Verbs: expresses action, being, or state of being. It makes sense in the blanks: I can ___ it. Let’s _____ It makes sense to add -ed or -ing Common endings: -ize, -ate, -ify, -en Common helping verbs: be am is are was were been being do does did have had could should would may might must can shall will Nouns: person, place, thing, quality, or idea It makes sense in the blanks: (The)____ is/are interesting. Do you like (the)_____ You can put the or a in front of it. It has a plural form. Common noun suffixes: -ness, -tion, -sion, -ment, -ist, -ance, -ence, -ism, -ency, -ancy, -ity, -er, -dom Adjectives: tell how many, what kind, which one. It makes sense in one or all of the blanks: We saw ____ things. He is very_____. It was very______. Adjectival suffixes: -able, -ible, -ary, -ous, ful, -ic, -ical, -ive, -ent, -al, -less, -ish, and -y (if pronounced as a separate syllable, like rainy or pretty-----NOT fly or by) Adverbs: it tells when, where, how, how many times, in what order, or to what degree. It makes sense in the blank: He did it______. It OFTEN (NOT ALWAYS) ends in -ly. They also end in -wise or -ward. Common adverb intensifiers (they tell to what extent): very, almost, too, less, quite, more, rather, extremely, somewhat. schlamand

Pronouns: take the place of a noun. It can work in the blanks: ___ is interesting. Do you like ___ I, she, he, it, we, they, etc. Interrogative (to ask a question): who? which? what? Demonstrative: this, that, these, those. Indefinite: nothing, everybody, all, somebody, etc. Reciprocal: each other, one another Relative: who, which, that, etc. Prepositions: show the relationship between the noun or pronoun that comes after it and another word in the sentence. It makes sense in the blank: It went ____ the thing. (THIS DOES NOT WORK FOR THE MOST COMMON PREPOSITION, OF!) If no noun or pronoun comes after it, it is NOT a preposition. Example: The game is over. (adjective, modifies game. We flew over the city. (prepositional phrase shows relationship between flew and city.) Common problems: IT’S always means "it is" or "it has" and nothing else. Try changing the ”ITS" to "his" and if it doesn't make sense, then go with "it's.” THEY’RE: always a contraction of "they are. THEIR is a possessive pronoun like "her" or "our": "They eat their hotdogs with sauerkraut.” THERE is a place. YOU’RE is always a contraction of "you are." Try substituting "you are." If it doesn't work, the word you want is “YOUR,” showing ownership. TOO means also, or in excess, TO is a preposition. WHO’S always and forever means only "who is” or “who has.” WHOSE is the possessive form of who. Subject/Predicate: A sentence must have both to be a complete sentence. Subject tells who or what the sentence is about. Predicate tells what the subject is, was, does, or did. It includes the VERB of the sentence. Check for a fragment by saying “I believe that…” before the sentence. If it makes sense, it’s probably OK. Try checking these: 1. He runs. 2. Because it was cold outside. 3. Babysitting for the next door neighbors over the Christmas vacation. schlamand