Questions and Answers

Based on classroom learning and observation

          Sentence building is the only exercise proven to improve student writing.  However, with all of the standardized testing of today, there is no way to get around basic definitions of terms.  Therefore, these questions were designed not only to ask for “poke and puke” definitions to terms, but also to reinforce that knowledge through application.  It is very important for students to actually practice those things that make a sentence rather than just knowing how to define them.

1.          What is an adjective?

-Describes a noun

2.          Write a sentence using three adjectives (check spelling and punctuation).

-Varies

3.           In the sentence “Tom carried a big, green stick,” what are the adjectives?

-big and green

4.          What is a noun?

-person, place, or thing

5.          Write a sentence using two proper nouns and one common noun.  Be careful not to count a noun used as an adjective as one of your nouns.

-varies

6.          In the sentence, “The college student went to the library to get a book,” how many nouns are there?  Be careful not to count adjectives as nouns.

-student, library, book (3)  college is an adjective in this sentence

7.          What is a verb?

-an action word

8.          Write as sentence using a compound verb.

-varies

9.          What are the verbs in this sentence, “Tom ran, swam, played, and jumped happily after school.

-ran, swam, played, and jumped

10.  What is an adverb?

-describes a verb

11. Write a sentence using an adverb.

-varies

12. What are the adverbs in this sentence, “Johnny played roughly with the other friendly boys.”

roughly

13. What is a pronoun.

-renames a noun

14.  Use a sentence with two pronouns.

-varies

15.  If you were going to rewrite a sentence “The students watched the game,” what pronoun would you use for “the students.”

-they

16. What are the pronouns in this sentence, “He played ball with them, and beat them at their own game.”

-he, them, them, their

17. Name five prepositions.

-varies

18. Write a sentence using two prepositional phrases.

-varies

19. What are the prepositional phrases in this sentence, “Jack walked to the baseball field in Springhill and watched the game.

-to the baseball field, and in Springhill

20.  What does a conjunction do?

-combines sentences

21. Name a two conjunctions.

-varies

22. Write a sentence using a conjunction.

-varies

23. Name an interjection.

-varies

24. Write a sentence using an interjection.

-varies

25.  Give an example of an idiom.

-varies

26. Write a sentence using two idioms.

-varies

27.  What are hink pinks (definition)? Give an example.

-1 syllable rhyming words

28.  What are hinky pinkies?  Give an example.

-2 syllable hyming words

29.  What are hinkety pinketies? Give an example.

-3 syllable rhyming words

30. What are hink hinks? Give and example.

-1 syllable homographs

31. What are hinky hinkies? Give an example.

-2 syllable homographs

32. What are hinkety hinketies? Give an example.

-3 syllable homographs

33. What are pink pinks? Give an example.

-1 syllable homonyms

34. What are pinky pinkies? Give an example.

-2 syllable homonyms

35.  What pinkety pinketies? Give an example.

-3 syllable homonyms

36.  Write a sentence explaining that you and John are going to the circus.

-John and I are going to the circus.

37.  What is a homonym? Give an example.

-words that sound the same but are spelled differently and mean different things

38.  What is a homograph? Give an example.

-words that sound and are spelled the same, but have different meanings

39.  Which is correct: “He are at the bank” or “He is at the bank.”

-He is at the bank.

40. Which is correct: “They are in the living room” or “They is in the living room.”

-They are in the living room.

41.  Complete this sentence with the correct forms of to, two, and too.

“Tommy received a couple of gumballs, and Johnny wanted ___ get some, ___.

          -to, too

42. Write a sentence using “they’re” correctly.

-varies

43. Write a sentence using “know” correctly.

-varies

44.  What is a simile?  Give an example.

-a comparison using like or as

45. Name one thing that is good to use in descriptive writing.

- adjective, adverbs, similes, or senses

46.  Does punctuation go inside or outside of quotation marks?

-usually inside

47.  Define entomology.

-the study of insects

48.  Spell callous.

-callous

49. What part of speech is detain?

-verb

50. What is a cranny?

-a small opening