This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
TTTThere is something about games and puzzles thatmotivates even the most reluctant learner. We seethis clearly when we look at our own habits: As
adults, few of us would jump at the chance to take a teston world history, literature, science, or geography.However, we rush to answer questions in these subjectareas when they’re part of a trivia board game, TV quizshow, or Sunday newspaper crossword puzzle. Why? Ibelieve it’s because the idea of a game or puzzle lends anexciting context to learning, and we achieve a real sense ofaccomplishment when we get the answers right.
Children are no exception. When subject matter ispart of a game or puzzle, students are more motivated to learn, to remember, and to apply thematerial. That’s the thinking behind Grammar Puzzles & Games Kids Can’t Resist!
Why Use Grammar Games?At Scholastic we recognize that grammar is not the easiest topic to teach. Too often, grammarseems like a collection of rules that must be memorized. Students have a hard time seeing itsrelevance to real life. And teachers sometimes have a difficult time changing students from thecomfortable—but incorrect—grammar habits which the kids are used to using. It is our hopethat Grammar Puzzles & Games Kids Can’t Resist! will make the teaching of grammar a little biteasier and a lot more fun. You’ll find crossword puzzles, word searches, code games, partnerstories, and more. These are entertaining activities that children already love to do, so consideryour battle half won!
Some of the special features of this book include:
• GGrraammmmaarr ““ffaasstt ffaaccttss”” wwiitthh eevveerryy aaccttiivviittyy.. These reminders review the specific grammarconcept the children need for each activity—right there on the reproducible. For example,when students are working with helping verbs, they’ll find a list of helping verbs right thereon the page. When they are working with proper nouns, they’ll find a helpful reminder toalways use a capital letter. That means your students will not have to look elsewhere forpertinent information.
• OOppppoorrttuunniittiieess ffoorr bbootthh iinnddeeppeennddeenntt aanndd ccoollllaabboorraattiivvee lleeaarrnniinngg.. Some of the activities—such as crosswords and word searches—are designed for students to complete individually.Others—such as the partner stories—are meant to be tackled in pairs or teams.
• SSppeecciiaall aatttteennttiioonn ttoo ttyyppiiccaall pprroobblleemm aarreeaass.. As veteran teachers know, some grammarrules are more troublesome than others. For example, many children have a hard timeforming contractions, forming the past tense of irregular verbs, and choosing thehomonym that makes sense in a sentence. This book addresses these tough topics clearlyand decisively.
How to Use the BookYou may use the reproducible activities in any order.Here are some suggestions for making the most ofthem:
11.. Use each reproducible as an immediate follow-upto a grammar lesson to assess what studentshave learned. Because the activities include verysimple instructions and grammar rulereminders, you can easily assign the activities ashomework. I can assure you that your studentswon’t mind digging into these assignments!
22.. Use the reproducibles as part of a Grammar Learning Center where the focus changeseach week. For example, while you are teaching about nouns, you may want to copy allof the activities that focus on nouns and store the activities in a designated spot in theclassroom. Send students to the Grammar Learning Center when they finish work early,when you are working with small groups, or any other time individual students are look-ing for something to do. Invite students to make colorful posters of important grammarrules and use them to decorate your Learning Center.
33.. Consider having students check their own work. (Use the answer key on page 58 to postthe answers on the board.) Then work with each student to highlight and focus on anyproblem areas.
44.. After students have completed the puzzles for a given grammar topic, invite them to cre-ate their own puzzles for classmates to work on. Younger students will enjoy makingword search puzzles and simple crosswords on graph paper. Older students may want totry crafting their own riddle bubble tests and partner stories. (In either case, take a peekat the student-made activities before students exchange them. This will help avoid frus-tration in the event that a student-created puzzle is incorrect or incomplete.)
About the Puzzle Formats: A Special Note to TeachersEach of the puzzles in this book includes easy-to-follow directions.The puzzles are broken down as follows:
WWoorrdd SSeeaarrcchheessStudents hunt for their answers in a letter grid. Answers may goacross, down, or on the diagonal.
SSnnaaiillssIn these puzzles, the answers wrap around in the shape of a snail.The last letter of one answer is the first letter of the next.
CCrroosssswwoorrddssThese crosswords are designed simply with elementary students inmind. All of the clues and answers relate to grammar. There are no“filler” words.
PPaarrttnneerr SSttoorriieessPairs of students work together to complete a story using specificparts of speech. When they’re done, they have a hilariously funnystory to share with the class. These activities can be used over andover with new, exciting results each time.
CCrraacckk--tthhee--CCooddee CClloozzee GGaammeessStudents complete a short story by filling in the missing part ofspeech. Then they use their answers to decode a secret message!
RRiiddddllee BBuubbbbllee TTeessttssStudents fill in the bubble next to the sentence that uses correctgrammar. Then students use their lettered answers to unravel thepunch line to an amusing riddle. These riddle tests are not onlyfun; they’re also great practice for state and national standardizedtests (students get into the habit of filling in the circle next to thecorrect answer).
Enjoy!
15
For ShortMatch each abbreviation to the full word it stands for. Then
hunt for each full word in the word search puzzle.
SKILL: Common Abbreviations
FAST FACTAn abbreviation is ashortened version of a
word or phrase. Someabbreviations use peri-
ods, but others do not.
1.Dr.
_____a.
October
2.Mr.
_____b.
Avenue
3.St.
_____c.
Doctor
4.TV
_____d.
Saturday
5.Jan.
_____e.
miles per hour
6.PA
_____f.
television
7.Ave.
_____g.
California
8.Sat.
_____h.
Mister
9.Oct.
_____i.
Street
10.mph
_____j.
United States
11.U.S.
_____k.
Pennsylvania
12.CA
_____l.
January
ABBREVIATION
FULL WORD
W E M Q N I A D J R T R E V
P U A T E L E V I S I O N E
E X N D O C T O R A F O P O
N B E I M P H J A T D C G S
N G K O T A T R L U N T S T
S Q M I L E S P E R H O U R
Y H I F E S D Y B D P B R E
L C S R A I R S E A O E H E
V K T L B A D G T Y F R I T
A S E A U N I P Q A Z U K L
N E R N H O F J E S T M C E
I C A L I F O R N I A E R B
A X D A V E N U E M A B S C
D J A N U A R Y R W Q B I B
16
Single Minded
Look at the plural noun underlined in each sentence, and
write the singular form of the noun on the line. Then
write the singular noun in the puzzle grid. The last letter
of one answer will be the first letter of the next answer.
Some answers will go around corners.
SKILL: Singular and Plural Nouns
1. There are nine planets in our solar system.
____________________
2. Cars and trucks lined the street.
____________________
3. I can’t find my house keys anywhere!
____________________
4. Many homes have back yards.
____________________
5. There are ditches on both sides of the road.
____________________
6. It’s fun to ride a bike over the hills in this neighborhood.
____________________
7. Plants have chemicals in their leaves to help them make food. ____________________
8. Graciela is just under five feet tall.
____________________
9. Our class has gone on three field trips this school year.
____________________
10. I save pennies in a jar in my bedroom.
____________________
11. Does your family eat yams at Thanksgiving?
____________________
12. Fifty men, women, and children were left homeless by the storm. ____________________
13. I have a pocket full of nickels.
____________________
14. Bright lights filled the sky.
____________________
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
11
12
13
1014
FAST FACT
Some nouns add -s to become
plural. Others add -es. Other
nouns change completely when
they become plural, and still others
do not change at all!
22
Make It Two!Write the plural
of each singularnoun on the line
provided. Thenwrite the pluralsin the crossword
puzzle grid.
SKILL: Plural Nouns
FAST FACTSome nouns add -s tobecome plural. Others
add -es. Other nounschange completely
when they become plur-al, and still others do
not change at all!ACROSS3. one banana; many __________________
5. one president; many __________________
8. one subject; many __________________
9. one itch; many __________________
11. one disk; many __________________
14. one tomato; many __________________
17. one television; many __________________
DOWN1. one plant; many
__________________
2. one waitress; many __________________
4. one foot; many
__________________
6. one deer; many __________________
7. one note; many __________________
10. one child; many __________________
12. one cookie; many __________________
13. one person; many __________________
15. one key; many __________________
16. one mouse; many __________________
12
8
9
10
11
17 15
16
12
14
13
3
5
6
7
4
33
Say It With
Adjectives!
Work with a partner on this
activity. One partner will be the
Clue Giver. The other partner
will be the Word Giver.
1. The Clue Giver asks the Word
Giver for a word to fill in each
blank. Fill in all the blanks
before reading the story.
2. The Clue Giver reads the
story out loud.
FAST FACT
Adjectives are words
that describe nouns or
pronouns. For example:
beautiful, sloppy, blue,
broken.
One _________________________ spring afternoon, a _________________________ student
named _________________________ was playing basketball. The student was wearing the latest
fashion: _________________________ pants, a very _________________________ shirt.
The student threw the ball toward the basket, but it bounced into the woods. “I guess I’ll
have to chase it.” The student ran to get the basketball but it w
as nowhere in sight. Instead,
there was a _________________________ , _________________________ bottle with a
_________________________ lid propped beneath a tree.
The student opened the bottle cautiously. Out popped a _________________________ genie
wearing a strange _________________________ outfit!
“Finally!” said the genie as he glanced at the _________________________ watch on his
wrist. “It’s about tim
e someone let me out of this bottle. I only have time for one. So make it
snappy.”
The student thought. What would be the best wish? To be a ___________________________
superstar? To have some really ____________________________ toys? Finally, the student thought
of the perfect wish and told the genie.
“Whatever,” said the genie as he snapped his fingers. And just like that, the wish came
true. The student became a ___________________________, ____________________________
_____________________, and never forgot that _______________________ day in the forest.
adjective
noun/first name
adjective
adjective
adjective
adjective
adjective
adjective
adjective
adjective
adjective
adjective
adjective
adjective
adjective
adjective
noun
SKILL: Adjectives
39
To Be or Not to Be?This story is missingsome of its verbs! Fill inthe blanks in the storywith verbs from the boxbelow. All of the verbsare forms of the verb“to be.” When you arefinished, put the num-bered letters in the cor-rect order and get thesecret message.
Ladies and Gentlemen,It __ __ quite an honor to stand before you this evening and accept this award. I am
thrilled to __ __ named the Inventor of the Year. Believe it or not, just a few years ago I __
__ __ a poor, unknown inventor with plenty of ideas but no money to make them happen.
Today, I __ __ a big success, all thanks to my famous Two-In-One Dental Floss and Fishing
Line. If it __ __ __ __ not for this amazing device, I might still be dreaming away in my
basement workshop. As I accept my award, I’d like to thank some special people in my life. They __ __ __
my parents and my fifth-grade science teacher, Mrs. C. A. Labrat. To all three of them, I say,
“Thanks for __ __ __ __ __ there for me!” And to all of you in the audience, I say
that I have never __ __ __ __ happier or more proud than I am tonight.
Now use the numbered letters to decode the message:
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __!
2 6 3 4 1 7 7 8 5
isam
arewas
werebe
beingbeen
FAST FACTThe verb “to be” is themost frequently usedverb in the English lan-guage. Eight differentwords are part of theverb “to be.”
SKILL: The Verb “To Be”
1
2
3
4
56
7
8
44
The Genuine Articles:
A, An, and The
Look at each set of sentences. Fill in the circle next
to the sentence that uses the words a, an, and the
properly. When you are finished, use the letters of
your answers to solve the riddle at the end.
1.nn A. I always carry umbrella in my backpack.
nn B. I always carry a umbrella in my backpack.
nn C. I always carry an umbrella in my backpack.
nn D. I always carry an a umbrella in my backpack.
2.nn E. My birthday is an last day of May.
nn F. My birthday is a last day of May.
nn G. My birthday is last day of May.
nn H. My birthday is the last day of May.
3.nn I. France is a country in Europe.
nn J. France is an country in Europe.
nn K. France is country in Europe.
nn L. France is the country in Europe.
4.nn M. Marcus packed sandwich and an apple for lunch.
nn N. Marcus packed a sandwich and a apple for lunch.
nn O. Marcus packed a sandwich and an apple for lunch.
nn P. Marcus packed an sandwich and a apple for lunch.
Noun HuntRead the clues to name the nouns in each list. Then find the nouns inthe word search puzzle.
SKILL: Common Nouns
FAST FACTA noun is a person,place, or thing. Forexample: sister, park,insect.B S H E A C K G T R B A
A C L O U D A F E E M SP H D G N B I D A S O GP O F O T N T A C T T ML 0 H A C H A F H A H EE L O B T E B M E U E GS L M G Q H L W R R R BT E E N A G E R T A P UO I A K L K Y R V N C ZR B I C Y C L E A T I RE M R B C S I N G E R SB A I R P O R T M J Z N
PEOPLE1. An adult who teaches in a classroom ________________________
2. Your parents (two words) ________________________
and ________________________
3. A person between the ages of 13 and 19 ________________________
4. A person who sings ________________________
5. Your mother’s sister is your ________________________
PLACES 6. A place where you buy things ________________________
7. A place where you go to learn ________________________
8. A place where you go to eat ________________________
9. The place where you live ________________________
10. A place where planes take off and land ________________________
THINGS 11. A vehicle with two wheels ________________________
12. Something you use to carry groceries ________________________
13. A fruit that’s often red and is used to make pies and juice ________________________
14. Something you use at dinner time that comes with chairs ________________________
15. Something fluffy that floats in the sky ________________________
Find the VerbRead each sentence and underline the verb. Then findeach verb in the word search puzzle.
SKILL: Simple Predicate of a Sentence
FAST FACTSome verbs, like runsand thinks, describeaction. Other verbs, likeis and was, describe astate of being.
B P H D M A K H A S C IL A E C A U G H T A O LM I S B D G I C E L I NE N S N E S A O F O H VP T U T Z G V S L V S RI E B R E O I A H E I EY D J W O N U N M S R PB R O K E M S G S T B CR F S H A R E D B I H TL E R V I S I T S D E RC W A O Q J A O G E Y HX H R D E A B L E W O E
1. The play begins at six o’clock.
2. Lucas visits his grandmother at least once a week.
3. The snake caught its prey under a boulder.
4. I read an exciting novel last week.
5. Rebecca painted a picture of a beautiful sunset.
6. My cat is three years old.
7. Our school basketball team just won the state championship.
8. Megan loves pizza with pepperoni.
9. The two brothers shared a seat on the school bus.
10. We sang the national anthem at school today.
11. A rabbit made its nest in our front yard.
12. During the storm, winds blew at speeds of 50 miles per hour.
Verbs Help OutRead each sentence and locate the helping verb. When you arefinished, find your answers in the word search puzzle.
SKILL: Helping Verbs
FAST FACTHelping verbs help the main verbdescribe the action. There are 23helping verbs. They are:
1. Our neighbors were playing loud music last night. __________________
2. You should say thank you to Uncle Roy for the gift. __________________
3. I can see the park from my bedroom window. __________________
4. My train is leaving in ten minutes. __________________
5. I am planning to join the swim team. __________________
6. I knew that you owned a dog, but I did not know that you owned a fish. __________________
7. Yes, I do like to work with clay. __________________
8. I have started my homework. __________________
9. My cousins are visiting for the weekend. __________________
10. Julia has written a poem for class. __________________
11. I was walking to school when I saw an injured bird. __________________
12. I might win the contest. __________________
13. Tina had just fallen asleep when the telephone rang. __________________
amarebebeenbeingcan
coulddiddodoeshadhas
haveismaymightmustshall
shouldwaswerewillwould
HELPING VERB
A F M I G H T E B P A R ED O I H B M C L D I O E GC L Q W E R E R S J S U AS E O N E T A K H C D I DH A D T N P V B O S F W TD U T G Q O M N U U R H EA B N J W Y W A L I M A SV A I D C H A R D L Q S EC M K T F K S N L G C O SL R S X A M U H D I D N TP U A O S B V U N P Z B IM S I H A V E J E R A H IB W T O E D S V P T Y O F
Good, Better, BestRead each sentence. On the line, write the positive, compar-ative, or superlative form of the missing adjective. Then findeach of your answers in the word search puzzle.
SKILL: Comparing Adjectives
FAST FACTA positive adjective letsyou describe one ormore things: A puppy isnice; puppies are nice.A comparative adjectivelets you compare two ormore things: Barbara isnicer than Gerard;Gerard is nicer than allthe other boys in ourclass.A superlative adjectivelets you describe onlyone thing: MountEverest is the tallestmountain in the world;Remo is the friendliestperson in school.
1. Nora was fast, but Caitlyn was ____________________.
2. Snowball is ____________________ than the other kittens
in the litter.
3. Kevin is _____________________.
4. January is the _____________________ month of the year.
5. I filled the _____________________ glass I could find with water.
6. Someone must have turned up the volume, because the
music suddenly got _____________________.
7. The _____________________ clouds were a sign that the storm
was on its way.
8. Today’s math assignment is _____________________ than
yesterday’s.
9. David has an _____________________ bedtime than I do.
10. Tina is my _____________________ friend.
(comparative of fast )
(comparative of cute)
(positive of smart)
(comparative of loud)
(comparative of hard)
(comparative of early)
(superlative of cold)
(superlative of close)
(superlative of tall )
(positive of dark)
A H S D Y B R O C U P EL M C M N E L O U D E RH B E O A K C G T N D IA D A L N R J M E A B SR T R F A S T E R C P AD A L O V H E K F O N ZE A I A E T Y I D L E HR I E O C L O S E S T BP S R T A L L E S T E DU B A Y R C O L D E S T
Noun SubstitutesRead each sentence and fill in each blank with a pronoun from the lists.When you are finished, find your answers in the word search puzzle.
SKILL: Personal and Possessive Pronouns
FAST FACTPronouns take the place of nouns Here are some:
Pronouns can be possessive, just like nouns:
1. “ _________________ am happy to meet you,” I said.
2. Ryan has a doctor’s appointment after school, so _________________ will miss practice.
3. She baked the cake for so long, _________________ was as hard as a rock!
4. Frank and Erin said _________________ would be back in one hour.
5. I just saw a man run down the street. Did you see _______________?
6. The fourth graders invited _________________ to their holiday party, so we will invite them to
_________________.
7. Mary, do _________________ walk to school or ride the bus?
8. Elizabeth hopes _________________ will get the lead in the school play.
9. Our family is very busy, but _________________ always try to eat dinner together.
10. I reminded Derek that _________________ owes me a dollar.
11. When I saw Aunt Sue get off the train, I hugged _________________ and offered to carry her bags.
12. The children were misbehaving, so Mrs. Nelson asked _________________ to quiet down.
13. I know that’s _________________ lunch because it has my name on it.
14. A kitten must stay with _________________ mother for several weeks.
15. The twins invited all of _________________ friends to the birthday party.
Iyouheshe
itwemethey
himherusthem
whowhat
her/hershisits
minemyour/ours
their/theirswhoseyour/yours
A O U R S M C L B H E D AI B H C N P S A H X I T DO M R E D T G F M E N H GE L Y A I K C O W B L E IJ Q H O S I R E Q J G M LH E D S H E V C A S R K OK U T E G W T N I T S E RR X S P R C H B E H L M UD F M I A F E M K E T S ZB H E R E Y I D F Y H I MP H M A L U R A Q S Z R MT R U J O T B R E C P E TN U F Y I G C M Y D A H Q
FAST FACTA contraction is formedby putting two wordstogether and leaving outsome letters. An apos-trophe takes the placeof the missing letters.
Read each sentence, paying special attention to the contraction.On the line, write the word that completes each contraction.Then find each of your answers in the word search puzzle.
A N E A R E H B M I SH F X I J O E A G D RK A U N L A C N V U AD Q D T E S F I T E QA H B N O T G E I T UC I N W Z E R A S L IO S E F V G U J G I PL I Y A T V E H A G WG N H M F S W I L L EP A E U C O N B D P DU M C H S K E A I R O
1. I couldn’t make it to the dance recital on Wednesday.
couldn’t = could + _____________________
2. Peter should’ve called if he were going to be late.
should’ve = should + _____________________
3. I’m the oldest child in my family.
I’m = I + _____________________
4. Maura was tired because she’d been working in the garden all day.
For ShortMatch each abbreviation to the full word it stands for. Thenhunt for each full word in the word search puzzle.
SKILL: Common Abbreviations
FAST FACTAn abbreviation is ashortened version of aword or phrase. Someabbreviations use peri-ods, but others do not.
ABBREVIATION FULL WORD
W E M Q N I A D J R T R E VP U A T E L E V I S I O N EE X N D O C T O R A F O P ON B E I M P H J A T D C G SN G K O T A T R L U N T S TS Q M I L E S P E R H O U RY H I F E S D Y B D P B R EL C S R A I R S E A O E H EV K T L B A D G T Y F R I TA S E A U N I P Q A Z U K LN E R N H O F J E S T M C EI C A L I F O R N I A E R BA X D A V E N U E M A B S CD J A N U A R Y R W Q B I B
Single MindedLook at the plural noun underlined in each sentence, andwrite the singular form of the noun on the line. Thenwrite the singular noun in the puzzle grid. The last letterof one answer will be the first letter of the next answer.Some answers will go around corners.
SKILL: Singular and Plural Nouns
1. There are nine planets in our solar system. ____________________
2. Cars and trucks lined the street. ____________________
3. I can’t find my house keys anywhere! ____________________
4. Many homes have back yards. ____________________
5. There are ditches on both sides of the road. ____________________
6. It’s fun to ride a bike over the hills in this neighborhood. ____________________
7. Plants have chemicals in their leaves to help them make food. ____________________
8. Graciela is just under five feet tall. ____________________
9. Our class has gone on three field trips this school year. ____________________
10. I save pennies in a jar in my bedroom. ____________________
11. Does your family eat yams at Thanksgiving? ____________________
12. Fifty men, women, and children were left homeless by the storm. ____________________
13. I have a pocket full of nickels. ____________________
14. Bright lights filled the sky. ____________________
1 2
3
4
56
7
8 9
1112
13 1014
FAST FACTSome nouns add -s to becomeplural. Others add -es. Othernouns change completely whenthey become plural, and still othersdo not change at all!
In the PastRewrite each sentence in the past tense. Then write each past-tenseverb in the snail puzzle. The last letter of one answer will be the firstletter of the next answer. Some answers will go around corners.
SKILL: Verbs/Past Tense
FAST FACTThe past tense is used to describe something that hap-pened before now. Many verbs form the past tense byadding -ed or -d. But other verbs form the past tensein unusual ways and should be memorized.
Pick a PrepositionRead each sentence below, and choose a prepositionfrom the box to fill in the blank. Then write the prepo-sitions in the snail puzzle. In the puzzle, the last letterof one answer is the first letter of the next answer.Some answers will go around corners.
SKILL: Prepositions
FAST FACTPrepositions usually tell where something is, wheresomething is going, or when something is happening. Some common prepositions are:
about after withnear throughout tobelow because despitewithout beside insteadin over onexcept toward onto
1. South America is located _________________________ the Equator.
2. You cannot bake a cake _________________________ flour.
3. The sprinter ran _________________________ the finish line.
4. We played outside for a while _________________________ the cold weather.
5. I like all vegetables _________________________ for lima beans.
6. Basketball is popular _________________________ the entire United States.
7. Hannah sent a thank-you note _________________________ her grandmother.
8. Will you help me load the heavy box _________________________ the truck?
9. Anthony lives _________________________ North Birchfield Avenue.
10. The twins live _________________________ the school, so they do not ride the schoolbus.
Create-a-WordRead each clue below and figure out the compound word that isbeing described. Then write the compound words in the snail puzzle.The last letter of one answer will be the first letter of the nextanswer. Some answers go around corners.
SKILL: Compound Words
FAST FACTA compound word is aword that is made up oftwo or more smallerwords. For example:notebook, newspaper,thunderstorm.
CLUES1. A mark your foot leaves in snow or mud. ________________________
2. These fall from your eyes when you are sad. ________________________
3. At night we have moonlight; in the day we have ________________________
4. A natural disaster that makes the ground shake. ________________________
5. The skin that closes over your eye. ________________________
6. You turn this to open a door. ________________________
7. A sport played with a bat and ball. ________________________
8. All the years that a person lives. ________________________
9. The hard covering around an egg. ________________________
10. A house that warns ships of danger. ________________________
11. A piece of jewelry you wear on your ear. ________________________
Read each of the sentences below, and underline thehomonym that makes sense in each one. Then write thecorrect homonyms in the snail puzzle. The last letter ofone answer will be the first letter of the next answer.Some answers will go around corners.
SKILL: Homonyms
FAST FACTHomonyms are wordsthat sound alike buthave different spellingsand meanings. Forexample: peace/pieceand bare/bear.
1. My (aunt, ant) is coming to visit for a few weeks.
2. Jack likes to play soccer (to, too, two).
3. We will eat lunch in about (one, won) hour.
4. Rosa’s brother is (ate, eight) years old.
5. Nigel (threw, through) the ball to first base.
6. Room 16 is having a spelling test next (weak, week).
7. I don’t (know, no) where I left my backpack.
8. How much does your puppy (way, weigh)?
9. The frightened campers (herd, heard) a noise in the forest.
10. The (dear, deer) drank from the cool stream.
11. The principal’s office is the third door on the (right, write).
12. (There, They’re, Their) favorite movie is showing tonight at 8 p.m.
13. The audience filled 100 (rose, rows) of seats.
14. Lori’s arm was (sore, soar) after her softball game.
Do They Agree?Read each of the sentences below, and underline theverb that agrees with the subject. Then write the correctverbs in the snail puzzle. The last letter of one answerwill be the first letter of the next answer. Some answerswill go around corners.
SKILL: Subject/Verb Agreement
FAST FACTIf the subject of a sen-tence is singular, theverb must also be sin-gular. If the subject isplural, the verb must beplural. Here’s a secret,though: While a nounthat ends in -s is usual-ly plural, a verb thatends in -s is usuallysingular!
1. Bears (has, have) a powerful sense of smell.
2. We (eat, eats) out about twice a month.
3. He always (try, tries) to do his homework before dinner.
4. On the island, the sun (shine, shines) almost every day.
5. The recipe (says, say) to cook the muffins for 25 minutes.
6. They (swim, swims) in the lake every afternoon.
7. I (make, makes) the best lemonade in town!
8. Ralph (earn, earns) money by mowing his neighbor’s lawn.
9. The kids often (swing, swings) at the playground.
10. My house plants (grows, grow) an inch every month.
11. Henry (were, was) in charge of the class party.
12. At lunch time, Rita always (sit, sits) near the windows.
13. They (switch, switches) seats every week.
14. Christopher (has, have) on a striped sweater today.
Invisible NounsUse a noun from the box to fill in the blank in each sentence.Then write your answers in the crossword puzzle.
SKILL: Abstract Nouns
FAST FACTSome nouns name ideas or feelingsthat you cannot see, hear, smell, ortouch. Some examples are happi-ness, wonder, and justice. Thesenouns are called abstract nouns.
Pronoun MagicUse a pronoun from the box to fill in the blank in each sentence. Youmay use some pronouns more than once. Then write the pronouns inthe crossword puzzle.
ACROSS2. Look at that flower! ___________________ is
beautiful.4. This letter is addressed to my neighbors. It
must be ___________________ .6. Joanna can’t wait for the class trip. It will
be ___________________ first visit to a muse-um.
7. George helped me with the science home-work. I helped ___________________ with themath problems.
9. Will you join ___________________ for awalk? I would enjoy your company.
10. If you don’t hurry, ___________________ aregoing to be late for school.
12. Can you find ___________________ way homefrom here?
16. Our school has two playgrounds. Everyoneworks to keep ___________________ clean.
19. Brian forgot ___________________ lunchtoday.
22. Is this backpack ___________________? It hasyour initials on it.
24. The Smiths took ___________________ newpuppy for a walk.
25. ___________________ jacket is this?
DOWN1. Mike and Rob went to the park because
___________________ wanted to play ball.3. The students have recess after
___________________ eat lunch.5. Amanda loves space, so ___________________
wants to become an astronaut.8. That pen belongs to me. It is _____________ .11. A cat followed Bob and me home. It stayed
behind ______________ the whole way!13. The blue car belongs to our family. The van
is ___________________, too.17. Mrs. Miller remembers every solo
___________________ daughter sang.18. I was in a rush, so I asked the waiter to
bring ___________________ food quickly.20. Many nutrients of an apple are in
___________________ peel.21. My mom knows me well.
___________________ can tell when I’ve had abad day.
23. My friends and I love to ride bikes. It is___________________ favorite activity.
25. My brother and I hope ___________________both make the soccer team.
Awesome AdverbsRead eachsentence andfill in theblank with anadverb fromthe box. Thenwrite youranswers inthe crosswordpuzzle.
SKILL: Adverbs
FAST FACTAn adverb can describea verb, adjective, oranother adverb. Adverbsoften answer the ques-tions how, when, where,and to what extent.Many—but not all—adverbs end in -ly.
It’s Only ProperUse a proper adjective from the box to fill in the blank in each sen-tence. Then write the answers in the puzzle.
SKILL: Proper Adjectives
ACROSS1. We took an _________________________ train
across the country.
3. Polar bears and snowshoe rabbits are both
_____________________ animals.
7. The ______________________ Lakes are locat-
ed between the United States and Canada.
8. Anthony bought a pair of blue
________________________ sneakers.
10. No one lives at the
__________________________ Pole all year long.
11. Japan is an ____________________________
country.
12. Sara enjoys watching
__________________________ movies.
DOWN2. They went swimming in the
__________________________ Ocean.
3. The ________________________ flag has stars
and stripes.
4. The ________________________ New Year is
celebrated with parades and fireworks.
5. Mike received many
__________________________ presents from his
friends.
6. The _________________________ Islands are
part of the United States.
9. An ___________________________ person is
someone from Ireland.
HawaiianChristmas
AsianArctic
AmtrakDisney
AtlanticSouth
NikeGreat
IrishAmerican
Chinese
FAST FACTA proper adjective is anadjective that formsfrom a proper noun. Forexample, a king fromEngland is an Englishking. A proper adjectiveuses a capital letter.
Work with a partner onthis activity. One partnerwill be the Clue Giver.The other partner will bethe Word Giver.
1. The Clue Giver asksthe Word Giver for aword to fill in eachblank. Fill in all theblanks before readingthe story.
2. The Clue Giver readsthe story out loud.
Last night I had a very unusual dream. In my dream, ___________________________ was the
principal of our school! One day, the principal announced that we were going on a field trip to
______________________. Now, I had been to ______________________ and to ______________________,
but never there!
Believe it or not, my dream got even crazier after that. We rode a ______________________
all the way to our destination. Once we arrived, we met all kinds of people. I personally saw
______________________ and ______________________ and even got ______________________ to give
me an autograph. I will always treasure it!
On the way home, we talked the principal into stopping in ______________________ and
______________________. We tried to stop in ______________________, too, but we ran out of time.
Even so, it was the most awesome field trip I had ever been on. Was I ever disappointed when it
was time to wake up!
FAST FACTProper nouns are thenames of specific peo-ple, places, and things.They always begin witha capital letter. Forexample: George, Texas,and the Statue ofLiberty.
Alien AdventureWork with a partner on this activity.One partner will be the Clue Giver. Theother partner will be the Word Giver.
1. The Clue Giver asks the Word Giverfor a word to fill in each blank. Fill inall the blanks before reading the story.
2. The Clue Giver reads the story outloud.
When I saw the flashing lights, I knew right away it was a
UFO. It________________ right next to me. The doors opened, and out came ____________________
____________________. The creatures marched toward me and began to speak. “We are from the
planet _________________,” they said. “We travel around the Milky Way, stopping only to
________________. Tell us about yourself, Earthling.”
I ____________________ and I ____________________. I did not know what to say, “My name
is _______________________,” I began. “I like to ___________________________ and
__________________________. My favorite thing to do is __________________________ and hang out
with my good friend, __________________________.”
The creatures looked at each other and __________________________. “Aha,” they said.
“Earth is very different from our planet. Come, and we will show you.”
I hopped aboard the UFO and we took off. The creatures and I ____________________ and
_______________________. They also gave me a delicious ________________________ to eat.
Finally, we arrived. I could tell we were there when the UFO _______________________. I
stepped outside. I watched as alien creatures ____________________ and ____________________.
I was homesick already, without my family and my favorite _________________. “Take me
home!” I told the aliens. They shrugged and put me back on the UFO—by myself! “Wait” I cried.
“I don’t know how to fly this thing!”
The doors closed, and I spied a control panel. I did not know which button to press, so I
just ____________________. Amazingly, the UFO ____________________ and started its journey back
to Earth. It took me ____________________ days, but I finally made it home.
FAST FACTThe present tensedescribes an action thatis happening now. Thepast tense describes anaction that already hap-pened. Many verbs formthe past tense byadding -ed or -d.
Work with a partner on thisactivity. One partner will bethe Clue Giver. The other part-ner will be the Word Giver.
1. The Clue Giver asks theWord Giver for a word to fill in each blank. Fill in all theblanks before reading thestory.
2. The Clue Giver reads thestory out loud.
Last week, the circus came to our town. It was set up near the
old ______________________. I wasn’t planning to go, but
_______________________ and _____________________ talked me into it. They were dying to see the
_______________________ ______________________ and the __________________________
________________________ .
When we arrived, we were starving, so we got in line to buy some snacks.
I ate the ________________________ __________________________, and my friends ate the
_____________________ ________________________.
Then the show began. The ringmaster _____________________ announced the first act.
Then __________________ __________________ came out and started to _______________________
_______________________! When the act was over, everyone began to __________________________
_______________________ and ___________________________ ____________________________ .
Later in the show, we saw a _______________________ _________________________ and a
________________________ ________________________ who could _______________________ and
_____________________. The best part of the show was the last act, when a _____________________
___________________ ___________________ ___________________ on top of a ______________________!
We ran into _______________________ and ______________________. They were carrying a
______________________ that they had bought as a souvenir. They said they loved the show, too!
FAST FACTA noun is a person,place or thing (Mr. Simpson, Ohio,banana ). A verb tellsthe action in the sentence (lifts, dances,sees). An adjectivedescribes a noun (blue,nice, smart). An adverbusually describes averb (quickly, happily,wildly).
common noun/place
common noun/person
common noun/person
common noun/person common noun/person
common noun/thing
common noun/thing
any common nouncommon noun/person verb/past tense adverb
A Pet AdventureThis adventure story is miss-ing its adverbs! Fill in theblanks in the story withadverbs from the box below.When you are finished, putthe numbered letters in thecorrect order and get thesecret message.
My neighbors asked me to watch their dog, Sophie. I __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
needed the money, so I took the job. Sophie barked __ __ __ __ __ __ and gave me a
big kiss. I took her by the leash and waved good-bye.
Trouble began when she chewed off her leash and ran __ __ __ __ __ __
down the street. When I caught her, she was licking someone’s ice cream cone! Then she
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ ran across the street. I followed
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ behind her.
Sophie stopped at the park. There, she __ __ __ __ __ __ __ made some new
friends, leaped __ __ __ __ into the air to grab their Frisbee, and greeted a man who was
feeding the squirrels.
We were invited to a picnic and ate __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __. Then I
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ realized it was time to go. We __ __ __ __ __ said
good-bye, and got home minutes before Sophie’s owners. They saw her sitting
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ by the door and exclaimed. “Sophie’s so good for
you. Are you available next week?”
Now use the circled letters to decode the message:
FAST FACTAdverbs can describeverbs, adjectives, oreven other adverbs.They usually answer thequestions how, when,or where. They oftenend in the letters -ly.
This story is missing its prepositions!Fill in the blanks in the story withprepositions from the box below.When you are finished, put the num-bered letters in the correct order andget the secret message.
FAST FACTPrepositions usually tellwhere something is,where something isgoing, or when some-thing is happening.
aboutabove
beforeby
exceptfrom
ininside
nearon
withwithout
to
Last summer, I went ____ ____ Space Camp! I went for three days, ____ ____ ____ ____ a
Monday to a Wednesday. On the first day, I got to try on a space suit just like the ones worn by
real astronauts. It had an American flag ____ ____ the front and all kinds of special equipment
built into it. It even had a device to control the temperature inside the suit.
____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ this equipment, astronauts could not survive ____ ____ space.
The next day, I got to taste astronaut food. I especially liked the freeze-dried ice cream. In
fact, all of the kids at Space Camp (____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ for one or two) thought the
ice cream was the best.
Finally, I got to go ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ a special anti-gravity chamber. It was
invented ____ ____ scientists to give astronauts an idea of what it’s like to be weightless in
outer space. While I was floating inside the chamber, I imagined that I was traveling far
____ ____ ____ ____ ____ the Earth. Wow!
Before I knew it, it was time to head home. But before I left, I got to meet a real-life astro-
naut. She sat down ____ ____ ____ ____ all the campers and told us ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
her job. She sat ____ ____ ____ ____ me, so I even got an autograph! Now I don’t just think I
want to be an astronaut. I know for sure!
Now use the numbered letters to decode the message:
This story is missing its conjunc-tions! Fill in the blanks in the storywith conjunctions from the boxbelow. When you are finished, putthe numbered letters in the correctorder and get the secret message.
FAST FACTConjunctions are linkingwords. They join words,phrases, clauses, andsentences together.
The day we moved into our new house, the weather was rainy __ __ __ cold.
__ __ __ __ __ I could not play outside, I decided to explore the attic. It was mostly
empty, __ __ __ a few dusty boxes sat in the corner, belonging to the previous owners
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ my family had not come up here yet.
I began to look through one of the boxes filled with papers that looked old and fragile, __ __
I was careful. I uncovered an old map and recognized our neighborhood. It showed a large “X”
near the lake, at the end of our road. “Hmmmm,” I thought to myself. “X” marks the spot.” For a
chest full of gold __ __ a priceless piece of jewelry? I could hardly wait to find out!
Luckily the next day was sunny. __ __ __ __ I finished breakfast, I set out to search
for the spot marked on my map. __ __ __ __ __ __ I had gotten very far, I heard a
voice say, “I’m Kate. You must be the new kid.” I said “hello.” I didn’t want Kate to think I was
silly, __ __ __ I knew she might be a big help so I showed her my map. Soon both of us
were having a great time.
We found plenty of garbage, and may never know __ __ there is treasure by the lake, but
I have a new pal!
Now use the circled letters to decode the message:
Hey, Wow!This letter is missing its inter-jections! Fill in the blanks inthe story with interjectionsfrom the box below. When youare finished, put the numberedletters in the correct order andget the secret message.
FAST FACTAn interjection is a wordor phrase that express-es strong feelings. It isusually punctuated withan exclamation point.
Dear Aunt Linda,
__ __ __ __ __ there! I just got the train set you sent for my birthday.
__ __ __ __ __ __! I really love it. It has eight cars and a long, curving track.
__ __ __! It has to be the nicest train set I’ve ever seen.
It took me about three hours to put the set together (with mom’s help). __ __ __ __!
It sure was hard work! But when I was finally finished, I was very excited. I invited my best
friend, Tim, over to take a look. Tim loves trains as much as I do. When he saw it, he shouted,
“__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __!” Tim and I played with the trains for a while. Then
Tim’s brother, Lou, came over, and we had to put the set away. That’s because Lou tried to play
with the track and almost broke it. I said, “__ __ __! Please be careful with that!”
I hear my mom calling me for dinner, so I will wrap up this letter. We are having liver and
lima beans. __ __ __ __! I hope you are having something tastier!
I will talk to you soon!
Love,
Daniel
P.S.: __ __ __ __! I almost forgot to tell you that my first soccer game of the season will
be this Saturday morning!
Now use the numbered letters to decode the message:
This story is missingsome of its verbs! Fill inthe blanks in the storywith verbs from the boxbelow. All of the verbsare forms of the verb“to be.” When you arefinished, put the num-bered letters in the cor-rect order and get thesecret message.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It __ __ quite an honor to stand before you this evening and accept this award. I am
thrilled to __ __ named the Inventor of the Year. Believe it or not, just a few years ago I
__ __ __ a poor, unknown inventor with plenty of ideas but no money to make them happen.
Today, I __ __ a big success, all thanks to my famous Two-In-One Dental Floss and Fishing
Line. If it __ __ __ __ not for this amazing device, I might still be dreaming away in my
basement workshop.
As I accept my award, I’d like to thank some special people in my life. They __ __ __
my parents and my fifth-grade science teacher, Mrs. C. A. Labrat. To all three of them, I say,
“Thanks for __ __ __ __ __ there for me!” And to all of you in the audience, I say
that I have never __ __ __ __ happier or more proud than I am tonight.
Now use the numbered letters to decode the message:
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __!2 6 3 4 1 7 7 8 5
is am are was were be being been
FAST FACTThe verb “to be” is themost frequently usedverb in the English lan-guage. Eight differentwords are part of theverb “to be.”
Look at each set of sentences. Fill in the circle next tothe sentence that uses capital letters properly. Whenyou are finished, use the letters of your answers to solvethe riddle at the end.
1. nn A. The Statue of Liberty is in new york, New York.
nn B. The Statue of Liberty is in New York, New York.
nn C. The statue of liberty is in new york, new york.
nn D. the Statue of Liberty is in New York, New York.
2. nn E. George Washington was america’s first president.
nn F. George Washington was America’s first president.
nn G. George Washington Was America’s First President.
nn H. George washington was america’s first president.
3. nn I. Many creatures live in the Pacific Ocean.
nn J. Many creatures live in the pacific ocean.
nn K. Many creatures live in the Pacific ocean.
nn L. Many Creatures live in the Pacific Ocean.
4. nn M. My cat’s Name is Lady.
nn N. My cat’s name is Lady.
nn O. My Cat’s name is Lady.
nn P. My cat’s name is lady.
5. nn Q. Where are you celebrating thanksgiving this year?
nn R. where are you celebrating Thanksgiving this year?
nn S. Where are you celebrating Thanksgiving this year?
nn T. Where are you celebrating Thanksgiving this Year?
6. nn U. he and I both go to school with karen.
nn V. He and I both go to School with Karen.
nn W. He and I both go to school with Karen.
nn X. He and i both go to school with Karen.
SKILL: Capitalization
FAST FACTCapital or upper caseletters are used to beginproper nouns, to beginsentences, for the per-sonal pronoun I, and inmany abbreviations.
10. nn K. Jennifer has a Girl Scout meeting after school on Monday.
nn L. Jennifer has a girl scout meeting after school on monday.
nn M. jennifer has a Girl Scout meeting after school on Monday.
nn N. Jennifer has a girl Scout meeting after School on Monday.
11. nn O. They are having a family reunion in March.
nn P. They are having a Family Reunion in march.
nn Q. they are having a family reunion in March.
nn R. They Are having a family reunion in March.
12. nn S. Playland is Roger’s favorite amusement park.
nn T. Playland is roger’s favorite amusement park.
nn U. playland is Roger’s favorite amusement park.
nn V. Playland is Roger’s favorite Amusement park.
Now solve the riddle! Each number below stands for one of the questions. Write the letter of the cor-rect answer above each number. You will spell out the answer to this riddle:
Look at each set of sentences. Fill in the circle next tothe sentence that uses possessive nouns properly.When you are finished, use the letters of your answersto solve the riddle at the end.
1. nn A. The cats’s fur was matted from the rain.
nn B. The c’ats fur was matted from the rain.
nn C. The cats fur was matted from the rain.
nn D. The cat’s fur was matted from the rain.
2. nn E. The churchs door is made of thick wood.
nn F. The churches door is made of thick wood.
nn G. The church’s door is made of thick wood.
nn H. The churches’s door is made of thick wood.
3. nn I. We’re going over to Juan’s house.
nn J. We’re going over to Juans house.
nn K. We’re going over to Juan house.
nn L. We’re going over to Juans’s house.
4. nn M. The childrens toys were all over the floor.
nn N. The children’s toys were all over the floor.
nn O. The childrens’s toys were all over the floor.
nn P. The children toys’ were all over the floor.
5. nn Q. Our classes field trip will be next Thursday.
nn R. Our class’s field trip will be next Thursday.
nn S. Our classs field trip will be next Thursday.
nn T. Our class’ field trip will be next Thursday.
6. nn U. The Smiths’s driveway is very long.
nn V. The Smiths’ driveway is very long.
nn W. The Smithses driveway is very long.
nn X. The Smiths driveway is very long.
7. nn Y. The doll’s dress is as beautiful as Margarets own outfit.
nn Z. The dolls’ dress is as beautiful as Margaret’s own outfit.
nn A. The doll’s dress is as beautiful as Margaret’s own outfit.
nn B. The dolls dress is as beautiful as Margaret’s own outfit.
FAST FACTA possessive nounshows ownership. Mostsingular nouns becomepossessive by adding -’s.Most plural nouns end-ing in -s become pos-sessive by adding anapostrophe after the -s.
8. nn C. Bailey’s phone number is easy to remember.
nn D. Baile’ys phone number is easy to remember.
nn E. Baileys phone number is easy to remember.
nn F. Baileys’s phone number is easy to remember.
9. nn G. Our store’s motto is, “The customers needs come first.”
nn H. Our store’s motto is, “The customers’s needs come first.”
nn I. Our store’s motto is, “The customers’ needs come first.”
nn J. Our stores motto is, “The customers’ needs come first.”
10. nn K. My brothers jacket is too big for me.
nn L. My brother’ jacket is too big for me.
nn M. My brothers’s jacket is too big for me.
nn N. My brother’s jacket is too big for me.
11. nn O. I’d like to have a pen like Michelle’s.
nn P. I’d like to have a pen like Michelles.
nn Q. I’d like to have a pen like Michelles’.
nn R. I’d like to have a pen like Michelles’s.
12. nn S. Johns and Erics reports were both excellent.
nn T. John’s and Eric’s reports were both excellent.
nn U. John’s’ and Eric’s’ reports were both excellent.
nn V. Johns’ and Eric’s reports were both excellent.
13. nn W. Nora’s goal improved her teams’ chances of winning.
nn X. Noras goal improved her team’s chances of winning.
nn Y. Nora’s goal improved her team’s chances of winning.
nn Z. Noras goal improved her teams chances of winning.
Now solve the riddle! Each number below stands for one of the questions. Write the letter of the cor-rect answer above each number. You will spell out the answer to this riddle:
Look at each set of sentences. Fill in the circle nextto the sentence that uses the words a, an, and theproperly. When you are finished, use the letters ofyour answers to solve the riddle at the end.
1. nn A. I always carry umbrella in my backpack.
nn B. I always carry a umbrella in my backpack.
nn C. I always carry an umbrella in my backpack.
nn D. I always carry an a umbrella in my backpack.
2. nn E. My birthday is an last day of May.
nn F. My birthday is a last day of May.
nn G. My birthday is last day of May.
nn H. My birthday is the last day of May.
3. nn I. France is a country in Europe.
nn J. France is an country in Europe.
nn K. France is country in Europe.
nn L. France is the country in Europe.
4. nn M. Marcus packed sandwich and an apple for lunch.
nn N. Marcus packed a sandwich and a apple for lunch.
nn O. Marcus packed a sandwich and an apple for lunch.
nn P. Marcus packed an sandwich and a apple for lunch.
5. nn Q. My balloon rose into an sky.
nn R. My balloon rose into a the sky.
nn S. My balloon rose into sky.
nn T. My balloon rose into the sky.
6. nn U. Our car got the flat tire on highway.
nn V. Our car got a flat tire on the highway.
nn W. Our car got an flat tire on the highway.
nn X. Our car got flat tire on a highway.
FAST FACTThe words a, an, andthe often come beforenouns. Use the in frontof a specific noun. Forexample: This is thebike I want. Use a andan in front of non-spe-cific nouns. Use a infront of nouns thatstart with consonantsand an in front ofnouns that start withvowels. For example:I’d rather have a bikethan an automobile.
8. nn C. I always try to sit in an front of the bus.
nn D. I always try to sit in the front of an bus.
nn E. I always try to sit in the front of the bus.
nn F. I always try to sit in a front of the bus.
9. nn G. A sun is supposed to come out later.
nn H. The sun is supposed to come out later.
nn I. An sun is supposed to come out later.
nn J. A the sun is supposed to come out later.
10. nn K. I must read a story and study for a exam.
nn L. I must read story and study for an exam.
nn M. I must read a story and study for an exam.
nn N. I must read an story and study for an exam.
11. nn O. They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away.
nn P. They say a apple a day keeps the doctor away.
nn Q. They say an apple a day keeps an doctor away.
nn R. They say a apple an day keeps the doctor away.
12. nn S. The Smiths went hiking in the Rocky Mountains.
nn T. The Smiths went hiking in a Rocky Mountains.
nn U. A Smiths went hiking in the Rocky Mountains.
nn V. The Smiths went hiking in an Rocky Mountains.
Now solve the riddle! Each number below stands for one of the questions. Write the letter of the cor-rect answer above each number. You will spell out the answer to this riddle:
Look at each set of sentences. Fill in the circle next tothe sentence that uses contractions properly. Whenyou are finished, use the letters of your answers tosolve the riddle at the end.
1. nn A. W’ell see you tomorrow.
nn B. Well see you tomorrow.
nn C. We’ll see you tomorrow.
nn D. Wel’l see you tomorrow.
2. nn E. Id like to see a movie this weekend.
nn F. Iw’d like to see a movie this weekend.
nn G. ‘Id like to see a movie this weekend.
nn H. I’d like to see a movie this weekend.
3. nn I. Ling knew she needed glasses when she cou’ldnt see the board.
nn J. Ling knew she needed glasses when she couldnt see the board.
nn K. Ling knew she needed glasses when she could’nt see the board.
nn L. Ling knew she needed glasses when she couldn’t see the board.
4. nn M. Dad said hed pick me up after school.
nn N. Dad said he’d pick me up after school.
nn O. Dad said h’ed pick me up after school.
nn P. Dad said hed’ pick me up after school.
5. nn Q. Joseph cant have a dog because he’s allergic to fur.
nn R. Joseph can’t have a dog because hes allergic to fur.
nn S. Joseph ca’nt have a dog because h’es allergic to fur.
nn T. Joseph can’t have a dog because he’s allergic to fur.
6. nn U. Sandy is my sister, but she’s also my best friend.
nn V. Sandy is my sister, but sh’es also my best friend.
nn W. Sandy is my sister, but shes also my best friend.
nn X. Sandy is my sister, but sh’s also my best friend.
FAST FACTA contraction is formedby putting two wordstogether and leaving outsome letters. An apos-trophe takes the placeof the missing letters.
8. nn C. We tried to move the boulder, but it wouldnt budge.
nn D. We tried to move the boulder, but it would’nt budge.
nn E. We tried to move the boulder, but it wouldn’t budge.
nn F. We tried to move the boulder, but it wou’ldnt budge.
9. nn G. My grandparents said theyd visit, but they didn’t say when.
nn H. My grandparents said the’yd visit, but they didn’t say when.
nn I. My grandparents said they’d visit, but they didn’t say when.
nn J. My grandparents said th’eyd visit, but they didn’t say when.
10. nn K. Ive always wanted to travel around the world.
nn L. Ive’ always wanted to travel around the world.
nn M. I’ve always wanted to travel around the world.
nn N. Iv’e always wanted to travel around the world.
11. nn O. Don’t forget to bring a jacket!
nn P. Dont forget to bring a jacket!
nn Q. D’ont forget to bring a jacket!
nn R. Do’nt forget to bring a jacket!
12. nn S. Lets ask the librarian for help finding the book.
nn T. Lets’ ask the librarian for help finding the book.
nn U. Let’s ask the librarian for help finding the book.
nn V. Le’ts ask the librarian for help finding the book.
Now solve the riddle! Each number below stands for one of the questions. Write the letter of the cor-rect answer above each number. You will spell out the answer to this riddle:
Be Agreeable!Look at each set of sentences. Fill in the circle nextto the sentence in which the subject and verb agree.When you are finished, use the letters of youranswers to solve the riddle at the end.
1. nn A. Janine plays in the school band.
nn B. Janine play in the school band.
nn C. Janine were playing in the school band.
nn D. Janine are playing in the school band.
2. nn E. I lives about six blocks from Sam’s apartment building.
nn F. I live about six blocks from Sam’s apartment building.
nn G. I are living about six blocks from Sam’s apartment building.
nn H. I is living about six blocks from Sam’s apartment building.
3. nn I. That book is one of my sister’s favorites.
nn J. That book are one of my sister’s favorites.
nn K. That book am one of my sister’s favorites.
nn L. That book were one of my sister’s favorites.
4. nn M. Mirtha’s favorite topics is birds and plants.
nn N. Mirtha’s favorite topics was birds and plants.
nn O. Mirtha’s favorite topics are birds and plants.
nn P. Mirtha’s favorite topics am birds and plants.
5. nn Q. Dogs love water, but cats hates it.
nn R. Dogs love water, but cats hate it.
nn S. Dogs loves water, but cats hates it.
nn T. Dogs loves water, but cats hate it.
6. nn U. A tornado strike our area once every few years.
nn V. A tornado strikes our area once every few years.
nn W. Tornadoes strikes our area once every few years.
nn X. Tornadoes is striking our area once every few years.
FAST FACTIf the subject of a sen-tence is singular, theverb must also be sin-gular. If the subject isplural, the verb must beplural.
7. nn Y. Owen am bringing chips and salsa to the party.
nn Z. Owen are bringing chips and salsa to the party.
nn A. Owen is bringing chips and salsa to the party.
nn B. Owen bringing chips and salsa to the party.
8. nn C. The Philadelphia Eagles has a talented coach.
nn D. The Philadelphia Eagle have a talented coach.
nn E. The Philadelphia Eagles have a talented coach.
nn F. The Philadelphia Eagles has had a talented coach.
9. nn G. Benjamin and Matthew goes to the same swim club.
nn H. Benjamin and Matthew is going to the same swim club.
nn I. Benjamin and Matthew go to the same swim club.
nn J. Benjamin and Matthew am going to the same swim club.
10. nn K. Traffic on the highway have been backed up for five miles.
nn L. Traffic on the highway is backed up for five miles.
nn M. Traffic on the highway are backed up for five miles.
nn N. Traffic on the highway am backed up for five miles.
11. nn O. My aunt knows a lot about current events because she am a reporter.
nn P. My aunt knows a lot about current events because she are a reporter.
nn Q. My aunt know a lot about current events because she is a reporter.
nn R. My aunt knows a lot about current events because she is a reporter.
12. nn S. The cafeteria often run out of ice cream, and the students get disappointed.
nn T. The cafeteria often runs out of ice cream, and the students gets disappointed.
nn U. The cafeteria often run out of ice cream, and the students gets disappointed.
nn V. The cafeteria often runs out of ice cream, and the students get disappointed.
Now solve the riddle! Each number below stands for one of the questions. Write the letter of the cor-rect answer above each number. You will spell out the answer to this riddle:
Look at each set of answers. Fill in the circle next to theanswer that is a complete sentence. When you are fin-ished, use the letters of your answers to solve the riddleat the end.
1. nn A. Chicken for dinner.
nn B. We are having chicken for dinner.
nn C. Having chicken for dinner.
nn D. We chicken for dinner.
2. nn E. Did the mail arrive yet?
nn F. The mail?
nn G. Mail yet?
nn H. Did arrive yet?
3. nn I. The park opens at seven o’clock in the morning.
nn J. At seven o’clock in the morning.
nn K. The park at seven o’clock in the morning.
nn L. At seven o’clock in the morning, the park.
4. nn M. Enough apples to make an apple pie.
nn N. We picked enough apples to make an apple pie.
nn O. Picked enough apples to make an apple pie.
nn P. We apples to make an apple pie.
5. nn Q. A new CD.
nn R. Got a new CD for her birthday.
nn S. Lori a new CD for her birthday.
nn T. Lori got a new CD for her birthday.
6. nn U. Please close the door behind you.
nn V. The door behind you.
nn W. The door behind you, please.
nn X. Behind you.
FAST FACTA sentence must have asubject and a verb. In acommand, the subjectis understood to be“you.” For example:(You) Answer thephone, please!
nn A. Let’s open the window, since the weather is so nice.
nn B. The window, since the weather is so nice.
8. nn C. How to play softball at summer camp.
nn D. Kelly learned how to play softball at summer camp.
nn E. Kelly how to play softball at summer camp.
nn F. To play softball.
9. nn G. Which movie would you like to see?
nn H. Which movie?
nn I. Like to see?
nn J. Which movie would like to see?
10. nn K. Mr. Finley a math teacher for fourteen years.
nn L. A math teacher for fourteen years.
nn M. For fourteen years, Mr. Finley.
nn N. Mr. Finley has been a math teacher for fourteen years.
11. nn O. Filled the sky just before noon.
nn P. Just before noon, dark clouds.
nn Q. Just before noon.
nn R. Just before noon, dark clouds filled the sky.
12. nn S. Natalie, who already knows French.
nn T. Natalie, who already knows French, plans to study Spanish next year.
nn U. Natalie to study Spanish next year.
nn V. To study Spanish next year.
Now solve the riddle! Each number below stands for one of the questions. Write the letter of the cor-rect answer above each number. You will spell out the answer to this riddle:
What do grizzlies do when they are having a bad day?
Be a Comma Cop!Look at each set of sentences. Fill in thecircle next to the sentence that uses commasproperly. When you are finished, use the lettersof your answers to solve the riddle at the end.
1. nn A. I’d like a hamburger, salad, and milk for supper.
nn B. I’d like a hamburger salad and milk for supper.
nn C. I’d like a hamburger salad and, milk for supper.
nn D. I’d like, a hamburger, salad, and milk for supper.
2. nn E. Louisa has a pair of red white and blue shorts.
nn F. Louisa has a pair, of red, white and blue shorts.
nn G. Louisa has a pair of red, white, and blue shorts.
nn H. Louisa has a pair of red white, and blue, shorts.
3. nn I. The shopkeeper said “Everything is on sale,”
nn J. The, shopkeeper said, “Everything is on sale.”
nn K. The shopkeeper said “Everything, is, on sale.”
nn L. The shopkeeper said, “Everything is on sale.”
4. nn M. I was born on May 23 1991.
nn N. I was, born on May 23, 1991.
nn O. I was born on May, 23, 1991.
nn P. I was born on May 23, 1991.
5. nn Q. My favorite cousins live in, Los Angeles California.
nn R. My favorite cousins, live, in Los Angeles, California.
nn S. My favorite cousins live in Los Angeles California.
nn T. My favorite cousins live in Los Angeles, California.
6. nn U. The cake smelled delicious, which made the children hungry.
nn V. The cake smelled delicious which made the children hungry.
nn W. The cake smelled delicious which made the children, hungry.
nn X. The cake smelled delicious which, made the children hungry.
FAST FACTCommas are used toseparate items in a list,to separate a quotationfrom the rest of thesentence, to separate acity from a state orcountry, to separate themonth and day from theyear, and to separateclauses in a sentence.
7. nn Y. Grown-ups, kids, and animals all enjoyed the good weather.
nn Z. Grown-ups, kids, and animals, all enjoyed the good weather.
nn A. Grown-ups kids and animals all enjoyed the good weather.
nn B. Grown-ups kids, and animals all enjoyed the good weather.
8. nn C. The next century will begin on January 1 2100.
nn D. The next century will begin on January 1, 2100.
nn E. The next century will, begin on January 1 2100.
nn F. The next century will begin on January, 1, 2100.
9. nn G. My chores are to make my bed clean my room and set the table for dinner.
nn H. My chores are to make my bed, clean my room and set the table for dinner.
nn I. My chores are to make my bed, clean my room, and set the table for dinner.
nn J. My chores are to, make my bed clean my room and, set the table for dinner.
10. nn K. Mr. Linnett, the principal of our school, is very funny.
nn L. Mr. Linnett the principal of our school is very funny.
nn M. Mr. Linnett the principal of, our school, is very funny.
nn N. Mr. Linnett, the principal of our school is, very funny.
11. nn O. Brett wanted to be here, today but he, has the flu.
nn P. Brett wanted to be here today, but he has the flu.
nn Q. Brett wanted to be here today, but, he, has the flu.
nn R. Brett wanted, to be here today but he has the flu.
12. nn S. Grandma grew up in Bismarck, North Dakota.
nn T. Grandma grew up in Bismarck North Dakota.
nn U. Grandma grew up in Bismarck North, Dakota.
nn V. Grandma grew up in, Bismarck North Dakota.
Now solve the riddle! Each number below stands for one of the questions. Write the letter of the cor-rect answer above each number. You will spell out the answer to this riddle:
Sentence EndersLook at each set of sentences. Fill in the circle next tothe sentence that is punctuated properly. When youare finished, use the letters of your answers to solvethe riddle at the end.
1. nn A. We stayed at the park for one hour,
nn B. We stayed at the park for one hour.
nn C. We stayed at the park for one hour?
nn D. We stayed at the park for one hour
2. nn E. Help! There’s a fire!
nn F. Help. There’s a fire.
nn G. Help. There’s a fire?
nn H. Help! There’s a fire
3. nn I. Do you know the capital of California.
nn J. Do you know the capital of California!
nn K. Do you know the capital of California?
nn L. Do you know the capital of California
4. nn M. Is Francine home sick today.
nn N. Is Francine home sick today!
nn O. Is Francine home sick today
nn P. Is Francine home sick today?
5. nn Q. My name is Colin?
nn R. My name is Colin.
nn S. My name is. Colin
nn T. My name is Colin!?
6. nn U. Marigolds need a lot? of sun.
nn V. Marigolds need a lot of sun
nn W. Marigolds need a lot of sun.
nn X. Marigolds need a lot of sun,
FAST FACTA statement ends in aperiod. (.) A questionends in a questionmark. (?) A strong com-mand or an exclamationends in an exclamationpoint. (!)
8. nn C. Wearing sunscreen protects your skin from dangerous rays
nn D. Wearing sunscreen protects your. skin from dangerous rays
nn E. Wearing sunscreen protects your skin from dangerous rays.
nn F. Wearing sunscreen protects your skin from dangerous rays?
9. nn G. What time will the next train depart?
nn H. What time will the next train depart
nn I. What time will the next train depart!
nn J. What time will the next train depart.
10. nn K. Zachary rides a green mountain bike
nn L. Zachary rides a green mountain bike.
nn M. Zachary rides a green mountain bike,?
nn N. Zachary rides a green mountain bike:
11. nn O. I just won a million dollars
nn P. I just won a million dollars,
nn Q. I just won a million dollars.?
nn R. I just won a million dollars!
12. nn S. Would you like to share a snack
nn T. Would you like to share a snack?
nn U. Would you like to share a snack!
nn V. Would you like to share a snack.
Now solve the riddle! Each number below stands for one of the questions. Write the letter of the cor-rect answer above each number. You will spell out the answer to this riddle:
Look at each set of sentences. Fill in the cir-cle next to the sentence that uses quotationmarks properly. When you are finished, usethe letters of your answers to solve the riddleat the end.
1. nn A. “Please open the letter, said Jeffrey.”
nn B. “Please open the letter, said Jeffrey.
nn C. “Please open the letter,” said Jeffrey.
nn D. Please open the letter, said Jeffrey.”
2. nn E. Our national anthem is The Star-Spangled Banner.
nn F. Our national anthem is “The Star-Spangled Banner.
nn G. Our national anthem is The Star-Spangled Banner.”
nn H. Our national anthem is “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
3. nn I. “I was on TV!” Lucy exclaimed.
nn J. “I was on TV! Lucy exclaimed.”
nn K. I was on TV! Lucy exclaimed.
nn L. “I was on TV! Lucy exclaimed.
4. nn M. The umpire shouted, “You’re out!
nn N. The umpire shouted, “You’re out!”
nn O. The umpire shouted, You’re out!
nn P. “The umpire shouted, You’re out!”
5. nn Q. Chapter 4 is called A New Beginning.
nn R. “Chapter 4” is called A New Beginning.
nn S. Chapter 4 is called A New Beginning.”
nn T. Chapter 4 is called “A New Beginning.”
6. nn U. “Will you join me for lunch? Gil asked.
nn V. Will you join me for lunch? Gil asked.
nn W. “Will you join me for lunch?” Gil asked.
nn X. “Will you join me for lunch? Gil asked.”
FAST FACTQuotation marks goaround a person’s exactwords. They also setapart the titles of songsand poems and thetitles of chapters inbooks. Quotation marksalways come in pairs.
7. nn Y. “Check the card catalog, the librarian suggested.
nn Z. Check the card catalog the librarian suggested.
nn A. “Check the card catalog,” the librarian suggested.
nn B. “Check the card catalog, the librarian suggested.”
8. nn C. Jody’s favorite saying is, Live and let live.”
nn D. Jody’s favorite saying is, Live and let live.
nn E. Jody’s favorite saying is, “Live and let live.”
nn F. “Jody’s favorite saying is, Live and let live.”
9. nn G. The poem is called, “The Hilltop.”
nn H. The poem is called The Hilltop.
nn I. The poem is called, The Hilltop.
nn J. The poem is called, The Hilltop.”
10 . nn K. The clerk asked may I help you find something?
nn L. The clerk asked, May I help you find something?
nn M. The clerk asked, “May I help you find something?”
nn N. The clerk asked, “May I help you find something?
11. nn O. I pledge allegiance to the flag, the class recited.
nn P. “I pledge allegiance to the flag,” the class recited.
nn Q. “I pledge allegiance to the flag, the class recited.
nn R. “I pledge allegiance to the flag, the class recited.”
12. nn S. Donald asked, “What time is it?” and Lora answered, Ten thirty.
nn T. Donald asked, What time is it? and Lora answered, Ten thirty.
nn U. Donald asked, “What time is it? and Lora answered, Ten thirty.”
nn V. Donald asked, “What time is it?” and Lora answered, “Ten thirty.”
Now solve the riddle! Each number below stands for one of the questions. Write the letter of the cor-rect answer above each number. You will spell out the answer to this riddle:
B S H E A C K G T R B AA C L O U D A F E E M SP H D G N B I D A S O GP O F O T N T A C T T ML 0 H A C H A F H A H EE L O B T E B M E U E GS L M G Q H L W R R R BT E E N A G E R T A P UO I A K L K Y R V N C ZR B I C Y C L E A T I RE M R B C S I N G E R SB A I R P O R T M J Z N
B P H D M A K H A S C IL A E C A U G H T A O LM I S B D G I C E L I NE N S N E S A O F O H VP T U T Z G V S L V S RI E B R E O I A H E I EY D J W O N U N M S R PB R O K E M S G S T B CR F S H A R E D B I H TL E R V I S I T S D E RC W A O Q J A O G E Y HX H R D E A B L E W O E
Find the Verb
A F M I G H T E B P A R ED O I H B M C L D I O E GC L Q W E R E R S J S U AS E O N E T A K H C D I DH A D T N P V B O S F W TD U T G Q O M N U U R H EA B N J W Y W A L I M A SV A I D C H A R D L Q S EC M K T F K S N L G C O SL R S X A M U H D I D N TP U A O S B V U N P Z B IM S I H A V E J E R A H IB W T O E D S V P T Y O F
Verbs Help Out
Good, Better, Best
A H S D Y B R O C U P EL M C M N E L O U D E RH B E O A K C G T N D IA D A L N R J M E A B SR T R F A S T E R C P AD A L O V H E K F O N ZE A I A E T Y I D L E HR I E O C L O S E S T BP S R T A L L E S T E DU B A Y R C O L D E S T
W E M Q N I A D J R T R E VP U A T E L E V I S I O N EE X N D O C T O R A F O P ON B E I M P H J A T D C G SN G K O T A T R L U N T S TS Q M I L E S P E R H O U RY H I F E S D Y B D P B R EL C S R A I R S E A O E H EV K T L B A D G T Y F R I TA S E A U N I P Q A Z U K LN E R N H O F J E S T M C EI C A L I F O R N I A E R BA X D A V E N U E M A B S CD J A N U A R Y R W Q B I B
For ShortNoun Substitutes
A O U R S M C L B H E D AI B H C N P S A H X I T DO M R E D T G F M E N H GE L Y A I K C O W B L E IJ Q H O S I R E Q J G M LH E D S H E V C A S R K OK U T E G W T N I T S E RR X S P R C H B E H L M UD F M I A F E M K E T S ZB H E R E Y I D F Y H I MP H M A L U R A Q S Z R MT R U J O T B R E C P E TN U F Y I G C M Y D A H Q
Contraction Action
A N E A R E H B M I SH F X I J O E A G D RK A U N L A C N V U AD Q D T E S F I T E QA H B N O T G E I T UC I N W Z E R A S L IO S E F V G U J G I PL I Y A T V E H A G WG N H M F S W I L L EP A E U C O N B D P DU M C H S K E A I R O