Transcript On Your Feet! - Amy Benjamin

Engaging Grammar: Practical Advice for Real Classrooms
Presented by Amy Benjamin
www.amybenjamin.com
Part Five:
On Your Feet!
“ I’ve never known a person
who wasn’t interested in language.”
-Steven Pinker, The Language
Instinct
Grammar on Your Feet:
The “Word Cards” may be used to establish the same concepts as
the “Reading Rods.”
Other uses:
1. Act out the “reversibility” of adjectives: If two adjectives can exchange places,
then you DO need a comma between them; if not, then you DON’T.
(AWESOME, FUZZY)
2. Act out the movability of adverbs (YESTERDAY, TODAY)
and prepositional phrases (AT NIGHT,
IN THE POND)
3.Act out the partnership between the subject and the verb.
4. Act out what happens when two clauses (subject-verb partnerships) combine
to make a compound sentence. (THE HANDSOME PRINCE APPEARED,
(AND, BUT, SO) THE PRINCESS RAN AWAY.
Grammar on Your Feet:
Use Post-It Notes for necessary additions
and deletions (editing).
The “Word Cards” may be used to establish the same concepts as
the “Reading Rods.”
Other uses:
5. Act out the fact that modifiers, though important, do not form the core of
the sentence (ask modifiers to sit down).
6. Act out the difference between an intransitive verb (verb that does not need
a direct object: WADDLE) and a transitive verb
(verb that needs or wants a direct object: WANT, LIKE).
7. Act out the concept that singular countable nouns (PANDA) require
a noun marker (THE). Non-countable nouns (MUD) and plurals (PENGUINS) do
not require noun markers.
8. Use YESTERDAY and TODAY to locate the verb: the word that changes when
you change the “time zone” is the verb.
9. Use SOMETHING to illustrate that a pronoun replaces the noun + its modifiers,
not just the noun.
Index of Word Cards for Grammar on your Feet
Independent Clauses (PINK): A handsome prince appeared
The princess ran away
Verbs (YELLOW): waddle, fly (intransitive)
like, want (transitive)
Nouns (GREEN): panda, monkey (countable)
penguins, birds (countable, plural)
mud (non-countable)
Adjectives (RED): awesome, fuzzy
Adverbs (ORANGE): yesterday, today
Prepositional phrases (ORANGE): in the pond, at night
Conjunctions: (BLUE), but, so
Conjunctive adverbs (PURPLE): moreover, furthermore; however; therefore
Noun marker: (RED) the
Punctuation: (WHITE) period, comma, semicolon
S (for plural nouns and singular third person verb form
a handsome prince appeared
This is an independent clause: It can stand alone as a complete sentence.
the princess ran away
This is an independent clause: It can stand alone as a complete sentence.
penguins
This is a count noun: It takes S to make it plural
waddle
This is an intransitive verb: It does not want a direct object.
,and
,but
,so
These are the most common coordinating conjunctions: Along with a comma, they
can join two independent clauses to create a compound sentences. Most professional writers begin sentences with coordinating conjunctions
FOR EMPHASIS. Many teachers do not want you to begin sentences with coordinating conjunctions. Follow your teacher’s expectations.
the
This is the most common noun marker:
When you see this word, expect a noun
structure (single noun, noun phrase, or
noun clause.
s
When S is added to a word, it could mean:
Plural form of a noun
Singular form of a verb, to match the third person singular subject
With apostrophe, possessive form of a noun
in the pond
This is a prepositional phrase: It gives “where” information.
at night
This is a prepositional phrase: It gives “when” information.
awesome
This is an adjective: It answers the question WHAT KIND?
fuzzy
This is an adjective: It answers the question WHAT KIND?
This word will help
you locate the verb.
today
This is an adverb: It answers one of these questions:
WHEN? WHERE? WHY? HOW? TO WHAT EXTENT?
HOW OFTEN?
This word will help
you locate the verb.
yesterday
This is an adverb: It answers one of these questions:
WHEN? WHERE? WHY? HOW? TO WHAT EXTENT?
HOW OFTEN?
mud
This is a npn-count noun: It doesn’t like to add S to make it plural
panda
This is a count noun: It takes S to form the plural.
monkey
This is a count noun: It takes S to form the plural.
birds
This is a count noun: It takes S to form the plural.
want
This is a transitive verb: It wants a direct object.
like
This is a transitive verb: It wants a direct object.
fly
This is an in transitive verb: It does not direct object.
Something
This is how you can tell where a nominal beings and ends. (By a nominal, we mean a noun, a noun phrase, or a noun clause.
moreover
furthermore
however
therefore
These are conjunctive adverbs: They can easily begin sentences. With commas around them, they can move within their own clauses. They
CANNOT join two independent clauses UNLESS you also have a semicolon (not a comma).