Nurse Cheung ATI TEAS 7 English & Language Usage

Spelling Rules: I before E, except after C

The rule is ONLY true when the IE makes a LONG E sound.

EXAMPLES:

- achieve

- believe

- piece

- receive

- receipt

- ceiling

- deceive

- preconceived

Spelling Rules: I before E, except after C EXCEPTION

The vowel sound is not a LONG E.

- ancient

- efficient

- science

- sufficient

- their

- foreign

- weird

- leisure

- height

- neighbor

- weight

- vein

- feisty

Spelling Rules: Drop the final E

Drop the E when the suffix is a vowel suffix.

Common suffixes:

- ing

- ed

Constant suffixes:

- ful

- less

EXAMPLES:

- hope + ful = hopeful

- hope + ing = hoping (drop the E)

- care + less = careless

- care + ed = cared (drop the E)

Spelling Rules: Drop the final E EXCEPTION

Keep the E if the word ends in "CE" or "GE" and the suffix starts with A or O.

- notice + able = noticeable

- change + able = changeable

- courage + ous = courageous

- outrage + ous = outrageous

Spelling Rules: Double the Final Consonant

Follow the 1:1:1 rule (1 syllable: 1 vowel: 1 consonant).

Common suffixes:

- ing

- ed

- able (vowel suffix)

EXAMPLES:

- run + ing = running

- trip + ed = tripped

- jog + ing = jogging

- hug + able = huggable

Spelling Rules: Double the Final Consonant EXCEPTION

Words ending in H, W, X and Y do not follow this rule.

EXAMPLES:

- mix + ing = mixing NOT mixxing

- play + able = playable NOT playyable

- brew + ing = brewing NOT brewwing

Words ending in H don't typically follow the 1:1:1 rule!

Spelling Rules: Change the Y to an I

1. Adding any suffix except -ing

EXAMPLE: baby = babies

2. Constant + Y

EXAMPLE: happy = happiness

Spelling Rules: Change the Y to an I EXPECTIONS

Final Y + ing

if you are adding -ing to word, KEEP the final Y.

EXAMPLES:

- copy + ing = copying NOT copiing

- enjoy + ing = enjoying NOT enjoiing

(DOUBLE i IS NOT A VOWEL TEAM IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE)

Do Not Change Y to I

1. adding any suffix except -ing

2. vowel + Y

EXAMPLES:

- stay + ed = stayed NOT staied

- valley + s = valleys NOT vallies

Rules for Plurals: General Rule

Most nouns are made plural by adding "s" to the end of the singular form

EXAMPLE:

- car = cars

- bag = bags

- table = tables

Rules for Plurals: Nouns Ending in "F" or "FE"

Change the "F" or "FE" to -ves

EXAMPLES:

- calf = calves

- shelf = shelves

- wolf = wolves

EXCEPTIONS:

- there are certain words you do not drop the "F" OR "FE": roofs, chiefs, chefs, beliefs, oafs, reefs, giraffes, refs, safes, surfs.

Rules for Plurals: Nouns Ending in S, X, Z, CH, SH, and SS

Most nouns are made plurals by adding "es" to the end of the singular form.

EXAMPLES:

- bus = buses

- bench = benches

- box = boxes

EXCEPTION:

- words where the "ch" sound is pronounced "k" like stomachs = stomachs.

- words that have the irregualr plural, like fish = fish OR ox = oxen.

Rules for Plurals: Nouns Ending in O

Nouns that end in "O" preceded by a vowel is made plural by adding -s.

EXAMPLES"

- radio = radios

- stereo = stereos

- video = videos

EXCEPTIONS: Nouns that end in "O" preceded by a consonant is made plural by adding -es.

- piano = pianos

- photos = photos

- halo = halos

EXAMPLES:

- potato = potatoes

- hero = heroes

- domino = dominoes

Rules for Plurals: Nouns Ending in "Y"

When the "Y" follows a consonant, change the "Y"

to "i" and add -es.

EXAMPLES:

- city = cities

- candy = candies

- lady = ladies

When the "Y" follows a vowel, the plural is formed by retaining the "Y" and adding -s.

EXAMPLES:

- day = days

- toy = toys

- donkey = donkeys

Homophones - "SOUND"

Words that sound the same but have a different meaning.

(Spelled differently)

Homographs - "WRITING"

Words that are spelled the same but may not sound the same.

(Sound differently)

Homonyms

Words that are spelled that same and sound the same with different meanings.

Standard English Punctuation: Period

Every declarative sentence should conclude with a period.

EXAMPLES:

- She loves chocolate.

- He is my best friend.

- My dad wants to go to a restaurant for dinner.

- We have a meeting in two hours.

Standard English Punctuation: Capitalize Proper Nouns

Capitalize proper nouns, not common nouns (unless it starts a sentence).

EXAMPLES:

- He is a boy. His name is David.

- The best day of the week is Friday.

- My favorite month of the year is July.

- Canada is a country known for its natural beauty.

- New York is a city that never sleeps.

- The Atlantic Ocean is a vast ocean between the Americas and Europe.

Standard English Punctuation: Capitalize the First Letter

Capitalize the first letter of a sentence.

EXAMPLES:

- She loves chocolate.

- He is my best friend.

- My dad wants to go to a restaurant for dinner.

- We have a meeting in two hours.

Standard English Punctuation: Don't Use Apostrophe

Do not use an apostrophe to form a plural.

Standard English Punctuation: Do Use Apostrophe

Apostrophes are used for contractions or to show possession.

Standard English Punctuation: Question Marks

Every question or interrogative sentence must end with a question mark.

Standard English Punctuation: Exclamation Mark

Add an exclamation mark at the end of a sentence to express excitement, strong emotion, or a sense of urgency.

Standard English Punctuation: Commas

Use commas to separate items in a series of three or more things.

Standard English Punctuation: Commas Joined by Conjunction

Use a comma to separate independent clauses (complete thoughts) when they are joined by the following conjunctions.

Standard English Punctuation: Semicolon

Use a semicolon between closely related independent clauses.

Standard English Punctuation: Colon

Use a colon to introduce a list of items.

Standard English Punctuation: Hyphen

Use hyphen to join two or more words that serve as a single adjective before a noun.

Standard English Punctuation: Hyphen with Compound Numbers

Use a hyphen with compound numbers. You should hyphenate compound numbers between 21 and 99.

Direct Quotes

Use the speaker's own words; put quotations marks around the speech.

Indirect Quotes

Do not use the exact words of the speaker; do not use quotations marks.

Parts of Speech: Verb

Describes an action or experience.

Parts of Speech: Noun

Names a person, place, things, or ideas.

Parts of Speech: Adjective

Describes a noun or a pronoun.

Parts of Speech: Adverb

Describes a verb, an adjective, or an adverb. Tells us how often, how, where, or when.

Parts of Speech: Pronoun

Replaces the name of the person, place, thing, or idea in a sentence.

Parts of Speech: Interjection

Express strong emotions and is often followed by an exclamation mark.

Parts of Speech: Conjunction

Connects words, phrases, or clauses in a sentence.

Parts of Speech: Prepositions

Describes the place, time, or direction. It is used before a noun or pronoun.

Subjects

It tells who or what the sentence is about.

Predicate

It tells what someone or something is or does.

Modifier

Words or phase that adds information about another word or phrase.

- adjectives and adverbs are modifiers.

Subjects & Predicates

You need both subject + predicate to make a complete thought/ sentence.

Subject Complement

Object Complement

A noun, adjective, or phrase which adds information about the direct object (succeeds the direct object).

Clause

A group of words that has a subject and verb.

Independent Clause

Independent clause is a completed thought.

Dependent Clause

Dependent clause needs more information and not a completed thought.

- start with a subordinating conjunction: since, when, if, while, because, who, that, which, who, that, which, as, although, whether, until, unless, in case, and/or even though.

Simple Sentences

One independent clause

- one subject

- one verb

- completed thought

EXAMPLE:

Lola knew a lot about elephants.

- Lola (subject)

- knew (verb)

Compound Sentence

Two or more independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction. (Jointed by coordinating conjunction)

EXAMPLE:

Although Calvin was running late, he seemed relaxed.

- He seemed relaxed (independent)

- although Calvin was running late (dependent)

Complex Sentence

One independent clause and one dependent clause.

(dependent clauses are not a completed though)

EXAMPLE:

He was hungry, so he ate.

- He, he (subject)

- Was, ate (verb)

- so (conjunction)

Direct Objects

Receives the action of a verb directly.

Answers the question:

- what?

- who?

- whom?

Indirect Objects

Recipient of the direct object (action that is done).

Answers the question:

- at whom?

- to whom?

- for whom?

- from whom?

Complete Sentence

Complete sentences require both a subject + predicate.

EXAMPLE:

Roses are red. (subject + predicate)

Incomplete Sentence

Parts of a sentence is missing.

EXAMPLE:

drinks coffee every morning. (no subject + predicate)

Imperative Sentence

Issues a command, request, or instruction.

No subject needed + predicate.

Transition Words

Past Simple Verb Tense

An action that has already happened.

Past Perfect Verb Tense

An action that was finished before another past action. - ALWAYS SEE THE WORDS: has, have, had

Past Progressive Verb Tense

A past action that was ongoing.

- ALWAYS SEE THE WORDS: was, were, will + verb (-ing)

Present Simple Verb Tense

An action that occurs in the present.

Present Perfect Verb Tense

An action that has taken once or many times before now.

- ALWAYS SEE THE WORDS: has, have, had.

Present Progressive Verb Tense

An action that was ongoing now.

- ALWAYS SEE THE WORDS: am, is, are + verb (-ing).

Future Simple Verb Tense

An action that hasn't happened yet.

Future Perfect Verb Tense

An action that will be completed before a specified time.

Future Progressive Verb Tense

An action that will occur and continue for a set period of time in the future.

Diction

The choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing.

What diction can do:

- affect the tone and complexity

- determine the formality

- determine the strength

- identify the speaker

Run-on Sentences

When two independent clauses run together without proper punctuation or appropriate conjunctions.

How to fix run-on sentences:

- divide into two distinct sentences

- insert necessary punctuation and conjunction.

EXAMPLE:

Sue was not out of sugar she needed to make cookies she had to go to the grocery to get some.

Narrative Writing

Aa style that allows the writer to tell a story.

Structure: Character, Setting, Conflict, Climax, & resolution.

Character

Anything that performs an action or speaks the dialogue in the story.

Setting

Location and time of the story. Can be fictional or non-fictional.

Conflict

Problem or complication that affects the setting or character.

Climax

Part of the story where the action is at its peak.

Resolution

The conclusion of the story, where the program is solved.

Formal Language

Appropriate for professional or significant situations.

Informal Language

More causal language.

Formal Language Examples

Informal Language Examples

Chronological Order

Arrangement of ideas following one after another in time (primarily used in expository writing styles).

Order of Importance

Used for persuading, convincing, and ranking items b their importance or advantage.

Spatial Order

Using directional words.

1. Helping readers visualize something.

2. Creating a scene using the five senses.

3. Writing a descriptive essay

Transitions:

- just to the left/ right

- behind/ between

- on the left/ right

- across from

- a little futher down

to the south/ east

- a few yards away

- turning left/ right

Unnecessary Information

Any details or content that do not contribute to the main point or purpose of the writing.

Omitted Words

Pertinent details that are left out either intentionally or unintentionally, leading to a potential lack of clarity or incomplete understanding.

Step 1 in the Writing Process: Prewriting

- planning process.

- narrowing down topic.

- creating framework.

Type of Prewriting

- Stream of Consciousness: unstructured, unplanned method of writing where you write down everything that comes to mind without worrying about grammar, punctuality, or even coherence.

- Brainstorming: structured approach, where you actively think about the topic and write down any related ideas.

- Mind Mapping: draw a map of your ideas starting with central concepts and branching out into subconcepts.

Step 2 in the Writing Process: Writing

Begin drafting the initial draft of your writing.

Step 3 in the Writing Process: Conferencing

Discuss the draft with others to get their feedback, including peers, teachers, and professional editor.

Step 5 of the Writing Process: Editing

Focus on micro-level detail like grammar, punctuation, spelling, and sentence structure.

Cite Sources

Gives credit to the original authors, allowing readers to find the original source of information.

Citations: In-Text

Citations: Paraphrasing

Citation with Multiple Authors

Citations with Missing Details

Prefixes

Word part that comes at the beginning of a certain words.

Suffixes

Word part that comes at the end of certain words.

Suffixes: Inflectional

Suffixes: Derivational

Prefixes & Suffixes

How to Determine Word Meaning

Break words into parts to decipher what the word means.

(Think of other words that have the same parts).

Step 4 of the Writing Process: Revision

Incorporate feedback received, restructure work, add details, remove redundancies, and improve your draft at a macro level.