Standard 5: Language

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

Reading

Students will apply knowledge of grammar and rhetorical style to analyze and evaluate a variety of texts.

Writing

Students will demonstrate command of Standard English grammar, mechanics, and usage through writing and other modes of communication.

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

Student Actions 

Teacher Actions 

8.5.R.1 Students will recognize the use of verbals (e.g., gerunds, participles, infinitives) and clauses.

• Students identify verbals as a group of words using verbs as other parts of a sentence (used as a noun or modifier).

• Students will understand the use of verbals (gerunds, participles, infinitives).

• Students will understand a gerund is an –ing verb form functioning as a noun.

• Students will understand an infinitive is the word “to” plus a verb.

• Students will understand that infinitive phrases can function as adjectives, adverbs, or nouns 

• Teachers explain the infinitive is the word “to” plus a verb and can function as adjectives, adverbs, or nouns.

• Teacher model and provide opportunities for students to recognize an infinitive. (e.g. ask is there a [to] with a verb that follows that also functions as a noun, adjective, or an adverb).  Example: To dance gracefully is my ambition.

• Teacher monitor and provide feedback for students when recognizing infinitives. 

• Students will understand a participle a verb form functioning as an adjective.

• Teachers explain that a participle is a verb form functioning as an adjective.

• Teachers explain the jobs of a participle is to modify nouns or pronouns.

• Teachers model and provide opportunities for students to recognize a participle. (e.g. ask  is there an adjective from a verb).  Example: Swimming for his life, John made it to shore.

• Teacher monitor and provide feedback for students on the use of participle.

• Students will understand the use of clauses.

• Independent clause—expresses a complete thought and can stand alone

• Dependent clause—begins with a subordinating conjunction or a relative pronoun; cannot stand alone

• Jobs: Noun, adverb, relative (adjectival)

• Teachers model that a clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a predicate and functions as a unit.

• Teachers provide opportunities for students to examine each type of clause.

• (Independent clause—expresses a complete thought and can stand alone).

• (Dependent clause—begins with a subordinating conjunction or a relative pronoun; cannot stand alone).  

• Example: Her colleagues admire her even though they worry that she is too dedicated.

• Teachers monitor and provide opportunities for students to receive feedback on the use of clauses.

8.5.R.2 Students will recognize the use of active and passive voice.

• Students will identify the use of active voice.

• The subject of the sentence performs the action expressed in the verb.

• Example: I throw the ball.

• Students will identify the use of passive voice.

• Someone or something that is being acted upon.  

• Example: The ball is thrown by me.

8.5.R.3  Students will recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense.

• Students will determine whether verb shifts are appropriate for the context.

• Teachers explain and model to students how to identify shifts in verb tense.

• Teachers allow opportunities for students to recognize inappropriate shifts in verb tense.

• Students will correct verb tense errors.

• Teachers provide opportunities for students to correct errors in verb tense.

• Teachers provide opportunities for students to receive feedback regarding their ability to correct verb tense errors.

• Students will determine whether the subject and verb agree. 

• Teachers remind students about subject-verb agreement rules. 

• Students will correct subject/verb agreement. 

• Teachers provide opportunities for students to correct subject-verb agreements.

• Teachers provide opportunities for students to receive feedback on corrections.

Student Actions 

Teacher Actions 

8.5.W.1 Students will write using correct mechanics with a focus on commas, apostrophes, quotation marks, colons, and semi-colons.

• Students will demonstrate correct usage of mechanics, especially commas, apostrophes, quotation marks, colons, and semicolons.

• Teachers continue to reinforce the correct usage of mechanics.

• Teachers model the correct mechanics of commas, apostrophes, quotation marks, colons, and semi-colons.

• Teachers provide opportunities for students to write using correct mechanics, especially commas, apostrophes, quotation marks, as necessary for dialogue and quoted material.

• Teachers provide opportunities for students to receive feedback that focuses specifically on mechanics with a focus on commas, apostrophes, quotation marks, colons, and semi-colons.

8.5.W.2 Students will compose simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences and questions to signal differing relationships among ideas.

• Students will write using different sentence structures to indicate how ideas are related. 

• Teachers explain and model how to develop effective sentence structures using simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences.

• Teachers provide opportunities for students to write questions to signal differing relationships among ideas.

• Teachers will provide opportunities for students to create well-crafted sentence variety that will make their writing more meaningful and show different connections among ideas.

• Teachers monitor and provide opportunities for students to receive feedback on how to recognize simple, compound, and complex sentences and questions to signal differing relationships among ideas.

8.5.W.3 Students will use verbals (e.g., gerunds, participles, infinitives) in writing.

• Students will use verbals; gerunds, participles, and infinitives, to express their ideas in written form. 

• Teachers explain and model the use of verbals in sentences.

• Teachers explain that using verbals is a way to add variety and interest to their writing.

• Teachers provide opportunities for students to add verbals to their writing to create greater sentence variety and interesting structure of their writing.

• Students will understand a gerund is a noun made from a verb. Example: Walking the dog is not my favorite task.

• Teachers explain a gerund is using the –ing verb form that functions as a noun.

• Teachers explain and model the job of a gerund (e.g., subject, object of the preposition, direct object, indirect object, predicate noun).

• Teachers provide opportunities for students to create a gerund in their writing.

• Teacher monitor and provide feedback for students when creating gerunds in their writing.

• Students will understand an infinitive has [to] before the verb. Example: To dance gracefully is my ambition.

• Teachers explain the infinitive is the word “to” plus a verb.

• Teachers explain and model the job of an infinitive (e.g., adjective, adverb, or noun).

• Teachers provide opportunities for students to create an infinitive in their writing.

• Teacher monitor and provide feedback for students when creating infinitives in their writing.

• Students will understand a participle looks like a verb but functions as an adjective. Example: Swimming for his life, John made it to shore.

• Teachers explain that a participle is a verb form functioning as an adjective.

• Teachers explain the jobs of a participle is to modify nouns or pronouns.

• Teachers provide opportunities for students to create a participle in their writing.

• Teacher monitor and provide feedback for students when creating participles in their writing.

• Students will make and use verbs in the active voice.

• Teachers explain that sentences are written in active voice, the focus of the sentence is on who or what does the action.  Example: The student carefully measured the chemicals.

• Teachers will provide opportunities for students form and use verbs in active voice.  

• Teachers will monitor and provide feedback to students when using active voice in their writing.

• Students will make and use verbs in the passive voice.

• Teachers explain that sentences written in passive voice, tell about someone or something that is being acted upon.  Example: The chemicals were measured by the students.

• Teachers will provide opportunities for students form and use verbs in passive voice.  

• Teachers will monitor and provide feedback to students when using passive voice in their writing.

• Students will make and use verbs in the indicative mood. (e.g., to make a statement) Example: Science lab rules keep students safe.

• Teachers explain the mood of a verb refers to how a verb expresses a thought.

• Teachers explain the five types of verb moods: indicative, imperative, interrogative, conditional, and subjunctive.

• Teachers provide opportunities for students to create and contribute to the writer’s voice by using the five types of verb moods in their writing.

• Teachers monitor and provide feedback to students with the use of verbs in the indicative, imperative, interrogative, conditional, and subjunctive mood.

• Students will make and use verbs in the imperative mood. (e.g., to make a command or a strong request) Example:  Keep gloves on at all times while handling chemicals in the lab.

• Students will make and use verbs in the interrogative mood (e.g., to ask a question) Example:  Did you keep your safety goggles on?

• Students will make and use verbs in the conditional mood. (e.g., to tell about something that might happen if something else happens) Example:  You will keep getting the same inaccurate results unless you measure the chemical agents more carefully.

• Students will make and use verbs in the subjunctive mood. (e.g,. to express a doubt, a wish, or a statement contrary to fact)  Example: If you were to keep this mixture overnight, it would become solid.