Language and Grammar

Fluently, independently, and legibly write all upper and lower case cursive letters

Produce grade-appropriate text using legible cursive writing

Use relative pronouns (who, whose, whom, which, that) and relative adverbs (where, when, why)

Form and use the progressive (e.g., I was walking; I am walking; I will be walking) verb tenses

Use modal auxiliaries (e.g., can, may, must) to convey various conditions

Order adjectives within sentences according to conventional patterns (e.g., a small red bag rather than a red small bag)

Form and use prepositional phrases

Produce complete sentences, recognizing and correcting inappropriate fragments and run-ons

Correctly use frequently confused words (e.g., to, too, two; there, their)

Use correct capitalization

Use commas and quotation marks to mark direct speech and quotations from a text

Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction in a compound sentence

Spell grade-appropriate words correctly, consulting references as needed

Choose words and phrases to convey ideas precisely

Choose punctuation for effect

Differentiate between contexts that call for formal English (e.g., presenting ideas) and situations where informal discourse is appropriate (e.g., small-group discussion)

Use context (e.g., definitions, examples, or restatements in text) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

Use common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., telegraph, photograph, autograph).

Consult reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation and determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases.