English Language Arts
Grade 10
15 min
Correct errors with signs
Correct errors with signs
Tutorial Preview
1
Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Differentiate between common homophone pairs and trios (e.g., their/there/they're, your/you're, to/too/two).
Correctly apply apostrophes in contractions versus their possessive pronoun counterparts (e.g., it's vs. its).
Analyze sentences to determine correct word choice based on contextual clues.
Identify and rectify errors involving frequently confused words like affect/effect, then/than, and accept/except.
Edit written passages, including peer work and published texts, to correct errors with these 'sign' words.
Articulate the grammatical rules governing the use of these specific words in written and verbal explanations.
Ever seen a professional sign that says 'Your welcome!' and felt a little confused? 🤔 That misplace...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
HomophoneWords that are pronounced the same but have different meanings, origins, or spellings. The spelling is the visual sign of the intended meaning.The words 'their' (possessive), 'there' (place), and 'they're' (contraction of 'they are') are homophones.
ContractionA shortened form of a word or group of words, where an apostrophe replaces the omitted letters. The apostrophe is a sign that letters are missing.`It's` is a contraction of 'it is' or 'it has'.
Possessive PronounA pronoun that indicates ownership or possession. These pronouns (like its, your, their) are often confused with contractions but never use an apostrophe.The company updated `its` logo. (The logo belongs to the company).
Affe...
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Key Rules & Conventions
The Contraction Test
If you can substitute the two original words (e.g., 'you are' for 'you're', 'it is' for 'it's'), the form with the apostrophe is correct. If the substitution does not make sense, use the possessive form.
Use this test whenever you are unsure whether to use an apostrophe in words like your/you're, their/they're, and its/it's. This is the most reliable way to choose the correct sign.
The RAVEN Mnemonic for Affect/Effect
Remember RAVEN: R(emember), A(ffect) is a V(erb), E(ffect) is a N(oun).
This memory aid helps distinguish between 'affect' and 'effect'. An action (verb) will 'affect' something, leading to an 'effect' (noun/result). While there are rare...
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Challenging
In the sentence, 'The new policy will not _____ the final grade, but the _____ will be noticeable in student morale,' which pair of words correctly fills the blanks?
A.effect, affect
B.affect, affect
C.effect, effect
D.affect, effect
Challenging
A student is peer-editing a research paper and finds this sentence: 'The data's affect on our conclusion is less significant then we first assumed.' Which of the following represents the most effective feedback based on the tutorial's rules?
A.'Affect' and 'then' are spelled wrong; you should run spell check.
B.'Affect' should be 'effect' because you need a noun (a result), and 'then' should be 'than' because you are making a comparison.
C.'Data's' is incorrect because data is plural, and 'then' should be 'than'.
D.This sentence is too informal; you should use 'impact' instead of 'affect' and 'compared to' instead of 'then'.
Challenging
Which sentence is flawed because it violates the 'Contraction Test' as described in the tutorial?
A.They're planning to analyze the results tomorrow.
B.The committee has made its final decision.
C.Your analysis of the poem was insightful.
D.Its a well-known fact that the earth revolves around the sun.
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