Key Takeaways
- Eight parts of speech: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, interjection
- Subjects and verbs must agree in number
- Pronouns must agree with antecedents in number and gender
- Use correct pronoun case (subjective, objective, possessive)
- Keep verb tenses consistent
Grammar Fundamentals
The Writing section of the ParaPro tests your knowledge of standard English grammar. Understanding these rules helps you identify errors and assist students in the classroom.
Parts of Speech
| Part of Speech | Definition | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | Person, place, thing, or idea | teacher, school, book, happiness |
| Pronoun | Replaces a noun | he, she, it, they, we |
| Verb | Action or state of being | run, think, is, were |
| Adjective | Describes a noun | tall, blue, happy, many |
| Adverb | Describes a verb, adjective, or adverb | quickly, very, often, well |
| Preposition | Shows relationship between words | in, on, under, between, after |
| Conjunction | Connects words or clauses | and, but, or, because, although |
| Interjection | Expresses emotion | wow, ouch, hey, oh |
Subject-Verb Agreement
The subject and verb must agree in number.
Singular subjects take singular verbs:
- The dog runs in the park. ✓
- The dog run in the park. ✗
Plural subjects take plural verbs:
- The dogs run in the park. ✓
- The dogs runs in the park. ✗
Tricky Cases:
| Situation | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Words between subject/verb | Match verb to subject | The box of books is heavy. |
| Compound subjects with "and" | Usually plural | Tom and Jerry are friends. |
| Compound subjects with "or/nor" | Match closer subject | Neither he nor they are coming. |
| Collective nouns | Usually singular | The team is winning. |
| Indefinite pronouns | Check if singular/plural | Everyone has a pencil. |
Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
Pronouns must agree with their antecedents (the words they replace) in number and gender.
Singular antecedent → singular pronoun:
- The student raised his/her hand. ✓
- The student raised their hand. ✗ (traditionally incorrect)
Plural antecedent → plural pronoun:
- The students raised their hands. ✓
Pronoun Case
| Case | Use | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Subjective | Subject of sentence | I, you, he, she, it, we, they |
| Objective | Object of verb/preposition | me, you, him, her, it, us, them |
| Possessive | Shows ownership | my, your, his, her, its, our, their |
Common Errors:
-
✗ Me and him went to school.
-
✓ He and I went to school.
-
✗ Give the book to she.
-
✓ Give the book to her.
Verb Tenses
| Tense | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Present | Happening now/general truth | She walks to school. |
| Past | Already happened | She walked to school. |
| Future | Will happen | She will walk to school. |
| Present Perfect | Past to present | She has walked to school every day. |
| Past Perfect | Before another past action | She had walked home before it rained. |
Key Rule: Keep tenses consistent within a sentence or paragraph unless indicating a time shift.
Classroom Application
Help students with grammar by:
- Creating anchor charts for parts of speech
- Using color-coding for subject/verb pairs
- Practicing with fill-in-the-blank exercises
- Reading aloud to hear grammatical errors
- Teaching one concept at a time before combining
Which sentence has correct subject-verb agreement?
Which pronoun correctly completes: "Neither the teacher nor the students forgot ___ homework."