April 3, 2008
Today we did more test preparation activities. Each student received a bubble sheet, and the students answered questions about commas in a series and about subject-verb agreement.
A1 worked on commas and Part 1 of Subject-Verb Agreement.
A2 worked on commas and Part 1 and Part 2 of Subject-Verb Agreement.
A3 worked on commas and Part 1 of Subject-Verb Agreement.
A4 worked on commas and Part 1 and Part 2 of Subject-Verb Agreement.
We went downstairs to the media center to do a book pass there -- a chance for students to sample several different novels as possibilities for the term novel portfolio.
Don't forget that the novel portfolio book approval is due by April 9.
We'll be having a binder check soon, so make sure your papers are properly filed.
TEST PREPARATION WORK:
Commas in a Series
Commas keep words and ideas from running together in a sentence. They are used between words, phrases, or clauses when there are three or more in a series. Read the following poem quietly out loud to yourself.
Example:
Without a comma at my command, more
punctuation I would demand.
There'd be no brake to slow the rush of cursor
crayon pen or brush.
My days of writing soon would end without that
modest little friend
Who slips quietly in between the words in series
long or lean.
Now, read it again to figure out where three missing commas should go.
© Great Source
Test Practice #1 Fill in the bubble for the correct answer to #1.
#1. People in the twentieth century created computers radar and penicillin, but they also gave the world hula hoops and Stryrofoam cups.
#1. Where should commas be added to the above sentence?
a. after created after hula hoops
b. after computers after radar after hula hoops
c. after computers after radar
d. after century after world
Test Practice #2 Fill in the bubble for the correct answer to #2.
#2. Do you think that your interests expectations fears beliefs and desires are formed partly by television music and movies?
#2. Where should commas be added to the above sentence?
a. after interests after expectations after fears
after beliefs after television after music
b. after interests after expectations after fears
after beliefs
c. after interests after expectations after fears
after beliefs after desires
d. after think after formed
Test Practice #3 Fill in the bubble for the correct answer to #3.
#3. Some countries try to ban foreign entertainment censor radio and television broadcasts destroy historical records or jail dissenting citizens in an attempt to control people's thoughts.
#3. Where should commas be added to the above sentence?
a. after foreign after entertainment after radio after television
after destroy after citizens
b. after entertainment after broadcasts after records
c. after entertainment after radio after broadcasts
after records
d. after countries after and after attempt after control
Commas in a series
Subject-Verb Agreement
The subject and verb of a sentence must agree in number.
In other words, if the subject is singular,
the verb must be singular, too.
If the subject is plural, the verb must be plural.
Test Practice #4 - 10. Fill in the bubble for the verb form that would make each sentence correct.
#4. The bunnies (a. brings, b. bring) eggs to our homes on Easter.
#5. A skunk and its enemy (a. is, b. are) soon parted.
#6. Either math or pre-algebra (a. is, b. are) a requirement for eighth graders.
#7. Beans and Barley Restaurant (a. serve, b. serves) great veggie burgers.
#8. Carnival rides, fireworks, and cotton candy (a. makes,
b. make) state fairs fun.
#9. The committee (a. has, b. have) recommended improvements for school lunches.
#10. Neither the faculty nor the students (a. is, b. are) happy with the change in the schedule.
Don't forget that the novel portfolio book approval is due by April 9.
We'll be having a binder check soon, so make sure your papers are properly filed.
