English II—February 4, 2015

• Bell work: Have you ever visited a new place? How did it make you feel? Was it what you expected?

• Homework:– Study Island homework (Subject-Verb Agreement)

due Friday.– Study for Lesson #2 Vocabulary Quiz on Friday

English II—Lesson 3 Vocabulary• A base word carries the meaning of a word. For example, the

words restart and startle share the base word start. A root, unlike a base word, cannot stand alone. For example, the words predict and dictator share the Latin root dict, which means “say”.

• dispassionate—adj. not influenced by strong emotion, and so able to be rational and impartial

• infamous—adj. well known for some bad quality or deed• systematic—adj. done or acting according to a fixed plan or

system; methodical• disposition—n. a person’s inherent qualities of mind and

character• retort—v. say something in answer to a remark or accusation,

typically in a sharp, angry, or wittily incisive manner

English II—Lesson 3 Vocabulary• torsion—n. the act of twisting or the state of being

twisted, especially of one end of an object relative to another

• regress—v. to return to a former or less developed state• protracted—adj. lasting for a long time or longer than

expected or usual• traction—n. the grip of a tire on a road or a wheel on a

rail• digression—n. a temporary departure from the main

subject in speech or writing

EVERY VERB MUST AGREE WITH ITS SUBJECT

SingularSubject

PluralVerb

PluralSubject

SingularVerb

Subject-Verb Agreement: Linking Verbs

• A predicate nominative that is different in number from the subject can be confusing. Only the subject affects the linking verb.

• The predicate nominative is the noun following a linking verb that restates or stands for the subject.– Typically, a predicate nominative has the same

value or grammatical weight as the subject.

The Stupidity of English Grammar

• To make a noun plural, we add –s– Singular: girl – Plural: girls

• To make a verb plural, we take away the –s.– Singular: he talks – Plural: they talk

Watch the Verb Endings!

Singular • I walk• You walk• He/She/It walk s– Joe walk s– The girl walk s

Plural• We walk• You walk• They walk– Joe and Maria walk– The girls walk

Remember the 3 irregular verbs:

• DOSingular Plural– He does They do

• HAVE– She has They have

• BE– He is They are– She was They were

Tip for Subject/verb Agreement

Generally, if the subject doesn’t end in –S, the verb will.

If the subject does end in –S, the verb won’t.

The girl dances.

No –S on subject

-S on verb

The girls dance.

-S on subject

No –S on verb

Compound subjects joined by “and”

• If there are two or more subjects joined by and, the subject must be plural, so the verb will not get an “s”.

Example• The boy and the girl dance.

(= They dance.)

No –S on verb

Compound subjects joined by “or”

If there are two or more subjects joined by or, the verb agrees with the part of the subject closest to it.

Examples:• The professor or the students walk the halls.• The students or the professor walks the halls.

Watch out for “Everybody”

• Everybody loves grammar!• Everybody understands subject/verb agreement.

Possible Pitfalls

Sometimes, several words come between the subject and the verb.

The student, though she had lots of problems in other schools, finds/find (?) her new class easy.

The student, though she had lots of problems in other schools, finds her new class easy.

The student finds her new class easy.

Prepositional phrases

The subject can never be part of a prepositional phrase.

ExampleThe students in my class study / studies hard.X

Possible PitfallsSometimes, the subject will come after the

verb, in questions or when sentence begins with there.

Examples– Why is he falling asleep?– Why are they falling asleep?– There is no excuse for such behavior.– There are no excuses for such behavior.

Possible Pitfalls

Relative Pronouns (who/which/that) can be either singular or plural, depending on the word they refer to.

– The student who works hard will succeed.

– The students who work hard will succeed.

How do I get this right?

– Identify the verb. Ask who or what is doing it.– This will identify the subject.– Say them together and make sure that they

match in terms of number.

The subject and verb are the skeleton of every sentence. Make sure you fit those two important parts together

correctly!

EA2: Writing a Synthesis Paper

Synthesis: the act of combining ideas from different sources to create, express, or support a new idea.

p. 86 Scoring Guide

State a strong and clear claim that takes

a specific position.

Develop the argument effectively

by integrating relevant evidence from a variety of

texts and personal insights.

Use effective organization that establishes clear relationships among

claims, counterclaims, reason and evidence.

Introduce ideas smoothly, develop claims and counterclaims fairly, and provide a satisfying

conclusion. Use appropriate and varied transitions.

Use diction and syntax that convey

formal, authoritative voice.

Correctly embed and punctuate

parenthetical citations. Demonstrate correct

spelling and excellent command of

standard English conventions.

Five Parts to Every Writing Prompt• 1. Subject: What is the subject you need to

write about?• 2. Speaker: Who is writing the answer?• 3. Type of Essay: What type of response are

you writing?• 4. Task: What is the prompt asking you to do?• 5. Hints: Does the prompt give you

suggestions to get started?