Week Four

ENGLISH 9A BELLWORK

1. Action Verb Review• Action verbs show action.

• Sometimes, however, you can’t see the action even though it’s happening, as with to think or to know.

What verbs can you use to tell what she’s doing?

If you are unsure whether a sentence contains an action verb or not, look at every word in the sentence and ask yourself, "Is this something that a person or thing can do?"

Does this sentence contain an action verb?

During the summer, my cat constantly naps.HINT: Can you during? Is during something you can do? Can you the? Is there someone theing outside the school right now? Can you summer? Do your obnoxious neighbors keep you up until 2 a.m. because they are summering? Can you my? What does a person do when she's mying? Can you cat? Show me what catling is. Can you constantly? You certainly can DO something constantly, but you can’t just constantly. Can you nap? Bingo! Sure you can! Stay up all night and you'll be napping!

2. Linking Verbs• Linking verbs connect, or “link,” the subject (noun performing the action) of a sentence to a word that follows it and refers back to the subject. The most common linking verbs are the forms of to be.

Fluffy’s hairball is hefty.“Is” links the subject, hairball, to

the adjective, hefty.

Examples of Linking Verbs• Mario is a computer hacker.(Ising isn't something that Mario can do. Is connects the subject, Mario, to additional information about him, that he will soon have the FBI on his trail)

• During bad storms, trailer parks are often magnets for tornadoes.(Areing isn't something that trailer parks can do. Are is simply connecting the subject, trailer parks, to something said about them, that they tend to attract tornadoes)

• After receiving another failing grade in algebra, Jose became depressed.(Became connects the subject, Jose, to something said about him, that he wasn't happy.)

• A three-mile run seems like a marathon during a hot, humid July afternoon.(Seems connects the subject, a three-mile run, with additional information, that it's more arduous depending on the day and time)

3. Helping Verbs•Definition: A verb that determines the mood, tense, or aspect of another verb in a verb phrase

•Rule: Always precede (come before) main verbs

Example:"A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds”

–By Sir Francis BaconHere, “make” is the main verb and “will” is the auxiliary

Examples of Helping Verbs• Harvey spilled chocolate milkshake on Leslie's new dress.

• Because Harvey is a klutz, he is always spilling something.

• Harvey might have spilled the chocolate milkshake because the short dress distracted him.

• Harvey should have been spilling the chocolate milkshake down his throat.

Thursday: Verb ReviewWrite out each sentence below and underline the action verb.1. Clyde sneezes with the force of a tornado.2. Sylvia always winks at cute guys driving hot cars.

Write out each sentence below and underline the linking verb.3. Ms. Dodge is your English teacher this trimester.4. The crunchy grasshopper tasted good.

Write out each sentence below. Underline/label the main verb and circle the helping verb/verb phrase.5. She is always spilling something!6. He might have spilled something, too.

Thursday: Extended ChallengeAnswer the following questions to the best of your ability on this week’s Bellwork notes.• What is an action verb?• What is the difference between an action and

linking verb?• What are the four linking verbs you should

memorize? Why?• Write out one sentence with an action verb and

one sentence with a linking verb; the verbs must be the same.

• Example: • He smells the dirty sock. (ACTION)• The sock smells dirty. (LINKING)

• How should you go about finding (a) helping verb(s)?

• Why are helping verbs called helping verbs?

Today’s Targets• Students will partake in both large and small-group discussions in order to better prepare for their upcoming Speak unit assessments (test and essay).

Friday• POP QUIZ TIME! • You may use yesterday’s notes, as well as previous bellwork, on today’s quiz.

Today’s Targets•Students will review for their first summative unit assessment (unit test) that will take place Monday.

•Students will be able to explain important elements from the novel “Speak”.