Mid-Term Skills Review 7 th Grade English Mrs. Sherry Washington.

Mid-Term Skills Review

7th Grade EnglishMrs. Sherry Washington

Colons

• Use a colon between the hour and minute.• Example- 8:30 A.M.• Use a colon after the salutation of a business

letter.• Example- Dear Sir or Madam:• Example- To Whom It May Concern:• Use a colon between titles and subtitles.• Example- “Oral Storytelling: Making the Winter

Shorter”

• Use a colon (:) before a list of items, especially after expressions such as the following and as follows.

• Example• You will need these items for map work: a

ruler, colored pencils, and tracing paper.• Jack’s pocket contained the following items: a

key, a button, and two quarters.• The primary colors are as follows: red, blue,

and yellow.

• Do not use a colon after a verb or a preposition.

• Example• Your heading should contain: your name, the

date, and the title of your essay.• Your heading should contain the following

information: your name, the date, and the title of your essay.

• Example• This marinara sauce is made of: tomatoes,

onions, oregano, and garlic.• This marinara sauce is made of the following

ingredients: tomatoes, onions, oregano, and garlic.

Appropriate Behaviors for Participating in Group Work

• Ask relevant questions that move the group towards its goal.

• Understand what you are trying to accomplish.• Come to an agreement (by seeking consensus or

following majority).• Contribute appropriate & useful information• Consult reference texts/resources as needed.• Take turns speaking• Be respectful of others’ ideas• Don’t interrupt!

5 Major Group Roles

• Leader• Recorder• Reporter• Timekeeper• Information gatherer

**All group members must participate in discussion.**

Leader

• Directs the group’s discussion• Makes sure everyone gets to speak• Keeps the group on task (asks questions)

Recorder

• Writes down the group’s ideas• Must participate in the discussion• Records what the group agrees to do

Reporter

• Participates in discussion• Tells the group’s ideas or conclusions to the

teacher and/or the class.

Timekeeper

• Participates in group discussion while• Keeping an eye on the time• Helps keep group on task

Information Gatherer

• Participates in discussion• Gathers information the group needs and

presents it to the group

Subject/Verb Agreement with

• Collective Nouns• Compound Subjects Joined by and, or, & nor• Indefinite Pronouns as the Subject• Remember: -s on a verb means singular

Collective Nouns

• Names a group• dozen, class, herd, group, school• Even in their singular forms, they

name a group.

Collective Nouns & Agreement

• Subjects & Verbs must always agree.

• Collective nouns can have singular or plural meanings (even without an –s on the end of it).

• band, team• How do I know the difference?

Agreement• If the group is acting as one (unit), then it

is singular—use singular verb.• If individual members are acting, then it

is plural—use plural verb.

• Singular Verbs end in –s (runs, talks, swims)

• Plural Verbs do not end in –s (run, talk, swim)

Examples

• The whole flock enters the meadow through a gate. (a unit: singular)

• The flock enter by different gates. (individual members: plural)

Examples

• The entire audience applauds the performers. (a unit: singular)

• The audience take their seats. (individual members: plural)

Examples

• Look for other clues in the sentence to tell if it’s singular or plural.

• The family begins its trip. (its: singular)

• The family eat their sandwiches. (their: plural)

Compound Subject/Verb Agreement

• When a compound subject is joined by and, it is plural. The verb must also be plural.

• Mrs. Washington and Ms. Kaste teach English at BMS.

• Both New York and Paris are major art centers.

Subject/Verb Agreement

• When a compound subject is joined by or or nor, the verb must agree with the subject closest to the verb.

• Neither the twins nor Carla is a good painter.

• Neither this canvas nor the frames look sturdy.

In other words…

• “and”= plural• “or” & “nor”= look at the subject closest to

the verb

Indefinite Pronouns (S/V Agreement)

Definition

• A pronoun that doesn’t always refer to a specific person, place, or thing

• Often do not have antecedents

Singular-always take a singular verb

• anyone• anybody• anything• each• either• everyone• everybody• everything• much

• neither• no one• nobody• nothing• one• someone• somebody• something

Examples

• Everybody is having his or her picture made today. (is-singular)

• Each of you will smile for the camera.

• Something in this room smells good. (smells-singular)

Plural

• both• few• many • others• several

Examples

• Several of you still need to make up the test from Friday. (need-plural)

• Both of the boys got into trouble.

Can Be Singular or Plural

• some• any• none• all • more• most• Depends on the prepositional phrase

that follows

Example

• None of the milk is sour. What is none referring to? Is milk singular or plural? If milk is singular, then none is

singular.

• None of the grapes are sweet. What is none? Is it singular or plural? Therefore, none is plural.

Most can be used as adjectives

• Pronoun: Some are bored by this movie.

• Adjective: Some people are bored by this movie.

Class Practice

• Does anyone know the story of Midas?

• Everyone discusses the plot. • Both talk about King Minos.• All of the mythology is about beliefs

and ideals.• All of the myths are about beliefs and

ideals.• Each of the characters has his or her

motive.• Several have conflict with their rivals.

Possessive Nouns

• Be able to form the correct possessive of nouns.

• Be able to recognize that nouns need apostrophes because they are possessive.

Possessive NounsKind of Noun Add This Examples

Singular ‘s • the boy’s room• the baby’s bottle• Mrs. Washington’s

desk

Plural noun that ends in -s

‘ (apostrophe only)

• the boys’ parents• the babies’ blankets• The Washingtons’

house

Plural noun that does not end in -s

‘s • the children’s playroom

• the deer’s field• the women’s shoes

Common & Proper Nouns

Common Nouns

• a person, place, thing or idea that is not specific

• Not capitalized• Examples: book, girl, umbrella,

glasses, monument, movie, city, country

Proper Nouns

• Name a specific person, place, or thing.

• Always capitalized• Examples: Dr. Combs, President

Bush, Miami Beach, Yankee Stadium, The Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C.

Capitalization for Proper Nouns

• Animal names: Shamu, Tigger• Bodies of Water: Mississippi River• Streets: Highway 51, Main Street• Geographical Names: Painted Desert• Parks/Forests: Everglades National Park• Mountains: the Alps• Regions: the Middle East, the South

Capitalization Continued

• Organizations: National Junior Honor Society

• Teams: Chicago Bulls• Institutions: St. Jude Hospital• Government Bodies: Congress,

Senate, House of Representatives, United Nations

• Historical Events: Revolutionary War


• Do not capitalize seasons unless part of a title.

• Ex. the winter holidays• Ex. the Quebec Winter Carnival


• Businesses: Brighton Bank, Abercrombie

• Products: Apple Macintosh, Ford Mustang

• Name of TYPES of products are NOT capitalized: Apple computer, Crest toothpaste, Nike tennis shoes


• Ships: Queen Elizabeth 2• Trains: Amtrak • Planes: Air Force One• Spacecraft: Challenger• Buildings & Structures: Sydney

Opera House, Brooklyn Bridge, Peabody Hotel

• the hotel, a theater


• Religions: Christianity/Christians, Judaism/Jew

• Holy Days: Easter, Yom Kippur, Christmas Eve

• Sacred Writings: Bible, Koran• Specific Deities: God, Jehovah• god & goddess are not capitalized

when referring to a deity ancient mythology


• Proper Adjectives: Greek pizza, Japanese food, American flag

• School Subjects: languages/those followed by numbers

• Ex. English, math, History 101, Algebra II

Capitalize Titles/Names

1. People’s names and initials:• Sherry E. Washington• S.E. Washington2. Titles with names• Mrs. Washington• Dr. Washington• Congresswoman Washington

Capitalize Titles

1. Academic degrees• Sherry Washington, M.D.• Sherry Washington, Ph.D.

2. Junior/Senior• George Washington Sr.(Jr.)

Capitalize Titles

1. Family Relationships• I am telling Father what you did.• He went with Uncle Bill.2. Exceptions (possessive

nouns/pronouns)• I’m telling my father.• Susie’s uncle Bill is my coach.

Directions vs. Regions

1. Do not capitalize directions:• Travel south on Hwy 51.• A northerly wind was blowing.2. Do capitalize regions.• We live in the South.• I love the West Coast.

Appositives

• appositive - a noun that sits beside another noun to identify or explain it

• Ex. My cousin Jack is two. The writer William Shakespeare(one word appositives don’t need a comma)

• appositive phrase - the appositive and adjectives that describe it

Ex. My neighbor Dr. Panda got her degree in biology, the scientific study of life.

• Occasionally the appositive phrase precedes the noun or pronoun

• An appositive phrase : Renames the noun Has no subject or verb in it Can be removed from a sentence still leaving it intact Can appear anywhere in a sentence

Wrong: An accomplished painter Miss Micro entered her work in all the top notch art shops.

Right: An accomplished painter, Miss Micro entered her work in all the top notch art shops.

• Wrong: Romeo and Juliet a play about two young lovers was written by William Shakespeare a talented writer in the Elizabethan Era.

• Right: Romeo and Juliet, a play about two young lovers, was written by William Shakespeare, a talented writer in the Elizabethan Era.

PERSONAL PRONOUNS: Subject & Object

• Personal pronouns can be used as the subject of the sentence or the object of a verb or preposition.

SUBJECT PRONOUNS

• Subject pronoun: a pronoun in the nominative case used as the subject of a sentence– I, you, he, she, it, we, they

• EXAMPLES:– She is my best friend. – It is my dog. – Does he know the answer?– You and I will meet later.

OBJECT PRONOUNS

• Object pronoun: used as the direct/indirect object or the object of a preposition. – me, you, him, her, it, us, them

• Examples:– Give the book to me. – The teacher gave her a reprimand. – I will tell you a story. – Susan read it to them.

PRONOUNS AND ANTECEDENTS

• The noun or group of words that a pronoun refers to is called its antecedent.

• When using a pronoun, make sure it refers to the antecedent clearly. – Be especially careful when you use the pronoun they.

• INCORRECT:– They have several books about Greek myths at the

library. Who is they?

• CORRECT:– Several books about myths are available at the library.


• Make sure the pronoun agrees with its antecedent in number and gender.

• 1. The myth of Arachne is amusing. I enjoyed it.

• 2. The bystanders see Athena. They watch her at the loom.


• Be careful using THEIR!

• Think about the antecedent!

• The team lost their coach. • The band will be starting their tour this

winter. • Over Christmas break, the school will host

their annual basketball tournament.

• THESE SENTENCES ARE WRITTEN INCORRECTLY!

USING PRONOUNS CORRECTLY

• Subject pronouns are used in compound subjects.

• Object pronouns are used in compound objects.

• EXAMPLES:– He and Carmen wrote a report on the subject.

(Not Him and Carmen)– Tell John and me about Hercules. (Not John

and I)


• A preposition takes an object. • The object of a preposition can be either

simple or compound. • You must use an object pronoun as the

object of a preposition.

• Examples:– Lee read a famous Roman myth to me. – Lee read a famous Roman myth to Irma and

me.


• Whenever the pronoun I is part of a compound subject, it should always be placed after the other parts of the subject.

• When the pronoun me is part of a compound object, it should go after the other parts of the object.

• EXAMPLES:– Lee and I read some ancient Roman myths. (Not I and Lee)– Mythology interests Lee and me. (Not me and Lee)


• In formal writing and speech use a subject pronoun after a linking verb.

• EXAMPLES:– The writer of this report was she. – It is I.

Using who and whom

Who

• Subject pronoun • Who is captain of the football team

this year?• Who’s that woman in the red hat?

(Who’s=Who is)• Who were the first Americans?• (Don’t confuse who’s with whose.)• You can replace who with he, she, or

they.

Whom

• Object Pronoun• Direct/Indirect objects• Object of Preposition (with, to, for,

from, in)• To whom did you give your old

skateboard?• Whom did you give your old

skateboard to?

Deciding in a question

• Rephrase the question as a statement.

• Decide how the pronoun is used in the sentence.

• Determine the case.• Choose the correct pronoun.• Ex. (Who/Whom) is she?• Ex. (Who/Whom) will you invite to the

dance?

Another way to decide

• Find the verb• Do you need “who” to function as its

subject?• If not, then you know to use “whom.”

Reflexive & Intensive PronounsSingular Plural

myselfyourselfhimself, herself, itself

ourselvesyourselvesthemselves

Sometimes hisself is mistakenly used for himself and theirselves for themselves. Avoid using hisself and theirselves.

Modes of Writing

• Narrative• Descriptive• Expository/Technical • Persuasive

Narrative Writing

• Tells a story• Uses characters, dialogue• Conflict (problem, mystery, question)• Has a plot with a climax and

resolution– Beginning– Middle– End**Personal Narrative**

Descriptive Writing

• Describes in great detail• Can be found in ALL types of

writing• Appeal to the reader’s five senses

– Taste– Smell– Touch– Sight– Hearing

Expository Writing

• Sometimes called “Informative” (giving information) or “Technical” writing (directions)

• Explains/Gives information• Directions or “how to” information (a.k.a.

technical writing)• May explain why or how something was

done• History, science, & math books contain

expository writing

Persuasive Writing

• To convince someone to do or believe something

• To change the reader’s mind or attitude

• To influence the reader’s thinking• To prompt/get the reader to react

What is an adjective?

• A word that modifies (describes) a noun or pronoun.

• Answers these questions:• Which one?• What kind?• How many?• How much?

Where can I find adjectives?

• Most adjectives come directly before nouns.

• Some adjectives follow a linking verb (predicate adjective).

• Ex. He is happy.

Articles

• a, an, & the are articles and are also considered adjectives---they point out nouns

• a and an are indefinite articles—they refer to general nouns (a book)

• The is a definite article—it identifies specific nouns (the book)

Using a and an

• Use a before consonant sounds.• a unit, a pilot, a book

• Use an before vowel sounds.• an astronaut, an hour

Proper Adjectives

• Formed from proper nouns• Always begin with a capital letter

How to form Proper Adjectives

Proper Nouns Proper Adjectives

Thanksgiving Thanksgiving dinner

Africa African continent

China Chinese food

Memorial Day Memorial Day weekend

Demonstrative Adjectives

• this, that, these, those• They are adjectives when there is a noun

after them

Ex. This drawing is mine, and that drawing is his.

Ex. These tennis shoes are much more expensive than those tennis shoes.

Comparative Forms of Adjectives

• Using adjectives to compare nouns & pronouns.

• Three degrees:• Positive• Comparative• Superlative

3 Rules for Comparing

Rule #1• 1 syllable adjectives: add –er (2) or –est (3+)Rule #2• 2 syllable adjectives: (2 different rules)• Rule 2a. Either add –er (2-comp.) or –est (3+

sup.)• Rule 2b. Add more (2-comp.) and most (3+

sup.)Rule # 3• 3+ syllable adjectives: add more or most

Irregular Comparisons

Positive(1)

Comparative(2)

Superlative(3+)

bad worse worst

well/good better best

many/much more most

far

little

farther/further

less

farthest/furthest

least

Decreasing Comparison(Negative)

• To show a decrease in the adjective, always use less and least (no matter how many syllables).

Positive(1)

Comparative(2)

Superlative(3+)

sharp less sharp least sharp

happy less happy least happy

Prepositions

• Relates a noun or pronoun to another word in the sentence.

• Ex. The paint on the canvas will dry very slowly.

List of 10 Common PrepositionsSee complete list on page 479 in your English book.

• at • by • for• from• in

• of• off • on• to• with

Compound Prepositions

• Made up of more than one word• according to• in front of• instead of• because of

• See complete list on page 479 in your English book.

Prepositional Phrase

• Preposition + [adj.] + object (noun/object pronoun)

Michelangelo was born in a small town.

What?

Interjections

• Have no grammatical connection to any other word in the sentence.

• Set off with a comma or exclamation mark.• Wow! You played a great game.• Well, I’m not sure if I’m ready to take this test. • Do you know, uh, what day the English exam

is?

Confusing Word Pairs• Know the difference between the following

words.Word Pair Contraction Possessive

it’s/its it’s=it is its=something belongs to it

Ex. The dog wagged its tail.

they’re/their(there—place)

they’re=they are their= something belongs to they

Ex. Their house is blue.

you’re/your you’re=you are your=something belongs to youEx. Your pencil is on the floor.

who’s/whose who’s= who is whose= something belongs to who

Ex. Whose pencil is this?

Business Letters

• Know the parts of a business letter and what information goes in each part.

• Know the capitalization & punctuation rules for the salutation & closing.

• Business letters are formal

Closing

Salutation

• Salutation- greeting– Dear Dr. Combs:– To Whom It May

Concern:– Dear Sir or Madam:

Closing

• Closing– Sincerely yours,– Thank you,

Why write a business letter?

• Express your opinion• Request information or order a product• Make a complaint or describe a problem with

a product or service• Apply for a job/scholarship

Know when to use different work related texts.

• Instructions/Directions: To assist employees with unfamiliar procedures

• Letters (including reprimand)• Reports: Used to help businesses pinpoint their strengths &

weaknesses• Memos: Used for short reminders or quick announcements

(interoffice)• Emails: Written like a business letter• Resume: a summary of your experiences and skills relevant to the

job you are applying for• Agenda: A list of meeting activities in the order in which they will

occur

5 Steps of Writing Process

• Prewriting: brainstorm & do research• Drafting: first/rough draft• Revising: Evaluate your writing for

content, organization, & style• Editing: proofread for errors in

spelling, punctuation, & grammar• Publishing: final copy should be error

free

6 Key Elements of Paragraphs

• Topic sentence: introduces the main idea• 3+ supporting details: support the main idea• Concluding sentence: wraps up the main idea• Unity: all sentences discuss the same topic• Coherence: sentences flow smoothly from one

to the next with good transitions• Indent

Run-on: Putting two or more sentences together without correctly punctuating them.

Ways to Correct a Run-On:• Semicolon (;)• Comma & conjunction• Period

Run-on Example • We needed some milk so we went to the

store.Corrected Sentences• We needed some milk, so we went to the

store.• We needed some milk; we went to the store.• We needed some milk. We went to the store.

Titles of books, plays, magazines, songs, etc.

Underline/Italicize(long works)

“Quotations”(short works)

booksThe Notebook

chapters“A Letter from Yesterday”

magazines & newspapersSports Illustrated

articles“Michigan Cruises to NIT Title”

albums (CD’s)Fearless (Taylor Swift)

songs“Love Story”

television showsSponge Bob

episode titles“Tea at the Treedome”

plays/musicalsThe Sound of Music

poems“The Raven”

work of artthe Mona Lisa

short stories“The Monkey’s Paw”

essays

Capitalize Titles

• Capitalization Rule• 1st & last words & all important words in

between • Unimportant Words:• articles: a, an, the• conjunctions: and, but, or, nor• prepositions: (with 4 letters or less) at,

by, for, from, in, of, off, on, to, with, as

Academic Vocabulary

• Review all A.V. words (21 words) on the handout given in class on Monday.

• A.V. words and definitions should be in your binder!

Mid-Term Skills Review 7 th Grade English Mrs. Sherry Washington.

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