EED7: Teaching English in Elementary Grade

MODULE 3:
Basic Sentence Elements in English

OBJECTIVE:

After this lesson, students will be able to:

a. explain why correct sentence structure is important

b. identifies aspects of strong sentences

c. follows steps to improve sentence structure

DISCUSSION:
Independent clause: An independent clause can stand alone as a sentence. It contains a
subject and a verb and is a complete idea.
Dependent clause: A dependent clause is not a complete sentence. It must be attached to
an independent clause to become complete. This is also known as a subordinate clause
Sentence – A sentence is a set of words that contain 1) a subject (what the sentence is
about, the topic of the sentence) and 2) a predicate (what is said about the subject).
What is subject?
A subject is the person or thing that is doing an action or the person or thing that is
the focus of the sentence.
Complete subject includes all the words that tell whom or what the sentence is about.
Ex. The angry brown dog, barked all night – the complete subject is The angry brown dog
Simple subject of a sentence is the one or two main words in the subject.
Ex. The angry brown dog, barked all night. – the simple subject is the brown dog
What is predicate?
The predicate in the sentence is the part that contains the action.
Complete predicate is the verb that shows the action and also the modifying phrase that
completes the thought, basically everything in the sentence that isn't the subject.
Ex. The angry brown dog, barked all night. – the complete predicate is barked all night
Simple predicate is the word or words that shows the action or being in the sentence.
Ex. The angry brown dog, barked all night. – the simple predicate is barked

Compound Sentence
A compound sentence is made by joining two independent clauses together with a
conjunction.
The coordinating conjunction are:
 EED7: Teaching English in Elementary Grade

Conjunction Meaning Examples

for because o since - I have to find a new job, for I am unemployed
and in addition to - She didn’t speak to anyone, and nobody spoke to her
nor and not - Neither my parents, nor my friends supported me
but however - They rushed to the hospital, but they were too late.
or either - Does Nadine have any brothers or sisters?
yet but - He says nice words yet you don’t trust him.
so therefore - My cousin is very smart, so everybody likes her.

ACTIVITY:
Create your own creative activity sheet for the basic sentence and attach the key answer in a
separate paper. (Choose your target grade) The items must consist of easy to complex.
sample format:
 EED7: Teaching English in Elementary Grade

MODULE 4
THE EIGHT PARTS OF SPEECH

OBJECTIVE:

At the end of this lesson, the students are expected to:

a. state the definition of nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs
b. recognizes and distinguish nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs from each other.
c. able to use nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs correctly in sentences

DISCUSSION:

Definition of terms:

There are eight parts of speech in the English language:

noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection. 

The part of speech indicates how the word functions in meaning as well as grammatically
within the sentence. An individual word can function as more than one part of speech when
used in different circumstances. Understanding parts of speech is essential for determining
the correct definition of a word when using the dictionary.

1. NOUN

 A noun is the name of a person, place, thing, or idea.

man...  Butte College...  house...  happiness

A noun is a word for a person, place, thing, or idea. Nouns are often used with an article
(the, a, an), but not always. Proper nouns always start with a capital letter; common nouns
do not. Nouns can be singular or plural, concrete or abstract. Nouns show possession by
adding 's. Nouns can function in different roles within a sentence; for example, a noun can
be a subject, direct object, indirect object, subject complement, or object of a preposition.

The young  girl  brought me a very long  letter  from the  teacher, and then she quickly
disappeared. Oh my!

Every noun is either abstract or concrete.

Nouns like enthusiasm, willingness and angst are abstract nouns. Abstract nouns name things

we cannot see, touch, or detect readily through our senses. Abstract nouns name ideas
(existentialism, democracy), measurements (weight, percent), emotions (love, angst), or
qualities (responsibility). Concrete nouns, on the other hand, name persons, including
animals (cousins, Roger Rabbit), places (beach, Chico), or things we can see, touch, or
otherwise detect through our senses (smoke, beer).
 EED7: Teaching English in Elementary Grade

Every noun is either proper or common.

A proper noun identifies a particular person, animal, place, thing, or idea--Roger Rabbit, for
example. The first letter of each word of a proper noun is capitalized. A common noun does
not name a particular person or thing; rather, it refers to a whole class or type. Common
nouns do not require capitalization.
common
Proper noun (capitalized)
noun
Sierra Nevada Crystal Wheat is his favorite beer.
The Rooks and the Rangers are our local soccer and baseball   teams.
Bidwell Park is one of the largest municipal parks.
Lundberg Family Farm is a sustainable, organic farm

2. PRONOUN

 A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun.

She...  we...  they...  it

A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun. A pronoun is usually substituted for a specific
noun, which is called its antecedent. In the sentence above, the antecedent for the
pronoun she is the girl. Pronouns are further defined by type: personal pronouns refer to
specific persons or things; possessive pronouns indicate ownership; reflexive pronouns are
used to emphasize another noun or pronoun; relative pronouns introduce a subordinate
clause; and demonstrative pronouns identify, point to, or refer to nouns.

The young girl brought  me  a very long letter from the teacher, and then  she  quickly
disappeared. Oh my!

There are six types of pronouns:

1. Personal 3. Possessive 5. Relative

2. Indefinite 4. Reflexive 6. Demoatrative

1. Personal Pronouns

Since nouns refer to specific persons, places, or things, personal pronouns also refer to

specific persons, places, or things. Pronouns have characteristics called number, person,
and case

First person Second person Third person

Subjective Objective Subjective Objective Subjective Objective
he, she, it, him, her, it,
I, we me, us you you
they them
 

2. Indefinite pronouns, singular

 EED7: Teaching English in Elementary Grade

While personal pronouns refer to specific persons, places, or things, indefinite pronouns

refer to general persons, places, or things. Indefinite pronouns all are third-person pronouns
and can be subjects or objects in sentences

anyone Anybody anything Either each

no one Nobody nothing Another one
someone Somebody something any
everyone Everybody everything
 

On the other hand, some indefinite pronouns are plural:

Indefinite pronouns, plural
both few many several

Possessive pronouns never take apostrophes.

Possessive pronouns
my our your his, her its their whose
mine ours yours his, hers theirs

Reflexive pronouns

Reflexive pronouns add emphasis. They always follow a noun or personal pronoun and do
not appear alone in a sentence: "Jamie herself changed the tire." "She herself changed the
tire." The meaning is that she, and no one else, changed the tire, and the emphasis is on the
independence of her action. Reflexive pronouns also show that someone did something to
himself or herself: "She surprised herself with how well she did on the test."
Reflexive pronouns
yourself himself, herself, itself
myself ourselves
yourselves themselves

Demonstrative pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns indicate specific persons, places, or things: "That is a great idea!"
That is a pronoun referring to the abstract noun idea.
Demonstrative pronouns
this these
that those
(Like some indefinite pronouns, demonstrative pronouns can also be used as adjectives. In
"That band started out playing local Chico clubs," that modifies the noun band.)

3. VERB
 EED7: Teaching English in Elementary Grade

 A verb expresses action or being.

jump...  is...  write...  become

The verb in a sentence expresses action or being. There is a main verb and sometimes one or
more helping verbs. ("She can sing." Sing is the main verb; can is the helping verb.) A verb
must agree with its subject in number (both are singular or both are plural). Verbs also take
different forms to express tense.

The young girl  brought  me a very long letter from the teacher, and then she
quickly  disappeared. Oh my!

4. ADJECTIVE

 An adjective modifies or describes a noun or pronoun.

pretty...  old...  blue...  smart

An adjective is a word used to modify or describe a noun or a pronoun. It usually answers

the question of which one, what kind, or how many. (Articles [a, an, the] are usually
classified as adjectives.)

The  young  girl brought me a very  long  letter from the teacher, and then she quickly
disappeared. Oh my!

5. ADVERB

 An adverb modifies or describes a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.

gently...  extremely...  carefully...  well

An adverb describes or modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb, but never a noun.  It
usually answers the questions of when, where, how, why, under what conditions, or to what
degree. Adverbs often end in -ly.

The young girl brought me a  very  long letter from the teacher,
and  then  she  quickly  disappeared. Oh my!

In the examples below, the adverb is in bold and the modified word is underlined.

1. An adverb can modify a verb.

The girls  ran  quickly  but  happily  through the puddle. (The

adverbs quickly and happily modify the verb ran by telling how.)

Go  to the administration office  first, and  then  come  to class. (The adverb first modifies the
verb go, and the adverb then modifies the verb come. Both modify the verbs by telling
when.)

They are  moving  her office  upstairs. (The adverb upstairs modifies the verb moving by telling
where.)
 EED7: Teaching English in Elementary Grade

 2. An adverb can modify an adjective. The adverb usually clarifies the degree or intensity
of the adjective.

Maria was  almost  finished  when they brought her an  exceptionally  delicious  dessert. (The
adverb almost modifies the adjective finished and exceptionally modifies delicious by
describing the degree or intensity of the adjectives.)

He was  very  happy  about being  so  good  at such an  extremely  challenging  sport. (The
adverb very modifies the adjective happy, so modifies good,
and extremely modifies challenging by describing the degree or intensity of the adjectives.)

Students are  often  entertained  and  sometimes  confused, but  never  bored  in that class. (The
adverb often modifies the adjective entertained, sometimes modifies confused,
and never modifies bored by describing the degree or intensity of the adjectives.)

3. An adverb can modify another adverb. The modifying adverb usually clarifies the degree
or intensity of the adverb.

Eating her lunch  somewhat  cautiously,  Carolyn tried to ignore the commotion. (The
adverb somewhat modifies the adverb cautiously by telling to what degree.)

Stan can discuss the English language  very  thoroughly. (The adverb very modifies the
adverb thoroughly by telling to what degree.)

Even in the other room, Vickilee was  never  completely  unaware of the crying kittens. (The
adverb never modifies the adverb completely by telling to what degree.)

6. PREPOSITION

 A preposition is a word placed before a noun or pronoun to form a phrase

modifying another word in the sentence.
by...  with.... about...  until

(by the tree, with our friends, about the book, until tomorrow)

A preposition is a word placed before a noun or pronoun to form a phrase modifying

another word in the sentence. Therefore a preposition is always part of a prepositional
phrase. The prepositional phrase almost always functions as an adjective or as an
adverb. The following list includes the most common prepositions:

The young girl brought me a very long letter  from the teacher, and then she quickly
disappeared. Oh my!

A complete list of prepositions would be huge. You do not need to know all of them, but
become familiar with at least some common prepositions:

about below inside throughout

above beneath into to
across beside like toward
After between near under
against  beyond  of  underneath 
 EED7: Teaching English in Elementary Grade

along  by  off  unlike 

among  down  on  until 
around  during  out  up 
as  except  outside  upon 
at  for  over  with 
before  from  past  within 
behind  in  through without 

7. CONJUNCTION

 A conjunction joins words, phrases, or clauses.

and...  but...  or...  while...  because

A conjunction joins words, phrases, or clauses, and indicates the relationship between the
elements joined. Coordinating conjunctions connect grammatically equal elements: and, but,
or, nor, for, so, yet. Subordinating conjunctions connect clauses that are not equal: because,
although, while, since, etc. There are other types of conjunctions as well.

The young girl brought me a very long letter from the teacher,  and  then she quickly
disappeared.  Oh my!

1. Use a coordinating conjunction to connect elements (words, phrases, or clauses) of equal

grammatical value.

 There are seven coordinating conjunctions in English:

and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet

 (Note: These are often remembered with the acronym FANBOYS.) 

  Coordinating conjunctions link equal elements.

Swimming  and  reading are my two favorite summer activities. (Swimming and reading are
both

subjects in the sentence.)

Please place the papers on top of the desk  or  in the drawer.  (On top of the desk and in the
drawer are both prepositional phrases.)

She wanted to drive the car, but she had never received her license. (She wanted to drive the
car and she had never received her license are both independent clauses.)

2. Use correlative conjunctions in pairs to connect words, phrases, or clauses of equal

grammatical value. Correct use of these conjunctions is critical in achieving parallelism in
sentence structure (see TIP Sheet on "Achieving Parallelism").

  Correlative conjunctions always come in pairs:

as...as 
both...and
not only...but also
either...or
neither...nor 
whether...or 
 EED7: Teaching English in Elementary Grade

 Make sure that the grammatical structure following the second half of the pair is the
same as that following the first half.

You must decide  either  to fly  or  to drive. (The elements to fly and to drive are both
infinitives.) 

Contrary to my plans, I spent much of my vacation  both  correcting papers  and  contacting
students. (The elements correcting papers and contacting students are both participial
phrases.)

I hope  not only  that you will attend the play,  but also  that you will stay for the cast party
afterwards. (The elements that you will attend the play  and that you will stay for the cast
party afterwards are both subordinate clauses.)

3. Use a subordinating conjunction to connect a subordinate (dependent) clause to an

independent clause.

 Common subordinating conjunctions include the following:

after  even though  than  whenever

although if that  where
as  in order that though whereas
as if rather than unless wherever
because since until whether
Before so that when while
(Note: Some of the words listed can serve as different parts of speech, depending on how
they are used.)

 A subordinating conjunction indicates that the dependent clause is not complete

without an attached independent clause.
If you finish your homework, you will be prepared for the test. (If you finish your homework by
itself is an incomplete thought.)

I lose myself in the music  whenever  I practice the piano. (Whenever I practice the piano by
itself is an incomplete thought.)

4. Conjunctive adverbs (sometimes called adverbial conjunctions) are used to indicate a

relationship between sentences and independent clauses.

 Common conjunctive adverbs include the following:

however        therefore      moreover      nevertheless

 When a conjunctive adverb appears at the beginning or in the middle of an

independent clause, it is usually set off by commas. When a conjunctive adverb
introduces a second clause within a sentence, a semicolon precedes it and a comma
follows it.
Carrot cake is very tasty.  Moreover,  the carrots make it a "healthy" choice for dessert.

I realize you were busy.  It is unfortunate, however,  that you missed that phone call.

The hurricane has lessened in intensity; nevertheless,  we are evacuating in an hour.

 EED7: Teaching English in Elementary Grade

8. INTERJECTION

 An interjection is a word used to express emotion.

Oh!...  Wow!...  Oops!

An interjection is a word used to express emotion. It is often followed by an exclamation

point.

The young girl brought me a very long letter from the teacher, and then she quickly
disappeared.  Oh my!

 Interjections usually stand alone and are often punctuated with an exclamation
point. 
Oh!          Wow!          My goodness!

 Sometimes mild interjections are included within a sentence and are then set off by
commas.
Well, it's about time you showed up.

  ACTIVITY:
Create your own creative activity sheet for every part of speech and attach the key answer
in a separate paper. (Choose your target grade) The items must consist of easy to complex.
Every activity should have 15 items.
(Be ready for the online quiz.)