Class Overview
We reviewed imperative S/Vt/IO/DO, reviewed how to make complex sentences, and introduced an overview of active and passive voice.Complex Sentence
Moms, if your child is not getting the subordinate (dependent) clause, please spend some time doing the exercise we did at the beginning of class. I gave them an independent clause and they had to provide the subordinate to make the complex sentence. A good way to do this is to split a whiteboard in half and put independent on one side and make them write the dependent on the other. Or put dependent and make them write the independent. This makes a good visual separation and hammers in the idea that an independent plus a dependent (subordinate) clause equals a complex sentence.
Remind students that a dependent clause always has a subject and a verb.
This separates it from the phrase.
If your child already understands the dependent clause, move on to identifying whether it is adverbial or adjectival and have them diagram.
Active and Passive Voice
Active voice = the person or object is the subject of the sentence and performs the action.
Passive voice = the action is done to the person or object
Examples:
Active: I admire her voice.
Passive: Her voice was admired by me.
Active: The tornado ravaged the town.
Passive: The town was ravaged by the tornado.
Passive: As students read papers, a lot of passive voice was heard by me. The writing of the students could be improved by themselves if passive sentences were changed to active. The length of sentences could also greatly be reduced if the active voice would be used by the student.
Active: As students read papers, I heard a lot of passive voice. Their writing could improve if they would make passive sentences active. This could also greatly reduce sentence length.
Go through a past paper that your student turned in for IEW. Find as many passive voice sentences as you can and practice changing them to active.
If they focus on this skill it will transform their writing.
Grammar
Keep up with memory work.
Memorizing the list of relative pronouns (adjectival sub. clause openers), and subordinating conjunctions (www.asia.wub--adverbial sub. clause openers)
I was supposed to have gone over a song that goes along with www.asia.wub, but I forgot. I did hand out the paper however. It is fairly self explanatory. It follows "God Bless America". This may be a big help for everyone who likes to memorize with songs.
I was supposed to have gone over a song that goes along with www.asia.wub, but I forgot. I did hand out the paper however. It is fairly self explanatory. It follows "God Bless America". This may be a big help for everyone who likes to memorize with songs.
Dialectic
Do the exercises suggested above at your child's level.
If your student is a first year student and is just trying to grasp first semester still, feel free to camp out there. Second semester information can just wash over them and they can absorb whatever they pick up here and there. Moms, this semester may just be for you to learn. Next year will be the year to hammer away at second semester. No crying in Essentials!
An Extra Note
Meredith and Mrs. Gaines, we missed you in class and are looking forward to seeing you next week. Praying for you both, for a quick and thorough recovery and that everyone else in the family would stay well.
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