44 Using the Language

TEKS Standard:

110.38.c.1.C, 110.38.c.9.D, 110.39.c.1.C, 110.39.c.39.D

NE ELA Standard:

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Page 596 from Write for College

Using Phrases

Emphasize the definition of a phrase: "A group of words that functions as a single part of speech." So, one way that students can understand and use phrases is to ask "What is this phrase doing in the sentence" (What part of speech is it acting as?)

A verb phrase of course acts as a verb within a larger clause.
A verbal phrase acts as a noun (gerund phrase), an adjective (participial phrase), or a noun/adjective/adverb (infinitive phrase). Students can find out more about these verbals on page 583.

State Standard Reference:

LAFS Standard:

TEKS Standard:

110.38.c.1.C, 110.38.c.9.D, 110.39.c.1.C, 110.39.c.39.D

NE ELA Standard:

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Page 597 from Write for College

Using Phrases (Cont.)

A prepositional phrase functions as an adjective or adverb. It starts with a preposition and ends with a noun form.
An appositive phrase functions as a noun and renames the noun that it follows.
An absolute phrase functions as an adjective and consists of a noun and a participle.

Using Clauses

Emphasize the definition of clause: "A group of word that has both a subject and a predicate."

An independent clause can stand alone as a sentence.
A dependent clause cannot stand alone as a sentence, but must be attached to an independent clause.
- A subordinate clause begins with a subordinating conjunction and functions as an adjective or adverb.
- A relative clause begins with a relative pronoun (who, whose, which, that, what) and functions as a noun or adjective.

State Standard Reference:

LAFS Standard:

TEKS Standard:

110.38.c.1.C, 110.38.c.9.D, 110.39.c.1.C, 110.39.c.39.D

NE ELA Standard:

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Page 598 from Write for College

Using Sentence Variety

Use this page and the next to outline the kinds, types, and arrangement of sentences students can choose from.

The kinds of sentences refer to what they do: declarative (statements), interrogative (questions), imperative (commands), exclamatory, and conditional.
The types of sentences refer to how they are build: simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex.

State Standard Reference:

LAFS Standard:

TEKS Standard:

110.38.c.1.C, 110.38.c.9.D, 110.39.c.1.C, 110.39.c.39.D

NE ELA Standard:

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Fluid Sentences

Page 599 from Write for College

Using Sentence Variety (Cont.)

Use the top half of the page to finish teaching students about the different types of sentences.

Use the bottom half to focus on the arrangement of sentences:

A loose sentence places the main point first.
A balanced sentence places equal emphasis on two parts.
A periodic sentence places the main point last.
A cumulative sentence places the main point in the middle, with modifying phrases and clauses before and after.

State Standard Reference:

LAFS Standard:

TEKS Standard:

110.38.c.1.C, 110.38.c.9.D, 110.39.c.1.C, 110.39.c.39.D

NE ELA Standard:

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Page 600 from Write for College

Getting Sentence Parts to Agree

Agreement of Subject and Verb

Use the next two pages to focus on subject-verb agreement, and specifically the tricky situations that students may encounter. (Remember that only the present-tense form of the verb changes from singular to plural. In past and future tenses, all verbs use the base form with -ed, -ing, and helping verbs.)

Compound subjects with and are always plural. With or, the conjunction actually separates the subjects, so the verb should match the later subject.
In delayed subjects, the verb should match the actual subject.
With "be" verbs, the verb should match the subject (not the predicate noun).
In special cases, a plural-in-form word such as "physics" takes a singular verb (physics is challenging), or a singular item such as "pants" is treated as a plural (pants are washed).

State Standard Reference:

LAFS Standard:

TEKS Standard:

110.38.c.1.C, 110.38.c.9.D, 110.39.c.1.C, 110.39.c.39.D

NE ELA Standard:

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Page 601 from Write for College

Agreement of Subject and Verb (Cont.)

With collective nouns, the verb should be singular if the noun is used in a singular way (the team faces its rival) and plural if used in a plural way (the team put on their uniforms).
With indefinite pronouns, some are always singular (someone is), some are always plural (both are), and some change depending on the object of the preposition that follows them (all of the pizza is or all of the pizzas are).
With relative pronouns, the verb should match the number of the antecedent.

State Standard Reference:

LAFS Standard:

TEKS Standard:

110.38.c.1.C, 110.38.c.9.D, 110.39.c.1.C, 110.39.c.39.D

NE ELA Standard:

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Page 602 from Write for College

Agreement of Pronoun and Antecedent

Pronouns must agree with their antecedents in three ways: person (first, second, or third), number (singular or plural), and gender (masculine, feminine, neuter, or indefinite).

Agreement in number involves the same caveats as it had for subjects and verbs:

Some relative pronouns (someone, anything) are always singular, some (many) are always plural, and some (all) change depending on the number of the object of the preposition that follows them.
Singular antecedents joined by and become plural, while those joined by or stay singular.
Collective antecedents treated as singular need singular pronouns, and those treated as plural need plural pronouns.

Agreement in gender poses some challenges because English contains no indeterminate singular pronouns. (You can't refer to a person using the neuter pronoun it.) To avoid errors in agreement (each student should bring their own pencil) or sexism (each student should bring his own pencil), rewrite the sentence to make the antecedent plural (all students should bring their own pencils).

State Standard Reference:

LAFS Standard:

TEKS Standard:

110.38.c.1.C, 110.38.c.9.D, 110.39.c.1.C, 110.39.c.39.D

NE ELA Standard:

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Page 603 from Write for College

Using Fair Language

Use this page and the one that follows to help students use inclusive terminology in their writing. This page focuses on inclusiveness in terms of race, age, and ability.

State Standard Reference:

LAFS Standard:

TEKS Standard:

110.38.c.1.C, 110.38.c.9.D, 110.39.c.1.C, 110.39.c.39.D

NE ELA Standard: