Standard 5: Language

Students will apply knowledge of grammar and rhetorical style to reading and writing.

For additional guidance, there is a Grammar Companion Guide on page 8 of the Support Documents.

Student Actions 

Teacher Actions 

• Students will understand that adjectives answer What kind? How many? How

• Students will understand that adjectives answer What kind? How many? How much? Which one?

• Students will recognize adjectives in text (sentence or full text).

• Students will understand that articles (a, an, the) are always adjectives.

• Students will recognize articles in text (sentence or full text).

• Students will understand that adverbs tell when, where, how, how often, how much, and to what extent.

• Students will recognize that common adverbs end in -ly and be able to locate them in text (sentence or full text). 

• Teachers review how to recognize adjectives.

• Teachers will provide opportunities for students to identify adjectives in text.

• Teachers explain how to identify articles as adjectives.

• Teachers provide opportunities for students to identify articles as adjectives in text.

• Teachers explain how to identify adverbs.

• Teachers provide opportunities for students to recognize adverbs in text.

• Teachers monitor and provide opportunities for students to receive feedback recognizing adjectives, articles as adjectives, and adverbs.

Supporting Resources 

Teacher Insights 

Schoolhouse Rock Adjectives video

• At this level, students can label words as adjectives, articles, adverbs  when presented with text.

• Adjectives are words that modify or describe nouns or pronouns.

• Adjectives tell what kind, how many, how much and which one.

• Articles (a, an, and the) are always adjectives.

• Adverbs are words that modify or describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. This is a new term at this level.

• Adverbs tell when, where, how how often how much, to what extent.

• Many common adverbs end in -ly.

• It is impossible to tell by the appearance of a word whether or not it is an adverb.  The same word may be an adverb in one sentence and work as a noun or adjective in another sentence.  Look at the work the word does in the sentence to determine whether it is an adverb.

• Some words are used both as adjectives and as adverbs.  The words fast, long, and hard are examples of words that can be used both as an adjective and as an adverb.

• Adjective or Adverb?

• How to use adjectives and adverbs

• Differences of Adjectives and Adverbs

• Common Errors in Adjectives and Adverbs

Due to recursive nature of the standards, it is essential that teachers are aware of how all objectives within and between strands work together for optimal instruction.