Daily Skill-Builders Grammar & Usage Grades 4 5 Writer Sarah Guare Editorial Director Susan A. Blair Project Manager Erica L. Varney Cover Designer Roman Laszok Interior Designer Mark Sayer Production Editor Maggie Jones WALCH PUBLISHING
Table of Contents PARTS OF SPEECH............................1 72 Nouns............................. 1 Common..................... 1 Proper....................... 3 Collective.................... 6 Singular and Plural............. 8 Possessives.................... 14 Verbs............................. 17 Action....................... 17 Linking...................... 21 Helping...................... 23 Verb Tense................... 26 Irregular Verbs................. 31 Singular and Plural Verbs........ 32 Noun Review................. 35 Verb Review.................. 37 Adjectives.......................... 39 Articles............................ 42 Adverbs........................... 45 Pronouns.......................... 49 Subject Pronouns.............. 49 Object Pronouns............... 51 Indefinite Pronouns............. 55 Relative Pronouns.............. 57 Conjunctions....................... 61 Interjections........................ 64 Prepositions........................ 67 Parts of Speech Review................ 70 Daily Skill-Builders Grammar & Usage Grades 4 5 CAPITALIZATION.............................73 84 First Word in Sentence................ 73 Days, Months, and Holidays............ 75 Proper Nouns....................... 77 Place Names........................ 79 Relatives........................... 81 Capitalization Review................. 83 PUNCTUATION..............................85 125 End Marks......................... 85 Period....................... 85 Question Mark................ 87 Exclamation Point.............. 90 End Mark Review.............. 92
Commas........................... 93 Apostrophes........................ 107 Quotation Marks.................... 112 Parentheses......................... 115 Colons............................ 118 Punctuation Review.................. 123 SUBJECTS AND PREDICATES.....................126 143 Subjects........................... 126 Predicates.......................... 132 Complements....................... 136 Agreement......................... 139 Review............................ 142 CLAUSES, PHRASES, SENTENCES, AND PARAGRAPHS....144 180 Types of Sentences................... 144 Simple and Compound Sentences....... 158 Independent and Dependent Clauses..... 162 Prepositional Phrases................. 166 Fragments.......................... 171 Run-ons........................... 175 Building Paragraphs.................. 179 Review............................ 180
Sorting Common Nouns A noun is a word that names a person, a place, a thing, or an idea. A common noun is any noun that does not name a specific person, place, thing, or idea. Common nouns are not capitalized. Examples: aunt (person), country (place), button (thing), hatred (idea) Decide if each common noun below refers to a person, a place, a thing, or an idea. Write each noun in the correct group. 1. jacket 2. zoo 3. doctor 4. love 5. cousin 6. spaghetti 7. town 8. swing 9. jealousy 10. gardener 11. city hall 12. honor person place idea thing walch.com 2004 Walch Publishing 1
Common Carrots A common noun does not name a specific person, place, thing, or idea. It is not capitalized. Examples: friend (person), city (place), basketball (thing), happiness (idea) Color the carrots below that contain common nouns. 1. computer 2. tea 3. uncle 4. George 5. rainbow 6. The Roberts 7. gym 8. Brown School 9. friendship 10. keys 11. love 12. Toronto 2 walch.com 2004 Walch Publishing
Caps and Capitals Always capitalize the first letter of a sentence. Capitalize the first letters of the sentences below. The first one has been done for you. I Love Baseball Yesterday I went to a baseball game with my sister and my mom. the baseball field is on the water. it was a chilly day. we could see white caps on the ocean. it was also very windy. mom said, be careful with your cap. it might blow away. i was wearing my favorite cap and I didn t want it to blow away. i really wanted to wear it though, so I kept it on. the stands were full of fans. julia, my sister, said she had never seen so many people there. we found our seats (they were good ones) and sat down. my sister and I both got a hot dog. i got a soda, too, but it was hard to get the cap off. my mom had to help me twist the cap. one of my favorite things about baseball games is the hot dogs, because they taste so good. i was having a great time eating my hot dog and watching the game. it was at the end of the last inning when it happened. we were getting up out of our seats to cheer when a gust of wind came. the wind came up over the ocean and over the white caps. it blew my baseball cap off my head! i saw my cap swirl above my head. it stayed in the air for a while and then it headed toward the field. it dropped down right on top of home plate! the players stopped the game and everyone stared at the hat. all I could say was, hey, that s my cap! walch.com 2004 Walch Publishing 73
Correct Capitalizations Always capitalize the first word in a sentence. Example: Snowflakes are falling on my head. Capitalize the days of the week, the months of the year, and holidays. Example: Christmas is on the last Thursday in December this year. Capitalize the correct words in the sentences below. 1. we eat a special kind of bread during passover. 2. maybe if we behave on wednesday we can go to the zoo. 3. sam got a lot of candy for easter, but I got to see the easter bunny. 4. it usually snows in march and april, but this year there was a snowstorm in may! 5. david always goes to his camp in july to celebrate his birthday. 6. i don t like mondays very much because they mean that sunday is over. 7. lots of people barbecue outdoors and display flags on memorial day. 8. we celebrate hanukkah, and we receive a gift for each day. 9. my parents are going away in october, so I will have to spend columbus day with my aunt. 10. my family doesn t observe all of the holidays, but chinese new year is very important. 74 walch.com 2004 Walch Publishing
Calendar Capitalization Capitalize days of the week, months of the year, and holidays. 1. Write the days of the week, in order, on the lines below. _ 2. Write the months of the year, in order, in the boxes below. 3. Write the names of your favorite holidays that need to be capitalized on the lines below. 4. Write three sentences below. Each should include a day of the week, a month of the year, or a holiday. _ walch.com 2004 Walch Publishing 75
Interview a Star Use a question mark after a direct question. Also, use a question mark after a sentence that expresses doubt about something. Examples: Do you want to visit the museum tomorrow? (Direct question) We bought 23 bottles of soda? (To show doubt) Imagine that you are having lunch with one (or two) famous people. Write the name (or names) of the person(s) on the line below and think of eight direct questions you would ask them. Then think of two sentences that express doubt. Famous Person(s): 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. walch.com 2004 Walch Publishing 87
What s in the Box? A question mark is used after a direct question. Examples: Could we bring this along? Did you see the elephant? Imagine a box that is as large as a house. Read the sentences below about the box. Some are questions. Punctuate each sentence correctly. 1. Could it be a plane m 2. Do you think we can open it m 3. I want to knock on it m 4. Did the neighbors see it yet m 5. If you had a box like that, what would you do m 6. I think it s hiding a big crane m 7. Was it there yesterday m 8. How wide is it m 9. Do you think King Kong could fit in there m 10. I am going to peek inside m 88 walch.com 2004 Walch Publishing
Simply Sentences A simple sentence has only one complete thought. Examples: Judy takes our dog everywhere. Cory likes to go fishing. Write two simple sentences about each of the topics below. 1. your doctor 2. your favorite place 3. your favorite food 4. your best friend 5. your pet 158 walch.com 2004 Walch Publishing
Joining Together! A simple sentence states only one complete thought. A compound sentence is made up of two simple sentences joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction or a semicolon. Examples: Jason loves to ride his bike. (simple sentence) Dot is coming. (simple sentence) We ate dinner, and then we ate dessert. (compound sentence) Keisha s pool is large; Bill s pool is larger. (compound sentence) Combine two simple sentences to make one compound sentence. The first one has been done for you. 1. Katie s dad isn t home. Her mom is home. Katie s dad isn t home, but her mom is home. 2. Shirley caught a fly ball. She had to throw it back. 3. He ll bake cookies. He won t clean the dishes. 4. She wrote the article. She s writing the next one. 5. The dog ate butter. The dog has a stomachache. 6. My ride came. Then we drove away. 7. Al won t like that. His sister will. 8. Leo ate pizza. He drank soda. walch.com 2004 Walch Publishing 159
Compound or Simple? A simple sentence states only one complete thought. A compound sentence is made up of two simple sentences joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction or a semicolon. Examples: We want to run on the track. (simple sentence) I will write the paper, but you have to do the drawing. (compound sentence) Circle the sentences below that are simple sentences. Leave the compound sentences alone. 1. Mark and I will take them. 2. We wanted to see you, but we couldn t find the house. 3. Ashley should visit sometime. 4. Courtney would eat that, but she isn t here. 5. The water is overflowing, and I can t find a towel. 6. The cocoa looks good and tastes great. 7. I love to write stories; maybe one day I ll publish some. 8. Nick and Melissa took their cameras. 9. The book looks big and feels heavy. 10. There are pigeons on the balcony; there are doves there, too. 160 walch.com 2004 Walch Publishing
Simple or Compound? A simple sentence states only one complete thought. A compound sentence is made up of two simple sentences joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction or a semicolon. Examples: I drink lots of orange juice. (simple sentence) I left my umbrella at home, so I got wet. (compound sentence) Write an S next to each sentence below that is a simple sentence. Write a C next to each sentence that is a compound sentence. 1. I would love to come, but I can t make it. 2. Jamie made the ice cream by herself. 3. Cory and Vernon like to eat ice cream. 4. My family may go on vacation. 5. I ran down the hill, and then I fell on the grass. 6. Maybe I ll see you there; maybe I won t. 7. Jacob was absent, but he made up the work. 8. Percy will buy and then sell the baseball cards. 9. Jordan will participate; my brother won t. 10. My uncle, my aunt, and my cousin will all be there. walch.com 2004 Walch Publishing 161