MODULE

in

Marites B. Miran
English Teacher
Role of Grammar in Improving Student's Writing

Grammar is the sound, structure, and meaning system of language. All languages have grammar,
and each language has its own grammar. People who speak the same language are able to communicate
because they intuitively know the grammar system of that language—that is, the rules of making
meaning. Students who are native speakers of English already know English grammar. They recognize
the sounds of English words, the meanings of those words, and the different ways of putting words
together to make meaningful sentences.

However, while students may be effective speakers of English, they need guidance to become
effective writers. They need to learn how to transfer their knowledge of grammatical concepts from oral
language to written language.

Effective grammar instruction begins with what students already know about grammar, and it
helps them use this knowledge as they write. By connecting their knowledge of oral language to written
language, teachers can demystify abstract grammatical terminology so that students can write—and read
—with greater competence and confidence.

MODULE WORDS IN CONTEXT

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 Vocabulary Development
This module covers learning words from context (in how they were used in a sentence); making
correct definitions; learning synonyms, antonyms and homonyms; interpreting the different types of
context.
This learning module also contains exercises to help you improve your communication and
reading skills.

No matter what course or program you are taking, you will have new vocabulary and terminology
to learn. While many people turn quickly to their dictionaries for the meanings of new words, this is not
always a necessary strategy. Instead, it can be more meaningful to try to reason out the meaning of the
word, based on what we already know about it.

When authors write, they often give context clues to readers to suggest the meanings of new or
difficult words. Context clues usually give you a sense of a word’s meaning, so you can continue reading
without referring to a dictionary.

Objectives:
As you finish the module, you should able to:
1. familiarize yourself with the different methods of vocabulary
2. realize the advantage of acquiring wide vocabulary
3. develop the skills in effective vocabulary development
4. increase your vocabulary and learn to use it effectively.

LESSON 1: VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT

1) Definition or Restatements
2) Example-Illustration
3) Synonym
4) Comparison
5) Contrast/Antonym
6) Inference/Experience
7) Punctuation Marks
8) Tone or mood
9) Logic
10) Root Words and Affixes
11) Grammar

1) Definition or Restatements
 The author directly defines the new word within the sentence. This strategy is commonly
used in textbook material.

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  e.g. “When people contravene – break or violate – a law in Canada, they can expect to
face legal consequences.”

 Explanation: “Break or violate” is the definition of the word “contravene”.

2) Example-Illustration:

 The use of example or explanation to clarify or explain an unknown word.

 Example: Raptors such as eagles, vultures, falcons, buzzards are predators that kill or
food.

3) Synonym:

 The meaning of the unknown word becomes obvious through the use of a word that
means the same, or almost the same, either in all of its uses or in a specific context.

 e.g. “Following his death by accidental drug overdose, actor Heath Ledger posthumously
received an Oscar for best supporting actor for his portrayal of The Joker in The Dark
Knight.”

 Explanation: “Following his death” has a similar meaning to the word “posthumously.”

4) Comparison:

 The unknown word is paired with a known word and examined to take note of the
similarities and differences.

 Example: My sister-in-law is loquacious; her daughter is just as talkative as she is.

5) Contrast/Antonym:

 The author uses a word or phrase with an opposite meaning to suggest the meaning of the
new word.

 e.g. “I really don’t appreciate your duplicity. I expect you to give me an honest response
from now on.”

 Explanation: “Honest response” has the opposite meaning of “duplicity” since the

speaker expects a different behavior from the other person from that point on.

6) Inference/Experience:

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  The reader’s personal experience, real or vicarious clarifies the meaning of the unknown
word.

 Example: The incessant rain for seven days produced a deluge that we began to fear
for our lives

7) Punctuation marks:

 The meaning of the word is explained immediately enclosed between brackets, commas,
dashes, and parentheses.

 Quotation marks indicate that the word has a special meaning; italics indicate that the
word will be defined.

 Example:“Rendezvous”, a prearranged meeting as to time and location, is often

associated with romance.
– Gerontology, (a scientific study of aging and its effect) is a specialization of geriatricians

8) Tone or mood:

 The feelings expressed by the sentence gives a clue as to the meaning of the unknown
word.

 Example: Rowan Atkinson as Mr. Bean is simply hilarious. His facial expressions
make the viewer laugh; his actions are sidesplitting; his adventures are so comical
you can’t stop laughing.

9). Logic:

 Readers think about the rest of the sentence to understand the unknown word.

 Example:–Rosie is afraid of a lot of things: heights, lightning and thunder, germs,

closed spaces, even flowers. These phobias of hers prevent her from living a full life.

10). Root Words and Affixes:

 Readers use their knowledge ofroot words and affixes to figure out the unknown word.

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  Example: Aerobic bacteria need oxygen in order to live. The anaerobic organism
thrives best in its absence.

11). Grammar:

 The word’s function in the sentence or its part of speech is used to figure out the
unknown word.

Example: The shards of the broken pitcher are scattered all over the stairs.

REMEMBER:

Context clues will not always give you the exact and/or complete and clear meanings
as the dictionary would, but they will lead you to the proper meaning of the word. The
context of a word includes phrares, sentences or a larger passage in which the word is used.
Even the tone of the sentence may suggest the meaning of words. It maybe hinted by
antonyms, synonyms and sometimes by the definitions and identifications.

By learning to use clues, you will bw able to read faster without bothering yourself
to look up in the dictionary every unknown word you come across in the exercise that
follows.

ACTIVITY 1. CONTEXT CLUES

Directions: The following sentences each contain a nonsense word. Use the context clues in each
sentence to determine the meaning of these words.

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1. The hurricane laxsled a large section of the Florida coast. It will cost millions of dollars to
repair the destruction.
(Definition: destroyed.)

__________________________________________________________________

2. Beware of politicians who claim to be flomsy public servants. They are usually very
untrustworthy. (Definition: honest, trustworthy.)

__________________________________________________________________

3. At first, Mrs. Smith’s heart condition seemed to be improving, but now there are disturbing
signs of momsley.
(Definition: deterioration, worsening.)

__________________________________________________________________

4. Stongy pets, like Bengal tigers, spider monkeys, and boa constrictors, should only be
purchased through reputable pet stores.
(Definition: exotic.)

__________________________________________________________________

5. The principal liked to smoogle students by walking through the halls with a baseball bat and
shouting through a bullhorn.
(Definition: intimidate, threaten.)

__________________________________________________________________

6. The first inventors of flying machines often met with bloxy, rather than the admiration they
deserved.
(Definition: ridicule.)

__________________________________________________________________

7. The crowd of protestors clarkled quickly when the police arrived with tear gas and billy clubs.
(Definition: dispersed, left.)

__________________________________________________________________

8. Paula was suspended from school because of several locksles of the rules, including smoking
in the bathroom and dressing improperly.
(Definition: violations.)

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__________________________________________________________________

9. I was mombleed to learn that most chickens raised for food are put into such small cages that
the birds are unable to spread their wings or move around.
(Definition: horrified, disgusted.)

__________________________________________________________________

10. Just as water turls riverbeds, constant criticism wears away self-confidence.
(Definition: erode, wears away.)

__________________________________________________________________

11. Janice often asks dupey questions, such as “How did you get to be so fat?” In contrast, her
sister, Samantha, is always polite.
(Definition: insensitive, rude.)

__________________________________________________________________

12. Paramedics worked feverishly trying to woret the woman overcome by carbon monoxide
fumes.
(Definition: revive.)

__________________________________________________________________

13. The night watchman thought he wimsled a slight movement in a dark corner of the
warehouse.
(Definition: detected, sensed.)

__________________________________________________________________

14. The tumor was mishmel, not life-threatening, but the doctors operated to relieve the pressure
on the spine.
(Definition: benign, not deadly.)

__________________________________________________________________

15. In a schomstof tone, the police officer asked the grieving family, “Is there anything I can do
to help?”
(Definition: compassionate, caring.)
__________________________________________________________________

EXERCISE 1. Synonyms

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 A. From the word in parenthesis, choose and encircle the word that means the same
as the underlined word in a sentence.

1. I could hear stealthy footsteps. (loud, warning, sly, slow)

2. The social telegram is an enigma to me. (riddle, shock, surprise, relief)

3. He comes from a wealthy family. (happy, affluent, worthy)
4. She refused my help obstinately. (slowly, hesitantly, stubbornly, firmly)
5. She misconstrued my words. (misinterpreted, repeated, forgot)

B. Choose the best synonym for the following words.

1) cogent
A. tentative B. forced C. convincing
D. truculent E. brusque
2) ponderous
A. contemplative B. compact C. unwieldy
D. dreamy E. abstract

3) tenuous
A. salubrious B. lengthy C. delicate
D. significant E. ponderous

4) contrite
A. stolid B. disheartened C. fascist
D. apologetic E. defeated

5) juvenile
A. apathetic B. immature C. fawning
D. painful E. nascen

EXERCISE 2. Homonyms, Homograps, and Homophones

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Homonyms:

Words which have the same spelling and same pronunciation, but different meanings.

Directions: Choose (a) or (b)

Example: I hope you are not lying _(a)_ to me. (a) telling a lie
My books are lying _(b)_ on the table. (b) being in a horizontal position

1. The kids are going to watch ____ TV tonight. (a) small clock worn on the wrist
What time is it? I have to set my watch____. (b) look at

2. Which page____ is the homework on? (a) one sheet of paper

Please page ____ the doctor if you need help. (b) to call someone on an electronic pager

3. Let’s play ____ soccer after school. (a) participate in a sport

The author wrote a new play ____. (b) theater piece

4. Ouch! The mosquito bit ____ me! (a) a tiny amount

I’ll have a little bit____ of sugar in my tea. (b) past tense of bite

5. My rabbits are in a pen ____ outside. (a) a writing instrument which uses ink
Please sign this form with a black pen____. (b) an enclosed area

Homographs:
Words which have the same spelling, but different pronunciations and meanings.

Directions: Choose (a) or (b)

Example: The wind ____ is blowing hard. (a) moving air (rhymes with pinned)
I have to wind ____ my clock. (b) turn the stem (rhymes with find)

1. The singer made a low bow ____ _b_ to the audience. (a) decorative ribbon (rhymes with so)
Maria placed a red bow ____ on the birthday gift. (b) bend at the waist (rhymes with how)

2. All the students are present____ today. (a) here (rhymes with pleasant)

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 The boss will present ____ the award at 10:00. (b) give (rhymes with resent)

3. Please close ____ the door. (a) near (rhymes with dose)
The boy sat close ____ to his uncle. (b) shut (rhymes with toes)

4. The rope was wound ____ around his ankles. (a) tied around (rhymes with pound)
The soldier received a wound ____ in the battle. (b) an injury (rhymes with moon)

5. I don’t know if I will live ____ _a_ or die. (a) to have life (rhymes with give)
Last night I saw the band play live ____ in concert. (b) in real time performance (rhymes with
hive)

Homophones:

Words which have the same pronunciation, but different spelling and different meanings.

Directions: Choose and underlined the appropriate word in the sentence.

Example: Please try not to (waste, waist) paper.

1. Can I go to the party (to, too, two)?

2. This is my favorite (pare, pair, pear) of jeans.
3. I (sent, scent, cent) a letter to my aunt in Vietnam.
4. The children got (bored, board) during the lecture.
5. Mr. and Mrs. Rodriguez like to work in (there, they’re, their) garden.
6. Alec is going to (wear, ware) his work boots today.
7. Do you think it is going to (rein, rain, reign) this afternoon?
8. I saw a restaurant just off the (rode, road) about a mile back.
9. David’s brother is in a (band, banned) which plays Russian music.
10. Juana wants her socks because her (tows, toes) are cold.

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EXERCISE 3. Prefixes, Rootwords, Suffixes

Test your knowledge of prefixes, root words and suffixes from foreign languages. Write
the English meaning of each given prefix, root word and suffix.

Prefix are beginning syllables; rootwords are name words; and suffixes are ending
syllables.

Prefixes
1. bi __________________________
2. sub __________________________
3. de __________________________
4. anti __________________________
5. dis __________________________

Rootwords
1. press __________________________
2. duct __________________________
3. pen __________________________
4. port __________________________
5. vert __________________________

Suffixes
1. or __________________________
2. ites __________________________
3. tion __________________________
4. fy __________________________
5. al __________________________

FIGURING OUT WORD MEANING FROM CONTEXT

Getting the meaning of words from the dictionary is only one way of knowing the

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meaning of words. Be an expert observer. Figure out the meaning of a word by analyzing the
way it is used in the sentence. This process is learning the meaning of words by context.

EXERCISE 4: Meaning of words from Context

Read each sentence carefully. Figure out the meaning of the underlined word
from the four choices given. Encircle your answer.

1. The people in the squatters’ are stared enviously the opulent visitor dressed in expensive silk
and wearing golden necklace and ring
a. beautiful c. slender
b. wealthy d. stout

2. The invention of the printing press, heralded a new dawn to communication.

a. publicize c. investigate
b. introduce d. demand

3. This is to reiterate my stand on the subject which I have told you before.
a. prove c. repeat
b. explain d. ask

4. The gregarious athlete is always with the rest of the team because he enjoys their company.
a. mature c. intelligent
b. happy d. sociable

5. The attacks of the pirates were sporadic, not well organized or even planned
a. frequent c. scattered
b. unrepeated d. strong

ASSIGNMENT: Make a sentences using those Vocabulary development. (2 sentences

each). Write your answer on the space provided.

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