Week 15 — Written Conventions: Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics

MCAP ELA 10 practice · Written conventions · Download .docx

Objectives

Use commas, semicolons, colons, and apostrophes correctly to join clauses, introduce lists, set off extra information, and show possession.
Make subjects and verbs agree, use pronouns in the correct number and case, and keep verb tenses consistent.
Write complete, clear sentences by fixing fragments, run-ons, faulty parallelism, and misplaced modifiers, and spell commonly confused words correctly.

Key terms

Comma splice: Two complete sentences joined only by a comma.
Sentence fragment: An incomplete sentence missing a subject, verb, or complete thought.
Semicolon: A mark that joins two closely related complete sentences.
Colon: A mark that introduces a list or explanation after a complete sentence.
Subject-verb agreement: Matching a verb to its subject in number.
Pronoun case: Using the subject or object form of a pronoun to match its job.
Parallel structure: Matching grammatical forms in a list or series.
Misplaced modifier: A describing phrase placed next to the wrong word.

The concept

Why conventions matter

On every MCAP ELA 10 constructed response, a Written Conventions score from 0 to 3 is given separately from Written Expression. Strong ideas cannot make up for errors that confuse a reader, and careful editing is one of the fastest ways to raise a total score. On selected-response items, you will also be asked to choose the correct revision of an underlined part of a sentence.

Joining sentences

A complete sentence, also called an independent clause, has a subject and a verb and expresses a full thought. To join two of them, use a comma plus a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so), a semicolon, or a semicolon followed by a word such as however with a comma after it. A comma alone creates a comma splice. No punctuation at all creates a run-on.

Colons, commas, and apostrophes

A colon must follow a complete sentence. "Bring three things: a pen, a badge, and a laptop" is correct; "Bring: a pen" is not. Use commas to set off nonessential clauses, after introductory clauses, and between items in a series. For possession, add an apostrophe and s to a singular noun (the player's jersey) and an apostrophe after the s of a plural noun ending in s (the players' jerseys).

Agreement and pronouns

Find the true subject by crossing out phrases between the subject and verb. In "Each of the musicians has a solo," each is the subject, so the verb is singular. With neither and nor, the verb agrees with the subject closer to it. Pronouns must match their antecedents in number, and after a preposition such as between, use the object form: between Marcus and me.

Tense and sentence clarity

Once you choose a tense, keep it unless the time really changes. Fix fragments by connecting them to a nearby sentence. Keep lists parallel: write code, test circuits, and present designs. Place modifiers next to what they describe, and make sure an opening phrase like "Walking into the gym" is followed by the person who is walking.

Editing on test day

Save the last five to ten minutes of each constructed response for editing. Read sentence by sentence, checking each for a subject, a verb, correct end punctuation, and commonly confused words such as affect and effect or their, there, and they're. MSDE's guidance says a score reflects what is in the response, so every error you fix improves the writing a scorer sees.

Worked examples

Example 1: Passage: "The Terrapins scored with ten seconds left, the crowd at the stadium erupted." Model answer: Step 1, find the clauses: "The Terrapins scored with ten seconds left" and "the crowd at the stadium erupted" can each stand alone. Step 2, name the error: two complete sentences joined only by a comma is a comma splice. Step 3, choose a fix: add a conjunction, "left, and the crowd erupted," or a semicolon, "left; the crowd erupted," or a subordinating word, "When the Terrapins scored with ten seconds left, the crowd erupted." Step 4, check meaning: the subordinating version shows that the crowd reacted to the score, so it is the clearest choice.

Example 2: Passage: "Neither my sister nor my cousins has seen the new mural on Route 214, which honor local veterans." Model answer: Step 1, find the first subject: with neither and nor, the verb agrees with the closer subject, cousins, which is plural, so has becomes have. Step 2, find the second subject: the clause "which honor local veterans" describes the mural, which is singular, so honor becomes honors. Step 3, check the comma: the clause adds extra information about a mural already identified, so the comma before which is correct. Step 4, write the corrected sentence: "Neither my sister nor my cousins have seen the new mural on Route 214, which honors local veterans."

Common mistakes

Using a comma to join two complete sentences. Students hear a pause and add a comma, creating a comma splice. Fix it by checking whether each side of the comma could stand alone; if so, use a semicolon, add a conjunction such as and or but, or start a new sentence.
Matching the verb to the nearest noun instead of the subject. In "The list of names are long," the writer matched the verb to names. Fix it by crossing out the phrase between the subject and verb, then reading "The list is long" to hear the right form.
Leaving fragments that start with words like which, because, or until. These look like sentences but cannot stand alone. Fix it by reading each sentence by itself; if it does not make sense alone, attach it to the sentence before or after it.

Self-check

Try each one before you look. A miss here costs nothing and tells you exactly what to reread.

1. Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

2. Which sentence has correct subject-verb agreement?

3. Which choice correctly completes the sentence? "The teacher handed the lab results to Kiara and _____."

4. Which sentence uses parallel structure?

5. Which word group is a sentence fragment?

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