Introduction
Introduction to Editing / Eighth Grade Language Arts / 30 Minute Time Frame
In general, what does it mean to be 'grammatically correct'?
Task
Within this lesson, we will learn how to take incorrectly written paragraphs and edit them to be grammatically correct. For written text, grammatical correctness relies on correct use of spelling, punctuation, grammar, and style. Let's review some terms we learned previously:
Grammar - the system and structure of a language; includes syntax.
Syntax - the arrangement of words in sentences.
Style - literary element that describes the author's word choice and sentence structure.
The goal for this lesson is to prepare us to edit our own writing assignments in the future.
Process
Instructions for this lesson:
Read the given paragraphs fully before moving on to the next step. As you are reading, make mental notes of anything you see that needs to be changed. Take the paragraph's context into account, and rewrite the paragraph using correct spelling, punctuation, grammar, and style. Feel free to change certain words or phrases to better match the context of the paragraph.
Refer to the following links containing simple grammar rules and terms to watch out for:
https://quizlet.com/_9tgl2x?x=1qqt&i=1mi0ic
http://writing2.richmond.edu/writing/wweb/conford.html
https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/grammar-rules-and-tips/basic-english…
https://www.wallstreetenglish.com/blog/9-english-grammar-rules-to-remember/
https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/punctuation/punctuation-rules-help.html
Paragraph 1:
My sister is older than me but she is a really good runner. She run a race yesterday. She was the fastest on the whole track team! After the race; we eat some ice cream from a local ice cream parlor. The parlor was called Ice Cold. I think that I want to join the treck team when I am older like her.
Paragraph 2:
When we go to the laboritory, we need to follow safety rules. We need to follow safety rules so that we don't get injured. The first rules is wear your lab coat. The second rules is wear your goggles: the third rule is wear close toed shoes. We wear goggles so that chemicals do not get in our eyes. Occasionally - we will need to wear gloves too during the labs.
Paragraph 3:
I want to go to europe some day. europe seems like such an awesome place! I want to visit spain germany and italy. I can't wait to try the different types of food and expirience the different cultures. I plan on saving up money so that i can flew to europe and travel. It might take a long time but it will be worth it!
Final task: Write your own grammatically correct sentence. You may choose any school appropriate topic to write 4-5 sentences about. Refer to the given links when deciding on word choice, punctuation use, and style.
Evaluation
Your paragraphs will be graded based on your grammatical correctness and appropriate word choice.
A 90-100: all of the edits made were necessary and grammatically correct.
B 80-89: mostly correct with some errors.
C 70-79: less than half (but more than 25%) of the edits made were necessary and/or grammatically correct.
D 60-69: less than 25% of the edits made were necessary and/or grammatically correct.
F 59 or less: little to no correctness in the edits and/or there was no effort to edit the paragraphs appropriately.
Conclusion
Well done!
You have taken 3 poorly written paragraphs and turned them into grammatical masterpieces. Additionally, you have practiced using correct grammar while writing a paragraph of your own.
I hope that this lesson has helped to solidify to you what it really means to be 'grammatically correct'. You will use grammar and editing skills throughout your life in almost every subject, so it is important to know when editing is needed. Keep the skills you learned today in mind as we begin our individual writing projects.
For some extra support, check out the video below for a thorough overview of correct grammar usage:
Credits
TEKS:
§110.24. English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 8
(10) Composition: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts--writing process. The student uses the writing process recursively to compose multiple texts that are legible and uses appropriate conventions.
(D) edit drafts using standard English conventions
Resources:
19 TAC Chapter 110, Subchapter B. (n.d.). http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter110/ch110b.html.
Writer's web: Commonly confused words. (n.d.). http://writing2.richmond.edu/writing/wweb/conford.html.
What Are Basic English Grammar Rules? English Grammar Rules & Usage. (n.d.). https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/grammar-rules-and-tips/basic-english….
ASU. (2020, May 5). What is Editing: Study Hall Composition #6: ASU + Crash Course. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvFNk9qx5Lo.
https://quizlet.com/_9tgl2x?x=1qqt&i=1mi0ic
Milne, M. (2019, December 20). 9 English Grammar Rules to Remember. Wall Street English. https://www.wallstreetenglish.com/blog/9-english-grammar-rules-to-remem…;
6 Basic Punctuation Rules. English Grammar Rules & Usage. (n.d.). https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/punctuation/punctuation-rules-help.h…;