (brighter, brightest) star in the
universe, but it is the (closest, most close) one to us. And it
is (hotter, hottest) than any other object in our solar system.
That is why you should protect your skin when you are outside.
Your skin is (more important, importanter) than you may
realize. Always wear sunscreen with the (most highest, highest)
amount of protection you can find.
C. Write a paragraph about how the sun makes you feel. Use at least four adjectives.
52 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book Extreme Planets
A. Read the passage. Write an adjective from the word box to complete each sentence. Use each adjective only once.
three largest many hottest nearest tiny rough smaller hot
Jupiter is a gigantic ball of swirling gas. It is the
planet in our solar system. The size of
Earth is compared to Jupiter. In fact, only
planets are than
Earth: Mercury, Venus, and Mars.
Mercury is the planet that is
to the sun. It is made of rock, so its surface is hard and
. It has craters,
similar to our moon’s craters. Because Mercury is next to the
sun, you can imagine how it is. However,
Mercury is actually not the planet in the
solar system—Venus is. The temperature on Venus can get up to
around 880 degrees Fahrenheit!
B. Imagine you discover a new planet. Write a brief description of it. Use at least four adjectives, including one comparative and one superlative adjective.
Modifiers and Other Parts of Speech Lesson 18 53 Moonlight
A. Read each sentence. Write the adjective from the word box that means Adjectives WA4 about the same thing as the underlined adjective.
eerieeerie featheryfeathery distantdistant quietquiet singlesingle
1. The full moon rose over the faraway mountains.
2. A lone star twinkled in the sky.
3. Soft, wispy clouds floated past the moon.
4. The moonlight cast strange shadows on the ground.
5. The night air was still and silent.
B. Proofread the passage. Cross out each incorrect adjective form. Write the correct form above it. Adjectives WA5
Did you see the full moon last night? I think it was
the beautifulest moon I have ever seen. It was brighter and
more larger than it has been all month. Tomorrow night it will
start to get thinnest again. In two weeks we won’t see it at all.
The sky will be much dark than it is tonight. But that’s OK.
A moonless night is the most best time to see stars.
C. Imagine you are looking down on Earth from the moon. Write a description of what you see and how it makes you feel. Use at least five adjectives, including one comparative and one superlative adjective.
54 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book The Audition
A. Read the passage. Draw an arrow from each underlined adverb to the verb or adjective being described.
Yesterday I auditioned for the part of Little Mouse in
the school play. I read each line loudly and dramatically.
I thought I had performed well. When I was done,
Ms. Partridge applauded politely and said that my voice
was certainly powerful. Ms. Partridge always says nice
things. I walked away, feeling very happy.
B. Read the passage. Circle the correct form of the adverb in parentheses to complete each sentence.
I did not get the part of Little Mouse. Ms. Partridge says I
spoke (more forcefully, forceful) than I needed to. The character
of Little Mouse is shy and speaks (least boldly, less boldly)
than I did. Now I realize I should have studied the part
(most careful, more carefully)! But I did speak the (loudest,
most loudest) of anyone, and I pronounced my words the
(more clearly, most clearly). So Ms. Partridge gave me the role
of Narrator. I like that job (better, weller) anyway, because I get
to be in every scene.
C. Write a paragraph about how you think you’d act during an audition. Use at least four adverbs in your paragraph.
Modifiers and Other Parts of Speech Lesson 19 55 On the Red Carpet
A. Read the passage. Write an adverb from the word box to complete each sentence. Use each adverb only once. often forward meanly more gracefully brightly worst confidently badly
Cameras flashed at the movie stars
as they entered the theater. The actors waved to their adoring
fans, who leaned to get autographs.
Action hero Ryan Duckling looked handsome in his tuxedo,
strutting down the red carpet. He
was with Britney Glass, who wore a beautiful blue gown. She
moved than a ballet dancer, even though
everyone knew she was suffering from a
toe injury.
Next came movie director Charlie Keaton, who dressed
the of anybody in Hollywood. He
came to events wearing weird hats and
shoes. A few people booed at him .
B. Imagine you see your favorite movie or TV star on the street. Write a paragraph about your experience. Use at least five adverbs.
56 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book In the Audience
A. Read each sentence. Write the adverb from the word box that means Adverbs WA9 about the same thing as the underlined adverb.
outdoors noisily frequently quite gradually
1. The lights in the theater dimmed slowly.
2. Someone in the audience just sneezed loudly.
3. I often go to performances at the community theater.
4. From the balcony those actors look very small.
5. At intermission people strolled outside to stretch their legs.
B. Proofread the passage. Cross out each incorrect adverb form. Write the Adverbs WA10 correct form above it.
Benji shifted nervous in his chair. It was almost time for his
little sister’s dance performance. He hoped she would dance
weller than everyone else in her class. She had certainly practiced
the most hard of everyone. Finally she came out on stage and
bowed graceful. Benji clapped most proudly than anyone else in
the audience.
C. Write a story about a time when you were nervous about something. Use at least five adverbs, including one that describes where and one that describes when.
Modifiers and Other Parts of Speech Lesson 19 57 Olympic Heroes
A. Read the passage. Each prepositional phrase has been underlined. Circle its preposition, and draw a box around the object of the preposition.
In 1904 a man with a wooden leg won six medals
at the Olympics. The man, George Eyser, was a gymnast
from St. Louis. The Olympics were in St. Louis that year.
Eyser received three gold medals, two silver, and one bronze
for his performance in the gymnastics events.
B. Read each sentence. Underline the prepositional phrase in each sentence. Circle its preposition and draw a box around the object of the preposition.
1. Gymnast Kerri Strug was 18 years old when she went
to the 1996 Olympics.
2. Strug helped the women’s gymnastics team win a gold medal
for the United States.
3. Strug had to perform on a badly injured ankle.
4. She felt terrible pain in her ankle, but she finished perfectly.
5. Strug’s teammates on the sidelines clapped and cheered wildly.
6. The coach lifted her up and carried her in his arms.
7. Everyone knew Kerri Strug’s name after that day.
8. People are still amazed by her accomplishment.
C. Write a paragraph about something difficult that you are proud of having done. Use at least three prepositional phrases.
58 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book Swimming in Sync
A. Complete each sentence by writing a prepositional phrase from the word box. Use each phrase only once. for a long time about an interesting sport in swimsuits with their arms and legs of the water
Last night I saw a television program
. This sport is called synchronized
swimming, and it’s a team sport. Swimmers perform difficult
tricks on the surface and below it.
They must be able to hold their breath
and coordinate their movements with their teammates. The
swimmers make precise movements ,
stretching and twirling like ballet dancers .
B. Rewrite each sentence. Add a prepositional phrase that answers the question in parentheses.
1. I went swimming. (When?)
2. I put my towel down. (Where?)
3. After swimming ten laps, I ate lunch. (With whom?)
C. Imagine you are at the Olympics, watching your favorite sport. Describe what you see, using at least four prepositional phrases.
Modifiers and Other Parts of Speech Lesson 20 59 Diving Lessons
A. Circle the preposition in each sentence. Write position, direction, or time Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases WA13 to tell what the preposition shows.
1. Jeremy walks toward the diving board’s edge.
2. The crowd below him chants his name.
3. After a moment Jeremy takes a deep breath.
4. He springs from the board and does a double-rotating-triple-back-flip.
5. The spectacular dive is only in his imagination, though.
B. Draw a line from each incomplete sentence to the prepositional phrase that completes it. Then write eachPrepositions new sentence. and Prepositional Phrases WA14
Stand off the edge. Put your hands over your head. Lean forward and bend with your knees slightly bent. Use your feet to push at the waist.
1.
2.
3.
4.
C. Think of something you know how to do well. Write steps to explain it. Use at least six prepositional phrases.
60 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book The Salad Bar
A. Read each sentence. Circle the correct conjunction to complete the sentence.
1. At Biggerson’s Salad Bar, you can get not only salad (or, but also) sandwiches.
2. The sandwiches come on (either, neither) wheat bread or a roll.
3. At the salad bar, people both build their salads (and, or) add to their sandwiches.
4. Neither burgers (or, nor) hot dogs are served at Biggerson’s.
5. The food at Biggerson’s is (not only, both) delicious but also healthful.
6. You can either eat there (but also, or) order the food to take home.
B. Read each sentence. Circle the conjunction that is in the wrong place, and draw an arrow to where it should go.
1. I both like tomatoes and cucumbers in my salad.
2. Carrots or celery either can make the salad extra crunchy.
3. My sister puts neither dressing on her salad nor adds any cheese.
4. The salad bar not only has lettuce but also peas and red beans.
5. My sister and my dad like to both put chopped egg in their salad.
6. Neither they add peppers nor onions.
C. Write a paragraph about what you like to put in your salad. Use the conjunction pairs both/and and not only/but also.
Modifiers and Other Parts of Speech Lesson 21 61 The Amazing Peanut
A. Read the passage. Complete each sentence by writing a conjunction from the word box.
both neither either nor and not only but also or
Did you know that a peanut is a pea
nor a nut? It is actually a fruit. In fact, it is not only a fruit
a legume. Fruits are the part of a plant that
has seeds, and legumes are fruits that grow in pods. Examples
of legumes include peas and lima beans.
Most fruits either develop on a vine
hang from a tree. However, a peanut grows on neither a vine
a tree. It develops underground.
Peanuts are very nutritious. They contain
a lot of protein but also healthy fats. Plus, they are a good source
of both vitamin E fiber. So the next time
you want a healthy snack, grab a handful of
peanuts or make a peanut butter sandwich.
B. Write a paragraph about a kind of fruit or nut that you like. Use at least two of the following conjunction pairs: either/or, neither/nor, both/and, or not only/but also.
62 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book Lunchtime
A. Circle the conjunctions in each sentence. Write choice, combination, or addition to tell what each conjunction pair forms.Correlative Conjunctions WA18
1. For lunch Patrick always brings either a sandwich or a burrito.
2. Both Patrick and I like to share our lunches with each other.
3. Today we not only shared sandwiches but also traded fruit.
4. Neither Patrick nor I brought any chips today.
B. Read the passage. Write the correct conjunction to complete each Correlative Conjunctions WA19 sentence.
both either and nor but alsoalso
“Oh no! Mom put both pickles onions in my
sandwich today,” said Patrick. “I don’t like pickles or
onions! They not only taste strong give me a
stomachache.”
“I love pickles and onions!” I replied. “I’ll put
yours on my sandwich. They neither taste bad to me
make me sick.”
C. What do you like to put on a sandwich? What don’t you like? Write a paragraph, using at least three conjunction pairs.
Modifiers and Other Parts of Speech Lesson 21 63 My Brother’s Soccer Games
A. Underline the interjections in the paragraph. Circle the punctuation that expresses strong feeling. Draw a square around the punctuation that expresses milder feeling.
Boy, I’m tired of watching my little brother play soccer. My
whole family goes to all his games. Hey, I know he’s my little
brother, but those games eat up most of my free time. Good grief!
I could be doing dozens of other things instead. Last weekend my
little brother scored a really difficult goal. After the game he told
me that he’d made the goal because I was there cheering for him.
Yikes! Did I feel guilty or what? Well, I guess it’s important that I
go to his games, after all. What’s a big brother for?
B. Rewrite the sentences, adding punctuation to indicate the emotion shown in parentheses. Capitalize words as needed.
1. Boy it’s awesome to have my big brother come to my soccer games. (strong)
2. Oh I’d play my best whether he came to the games or not. (mild)
3. Well maybe I wouldn’t push myself as hard if he weren’t there. (mild)
C. Write a paragraph about an exciting sport. Use interjections and punctuation to show feelings.
64 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book Well, Better Luck Next Time!
A. Rewrite the sentence using interjections from the word box to complete the sentences. Use punctuation to express feelings.
Good grief Hey Boy Ouch Oh
1. I wish I didn’t have to go to swim practice today.
2. I blew it yesterday when I did a belly flop.
3. It hurt like crazy when I hit the water.
4. Will I ever live down that embarrassing moment?
5. We all make mistakes, so I just have to get over it.
B. Using a word from the word box above, write a sentence about swimming to match each description in parentheses.
1. (strong feelings)
2. (milder feelings)
3. (strong feelings)
C. Write a paragraph about an activity that you have found challenging. Use interjections and punctuation to express emotions.
Modifiers and Other Parts of Speech Lesson 22 65 Riding the River!
A. Proofread the paragraph.Interjections Add punctuation and Punctuation to express emotion.to Show Emotion WA22
Wow We had the most amazing time rafting on the river
Boy, we had to work hard to avoid the rocks At one point our
raft got stuck between two big boulders Hooray we got out of
that jam.
B. Write an interjection from the word box on each line. Add the appropriate Interjections and Punctuation to Show Emotion WA23 punctuation following each interjection.
Yikes Oh Phew Ah
1. riding the river in calm places is so relaxing.
2. I suppose there are more exciting ways to spend a day.
3. Those rapids came up fast!
4. We got through the rapids without flipping over!
C. Write a paragraph about an exciting adventure. Use at least three interjections and punctuation to express emotions.
66 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book About That Smell . . .
A. Write F (for formal) or I (for informal) above each sentence.
Dear Mr. Rose:
For several weeks, I have noticed an unusual smell in the hall
outside apartment 212. Buddy, you gotta have something nasty
in there! I am not sure whether the odor is due to a wet dog or
a moldy carpet. Man, you better do something about it, though!
I would prefer not to have to complain to the landlord.
Your neighbor,
Ms. Johnson
B. Underline each sentence that is too informal for this informational paragraph on the water cycle.
When the sun heats Earth, water on the surface of oceans
and other bodies of water evaporates. What that means,
dude, is that it turns into, like, vapor. The vapor rises into the
atmosphere, where the cooler temperatures cause it to condense.
So, like, this vapor stuff turns back into water droplets, forming
a cloud thing. Then it rains. How cool is that?
C. Write a short paragraph about something in nature that interests you. Write it in informal language, as if you were writing an e-mail to a friend.
Modifiers and Other Parts of Speech Lesson 23 67 Didgeridoo
A. Circle a. or b. to show which sentence you would use for each type of writing.
1. Type of writing: a research report a. The didgeridoo is one of the world’s oldest instruments. b. I think the didgeridoo is a really cool instrument.
2. Type of writing: an informative paragraph a. It is a heavy tube made by the native people of Australia. b. It’s this tube-like thing that’s made by these dudes in Australia.
3. Type of writing: an e-mail to a friend a. The native artists find a particular branch and cut it to match a certain length. b. These guys take a branch, and they, like, chop it into the size they want.
B. Read the paragraph. Rewrite it to sound more formal.
You oughta hear a didgeridoo when some dude blows away
on it. Totally awesome! I gotta get me one.
C. Imagine you are giving a report at school about a kind of music or musical instrument that interests you. Write the first paragraph, using formal language.
68 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book What’s Up?
A. Read the paragraph. Cross out the informal sentences and rewrite them above in a more formal way. Formal and Informal English WA26
Most jewels are stones that are dug from deep inside
the earth. Not pearls, man, no way. Pearls are hard, round
objects that grow inside living oysters. See, when this oyster
gets annoyed by something like sand, it makes, like, this
thing to cover it. The layers of material grow big and round.
Next thing you know, it’s an awesome pearl!
B. Read the informal sentences. Draw a line from each one to the sentence that shows a more formal way of writing it.Formal and Informal English WA27
1. No way. a. I made a mistake.
2. My bad. b. What is going on?
3. Chill. c. That seems unlikely.
4. What’s up? d. That isn’t very appealing.
5. That’s yucky. e. You should try to relax.
C. Write a short letter to your teacher. Then rewrite it, changing four words or phrases to make it an informal letter to a classmate.
Modifiers and Other Parts of Speech Lesson 23 69 Diamond Hunt
A. Read the passage. Circle each adjective and draw a box around each adverb. Then draw an arrow to the word that each adjective or adverb describes.
Mario studied the old map carefully. It was badly wrinkled
and smelled like a wet dog. Also, someone had spilled sticky liquid
on it once. But Mario could read the five words on it clearly:
I buried the diamonds here. A tiny arrow pointed to a spot next to
a bridge. “This is a very special map,” said Mario excitedly.
B. Read the passage. Cross out each adjective or adverb in parentheses and write the correct form above it.
Mario was the (bestest) treasure hunter in the world. He
knew he could find the diamonds (easily) than anyone else, but
he would still have to move (quickly) than usual. The diamonds
were the (valuable) treasure he had ever looked for!
Mario studied the ground next to the bridge, looking for
where the dirt seemed the (loose). This was where the diamonds
would be buried.
C. Write a short story about finding a lost treasure. Use adjectives and adverbs in your story to give details and make comparisons.
70 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book Cave of the Crystals
A. Read the passage. Underline each prepositional phrase. Circle the preposition. Draw a box around the object of the preposition.
There is a cave in northern Mexico where you will find an
amazing treasure. To see it, you must go almost 1,000 feet
below the ground. You must also fill your clothes with packs
of ice because the air inside is so hot and humid.
What is so special about this cave? It contains gigantic,
glittering crystals that are 36 feet long and several feet thick!
Scientists travel to the cave from many countries to study these
spectacular crystals.
B. Write the correct conjunction to complete each sentence.
either both and but also
1. The Cave of the Crystals is not only hot dark and humid.
2. Both time temperature have allowed the giant crystals to grow.
3. The crystals are sharp and delicate.
4. The crystals could crack or fall if they are not protected.
C. Would you want to go into the Cave of the Crystals? Why or why not? Explain your answer, using prepositional phrases and correlative conjunctions.
Modifiers and Other Parts of Speech Lesson 24 71 Jazzy Jewelry
A. Read each paragraph. Underline the word or phrase in parentheses that best fits the style and purpose of the writing.
1. Hi, Aunt Theresa! Thanks (a whole bunch, quite sincerely) for the
pretty ring. The purple stone in the middle is (totally amazing,
an incredible specimen). I hope you (did not, didn’t) spend too
much money on this!
2. Gold is a type of mineral (that’s called, known as) a metal. It is
(considered quite valuable, worth tons of money) and is frequently
used to make jewelry and other (stuff, decorative items) because it
is easy to shape.
B. Write the interjection that best completes each sentence. Use each interjection only once. Add the correct punctuation after the interjection.
Hey Oh no Yay Well
1. I can’t believe I lost my favorite earrings!
2. I guess I should have been more careful with them.
3. are those my earrings under the couch?
4. I’m so happy that I found them.
C. Write a paragraph about something you own that is special to you. Write it in two ways: one for a school assignment, and the other as a message to a friend.
72 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book The Strange Antelope
A. Read the paragraph. Circle the commas that separate the items in a series.
A very strange antelope lives in the desert in Mongolia. It
has long legs, big eyes, and a huge nose. Its nose allows it to
warm cold air, filter out dust, and find food.
B. Read the paragraph. Underline the items in each series. Add commas where they are missing.
Today this strange antelope has almost disappeared. The
antelope once lived in Alaska Mongolia and the United Kingdom.
Over the years people have hunted caught and killed many of
them for their horns. The horns are taken shipped to other
countries and used in medicines.
C. Write a paragraph describing an animal you have seen or read about. Use items in a series in your description. Make sure you put the commas in the right places.
Punctuation Lesson 25 73 Mountain Climber
A. Read the paragraph. Underline the items in a series. Add commas where they belong.
I have always wanted to be an outdoorsman a sportsman
and a mountain climber. When I was little, I used to climb
the sides of my crib other furniture and snow banks. Now I like
to rock climb go on nature walks and camp with my family.
I can’t wait until I am old enough to backpack climb and
explore mountains.
B. Rewrite each sentence, adding commas to separate items in a series.
1. A mountain is a beautiful lonely and dangerous place.
2. Mountain climbers face danger from snow ice and animals.
3. Some people say a mountain climber must be tough brave and crazy!
C. Write a paragraph about something you would like to do. Use items in a series to describe what that is and how you would do it. Use commas to separate the items.
74 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book The Loneliest Tree in the World
A. Proofread this paragraph. Add any missing commas to separate items Commas in a Series WA3 in a series.
The loneliest tree in the world lived in the Sahara Desert. There was no other tree for 250 miles. Every animal in the desert nibbled at the tree picked its leaves and sat on it. Still the tree did not die. The secret of its survival was its roots, which were long sturdy and winding. They reached deep into the ground drank water and kept the tree alive. In 1973 a truck hit the tree. The tree’s flowers thorns and leaves started to die. People cut the tree down loaded it on a truck and drove it to the Niger National Museum. A metal sculpture now stands where the tree was. Travelers still stop there, rest in the shade and read about the tree.
B. Write a descriptive paragraph about a special plant or tree. Include at least one series of items, and use commas to separate the items.
Punctuation Lesson 25 75 Little Miss Tag-along
A. Read the sentences. Add commas to set off introductory words and introductory phrases of four or more words.
1. At the age of seven my little sister became my little responsibility.
2. On the weekends she was always tagging along.
3. Last Saturday I was shooting hoops with my friends while my sister watched.
4. With a ball heading toward her my sister saw her chance to get into the game.
5. Amazingly she was dribbling the ball down the court.
6. By the end of the game I knew that my little sister wasn’t so bad.
B. Rewrite the sentence correctly, adding a comma after the introductory phrase.
1. From that day on my sister came to practice every Saturday.
2. To me as her older brother she was still an annoying pest.
3. To the other members of the team she was a superstar.
4. By the end of the year we had won more games than ever before.
C. Write a paragraph about a brother or a sister. Use a comma after introductory phrases of four words or more.
76 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book My Cousin Annie
A. Read the sentences. Underline the introductory phrase. Then add a comma if needed to set it off from the rest of the sentence.
1. As different as night and day my cousin Annie and I are
best friends.
2. Every day I do my homework when I get home from school.
3. First thing after school Annie goes out to play.
4. By 8:30 at night I’m in bed with the lights off.
5. At Annie’s house her lights are still on at 9:00.
B. Use a word or phrase from the word box to start each sentence. Add a comma if needed to set it off.
Fortunately In my aunt’s large backyard On most rainy days Every weekend
1. our families get together
for Sunday dinner.
2. we usually set up a
baseball diamond.
3. we have a talent show instead
of outdoor games.
4. the parents don’t mind all
the noise.
C. Write a paragraph about a friend or someone in your family. Use a comma to set off introductory phrases of four or more words.
Punctuation Lesson 26 77 Strange Bedfellows!
A. Proofread the paragraph. Add any missing commas that should appear Commas After Introductory Words and Phrases WA7 after introductory words or phrases.
From his earliest memories Jamison and his family have always had pets. As of last week they had three cats, two dogs, a hamster, and a parakeet. At night the parakeet sleeps in his cage, and one of the dogs sleeps in the kitchen. On the floor of Jamison’s bedroom you will find the other animals. Surprisingly the other dog, the three cats, and even the hamster snuggle together. On top of the pile you will find Jazz, the hamster. Barkley the dog provides a solid base at the bottom of the pile. As for the three cats they just slip in wherever they will fit.
B. Underline the introductory phrase in each sentence. Add a comma if Commas After Introductory Words and Phrases WA8 needed to set it off from the rest of the sentence.
1. In true nursery-rhyme style the cats are called Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.
2. Along with his best friend Jamison’s little brother named the cats.
3. During naptime Wynken, Blynken, and Nod always sleep in a pile.
4. Before too long Nod leaves the pile and snuggles with Jamison.
C. Write a paragraph about a group of pets or other animals. Include five introductory words or phrases. Use commas to set them off as needed.
78 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book Hey, Jo!
A. Read the sentences. Add commas to set off Yes, No, nouns of direct address, and tag questions.
1. “Jo where are you going?”
2. “Hi Monty. I want to get home in time for my favorite show.”
3. “That’s right. You always watch Fighting Space Tigers don’t you?”
4. “Yes it’s so cool when the Space Tigers capture the bad guys.”
5. “I told you why I can’t watch that show didn’t I?”
6. “No I thought you watched it all the time.”
7. “It’s on during my clarinet lesson Jo.”
B. Rewrite the sentences correctly, adding commas where they belong.
1. “Monty you told me before, but I forgot.”
2. “You like playing the clarinet don’t you?”
3. “Yes I just wish my lesson could be at a different time!”
C. Write a conversation between two friends about something they like to do. Use commas to set off nouns of direct address, the words yes and no, and tag questions.
Punctuation Lesson 27 79 Tyler’s Blog
A. Add the word or phrase in parentheses to the sentence and rewrite it on the line. Make sure you put commas where they belong.
1. “Look at this!” said Tyler. (Leah)
2. “You’re not on the school website again?” (are you)
3. “I wanted to see if they posted my blog.” (Yes)
4. “That’s old news,” Leah said. “Forget about it.” (Tyler)
5. “I had a good idea for our fifth-grade trip to Washington.” (Well)
6. “I thought the teachers decided to call that off.” (didn’t they)
7. “It’s still on, but we need to raise more funds.” (No)
8. “You want your band to play at a fund-raising concert?” (don’t you)
B. Write a dialogue between two people, with one person giving advice to another. Make sure you have used commas where they belong.
80 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book Let’s Be Fair
A. Proofread the dialogue between a son and his parents. Add commas Commas to Set Off Yes and No, Tag Questions, and Nouns of Direct Address WA11 where they belong.
“Mom and Dad is it OK if my friends and I rehearse in my room tonight?” “I’m not sure Kevin,” Mom said. “It gets awfully loud!” “We’re supposed to take turns aren’t we?” “Yes I guess you do have to take turns,” agreed Dad. “Dad the next three weeks will be the other boys’ turns.” “I’m really glad to hear that Kevin.” “We aren’t that bad are we Dad?” “No Kevin you are actually pretty good—just really loud!”
B. Write a dialogue between a child and his or her parent. Include at least two nouns of direct address, one tag question, and the words yes and no. Make sure to put commas where they belong.
Punctuation Lesson 27 81 Stuck in the Doghouse
A. Read the passage. Add single or double quotation marks to set off the dialogue and direct quotations.
Uncle Lee and I were trying to put together a doghouse
that we bought from the hardware store. The man at the
store promised us that it was easy to put together. It will
take ten minutes, he said.
Well, Uncle Lee and I had been at it for three hours.
The garden was covered with wood, nails, and tools.
This is ridiculous, Uncle Lee said. The book says, Put
the corners together. Where are the corners?
Let me see that, I said. I looked at the book. It says,
This birdhouse will provide a warm, dry shelter for the birds
in your garden.
Uncle Lee’s face turned red. We’re building a birdhouse!
he yelled.
B. Write a dialogue between two family members who are working together on something. Use commas and double and single quotation marks to set off the exact words of the speakers.
82 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book Fear of Sharks
A. Add double or single quotation marks where they belong in the dialogue. Circle each comma that sets off the quoted material from the words that indicate who is speaking.
Hey, Dad, Yasmin said. We should go to the aquarium on
Saturday. They have sharks there.
Dad cleared his throat. Have you asked Mom?
I asked her, Yasmin said. Her exact words were, What a
great idea! It’s time that your father faces his fear of sharks.
I see, said Dad. What else did she say?
Yasmin thought for a moment and then replied, Oh, she
just said, The first step is to face your fear. It would really
help Dad to be face-to-face with a shark.
Wow, said Dad. Mom really said that?
She really did, Yasmin answered.
B. Write a dialogue about facing a fear. Use double and single quotation marks and commas correctly.
Punctuation Lesson 28 83 Thunder and Lightning
A. Proofread the passage. Add double and single quotation marks where they belong.Commas and Quotation Marks in Dialogue and Direct Quotations WA15
My brother and I were fighting when Dad said, “Have either of you heard the story of Thunder and Lightning? No,” we both said at once. “There once were two brothers named Thunder and Lightning, Dad began. All they ever did was fight and shout things like, ‘Why don’t you go back to your cloud? ” My brother and I rolled our eyes, but Dad went on.
B. Proofread the passage. Add commas where they belong to set off dialogueCommas from the and words Quotation that tellMarks who in is Dialogue speaking. and Direct Quotations WA16
“After years of fighting, Lightning said to himself ‘I can’t take this anymore! Thunder will have to live without me.’ So Lightning zigzagged across the sky to find a new home.” My brother said “I bet Thunder said ‘I’m glad he’s gone!’ ” “No, he didn’t ” my dad responded. “In fact, they missed each other terribly.” “So what happened to them?” I asked. “They decided to work together doing what they both do best ” said Dad with a smile.
C. Write a dialogue between two people discussing a story or a folktale. Use single quotation marks, double quotation marks, and commas to set off dialogue.
84 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book It’s All About the Sources
A. Read the sentences. Underline the titles of books and movies. Add quotation marks to the titles of poems, songs, and magazine articles.
1. For my report on Antarctic expeditions, I found a book called
Race to the Top.
2. I also found an article on the explorer Ernest Shackleton titled
Heartbreak on Ice.
3. There is a movie about his expedition called The Endurance, but
I haven’t seen it.
4. I even found a song called The Spirit of Shackleton.
5. I wrote a poem about Shackleton and called it Brave Explorer.
B. Underline the titles or add quotation marks based on the words in parentheses.
These are the sources André found for his report on Haitian cuisine:
1. Creole Spices and Sauces (book)
2. How to Make Jerk Chicken (magazine article)
3. Haitian Cooking (television show)
4. In My Mama’s Kitchen (song)
C. Write a list that includes a book, a magazine article, and a television show title. Punctuate the titles correctly.
Punctuation Lesson 29 85 Wild Animals
A. Read the paragraph. Write the titles in parentheses on the lines, making sure to punctuate them correctly.
Jason and Mira were reading the book
to research exotic animals. (Animals of the Bornean Jungle) They became interested in the topic when they saw the movie
. The movie was based on an (Strange Encounters) article, written by Dr. Jared Wang, (My Strange Encounters) who had spent years in the jungles of Borneo.
B. Correct the errors in the punctuation of titles.
1. Jason is writing a story called Unbelievable! about a man who
collects weird animals.
2. Mira is writing a poem about orangutans called Mother Love.
3. Mira was inspired by a movie called “Ape Moms” about how
orangutans take care of their babies.
4. The movie soundtrack included a great song called
You’ll Always Be My Baby.
C. Write a paragraph about animals that includes a book title, a song title, and a movie title.
86 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book The World Out There
A. Proofread the paragraph. Correct the punctuation of the titles in the Punctuating Titles WA19 paragraph.
Emile wanted to write a story about space travel called
Travels to the Beyond. Deshawn offered to help with the
research and came up with a list of articles on space travel:
A Trip to Mars, Moon Landings, and NASA Predicts the Future.
Emerson found this book: “Where Will We Go Tomorrow?”
B. Write the following titles, punctuating them based on the hint in Punctuating Titles WA20 parentheses.
1. The Voyages of the Enterprise X (movie)
2. I Believe in Stars (poem)
3. We Are on a Journey (song)
4. Space Travel in the 21st Century (book)
5. Life on the Planet Mars (article)
C. Write about sources on a topic of interest to you. Include two books, two articles, and one movie title on the subject.
Punctuation Lesson 29 87 Do You Have Happy Feet?
A. Read the paragraph. Underline each word or phrase in a series. Add commas to separate them.
You’re sick of soccer fed up with football and bored with
basketball. You want to learn how to dance. Maybe you know
about some dance types, such as salsa ballet and hip-hop. But
have you heard of the hula the polka or the bossa nova? There
are thousands of dance forms all over this planet! Wherever
you go, people are shimmying shuffling stomping and swinging
to music.
B. Read the paragraph. Underline each book, magazine, and movie title. Add quotation marks to set off each magazine article or song title.
One of my favorite movies is Happy Feet. I love the way
Mumble dances on his funny penguin feet. It really makes me
laugh when the silly penguin Lovelace sings the song My Way
and dances around. I read an article called Penguin Babies of
Antarctica in the magazine Kids and Nature. I found a book
at the library called Protecting the Penguins, and I’m looking
forward to reading it.
C. Write a paragraph about your favorite book, song, movie, and television show. Use commas and correct punctuation throughout.
88 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book My Wonderful Aunt U’i
A. Read the paragraph. Circle the commas that appear after Yes, No, and introductory phrases of four or more words.
My Aunt U’i (pronounced OO-ee) was born and raised in
Hawaii. No, she doesn’t have any children, but she has four cats.
“Four cats?” you might ask. Yes, she has four cats. Every day at
five o’clock, Aunt U’i feeds them and then takes them for a walk.
With a twinkle in her eye, she tells people that she has four
furry babies.
B. Read the paragraph. Add commas after Yes, No, and introductory phrases of four or more words.
After a long period of study Aunt U’i became a neurological
nurse. That means she helps doctors when they operate on
people’s brains. Nurse U’i is very popular at the hospital. Time
and time again doctors ask for her when they need help in the
operating room. No she can’t work with all the doctors all the
time. I think my Aunt U’i is awesome!
C. Write a paragraph about one of your favorite friends or relatives. Use commas to set off Yes, No, and introductory phrases of four or more words.
Punctuation Lesson 30 89 Tell Us, Officer Bolton
A. Proofread the passage. Add quotation marks and commas where they are missing in the dialogue.
Officer Bolton came to Madison’s class to talk about his job
as a police officer and to answer questions.
“When did you decide to be a policeman? Madison asked
Officer Bolton.
I knew I wanted to be a police officer after I read my
father’s journal,” Officer Bolton responded. “He wrote This
has got to be the best job in the world, keeping my little
neighborhood safe.’ I know just how he feels.
B. Read the paragraph. Add commas after nouns of direct address and before tag questions.
“Officer Bolton what is your favorite part of being a police
officer in our neighborhood?” Ellery asked.
“Ellery you probably think that I enjoy high-speed chases
or capturing criminals the most don’t you?” Officer Bolton
replied. “My favorite part is getting to know the people in the
neighborhood.”
C. Write a dialogue between two people talking about your neighborhood. Remember to use commas to set off nouns of direct address and tag questions.
90 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book Student Grammar Guide Sentences...... 92 Nouns ...... 95 Pronouns...... 96 Verbs...... 97 Modifiers and Other Parts of Speech...... 99 Punctuation ...... 101
Diagnostic Language Skills Tasks 91 Sentences A sentence is a group of words that expresses a complete thought. It includes both a subject and a predicate.
••The subject tells whom or what the sentence is about. The predicate tells what the subject does or is. The giant anteater has a long nose and a bushy tail.
••A compound subject is made up of two or more subjects that have the same predicate and are joined by the conjunction, or connecting word, and or or. Ants and termites fear this odd-looking creature.
••A compound predicate is made up of two or more predicates that have the same subject and are joined by the conjunction, or connecting word, and or or. A hungry anteater flicks its tongue into an anthill and eats the ants.
A compound sentence is made up of two related sentences joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction, such as and, or, but, or so. Today is my sister’s birthday, and I made her an unusual cake. My sister loves chocolate cake, but I made her a papier-maché one instead.
A complex sentence is made up of an independent clause, or a sentence that can stand by itself, and a dependent clause, which has a subject and a verb but cannot stand by itself. The dependent clause begins with a subordinating conjunction, such as although, while, as, or because. A comma separates an introductory dependent clause from the independent clause. Although it wasn’t real, the cake was very special. My sister really loved it because I had painted a horse on top.
92 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book You can combine short related sentences to make your writing sound less choppy. To combine sentences, you can use a compound subject, a compound predicate, or an appositive.
••Combine two sentences with the same predicate but different subjects by forming a compound subject. Federico helps on the farm. Angela helps on the farm. Federico and Angela help on the farm.
••Combine two sentences with the same subject but different predicates by forming a compound predicate. Federico’s family grows olives. Federico’s family makes olive oil. Federico’s family grows olives and makes olive oil.
••Combine two sentences by creating an appositive, a word or phrase that tells more about someone or something. Angelini Olive Grove is the family farm. Angelini Olive Grove was started about eighty years ago. Angelini Olive Grove, the family farm, was started about eighty years ago.
Sentence fragments are incomplete sentences. They do not express complete thoughts. You can correct sentence fragments by adding a subject, a predicate, or both. Sentence fragment: These small bitter fruits. Complete sentence: These small bitter fruits look like grapes. predicate Sentence fragment: Are filled with rich oil. Complete sentence: The best olives are filled with rich oil. subject Sentence fragment: From green to purple-black. Complete sentence: An olive turns from green to purple-black. both (continues)
Student Grammar Guide 93 Sentences (continued)
Run-on sentences are two or more sentences that run together. You can correct run-on sentences by separating the sentences or by combining them with a conjunction and the proper punctuation. Run-on: An olive tree can live longer than two thousand years its bark becomes twisted as it gets older. Correction: An olive tree can live longer than two thousand years. Its bark becomes twisted as it gets older. Correction: An olive tree can live longer than two thousand years, and its bark becomes twisted as it gets older.
94 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book Nouns A noun is a word that names a person, a place, an animal, a thing, or an idea. A noun can be singular or plural. A singular noun names one. A plural noun names more than one.
••Add -s to form the plural of most nouns: nickel + s = nickels; dime + s = dimes.
••Add -es to nouns that end with s, x, sh, ch: dress + es = dresses; box + es = boxes; wish + es = wishes; lunch + es = lunches.
••Change the y to an i and add -es to a noun that ends with a consonant + y: penny – y + ies = pennies; spy – y + ies = spies.
••Replace the f or fe with -ves for nouns that end with f or fe: scarf – f + ves = scarves; wife – fe + ves = wives.
••Change the spelling to form the plural of some irregular nouns: child/children; tooth/teeth.
••Keep the same spelling for some irregular plurals: sheep/sheep; deer/deer.
A possessive noun shows ownership.
••Add ’s to make a singular noun possessive: a baby’s toy.
••Add an apostrophe after the s for plurals that end with s: the babies’ cries.
••Add ’s for plurals that do not end with s: the children’s notebooks.
Student Grammar Guide 95 Pronouns A subject pronoun replaces a noun that is the subject of a sentence. It tells whom or what the sentence is about. Lil and Drew wash cars to earn money. They wash cars to earn money. Lil gets a new bike. She gets a new bike.
An object pronoun replaces a noun that receives the action of the verb. It can also follow a word such as with, to, at, for, below, or from. Lil rides the bike everywhere. Lil rides it everywhere. Drew sees Lil at the playground. Drew sees her at the playground. Lil waves to Drew. Lil waves to him.
A possessive pronoun shows ownership. Lil is proud of her new bike. Drew tells Lil, “Your bike is much faster than mine.”
The noun that a pronoun replaces or refers back to is called the antecedent. A pronoun and its antecedent must agree in number, or match. Singular pronouns replace singular nouns. Plural pronouns replace plural nouns.
Cal has two parrots. The boy loves to teach words to them.
A pronoun and its antecedent must also agree in gender.
Cal teaches the parrots one new sentence a week. Today he taught the birds to say, “That’s yucky!”
96 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book Verbs An action verb tells what someone or something does. A linking verb connects the subject to words that tell what the subject is or is like. Action verb: My cousin Ryan lives in Alaska. Linking verb: Anchorage and Fairbanks are the largest cities in Alaska.
Action and linking verbs can have main and helping verbs. I may visit Ryan next summer. Alaska can be beautiful in the summer.
Action and linking verbs must agree in number with their subjects. Use the singular form of the verb or helping verb with a singular subject. Use the plural form of the verb or helping verb with a plural subject. Singular subject: Alaska is the largest state in the United States. It is twice the size of Texas. Plural subject: The Aleutian Islands are part of Alaska. They extend into the Eastern Hemisphere.
The simple present tense tells about something happening now or regularly. In Alaska dogs such as huskies and malamutes pull sleds across the snow. A husky performs well as a sled dog. A malamute is a good sled dog, too.
The simple past tense tells about something that has already happened. Some past-tense verbs are formed with -ed, but others are irregular. Ryan’s aunt competed in the Iditarod dogsled race last year. Alaskans first held this race in 1973. Dick Wilmarth and his dogs won that year.
(continues)
Student Grammar Guide 97 Verbs (continued)
The simple future tense tells about something that is going to happen. Ryan’s aunt will race again next year. She and her dogs will train hard.
The perfect tense shows that one action has started or has been completed before another action in the past, present, or future.
Alaska has been a state since 1959. Until that year, the state had been present perfect past perfect a U.S. Territory. In 2019, Alaska will have been a state for 60 years. future perfect
The progressive tense shows an action continuing in the past, present, or future.
I am writing a report about Alaska. Last night I was gathering present progressive past progressive information about the climate. Tonight I will be researching the future progressive cultures and traditions.
It is important to avoid an incorrect shift, or change, in tense. An incorrect shift in verb tense could confuse the reader about when something happens or takes place. Incorrect shift in tense: When I do research, I always wrote down the page numbers or website. Correction: When I do research, I always write down the page numbers or website.
98 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book Modifiers and Other Parts of Speech An adjective describes a noun or a pronoun. It gives details about what kind, how many, or how much. The bracelet had five tiny white pearls, and they were beautiful.
You can also use adjectives to make comparisons. Comparative adjectives compare one person, place, animal, or thing to another. Superlative adjectives compare one thing to two or more others. Longer adjectives use more and most instead of -er and -est. This bracelet is prettier than that watch, but the ring is the prettiest of all. The bracelet is more beautiful than the watch, but the ring is the most beautiful of all.
An adverb describes a verb or an adjective by giving details about how, when, where, or to what extent.
Amy found a very special ring earlier. It sparkled brilliantly when to what extent when how she held it up. where
You can also use adverbs to make comparisons. Use more or less with an adverb when comparing two verbs. Use the most or the least when comparing three or more verbs.
A ruby shines more brightly than a pearl. A diamond shines the most brightly of all gems.
(continues)
Student Grammar Guide 99 Modifiers and Other Parts of Speech (continued)
A preposition shows position, direction, point in time, or another relationship. A prepositional phrase contains the preposition, the object of the preposition, and any words in between. A sentence can have more than one prepositional phrase.
Amy slid the ring onto her finger. preposition object of the preposition Amy hid the ring in the drawer of her desk.
It would be safe in its hiding place.
Correlative conjunctions show a choice, a combination, or an addition. These conjunctions can form a compound object, a compound subject, or a compound predicate. Choice: Amy had wanted either a ring or a bracelet. compound object Combination: Both Amy and her cousin loved the ring. compound subject Addition: The ring not only looked nice but also fit perfectly. compound predicate Use formal English when writing or speaking to an adult, or when writing or speaking for a school assignment. Use informal English when writing or speaking to your friends. Formal: Diamonds form underground. The process requires a great deal of heat, pressure, and time. Informal: Diamonds take forever to form. It’s a really cool process. Seriously!
Informal English often includes interjections, or short words that express feelings and reactions. An interjection is usually followed by an exclamation point or a comma. Wow, I can’t believe how beautiful that diamond is. Oh no! I dropped it!
100 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book Punctuation Commas can be used to separate three or more items in a series, or list. A comma followed by and or or appears before the last item. Firefighters, police officers, and emergency medical technicians are all trained to save lives. They are trained to deal with people who have stopped breathing, have had a heart attack, or have serious bleeding. You must have strength, courage, and training to be a successful emergency worker.
A comma can be used after an introductory word or phrase to separate it from the rest of the sentence. Use a comma after single words that apply to the whole sentence. Use a comma after phrases that have four or more words. “Clearly, fighting forest fires by smokejumping is a meaningful job. After two years of smokejumping, do you still find it exciting?”
A comma is used after the word Yes or No when it appears at the beginning of a sentence. “Yes, it’s very exciting to be a smokejumper and put out forest fires.”
A comma is used to set off a noun of direct address. “Mr. Perez, what made you decide to become a smokejumper?”
A comma is used before a tag question at the end of a sentence. “Becoming a smokejumper isn’t easy, is it?”
Quotation marks and commas are used to set off a speaker’s exact words from the rest of the sentence. Theo asked Ms. Patel, “When did you decide to become an emergency medical technician?”
(continues)
Student Grammar Guide 101 Punctuation (continued)
If a quotation is interrupted by words telling who is speaking, use quotation marks to set off each part of the speaker’s words. “I’ve wanted to do this work since I was a little girl,” Ms. Patel answered. “My grandfather fell when I was home with him. We called 911, and the EMTs were there in minutes!”
Single quotation marks within double quotation marks show that the speaker is repeating someone else’s written or spoken words. Ms. Patel continued, “I read in a medical journal that ‘a matter of minutes can make all the difference in saving someone’s life.’ That’s when I knew that I wanted to help others by becoming an EMT.”
Book titles should be underlined or put in italics to set them off from other text. Underline the titles when you are writing them by hand. Set them off in italics when you are keying in titles on a keyboard. Life Among the Trees My Year as a Forest Ranger
The titles of magazines, television shows, and movies should also be underlined or set in italics. Time for Kids (magazine) Kid Talk (TV show) Finding Nemo (movie)
Shorter works, such as short stories, poems, songs, and magazine articles, are set off with quotation marks. “The Dragon Rock” (short story) “Caterpillar” (poem) “America the Beautiful” (song) “A Trip to Yosemite” (magazine article)
102 Being a Writer™ Student Skill Practice Book Proofreading Passages
Proofreading Passage • Being a Writer™ 103 1
Name: Date:
Proofreading Passage 1 A student wrote this draft of a story. Correct all the errors you find.
I first met Jim when he was riding his bike. He had tied a
kite to the handlebars, and it looks like it might lift him right
off the ground!
Jim saw me and comes to a stop. He smiled and said,
“Hi! You’re new around here aren’t you? My name is Jim.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Jim. Yes I’m new here. My name
is Carson.”
Just then I heard a yip a whine, and a bark. Jim scooped
up a tiny ball of fur from the basket of his bike. “This is Gizmo.
She loves to ride with me. Our three dogs are Gizmo, Cher and
Tank. Neither Cher or Tank is small enough to fit in the basket.
Do you have pets Carson?”
“I have a hamster, a parakeet and, a turtle,” I answered.
“We will get a puppy after we settle in. I want either a beagle
nor a cocker spaniel.”
At that very moment we heard an odd flapping sound.
Jim had forgot about the kite, and it will have crashed to the
104 Being a Writer™ • Proofreading Passage 1 ground. As soon as Gizmo could wiggle out of Jim’s arms, she
raced over to the kite and was growl at it. “As you can see
Gizmo thinks that her job is to protect me,” laughed Jim.
I noticed a few books in Jim’s basket, so I asked, “What
do you reading?”
“I’m reading a book for my book report,” answered Jim.
“We had to choose either a biography and an autobiography.
I like Walt Disney movies a lot, so I chose the book Who Was
Walt Disney? I just started to read it.”
“I like Disney movies, too,” I replied. “My favorite is
Toy Story. I have seeing all the ones in the series, but I like
the first one best.”
I did not mention that I had written a poem about the movie.
My poem was titled The Secret Life of Toys. I am afraid that
Jim might not like poetry. Then I was seeing another book in
Jim’s basket titled Rainy Day Poems. Clearly Jim and I would
become great friends.
Proofreading Passage 1 • Being a Writer™ 105 2
Name: Date:
Proofreading Passage 2 A student wrote this draft of a story. Correct all the errors you find.
I had plan to leave the house when my little brother was
in the bath. Unfortunately he came down the stairs just as I
reached the front door.
“Maya, will you read to me?” he asked.
Scotty loved listening to stories, but I had make plans to
go to the gym. Well, I could either make Scotty happy nor
make him cry.
“Come here Scotty,” I called. “Let’s pick a book.” I thought
that he would choose his favorite book, Gloria Jean the Jumping
Machine. As you might have guessed this book be about a
kangaroo. Scotty likes to hop, skip and jump around the room
while I am read.
To my great surprise Scotty picked one of my old books,
“The Best of Mother Goose.”
“Maya, this was yours wasn’t it?” he asked.
106 Being a Writer™ • Proofreading Passage 2 “Yes it was,” I answer. “My favorite nursery rhyme was
Jack and Jill. Either we can start with that, nor you can pick
another one.”
“Please read me your favorite,” said Scotty.
He looked very eager, and I forgot that I had want to leave.
We took Scotty’s blanket, the book and his cup of milk to the
couch. It only takes a few minutes for Scotty to fall asleep.
His legs started to twitch kick, and flop around. Maybe he was
tumble down a hill in his dreams. Neither the lawn mowers or
the noisy trucks disturb his sleep. I would be able to go to the
gym after all.
Proofreading Passage 2 • Being a Writer™ 107 3
Name: Date:
Proofreading Passage 3 A student wrote this draft of a story. Correct all the errors you find.
For many years now my family and I have watch old movies
on Friday nights. I especially love the really old ones that be in
black and white, but either my brother nor my sister is liking
them much. Typically a Friday night goes something like this:
“Roy which movie would you like to watch tonight?” Dad asks
me. “Would you like to see The Wizard of Oz?”
Although I seen the movie a thousand times I still love to
hear the song Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Mom always sighs
and said, “That’s really beautiful isn’t it?”
Dad’s standard reply is, “Yes it doesn’t get any better than that.”
We have lots of other favorite films, too. Once we have
decided which movie to watch, we make the popcorn get
something to drink, and settle comfortably on the couch.
If my brother and sister complain, Dad says, “Either quit
grumbling and watch, nor find something else to do.”
108 Being a Writer™ • Proofreading Passage 3 That’s why I was so surprised last Friday. My brother Craig
had already gone to his room to finish “The Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn” for his book report. My sister Gina is
playing a video game. Dad called to them both, “Come and
watch the movie with us.”
“Neither Gina or I wants to watch another old movie,”
grumbled Craig.
“I insist,” said Dad.
We knew right away that this was a movie we had never
saw before. The opening title said The Wiz, and the setting
was New York. Even Craig and Gina were glued to the screen.
Imagine our surprise when the Scarecrow will turn out to
be Michael Jackson! My favorite part was when Dorothy the
Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion sang together.
Soon we all were sing along, “Ease on down, ease on down
the road.”
I can hardly wait to see what Dad is going to choose next Friday.
Proofreading Passage 3 • Being a Writer™ 109 Student Skill Practice Book
Being a Writer™ SECOND EDITION
ISBN 978-1-61003-267-4
1001 Marina Village Parkway, Suite 110 Alameda, CA 9450194501-1042 800.666.7270 collaborativeclassroom.org y(7IB6B0*KNMQRO( +;!z!”!z!”
Illustration by Michael Wertz BW2-SSB5
Project Name: DSC Program Cover Round: 1st pages Date: 05/01/15 File Name: BW2-SSB5_cover.indd Page #: 1 Trim size: 8.375” x 10.875” Colors used: list colors here Printed at: 100% Artist: Name here Editor: Name here Comments: Any comments here.