1
The Teachers’ Guide
toThe Second KISS Grammar Book
The Teacher
by John George Brown
(1866) Private collection
From The Athenaeum
In searching for an image for the cover of the students’ second book, I decided that Brown’s image of a young boy smiling while reading couldn’t hurt. Reading really is fundamental. In collecting images at The Athenaeum (link above), Brown’s The Teacher reminded me that the best way to learn is to teach. It’s a tricky business, but students do profit from teaching each other. At a very simple level, in reviewing KISS exercises in class, students can take turns in explaining the answers to each sentence. And if they know that they will be randomly asked to explain their own answers, they tend to be more prepared for class. They can also do well in helping each other analyze their own writing.
Perhaps the most fruitful way to engage students in teaching is to have them make exercises for their peers and/or future students. Simply have students collect sentences (or parts of sentences) from things that they are reading that would fit in any of the exercises they are doing. They can then work by themselves or in groups to make the analysis keys.
Teaching makes students focus more on what they need to say, and it gives them confidence.
© Dr. Ed Vavra
Revised September22, 2015
KISS Instructional Materials are available for free at KISSGrammar.org.
The study of grammar is a science.
The teaching of grammar is an art.
Related Books:
Students’ Workbook / Book 2 ReaderSupplemental: / Workbook / Teachers’ Guide
I plan on adding exercises to the Supplemental Book—which is currently rather empty.
Introduction
Initial Assessment
Initial Assessment - AK
Unit 1—Review
Capital Letters
Ex. 1 - On Capitalization
Punctuation
Ex. 2 - Punctuating Sentences from "Dick Whittington"
Ex. 3 - Apostrophes to Show Possession
Ex. 4 - Punctuating Contractions
Ex. 5 – Replacing Lost Punctuation
Other Constructions
Ex. 6 - “There” as a Subject - Based on The Tale of Samuel Whiskers
Ex. 7 - Modal Helping Verbs
Unit 2—Nouns and Pronouns
Ex. 1 - Identifying Nouns from Bunny Rabbit’s Diary
Ex. 2 - Identifying Nouns and Pronouns “The Stork”
Ex. 3 - A Focus on Pronouns from Bunny Rabbit’s Diary (#1)
Common and Proper Nouns
Ex. 4 - Common and Proper Nouns
Ex. 5 - Singular and Plural Nouns [NA]
Ex. 6 – Number: Irregular Plurals [NA]
Ex. 7 - Replacing Nouns with Pronouns “The Blacksmith”
Ex. 8 - Possessive Nouns and Pronouns from The Haliburton First Reader (#1)
Ex. 9 - Possessive Nouns and Pronouns from The Haliburton First Reader (#2)
Unit 3 – The Five Types of Complements
Note
Ex. 1 - From Old-time Stories, by E. Louise Smythe
Ex. 2 - From Old-time Stories, by E. Louise Smythe
Ex. 3 - Identifying Predicate Adjectives from “The Ugly Duckling”
Ex. 4 - Identifying Predicate Nouns from “The Ugly Duckling”
Ex. 5 - Identifying Indirect and Direct Objects from “The Ugly Duckling”
Ex. 6 - Zero Complements from “The Ugly Duckling”
Ex. 7 – A Passage for Analysis from “The Ugly Duckling”
Ex. 8 – Writing about “The Ugly Duckling”
Unit 4 – Adding Three Simple Constructions
Nouns Used as Adverbs
Ex. 1 - Nouns Used as Adverbs from Laughing-Eyes
Simple Interjections
Ex. 2 - Interjections from Growth in English: Seventh Year
Direct Address
Ex. 3 -Exercise on Direct Address from The Haliburton First Reader
Ex. 4 - Nouns Used as Adverbs, Interjections, and Direct Address from The Haliburton First Reader
Unit 5 – A Focus on Style—“The Gingerbread Boy”
Ex. 1 - Sentence Combining with Adjectives
Ex. 2 - Sentence Combining with Verbs
Ex. 3 - Sentence Building with Adjectives and Adverbs [NA]
Ex. 4 - Sentence Building [NA]
Ex. 5 - Sentence Models
Ex. 6 - Writing Your Own Version of “The Gingerbread Boy”
Mid-Term Assessment
Mid-Term Assessment # 1
Mid-Term Assessment # 1 AK
Mid-Term Assessment # 2
Mid-Term Assessment # 2 AK
Mid-Term Assessment # 3
Mid-Term Assessment # 3 AK
Unit 6 – More about S/V/C Pattern
Verbs as Subjects and Complements
Ex. 1 - From Pinocchio, The Tale of a Puppet
Ex. 2 - From At the Back of the North Wind
Varied Positioned in the S/V/C Pattern
Ex. 3 - From Old-time Stories
Palimpsest Patterns
Ex. 4 - From My Book of Favorite Fairy Tales
Ex. 5 - From At the Back of the North Wind
Phrasal Verbs (Preposition? Or Part of the Verb?)
Ex. 6 - From the Tales of by Beatrix Potter
Ex. 7 - Based on The Tale of the Pie and the Patty-Pan
Unit 7 – More about Prepositional Phrases
Compound Objects of Prepositions
Ex. 1 - From Pinocchio, The Tale of a Puppet
The “To” Problem
Ex. 2 - Based on The Tale of the Pie and the Patty-Pan
Is It a Preposition? (PP or SC?)
Ex. 3 – Ten Sentences
Prepositional Phrases as Indirect Objects
Ex. 4 - From Pinocchio, The Tale of a Puppet
Ex. 5 - From Pinocchio, The Tale of a Puppet
Embedded Prepositional Phrases
Ex. 6 - Based on The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher
Ex. 7 - Based on The Tale of Benjamin Bunny
Unit 8 – Phrases: Modification and Chunking
The Chunking and Functions of Prepositional Phrases
Ex 1. – “One Stormy Winter Day,” Part 1 [AK]
Ex 2. - “One Stormy Winter Day” Part 2 -- AK
Ex 3. - Writing about One Stormy Winter Day [NA]
Ex. 4 – “A Squirrel’s Morning Run,” Part 1 - AK
Ex. 5 – “A Squirrel’s Morning Run,” Part 2- AK
Ex. 6 – Write about “A Squirrel’s Morning Run” [NA]
Ex. 7 – “The Happy Butterfly” -- AK
Ex. 8 – Writing with “The Happy Butterfly” as a Model [NA]
Ex. 9 - Based on “Sammy’s Flying Machine”
Ex. 10 - Based on “Sammy’s Flying Machine”
Ex. 11 – Punctuation—“Sammy’s Flying Machine”
Unit 9 -- Compound Main Clauses
Note
Ex. 1 - From The Tale of the Pie and the Patty-Pan–AK
Ex. 2 - From The Tale of Benjamin Bunny–AK
Ex. 3 - From The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin --AK
Ex. 4 - From The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher --AK
Ex. 5 - From The Tailor of Gloucester --AK
Ex. 6 - From The Tale of Peter Rabbit –AK
Ex. 7 - Punctuation from “Billy Mink’s Swimming Party”
Ex. 8 - How Much I Can Explain: from “The Story of the First Moles” [AK]
Final Assessment
Suggestions
Final Assessment # 1 Based on “Evening at Home”
Final Assessment # 1 AK
Final Assessment # 2 Based on “The Kingbird”
Final Assessment # 2 AK
Final Assessment # 3 Based on “The Bee”
Final Assessment # 3 AK
Final Assessment # 4 Based on “The Torn Doll”
Final Assessment # 4 AK
Final Assessment # 5 Based on “Patty and the Squirrel”
Final Assessment # 5 AK
Final Assessment # 6 Based on “Sam and Harry”
Final Assessment # 6 AK
Introduction
The original KISS sequence (the “Grade-Level” books) began in third grade. When I was asked to make a book for second-graders, I did, but it was focused primarily on the materials that are now in the First Book of this series. Now working toward an “Ideal” sequence, I’ve been puzzled about what to include and excluded from this second book. Originally, I made a mistake with the first book in this series by including too much—I focused on enabling first graders to be able to explain almost every word in the sentences that they themselves write. The problem, in other words, is in finding a balance between enabling the students to explain as much as possible without overloading them with too many concepts.
Initially I was going to include a lot more about distinguishing finite verbs (that make sentences) from verbals (that function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs). I also considered including subordinate clauses that function as direct objects. In their reading, and in their writing, second graders will meet many sentences such as “Mothersaid[DOIcould go.]”
I decided to delay both of those until the third book, but as you can see from the Table of Contents, the final unit in this book introduces the important concept of “clause.” (The distinguishing of finite verbs from verbals and identifying basic subordinate clauses are the focus of Books Three and Four.)
Part of the problem here is the extremely wide range of writing (and reading) ability of students in the same grade level in our schools. (See the Statistical Studies of Natural Syntactic Development.) We do not want some students to feel totally lost, but on the other hand, neither do we want to bore other students.
As always, I’m open to suggestions, and I definitely want to know about problems (), but I want to aim these books near, or slightly below, the range of average students. Teachers (and parents) of course, can move ahead and go back later. For example, students can be introduced to subordinate clauses sooner, but then instructors should expect the students to have problems with the complications in S/V/C patterns and with prepositional phrases that are dealt with in this book.
/Initial Assessment
Adapted from Lesson 12 in theNew National First Reader
by CHARLES J. BARNES, et al.
Directions:
1. Write in any understood words.
2. Draw an arrow from each adjective and adverb to the word it modifies.
3. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase.
4. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once.
5. Label complements (“C”).
The boy and his dog can run.
Do you see them in the picture?
They are running across the field.
Do they see the little birds in the sky?
The dog’s head is looking upward.
The birds are behind them.
Tell them about the birds.
The birds are watching the boy and his dog.
Initial Assessment - AK
Suggested Scoring# / Points Each / Total Points
Adjectives and Adverbs / 15 / 1 / 15
Prepositional Phrases / 5 / 2 / 10
Words in S/V/C Patterns / 25 / 3 / 75
Total Points / 100
Deduct the point value for anything that is incorrectly marked as one of these constructions. I would consider any grade below 90 as failing, and thus requiring more practice, perhaps by using exercises in the Supplemental First Book, before starting this Second Book.
The[Adj. to “boy”]boyandhis[Adj. to “dog”]dogcan run. |
Doyouseethem(DO){in the[Adj. to “picture”] picture}? |
Theyare running{across the[Adj. to “field”] field}. |
Dotheyseethe[Adj. to “birds”] little[Adj. to “birds”]birds(DO){in the[Adj. to “birds”] sky}? |
I have marked “in the sky” as modifying “birds,” simply because that is the word it is closest to (and thus would probably be chunked to). I would, however, accept the phrase as adverbial (where?) to “Do see.”
The[Adj. to “head”] dog’s[Adj. to “head”]headis lookingupward[Adv. to “is looking”]. |
The[Adj. to “birds”]birdsare{behind them}. |
*You* Tellthem(IO){about the[Adj. to “birds”] birds}. |
The[Adj. to “birds”]birdsare watchingthe[Adj. to “boy”]boy(DO)andhis[Adj. to “dog”]dog(DO). |
Unit 1—Review
Capital Letters
The instructional material is probably too heavy for first graders, but I couldn’t decide what to cut. I’m sure that teachers can decide what to emphasize.
Ex. 1 - On Capitalization
1. Theyflew{to Sandorf, Alaska[#1] }. |
2. Mybrothergoes{to TaylorElementary School}. |
3. Elainewould like to go[#2]{to Tokyo, Japan} {in June}. |
4. A big pine treeis{in Mr. William's yard}. |
5. {In December}, manypeoplehavea pinetree(DO){in their house}{for Christmas}. |
6. Billylives{on Maple Street} {in Greenville}. |
7. Janet JohnsonvisitedtheNational Museum(DO){in Washington, D.C.}|
8. Mary Cassattpaintedapicture(DO) named A Girl in a Big Hat. [#3]|
Notes
1. This city plus state formula is idiomatic, but should one want to analyze it, it means “Sandorf which is inAlaska.”
2. Technically “to go” is a verbal (infinitive) that functions as the direct object of “would like,” but until students get to KISS Level 2.1.6, I would accept the verb phrase as marked above.
3. “A Girl in a Big Hat” is a retained complement after the verbal (gerundive) “named.” The gerundive phrase functions as an adjective to “picture.”
Punctuation
Ex. 2 - Punctuating Sentences from "Dick Whittington"
1. Dick Whittingtonwasa poor littleboy(PN). |
2. Whereareyougoing? |
3. Icould pickup[#1]gold(DO){from the streets}! |
4. Hehad heardmany times [#2]{about the great city} {of London}. |
5. Willyousellme (IO)thatcat (DO)? |
6. Mr. Fitzwarren again and again for his kindness (NS)
7. Londonwasa long way [NuA]{from his home}. |
8. Howlonely(PA)poorDickwas{without Puss}! |
9. That night [NuA]Dickslept{in a barn} {with the horses}. |
10. What(DO)isDickgoing to send{in the ship}? |
Note
1. “Up” can be explained either as part of the verb or as an adverb. See: KISS Level 2.1.5 - Phrasal Verbs (Preposition? Adverb? Or Part of the Verb?).
Ex. 3 - Apostrophes to Show Possession
1. ThenhepulledBobtail’s longears(DO). |
2. Teddyjumpedout {of Jack’s arms}. |
Alternatively, “out of” can be considered the preposition.
3. Someoneis{in my master’s garden}. |
“My” modifies “master’s” which modifies “garden.”
4. Poor Bunny’sheartbegan to beatvery fast. |
“Poor” modifies “Bunny’s” which modifies “heart.” “Very” modifies “fast” which modifies “beat.”
5. Theycame{to Mr. Man’s barn}. |
6. ThentheytoldMrs. Duck’ssecret(DO){to all their friends}. |
7. One littleduckwriggledout {from under her mother’s wing}. |
“Her” modifies “mother’s” which modifies “wing.”
8. {At last}theyreachedWhitie’shouse(DO). |
9. Therabbitscould hearBobby’sfeet(DO). |
10. Bunnyputtheacorn(DO){in front}{of Sammy’s door}. |
Some grammarians consider “in front of” as a preposition.
Ex. 4 - Punctuating Contractions
1. I’m{in sad trouble}, Cousin Ribby [DirA]. | ____I am______
2. I’ve lostmy dearson(DO) Thomas [#1]. | ___I have lost______
3. He’s stolenapat(DO){of butter}andtherolling-pin(DO). | _He has stolen_
4. I’mnotafraid(PA){of rats}. | _____I am______
5. Here[2]’sone{of your kittens}{at least}. | ____Here is______
6. There’s beenan old womanrat(PN){in the kitchen}. | __There has been___
7. She’s stolensome(DO){of the dough}! | ___She has stolen___
8. He’sa badkitten(PN), Cousin Tabitha [DirA]. | __He is______
Notes
1. “Thomas is an appositive to “son,” and since students have not yet studied appositives, I would accept three answers—“son,” “Thomas,” or “son Thomas” as the complement.
2. Note how close this is to expletive “there.” (See # 6.) But I have never seen a grammar book discuss “expletive ‘here’.” Because of this similarity, I would also accept “here” as the subject, and “one” as a predicate noun.
Ex. 5 – Replacing Lost Punctuation
Based on The Tale of Tom Kitten, by Beatrix Potter
This is a somewhat simplified version of the opening of the original text. The primary objectives for second and third graders are the capitalization of the first word in a sentence, the capitalization of names, closing punctuation at the end of the sentence, and commas to separate items in a series. Potter used a semicolon plus “and” after “own.” This combination can be found frequently in nineteenth century writing, but it is no longer the norm. (I would not even introduce second and third graders to semicolons.)
Note that these punctuation exercises can easily and quickly be done in class, especially if you make an overhead of the exercise. You could have the students copy the text and fix the punctuation, and then review it in class, or you could simply have them do it orally, as a group, while you mark the changes with a washable ink pen. I would certainly not collect and grade most of these exercises. Doing so is much too time-consuming, and ultimately not productive.
Teachers can, of course, tell students to skip the identification of prepositional phrases, etc. On the other hand, for some students, this analysis may be important because it will illustrate that every normal sentence has to have a subject and verb.
Once upon a time there were three little kittens. Their names were Mittens, Tom Kitten, and Moppet.
They had dear little fur coats of their own, [#1] and they tumbled about the doorstep and played in the dust.
But one day their mother expected friends to tea. She fetched the kittens indoors.
First she scrubbed their faces.
Then she brushed their fur.
Then she combed their tails and whiskers.
Tom was very naughty, and he scratched.
Once {upon a time} there[1]werethree littlekittens(PN). |TheirnameswereMittens(PN),Tom Kitten(PN), andMoppet(PN). |
Theyhaddear little furcoats(DO) {of their own}, |[2]andtheytumbled{about the doorstep}andplayed{in the dust}. |
Butone day [NuA]theirmotherexpectedfriends(DO){to tea}. |Shefetchedthekittens(DO)indoors. |
Firstshescrubbedtheirfaces(DO). |
Thenshebrushedtheirfur(DO). |
Thenshecombedtheirtails(DO)andwhiskers(DO). |
Tomwasverynaughty(PA), |[2]andhescratched. |
Notes
1. Alternatively, “there” can be explained either as an expletive or as an adverb, thereby making “kittens” the subject. See KISS Level 2.1.3 - Expletives (Optional).
2. A period and capital “A” on “and” would also be acceptable here.
Other Constructions
Ex. 6 - “There” as a Subject - Based on The Tale of Samuel Whiskers
1. Therewasscarcelyanylight(PN). |
2. Therewaslesssmoke(PN). |
3. Thereisnoend(PN){to them}! |
4. Thereused to bequeernoises(PN){inside the walls}. |
5. Theremight bea little secretstaircase(PN). |
6. Therearerats(PN), andrats(PN), andrats(PN){in his barn}! |
7. Buttherewasa strong smell(PN){of rats}. |
8. Sotherewasplenty(PN){of room}{for a little Tom Cat}[1]. |
9. Sure enoughthereweremarks(PN){of little scratching fingers}. |
10. {After that}, therewereno morerats(PN){for a long time} {at Tabitha Twitchit’s}. |
Note
1. The phrase “for a little Tom Cat” can also be viewed as an adjective to “room.”
Ex. 7 - Modal Helping Verbs
The purpose of this exercise is to give students some practice with helping verbs that are infrequently used. The students do not need to remember “modal.”
1. But{round the end} {of a cucumber frame}, whom(DO)shouldhemeet{but Mr. McGregor}!|
2. ShallIcomeinandcutoffyourthreads(DO)?|
3. Thestoreroomought to have beenempty(PA).|
4. Buttherewould beno Christmasdinner(PA){for Simpkin and the poor old Tailor} {of Gloucester}.|
5. Hewill throwsticks(DO){at you}, andstamphisfeet(DO)andscold, andshout. |
6. Imight fall{in the fire}andsingemy beautifultail(DO)andmy little bluejacket(DO).|
7. Wemust lay up a store(DO){of nuts}{for winter and spring}.|
“Lay up” here means “make,” but “up” could alternatively be explained as an adverb.
8. Ishouldneverhave dared to go fishing again!|
Technically, KISS explains “fishing” as a verbal (gerund) that functions as a Noun Used as an Adverb, but the students will not have studied that yet, so I would also accept “fishing” as part of the verb phrase.
9. Nowwhat(PA)canthatbe?|
10. MayIpassyou(IO)themarmalade(DO)?|
11. Ineedneverleavemynest(DO). |
12. Theycould be stitched(P){by an old man}{in spectacles}, {with crooked old fingers, and a tailor’s thimble}.|
Unit 2—Nouns and Pronouns
Ex. 1 - Identifying Nouns from Bunny Rabbit’s Diary
There are two keys—the first for nouns and pronouns, and the second for the rest of the analysis. It is important that students become familiar with the concept “noun” because later they will be dealing with verbs and clauses that function as nouns. I’m not sure, however, that total agreement is needed about every word. For example, I’m not sure that all grammarians would consider “something” a pronoun.
Answer Key—Nouns and Pronoun
1. So Bunny (N) sat down on the stump (N) and opened his book (N).
2. One morning (N) in winter (N) Bunny (N) opened his eyes (N).
3. The big round sun (N) peeped up from behind the hills (N).
4. The ground (N) was covered with snow (N).