Lesson Links by Irv Leskowitz - February 2005
Does it fit? | The comma


ADJECTIVES and ADVERBS

An adjective describes a noun. Connie is a careful driver. (careful describes driver)

An adverb describes the action of a verb. Connie drives carefully. (carefully describes drives)

Most abverbs are formed by adding -ly to an adjective. (careful+ ly)

*Special cases: For adjectives ending in -y, change y to i and add -ly.   (handy    handily)

Exceptions: fast, hard, early, late. Adjectival form and adverbial form are the same.

Exception: The adverbial form of good is well.

 

Exercise 1. Identify the adjective in the each sentence, then complete the sentence following each with be + and adjective that has an opposite meaning.  Use the adjectives in the list, using each only once.

Adjectives beautiful clean cold dangerous easy expensive
  fast happy noisy old open  

1. I’m not sad. I’m happy_.
2. Ice isn’t hot. It’s cold___.
3. Guns aren’t safe. They__________________.
4. Diamonds aren’t cheap. They__________________.
5. Babies aren’t ugly. They__________________.
6. Trucks aren’t quiet. They__________________.
7. That building isn’t new. It__________________.
8. Is that door closed? No, it __________________.
9. This problem isn’t difficult. It__________________.
10. Willy isn’t a slow reader. He__________________.
11. This plate isn’t dirty. It__________________.

Etc.

Exercise 2. Complete the sentences by using the correct form (adjective or adverb) of the word in italics.

1. quiet Our teacher  quietly   corrected us.
2. careful Do you drive ________?
3. good Can you see ______without your glasses?
4. slow Ben strolled ______ along the path.
5. hard Ann is a _______ worker.
6. easy Frank did his job ________.
7. quick We worked very ________.
8. fast Victor always eats _____________.
9. honest Carol answered all the questions ________.
10. noisy Henry did everything __________.
11. early Ricky finished his project ____________

Etc.

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DOES IT FIT?: Variation I   
(Recommended for Advanced Students)

Circle the word in each line that does not fit with the rest.

1. Maine Hartford Atlanta Phoenix Chicago
2. sir fellow male mister employee
3. rough crooked smooth jagged uneven
4. gleam shine glitter sparkle splendid
5. love enjoy admire resent cherish
6. observe neglect view notice obey
7. decay rot spoil flourish corrode

Etc.

DOES IT FIT?: Variation II 
(Recommended for Conversational Groups)

Circle the word in each line that describes where you would most likely find the highlighted item.

1. Eiffel Tower London Paris Rome Hartford
2. clinic courthouse library hospital stadium
3. photograph knapsack album car trunk briefcase
4. Grand Canyon California Texas Arizona Utah
5. camel desert forest jungle glacier
6. horse garage factory stable post office
7. delicatessen Gap Pizza Hut Starbucks Stop & Shop

Etc.

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THE COMMA

For such a small mark, equal in size only to the apostrophe, and exceeding in size only the period,the comma, tiny, but significant, attracts an unexpectedly large measure of attention.  It is the subject of controversy among grammarians, writers, and other wordmeisters; it takes up a disproportionate amount of space in grammar manuals and other works dealing with punctuation.  One such manual devotes 10 pagesto its use,as opposed to 13 pages for all other punctuation marks; it fills 22 pages  in another manual out of a total 53 pages on punctuation.  Enter ”commas” into Googleand you’ll be directed to dozens of websites telling you more than you want, or need, to know about the comma.  But perhaps all you and your student need concern yourselves with about the use of commas, at least to begin with, is what Lynn Truss says in her book, Eats, Shoots and Leaves: “…the use of the comma is mainly a matter of good judgment, with ease of reading as the end in view.”  (Emphasis added.) 

With that end in view, ask your student to insert (or not insert) commas where necessary.

  1. It’s like comparing apples, oranges, and cherries.      [Commas after apples and oranges.]
  2. Apples and oranges are fruits.                                                [Comma not needed.]
  3. I bought two sweaters and a shirt yesterday.
  4. I liked one of the sweaters but not the other.
  5. Before we went to the movie we finished our homework.
  6. It was cold outside but we kept warm in the house.
  7. Ants and bees and moths are insects.
  8. Zach arrived at the station before the train came in.
  9. Colds flu and pneumonia are respiratory diseases.

(Etc.)

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