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Simply ABC!
The Grassroots Centre's
guide to reading and
writing
READ Saskatoon
in partnership with
The Grassroots Resource and Learning Centre
Funding provided by
The SASKATOON FOUNDATION
Acknowledgements
READ Saskatoon would like to thank the following:
Project Facilitator/Writer, Deanne McKenney
M. A. B.
Evelyn Bear
Russell Bear
Lawrence Caisse
N. Checkosis
Velma Dubois
Blanche Henderson
M. N. R.
Sharon Weeseekase
Jo Ann Jones, Grassroots Resource Centre
Debbie Chappell, Kimberley Onclin, Ruth Vandekamp and Elaine
Verbonac, READ Saskatoon
This book is written for people who want to improve their reading
and writing skills.
Funding for “Simply ABC” was provided by
The SASKATOON FOUNDATION.
Table of Contents
How to Use this Book
What is Reading?
You and Reading
Phonics (letter sounds)
Sight Words
Comprehension (Understanding What You Read)
Spelling
Spelling Rules
Word Parts
Grammar
Punctuation
Writing Paragraphs, Essays. Letters and Resumes
Studying and Tests
Alphabetical Order
Using the Dictionary
Appendix 1—Word List
Appendix 2—Strategies
How To Use This Book
1. Read the table of contents. This will tell you what is in the book.
2. Look through the book. See how the book is set up.
3. Decide what you want to know. You may want to read one or two
sections, or you may want to read the whole book.
4. Look in the Table of Contents. This will tell you where to find
what you are looking for.
5. Turn to the page listed in the table of contents for the section you
want. Read to find the information you want.
Reading and Writing are Like Puzzles
To be a good reader and writer, you need many skills. Reading and
writing are like puzzles. You need many pieces to make a puzzle.
You need many skills or pieces to be a good reader and writer.
When you practice using these skills, reading and writing will get
easier.
Each section in this book is a piece of the reading and writing
puzzle. The sections in the book are:
What is Reading
You and Reading
You are the most important piece because you are the person
who is learning.
Phonics
Phonics are the sounds of our language. When you know the
sounds that each letter or group of letters can make, you will be
able to sound out many new words.
Sight Words
Sight words are words that you know just by looking at them.
These are words that you have memorized. Knowing many
sight words helps you read better and more quickly.
Comprehension
Understanding what you read is more important than even
knowing all the words or being able to say them.
Spelling
Spelling is important. When you know how words are spelled,
you will be able to read and write better.
Spelling Rules
Word Parts
You can break words apart to make them easier to understand,
say and spell.
Grammar and Punctuation
Grammar is the way words are put together to make sentences.
Punctuation is the symbols used to tell the reader how to read a
sentence or word. When you know grammar and punctuation,
reading and writing will be easier.
Writing Sentences
Writing Paragraphs, Essays, Letters and Resumes
Studying and Tests
It is important to learn how to study and take tests. These skills
will help you in school and in other areas of your life.
Alphabetical Order
Using the Dictionary
What is Reading?
Reading is more than just saying words. Reading is knowing that
letters stand for different sounds. These sounds are put together to
make words. Words are put together to make sentences and
sentences are put together to make paragraphs.
When you read, you make sense of the sounds and understand
what the sounds put together into words are telling you. In order to
read, you must be able to sound out or recognize the words and
you have to understand the meaning of those words.
For example, read the following sentence:
The gorkle went to the blinto.
Were you able to read the words? What is a gorkle? What is a
blinto? The underlined words are not real words. Because you
don’t know what the words mean, you can’t understand the
sentence. You are not really reading unless you understand it and
can say what it means in your own words.
You and Reading
To read, you must be able to:
See.
You must be able to see the letters and words. You may need to
get your eyes checked. Wear glasses for reading if you need
them.
Hear.
You need to be able to hear the difference between sounds. You
may need to get your hearing checked.
Pay attention.
You have to concentrate when you are reading.
Move your eyes from left to right.
When you read, you move your eyes from left to right. This
allows you to follow the words on the lines.
Understand what the words mean.
If you understand the words, what you read will make sense to
you. You’ll remember it better.
Use what you already know to understand what you are
reading.
Think about what you know about the topic even before you
start reading.
Reading is a skill everyone needs. There are many reasons that
reading is important:
Read for fun
Reading what interests you can be fun and relaxing.
Learn something new
Reading can help you learn how to do something new. It could
be how to fix something, or about a new hobby, or just about
something that you are interested in.
Help your children
ou are your children’s first teacher! Help them see that reading
and writing are important. You can help your children with
their reading. You will also be able to read notes that the school
sends home with your child.
Read signs
It is important to read signs so that you can keep safe and know
where to go.
Read for information
Bus schedules, menus and store flyers or ads have information
that can help you.
How Can I Improve My Reading?
Practice every day
Try to read every day. It can be part of a magazine, part of the
newspaper, or a page in a book. Cartoons count too!
Read as much as you can
Read street signs, posters, letters or anything that you come
across. Everything you read helps.
Read something you like
Try reading just for the fun of it.
Practice new skills
Take time to use the skills that you will learn in this book.
Practice these skills as often as you can.
Read with your children
If you have children, read with them. This will help you with
your reading and it will help your children.
Phonics (letter sounds)
Phonics is the relationship between letters and the sounds that they
make. All of the letters in the alphabet have a name and a sound. Some
of the letters make more than one sound. There are 26 letters in the
alphabet. These 26 letters represent the 46 sounds in the English
language.
What is the Alphabet?
The alphabet is a group of letters that make up the English language.
Letters are symbols that represent different sounds. These letters are
put together in different ways to make all of the words that you use.
What Kinds of Letters are there?
There are two kinds of letters:
1) Consonants
bmfdspctrhglwnvjykqxz
2) Vowels
aeiouy
(y can be either a consonant or a vowel, depending on the other letters
that are around it)
Consonants
The consonants c, g, and x make more than one sound. The rest
USUALLY make only one sound, BUT consonants are often put
together to make different sounds. The sounds that consonants make
when they are put together can be like both of the consonants, one of
the consonants or can even be a new sound altogether.
The sounds of the letters c and g depend on the vowels that come after
them.
C followed by e, i, or y makes a “soft” sound as in cereal.
C followed by the other vowels makes the “hard” sound as in cat.
G followed by e, i, or y makes a “soft” sound as in giraffe.
G followed by e, i, or y makes a “hard” sound as in grapes.
What are the Consonant Sounds?
Letters Sound Picture
Bb ball
Cc cat
Cc cereal
Dd dog
Ff fish
Gg grapes
Gg giraffe
Hh house
Jj jam
Kk kite
Ll lion
Mm money
Nn nose
Pp pig
Qq queen
Rr rose
Ss snake
Tt teepee
Vv video
Ww wine
Xx xray
Xx xylophone
Yy yellow
Zz zebra
Other Consonant Sounds I Should Know
Consonants Word Picture
ch chair
gh ghost
gh laugh
ph phone
sh shoe
th thumb
th them
ng ring
kn knife
wh whale
ght eight
What are the Vowel Sounds?
Vowels
Some of the letters in the alphabet make more than one sound. All of
the vowels make more than one sound. The different sounds depend on
the other letters in the word.
Long vowel sounds say their own name (say the name of the letter).
Short vowel sounds do not say the name of the letter. The easiest way
to learn short vowel sounds is in word patterns. See Word Patterns.
Two vowels can be put together to make different sounds. Sometimes
the two vowels that are put together make the sound of one of the
vowels (usually the first one). Other times, two vowels are put together
and make a new sound, a sound that is not like either of the vowels.
Vowel Sound Picture
Aa cat (short)
Aa cake (long)
Ee bed (short)
Ee feet (long)
Ii lip (short)
Ii bike (long)
Oo dog (short)
Oo boat (long)
Uu bug (short)
Uu flute (long)
Yy gypsy (short)
Yy fly (long)
Learning Vowel Sounds in Word Patterns
A good way to learn vowel sounds is by using word patterns. A word
pattern is a group of words that have the same pattern of letters and
that rhyme. Learning a pattern helps you to read and spell other words.
Short a sound — mat, cat, rat, bat, sat
Long a sound — cake, bake, rake
Short e sound — bed, fed, led
Long e sound — eat, beat, meat, neat
Short I sound — hit, sit, bit, pit
Long I sound — lice, mice, nice, rice
Short o sound — cop, top, hop, pop
Long o sound — hole, pole, mole, stole
Short u sound — cup, pup, up
Long u sound — cute, flute, mute, lute
Short y sound — bunny, funny, sunny
Long y sound— by, my, sky
Sight Words
Sight words are words that you know by looking at them. You have
seen these words before and you have memorized what they look like.
You will read faster.
If you know many words by sight, you can read faster because
you will not have to stop and sound all of the words out.
You will be able to understand what you are reading.
You don’t have to think about every word if you know some
of them from memory.
You will feel better about reading.
You will be able to read more quickly and more easily.
What Kinds of Sight Words are There?
Survival Words
These are words that you need in your daily life. They have to
do with things like your job, your family and your safety.
Service Words
These are words that you will see many times when you are
reading. These words are often small and can be hard to
remember because there are no pictures for these words.
Hard to Spell
Words These are words that are not spelled the way they
sound. It is good to learn these words as sight words because
they do not follow the normal spelling rules.
First Word in a Word Pattern
It is good to know a word that rhymes with other words. This
will help you to learn many words quickly. (See Learning
Vowel Sounds in Word Patterns.)
Where Do I Find Sight Words?
Sight words are words that you see often and that are important to you.
You can find them many places:
names of people — friends, family
bills
newspapers
signs
books
your writing
forms
calendars
instructions
your Job
basic word lists (see Appendix 1— Word List.)
How Do I Learn Sight Words?
The only way to learn sight words is to memorize them.
1. Decide the words you want to learn. 5 to 10 words at a time is
lots.
2. Copy the words onto cards.
3. Look at the first word and say it out loud several times while
you are looking at it. Do this with each of the cards.
4. Practice the same word cards later in the day.
5. Practice these word cards every day for a week.
6. The word is a sight word when you know it right away and
can read it in different places.
What Can I Do With Sight Words?
Try to put them your sight words together to make a sentence.
1. Take the sight words that you have been learning.
2. Make a sentence out of the words.
3. Read the sentence.
What Sight Words Should I Know?
Colours
red orange yellow
green blue brown
black white pink
purple gray
Days of the Week (must be capitalized)
Monday Tuesday Wednesday
Thursday Friday Saturday
Sunday
Months of the Year (must be capitalized)
January February March
April May June
July August September
October November December
Numbers
one (1) two (2) three (3)
four (4) five (5) six (6)
seven (7) eight (8) nine (9)
ten (10) eleven (11) twelve (12)
thirteen (13) fourteen (14) fifteen (15)
sixteen (16) seventeen (17) eighteen (18)
nineteen (19) twenty (20) twenty-one (21)
thirty (30) forty (40) fifty (50)
sixty (60) seventy (70) eighty (80)
ninety (90) hundred (100)
thousand (1,000) million (1,000,000)
Service Words
this that what
which where when
how is for
the a but
why and
Bills/Shopping/Money Words
sale amount due price
pay discount coupon
loan warranty due date
payment interest past due
Survival Words
danger men women
stop yield poison
fire caution exit
beware of… police hospital
emergency flammable inflammable
exit fire exit do not enter
entrance bus stop taxi
expiry no parking wheelchair
Comprehension
Comprehension means understanding what you read. Reading only
counts If you understand what you are reading.
What Can I Do to Help Myself Understand?
Pick Something Easy to Read
Work from easy to harder so you build your confidence and
don’t get frustrated.
Read Things that You Find Interesting
You will remember things you are interested in!
Read about Something You Know
Think about what you already know about the topic. This helps
you to understand what you are reading. Make links between
new and old information.
Read in a Quiet Place
Turn off the TV and the radio.
Think About What You Are Going to Read
What would you like to find out by reading this? A reason for
reading will help you focus.
Look at the Title and Pictures
Use these to guess what the reading will be about. It doesn’t
matter if you are right or wrong.
Guess what will Happen Next
Before you read a section, guess what will happen next. This is
like a game. Now, read to see if you were right. Keep doing this
until you are done.
Read a Bit at a Time
At the end of each section, stop and think about what you have
been reading.
Put it in Your Own Words
Can you put what you read in your own words? This will help
you understand what you have read.
Talk About It
Talking about what you’ve read helps you remember it.
What Do I Do if I Get Stuck?
Keep Reading
If you get stuck, you may be able to figure out what a word
means by the words that are around it. Don’t stop. Read to the
end of the sentence or paragraph. Ask yourself “do I
understand?”
Look at the Word
See if you can break the word into smaller parts.
Sound out the Word
Use phonics to work through the word.
Ask Somebody
Try to figure it out yourself first, but ask someone else before
you get too frustrated.
Use the Dictionary
Look the word up to find out what it means.
Spelling
Many people have a hard time with spelling. If you can spell correctly
you and others will understand what you have written.
Practicing spelling will help you:
become a better speller
feel better about spelling and writing
write more quickly
understand your mistakes
learn how to spell new words
Why is Spelling so Hard?
There are 1/2 a million words in the English language. That’s a
lot of words!
Spelling is harder than reading.
You need a good memory to remember what the letters are.
You also have to remember the order of the letters.
How Do I Learn How To Spell?
Study only the Words you Can’t Spell
Don’t waste time studying words you know!
Learn 5 to 10 New Words at a Time
Choose a few problem words you want to learn.
Look at the Word
You will learn to spell the word more easily if you see it written
down. Spelling is visual — you have to use your eyes.
Use Phonics
Not all words can be spelled this way but many can.
Break it Down
Break big words into small parts to make them easier to spell.
Example: Saturday Sat ur day
Practice Writing the Word
Rewrite the whole word correctly a few times.
Say the Word the Way it is Spelled
Some words are spelled differently than the way they are
said.
Example: government go vern ment
Know Word Parts
If you know prefixes, suffixes and root words, it will be
easier to spell words. (See Word Parts)
Example: unthinkable un think able
Spelling Rules
Use the spelling rules. (See Spelling Rules.)
Word Shape
Study the shape of the word. Look at the word and study
how it looks. Try to remember what letters of the word are
tall and what letters are short.
Example: shape
Write, Trace and Say
Write down a word. Trace over it with your finger. Say the
word out loud as you trace it.
Practice
Practice the word many times. Learn it today, write/spell it
tomorrow and spell it again in a few days. Write the word often
so that you don’t forget how it is spelled.
Word Completions
Write the word many times. Each time, leave out one letter.
When you are done, go back and write in the missing letter.
Example: correct
correct -> _orrect c_rrect
co_rect cor_ect corre_t
correc_ correct
Look, Cover, Write, Check
1. Look at the word you want to learn. Say it out loud.
Picture the word in your mind.
2. Cover the word and say it out loud.
3. Write or print the word. Say the word as you write it.
4. Check to see if you spelled the word right. If you
didn’t, copy the word out again.
Dictionary
Use the dictionary. This will only work if you know how to
spell most of the word.
Spell Check
If you are using a computer, you can spell check your work to
find words that are not spelled right. A spell checker will not
correct words that are used incorrectly or words with two
different spellings that sound the same.
Spelling Tricks
Find words in your word.
Example: there (think, not “here” but “there”)
Think of a rhyme to help you remember your word.
Example: I hear with my ear.
Use the letter order of the word to make a sentence.
Example: beautiful — To help you remember the first four
letters, think “big elephants aren’t ugly,” (they’re beautiful)!
Associate the word with something funny.
Example: caught — To help you remember all the letters, think
“Chris and uncle get half tight.”
Give Yourself a Spelling Test
5—10 of your new spelling words is lots; test your spelling of
“old” words you have learned, too.
Spelling Rules
The rules do not work for all words but will help you spell most
words. You will need to find another way of learning words that do not
follow the spelling rules (examples: memorize them as sight words,
use spelling tricks).
Making Words Plural (more than one)/ Adding an s
To make most words plural (more than one), add “s” to the
word.
Example: one hat—three hats
To make the plural form of words that end with “s”, “ss”, “sh”,
“ch”, and “x”, add “es” to the word.
Examples: one dress—three dresses
one box—three boxes
one dish—three dishes
If a word ends with a “y”, change the “y” to an “i” and add
“es”.
Examples: one party—three parties
one lady—three ladies
Vowels
When two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking.
This means you hear only the long sound of the first vowel.
Example: boat
For the letters ie, if the sound is ee, use the rule i before e
except after c and when sounded as in neighbour and weigh.
Examples:
believe, shield (ee)
ceiling (except after c)
reign, freight (sound like neighbour)
**These words don’t follow the rule: either, con- science,
weird, neither, leisure, height, forfeit, seize. You will need to
memorize/remember them.
Prefixes
You can add a prefix to root words without changing the
spelling of the word.
Word Endings/Suffixes
If a root word ends in a silent e (one that you cannot hear), drop
the e before adding ed and ing.
Example: hope hoping hoped
To tell about time or to use the tense of the verb, add the
endings ed and ing to the root word.
Examples: walk walked walking
If the word ending (suffix) begins with a consonant, do not
double the final consonant.
Example: fat fatness
When adding y to words that end in ly the ending becomes ally.
Example: normal normally
Add ment without changing the root word’s spelling.
Example: develop—development
If a word ends in a consonant that comes after a short vowel,
double the consonant before adding ed, ing or any ending that
begins with a vowel.
Example: trip tripped tripping
Keep the e of a word ending in a silent e if the suffix you’re
adding begins with a consonant.
Example: spite—spiteful
When you want to add ness to a word that ends in n, keep the n
and then add ness.
Examples: stubborn—stubbornness
thin—thinness
All words that end with “ful” only have one “l”.
Example: cup—cupful
The letter “q” is always followed by the letter “u”.
Examples: quiet
quit
toque
Word Parts
Breaking words apart means dividing big words into smaller words or
word parts. These word parts are sometimes called syllables. You need
to know about:
syllables
root words
prefixes (beginnings)
suffixes (endings)
compound words (two root words together)
What is a Syllable?
A syllable is a vowel or a group of letters containing a vowel that make
a unit of sound. Words are made up of one or more syllables.
To know the number of syllables or sounds in a word, listen to the
number of beats that you hear when you say the word out loud. Make
sure you say the word clearly. Each beat is one syllable.
How To Divide Words By Syllables:
Every syllable has a vowel in it (a, e, i, o, u, y)
Example: to-mor-row
If there is a consonant with a vowel on each side of it, divide
the word between the first vowel and the consonant.
Example: ti-ger
When there is a long vowel sound (when the vowel says its
name), divide the word after the long vowel.
Example: no-el
When a word has two consonants in the middle, divide the
word between the two consonants.
Example: let-ter
Do not divide consonant blends.
Example: teach-er
Prefixes and suffixes are always separate syllables.
Examples: un-fair joy-ful
What is a Root Word?
A root word is a small word. Beginnings, root words and endings can
be joined to make new words.
What is a Compound Word?
A compound word is a word that is made up of two smaller root words.
To break a compound word down, break it between the two small
words.
Some Examples of Compound Words?
snow + man = snowman
mail + man = mailman
man + made = manmade
stage + hand = stagehand
How Can I Practice With Compound Words?
1. Cut a piece of paper into pieces.
2. On each piece, write the small (root) words that are part of
compound words.
3. On the other side, write compound words that this word is
part of.
4. With the small words facing up, put the word cards in a
pile.
5. Put small word cards together to make compound words.
6. Check the back of the cards to see if you are right.
What is a Prefix?
A prefix is a unit of sound that is added to the beginning of a root
word. A prefix changes the meaning of a root word because each
prefix has its own meaning.
What are some Prefixes and their Meanings?
prefix meaning examples
un not unclear (not clear)
unable (not able)
re again reread (read again)
recopy (copy again)
dis does not disagree (does not agree)
dislike (does not like)
super over, above superman (more than a
man)
anti against antibacterial (against
bacteria)
pre before preseason (before the
season)
auto self automatic (runs on its own)
How Can I Practice With Prefixes?
1. Cut a piece of paper into pieces.
2. Write root words on half of the pieces.
3. Write prefixes on the rest of the pieces.
4. Use one root word and one prefix to make a new word.
What is a Suffix?
A suffix is a unit of sound added to the end of a word. A suffix
changes the meaning of the root word because each suffix has its own
meaning.
What are some Suffixes and their Meanings?
suffix meaning examples
less without sleepless (without sleep)
careless (without care)
ful full of careful (full of care)
wishful (full of wish)
able capable lovable (capable of being
loved)
graph to write autograph (self writing)
ward direction backward (moving in a
backward direction)
How Can I Practice With Suffixes?
1. Cut a piece of paper into pieces.
2. Write root words on half of the pieces.
3. Write suffixes on the rest of the pieces.
4. Use one root word and one suffix to make a new word.
Grammar
What is a Sentence?
A sentence is a group of words that is a complete thought and makes
sense. A sentence always has two parts. These two parts are called a
subject and a predicate. A sentence always begins with a capital
letter.
These are sentences:
The store is big.
I like to dance.
Homework is fun.
Those are sentences because they make sense and they express a
complete thought.
These are not sentences:
The store is.
To dance.
Homework fun.
Those are not sentences because they do not make sense and the
thought is not complete.
Subjects and Predicates
What is the Subject?
The subject of a sentence is the part of the sentence that tells who
or what the sentence is about or who or what is doing the action.
(You will find nouns in the subject — nouns are words that name
people, places and things.)
How Do I Find the Subject of a Sentence?
To find the subject of a sentence, ask “who or what is this
sentence about?”
What is a Predicate?
The predicate of a sentence is the part of the sentence that tells you
about the subject or that tells you what the subject does. (You will
find verbs in the predicate — words that name the action.)
How Do I Find the Predicate of a Sentence?
To find the predicate of a sentence, ask yourself “what does the
subject do?” or “what did I learn about the subject?”
Example:
The children ran out of the house.
To find the subject:
1. Ask yourself ,“who or what is the sentence about?”
2. Answer, “the children.” The children is the subject.
(Children is a noun.)
To find the predicate:
1. Ask, “what did the children do?”
2. Answer, “ran out of the house.” Now you know that ran out
of the house is the predicate.
(Ran is a verb.)
Nouns
A noun is a word that names a person, place or a thing. Nouns can also
be words that name feelings, ideas and qualities. Every sentence has a
noun. You will find nouns in the subject of a sentence. You may also
find them in the predicate of a sentence. There are two kinds of nouns:
common and proper.
How Do I Find a Noun in a Sentence?
1. Ask, “which of these words are people, places or things?”
cat, house, is, city, far, children, what
2. Answer, “cat, house, city and children are people, places or
things.” These words are nouns.
What is a Proper Noun?
A proper noun is a noun that names a certain person, place or thing.
Proper nouns are always capitalized.
How Do I Find Proper Nouns?
1. Ask, “which nouns refer to a certain person, place or thing?”
day, boy, Tim, cat, Friday, girl, Sally
2. Answer, “Tim, Sally and Friday are proper nouns because
they refer to a certain day and certain people.”
What is a Common Noun?
A common noun names a whole group of people, places or things. This
means that they don’t refer to a specific person or place or thing. If a
noun is not a proper noun, it is a common noun.
How Do I Find Common Nouns?
1. Ask, “which of the nouns are talking about common things?”
day, boy, Tim, cat, Friday, girl, Sally
2. Answer, “day, boy, cat and girl are common nouns.”
Pronouns
What is a Pronoun?
A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun. Pronouns let you
write or talk about something without having to repeat the same noun
over and over again.
Pronouns about People
I me you
he him she
her it we
us they them
Example: I went to the game with Jim. He and I had fun.
Pronouns that Show Possession
my mine yours
his her hers
its our ours
their theirs
Example: The Nissan is my car and the Ford is theirs.
Pronouns that Ask Questions
who whom whose
which what
Examples: Who did that? What time is it?
Pronouns that Point Something Out
this that these
those
Example: This is the coat I bought. That is my old coat.
Other Pronouns
everyone anybody nobody
all both each
either neither
Verbs
A verb is a word that tells what someone or something (the noun) is
doing. A verb is usually an action word. Sometimes a verb tells what is
happening in someone’s mind.
How Do I Find the Verb in a Sentence?
Every sentence has a verb. It is in the predicate. To find the verb in a
sentence, find the noun (person, place or thing) and then ask yourself,
“what is the noun doing?”
Example 1:
The dog jumped into the car.
Find the noun in the subject:
1. Ask, “who or what is the sentence about, or who or what is
doing the action?”
2. Answer, “a dog”. Dog is a noun.
Find the verb.
1. Ask yourself what the noun did. The noun is “dog”, so ask
yourself, “what did the dog do?”
2. Answer, “The dog jumped.” The verb in this sentence is
jumped.
Example 2:
The girl ran and cried all the way home.
Find the noun in the subject:
1. Ask , “who or what is the sentence about?”
2. Answer, “the girl”. Girl is a noun.
Find the verb.
1. Ask, “what did the noun (the girl) do?”
2. Answer, “ran and cried”. The verbs in this sentence are ran
and cried.
Adjectives
What is an Adjective?
An adjective is a word that tells about or describes a noun. An
adjective usually answers one of these questions:
1. What kind?
2. How many or how much?
3. Which one?
4. Whose?
Adjectives are words such as small, big, loud, happy, blue, spotted.
They are words that tell you about something or someone.
How Do I Find Adjectives in Sentences?
To find the adjective in a sentence, you must first find the noun. Once
you have found the noun, ask yourself the above questions about the
noun.
Example 1:
The big dog jumped into the car.
Find the noun in the subject:
1. Ask, “what is the sentence about?”
2. Answer, “the sentence is about a dog.” Dog is the noun in the
sentence.
Find the adjective:
1. Ask the adjective questions.
2. Answer the question, “what kind of dog was it?” “It was a
“big” dog.” Big is the adjective in the sentence.
Example 2:
The three girls ran and cried all the way home.
Find the noun in the subject:
1. Ask, “what is the sentence is about?”
2. Answer, “the sentence is about some girls.” Girls is the noun
in the sentence.
Find the adjective:
1. Ask the adjective questions.
2. Answer the question “how many?” “There were “three”
girls.” Three is the adjective in the sentence.
Adverbs
An adverb is a word that tells more about a verb. An adverb answers
one of these questions:
1. Where?
2. When?
3. How?
4. To what extent? or How much?
To find an adverb, find the verb and then ask yourself these questions
about the verb.
Example:
The big dog jumped high.
Find the verb.
1. Ask, “what did the noun (dog) do?”
2. Answer, “jumped.” Jumped is the verb.
Find the adverb.
1. Ask the adverb questions.
2. Answer “to what extent/how much did the dog jump?” The
dog jumped “high”. High is the adverb in the sentence.
Prepositions
A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between the noun
or pronoun that is before it and another word in the sentence.
The man in the truck is my dad.
The preposition is the word “in” because it shows the relationship
between the man and his truck.
The letter is from Uncle Bill.
The preposition is the word “from” because it shows the relationship
between the letter and Uncle Bill.
What are some Prepositions?
about above across
after against along
among around as
at before behind
below beside between
beyond by down
during except for
from in inside
into like of
off on out
outside over past
since through to
toward under until
up with
Conjunctions
A conjunction is a word that joins words, phrases or complete
statements. To find conjunctions, ask yourself what word is joining
words together.
Jack and Jill went up the hill.
The word “and” is joining the words “Jack” and “Jill”; therefore,
“and” is the conjunction in the sentence.
What are some Conjunctions?
and or but
so for yet
Punctuation
Capital Letters
Capital letters look like this:
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
You should use capital letters for:
Starting a Sentence
Example: The dog likes to play.
Names of People or Places
Examples: Jeremy and Kathy went to the store.
My best friend lives in Saskatoon.
I go to the Grassroots Resource and
Learning Centre.
Someone’s Initials
Example: Robert Jones’ initials are R. J.
Days of the Week and Months of the Year
Example: Today is Saturday, July 1, 2000.
The Word “I”
Example: I think I should get my hair cut.
Titles such as Dr., Mrs., Miss, Ms.
Examples:
My doctor is Dr. Smith.
Mr. Green and Mrs. Lane are friends.
Important Words in the Title of a Book, Story or Headline
Example: The Star Phoenix is a newspaper.
Comma
A comma looks like this “,”. Commas must be used:
In a List of Words or Phrases — but not between the last 2
items
Examples: I need to buy milk, bread, flour , cheese and cereal.
Tom, Terry, Roger and Bill went to the movie.
To Separate the Day, Month and Year when Writing a
Date
Example: Saturday, January 1, 2000 was the first day of the
new decade.
To Separate the City and Province
Example: He lives in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Apostrophe
An apostrophe looks like this . An apostrophe must be used
to:
Show Possession (that something be longs to someone or
something)
Example: That is Tom’s jacket. (The jacket of Tom.)
Write a Contraction (two words that are made into one
word)
Examples: I can’t (can not) go to school today.
It doesn’t (does not) matter if we are late.
Quotation Marks
Quotation marks looks like this . Quotation marks must be
used around:
What Someone has Said
Examples: “What is your name?” the man asked.
“Good morning, City Newspaper,” she said as she
answered the phone.
Words from a Poem, Book, Story or Article
Example: “To Be, or Not to Be. . .“ (Shakespeare, “Hamlet”)
Titles of Plays, Stories, Poems, Articles, Songs.
Example: My favourite song is “Wild Horses.”
Period
A period looks like this “.” A period must be used:
To end a sentence.
Examples: The woman was reading.
I like walking.
With Someone’s Initials
Examples: J. D. are Jon Duke’s intitals.
Mary Smith’s initials are M. S.
After an Abbreviation
Example: Ltd. is the abbreviation for limited.
Question Mark
A question mark looks like this “?”. Question marks must be used:
To end a sentence which asks a Question
Example: How are you?
Exclamation Point
An exclamation point looks like this “!”. Exclamation marks are used
at:
The End of Words or Sentences that Show Strong Emotion
Examples: Surprise!
You are grounded!
Writing Paragraphs, Essays, Letters and
Resumes
What is a paragraph?
A paragraph is a group of sentences that tells about one idea or
thought. Paragraphs can be long or short but most are five to six
sentences long. You need at least two sentences in a paragraph.
Parts of a paragraph:
The first sentence of every paragraph should explain what the
paragraph is about. This is called the “topic” sentence.
All the other sentences in the paragraph should tell more about the
topic or give information to support what you have said in the first
sentence.
The last sentence in a paragraph should tell what the paragraph was
about or restate your first sentence.
How Do I Write a Paragraph?
1. Decide what you want to write about.
- hockey is my favourite sport
2. Think about why it is your favourite sport.
- good exercise
- play on a team
- can play in all seasons - floor hockey or ice hockey
3. Make an outline. An outline is a way of organizing your ideas
before you start to write. You can use an outline before you
write a paragraph, or before you write something longer like an
essay or report.
All outlines have:
Topic
What you are writing about.
Main Ideas
Your ideas about the topic.
Details
Details or thoughts to support your ideas.
4. Write your topic sentence — a sentence to tell the reader
what you are going to write about.
My favourite sport is hockey.
5. Write. Write 3 or 4 sentences with your ideas, details and
thoughts about your topic. Use your outline notes.
6. End your paragraph with a sentence that tells what the
paragraph was about.
This is why hockey is the best sport.
Example:
Hockey is my favourite sport. One reason I like hockey is because
it is good exercise. It is fun because you can play on a team.
Hockey can be played in all seasons. In winter, you can play ice
hockey and in summer you can play floor hockey. This is why I
think hockey is the best sport.
Note: Paragraphs are sometimes started with an indent (a few
spaces left in front of the first word of the first sentence).
What is an Essay?
An essay is a group of paragraphs that expresses an opinion or proves a
point. Essays can be short or long. Essays can be called other names
like reports.
What are the Parts of an Essay?
Opening Paragraph
Here you tell the reader what your essay is going to be about
and give the opinion or point you will prove in your essay.
Body
The body of the essay gives reasons to support the opinion you
stated in your opening paragraph. It tells the details or reasons
that prove or back up your opinion.
Closing Paragraph
The closing paragraph is the last paragraph in your essay. It
should summarize what you have said and quickly restate what
you think about the subject.
Reference Page
Not all essays have a reference page. A reference page is where
you list the information you used from other books or articles
Steps in Writing an Essay:
1. Choose a topic. Decide what you will write about.
2. Think about the topic. Think about what you know and
how you feel about the topic. Decide what else you want to
learn about the topic.
3. Research the topic. Read articles or books to find out
more about the topic. Or, look for things that agree or
disagree with your opinion.
4. Make some notes. Don’t worry about grammar or spelling,
now. You may not use all of these ideas in your essay.
Make sure you write down the name of the book or article,
the author’s name, and page numbers. You will need them
for your Reference Page if you use the ideas or the author’s
words in your essay.
5. Expand your ideas. Look at your notes and ask yourself
questions about what you have written. Try to add more
ideas to your notes.
6. Make an outline to organize your ideas. Use the same
type of outline as you do for writing a paragraph. (See How
Do I Write a Paragraph.) Look at your notes to see what
ideas go together.
7. Write. Put the ideas into paragraphs. This is easier if you
have made a good outline.
8. Proofread your essay. Use C.O.P.S. to check your work
— see Appendix 2 for this strategy.
9. Make corrections. Fix the errors you find.
10. Make a clean, corrected copy. Rewrite or type your essay.
How your essay looks does count!
Writing Letters
There are basically two types of letters. The kind of letter you should
you write depends on who you are writing to. A letter to your boss or
your landlord is different than a letter to a friend. A letter to your boss
or your landlord needs to be formal. Letters to your friends and
relatives will usually be friendly letters. See sample letters: Formal and
Friendly.
All Letters should include:
Today’s Date
Greeting
Body (what you have to say)
Closing
Your Signature
Formal Letters also include:
Your Name and Address
Name and Address of the person you are writing to
Your name typed or printed clearly under your signature
How Do I Write a Formal Letter?
A formal letter is very polite. It is the type of letter that you would
write to someone in a special position or job, or to someone you don’t
know.
Your name
Your address
Your city, province
Your postal code
Today’s date
Name and title of the person you are writing
The name of the business or organization
Their address
Their city, province
Their postal code
Dear __________________:
This part of your letter tells what you want to say to the person you are
writing to. It should be written in paragraph form. It may be one or more
paragraphs long.
Yours truly,
(your signature)
Your name typed or printed clearly
How Do I Write a Friendly Letter?
A friendly letter is more casual than a formal letter. This is the type of
letter that you would write to a friend or a family member.
The date
Dear friend:
This part of your letter tells what you want to say to the person you are
writing to. It should be written in paragraph form. It may be one or more
paragraphs long.
Your friend,
(your signature)
What is a Resume?
A resume tells about your experience and your skills. It is used to help
you find a job. Here is a sample resume:
Your name
Your address
Your city, province, postal code
Career Objective
Write what kind of job you are looking for.
Skills
List your skills. Tell about what you are good at or what you
know how to do.
Work Experience
List your past job experience. This can be paid work or
volunteer work. Start with your most recent experience first.
Education
List your education — what diplomas you have, courses outside
of high school or college you have taken. Tell when and where
you went to school.
Interests
List your interests and hobbies (what you like to do).
References
Give the names and phone numbers of 3 people who can tell
about your work habits and your personality.
You should always send a cover letter with your resume. A cover letter
is a formal letter (see Formal Letter) written to the employer to
introduce your resume and summarize your key skills and experience
for the job.
How Can I Improve My Writing?
Writing is not easy. It takes time and effort to become a good writer.
You can help yourself become a better writer if you:
Practice every day
Try to write something every day. The more you write, the
easier it will become.
Start a journal
A journal is a good way to get writing. Each day, write a little
bit about your day, your feelings or your ideas.
Make a grocery list
Write a list when you go shopping. This will help you to
practice writing and will also help you to remember what you
need to buy.
Write letters
Write letters to friends or family. This will give you practice
writing and will also help you keep in touch with people you
care about.
Studying and Tests
How can I improve my study skills?
Have a Place to Study
Find a place where you can study. It should be quiet and
comfortable. Always study in the same place. This will teach
your mind that this is a place for studying.
Study When You are Not Hungry
If you are hungry, you will not be able to concentrate on your
work and will not learn your best.
Know What You Need to Study
There is no point studying things that you already know or
things that are not important.
Choose a Good Time to Study
Know when you study best. If you are a morning person, try to
study in the mornings. If you work well in the evening, try to
study after supper.
Have What You Need
You should have any books, notes, pens, pencils or anything
else that is needed for studying.
Use Study and Comprehension Strategies.
There are many. Look in Appendix 2 for some good ones. Try
some, and find the ones that work best for you. Use them!
Take Breaks
It is hard to study for a long time. Take short breaks to break up
long study periods. Try studying for 50 minutes and then
having a 10 minute break.
Get Tutoring
Help if you are having trouble with the subject. You may want
to ask the instructor, first. Don’t wait until just before a test to
get help.
How Can I Do Better on Tests?
Before the test:
Ask Questions about the Test
- How many questions will there be?
- What type of questions are on the test —
True or False, Multiple Choice,
short essay, long essay?
- How long will I have to write the test?
- What will the test cover? How many chapters? The whole
year’s work?
Study — Don’t Cram.
It is better to study over a few days than to stay up the whole
night the night before the test.
Get Enough Sleep.
Try to keep your regular sleep habits.
Eat.
A healthy meal or snack before the test will give you enough
energy to concentrate and write.
Be Prepared.
Have pencils, pens and erasers ready to take.
Take a Walk
Walking may help you to relax before your test. Try just a
brisk walk up and down the hallway outside your room.
Get There Early
Get to the test on time and have all of your things ready for
when it is time to start. Find out where the washroom is.
Go to the Washroom
Needing to go to the washroom is a normal reaction to stress.
During a test:
Breathe Deeply
Taking deep breaths will help you to calm down before your
test. To do this, breathe in through your nose for the count of 5
(count slowly) and then breathe out through your mouth.
Tense and Relax Your Muscles
To relax your muscles, start with your feet and move upwards.
For each group of muscles, tense and then release. Do this 2 or
3 times for each muscle group.
Shake Out Your Muscles
Shake one group of muscles at a time. Try starting with your
feet, then your legs, arms, upper body and so on.
Figure out how much time to spend on each part.
You don’t want to run out of time. Spend more time on the
parts that are worth more.
Change Locations
If you start to panic during your test, ask if you can change
locations. Sometimes moving to a different place can help you
to concentrate on your test.
Think about What You Know about the Subject
If your mind goes blank when you write a test, take some time
to think about what you do know about the subject. Turn your
test over and write a few notes about what you know. This can
help to “unlock” your brain and get your mind working again.
Think Positive
Believe that you can do well on the test.
Look at a Small Part of the Test
If the test is making you panic, don’t look at the whole test.
Fold your test paper so that you can only see one or two
questions at a time. This way, the test will look and seem more
manageable.
Do the questions you know.
Don’t waste time worrying about the questions you don’t know.
Come back to them later.
How Can I Do Better on Multiple Choice Tests?
Circle the right answer.
What is a Multiple Choice 1. How many days are in a
Test? week?
a. Two (2)
b. Five (5)
A multiple choice test is a test c. Seven (7)
d. Nine (9)
that gives you questions with
2. What type of test looks like
some possible answers. You this?
choose the best answer. You a. True/False
may be asked to circle the right b. Multiple choice
c. Essay test
answer, or fill in a box. Make d. Short answer
sure to follow the directions.
Hints for Taking Multiple Choice Tests:
1. Read the directions. Follow them carefully.
2. Read the question. What is it really asking?
3. Read all the possible answers. Eliminate the ones that you
know are wrong.
4. Mark your answer if you know the right one.
5. Put a mark beside questions you don’t know or aren’t sure
of. You can come back to them later. Keep going.
6. Finish questions you know. Answer all of the questions that
you know the answer for.
7. Go back to questions you didn’t know. Read the question.
Put it in your own words.
8. Get rid of the wrong answers first. Read the possible answers
and cross out those that you know are not right.
9. Decide. Read the choices that are left and decide which one
“sounds” right.
10. Use your first guess. If none of them sound right, mark the one
that you first thought was right. Your “first instinct” is often
correct.
11. Check. Go back and check your answers. Did you mark them
correctly by following the directions?
How Can I Do Better on True/False Tests?
Place a mark beside the right
What is a True/False Test? answer.
1. Saskatoon is a city
____true
A true/false test is a test where you are ____false
given statements and are asked whether 2. An eagle is a bird.
____true
they are true or false (right or wrong). ____false
3. This is a multiple choice
test.
____true
____false
Hints for Taking True/False Tests:
1. Read the directions. Follow them carefully.
2. Read the question. What is it really asking?
3. Circle the numbers of any questions you are unsure of.
Example: An eagle is a bird. ___ true ___ false
4. Finish the questions that you know. Mark true or false.
Examples:
true OR
___ false ___ false
5. Go back to the circled questions. Reread the question
slowly to understand it.
6. Guess. If you cannot figure out the answer, guess at it.
There’s a 50% chance you will be right!!
7. Use these hints if you have to try guessing.
a. Statements are usually false when these words are
in them: everyone, nobody, only, all, always, none,
never or no-one.
b. Statements are usually true when these words are in
them: generally, frequently, usually, often, probably,
sometimes, seldom, some, most, maybe.
How Can I Do Better on Essay Tests?
Is it better to live in a city or in
the country? Explain why and
give reasons to support your
What is an Essay answer. Place a mark beside
the right answer.
Test?
__________________
__________________
__________________
__________________
An essay test asks you
__________________
to answer one or more
__________________
questions in essay
__________________
form. Your answers
__________________
may need to be several
__________________
paragraphs long. You
will need to organize
your thoughts and
ideas into paragraphs
for full marks.
Hints for Taking Essay Tests:
1. Read the directions. The directions may tell you how long
your essay is supposed to be, how it should look, and how
many marks it’s worth.
2. Read the question. Reread it and make sure you understand
what question your essay should answer.
3. Think about your answer. What is really being asked? If a
statement is given, do you agree or disagree? What is your
opinion about the topic? Decide on your topic sentence.
What is a Memory?
“Memory” is the part of the brain that remembers things. There are two
different kinds of memory — short term and long term.
What is Short Term Memory?
Short term memory is where information is stored for just a few
seconds. It is like remembering a phone number for a few seconds but
then forgetting it.
What is Long Term Memory?
Long term memory can remember things for a very long time. To get
information into long term memory, the information must be repeated
at least 30 times. You might remember this information forever.
How Can I Improve My Memory?
You can improve your memory by using different strategies or ways of
trying to remember things.
Make information meaningful
Find something in what you are trying to remember that is
meaningful to your life. If you can relate to or understand the
material, you will be able to remember it.
Make a connection
Find out how what you are learning is related to what you
already know. If you can connect it to what you know already,
you will be able to remember it better.
Practice
In order to remember something, practice saying it over and
over again. The practice will help to store it in your memory.
Chunk it together
It is hard to remember many things at a time. If you can chunk
information together, it will be easier to remember. Group
numbers or letters together in a rhythm.
Example: Miss—iss—ippi (how to spell Mississippi)
Use Memory Tricks.
Try to use rhymes or sentences to learn new material. You can
try to make words or sentences with the first letters of the
words you need to remember.
Example: To remember the order of the
planets, many people learn this rhyme:
My very educated mother just
served us nine pizzas.
— The first letter of each word in the sentence starts with the
same letter as the planet starts with: Mercury, Venus, Earth,
Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto
Alphabetical Order
What is Alphabetical Order?
Alphabetical order means putting words in the order of the alphabet. It
makes it easier to find things because you know where to look.
When Would I Use Alphabetical Order?
or finding names in phone books
for looking up words in dictionaries
for finding books at the library
for organizing files, papers and recipes.
How Do I Put Things in Alphabetical Order?
1. Look at the first letter of each of the words that you are putting
in order.
2. Decide which starting letter comes first in the alphabet.
3. Write that word down first.
4. Look at the first letter of each of the words that are left.
5. Decide which starting letter comes next in the alphabet.
6. Write that word down.
7. Do this until you are done.
What if Two Words Start With the Same Letter?
If 2 or more words start with the same letter, look at the second letters.
The word that has the second letter that comes next in the alphabet
comes before the other word. If the first two letters are the same, look
to the third letter.
Example: chew, card, chomp
1. All of these words start with “c”, so we need to look at the
second letters.
2. The second letter of card, “a”, comes first in the alphabet. None
of the other words have a for a second letter. Card comes first
in the alphabetical order of these words.
3. Both chew and chomp begin with “ch.” We need to look at the
third letters. In the alphabet, “e” (in chew) comes before “o”
(in chomp). So, chew comes second. In alphabetical order:
card
chew
chomp
Using A Dictionary
A dictionary is a book that has a lot of information about words. A
dictionary can tell you many things about words:
How to spell a word.
How to say a word.
What a word means.
How to break a word into syllables (parts).
What kind of word a word is (noun, verb).
Other word forms that are common.
How Do I Use a Dictionary?
Not all dictionaries are the same but most of them are similar.
The dictionary lists words in alphabetical order. The dictionary uses
“entry words” to help you find the word you are looking for.
Entry words are those words that are on the top word #1 word # 2
corner of each page of your dictionary. There are word # 2
two entry words on each page of the dictionary.
The first entry word tells you the first word on the
page. The second entry word tells you the last word
on the page. The words that are on that page are word # 2
words that fall between those words when put in
alphabetical order.
What Other Information is in a Dictionary?
All dictionaries have:
Information on How to use the Book
You will find this at the beginning of the dictionary.
A Pronunciation Key
This is at the beginning of the dictionary.
A Table of Contents
This is at the beginning of the dictionary.
Some dictionaries have:
maps
These are usually at the back of the dictionary.
information on punctuation
This is usually at the back of the dictionary.
information on writing
This is usually at the back of the dictionary.
historical information
This is usually at the back of the dictionary.
synonyms (words that mean the same as another word)
and antonyms (words that mean the opposite of another word).
These are usually found in each word entry.
Appendix 1– Word List
a about after
again all alone
along also always
am an and
any are around
as ask at
away baby back
bad ball be
beautiful because bed
before begin being
beside best better
big bike boy
bring brother bus
but buy by
call came can
can’t car care
chance child children
city clean close
colour come cold
cooks could country
dad daily day
dead did dime
dinner do does
dog down drive
each east easy
eat egg end
enjoy evening every
employ family fast
favourite feel feet
few fire first
fish flowers food
foot for forget
friend from front
fun full furniture
game gas give
get girl give
go good glass
great had hair
half hand happiness
hard has have
he head heart
heat help her
here high him
his holiday home
hope hot house
how hurt husband
I if in
include individual information
Into is it
job join just
keep kind kitchen
know lady land
large last late
learn leave let
life like limit
little live long
look lot love
low made make
man many married
may me mean
meet milk mind
Miss month money
more morning most
mother move Mrs.
much must my
name near need
neighbours never new
next nice night
no not now
number nurse of
off old on
one only open
or order other
our out over
own page park
parent party people
person picnic plan
play pretty private
provide public put
quality quarter quiet
radio reach read
ready really rent
restaurant return rich
ride right run
safe said say
school see she
sigh sister sit
sky small snow
so some song
soon south special
sports start stay
still stop store
study such summer
take talk teacher
team tell than
thanks that the
their them then
there these they
thing think this
those time tired
to today together
told too top
trip trouble true
try turn until
up us use
vegetable very wait
want was watch
water way we
week weekend well
went were west
what when where
which while who
why will wish
with women words
work world worries
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Appendix 2 — Strategies
SQ4R — Strategy for Reading, including Textbooks
S—Survey Look over the text or chapter.
Q—Question Ask yourself a Question based on
the title of the chapter or a major
heading
R— Read Read actively, looking for the
answer to your question.
R— Write Write down important ideas, and
reduce them to key phrases
R—Recall Check to see how much you can
remember of what you’ve read.
R —Review Review your study notes regularly.
COPS Proofreading Strategy
C Capitalization. Make sure you have used capital letters
at the right time.
O Overall Appearance. Make sure that your writing is neat
and looks nice on the page.
P Punctuation. Check to be sure that you have used
punctuation marks correctly.
S Sentences. Make sure that you have used good sentence
structure.
RCRC—Memorizing Strategy
Read - Read a bit of the material. Read it once more.
Cover - Cover the material up.
Recite - Without looking, tell yourself what you have read.
Check - Uncover the material and check to see if you have it right.
5 R’s Note-Taking Strategy
Record Briefly write down the material in
your own words.
Reduce Reduce your notes to key words
which summarize the main ideas.
Recite Now say these main ideas out loud.
Reflect Think about how this new material
relates to other things you’ve
learned.
Review Go over the material regularly:
1st — Review later the same day.
2nd — Review later the same week.
3rd — Review 1 week later.
4th — Review 2-3 weeks later.
5th — Review monthly.
READ Saskatoon
#305 220 Third Ave. S.
Saskatoon SK S7K 1M1
Phone: 306-652-5448
Fax: 306-652-4205
Email: READSaskatoon@nald.ca
Web site: www.nald.ca/readsask.htm
