Crazy for Commas
Everyone studied for the STAAR test but Kevin played video games instead.
Yes. A comma belongs after the word test.
Watch out for that falling rock
The dogs' collars (was, were) fancy.
The correct answer is were (1 collar was fancy/many collars were fancy).
The correct answer is the controlling idea or thesis sentence.
When you are deciding if a contraction (ex: you're, it's) is needed in a sentence, what strategy should you use?
You should break the contraction into the 2 original words, write it on the text, and read the sentence with those two words to test it.
Ex: I will not like it if (your,you're)late.
I will not like it if you are late. (you're is correct because it means you are).
Jackie asked her teacher "Will you please read the writing prompt?"
Yes. A comma belongs after the word teacher.
Mauricio didnt forget his tablet or his snack on the day of the STAAR test.
This sentence needs an apostrophe (') after the n in the word didn't because it is a contraction.
We were tired after the track meet, so we (walk, walked) home slowly.
The correct answer is walked (Use past tense to match the past tense word were used earlier in the sentence).
The correct answer is indent (This should be about 5 spaces from the left margin).
E = experience
L= literary
P= pop culture
S = sports/science
Renee used all of the strategies that he learned this year for the STAAR test.
During the night the weather became stormy and very cold.
A comma belongs after the word night because it is an introductory phrase
When Camilla could not find her door keys, she searched (frantic, frantically) for them on the sidewalk.
The correct answer is frantically (adverbs ending in "ly" show how she searched. The word frantic is an adjective describing a person).
The correct answer is a graphic organizer (This will help you decide what you will include in your 4 paragraphs).
What strategy should you use when you need to choose a transition word such as however or for example?
Fernanda's mom made her favorite food spaghetti and meatballs for dinner tonight.
Yes. Commas belong after food and meatballs.
The students scores on the STAAR test were very high!
This sentence needs an apostrophe (') after the s in students (correct way to write is students' - something belongs to more than one student).
The carton of strawberries (was, were) accidentally left in the car.
The correct answer is was (Carton is the subject, not strawberries), so the carton was left in the car).
The correct answer is supporting details to help explain your topics.
The correct answer is a thesaurus.
Since Jazmin listened to her writing teacher this year she was commended on the STAAR test!
Yes. A comma belongs after the word year.
"Look in the dictionary," Ms. Weaver reminded her students, if you change one word for another word on the test."
Put quotation marks (") before the word if.
(There must always be a comma between the tag and the spoken words in this split quotation.)
What word belongs in this sentence?
The lion kept a watchful eye on (it's, its) rambunctious cubs.
The correct answer is its (it's = it is, so it would not work for this sentence).
Read (the prompt)
Circle (the prompt)
Flip (into a question)
Answer (the question) - This is your controlling idea.
The correct answer is revise (read the essay many times to correct errors, add better word choice, and to make sure it is interesting to your reader!)