Grammar Recipes, Grammar Ideas and Writing Labs

1. Grammar Recipes, Grammar Ideas and Writing Labs 8th Grade Grammar Mrs. Malic

2. Grammar Recipe Loop One • 1. Write a complex declarative sentence that begins with a dependent clause and that contains both a direct object and a subject complement—each of which are personal pronouns. • 2. Write a sentence that contains a compound personal pronoun as a subject and a compound personal pronoun as the object of a preposition.

3. Writing Lab Loop One • 1. Write a short description, one page or less, of an interesting event in your life. • 2. Rewrite the description, converting the entire description into simple declarative sentences. • 3. Compare the two descriptions for sound, fluency, interest, naturalness, or anything else that emerges in contrast. • 4. What does knowledge of sentence structure have to do with writing?

4. Grammar Recipes Loop Two • 1. Write a compound sentence that contains a gerund phrase in the first clause and a participial phrase in the second clause. • 2. Write a three-clause compound sentence. • 3. Write a three-clause complex sentence.

5. Writing Lab Loop Two • 1. Write a paragraph that is filled with gerunds and participles. • 2. Rewrite the paragraph so that it contains no gerunds and no participles, but every idea in the first version is still present. • 3. Think about which paragraph was easiest to write and which paragraph you prefer. • 4. What are gerunds and participles, really? What effects do gerunds and participles allow a writer to achieve?

6. Grammar Recipe Loop Three • 1. Write a one-clause sentence that contains an infinitive phrase as subject and a gerund phrase as direct object. • 2. Write a complex sentence that contains two dependent clauses and only one independent clause.

7. Writing Lab Loop Three • 1. Write a paragraph of 50-100 words using only simple sentences, and more than ten coordinating conjunctions. • 2. Rewrite the paragraph, but this time, you are not allowed to put the same part of speech on both sides of any conjunction. • 3. Reflect on what this attempt has shown you. • 4. Write a statement about the nature of conjunctions, and what the complete structure of conjunction and two conjuncted terms is like when it is well made.

8. Grammar Ideas Loop Four • 1. Write a short statement explaining the difference between good writing and bad writing. Defend the qualities you choose. • 2. Create a metaphorical definition of a grammatical term; for example: An essay is a path that ends where it begins.

9. Grammar Recipes Loop Four • 1. Write a simple imperative sentence that begins with a one-letter interjection, followed by a present tense intransitive verb, followed by an adverbial prepositional phrase consisting of preposition, definite article and a singular common noun.

10. Writing Lab Loop Four • 1. Write three sentences that have indirect objects. • 2. Rewrite each sentence, using prepositional phrase after the direct object to replace the indirect object. • 3. Compare the two versions of the sentences. • 4. Write a statement explaining why you might choose either option over the other.

11. Grammar Recipes • 1. Write a sentence that contains four pronouns; every pronoun in the sentence must have more than one syllable. • 2. Write a five clause sentence that contains only five words.

12. Writing Lab Loop Five • 1. Write a paragraph of five to ten clauses. The paragraph can only contain one sentence. • 2. Revise the paragraph, breaking it into simple sentences. • 3. Compare two versions of the paragraph to see which you like best. • 4. Write a statement explaining the effect of each version, and suggesting times when each version might be more appropriate.

13. Grammar Ideas Loop Six • 1. Imagine that someone was extremely upset and was telling his or her side of a story to a best friend. What do you think would be the most common sentence structures in this person’s conversation? Why? • 2. What are the most important similarities between grammar and music? Explain.

14. Grammar Recipes Loop Six • 1. Write a sentence in which the subject of the main clause contains a clause, and the direct object of the main clause also contains a clause. • 2. Write a compound-complex sentence in which the most common word in every clause is the adverb.

15. Writing Lab Loop Six • 1. Write a paragraph describing nonstop frenzied action. Use no verbals. • 2. Rewrite the sentences, replacing much of the language with verbals. • 3. Consider carefully what the verbals let you do, as a writer. Explain.

16. Grammar Ideas Loop Seven • 1. Are some interjections happy or sad? Write a paragraph explaining the emotional nature of interjections. • 2. Create one more verb tense. Fill out our tense structure. What would the new tense be? • 3. Categorize adverbs into two, three or four groups.

17. Grammar Recipes Loop Seven • 1. Write a sentence that contains more conjunctions than any other part of speech. • 2. Write a correct sentence that uses three different verb tenses.

18. Writing Lab Loop Seven • 1. Write a paragraph of at least five short sentences in which every sentence is simple and declarative, and in which there are no compounds or tense changes. • 2. Write a comment about what this paragraph teaches you about writing style.

19. Grammar Ideas Loop Eight • 1. When you do a four-level analysis of a sentence, in what ways is that like doing mathematics, and in what ways is it different from doing mathematics? • 2. Imagine that a grammar plague struck the English speaking world, and everyone was unable to use a certain part of speech. Which part of speech’s disappearance would be funniest? Why?

20. Grammar Recipes Loop Eight • 1. Write a sentence that contains a correlative conjunction and three indefinite pronouns. • 2. Write a simple sentence that uses three demonstrative pronouns.

21. Writing Lab Loop Eight • 1. Write three sentences use gerunds. • 2. Change the gerunds to infinitives. • 3. Write a statement explaining the difference in tone or style that result from the change.

22. Grammar Ideas Loop Nine • 1. We use different tones in writing. Some writing is formal, informal, serious, humorous or sad. What criteria could be used to determine if a piece of writing was successful in using a formal tone? • 2. In what life situations are we most likely to use the four different sentence structures (declarative, imperative, interrogative, exclamatory)?

23. Grammar Recipes Loop Nine • 1. Write a six-word sentence that has no noun or pronouns. • 2. Write a sentence that contains no noun or adjective, and that has a compound subject complement.

24. Writing Lab Loop Nine • 1. Write a paragraph describing an exciting action. Modify every verb with at least one adverb, preferably more. • 2. Rewrite the paragraph without using any adverbs. • 3. Consider Steven King’s dictum: “The adverb is not your friend.” What do you think of adverbs now? Why?

25. Grammar Ideas Loop Ten • 1. Which two parts of speech do you think have the most in common and why?

26. Grammar Recipes Loop Ten • 1. Write a sentence in which a clause with a subject complement predicate adjective is the direct object of the main clause. • 2. Write a sentence that has two intentional misplaced modifiers.

27. Writing Lab Loop Ten • 1. Write a dialogue of ten or more lines between two characters; neither character ever uses a complete sentence, and there are no verbs at all. • 2. Think about how this passage sounds, and how difficult it was to do. • 3. Explain what truths about grammar this process either reinforced or revealed.