Course Content
A. Vocabulary Building: Roots, Prefixes, and Suffixes
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A.01. Identify common prefixes and their impact on word meaning.
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A.02. Identify common suffixes and their impact on word meaning.
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A.03. Recognize and utilize common Greek and Latin roots to decipher word meanings.
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A.04. Sort words by shared Greek or Latin roots.
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A.05. Determine the meanings of Greek and Latin roots.
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A.06. Use words as clues to the meanings of Greek and Latin roots.
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A.07. Determine the meanings of words with Greek and Latin roots.
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A.08. Apply knowledge of prefixes, suffixes, and roots to understand unfamiliar words in context.
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A.09. Create new words by combining prefixes, suffixes, and roots, demonstrating an understanding of their functions.
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A.10. Explore the etymology of words to understand their historical development and connections to other languages.
B. Word Usage and Nuance
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B.01. Use dictionary entries to determine correct usage of words.
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B.02. Replace words using a thesaurus to enhance writing.
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B.03. Choose the word whose connotation and denotation best match the sentence.
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B.04. Describe the difference between related words, considering subtle variations in meaning.
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B.05. Use words accurately and precisely to convey intended meaning.
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B.06. Analyze the impact of word choice on tone and audience perception.
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B.07. Evaluate the effectiveness of different words in conveying specific emotions or ideas.
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B.08. Distinguish between formal and informal language, and use appropriate vocabulary in various contexts.
C. Homophones and Foreign Expressions
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C.01. Use the correct homophone in a sentence.
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C.02. Identify and correct errors with homophones in written text.
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C.03. Use context as a clue to the meanings of foreign expressions.
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C.04. Use the correct foreign expression in a sentence.
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C.05. Use etymologies to determine the meanings of words, including foreign loanwords.
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C.06. Recognize and explain the origins of common foreign expressions used in English.
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C.07. Evaluate the appropriateness of using foreign expressions in different writing contexts.
D. Analogies
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D.01. Identify the relationship between pairs of words in an analogy.
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D.02. Complete simple analogies by identifying the missing word.
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D.03. Solve complex analogies requiring nuanced understanding of word relationships.
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D.04. Create original analogies to demonstrate understanding of vocabulary and relationships between concepts.
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D.05. Analyze the effectiveness of analogies in conveying meaning and making arguments.
E. Grammar Essentials: Phrases and Clauses
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E.01. Identify prepositional phrases within sentences.
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E.02. Identify appositives and appositive phrases, understanding their function.
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E.03. Identify dependent and independent clauses within complex sentences.
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E.04. Determine whether a group of words is a phrase or a clause.
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E.05. Classify sentences as simple, compound, complex, or compound-complex based on their clause structure.
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E.06. Combine sentences effectively using relative clauses to improve clarity and flow.
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E.07. Diagram sentences to visualize the relationships between phrases and clauses.
F. Grammar Essentials: Sentences
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F.01. Identify sentence fragments and understand why they are incomplete.
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F.02. Identify run-on sentences and understand why they are grammatically incorrect.
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F.03. Choose appropriate punctuation to correct sentence fragments and run-on sentences.
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F.04. Construct grammatically correct and complete sentences.
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F.05. Vary sentence structure to create engaging and effective writing.
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F.06. Evaluate the effectiveness of different sentence structures in conveying specific meanings.
G. Pronoun Usage
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G.01. Identify and correctly use subject and object pronouns in sentences.
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G.02. Understand and apply the rules for using pronouns after ‘than’ and ‘as’.
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G.03. Identify and correct pronoun errors involving ‘who’ and ‘whom’.
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G.04. Use relative pronouns (who, whom, whose, which, that) correctly in sentences.
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G.05. Identify vague pronoun references and revise sentences for clarity.
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G.06. Identify all possible antecedents for a given pronoun.
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G.07. Correct inappropriate shifts in pronoun number and person to maintain consistency.
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G.08. Analyze the impact of pronoun choice on the clarity and flow of a paragraph.
H. Verb Tense and Agreement
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H.01. Identify transitive and intransitive verbs in sentences.
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H.02. Identify linking verbs and their complements (predicate adjectives and predicate nouns).
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H.03. Form the progressive verb tenses (present, past, future).
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H.04. Form the perfect verb tenses (present, past, future).
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H.05. Identify and correct errors with subject-verb agreement in simple sentences.
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H.06. Identify and correct errors with indefinite pronoun-verb agreement.
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H.07. Identify and correct verb agreement errors with compound subjects.
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H.08. Identify and correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense within a paragraph.
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H.09. Use verb tenses effectively to convey time and sequence of events.
I. Modifiers: Adjectives, Adverbs, and Placement
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I.01. Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives correctly.
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I.02. Form and use comparative and superlative adverbs correctly.
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I.03. Distinguish between good/well, better/best, and bad/badly/worse/worst and use them correctly.
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I.04. Select the misplaced or dangling modifier in a sentence.
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I.05. Identify and correct misplaced modifiers to ensure clarity.
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I.06. Analyze the impact of modifier placement on sentence meaning.
J. Punctuation Essentials
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J.01. Use commas with non-restrictive elements to add information without interrupting the sentence.
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J.02. Use commas with direct addresses, introductory elements, absolute phrases, interjections, interrupters, and antithetical phrases.
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J.03. Use commas with compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences to separate clauses.
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J.04. Use commas with coordinate adjectives to create a smooth flow.
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J.05. Join sentences effectively using semicolons, colons, and commas.
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J.06. Use colons and commas to introduce lists, quotations, and appositives.
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J.07. Use semicolons and commas to separate items in a series.
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J.08. Use dashes to set off parenthetical elements or create emphasis.
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J.09. Use hyphens in compound adjectives to avoid ambiguity.
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J.10. Decide whether ellipses are used appropriately to indicate omitted words or trailing thoughts.
K. Apostrophes and Capitalisation
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K.01. Identify and correct errors with plural and possessive nouns, ensuring proper usage of apostrophes.
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K.02. Identify and correct errors with compound and joint possession, applying apostrophes correctly.
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K.03. Correct capitalisation errors in sentences, following standard English rules.
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K.04. Explain the rules governing apostrophe usage and capitalization.
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K.05. Apply these rules consistently in their own writing.
L. Writing Clearly and Concisely
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L.01. Transitions with conjunctive adverbs to link ideas smoothly.
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L.02. Identify and revise double, illogical, and unclear comparisons.
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L.03. Identify sentences with parallel structure and understand its importance.
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L.04. Use parallel structure to create balanced and effective sentences.
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L.05. Remove redundant words or phrases to enhance clarity and conciseness.
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L.06. Analyze writing samples to identify areas for improvement in clarity and conciseness.
M. Editing and Revising
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M.01. Use the correct frequently confused word (e.g., there/their/they’re, to/too/two).
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M.02. Identify and correct errors with frequently confused words.
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M.03. Identify and correct errors with frequently confused pronouns and contractions (e.g., its/it’s, your/you’re).
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M.04. Correct errors with commonly misspelled words.
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M.05. Correct errors in everyday use of grammar and punctuation.
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M.06. Suggest appropriate revisions to improve the overall quality of a piece of writing.
N. Research Skills and Academic Integrity
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N.01. Define plagiarism and explain its ethical implications.
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N.02. Identify instances of plagiarism in various sources.
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N.03. Apply proper citation methods to avoid plagiarism in academic writing.
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N.04. Differentiate between paraphrasing and summarizing, and use both effectively.
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N.05. Evaluate the credibility and reliability of sources used in research.
O. Main Idea and Purpose
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O.01. Determine the main idea of a passage or text.
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O.02. Identify the author’s intended audience for a given text.
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O.03. Identify the author’s purpose in writing a particular text (e.g., to inform, persuade, entertain).
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O.04. Analyze how audience and purpose influence the tone and content of a text.
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O.05. Compare passages for subjective and objective tone, understanding the impact of each.
P. Analyzing Tone
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P.01. Compare passages for tone, identifying subtle differences in the author’s attitude.
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P.02. Identify the tone of a literary or informational passage.
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P.03. Determine the tone of a passage.
Q. Literary Devices and Rhetorical Strategies
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Q.01. Identify the narrative point of view used in a story or passage.
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Q.02. Interpret and explain the meaning of figures of speech such as metaphors, similes, and personification.
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Q.03. Classify different types of figures of speech (e.g., euphemism, hyperbole, oxymoron, paradox, anaphora, antithesis, apostrophe, assonance, chiasmus, understatement).
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Q.04. Analyze the effects of figures of speech on meaning and tone in a text.
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Q.05. Identify appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos in advertisements and persuasive writing.
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Q.06. Use appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos effectively in persuasive writing.
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Q.07. Analyze rhetorical strategies in historical texts to understand their persuasive power.
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Q.08. Evaluate the effectiveness of literary devices and rhetorical strategies in achieving the author’s purpose.
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Q.09. Explore the use of literary devices and rhetorical strategies in different genres and historical periods.
R. Argumentation and Evidence
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R.05. Evaluate counterclaims and understand how they challenge an argument.
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R.06. Choose the analysis that logically connects the evidence to the claim.
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R.07. Transition logically between claims, evidence, analysis, and counterclaims in argumentative writing.
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R.08. Construct well-reasoned arguments with clear claims, strong evidence, and logical analysis.
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R.09. Critique the effectiveness of arguments presented in various texts, identifying strengths and weaknesses.
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R.01. Distinguish between facts and opinions in written and spoken discourse.
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R.02. Identify stronger and weaker evidence to support a claim or argument.
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R.03. Choose the best evidence from a text to support a specific claim.
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R.04. Identify supporting evidence within a text to strengthen an argument.
S. Analyzing Literature
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S.01. Analyze short stories, focusing on elements such as plot, character, setting, and theme.
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S.02. Trace an argument in informational texts, identifying the main claim and supporting evidence.
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S.03. Analyze the development of ideas in informational passages, understanding how the author builds their argument.
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S.04. Evaluate the credibility and reliability of sources used in literary and informational texts.
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S.05. Compare and contrast different interpretations of a literary work, supporting their analysis with textual evidence.
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S.06. Explore the historical and cultural contexts of literary works to understand their deeper meanings.
T. Organizing Writing
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T.01. Order topics from broadest to narrowest to create a logical structure.
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T.02. Organize information effectively by topic, using headings and subheadings.
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T.03. Choose the topic sentence that best captures the main idea of a paragraph.
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T.04. Develop well-organized essays with clear introductions, body paragraphs, and conclusions.
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T.05. Create outlines to structure written assignments effectively.
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T.06. Evaluate the effectiveness of different organizational strategies in conveying information and persuading audiences.
