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Part 1: Grammar
Section One: Nouns
1.1 Singular and Plural Nouns
1.2 More Singular and Plural Nouns
1.3 Concrete and Abstract Nouns
1.4 Nouns as Subjects and Subject Complements
1.5 Nouns as Objects
1.6 More Nouns as Objects
1.7 Possessive Nouns
1.8 Nouns Showing Separate and Joint Possession
1.9 Appositives
1.10 Words Used as Nouns and Verbs
1.11 Words Used as Nouns and Adjectives
Noun Review
Noun Challenge
1.1 Singular and Plural Nouns
Anounis a name word. Asingular nounnames one person, place, thing, or idea. Aplural nounnames more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
Add-sto most nouns to form the plurals.
Add-esto form the plurals of nouns ending ins,x,z,ch, andsh.
SINGULAR PLURAL SINGULAR PLURAL
gas gases watch watches
fox foxes sash sashes
Some plural nouns are not formed by adding -s or -es. Check a dictionary for the correct form.
SINGULAR PLURAL SINGULAR PLURAL
man men sheep sheep
child children moose moose
tooth teeth Chinese Chinese
EXERCISE 1:Identify each noun. Tell whether it is singular or plural.
EXERCISE 2:Write the plural form for each noun. Use a dictionary if necessary to check the correct form.
EXERCISE 3:Complete each sentence with the plural form of the noun in parentheses.
EXERCISE 4:Use either the singular or plural form of the word in parentheses to complete each sentence.
APPLY IT NOW
Write five sentences about a famous or historic site you have visited or would like to visit, such as Independence Hall. Circle all the singular nouns. Underline all the plural nouns.
Part 2: Written and Oral Communication
Chapters
1 Personal Narratives
2 How-to Articles
3 Descriptions
4 Persuasive Writing
5 Expository Writing
6 Business Letters
7 Creative Writing: Trickster Tales
8 Research Reports
Chapter 1
Personal Narratives
Knots in My Yo-yo String
The Autobiography of a Kid
by Jerry Spinelli
In a green metal box in a bedroom closet, tucked into a fuzzy gray cotton pouch, lies the most cherished memento of my grade-school days. It is a gold-plated medal no bigger than a postage stamp. Inscribed on the back are the words “50-YARD DASH—CHAMPION.”
The medal came from the only official race I ever participated in. There were many unofficial ones . . .
> Knots in My Yo-yo String is the memoir of Jerry Spinelli, a Newbery Medalist. It has all the characteristics of a good personal narrative. It is written from the fi rst-person point of view, it has an introduction that grabs the audience’s attention, and it uses exact words to help readers visualize the events as they happen.
Our Family Cabin at the Beach
By Hannah Doherty
Sometimes, if I close my eyes, I can make believe it’s summer and I’m back at our family cabin at the beach. I can see the waves rolling over the squishy sand, feel the sand squishing in between my toes, and laugh at the way my little brother picks up barnacle-covered rocks so he can watch the sand crabs scurry away.
Everyone in the family enjoys our time together at the beach. My aunt and uncle, cousins, grandma and grandpa, everybody comes to stay with us and enjoy the summer. Every morning we check to see what the tide brought in. Then we go exploring to look for special rocks on the beach. During the days we swim and sun tan. In the afternoons, we play volleyball or badminton. Sometimes we just lie out in the sun and read. At night we snuggle up in our blankets and toast marshmallows over the campfire while Dad and Grandpa tell scary stories.
The most fun for me is when Dad gets out the big boat and several of us go fishing. We have to get up really early, but I don’t mind. Mostly we catch cod and flounder, but once my dad caught a 20-pound salmon. I hooked one that was even bigger, but it broke my line and got away.
There’s always something fun to do at the cabin. I don’t think I’ve ever been bored. But I think it’s just being with my family that makes it special. It’s the only time each year that we’re all together.
It’s always sad when it’s time to go because none of us wants to leave. We say our good-byes. We talk about all the fun we had. Then everyone drives away. As our car pulls out of the driveway, I turn to look out the back window. I try to look at everything so I can remember everything about it. Then I close my eyes so I can keep the memory with me until we come back again next year.
Lesson 1
What Makes a Good Personal Narrative?
Most of the short stories and novels that you read are narratives. A narrative is a story in which events are usually told in order. A personal narrative is the account of a true incident that the writer experienced. Here are some things to remember when you write a personal narrative.
Audience
Before you begin to write, consider your audience, the people who will be reading your narrative. What are their ages? What do they know about your topic? How interested are they in it? What are you trying to express to them? The tone of your narrative depends on your audience.
Introduction
In the introduction to your narrative, it is important to catch your audience’s attention. Say something that will make them want to continue reading. Set the stage for the body of your story. Reread the first paragraph of “Our Family Cabin at the Beach.” What makes you want to read on?
Body
The body of your writing contains all the relevant facts or details. It might be one paragraph, or it might be many. Make notes before you write and review them step-by-step to be sure you haven’t omitted anything. Be sure you don’t include events that are not important to your story. Put the events in the order they actually occurred. What are some interesting details from “Our Family Cabin at the Beach”?
Conclusion
End your narrative in a way that makes your audience know it is complete. Don’t introduce new information in the conclusion. You might want to briefly summarize your main points or relate a lesson that you learned from your experience. Reread your introduction and tie in your ending with what you stated at the beginning. Share your thoughts and personal feelings about the outcome. How does the writer of “Our Family Cabin at the Beach” conclude her personal narrative?
Point of View
The point of view in a personal narrative is yours. You are relating your own experience. This point of view is called the first-person point of view, so you will use words like I and me.
ACTIVITY A:The following sentences are from the body of a personal narrative about a day that the writer had been dreading. Their order has been scrambled. Look for words that will give you clues about the order in which events actually occurred. Write the sentences in logical order.
To my surprise, I felt relaxed as I faced the class and began to speak. I barely had time for breakfast before I had to run for the bus. Everyone congratulated me and took time to look at the pictures and diagrams that I made of the pyramids. I awoke at the sound of the alarm with a feeling of dread at what the day would bring. All my practicing paid off as I gave a nearly flawless presentation. Morning classes passed uneventfully, but I had difficulty concentrating and participating in discussions. Before I knew it, the time for my presentation had arrived.
Knots in My Yo-yo String
(continued from page 210)
. . . Some days I pulled my sneaker laces extra tight and went down to the railroad tracks. The cinders there had the feel of a running track. I measured off fifty or a hundred yards and sprinted the distance, timing myself with my father’s stopwatch. . . .
(continued on page 223)
Writer’s Corner
Think about events that might make good personal narratives. Did something strange or funny happen to you? Did you receive good news or praise? Did you experience something sad? Brainstorm things to write about. List topics that would make good personal narratives. Save your notes.
ACTIVITY B:Each group of sentences comes from a different personal narrative. Decide which sentence would be part of the introduction, which would be part of the body, and which would be the concluding statement of the narrative.
1. • I couldn’t believe it when my dad pointed to our box seats behind the dugout on the third-base side.
• A stop at our favorite pizza restaurant on the way home was the perfect ending to my perfect day.
• It had started out being an ordinary Saturday, when all I wanted to do was sleep in.
2. • The butterflies are quiet, I’ve already made some new friends, and I know this will be the best school year ever.
• It was the night before my first day at middle school, and the butterflies in my stomach were in a flutter.
• I smiled as a friend from my last school sat down next to me.
3. • After three stories and two glasses of water, she finally gave in and took a nap.
• With a crying toddler, milk spilled on the floor, and the doorbell ringing, I wondered if I would make it as a babysitter.
• An exhausted but proud first-time babysitter, I beamed and said, “Everything’s fine!” when the parents returned.
4. • Weavers learned how to twist its fibers into cloth, and shoemakers made shoes from its bark.
• It’s no wonder with all these uses that the Egyptians valued papyrus so highly!
• The whole life of ancient Egypt seemed to depend on the papyrus plant.
ACTIVITY C:Think about an interesting event from your own life. Write a sentence that could be part of the introduction about that event, a sentence that could be in the body,
and a sentence that could be part of the conclusion. Keep in mind the things you read about personal narratives on pages 212 and 213.
ACTIVITY D:Whenever you write, it is important to keep on the topic. Select two items in each set that probably don’t relate to the topic. Use a word web like the one below to link the related items.
Visit to a museum
knights’ battle armor from Middle Ages
medieval tapestries
paintings from around the world
marble sculptures
mummies & artifacts from ancient Egypt
dinosaur bones and fossils
1. A Day at the Beach
• We played volleyball.
• I checked out a book.
• Carolyn swam in the ocean.
• Jasmine made a sandcastle.
• Wyatt walked around the mall.
• Nikki found a conch shell.
2. How to Make the Best of a Rainy Day
• Organize photos into an album or a scrapbook.
• Teach your dog a new trick.
• Plant flowers in your backyard.
• Practice the piano.
• Read a book.
• Shoot hoops at the local park.
Writer’s Corner
Take a look at the topics you listed for the previous Writer’s Corner. Choose two topics and list details you would include in narratives about those topics. Include details such as who was involved, where the event took place, and what the end result was. Try to remember as much as possible. Save your notes for later.
Grammar in Action
Circle the singular & plural nouns in your list.