The Least You Should Know About English (Form A)

by Wilson, Paige; Glazier, Teresa Ferster

• ISBN13: 9780155062252
• ISBN10: 0155062255
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-04-03
• Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing

Summary

For over twenty years, the simple, friendly approach of THE LEAST YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ENGLISH has helped students with their spelling, punctuation, and sentence and paragraph structure.

Table of Contents

What Is the Least You Should Know?	1	(3)
Word Choice and Spelling	4	(53)
Your Own List of Misspelled Words	4	(1)
Words Often Confused (Set 1)	5	(10)
Proofreading Exercise	14	(1)
Sentence Writing	14	(1)
Words Often Confused (Set 2)	15	(10)
Proofreading Exercise	24	(1)
Sentence Writing	24	(1)
The Eight Parts of Speech	25	(5)
Paragraph Exercise	29	(1)
Sentence Writing	30	(1)
Contractions	30	(8)
Proofreading Exercise	36	(1)
Sentence Writing	37	(1)
Possessives	38	(8)
Proofreading Exercise	44	(1)
Sentence Writing	44	(1)
Review of Contractions and Possessives	44	(2)
Words That Can Be Broken into Parts	46	(1)
Rule for Doubling a Final Letter	47	(4)
Progress Test	50	(1)
Using a Dictionary	51	(6)
Sentence Structure	57	(118)
Finding Subjects and Verbs	58	(7)
Paragraph Exercise	64	(1)
Sentence Writing	64	(1)
Locating Prepositional Phrases	65	(6)
Paragraph Exercise	70	(1)
Sentence Writing	71	(1)
Understanding Dependent Clauses	71	(8)
Paragraph Exercise	77	(1)
Sentence Writing	78	(1)
Correcting Fragments	79	(7)
Proofreading Exercise	85	(1)
Sentence Writing	86	(1)
Correcting Run-on Sentences	86	(9)
Review of Fragments and Run-On Sentences	93	(1)
Proofreading Exercise	94	(1)
Sentence Writing	94	(1)
Identifying Verb Phrases	95	(5)
Review Exercise	99	(1)
Using Standard English Verbs	100	(8)
Proofreading Exercise	106	(1)
Sentence Writing	107	(1)
Using Regular and Irregular Verbs	108	(10)
Progress Test	117	(1)
Maintaining Subject/Verb Agreement	118	(7)
Proofreading Exercise	124	(1)
Sentence Writing	125	(1)
Avoiding Shifts in Time	125	(2)
Proofreading Exercises	126	(1)
Recognizing Verbal Phrases	127	(7)
Paragraph Exercise	132	(1)
Sentence Writing	133	(1)
Correcting Misplaced or Dangling Modifiers	134	(4)
Proofreading Exercise	137	(1)
Sentence Writing	138	(1)
Following Sentence Patterns	138	(8)
Paragraph Exercise	144	(1)
Sentence Writing	145	(1)
Avoiding Cliches, Awkward Phrasing, and Wordiness	146	(9)
Proofreading Exercise	153	(1)
Sentence Writing	154	(1)
Correcting for Parallel Structure	155	(6)
Proofreading Exercise	160	(1)
Sentence Writing	161	(1)
Using Pronouns	161	(9)
Proofreading Exercise	169	(1)
Sentence Writing	169	(1)
Avoiding Shifts in Person	170	(5)
Proofreading Exercises	170	(2)
Review of Sentence Structure Errors	172	(2)
Proofreading Exercise	174	(1)
Punctuation and Capital Letters	175	(37)
Period, Question Mark, Exclamation Point, Semicolon, Colon, Dash	175	(7)
Proofreading Exercise	181	(1)
Sentence Writing	182	(1)
Comma Rules 1,2, and 3	182	(7)
Proofreading Exercise	188	(1)
Sentence Writing	188	(1)
Comma Rules 4, 5, and 6	189	(8)
Proofreading Exercise	194	(1)
Sentence Writing	195	(1)
Review of the Comma	196	(1)
Comma Review Exercise	196	(1)
Sentence Writing	197	(1)
Quotation Marks and Underlining/Italics	197	(6)
Proofreading Exercise	202	(1)
Sentence Writing	202	(1)
Capital Letters	203	(9)
Review of Punctuation and Capital Letters	209	(1)
Comprehensive Test	210	(2)
Writing	212	(39)
What Is the Least You Should Know about Writing?	213	(1)
Basic Structures	213	(6)
The Paragraph	213	(1)
Defining a Paragraph	214	(1)
Types of Paragraph	214	(2)
The Essay	216	(1)
The Five-Paragraph Essay and Beyond	217	(1)
Defining an Essay	217	(1)
A Sample Essay	217	(1)
``Verbal Shorthand''	218	(1)
Writing Skills	219	(32)
Writing in Your Own Voice	219	(1)
Narration	220	(2)
Description	222	(1)
Writing Assignments	223	(1)
Assignment 1 Narration: Famous Sayings	223	(1)
Assignment 2 Description: A Picture Worth 250 Words?	224	(1)
Finding a Topic	224	(1)
Look to Your Interests	224	(1)
Focused Free Writing (or Brainstorming)	225	(1)
Clustering	225	(1)
Talking with Other Students	226	(1)
Assignment 3 List Your Interests	226	(1)
Assignment 4 Do Some Free Writing	226	(1)
Assignment 5 Try Clustering Ideas	227	(1)
Organizing Ideas	227	(1)
Thesis Statements	227	(1)
Exercise 1 Thesis or Fact?	228	(1)
Assignment 6 Write a Thesis Statement	228	(1)
Organizing an Essay	228	(1)
Topic Sentences	229	(1)
Organizing Body Paragraphs (or Single Paragraphs)	229	(1)
Transitional Expressions	230	(1)
Exercise 2 Adding Transitional Expressions	231	(1)
Assignment 7 Can You Communicate Without Words?	231	(1)
Supporting with Details	231	(1)
Types of Support	232	(2)
Assignment 8 Write an Essay on One of Your Interests	234	(1)
Assignment 9 Making Decisions	234	(1)
Revising Your Papers	235	(2)
Assignment 10 What Does It Take to Be a Leader?	237	(1)
Revision Checklist	237	(1)
Exchanging Papers	237	(1)
Proofreading Aloud	238	(1)
Assignment 11 What's in a Name?	238	(1)
Assignment 12 ``Clothes Make the Man''	238	(1)
Assignment 13 A Movie or TV Show That Has Made an Impression	238	(1)
Assignment 14 Making ``Sense'' of It All	239	(1)
Presenting Your Work	239	(1)
Paper Formats	239	(1)
Titles	239	(1)
Writing about What You Read	240	(1)
Writing a Reaction	240	(1)
Assignment 15 Write a Reaction Paragraph	241	(1)
excerpt from Backtalk: 4 Steps to Ending Rude Behavior in Your Kids	241	(1)
Coming to Your Own Conclusion	242	(1)
excerpt from Little Journeys	242	(1)
Assignment 16 What Are Your Conclusions?	243	(2)
Assignment 17 Write a 100-Word Summary	245	(1)
``Straight Talk''	245	(3)
Assignment 18 Write a Reaction or a 100-Word Summary	248	(1)
``Wandering Home''	248	(3)
Answers	251	(76)
Index	327