Sentence & Grammar Tools
This term means verb form that shows something happens now or regularly.
Example: I **walk** to school.
Present Tense
This word means a shortened form of a word.
Example: Dr. = Doctor
Abbreviation
This term means what happened and why it happened, and what the result was because it happened.
Example: It rained → the game was canceled.
Cause and Effect
This is the writing step where you fix mistakes in spelling, punctuation, grammar, and capitalization so your writing is correct.
Edit/Editing
Example: I edited my paragraph by correcting commas and fixing misspelled words.
This prefix means "not" at the beginning of a root word, or inside.
In-
Example: incorrect = not correct
This term means verb form that shows something already happened.
Example: We **walked** home.
Past Tense
This is the punctuation used to show the exact words someone says or to show dialogue in a story.
Quotation Marks
Example: “I’m ready,” said Jordan.
This term means how a character changes across a story.
Example: He starts the book being selfish, then by the end of the book he learns to share.
Character Development
This is the writing step where you improve your draft by adding, deleting, or changing words and ideas to make it clearer and stronger.
Revise/Revising
Example: I revised my introduction by adding a hook and removing extra details.
This prefix means "wrong" or "badly" at the beginning of a root word.
Mis-
Example: misunderstand = understand wrong
This word means a verb that shows what someone or something does.
Example: She **ran** to the door.
Action Verb
This punctuation mark separates ideas or items in a list.
Example: I bought apples, oranges, and grapes.
Comma
This term means the most important exciting, or emotional moment in a story.
Example: The hero finally faces the villain.
Climax
This term means a word/phrase that helps writing flow.
Example: First, then, next, however, finally.
Transition Word/Phrase
This prefix means "again" at the beginning of a root word.
Re-
Example: rewrite = write again
This word means a verb that connects the subject to a description.
Example: The soup **is** hot.
Linking Verb
This punctuation mark is used for ownership or contractions.
Example: Sara’s book / don’t
Apostrophe
This skill means using clues + what you know to figure something out.
Example: She grabbed a coat → it’s probably cold.
Making an Inference/ Inferring
This skill means telling how things are the same and different.
Example: Cats and dogs are both pets, but…
Compare and Contrast
This prefix means "not" at the beginning of a root word.
Un-
Example: unfair = not fair
This is when you use two negatives in the same sentence (usually incorrect)
Ex: I don’t need no help.
Double Negative
This punctuation mark introduces a list or explanation.
Example: "Bring: pencil, paper, and a folder."
Colon
This term means what the text is mostly about.
Example: The article explains why recycling matters.
Main Idea/ Essential Message
This term means the words characters say in a story.
Example: “Stop!” shouted Mia.
Dialogue
This suffix means "without" at the end of a root word.
-less
Example: hopeless = without hope