study guide basic english

Study Guide

Basic Englishby

Geraldine A. Coolbaugh

About the AuthorGeraldine A. Coolbaugh has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English-Secondary Educationfrom Marywood University in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and a Master of Science in EnglishEducation from the University of Scranton. A working wife and mother, she earned hermaster’s degree while holding down two jobs and while two of her three children werestill living at home. During Gerri’s ten years of teaching experience, she has worked inregular and special education settings with young people in grades five through twelve.

Copyright © 1998 by Harcourt Learning Direct Publications, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of the material protected by this copyright may be repro-duced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, includingphotocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, withoutpermission in writing from the copyright owner.

Requests for permission to make copies of any part of the work should be mailed toCopyright Permissions, Harcourt Learning Direct, Inc., 43 Thorndike Street, BulfinchSquare, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02141.

Printed in the United States of America

Reprinted 2001

All terms mentioned in this text that are known to be trademarks or service marks havebeen appropriately capitalized. Use of a term in this text should not be regarded as af-fecting the validity of any trademark or service mark.

Instructions to Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Lesson Assignments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Lesson 1: Capitalization and Punctuation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Examination—Lesson 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Lesson 2: Clear Sentences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15


Lesson 3: Nouns, Pronouns, and Adjectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25


Lesson 4: Verbs and Adverbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33


Lesson 5: Spelling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43


Optional Lesson Exercises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Self-Test Answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Optional Lesson Exercises Answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

iii

Contents

Your Course The world today is a complex place. To be successful, people need tolearn new skills and expand their current skills. The ability to commu-nicate clearly and correctly, both in speech and in writing, remains animportant skill. As you complete this study guide, you’ll refresh andbroaden your understanding of English.

No matter what career you plan to pursue, you must be able to com-municate with your coworkers, your boss, customers and clients, andsubordinates. If you can communicate clearly and effectively, usingproper grammar, your chances of success increase greatly.

That’s where your course in Basic English comes in. As you study andpractice the grammatical rules of the English language, you shouldbecome a better communicator. As you proceed through the course, youshould gain confidence in your abilities by completing your assignmentsand observing your progress.

Objectives When you complete this course, you’ll be able to

� Capitalize words correctly

� Use punctuation marks correctly

� Write complete sentences

� Use verbs that agree with the subject of a sentence

� Identify and properly use nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, andadverbs

� Recognize spelling errors

� Use a dictionary for correct spelling

n Form plurals

1

Instructions to Students

Know YourTextbook

The core of this Basic English program is your textbook, Writing. Tosuccessfully complete this course, you must be familiar with this text.Before you begin to work through your course, take some time to pagethrough your textbook and become familiar with its style and ar-rangement.

CourseMaterials

This Basic English course includes the following materials:

1. Your textbook, Writing, which contains the assigned readings,

explanations, and exercises

2. This study guide, which includes an introduction to your course, plus

n A lesson assignment page, which lists the schedule of the studyassignments in your textbook

n Additional instruction material that goes with each assignment

n Suggestions on what to watch for as you read the required mate-rial

n Self-tests and answers, which allow you to measure your under-stand-ing of the program material

n An exam for each of the five lessons, which you complete as youprogress through the course

A Study Plan This study guide is a blueprint of your course. You must read it care-fully. The study guide tells you what your assignments are for each lessonand provides the best approach to building your knowledge base.Here’s a good plan to follow:

2 Basic English

Although your textbook contains your study material and exercises, thestudy guide you’re now reading is the real blueprint for your course.You should rely on this guide to direct you through the course.

Read this study guide page by page. When it directs you to stop and dosome work in the textbook, do that. When you finish that part of yourstudy, come back to this study guide to find out what to do next. Usingthis method will help you get the most from your course. Note that you’renot required to do all the exercises in the textbook. Following this studyguide will keep you on track of what you must do for each assignment.

1. Note carefully the page where the assignment begins and the page

where it ends. These pages are indicated at the end of each assignment

introduction in this study guide.

2. Read the introduction to the assignment in the study guide.

3. Read the assignment in the textbook to get a general idea of its content.

Then study the assignment, paying attention to all details, especially

definitions.

4. As you read through your textbook, complete each exercise as you come

to it. Then check your answers with those at the back of the textbook

(beginning on page 155). Do not send these answers to the school.

Answering these questions is meant to serve as a review of the material

you’ve studied in the chapter.

5. After you’ve completed the assigned reading and exercises for one as-

signment, complete the self-test in this study guide. Compare your answers

with those given at the back of the guide. In your own interest, test your-

self honestly. Do not look up the given answer before you write your

own answer. There’s no reason to be embarrassed if you make a mis-

take. The self-tests are designed to reveal your weak points so that you

can overcome them.

6. After you’ve completed the readings, exercises, and self-tests for Lesson 1,

review the material before you prepare the examination for that lesson.

Submit only your answers to the school for grading, using one of the exami-

nation answer options provided to you. Send your answers as soon as

you complete the examination. Do not wait until another examination is

ready.

7. Follow the same procedure until you’ve completed all five lessons.

8. At any point in your studies, you can ask your instructor for further

information or clarification of your study materials. Mail or phone your

question to your instructor, who will see to it that you receive the

needed information. Your instructor’s guidance and suggestions should

be very helpful to you as you progress through your course.

Now review the lesson assignments in this study guide; then beginyour study of Basic English with Lesson 1 in the study guide.

Good luck with your course!

Instructions to Students 3

NOTES

4 Basic English

For: Read in the Read instudy guide: the text:

Assignment 1 Pages 7–8 Pages 25–29, 31–39

Assignment 2 Page 9 Pages 43–54


Assignment 3 Pages 16–17 Pages 61–66


5

Lesson Assignments

Lesson 1: Capitalization and Punctuation

Examination 00781900 Material in Lesson 1

Lesson 2: Clear Sentences



Assignment 5 Pages 25–27 Pages 81–88, 90–92

Assignment 6 Page 27–28 Pages 93–96



Assignment 8 Page 36 Pages 116–118




6 Basic English

Lesson 3: Nouns, Pronouns, and Adjectives


Lesson 4: Verbs and Adverbs


Lesson 5: Spelling


Capitalization and Punctuation

Objectives When you complete Lesson 1, you’ll be able to

n Capitalize words and sentences correctly

n Use proper and effective punctuation

Introduction Lesson 1 contains two assignments. Assignment 1 covers capitaliza-tion. In the English language, certain words begin with a capital letterall the time; others are capitalized only at certain times depending onhow they’re used. When you study capitalization, you’ll learn whichwords in a sentence should be capitalized and why.

In Assignment 2 you’ll work with punctuation. Punctuationmarks—such as the period, question mark, comma, and colon—helpmake the meaning of written material clear. You’ll discover that cor-rect punctuation helps your thoughts and words to be clear and accu-rate when you write them. You’ll learn the proper use for periods,exclamation points, question marks, commas, colons, semicolons,apostrophes, and quotation marks.

Now, begin Assignment 1 in this study guide.

Assignment 1 Proper capitalization is very important. It works like a flag to point thereader’s attention to new information, or to specific people, places, orthings. For example, a capital letter at the beginning of every sentencetells the reader that new information is being given. It’s a signal thereader can see. In addition, capitalization draws attention to the names ofspecific people, places, or things as worthy of special recognition.

7

Lesson 1

in your textbook provides three rules that tell you whatwords should begin with a capital letter. As you complete the exer-cises in your textbook, pay attention to the examples to help you learnthese rules of capitalization.

You should always use correct capitalization in your writing. Unfortu-nately, the people who read what you write probably won’t even no-tice when you use correct capitalization. But they will notice if youcapitalize words incorrectly. For example, suppose you have to writea short paragraph on a job application. If it contains many errors incapitalization, the people who read it may feel you’re not qualified todo the job.

In addition to giving a good impression, proper capitalization alsomakes your writing clearer and easier to understand because it drawsattention to the important parts of the memo, note, report, or otherpiece of writing.

Now read pages 25–29 and 31–39 in your textbook, Writing. Completethe exercises as you go along. As you complete each exercise, checkyour answers with those at the back of the textbook. When youcomplete the assigned pages, come back to this study guide andtake Self-Test 1.

8 Basic English

Self-Test 1At the end of each assignment in your study guide, you’ll be asked to pause and check your un-derstanding of what you’ve just read by completing a “Self-Test.” Writing the answers to thesequestions will help you to review what you’ve studied so far. Please complete Self-Test 1 now.

Answer the following questions.

1. Why should you capitalize Pocono Mountains but not the words mountain peaks?

___________________________________________________________________________

2. Capitalize the title the catcher in the rye. Explain why you capitalized the words you did.

___________________________________________________________________________

3. How should you capitalize the two-letter abbreviations of states in the United States?

___________________________________________________________________________

Check your answers with those on page 53.

Assignment 2 Road signs give important directions and information to drivers.Punctuation marks give the same kind of information to readers. Forexample, a stop sign tells you that you must stop your car. Periods,question marks, and exclamation points are like stop signs. They tell youthat a sentence is complete and you should stop briefly before you go onreading. Commas are like yield signs, which cause you to slow downyour reading for just a moment. The other marks of punctuation alsoconvey important information for you, the reader. A colon shows that alist is to follow. A semicolon tells you that two items are related and canbe combined. Apostrophes have two jobs: they signal ownership and markthe place of missing letters in contractions. Quotation marks show theexact words of a speaker.

When you use all these punctuation marks properly in your writing, yourreader is able to clearly understand your words. Punctuation is likecapitalization. If you do it correctly, your readers will just take it forgranted. However, if your punctuation is incorrect, your readers willjudge you by these errors.

Now read pages 43–54 in your textbook, Writing. Complete the exercisesas you go along. As you complete each exercise, check your answers withthose at the back of the textbook. When you complete the assignedpages, come back to this study guide and take Self-Test 2.

Lesson 1 9

Self-Test 2Questions 1–2: Answer the following questions.

1 What is the purpose of colons and semicolons?

___________________________________________________________________________

2. Add commas to make the following sentence correct:

Her three favorite colors are blue violet and green.

___________________________________________________________________________

Questions 3–5: Add the correct end punctuation to the following sentences

3. Did you find where we parked the car

___________________________________________________________________________

4. I haven’t been able to locate it

___________________________________________________________________________

Watch out

___________________________________________________________________________

(Continued)

When you complete Assignment 2, you should be just about ready to takeyour first examination. To review for the exam, complete the followingexercises in your textbook:

� Page 7, Part A: Capitalization

� Page 8, Part B: Punctuation

� Page 145, Part A: Capitalization

� Page 146, Part B: Punctuation

As you complete these exercises, check your answers with those onpages 155 and 175 in the textbook. If you have difficulty with any par-ticular area, review it carefully before you begin to take the examina-tion for Lesson 1.

Stop to take the examination for Lesson 1. When you feel confidentthat you understand the material, take the examination that follows.Then go on to Lesson 2.

10 Basic English

Self-Test 2Questions 6–7: Answer the following question.

6. Add quotation marks to the following sentence:

We’ve met before, Pat said.

___________________________________________________________________________

7. Add the proper punctuation marks to the following sentence:

Joe said I love sunny days they are my favorite

___________________________________________________________________________


ONLINE EXAMINATION

When you’re confident that you’ve mastered the material in your studies, you cancomplete your examination online. Follow these instructions:

2. Click the Back button on your browser.3. Click the Take an Exam button near the top of the screen. 4. Type in the eight-digit examination number.

Examination

For the online exam, you must use this

EXAMINATION NUMBER:

00781900

1. Write down the eight-digit examination number shown in the box above.

Clear Sentences


� Identify complete sentences

� Identify subjects and predicates

� Identify run-on sentences and sentence fragments

� Write commands

Introduction Lesson 2 builds on the capitalization and punctuation skills you learnedin Lesson 1. In this lesson, you’ll be working with the basic unit ofwriting, the sentence. You’ll study the elements that make up a well-written and grammatically correct sentence.

When you write a note to yourself or even when you carry on a casualconversation with a friend, sometimes you don’t use complete sentences.This is fine for such situations. For example, suppose you want toremember three things you have to do after work:

1. Drop off a coat at the dry cleaners.

2. Pick up a prescription at the drugstore.

3. Buy ingredients for your favorite cake recipe.

15

Lesson 2

You might write yourself a note like this:

1. Dry cleaners

2. Drugstore

3. Cake ingredients

That’s fine for you. But what if you wanted someone else to do thesethings for you? You would either have to write a note to that person orexplain verbally what you want done. You would have to explain whatitem you want taken to the dry cleaners and which dry cleaners youwant it to go to. You may even have to give directions on how to get tothe dry cleaners. The same goes for the other jobs on the list. You wouldhave to tell the person what drugstore to go to and who the prescriptionis for. You would have to list all the ingredients for the cake and indicatehow much of each one you need.

To make sure that the person does the jobs correctly, you must eitherwrite or speak in clear, correct, and complete sentences. That’s the focusof Lesson 2.

Assignment 3 A sentence is a group of words that expresses a complete thought.Complete sentences have a subject (the person or thing the sentence isabout) and a predicate (the word or words that tell what the subject isor does). If either one of these is missing, then the sentence isn’t com-plete. It doesn’t express a complete thought and the reader or listenerwill probably misunderstand the message.

A command sentence is used when one person wants to tell anotherperson to do something. An example of a command sentence is “Sitdown.” The subject of a command sentence isn’t written or spoken.It’s “understood” that the subject is you. In other words, the com-mand “Sit down” really means “You sit down.” In this assignment,you’ll learn how to write commands.

Now read pages 61–66 in your textbook, Writing. Complete the exercisesas you go along. As you complete each exercise, check your answerswith those at the back of the textbook. When you complete theassigned pages, come back to this study guide and take Self-Test 3.

16 Lesson 2

Assignment 4

Subject-Verb Agreement

In a correctly written sentence, the subject and the verb must agree innumber. A singular subject stands for only one thing, like book, car, orpaper. It must have a singular verb. A plural subject stands for more thanone thing, like books, cars, or papers. It must have a plural verb. Forexample, look at the following sentence:

The supervisor writes a memo to the transportation department.

The singular subject (supervisor) requires a singular verb (writes).Now, let’s use the same sentence, but with a plural subject:

The supervisors write a memo to the transportation department.

The plural subject (supervisors) must have the plural verb (write). Thematerial on page 67 of your textbook will help you identify the correctforms. In addition, the charts on page 68 will guide you in using thecorrect forms of the verbs be and have.

Run-on Sentences and Fragments

Run-on sentences and sentence fragments are incorrect uses of the Englishlanguage. You may wonder, “If they’re wrong, then why should I studythem?” The reason is simple. They’re common errors made by many people.If you learn to recognize these errors, you can learn to eliminate them fromyour writing.

Basic English 17

Self-Test 3Circle the subjects and underline the predicates in the following sentences.

1. We traveled on the turnpike.

2. The tall boy was the center on the basketball team.

3. The teacher explained the assignments.

4. She returned the book to the library.

5. The day was cloudy and rainy.

6. Find the verbs in sentences 1–5. Write them below.

___________________________________________________________________________


A run-on sentence is a group of two or more sentences “run” togetherwith incorrect punctuation or no punctuation at all. Run-on sentencesare difficult to read because the reader doesn’t know where onethought stops and the next one begins.

Sentence fragments are parts of sentences that don’t express a completethought. Sentence fragments make reading difficult because the readeris unsure of the meaning. On pages 71 and 72, you’ll learn how to rec-ognize and correct both run-on sentences and sentence fragments.

Now read pages 67–74 in your textbook, Writing. Complete the exercisesas you go along. As you complete each exercise, check your answerswith those at the back of the textbook. When you complete theassigned pages, come back to this study guide and take Self-Test 4.

18 Lesson 2

Self-Test 4Answer the following questions.

1. What’s the difference between a sentence and a run-on sentence?

___________________________________________________________________________

2. Select the proper verb in the following sentence:

The doctor (live, lives) in the country.

___________________________________________________________________________

3. Identify the following sentence as a complete sentence, a run-on sentence, or a sentence fragment:

Yesterday, I sprained my ankle while playing basketball.

___________________________________________________________________________

4. Correct this run-on sentence:

Tom and Jerrie spent the day together they went to the museum and out for dinner.

___________________________________________________________________________

5. Combine these fragments into sentences:

Saw my favorite show. While watching TV.

___________________________________________________________________________


When you complete Assignment 4, you should be just about readyto take the next examination. To review for the exam, complete thefollowing exercises:

� Page 9, Part C: Complete Sentences

� Page 147, Part C: Complete Sentences

As you complete these exercises, check your answers with thoseon pages 155 and 175 in the textbook. If you have difficulty withany particular area, review it carefully before you begin to takethe examination for Lesson 2.


Basic English 19

NOTES

20 Lesson 2

ONLINE EXAMINATION



Examination


EXAMINATION NUMBER:

00782000


Nouns, Pronouns, and Adjectives


n Identify subjects and objects

n Form plural nouns

n Change nouns into pronouns

n Identify and use adjectives correctly

Introduction In Lesson 3, you’ll expand your language abilities by studying the useof three parts of speech: nouns, pronouns, and adjectives. Assignment5 discusses the role of nouns as both subjects and objects in sentences(page 84). It presents rules for correctly forming plural nouns (pages86 and 87), and it shows ways of using pronouns to replace nouns insentences (pages 90 and 91). Assignment 6 presents the use of adjectivesto add interest and clarity to your writing (pages 93–95).

Assignment 5

Nouns as Subjects and Objects

Your textbook defines a noun as “a word that names a person, place,thing, animal, or idea.” Here are some examples of each:

Person: Carol, David, George Washington, Michael Jordan

Place: California, Philadelphia, Niagara Falls, Grand Canyon

25

Lesson 3

Thing: book, car, house, tree, road, store

Animal: dog, cow, horse, lion, monkey

Idea: patience, courage, democracy, kindness

You’ve already learned that a noun can be used as the subject of a sen-tence (see page 63). In this assignment you’ll learn that a noun can alsobe used as an object—a word that follows the verb and tells who orwhat receives the action of the verb. When you use objects in yourspeaking and writing, you give more information about what‘s happen-ing. Objects help our sentences become more exciting. Refer to the dia-gram and chart on page 82 to see the relationship between subjects,verbs, and objects.

Forming PluralsIf a noun refers to more than one person or thing, you must make itplural. To do this, you can usually just add the letter -s to the singularnoun (book becomes books, car becomes cars). However, not all nounsfollow this rule. On pages 86 and 87, your textbook provides rules forforming the plurals of words that end in certain letters. Some nounsare called irregular because they don’t follow any of the rules (foot be-comes feet, mouse becomes mice). Using correct plural forms is oneindication of a careful writer. Study and learn these rules and alwayspractice them in anything you write.

Pronouns

A pronoun is a word that replaces a noun in a sentence. Some exam-ples of pronouns are I, you, he, she, it, we, they, me, her, him, and them.Pronouns can be used in sentences wherever nouns can be used. Theycan be either subjects or objects.

The main reason for using pronouns is to avoid being repetitious.That is, instead of using the same noun over and over again, you cansubstitute the noun with an appropriate pronoun (page 90).

The main problem in using pronouns is clarity. You must make sureyour listener or reader understands what the pronoun refers to. Forexample, you can’t just start off by saying he or she. You have to tellyour reader who it is you’re talking about (such as George or Sarah).You’ll learn all about clarity and pronouns on page 91 of the textbook.

Now read pages 81–88 and 90–92 in your textbook, Writing. Completethe exercises as you go along. As you complete each exercise, check youranswers with those at the back of the textbook. When you complete theassigned pages, come back to this study guide and take Self-Test 5.

26 Basic English

Assignment 6 An adjective is a word that describes a noun or pronoun. It tells whichone, what kind, or how many. Here are some examples:

The first class. (First is an adjective that tells which one.)

An interesting book. (Interesting is an adjective that tells what kind.)

Four students. (Four is an adjective that tells how many.)

Adjectives help make your writing more interesting and more precise.They do this by adding more information about the nouns and pro-nouns in your sentences. When you use adjectives, place them close tothe word they’re describing so the meaning of your sentence is clearand easy to understand.


Lesson 3 27


1. What is the difference between the subject and object of a sentence?

___________________________________________________________________________

2. Identify the subject and object in the following sentence:

I turned out the light.

___________________________________________________________________________

3. Identify the use of the italicized words in the following sentence:

The dairy farmers and the fruit growers discussed the temperature and rainfall.

___________________________________________________________________________

4. Write plurals for the following nouns:

witch ______________monkey ______________proof ______________oddity ______________blade ______________

5. Substitute pronouns for the italicized nouns in the following sentence:

Christopher listened to the song.

___________________________________________________________________________


When you complete Assignment 6, you should be just about ready totake the next examination. To review for the exam, complete thefollowing exercises:

� Page 10, Part D: Nouns, Pronouns, and Adjectives

� Page 148, Part D: Nouns, Pronouns, and Adjectives

As you complete these exercises, check your answers with those onpages 155 and 175 in the textbook. If you have difficulty with anyparticular area, review it carefully before you begin to take theexamination for Lesson 3.


28 Basic English


1. What is the relationship between nouns and adjectives?

___________________________________________________________________________

2. Identify the adjectives in the following sentence:

Huge multicolored balloons floated all day.

___________________________________________________________________________

3. Select the correct adjective in the following sentence:

Please hand me (that, those) papers.

___________________________________________________________________________

4. Which one of the following sentences provides the most accurate picture? Why?

a. The old dog walked across the floor to his bed.

b. The old brown and white dog limped across the cold floor to his soft warm bed.

___________________________________________________________________________


ONLINE EXAMINATION



Examination


EXAMINATION NUMBER:

00782100


Verbs and Adverbs


� Use correct verb forms

� Identify correct subject-verb agreement with compound subjects

� Identify and use adverbs correctly

Introduction As you can tell from the title of this lesson, you’re going to be studying twonew parts of speech: verbs and adverbs. You’ve already learned how toidentify verbs, but in this lesson you’ll study how to use verbs correctlyto convey the meaning you have in mind. You’ll also study the role ofadverbs in relation to verbs, adjectives, and even other adverbs.

Assignment 7

Verb Forms

As you already know, a verb is a key part of any sentence. Without averb a sentence is just a group of words—a sentence fragment—thatdoesn’t express a complete thought. In this assignment, you’ll first learnhow to use verb tenses. Tense refers to the time that an action takes place.In your writing and speaking, you must indicate when an action occurs.Is it happening right now (present)? Has it already happened (past)?Or, will it happen tomorrow, next week, or next month (future)?

33

Lesson 4

To correctly show when an action takes place, you must use the four formsof a verb: base, present participle, past, and past participle (page 104).

The base form is used in the present tense and the future tense.

The present participle is used to signify action that’s continuing atthe present.

The past form and the past participle form are used to show actionin the past.

The past and past participle forms of most verbs are formed by adding -edto the base form. Here are some examples:

Base Past Past Participle

walk walked walked

dial dialed dialed

jump jumped jumped

Such verbs are called regular verbs. However, some verbs, called ir-regular verbs, have unique past and past participle forms. The list onpage 106 of your textbook provides a look at some irregular verbs andtheir forms.

Using Helping VerbsTo properly express a verb in certain tenses, you must sometimes use ahelping verb. The two most common helping verbs are be and have.Here are some examples of how they’re used to show the tense (time)of the main verb. The helping verbs are italicized.

n I have lost my report.

n I am studying for my final exam.

n I had already seen the movie.

Other common helping verbs are covered on page 110 of the textbook.

Matching Verbs and SubjectsYou already know that subjects and verbs must agree in number. Inthis assignment, you’ll learn how to make compound subjects agreewith the verb. You’ll discover that the agreement of compound sub-jects with their verbs depends on the word linking the subjects. If theword joining the subjects is and, the subject is plural and takes a plu-ral verb. However, if the word joining the subjects is or, the verb canbe either singular or plural. Carefully study the examples on page 112to learn when a compound subject takes a singular verb and when ittakes a plural verb.

34 Basic English

Now read pages 103–115 in your textbook, Writing. Complete theexercises as you go along. As you complete each exercise, check youranswers with those at the back of the textbook. When you complete theassigned pages, come back to this study guide and take Self-Test 7.

Lesson 4 35


1. Identify the base form of the following verbs:

sang ______________

reached ______________

flowing ______________

jumped ______________

broken ______________

2. Choose the correct verb for the following sentence:

Thea and Abby (makes, make) a balanced tennis pair.

___________________________________________________________________________

3. Determine the tense of the verb in the following sentence:

The greyhound raced around the track after the rabbit.

___________________________________________________________________________

4. Explain the difference between regular and irregular verbs.

___________________________________________________________________________

5. Identify the helping verbs in the following sentence:

The gift will be arriving tomorrow.

___________________________________________________________________________


1. seems

2. passed

3. painted

4. looking

5. waiting

6. saving

7. drove

8. began

9. written

10. won

11. sent

12. met

13. felt

14. thought

Note: The underlined words for the exercises on page 105 should be as follows:

Assignment 8 Adverbs are something like adjectives because they both describe otherwords. Remember that adjectives describe nouns and pronouns.Adverbs, on the other hand, describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.

Adverbs answer the questions how, how much, when, and where.Here are some examples:

She dances gracefully. (Gracefully is an adverb that tells how.)

The student is very industrious. (Very is an adverb that tells howmuch.)

Henry arrived late. (Late is an adverb that tells when.)

The figure skater fell down. (Down is an adverb that tells where.)

Even though both adverbs and adjectives describe things, their place-ment in a sentence is quite different. Adjectives should be placed nearthe words they describe. Adverbs, however, can be placed almostanywhere in a sentence. They don’t need to be near the verb or wordthey describe. Page 117 gives examples of placing adverbs in a sentence.


36 Basic English

Self-Test 8Identify the adverbs in the following sentences.

1. Slowly, Thea bounced the ball and hit it forcefully.

___________________________________________________________________________

2. Since she was too slow, she was completely disqualified from the race.

___________________________________________________________________________

3. He deliberately misled his audience.

___________________________________________________________________________

4. Karen reads slowly, but she speaks fast.

___________________________________________________________________________

(Continued)

When you complete Assignment 8, you should be just about ready totake the next examination. To review for the exam, complete thefollowing exercises:

� Page 11, Part E: Verbs and Adverbs

� Page 149, Part E: Verbs and Adverbs

As you complete these exercises, check your answers with those on pages155 and 176 in the textbook. If you have difficulty with any particular area,review it carefully before you begin to take the examination for Lesson 4.


Lesson 4 37

Self-Test 85. Follow the recipe carefully.

___________________________________________________________________________

Change the following words into adverbs.

6. Slow ________________________

7. Prompt ______________________

8. Quiet ________________________

9. Bad _________________________

10. Timid _______________________


NOTES

38 Basic English

ONLINE EXAMINATION



Examination


EXAMINATION NUMBER:

00782200


Spelling


� Identify homonyms

� Increase the number of words you spell correctly

� Use the dictionary to check the spelling of words

Introduction Lesson 5 is the last one in your Basic English course. In the first fourlessons, you learned how to use language effectively and correctly. Inthis lesson, you’ll look at some topics that can help you choose the bestword for a specific purpose and help you spell correctly.

Assignment 9

Words That Sound Alike

Homonyms are words that sound alike but have different meanings andusually different spellings. An example of a pair of homonyms is yourand you’re. Using the incorrect word in a pair of homonyms can totallychange your meaning. For example, the word you’re (which is a con-traction for you are) means something very different from the wordyour (which is used to show ownership). Therefore, you must chooseyour words with care. The list of homonyms on page 128 in your text-book should help you become more familiar with these words, theirspellings, and their meanings.

43

Lesson 5

Spelling Rules There’s no easy way to become a good speller. You must study therules and then practice spelling words you find difficult. Pages 130and 131 in your textbook list several spelling rules with examples.Study them carefully and then practice spelling the words. Writing thewords several times or spelling the words aloud can help you learn thecorrect spelling. If these strategies help you to become a better speller,then go ahead and practice them. The list of commonly misspelledwords on pages 136 and 137 in your textbook is a good place to startimproving your spelling. With some dedicated effort, your spellingshould improve and become a positive factor in your writing.

Now read pages 125–132 in your textbook, Writing. Complete theexercises as you go along. As you complete each exercise, check youranswers with those at the back of the textbook. When you completethe assigned pages, come back to this study guide and take Self-Test 9.

44 Basic English

Self-Test 9Choose the correct word to complete the following sentences.

1. Did you see (there, their) books on the desk?

2. He (writes, rights) poetry very well.

3. (We’re, Were) expecting company at eight o’clock.

4. The puppy hurt (it’s, its) leg.

5. (It’s, Its) never too late to learn how to spell correctly.

6. Add the ending -ing to the following words.

commit ______________

drive ______________

love ______________

think ______________

rob ______________

7. Correctly spell the following words.

familer ______________

decieve ______________

valuible ______________

akward ______________


Assignment 10 The dictionary is a wonderful tool to help you spell words correctly. Itcan also help you find information about words—their pronunciations,their meanings, their uses in a sentence, and their origins. Since thedictionary is arranged alphabetically, your biggest problem will befinding the word if you’re not sure of its correct spelling. Pages133–135 in your textbook present several strategies to help you findthe words you need.

Learning spelling rules and practicing spelling is always a good idea,but you should keep a dictionary handy for quick reference. When-ever you’re in doubt as to the spelling of any word, look it up in thedictionary just to be sure.

Now read pages 133–138 in your textbook, Writing. Complete theexercises as you go along. As you complete each exercise, check youranswers with those at the back of the textbook. When you completethe assigned pages, come back to this study guide and take Self-Test 10.

Lesson 5 45

Self-Test 101. Write the base form you would look up to find how to spell each of the following words.

written ______________

thought (verb) ______________

blown ______________

spoken ______________

copied ______________

2. Number the words below in the order you would find them in the dictionary.

_____ note

_____ invoice

_____ memo

_____ report

_____ letter

_____ proposal


When you complete Assignment 10, you should be just about ready totake the last examination. To review for the exam, complete the followingexercises:

� Page 12, Part F: Spelling

� Page 150, Part F: Spelling

As you complete these exercises, check your answers with those onpages 155 and 176 in the textbook. If you have difficulty with anyparticular area, review it carefully before you begin to take theexamination for Lesson 5.

Stop to take the examination for Lesson 5. When you feel confidentthat you understand the material, take the examination that follows.

examination for Lesson 5.

46 Basic English

Then if you wish, complete the “Optional Lesson” following the

ONLINE EXAMINATION



Examination


EXAMINATION NUMBER:

00782300


Writing

Throughout this Basic English course, you’ve been learning the properuse of the parts of speech, proper spelling, proper subject-verb agreement,and many other techniques that will help to make you a better commu-nicator. You haven’t been required to do any of the exercises that ask youto write. However, you may wish to try your hand at using your newlyacquired English skills to compose something. If so, you now have thatopportunity.

The exercises in this lesson are optional—that is, you’re not required to dothem in order to receive credit for this course. They’re intended to helpyou begin developing your writing skills. If you choose to complete theexercises, compare your writing with the samples given at the backof this study guide. Do not mail your answers to the school.

Note: These are self-directed exercises.

Exercise 1

Read the sample thank-you note on page 16 of your textbook. Thenwrite a thank-you note of your own based on the following information.

You’ve just received a birthday gift of money from your UncleCharles. You’re saving for a new car and plan to put his gift intothe bank and use it when you buy the car. Write a short note tothank him for the money.

When you’ve finished your note, compare it with the one on page 55.

51

Optional Lesson Exercises

Exercise 2

Read the material on writing directions (page 122 in the textbook). Thenuse the map shown here to write a note to your friend Franco. Explainto him how to get from the bus station to the Chili Pepper Restaurantwhere you’re meeting him at 6:00 P.M. for supper. Follow the routeshown by the arrows.

Be specific in your instructions. Use the names of streets to help makeit clear. Be sure you write the instructions in the correct order.

When you’ve finished writing the instructions, compare them with

Exercise 3

Read the material on pages 18–21 in the textbook. Then write a shortparagraph based on the following information.

You’re applying for a job as a clerk in the housewares department ofStrong’s Department Store. On the application you must explain whyyou’re qualified for the job. As a teenager you worked for two yearsas a clerk in your father’s hardware store and you enjoyed it. You likedealing with people and you’re very friendly. The person that doesthe hiring at the store is named Sandra Blake.

Remember to use proper grammar, capitalization, punctuation, andspelling.

52 Basic English

Write your paragraph and then compare it with the one on page 56.

those on page 55.

Self-Test 11. Pocono Mountains is the name of specific

mountains. The words mountain peaks don’t

refer to a specific place.

2. The correct capitalization for the title is

The Catcher in the Rye. According to your

textbook, the first “The” is capitalized because

it’s the first word in the title. The words

“Catcher” and “Rye” should also be capital-

ized because they’re important words, not

minor words. The other words, “in” and

“the,” are minor words that don’t require

capitalization.

3. When abbreviating a state’s name to two

letters, capitalize both. For example, the

abbreviation for New York is NY.

Self-Test 21. A colon is a signal that a list or a set of ex-

amples will follow. A semicolon is stronger

than a comma but not as strong as a period.

It’s often used to connect two closely related

sentences. Both the colon and the semicolon

are used inside a sentence, not at the end.

2. Her three favorite colors are blue, violet, and

green.

3. Did you find where we parked the car?

4. I haven’t been able to locate it.

5. Watch out!

6. “We’ve met before,” Pat said.

7. Joe said, “I love sunny days; they are myfavorite.”

Self-Test 31. We traveled on the turnpike.

2. The tall boy was the center on the basketballteam.

3. The teacher explained the assignments.

4. She returned the book to the library.

5. The day was cloudy and rainy.

6. traveledwasexplainedreturnedwas

Self-Test 41. A sentence expresses a complete thought.

A run-on sentence expresses more than one

complete thought without proper punctuation.

2. lives

3. It’s a complete sentence. It has a subject (I)

and a predicate (sprained my ankle while

playing basketball yesterday), and it ex-

presses a complete thought.

4. Tom and Jerrie spent the day together. They

went to the museum and out to dinner. OR

Tom and Jerrie spent the day together; they

went to the museum and out to dinner.

5. Here are two possibilities: I saw my favorite

show while watching TV. While watching TV,

I saw my favorite show.

53

Self-Test Answers

Self-Test 51. The subject is the person or thing the sentence

is about. The object tells who or what receives

the action of the verb.

2. The subject is I. The object is light.

3. Farmers and growers are compound subjects.

Temperature and rainfall are compound

objects.

4. witches

monkeys

proofs

oddities

blades

5. He listened to it.

Self-Test 61. Adjectives describe nouns.

2. The adjectives are huge and multicolored.

3. those

4. The sentence in b provides a more accurate

picture because it uses adjectives to describe

the nouns.

Self-Test 71. sing

reach

flow

jump

break

2. make

3. Past tense

4. The past forms of regular verbs end in -ed.

The past forms of irregular verbs have their

own unique form.

5. will be

Self-Test 81. Slowly, forcefully

2. too, completely

3. deliberately

4. slowly, fast

5. carefully

6. Slowly

7. Promptly

8. Quietly

9. Badly

10. Timidly

Self-Test 91. their

2. writes

3. We’re

4. its

5. It’s

6. committing

driving

loving

thinking

robbing

7. familiar

deceive

valuable

awkward

Self-Test 101. write

think

blow

speak

copy

2. 4 note

1 invoice

3 memo

6 report

2 letter

5 proposal

54 Self-Test Answers

Your writings will be different from these, but our examples shouldgive you ideas of what to say.

Exercise 1Dear Uncle Charles,

Thank you so much for the money you sent me for my birthday. Youcouldn’t have chosen anything better. I plan to put the money into mybank account. I’m saving for a new car. You’ll be one of the first people toride in it when I get it.

Thanks again.

Love,

Your Name Here

Exercise 2Dear Franco,

Here are the directions for getting from the bus station to the ChiliPepper Restaurant.

Go out the front doors of the bus station onto Commerce Street. Turnleft and walk to the first intersection, which is Central Avenue. Turnright on Central Avenue and walk one block to Penn Avenue. Turn leftonto Penn Avenue. Walk one block and turn right onto Main Avenue.The Chili Pepper Restaurant is the second building on the right.

s 55

Optional Lesson ExercisesAnswers

I’ll see you tonight at 6:00.

Your friend,

Your Name Here

Exercise 3Dear Ms. Blake:

I’m applying for the job of clerk in your housewares department. I feelthat I’m qualified for the job because I’ve had experience as a clerk. WhenI was in high school, I worked as a clerk in my father’s hardware store fortwo years. I really enjoyed this experience. I love meeting people andtalking to them, and I feel I’m a very personable individual who willtreat your customers with respect.

Sincerely,

Your Name Here

56 Optional Lesson Exercises Answers

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