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by Karen Kellaher New York * Toronto * London * Auckland * Sydney Mexico City * New Delhi * Hong Kong S C H O L A S T I C BPROFESSIONAL OOKS Grammar Puzzles & Games Kids Can’t Resist! 40 Super-Cool Crosswords, Codes, Mazes & More That Teach the Essential Rules of Grammar G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es Scholastic Inc. grants teachers permission to photocopy the activity sheets from this book for classroom use. No other part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without written permission of the publisher. For permission, write to Scholastic Inc., 555 Broadway, New York, NY 10012. Edited by Sylvia Charlesworth Cover design by Jaime Lucero Cover illustration by Mike Moran Interior design by Grafica, Inc. Interior illustration by Mike Moran ISBN: 0-439-07756-7 Copyright © 2000 by Karen Kellaher. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. Dedication To Colin for all your love and support And special thanks to Mr. Ed Miller, who made grammar fun for me G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Word Search Puzzles Noun Hunt (common nouns) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Find the Verb (predicate of sentence). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Verbs Help Out (helping verbs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Good, Better, Best (comparing adjectives) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Noun Substitutes (pronouns) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Contraction Action (contractions) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 For Short (abbreviations). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Snail (“Wraparound”) Puzzles Single Minded (singular and plural nouns) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 In the Past (past tense verbs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Pick a Preposition (prepositions) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Create a Word (compound words) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Which One (Won) Is It? (homonyms) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Do They Agree? (subject/verb agreement) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Crossword Puzzles Make It Two! (plural nouns). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Invisible Nouns (abstract nouns) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Where’s the Action? (action verbs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Pronoun Magic (pronouns) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Awesome Adverbs (adverbs). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 It’s Only Proper (proper adjectives) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Subject Search (subject of sentence) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Contents G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es Partner Stories Food Fight! (common nouns) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 The Strangest Field Trip Ever (proper nouns) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Alien Adventure (present and past tense verbs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 I See the Future! (future tense verbs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Say It With Adjectives (adjectives) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 A Parts-of-Speech Circus (parts of speech review) . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Crack-the-Code Stories A Pet Adventure (adverbs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Prepositions Show Position (prepositions) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 A Conjunction’s Function (conjunctions) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Hew, Wow! (interjections). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 To Be or Not To Be (the verb “to be”) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Riddle Bubble Tests A Capital Idea (using capital letters) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Whose Is It? (possessive nouns). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 The Genuine Articles (a, an, and the) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Using Contractions (contractions) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Be Agreeable (subject/verb agreement) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Is It a Sentence? (sentences and fragments) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Be a Comma Cop! (comma placement). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Sentence Enders (punctuation) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Quotation Location (quotation marks) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Answer Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Contents G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 5 TTTT here is something about games and puzzles that motivates even the most reluctant learner. We see this clearly when we look at our own habits: As adults, few of us would jump at the chance to take a test on world history, literature, science, or geography. However, we rush to answer questions in these subject areas when they’re part of a trivia board game, TV quiz show, or Sunday newspaper crossword puzzle. Why? I believe it’s because the idea of a game or puzzle lends an exciting context to learning, and we achieve a real sense of accomplishment when we get the answers right. Children are no exception. When subject matter is part of a game or puzzle, students are more motivated to learn, to remember, and to apply the material. That’s the thinking behind Grammar Puzzles & Games Kids Can’t Resist! Why Use Grammar Games? At Scholastic we recognize that grammar is not the easiest topic to teach. Too often, grammar seems like a collection of rules that must be memorized. Students have a hard time seeing its relevance to real life. And teachers sometimes have a difficult time changing students from the comfortable—but incorrect—grammar habits which the kids are used to using. It is our hope that Grammar Puzzles & Games Kids Can’t Resist! will make the teaching of grammar a little bit easier and a lot more fun. You’ll find crossword puzzles, word searches, code games, partner stories, and more. These are entertaining activities that children already love to do, so consider your battle half won! Some of the special features of this book include: • GGrraammmmaarr ““ffaasstt ffaaccttss”” wwiitthh eevveerryy aaccttiivviittyy.. These reminders review the specific grammar concept the children need for each activity—right there on the reproducible. For example, when students are working with helping verbs, they’ll find a list of helping verbs right there on the page. When they are working with proper nouns, they’ll find a helpful reminder to always use a capital letter. That means your students will not have to look elsewhere for pertinent information. • OOppppoorrttuunniittiieess ffoorr bbootthh iinnddeeppeennddeenntt aanndd ccoollllaabboorraattiivvee lleeaarrnniinngg.. Some of the activities— such as crosswords and word searches—are designed for students to complete individually. Others—such as the partner stories—are meant to be tackled in pairs or teams. Introduction G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st icT ea ch in g R es ou rc es 6 • SSppeecciiaall aatttteennttiioonn ttoo ttyyppiiccaall pprroobblleemm aarreeaass.. As veteran teachers know, some grammar rules are more troublesome than others. For example, many children have a hard time forming contractions, forming the past tense of irregular verbs, and choosing the homonym that makes sense in a sentence. This book addresses these tough topics clearly and decisively. How to Use the Book You may use the reproducible activities in any order. Here are some suggestions for making the most of them: 11.. Use each reproducible as an immediate follow-up to a grammar lesson to assess what students have learned. Because the activities include very simple instructions and grammar rule reminders, you can easily assign the activities as homework. I can assure you that your students won’t mind digging into these assignments! 22.. Use the reproducibles as part of a Grammar Learning Center where the focus changes each week. For example, while you are teaching about nouns, you may want to copy all of the activities that focus on nouns and store the activities in a designated spot in the classroom. Send students to the Grammar Learning Center when they finish work early, when you are working with small groups, or any other time individual students are look- ing for something to do. Invite students to make colorful posters of important grammar rules and use them to decorate your Learning Center. 33.. Consider having students check their own work. (Use the answer key on page 58 to post the answers on the board.) Then work with each student to highlight and focus on any problem areas. 44.. After students have completed the puzzles for a given grammar topic, invite them to cre- ate their own puzzles for classmates to work on. Younger students will enjoy making word search puzzles and simple crosswords on graph paper. Older students may want to try crafting their own riddle bubble tests and partner stories. (In either case, take a peek at the student-made activities before students exchange them. This will help avoid frus- tration in the event that a student-created puzzle is incorrect or incomplete.) G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 7 About the Puzzle Formats: A Special Note to Teachers Each of the puzzles in this book includes easy-to-follow directions. The puzzles are broken down as follows: WWoorrdd SSeeaarrcchheess Students hunt for their answers in a letter grid. Answers may go across, down, or on the diagonal. SSnnaaiillss In these puzzles, the answers wrap around in the shape of a snail. The last letter of one answer is the first letter of the next. CCrroosssswwoorrddss These crosswords are designed simply with elementary students in mind. All of the clues and answers relate to grammar. There are no “filler” words. PPaarrttnneerr SSttoorriieess Pairs of students work together to complete a story using specific parts of speech. When they’re done, they have a hilariously funny story to share with the class. These activities can be used over and over with new, exciting results each time. CCrraacckk--tthhee--CCooddee CClloozzee GGaammeess Students complete a short story by filling in the missing part of speech. Then they use their answers to decode a secret message! RRiiddddllee BBuubbbbllee TTeessttss Students fill in the bubble next to the sentence that uses correct grammar. Then students use their lettered answers to unravel the punch line to an amusing riddle. These riddle tests are not only fun; they’re also great practice for state and national standardized tests (students get into the habit of filling in the circle next to the correct answer). Enjoy! 15 For ShortMatch each abbreviation to the full word it stands for. Then hunt for each full word in the word search puzzle. SKILL: Common Abbreviations FAST FACTAn abbreviation is ashortened version of aword or phrase. Someabbreviations use peri-ods, but others do not. 1. Dr. _____ a. October 2. Mr. _____ b. Avenue 3. St. _____ c. Doctor 4. TV _____ d. Saturday 5. Jan. _____ e. miles per hour 6. PA _____ f. television 7. Ave. _____ g. California 8. Sat. _____ h. Mister 9. Oct. _____ i. Street 10. mph _____ j. United States 11. U.S. _____ k. Pennsylvania 12. CA _____ l. January ABBREVIATION FULL WORD W E M Q N I A D J R T R E V P U A T E L E V I S I O N E E X N D O C T O R A F O P O N B E I M P H J A T D C G S N G K O T A T R L U N T S T S Q M I L E S P E R H O U R Y H I F E S D Y B D P B R E L C S R A I R S E A O E H E V K T L B A D G T Y F R I T A S E A U N I P Q A Z U K L N E R N H O F J E S T M C E I C A L I F O R N I A E R B A X D A V E N U E M A B S C D J A N U A R Y R W Q B I B 16 Single Mind ed Look a t the p lural n oun un derline d in ea ch sen tence, and write t he sin gular f orm of the no un on the lin e. The n write t he sin gular n oun in the pu zzle gr id. The last le tter of one answe r will b e the f irst let ter of the ne xt ans wer. Some answe rs will go aro und co rners. SKIL L: Sin gular a nd Plu ral Nou ns 1. Th ere a re nin e pla nets in ou r sola r sys tem. _____ _____ _____ _____ 2. C ars a nd tr ucks lined the s treet. _____ _____ _____ _____ 3. I can’t find my h ouse keys anyw here! _____ _____ _____ _____ 4. M any h omes have back yard s. _____ _____ _____ _____ 5. Th ere a re dit ches on bo th sid es of the r oad. _____ _____ _____ _____ 6. It ’s fun to ri de a bike over the h ills in this neigh borho od. _____ _____ _____ _____ 7. Pl ants have chem icals in th eir le aves to he lp th em m ake f ood. _____ _____ _____ _____ 8. G racie la is just u nder five f eet ta ll. _____ _____ _____ _____ 9. O ur cla ss ha s gon e on three field trips this s chool year . _____ _____ _____ _____ 10. I sav e pen nies in a j ar in my b edroo m. _____ _____ _____ _____ 11. Does your fami ly eat yam s at T hank sgivin g? _____ _____ _____ _____ 12. Fifty men, wom en, a nd ch ildren were left h omel ess b y the storm . _____ _____ _____ _____ 13. I hav e a p ocket full o f nick els. _____ _____ _____ _____ 14. Brigh t ligh ts fill ed th e sky . _____ _____ _____ _____ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 12 13 10 14 FAST F ACT Some nouns add -s to bec ome plural. Other s add -es. Ot her nouns chang e com pletely when they b ecome plural , and s till oth ers do not chang e at all ! 22 Make It Two! Write the plural of each singular noun on the line provided. Thenwrite the plurals in the crossword puzzle grid. SKILL: Plural Nouns FAST FACTSome nouns add -s tobecome plural. Othersadd -es. Other nounschange completelywhen they become plur- al, and still others do not change at all!ACROSS3. one banana; many __________________ 5. one president; many __________________ 8. one subject; many __________________ 9. one itch; many __________________ 11. one disk; many __________________ 14. one tomato; many __________________ 17. one television; many __________________ DOWN 1. one plant; many __________________ 2. one waitress; many __________________ 4. one foot; many __________________ 6. one deer; many __________________ 7. one note; many __________________ 10. one child; many __________________ 12. one cookie; many __________________ 13. one person; many __________________ 15. one key; many __________________ 16. one mouse; many __________________ 1 2 8 9 10 11 17 15 16 12 14 13 3 5 6 7 4 33 Say It With Adjec tives! Work w ith a p artner on thi s activit y. One partn er will be the Clue G iver. Th e othe r partn er will be the W ord Gi ver. 1. The Clue G iver as ks the Word Giver f ora w ord to fill in each blank. Fill in all the blank s before readin g the s tory. 2. The Clue G iver re ads th e story o ut loud . FAST F ACT Adject ives ar e word s that de scribe nouns or pronou ns. For examp le: beautif ul, slop py, blu e, broken . One _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ sprin g afte rnoon , a __ _____ _____ _____ _____ ___ s tuden t name d ___ _____ _____ _____ _____ __ wa s pla ying bask etbal l. The stud ent w as we aring the l atest fashi on: _ _____ _____ _____ _____ ____ pants , a ve ry __ _____ _____ _____ _____ ___ s hirt. The s tuden t thre w the ball towar d the bask et, bu t it b ounc ed in to th e woo ds. “I gues s I’ll have to ch ase it .” Th e stu dent ran to ge t the bask etbal l but it wa s now here in sig ht. In stead , there was a ___ _____ _____ _____ _____ __ , _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ bott le wit h a _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ lid p roppe d ben eath a tree . The s tuden t ope ned t he bo ttle c autio usly. Out popp ed a _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ geni e wear ing a stran ge __ _____ _____ _____ _____ ___ o utfit! “Fina lly!” s aid th e gen ie as he gl anced at th e ___ _____ _____ _____ _____ __ wa tch o n his wrist . “It’s abou t tim e som eone let m e out of th is bo ttle. I only have time for o ne. S o ma ke it snap py.” The s tuden t tho ught. Wha t wou ld be the b est w ish? To be a ___ _____ _____ _____ _____ ____ supe rstar ? To have some reall y ___ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ toys ? Fin ally, the s tuden t tho ught of the perfe ct wi sh an d told the g enie. “Wha tever ,” sai d the geni e as he sn appe d his finge rs. A nd ju st lik e tha t, the wish cam e true. The stude nt be came a ___ _____ _____ _____ _____ ____, ____ _____ _____ _____ _____ ____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _, an d nev er for got th at __ _____ _____ _____ _____ _ day in th e fore st. adject ive noun/f irst na me adject ive adject ive adject ive adject ive adject ive adject ive adject ive adject ive adject ive adject ive adject ive adject ive adject ive adject ive noun SKIL L: Ad jective s 39 To Be or Not to Be? This story is missingsome of its verbs! Fill inthe blanks in the storywith verbs from the boxbelow. All of the verbsare forms of the verb“to be.” When you arefinished, put the num-bered letters in the cor-rect order and get thesecret message. Ladies and Gentlemen,It __ __ quite an honor to stand before you this evening and accept this award. I am thrilled to __ __ named the Inventor of the Year. Believe it or not, just a few years ago I __ __ __ a poor, unknown inventor with plenty of ideas but no money to make them happen. Today, I __ __ a big success, all thanks to my famous Two-In-One Dental Floss and Fishing Line. If it __ __ __ __ not for this amazing device, I might still be dreaming away in my basement workshop. As I accept my award, I’d like to thank some special people in my life. They __ __ __ my parents and my fifth-grade science teacher, Mrs. C. A. Labrat. To all three of them, I say, “Thanks for __ __ __ __ __ there for me!” And to all of you in the audience, I say that I have never __ __ __ __ happier or more proud than I am tonight. Now use the numbered letters to decode the message: __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __! 2 6 3 4 1 7 7 8 5 is am are was were be being been FAST FACTThe verb “to be” is themost frequently usedverb in the English lan-guage. Eight differentwords are part of theverb “to be.” SKILL: The Verb “To Be” 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 44 The G enuine Artic les: A, An , and T he Look a t each set of sente nces. F ill in th e circl e next to the senten ce tha t uses the w ords a , an, a nd the proper ly. Wh en you are fi nished , use t he lett ers of your a nswers to sol ve the riddle at the end. 1. nn A. I alw ays c arry umbr ella i n my back pack . nn B. I alw ays c arry a um brella in m y bac kpac k. nn C . I al ways carr y an umbr ella i n my back pack . nn D . I al ways carr y an a um brella in m y bac kpac k. 2. nn E. My b irthd ay is an la st da y of M ay. nn F. My b irthd ay is a las t day of M ay. nn G . My birth day i s last day of Ma y. nn H. My b irthd ay is the la st da y of M ay. 3. nn I. Fran ce is a cou ntry in Eu rope. nn J. Fran ce is an co untry in E urop e. nn K. Fran ce is coun try in Euro pe. nn L. Fran ce is the c ountr y in E urop e. 4. nn M . Mar cus p acked sand wich and a n app le for lunc h. nn N . Ma rcus pack ed a sand wich and a appl e for lunch . nn O . Ma rcus pack ed a sand wich and a n app le for lunc h. nn P. Marc us pa cked an sa ndwi ch an d a a pple for lu nch. 5. nn Q . My ballo on ro se in to an sky. nn R. My b alloon rose into a the sky. nn S. My b alloon rose into sky. nn T. My b alloon rose into the s ky. 6. nn U. Our c ar go t the flat t ire on high way. nn V. Our c ar go t a fla t tire on th e hig hway . nn W . Our car g ot an flat t ire on the h ighwa y. nn X. Our c ar go t flat tire on a highw ay. FAST F ACT The w ords a , an, a nd the oft en com e befo re nouns . Use t he in f ront of a sp ecific n oun. F or examp le: Thi s is th e bike I want. Use a and an in f ront o f non- spe- cific n ouns. Use a in front o f noun s that start w ith con sonan ts and an in fro nt of nouns that s tart wi th vowels . For e xampl e: I’d rath er hav e a bik e than a n auto mobile . SKIL L: Art icles G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 9 Noun Hunt Read the clues to name the nouns in each list. Then find the nouns in the word search puzzle. SKILL: Common Nouns FAST FACT A noun is a person, place, or thing. For example: sister, park, insect.B S H E A C K G T R B A A C L O U D A F E E M S P H D G N B I D A S O G P O F O T N T A C T T M L 0 H A C H A F H A H E E L O B T E B M E U E G S L M G Q H L W R R R B T E E N A G E R T A P U O I A K L K Y R V N C Z R B I C Y C L E A T I R E M R B C S I N G E R S B A I R P O R T M J Z N PEOPLE 1. An adult who teaches in a classroom ________________________ 2. Your parents (two words) ________________________ and ________________________ 3. A person between the ages of 13 and 19 ________________________ 4. A person who sings ________________________ 5. Your mother’s sister is your ________________________ PLACES 6. A place where you buy things ________________________ 7. A place where you go to learn ________________________ 8. A place where you go to eat ________________________ 9. The place where you live ________________________ 10. A place where planes take off and land ________________________ THINGS 11. A vehicle with two wheels ________________________ 12. Something you use to carry groceries ________________________ 13. A fruit that’s often red and is used to make pies and juice ________________________ 14. Something you use at dinner time that comes with chairs ________________________ 15. Something fluffy that floats in the sky ________________________ G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 10 Find the Verb Read each sentence and underline the verb. Then find each verb in the word search puzzle. SKILL: Simple Predicate of a Sentence FAST FACTSome verbs, like runs and thinks, describe action. Other verbs, like is and was, describe a state of being. B P H D M A K H A S C I L A E C A U G H T A O L M I S B D G I C E L I N E N S N E S A O F O H V P T U T Z G V S L V S R I E B R E O I A H E I E Y D J W O N U N M S R P B R O K E M S G S T B C R F S H A R E D B I H T L E R V I S I T S D E R C W A O Q J A O G E Y H X H R D E A B L E W O E 1. The play begins at six o’clock. 2. Lucas visits his grandmother at least once a week. 3. The snake caught its prey under a boulder. 4. I read an exciting novel last week. 5. Rebecca painted a picture of a beautiful sunset. 6. My cat is three years old. 7. Our school basketball team just won the state championship. 8. Megan loves pizza with pepperoni. 9. The two brothers shared a seat on the school bus. 10. We sang the national anthem at school today. 11. A rabbit made its nest in our front yard. 12. During the storm, winds blew at speeds of 50 miles per hour. 13. Jared listens to many kinds of music. 14. Anne broke her arm last winter. 15. That film has terrific special effects. G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 1 1 Verbs Help Out Read each sentence and locate the helping verb. When you are finished, find your answers in the word search puzzle. SKILL: Helping Verbs FAST FACT Helping verbs help the main verb describe the action. There are 23 helping verbs. They are: 1. Our neighbors were playing loud music last night. __________________ 2. You should say thank you to Uncle Roy for the gift. __________________ 3. I can see the park from my bedroom window. __________________ 4. My train is leaving in ten minutes. __________________ 5. I am planning to join the swim team. __________________ 6. I knew that you owned a dog, but I did not know that you owned a fish. __________________ 7. Yes, I do like to work with clay. __________________ 8. I have started my homework. __________________ 9. My cousins are visiting for the weekend. __________________ 10. Julia has written a poem for class. __________________ 11. I was walking to school when I saw an injured bird. __________________ 12. I might win the contest. __________________ 13. Tina had just fallen asleep when the telephone rang. __________________ am are be been being can could did do does had has have is may might must shall should was were will would HELPING VERB A F M I G H T E B P A R E D O I H B M C L D I O E G C L Q W E R E R S J S U A S E O N E T A K H C D I D H A D T N P V B O S F W T D U T G Q O M N U U R H E A B N J W Y W A L I M A S V A I D C H A R D L Q S E C M K T F K S N L G C O S L R S X A M U H D I D N T P U A O S B V U N P Z B I M S I H A V E J E R A H I B W T O E D S V P T Y O F G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 12 Good, Better, Best Read each sentence. On the line, write the positive, compar- ative, or superlative form of the missing adjective. Then find each of your answers in the word search puzzle. SKILL: Comparing Adjectives FAST FACT A positive adjective lets you describe one or more things: A puppy is nice; puppies are nice. A comparative adjective lets you compare two or more things: Barbara is nicer than Gerard; Gerard is nicer than all the other boys in our class. A superlative adjective lets you describe only one thing: Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world; Remo is the friendliest person in school. 1. Nora was fast, but Caitlyn was ____________________. 2. Snowball is ____________________ than the other kittens in the litter. 3. Kevin is _____________________. 4. January is the _____________________ month of the year. 5. I filled the _____________________ glass I could find with water. 6. Someone must have turned up the volume, because the music suddenly got _____________________. 7. The _____________________ clouds were a sign that the storm was on its way. 8. Today’s math assignment is _____________________ than yesterday’s. 9. David has an _____________________ bedtime than I do. 10. Tina is my _____________________ friend. (comparative of fast ) (comparative of cute) (positive of smart) (comparative of loud) (comparative of hard) (comparative of early) (superlative of cold) (superlative of close) (superlative of tall ) (positive of dark) A H S D Y B R O C U P E L M C M N E L O U D E R H B E O A K C G T N D I A D A L N R J M E A B S R T R F A S T E R C P A D A L O V H E K F O N Z E A I A E T Y I D L E H R I E O C L O S E S T B P S R T A L L E S T E D U B A Y R C O L D E S T G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 13 Noun Substitutes Read each sentence and fill in each blank with a pronoun from the lists. When you are finished, find your answers in the word search puzzle. SKILL: Personal and Possessive Pronouns FAST FACT Pronouns take the place of nouns Here are some: Pronouns can be possessive, just like nouns: 1. “ _________________ am happy to meet you,” I said. 2. Ryan has a doctor’s appointment after school, so _________________ will miss practice. 3. She baked the cake for so long, _________________ was as hard as a rock! 4. Frank and Erin said _________________ would be back in one hour. 5. I just saw a man run down the street. Did you see _______________? 6. The fourth graders invited _________________ to their holiday party, so we will invite them to _________________. 7. Mary, do _________________ walk to school or ride the bus? 8. Elizabeth hopes _________________ will get the lead in the school play. 9. Our family is very busy, but _________________ always try to eat dinner together. 10. I reminded Derek that _________________ owes me a dollar. 11. When I saw Aunt Sue get off the train, I hugged _________________ and offered to carry her bags. 12. The children were misbehaving, so Mrs. Nelson asked _________________ to quiet down. 13. I know that’s _________________ lunch because it has my name on it. 14. A kitten must stay with _________________ mother for several weeks. 15. The twins invited all of _________________ friends to the birthday party. I you he she it we me they him her us them who what her/hers his its mine my our/ours their/theirs whose your/yours A O U R S M C L B H E D A I B H C N P S A H X I T D O M R E D T G F M E N H G E L Y A I K C O W B L E I J Q H O S I R E Q J G M L H E D S H E V C A S R K O K U T E G W T N I T S E R R X S P R C H B E H L M U D F M I A F E M K E T S Z B H E R E Y I D F Y H I M P H M A L U R A Q S Z R M T R U J O T B R E C P E T N U F Y I G C M Y D A H Q G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 14 Contraction Action SKILL: Contractions FAST FACT A contraction is formed by putting two words together and leaving out some letters. An apos- trophe takes the place of the missing letters. Read each sentence, paying special attention to the contraction. On the line, write the word that completes each contraction. Then find each of your answers in the word search puzzle. A N E A R E H B M I S H F X I J O E A G D R K A U N L A C N V U A D Q D T E S F I T E Q A H B N O T G E I T U C I N W Z E R A S L I O S E F V G U J G I P L I Y A T V E H A G W G N H M F S W I L L E P A E U C O N B D P D U M C H S K E A I R O 1. I couldn’t make it to the dance recital on Wednesday. couldn’t = could + _____________________ 2. Peter should’ve called if he were going to be late. should’ve = should + _____________________ 3. I’m the oldest child in my family. I’m = I + _____________________ 4. Maura was tired because she’d been working in the garden all day. she’d = she + _____________________5. Edward says he’ll be over in ten minutes. he’ll = he + _____________________ 6. You’re my best friend. You’re = You + _____________________ 7. He’s afraid of spiders. He’s = He + _____________________ 8. ‘Twas the night before Christmas. ‘Twas = _____________________ + was 9. Let’s go out to dinner tonight. Let’s = Let + _____________________ G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 15 For Short Match each abbreviation to the full word it stands for. Then hunt for each full word in the word search puzzle. SKILL: Common Abbreviations FAST FACT An abbreviation is a shortened version of a word or phrase. Some abbreviations use peri- ods, but others do not. ABBREVIATION FULL WORD W E M Q N I A D J R T R E V P U A T E L E V I S I O N E E X N D O C T O R A F O P O N B E I M P H J A T D C G S N G K O T A T R L U N T S T S Q M I L E S P E R H O U R Y H I F E S D Y B D P B R E L C S R A I R S E A O E H E V K T L B A D G T Y F R I T A S E A U N I P Q A Z U K L N E R N H O F J E S T M C E I C A L I F O R N I A E R B A X D A V E N U E M A B S C D J A N U A R Y R W Q B I B 1. Dr. _____ a. October 2. Mr. _____ b. Avenue 3. St. _____ c. Doctor 4. TV _____ d. Saturday 5. Jan. _____ e. miles per hour 6. PA _____ f. television 7. Ave. _____ g. California 8. Sat. _____ h. Mister 9. Oct. _____ i. Street 10. mph _____ j. United States 11. U.S. _____ k. Pennsylvania 12. CA _____ l. January G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 16 Single Minded Look at the plural noun underlined in each sentence, and write the singular form of the noun on the line. Then write the singular noun in the puzzle grid. The last letter of one answer will be the first letter of the next answer. Some answers will go around corners. SKILL: Singular and Plural Nouns 1. There are nine planets in our solar system. ____________________ 2. Cars and trucks lined the street. ____________________ 3. I can’t find my house keys anywhere! ____________________ 4. Many homes have back yards. ____________________ 5. There are ditches on both sides of the road. ____________________ 6. It’s fun to ride a bike over the hills in this neighborhood. ____________________ 7. Plants have chemicals in their leaves to help them make food. ____________________ 8. Graciela is just under five feet tall. ____________________ 9. Our class has gone on three field trips this school year. ____________________ 10. I save pennies in a jar in my bedroom. ____________________ 11. Does your family eat yams at Thanksgiving? ____________________ 12. Fifty men, women, and children were left homeless by the storm. ____________________ 13. I have a pocket full of nickels. ____________________ 14. Bright lights filled the sky. ____________________ 1 2 3 4 56 7 8 9 1112 13 1014 FAST FACT Some nouns add -s to become plural. Others add -es. Other nouns change completely when they become plural, and still others do not change at all! G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 17 In the Past Rewrite each sentence in the past tense. Then write each past-tense verb in the snail puzzle. The last letter of one answer will be the first letter of the next answer. Some answers will go around corners. SKILL: Verbs/Past Tense FAST FACT The past tense is used to describe something that hap- pened before now. Many verbs form the past tense by adding -ed or -d. But other verbs form the past tense in unusual ways and should be memorized. 1. I sleep in a bed. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. She turns the key. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. We decide what to eat for lunch. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ 4. Stephan draws a picture. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ 5. I win the spelling bee! _______________________________________________________________________________________________ 6. Rachel nods her head in agreement. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ 7. They drive to school every day. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ 8. The nurse examines the patient. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ 9. Everyone dances to that song. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ 10. I dare you to watch the scary movie. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ 11. We do the dishes. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ 1 2 3 45 6 7 8 9 11 10 G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 18 Pick a Preposition Read each sentence below, and choose a preposition from the box to fill in the blank. Then write the prepo- sitions in the snail puzzle. In the puzzle, the last letter of one answer is the first letter of the next answer. Some answers will go around corners. SKILL: Prepositions FAST FACT Prepositions usually tell where something is, where something is going, or when something is happening. Some common prepositions are: about after with near throughout to below because despite without beside instead in over on except toward onto 1. South America is located _________________________ the Equator. 2. You cannot bake a cake _________________________ flour. 3. The sprinter ran _________________________ the finish line. 4. We played outside for a while _________________________ the cold weather. 5. I like all vegetables _________________________ for lima beans. 6. Basketball is popular _________________________ the entire United States. 7. Hannah sent a thank-you note _________________________ her grandmother. 8. Will you help me load the heavy box _________________________ the truck? 9. Anthony lives _________________________ North Birchfield Avenue. 10. The twins live _________________________ the school, so they do not ride the schoolbus. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 8 10 G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 19 Create-a-Word Read each clue below and figure out the compound word that is being described. Then write the compound words in the snail puzzle. The last letter of one answer will be the first letter of the next answer. Some answers go around corners. SKILL: Compound Words FAST FACT A compound word is a word that is made up of two or more smaller words. For example: notebook, newspaper, thunderstorm. CLUES 1. A mark your foot leaves in snow or mud. ________________________ 2. These fall from your eyes when you are sad. ________________________ 3. At night we have moonlight; in the day we have ________________________ 4. A natural disaster that makes the ground shake. ________________________ 5. The skin that closes over your eye. ________________________ 6. You turn this to open a door. ________________________ 7. A sport played with a bat and ball. ________________________ 8. All the years that a person lives. ________________________ 9. The hard covering around an egg. ________________________ 10. A house that warns ships of danger. ________________________ 11. A piece of jewelry you wear onyour ear. ________________________ 1 2 34 5 6 7 8 9 11 10 G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 20 Which One (Won) Is It? Read each of the sentences below, and underline the homonym that makes sense in each one. Then write the correct homonyms in the snail puzzle. The last letter of one answer will be the first letter of the next answer. Some answers will go around corners. SKILL: Homonyms FAST FACT Homonyms are words that sound alike but have different spellings and meanings. For example: peace/piece and bare/bear. 1. My (aunt, ant) is coming to visit for a few weeks. 2. Jack likes to play soccer (to, too, two). 3. We will eat lunch in about (one, won) hour. 4. Rosa’s brother is (ate, eight) years old. 5. Nigel (threw, through) the ball to first base. 6. Room 16 is having a spelling test next (weak, week). 7. I don’t (know, no) where I left my backpack. 8. How much does your puppy (way, weigh)? 9. The frightened campers (herd, heard) a noise in the forest. 10. The (dear, deer) drank from the cool stream. 11. The principal’s office is the third door on the (right, write). 12. (There, They’re, Their) favorite movie is showing tonight at 8 p.m. 13. The audience filled 100 (rose, rows) of seats. 14. Lori’s arm was (sore, soar) after her softball game. 1 2 3 511 67 8 14 9 4 10 12 13 G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 21 Do They Agree? Read each of the sentences below, and underline the verb that agrees with the subject. Then write the correct verbs in the snail puzzle. The last letter of one answer will be the first letter of the next answer. Some answers will go around corners. SKILL: Subject/Verb Agreement FAST FACT If the subject of a sen- tence is singular, the verb must also be sin- gular. If the subject is plural, the verb must be plural. Here’s a secret, though: While a noun that ends in -s is usual- ly plural, a verb that ends in -s is usually singular! 1. Bears (has, have) a powerful sense of smell. 2. We (eat, eats) out about twice a month. 3. He always (try, tries) to do his homework before dinner. 4. On the island, the sun (shine, shines) almost every day. 5. The recipe (says, say) to cook the muffins for 25 minutes. 6. They (swim, swims) in the lake every afternoon. 7. I (make, makes) the best lemonade in town! 8. Ralph (earn, earns) money by mowing his neighbor’s lawn. 9. The kids often (swing, swings) at the playground. 10. My house plants (grows, grow) an inch every month. 11. Henry (were, was) in charge of the class party. 12. At lunch time, Rita always (sit, sits) near the windows. 13. They (switch, switches) seats every week. 14. Christopher (has, have) on a striped sweater today. 1 2 3 11 6 5 7 14 98 4 10 12 13 G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 22 Make It Two! Write the plural of each singular noun on the line provided. Then write the plurals in the crossword puzzle grid. SKILL: Plural Nouns FAST FACT Some nouns add -s to become plural. Others add -es. Other nouns change completely when they become plur- al, and still others do not change at all! ACROSS 3. one banana; many __________________ 5. one president; many __________________ 8. one subject; many __________________ 9. one itch; many __________________ 11. one disk; many __________________ 14. one tomato; many __________________ 17. one television; many __________________ DOWN 1. one plant; many __________________ 2. one waitress; many __________________ 4. one foot; many __________________ 6. one deer; many __________________ 7. one note; many __________________ 10. one child; many __________________ 12. one cookie; many __________________ 13. one person; many __________________ 15. one key; many __________________ 16. one mouse; many __________________ 1 2 8 9 10 11 17 15 16 12 14 13 3 5 6 7 4 G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 23 Invisible Nouns Use a noun from the box to fill in the blank in each sentence. Then write your answers in the crossword puzzle. SKILL: Abstract Nouns FAST FACT Some nouns name ideas or feelings that you cannot see, hear, smell, or touch. Some examples are happi- ness, wonder, and justice. These nouns are called abstract nouns. ACROSS 4. Madison has ____________________ that the future will be bright. 6. Jack has ____________________ in his ability to play soccer. 8. The students had great ____________________ for their teacher. 9. For the sake of ____________________, Marianne gave each child the same number of cookies. 11. Caroline’s main ____________________ after the hurricane was the safety of her neighbors. 12. Josh treats everyone with ____________________, so he has many friends. 13. When Grandpa saw what the burglars had done to the house, he was filled with _______________ . DOWN 1. Felicia was filled with ____________________ when her dog died. 2. My parents fell in ____________________ when they were in college. 3. The United States government is a ____________________ . 5. In the spring, flowers fill the world with ____________________ . 6. It takes ____________________ to give a speech in front of the whole class. 7. Albert Einstein had ____________________, but he did not do well in school. 10. The kids know that ____________________ is important. They always take turns with their toys. love sadness beauty democracy sharing hope confidence respect anger fairness concern courage intelligence kindness 4 7 5 6 8 11 1 9 10 12 13 2 3 G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 24 Where’s the Action? Read each sentence and fill in the blank with an action verb from the box. Write the verb in the crossword puzzle. SKILL: Action Verbs FAST FACT An action verb describes activity that happened in the past, is happening now, or will happen in the future. ACROSS 2. Jeanette __________________________ as she thought of the exciting day ahead of her. 6. Jack __________________________ the home- work assignment in his notebook. 7. During the earthquake, the whole house __________________________ . 9. Alexis __________________________ at Courtney’s joke. 10. Our basketball team ________________________ the state championship! 11. I am so hungry, I could __________________________ ten pizzas! 13. Chris __________________________ all the way to the top of the tree. 17. The lion __________________________ loudly, surprising the zoo visitors. 18. Victor __________________________ “Fire!” as soon as he saw the flames. DOWN 1. Samantha __________________________ her team to victory. 3. “I am pleased to ______________________ you,” Jacob said. 4. The teacher __________________________ the writing on the chalk board. 5. Don’t __________________________ the boat; it may tip over! 6. Gregory __________________________ the dog around the block. 8. I __________________________ the envelope as soon as I saw it. 12. Let’s __________________________ a kite today. 14. In honor of your birthday, Aunt Rose __________________________ a cake. 15. My book bag weighs at least 15 pounds. It is too heavy to __________________________! 16. Lucas __________________________ his favorite tie on school picture day. fly walked won opened smiled climbed erased led carry rock wore shook meet laughed wrote yelled baked roared eat 1 2 6 9 11 12 10 13 14 15 18 16 17 7 8 3 4 5 G ra m m ar P uz zl es& G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 25 Pronoun Magic Use a pronoun from the box to fill in the blank in each sentence. You may use some pronouns more than once. Then write the pronouns in the crossword puzzle. ACROSS 2. Look at that flower! ___________________ is beautiful. 4. This letter is addressed to my neighbors. It must be ___________________ . 6. Joanna can’t wait for the class trip. It will be ___________________ first visit to a muse- um. 7. George helped me with the science home- work. I helped ___________________ with the math problems. 9. Will you join ___________________ for a walk? I would enjoy your company. 10. If you don’t hurry, ___________________ are going to be late for school. 12. Can you find ___________________ way home from here? 16. Our school has two playgrounds. Everyone works to keep ___________________ clean. 19. Brian forgot ___________________ lunch today. 22. Is this backpack ___________________? It has your initials on it. 24. The Smiths took ___________________ new puppy for a walk. 25. ___________________ jacket is this? DOWN 1. Mike and Rob went to the park because ___________________ wanted to play ball. 3. The students have recess after ___________________ eat lunch. 5. Amanda loves space, so ___________________ wants to become an astronaut. 8. That pen belongs to me. It is _____________ . 11. A cat followed Bob and me home. It stayed behind ______________ the whole way! 13. The blue car belongs to our family. The van is ___________________, too. 17. Mrs. Miller remembers every solo ___________________ daughter sang. 18. I was in a rush, so I asked the waiter to bring ___________________ food quickly. 20. Many nutrients of an apple are in ___________________ peel. 21. My mom knows me well. ___________________ can tell when I’ve had a bad day. 23. My friends and I love to ride bikes. It is ___________________ favorite activity. 25. My brother and I hope ___________________ both make the soccer team. 1 10 11 12 13 16 19 20 24 25 21 22 23 17 18 4 5 7 8 9 6 2 3 SKILL: Personal and Possessive Pronouns FAST FACT Pronouns take the place of nouns: Pronouns can be possessive, just like nouns: I you he she it we me they him her us them my his our/ours mine her/hers their/theirs your/yours its whose My ball! Mine! G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 26 Awesome Adverbs Read each sentence and fill in the blank with an adverb from the box. Then write your answers in the crossword puzzle. SKILL: Adverbs FAST FACT An adverb can describe a verb, adjective, or another adverb. Adverbs often answer the ques- tions how, when, where, and to what extent. Many—but not all— adverbs end in -ly. ACROSS 1. Hillary ate her soup __________________________. 4. Natasha hit the ball _________________________ and ran to first base. 6. David brushed the canvas ______________________ with yellow paint. 8. All of the students did very __________________________ on the reading test. 9. The twins couldn’t believe their birthday had ___________________ arrived. 11. I will sit here; you can sit _______________________. DOWN 1. Bryan __________________________ agreed to join the game. 2. The crickets chirped ________________________ outside the window. 3. The tired children walked home from school ____________________ . 5. The cat hissed __________________________ when the dog walked by. 7. When I heard the announcer begin to name the winners, I looked up _______________________________ . 9. Tricia runs __________________________ enough to make the track and field team. 10. Kyle has _____________________________ experienced a snowfall before. loudly hard angrily happily well hopefully slowly lightly never hungrily there finally fast 1 3 4 5 6 7 2 8 9 11 10 G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 27 It’s Only Proper Use a proper adjective from the box to fill in the blank in each sen- tence. Then write the answers in the puzzle. SKILL: Proper Adjectives ACROSS 1. We took an _________________________ train across the country. 3. Polar bears and snowshoe rabbits are both _____________________ animals. 7. The ______________________ Lakes are locat- ed between the United States and Canada. 8. Anthony bought a pair of blue ________________________ sneakers. 10. No one lives at the __________________________ Pole all year long. 11. Japan is an ____________________________ country. 12. Sara enjoys watching __________________________ movies. DOWN 2. They went swimming in the __________________________ Ocean. 3. The ________________________ flag has stars and stripes. 4. The ________________________ New Year is celebrated with parades and fireworks. 5. Mike received many __________________________ presents from his friends. 6. The _________________________ Islands are part of the United States. 9. An ___________________________ person is someone from Ireland. Hawaiian Christmas Asian Arctic Amtrak Disney Atlantic South Nike Great Irish American Chinese FAST FACT A proper adjective is an adjective that forms from a proper noun. For example, a king from England is an English king. A proper adjective uses a capital letter. 1 2 3 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 4 5 G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 28 Subject Search Read each sentence and underline the word that is the simple subject. Write the word in the crossword puzzle. SKILL: Subject of Sentence FAST FACT The simple subject is the noun or pronoun that tells what or whom the sentence is about. ACROSS 1. They knew that they were going to be late for the meeting. 2. Teachers have exciting jobs. 4. She owns several rare books. 5. The local newspaper ran an article about helping the environment. 7. My new shoes gave me painful blisters. 8. The tall brown mare guarded her new- born foal. 9. The hot sun scorched the farmer’s crops. 11. Mrs. Edwards’ store closes at 7:30 p.m. on weeknights. 12. It is almost summer time. 13. Cheese is a popular pizza topping. 14. The letter arrived in yesterday’s mail. DOWN 1. Travis rode the roller coaster four times. 2. The telephone rang loudly. 3. A single star shone in the night sky. 6. Everyone shouted “Surprise!” when Nathan walked in the front door. 8. Beautiful music played while we worked on our projects. 9. Shelly is one of my closest friends. 10. Litter makes the park ugly. 1 2 4 5 7 8 9 14 10 11 12 13 6 3 G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 29 Food Fight! Work with a partner on this activity. One partner will be the Clue Giver. The other partner will be the Word Giver. 1. The Clue Giver asks the Word Giver for a word to fill in each blank. Fill in all the blanks before reading the story. 2. The Clue Giver reads the story out loud. FAST FACT Common nouns are general names for peo- ple, places, and things. They do not use capital letters. For example: student, home, and apple. One day the students in our class were having a quiet lunch in the ____________________. At first everything was going smoothly. The kids were enjoying fried ___________________________, baked ____________________________, and a variety of other tasty treats. Trouble started when one of the students was carrying her tray to her seat. Her stomach grumbled as she gazed at the ____________________________, ____________________________, and __________________________ on her tray.A _________________________ and _________________________ sitting nearby both looked hungrily at the piping hot lunch. Suddenly, the student tripped on a _________________________ on the floor, and her tray went flying. A large ________________________ landed on a _________________________ who was walking by. “You know what that means!” anoth- er student shouted. “Food fight!” Before long, the kids’ lunches were sailing through the air. A burned ___________________ plopped down on a ___________________________. A greasy ____________________________ flew out the window and headed for the _________________________. The food fight continued until a mushy _________________________ sailed right into the teacher. “Stop this nonsense,” the teacher cried. “Each one of you is behaving like a _________________________. Clean up this mess right now or I will send you to the _________________________!” Needless to say, that was the end of the food fight! common noun/thing common noun/thing common noun/thing common noun/thing common noun/thing common noun/person common noun/person common noun/person common noun/person common noun/person common noun/thing common noun/thing common noun/thing common noun/thing common noun/place common noun/place common noun/place common noun/thing SKILL: Common Nouns G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 30 The Strangest Field Trip Ever Work with a partner on this activity. One partner will be the Clue Giver. The other partner will be the Word Giver. 1. The Clue Giver asks the Word Giver for a word to fill in each blank. Fill in all the blanks before reading the story. 2. The Clue Giver reads the story out loud. Last night I had a very unusual dream. In my dream, ___________________________ was the principal of our school! One day, the principal announced that we were going on a field trip to ______________________. Now, I had been to ______________________ and to ______________________, but never there! Believe it or not, my dream got even crazier after that. We rode a ______________________ all the way to our destination. Once we arrived, we met all kinds of people. I personally saw ______________________ and ______________________ and even got ______________________ to give me an autograph. I will always treasure it! On the way home, we talked the principal into stopping in ______________________ and ______________________. We tried to stop in ______________________, too, but we ran out of time. Even so, it was the most awesome field trip I had ever been on. Was I ever disappointed when it was time to wake up! FAST FACT Proper nouns are the names of specific peo- ple, places, and things. They always begin with a capital letter. For example: George, Texas, and the Statue of Liberty. proper noun/person proper noun/person proper noun/person proper noun/person proper noun/place proper noun/place proper noun/place proper noun/place proper noun/place proper noun/place proper noun/form of transportation SKILL: Proper Nouns G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 31 Alien Adventure Work with a partner on this activity. One partner will be the Clue Giver. The other partner will be the Word Giver. 1. The Clue Giver asks the Word Giver for a word to fill in each blank. Fill in all the blanks before reading the story. 2. The Clue Giver reads the story out loud. When I saw the flashing lights, I knew right away it was a UFO. It________________ right next to me. The doors opened, and out came ____________________ ____________________. The creatures marched toward me and began to speak. “We are from the planet _________________,” they said. “We travel around the Milky Way, stopping only to ________________. Tell us about yourself, Earthling.” I ____________________ and I ____________________. I did not know what to say, “My name is _______________________,” I began. “I like to ___________________________ and __________________________. My favorite thing to do is __________________________ and hang out with my good friend, __________________________.” The creatures looked at each other and __________________________. “Aha,” they said. “Earth is very different from our planet. Come, and we will show you.” I hopped aboard the UFO and we took off. The creatures and I ____________________ and _______________________. They also gave me a delicious ________________________ to eat. Finally, we arrived. I could tell we were there when the UFO _______________________. I stepped outside. I watched as alien creatures ____________________ and ____________________. I was homesick already, without my family and my favorite _________________. “Take me home!” I told the aliens. They shrugged and put me back on the UFO—by myself! “Wait” I cried. “I don’t know how to fly this thing!” The doors closed, and I spied a control panel. I did not know which button to press, so I just ____________________. Amazingly, the UFO ____________________ and started its journey back to Earth. It took me ____________________ days, but I finally made it home. FAST FACT The present tense describes an action that is happening now. The past tense describes an action that already hap- pened. Many verbs form the past tense by adding -ed or -d. verb/past tense number over 2 plural noun noun noun/thing noun number verb/past tense verb/past tense verb/present tense verb/present tense verb/present tense verb/present tense word giver’s name noun/person’s name verb/past tense verb/past tense verb/past tense verb/past tense verb/past tense verb/past tense verb/past tense verb/past tense SKILL: Verbs/Present and Past Tense G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 32 I See the Future Work with a partner on this activity. One partner will be the Clue Giver. The other partner will be the Word Giver. 1. The Clue Giver asks the Word Giver for a word to fill in each blank. Fill in all the blanks before reading the story. 2. The Clue Giver reads the story out loud. What will life on Earth be like 100 years from now? Here’s what I think: People __________________________ much less often than they do today, but they __________________________ at least ten times a day. Children __________________________ in schools and they __________________________ in their neighborhoods. In the United States, most people __________________________ , but in other parts of the world, people __________________________ . People everywhere __________________________ . In the future, all cars __________________________ and bikes __________________________ . It will be so much fun! Computers _______________________ , and machines _____________________ . What will I be doing 100 years from now? Thanks to medical advances, I will still be around. I probably _______________________ , and I definitely ________________________ . But most of all I _______________________ ! I can hardly wait! verb/future tense verb/future tense verb/future tense verb/future tense verb/future tense verb/future tense verb/future tense verb/future tense verb/future tense verb/future tenseverb/future tense verb/future tense verb/future tense verb/future tense FAST FACT To form the future tense, verbs add the word will. For example: He will run tomorrow. SKILL: Verbs/Future Tense G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 33 Say It With Adjectives! Work with a partner on this activity. One partner will be the Clue Giver. The other partner will be the Word Giver. 1. TheClue Giver asks the Word Giver for a word to fill in each blank. Fill in all the blanks before reading the story. 2. The Clue Giver reads the story out loud. FAST FACT Adjectives are words that describe nouns or pronouns. For example: beautiful, sloppy, blue, broken. One _________________________ spring afternoon, a _________________________ student named _________________________ was playing basketball. The student was wearing the latest fashion: _________________________ pants and a very _________________________ shirt. The student threw the ball toward the basket, but it bounced into the woods. “I guess I’ll have to chase it.” The student ran to get the basketball but it was nowhere in sight. Instead, there was a _________________________ , _________________________ bottle with a _________________________ lid propped beneath a tree. The student opened the bottle cautiously. Out popped a _________________________ genie wearing a strange _________________________ outfit! “Finally!” said the genie as he glanced at the _________________________ watch on his wrist. “It’s about time someone let me out of this bottle. I only have time for one wish. So make it snappy.” The student thought. What would be the best wish? To be a ___________________________ superstar? To have some really ____________________________ toys? Finally, the student thought of the perfect wish and told the genie. “Whatever,” said the genie as he snapped his fingers. And just like that, the wish came true. The student became a ___________________________, ____________________________ _____________________, and never forgot that _______________________ day in the forest. adjective noun/first name adjective adjectiveadjective adjective adjective adjective adjective adjective adjective adjective adjective adjective adjective adjectivenoun SKILL: Adjectives G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 34 A Parts-of-Speech Circus Work with a partner on this activity. One partner will be the Clue Giver. The other part- ner will be the Word Giver. 1. The Clue Giver asks the Word Giver for a word to fill in each blank. Fill in all the blanks before reading the story. 2. The Clue Giver reads the story out loud. Last week, the circus came to our town. It was set up near the old ______________________. I wasn’t planning to go, but _______________________ and _____________________ talked me into it. They were dying to see the _______________________ ______________________ and the __________________________ ________________________ . When we arrived, we were starving, so we got in line to buy some snacks. I ate the ________________________ __________________________, and my friends ate the _____________________ ________________________. Then the show began. The ringmaster _____________________ announced the first act. Then __________________ __________________ came out and started to _______________________ _______________________! When the act was over, everyone began to __________________________ _______________________ and ___________________________ ____________________________ . Later in the show, we saw a _______________________ _________________________ and a ________________________ ________________________ who could _______________________ and _____________________. The best part of the show was the last act, when a _____________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ on top of a ______________________! We ran into _______________________ and ______________________. They were carrying a ______________________ that they had bought as a souvenir. They said they loved the show, too! FAST FACT A noun is a person, place or thing (Mr. Simpson, Ohio, banana ). A verb tells the action in the sentence (lifts, dances, sees). An adjective describes a noun (blue, nice, smart). An adverb usually describes a verb (quickly, happily, wildly). common noun/place common noun/person common noun/person common noun/person common noun/person common noun/thing common noun/thing any common nouncommon noun/person verb/past tense adverb adjective adjective adjective/number plural noun common noun/thing common noun/thing common noun/thing adjective adjective adjective adverb adverbverb/present tense verb/present tense verb/present tense verb/present tense verb/present tense adverb adverb adjective adjective proper noun/person proper noun/person SKILL: Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives, Adverbs (Review) G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 35 A Pet Adventure This adventure story is miss- ing its adverbs! Fill in the blanks in the story with adverbs from the box below. When you are finished, put the numbered letters in the correct order and get the secret message. My neighbors asked me to watch their dog, Sophie. I __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ needed the money, so I took the job. Sophie barked __ __ __ __ __ __ and gave me a big kiss. I took her by the leash and waved good-bye. Trouble began when she chewed off her leash and ran __ __ __ __ __ __ down the street. When I caught her, she was licking someone’s ice cream cone! Then she __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ ran across the street. I followed __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ behind her. Sophie stopped at the park. There, she __ __ __ __ __ __ __ made some new friends, leaped __ __ __ __ into the air to grab their Frisbee, and greeted a man who was feeding the squirrels. We were invited to a picnic and ate __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __. Then I __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ realized it was time to go. We __ __ __ __ __ said good-bye, and got home minutes before Sophie’s owners. They saw her sitting __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ by the door and exclaimed. “Sophie’s so good for you. Are you available next week?” Now use the circled letters to decode the message: __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 5 1 6 7 9 12 13 2 3 8 4 4 11 __ __ __ __ __ __ __! 3 4 7 1 9 12 10 FAST FACT Adverbs can describe verbs, adjectives, or even other adverbs. They usually answer the questions how, when, or where. They often end in the letters -ly. suddenly quickly loudly breathlessly high desperately sadly hungrily fearlessly innocently wildly SKILL: Adverbs 1 2 3 5 68 7 9 10 11 12 13 4 G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 36 Prepositions Show Position This story is missing its prepositions! Fill in the blanks in the story with prepositions from the box below. When you are finished, put the num- bered letters in the correct order and get the secret message. FAST FACT Prepositions usually tell where something is, where something is going, or when some- thing is happening. about above before by except from in inside near on with without to Last summer, I went ____ ____ Space Camp! I went for three days, ____ ____ ____ ____ a Monday to a Wednesday. On the first day, I got to try on a space suit just like the ones worn by real astronauts. It had an American flag ____ ____ the front and all kinds of special equipment built into it. It even had a device to control the temperature inside the suit. ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ this equipment, astronauts could not survive ____ ____ space. The next day, I got to taste astronaut food. I especially liked the freeze-dried ice cream. In fact, all of the kids at Space Camp (____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ for one or two) thought the ice cream was the best. Finally, I got to go ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ a special anti-gravity chamber. It was invented____ ____ scientists to give astronauts an idea of what it’s like to be weightless in outer space. While I was floating inside the chamber, I imagined that I was traveling far ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ the Earth. Wow! Before I knew it, it was time to head home. But before I left, I got to meet a real-life astro- naut. She sat down ____ ____ ____ ____ all the campers and told us ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ her job. She sat ____ ____ ____ ____ me, so I even got an autograph! Now I don’t just think I want to be an astronaut. I know for sure! Now use the numbered letters to decode the message: __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 3 6 11 7 12 2 1 3 10 1 5 3 __ __ __ __ __ __! 9 3 6 13 4 8 1 5 6 7 8 9 2 3 4 10 11 12 14 13 SKILL: Prepositions G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 37 This story is missing its conjunc- tions! Fill in the blanks in the story with conjunctions from the box below. When you are finished, put the numbered letters in the correct order and get the secret message. FAST FACT Conjunctions are linking words. They join words, phrases, clauses, and sentences together. The day we moved into our new house, the weather was rainy __ __ __ cold. __ __ __ __ __ I could not play outside, I decided to explore the attic. It was mostly empty, __ __ __ a few dusty boxes sat in the corner, belonging to the previous owners __ __ __ __ __ __ __ my family had not come up here yet. I began to look through one of the boxes filled with papers that looked old and fragile, __ __ I was careful. I uncovered an old map and recognized our neighborhood. It showed a large “X” near the lake, at the end of our road. “Hmmmm,” I thought to myself. “X” marks the spot.” For a chest full of gold __ __ a priceless piece of jewelry? I could hardly wait to find out! Luckily the next day was sunny. __ __ __ __ I finished breakfast, I set out to search for the spot marked on my map. __ __ __ __ __ __ I had gotten very far, I heard a voice say, “I’m Kate. You must be the new kid.” I said “hello.” I didn’t want Kate to think I was silly, __ __ __ I knew she might be a big help so I showed her my map. Soon both of us were having a great time. We found plenty of garbage, and may never know __ __ there is treasure by the lake, but I have a new pal! Now use the circled letters to decode the message: __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 8 6 10 7 1 2 3 5 6 7 __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __! 9 6 7 5 3 4 6 7 3 and but or nor yet so if until since because before once 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 SKILL: Conjunctions A Conjunction’s Function G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 38 Hey, Wow! This letter is missing its inter- jections! Fill in the blanks in the story with interjections from the box below. When you are finished, put the numbered letters in the correct order and get the secret message. FAST FACT An interjection is a word or phrase that express- es strong feelings. It is usually punctuated with an exclamation point. Dear Aunt Linda, __ __ __ __ __ there! I just got the train set you sent for my birthday. __ __ __ __ __ __! I really love it. It has eight cars and a long, curving track. __ __ __! It has to be the nicest train set I’ve ever seen. It took me about three hours to put the set together (with mom’s help). __ __ __ __! It sure was hard work! But when I was finally finished, I was very excited. I invited my best friend, Tim, over to take a look. Tim loves trains as much as I do. When he saw it, he shouted, “__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __!” Tim and I played with the trains for a while. Then Tim’s brother, Lou, came over, and we had to put the set away. That’s because Lou tried to play with the track and almost broke it. I said, “__ __ __! Please be careful with that!” I hear my mom calling me for dinner, so I will wrap up this letter. We are having liver and lima beans. __ __ __ __! I hope you are having something tastier! I will talk to you soon! Love, Daniel P.S.: __ __ __ __! I almost forgot to tell you that my first soccer game of the season will be this Saturday morning! Now use the numbered letters to decode the message: __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __! 3 5 1 6 9 2 5 4 1 7 8 All right Hello Thanks Wow Hey Yuck Oops Phew SKILL: Interjections 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 39 To Be or Not to Be? This story is missing some of its verbs! Fill in the blanks in the story with verbs from the box below. All of the verbs are forms of the verb “to be.” When you are finished, put the num- bered letters in the cor- rect order and get the secret message. Ladies and Gentlemen, It __ __ quite an honor to stand before you this evening and accept this award. I am thrilled to __ __ named the Inventor of the Year. Believe it or not, just a few years ago I __ __ __ a poor, unknown inventor with plenty of ideas but no money to make them happen. Today, I __ __ a big success, all thanks to my famous Two-In-One Dental Floss and Fishing Line. If it __ __ __ __ not for this amazing device, I might still be dreaming away in my basement workshop. As I accept my award, I’d like to thank some special people in my life. They __ __ __ my parents and my fifth-grade science teacher, Mrs. C. A. Labrat. To all three of them, I say, “Thanks for __ __ __ __ __ there for me!” And to all of you in the audience, I say that I have never __ __ __ __ happier or more proud than I am tonight. Now use the numbered letters to decode the message: __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __! 2 6 3 4 1 7 7 8 5 is am are was were be being been FAST FACT The verb “to be” is the most frequently used verb in the English lan- guage. Eight different words are part of the verb “to be.” SKILL: The Verb “To Be” 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 40 A Capital Idea Look at each set of sentences. Fill in the circle next to the sentence that uses capital letters properly. When you are finished, use the letters of your answers to solve the riddle at the end. 1. nn A. The Statue of Liberty is in new york, New York. nn B. The Statue of Liberty is in New York, New York. nn C. The statue of liberty is in new york, new york. nn D. the Statue of Liberty is in New York, New York. 2. nn E. George Washington was america’s first president. nn F. George Washington was America’s first president. nn G. George Washington Was America’s First President. nn H. George washington was america’s first president. 3. nn I. Many creatures live in the Pacific Ocean. nn J. Many creatures live in the pacific ocean. nn K. Many creatures live in the Pacific ocean. nn L. Many Creatures live in the Pacific Ocean. 4. nn M. My cat’s Name is Lady. nn N. My cat’s name is Lady. nn O. My Cat’s name is Lady. nn P. My cat’s name is lady. 5. nn Q. Where are you celebrating thanksgiving this year? nn R. where are you celebrating Thanksgiving this year? nn S. Where are you celebrating Thanksgiving this year? nn T. Where are you celebrating Thanksgiving this Year? 6. nn U. he and I both go to school with karen. nn V. He and I both go to School with Karen. nn W. He and I both go to school with Karen. nn X. He and i both go to school with Karen. SKILL: Capitalization FAST FACT Capital or upper case letters are used to begin proper nouns, to begin sentences, for the per- sonal pronounI, and in many abbreviations. G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 41 7. nn Y. Mr. bloomberg teaches fourth grade. nn Z. Mr. Bloomberg Teaches fourth grade. nn A. Mr. Bloomberg teaches fourth grade. nn B. MR. Bloomberg teaches Fourth Grade. 8. nn C. We made a birthday cake for uncle phil. nn D. We made a Birthday cake for Uncle Phil. nn E. We made a birthday cake for Uncle Phil. nn F. We made a birthday Cake for Uncle Phil. 9. nn G. The Mississippi river sometimes floods. nn H. The Mississippi River Sometimes floods. nn I. The Mississippi River sometimes floods. nn J. the Mississippi River sometimes floods. 10. nn K. Jennifer has a Girl Scout meeting after school on Monday. nn L. Jennifer has a girl scout meeting after school on monday. nn M. jennifer has a Girl Scout meeting after school on Monday. nn N. Jennifer has a girl Scout meeting after School on Monday. 11. nn O. They are having a family reunion in March. nn P. They are having a Family Reunion in march. nn Q. they are having a family reunion in March. nn R. They Are having a family reunion in March. 12. nn S. Playland is Roger’s favorite amusement park. nn T. Playland is roger’s favorite amusement park. nn U. playland is Roger’s favorite amusement park. nn V. Playland is Roger’s favorite Amusement park. Now solve the riddle! Each number below stands for one of the questions. Write the letter of the cor- rect answer above each number. You will spell out the answer to this riddle: Where does a polar bear keep its money? __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __! 3 4 7 12 4 11 6 1 7 4 10 G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 42 Whose Is It? Look at each set of sentences. Fill in the circle next to the sentence that uses possessive nouns properly. When you are finished, use the letters of your answers to solve the riddle at the end. 1. nn A. The cats’s fur was matted from the rain. nn B. The c’ats fur was matted from the rain. nn C. The cats fur was matted from the rain. nn D. The cat’s fur was matted from the rain. 2. nn E. The churchs door is made of thick wood. nn F. The churches door is made of thick wood. nn G. The church’s door is made of thick wood. nn H. The churches’s door is made of thick wood. 3. nn I. We’re going over to Juan’s house. nn J. We’re going over to Juans house. nn K. We’re going over to Juan house. nn L. We’re going over to Juans’s house. 4. nn M. The childrens toys were all over the floor. nn N. The children’s toys were all over the floor. nn O. The childrens’s toys were all over the floor. nn P. The children toys’ were all over the floor. 5. nn Q. Our classes field trip will be next Thursday. nn R. Our class’s field trip will be next Thursday. nn S. Our classs field trip will be next Thursday. nn T. Our class’ field trip will be next Thursday. 6. nn U. The Smiths’s driveway is very long. nn V. The Smiths’ driveway is very long. nn W. The Smithses driveway is very long. nn X. The Smiths driveway is very long. 7. nn Y. The doll’s dress is as beautiful as Margarets own outfit. nn Z. The dolls’ dress is as beautiful as Margaret’s own outfit. nn A. The doll’s dress is as beautiful as Margaret’s own outfit. nn B. The dolls dress is as beautiful as Margaret’s own outfit. FAST FACT A possessive noun shows ownership. Most singular nouns become possessive by adding -’s. Most plural nouns end- ing in -s become pos- sessive by adding an apostrophe after the -s. SKILL: Possessive Nouns G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 43 8. nn C. Bailey’s phone number is easy to remember. nn D. Baile’ys phone number is easy to remember. nn E. Baileys phone number is easy to remember. nn F. Baileys’s phone number is easy to remember. 9. nn G. Our store’s motto is, “The customers needs come first.” nn H. Our store’s motto is, “The customers’s needs come first.” nn I. Our store’s motto is, “The customers’ needs come first.” nn J. Our stores motto is, “The customers’ needs come first.” 10. nn K. My brothers jacket is too big for me. nn L. My brother’ jacket is too big for me. nn M. My brothers’s jacket is too big for me. nn N. My brother’s jacket is too big for me. 11. nn O. I’d like to have a pen like Michelle’s. nn P. I’d like to have a pen like Michelles. nn Q. I’d like to have a pen like Michelles’. nn R. I’d like to have a pen like Michelles’s. 12. nn S. Johns and Erics reports were both excellent. nn T. John’s and Eric’s reports were both excellent. nn U. John’s’ and Eric’s’ reports were both excellent. nn V. Johns’ and Eric’s reports were both excellent. 13. nn W. Nora’s goal improved her teams’ chances of winning. nn X. Noras goal improved her team’s chances of winning. nn Y. Nora’s goal improved her team’s chances of winning. nn Z. Noras goal improved her teams chances of winning. Now solve the riddle! Each number below stands for one of the questions. Write the letter of the cor- rect answer above each number. You will spell out the answer to this riddle: Where does afternoon come before morning? __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 9 10 7 1 3 8 12 3 11 10 7 5 13 G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 44 The Genuine Articles: A, An, and The Look at each set of sentences. Fill in the circle next to the sentence that uses the words a, an, and the properly. When you are finished, use the letters of your answers to solve the riddle at the end. 1. nn A. I always carry umbrella in my backpack. nn B. I always carry a umbrella in my backpack. nn C. I always carry an umbrella in my backpack. nn D. I always carry an a umbrella in my backpack. 2. nn E. My birthday is an last day of May. nn F. My birthday is a last day of May. nn G. My birthday is last day of May. nn H. My birthday is the last day of May. 3. nn I. France is a country in Europe. nn J. France is an country in Europe. nn K. France is country in Europe. nn L. France is the country in Europe. 4. nn M. Marcus packed sandwich and an apple for lunch. nn N. Marcus packed a sandwich and a apple for lunch. nn O. Marcus packed a sandwich and an apple for lunch. nn P. Marcus packed an sandwich and a apple for lunch. 5. nn Q. My balloon rose into an sky. nn R. My balloon rose into a the sky. nn S. My balloon rose into sky. nn T. My balloon rose into the sky. 6. nn U. Our car got the flat tire on highway. nn V. Our car got a flat tire on the highway. nn W. Our car got an flat tire on the highway. nn X. Our car got flat tire on a highway. FAST FACT The words a, an, and the often come before nouns. Use the in front of a specific noun. For example: This is the bike I want. Use a and an in front of non-spe- cific nouns. Use a in front of nouns that start with consonants and an in front of nouns that start with vowels. For example: I’d rather have a bike than an automobile. SKILL: Articles G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 45 7. nn Y. Toby’s coat has an hood and a zipper. nn Z. Toby’s coat has a hood and an zipper. nn A. Toby’s coat has a hood and a zipper. nn B. Toby’s coat has hood and a zipper. 8. nn C. I always try to sit in an front of the bus. nn D. I always try to sit in the front of an bus. nn E. I always try tosit in the front of the bus. nn F. I always try to sit in a front of the bus. 9. nn G. A sun is supposed to come out later. nn H. The sun is supposed to come out later. nn I. An sun is supposed to come out later. nn J. A the sun is supposed to come out later. 10. nn K. I must read a story and study for a exam. nn L. I must read story and study for an exam. nn M. I must read a story and study for an exam. nn N. I must read an story and study for an exam. 11. nn O. They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away. nn P. They say a apple a day keeps the doctor away. nn Q. They say an apple a day keeps an doctor away. nn R. They say a apple an day keeps the doctor away. 12. nn S. The Smiths went hiking in the Rocky Mountains. nn T. The Smiths went hiking in a Rocky Mountains. nn U. A Smiths went hiking in the Rocky Mountains. nn V. The Smiths went hiking in an Rocky Mountains. Now solve the riddle! Each number below stands for one of the questions. Write the letter of the cor- rect answer above each number. You will spell out the answer to this riddle: Where does a cow go in its free time? __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ – __ __ __ __! 5 4 5 2 8 10 4 11 6 3 8 12 G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 46 Using Contractions Look at each set of sentences. Fill in the circle next to the sentence that uses contractions properly. When you are finished, use the letters of your answers to solve the riddle at the end. 1. nn A. W’ell see you tomorrow. nn B. Well see you tomorrow. nn C. We’ll see you tomorrow. nn D. Wel’l see you tomorrow. 2. nn E. Id like to see a movie this weekend. nn F. Iw’d like to see a movie this weekend. nn G. ‘Id like to see a movie this weekend. nn H. I’d like to see a movie this weekend. 3. nn I. Ling knew she needed glasses when she cou’ldnt see the board. nn J. Ling knew she needed glasses when she couldnt see the board. nn K. Ling knew she needed glasses when she could’nt see the board. nn L. Ling knew she needed glasses when she couldn’t see the board. 4. nn M. Dad said hed pick me up after school. nn N. Dad said he’d pick me up after school. nn O. Dad said h’ed pick me up after school. nn P. Dad said hed’ pick me up after school. 5. nn Q. Joseph cant have a dog because he’s allergic to fur. nn R. Joseph can’t have a dog because hes allergic to fur. nn S. Joseph ca’nt have a dog because h’es allergic to fur. nn T. Joseph can’t have a dog because he’s allergic to fur. 6. nn U. Sandy is my sister, but she’s also my best friend. nn V. Sandy is my sister, but sh’es also my best friend. nn W. Sandy is my sister, but shes also my best friend. nn X. Sandy is my sister, but sh’s also my best friend. FAST FACT A contraction is formed by putting two words together and leaving out some letters. An apos- trophe takes the place of the missing letters. SKILL: Contractions G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 47 7. nn Y. Ill play basketball after dinner. nn Z. Il’l play basketball after dinner. nn A. I’ll play basketball after dinner. nn B. ‘Ill play basketball after dinner. 8. nn C. We tried to move the boulder, but it wouldnt budge. nn D. We tried to move the boulder, but it would’nt budge. nn E. We tried to move the boulder, but it wouldn’t budge. nn F. We tried to move the boulder, but it wou’ldnt budge. 9. nn G. My grandparents said theyd visit, but they didn’t say when. nn H. My grandparents said the’yd visit, but they didn’t say when. nn I. My grandparents said they’d visit, but they didn’t say when. nn J. My grandparents said th’eyd visit, but they didn’t say when. 10. nn K. Ive always wanted to travel around the world. nn L. Ive’ always wanted to travel around the world. nn M. I’ve always wanted to travel around the world. nn N. Iv’e always wanted to travel around the world. 11. nn O. Don’t forget to bring a jacket! nn P. Dont forget to bring a jacket! nn Q. D’ont forget to bring a jacket! nn R. Do’nt forget to bring a jacket! 12. nn S. Lets ask the librarian for help finding the book. nn T. Lets’ ask the librarian for help finding the book. nn U. Let’s ask the librarian for help finding the book. nn V. Le’ts ask the librarian for help finding the book. Now solve the riddle! Each number below stands for one of the questions. Write the letter of the cor- rect answer above each number. You will spell out the answer to this riddle: When is an astronaut’s favorite time to eat? __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __! 3 7 6 4 1 2 5 9 10 8 G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 48 Be Agreeable! Look at each set of sentences. Fill in the circle next to the sentence in which the subject and verb agree. When you are finished, use the letters of your answers to solve the riddle at the end. 1. nn A. Janine plays in the school band. nn B. Janine play in the school band. nn C. Janine were playing in the school band. nn D. Janine are playing in the school band. 2. nn E. I lives about six blocks from Sam’s apartment building. nn F. I live about six blocks from Sam’s apartment building. nn G. I are living about six blocks from Sam’s apartment building. nn H. I is living about six blocks from Sam’s apartment building. 3. nn I. That book is one of my sister’s favorites. nn J. That book are one of my sister’s favorites. nn K. That book am one of my sister’s favorites. nn L. That book were one of my sister’s favorites. 4. nn M. Mirtha’s favorite topics is birds and plants. nn N. Mirtha’s favorite topics was birds and plants. nn O. Mirtha’s favorite topics are birds and plants. nn P. Mirtha’s favorite topics am birds and plants. 5. nn Q. Dogs love water, but cats hates it. nn R. Dogs love water, but cats hate it. nn S. Dogs loves water, but cats hates it. nn T. Dogs loves water, but cats hate it. 6. nn U. A tornado strike our area once every few years. nn V. A tornado strikes our area once every few years. nn W. Tornadoes strikes our area once every few years. nn X. Tornadoes is striking our area once every few years. FAST FACT If the subject of a sen- tence is singular, the verb must also be sin- gular. If the subject is plural, the verb must be plural. SKILL: Agreement of Subject and Predicate G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 49 7. nn Y. Owen am bringing chips and salsa to the party. nn Z. Owen are bringing chips and salsa to the party. nn A. Owen is bringing chips and salsa to the party. nn B. Owen bringing chips and salsa to the party. 8. nn C. The Philadelphia Eagles has a talented coach. nn D. The Philadelphia Eagle have a talented coach. nn E. The Philadelphia Eagles have a talented coach. nn F. The Philadelphia Eagles has had a talented coach. 9. nn G. Benjamin and Matthew goes to the same swim club. nn H. Benjamin and Matthew is going to the same swim club. nn I. Benjamin and Matthew go to the same swim club. nn J. Benjamin and Matthew am going to the same swim club. 10. nn K. Traffic on the highway have been backed up for five miles. nn L. Traffic on the highway is backed up for five miles. nn M. Traffic on the highway are backed up for five miles. nn N. Traffic on the highway am backed up for five miles. 11. nn O. My aunt knows a lot about current events because she am a reporter. nn P. My aunt knows a lot about current events because she are a reporter. nn Q. My aunt know a lot about currentevents because she is a reporter. nn R. My aunt knows a lot about current events because she is a reporter. 12. nn S. The cafeteria often run out of ice cream, and the students get disappointed. nn T. The cafeteria often runs out of ice cream, and the students gets disappointed. nn U. The cafeteria often run out of ice cream, and the students gets disappointed. nn V. The cafeteria often runs out of ice cream, and the students get disappointed. Now solve the riddle! Each number below stands for one of the questions. Write the letter of the cor- rect answer above each number. You will spell out the answer to this riddle: What has a mouth but cannot smile? __ __ __ __ __ __! 7 11 3 6 8 5 G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 50 Is It a Sentence? Look at each set of answers. Fill in the circle next to the answer that is a complete sentence. When you are fin- ished, use the letters of your answers to solve the riddle at the end. 1. nn A. Chicken for dinner. nn B. We are having chicken for dinner. nn C. Having chicken for dinner. nn D. We chicken for dinner. 2. nn E. Did the mail arrive yet? nn F. The mail? nn G. Mail yet? nn H. Did arrive yet? 3. nn I. The park opens at seven o’clock in the morning. nn J. At seven o’clock in the morning. nn K. The park at seven o’clock in the morning. nn L. At seven o’clock in the morning, the park. 4. nn M. Enough apples to make an apple pie. nn N. We picked enough apples to make an apple pie. nn O. Picked enough apples to make an apple pie. nn P. We apples to make an apple pie. 5. nn Q. A new CD. nn R. Got a new CD for her birthday. nn S. Lori a new CD for her birthday. nn T. Lori got a new CD for her birthday. 6. nn U. Please close the door behind you. nn V. The door behind you. nn W. The door behind you, please. nn X. Behind you. FAST FACT A sentence must have a subject and a verb. In a command, the subject is understood to be “you.” For example: (You) Answer the phone, please! SKILL: Sentences and Fragments G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 51 7. nn Y. Since the weather is so nice. nn Z. The window. nn A. Let’s open the window, since the weather is so nice. nn B. The window, since the weather is so nice. 8. nn C. How to play softball at summer camp. nn D. Kelly learned how to play softball at summer camp. nn E. Kelly how to play softball at summer camp. nn F. To play softball. 9. nn G. Which movie would you like to see? nn H. Which movie? nn I. Like to see? nn J. Which movie would like to see? 10. nn K. Mr. Finley a math teacher for fourteen years. nn L. A math teacher for fourteen years. nn M. For fourteen years, Mr. Finley. nn N. Mr. Finley has been a math teacher for fourteen years. 11. nn O. Filled the sky just before noon. nn P. Just before noon, dark clouds. nn Q. Just before noon. nn R. Just before noon, dark clouds filled the sky. 12. nn S. Natalie, who already knows French. nn T. Natalie, who already knows French, plans to study Spanish next year. nn U. Natalie to study Spanish next year. nn V. To study Spanish next year. Now solve the riddle! Each number below stands for one of the questions. Write the letter of the cor- rect answer above each number. You will spell out the answer to this riddle: What do grizzlies do when they are having a bad day? __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __! 9 11 3 4 7 10 8 1 2 7 11 3 12 G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 52 Be a Comma Cop! Look at each set of sentences. Fill in the circle next to the sentence that uses commas properly. When you are finished, use the letters of your answers to solve the riddle at the end. 1. nn A. I’d like a hamburger, salad, and milk for supper. nn B. I’d like a hamburger salad and milk for supper. nn C. I’d like a hamburger salad and, milk for supper. nn D. I’d like, a hamburger, salad, and milk for supper. 2. nn E. Louisa has a pair of red white and blue shorts. nn F. Louisa has a pair, of red, white and blue shorts. nn G. Louisa has a pair of red, white, and blue shorts. nn H. Louisa has a pair of red white, and blue, shorts. 3. nn I. The shopkeeper said “Everything is on sale,” nn J. The, shopkeeper said, “Everything is on sale.” nn K. The shopkeeper said “Everything, is, on sale.” nn L. The shopkeeper said, “Everything is on sale.” 4. nn M. I was born on May 23 1991. nn N. I was, born on May 23, 1991. nn O. I was born on May, 23, 1991. nn P. I was born on May 23, 1991. 5. nn Q. My favorite cousins live in, Los Angeles California. nn R. My favorite cousins, live, in Los Angeles, California. nn S. My favorite cousins live in Los Angeles California. nn T. My favorite cousins live in Los Angeles, California. 6. nn U. The cake smelled delicious, which made the children hungry. nn V. The cake smelled delicious which made the children hungry. nn W. The cake smelled delicious which made the children, hungry. nn X. The cake smelled delicious which, made the children hungry. FAST FACT Commas are used to separate items in a list, to separate a quotation from the rest of the sentence, to separate a city from a state or country, to separate the month and day from the year, and to separate clauses in a sentence. SKILL: Using Commas G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 53 7. nn Y. Grown-ups, kids, and animals all enjoyed the good weather. nn Z. Grown-ups, kids, and animals, all enjoyed the good weather. nn A. Grown-ups kids and animals all enjoyed the good weather. nn B. Grown-ups kids, and animals all enjoyed the good weather. 8. nn C. The next century will begin on January 1 2100. nn D. The next century will begin on January 1, 2100. nn E. The next century will, begin on January 1 2100. nn F. The next century will begin on January, 1, 2100. 9. nn G. My chores are to make my bed clean my room and set the table for dinner. nn H. My chores are to make my bed, clean my room and set the table for dinner. nn I. My chores are to make my bed, clean my room, and set the table for dinner. nn J. My chores are to, make my bed clean my room and, set the table for dinner. 10. nn K. Mr. Linnett, the principal of our school, is very funny. nn L. Mr. Linnett the principal of our school is very funny. nn M. Mr. Linnett the principal of, our school, is very funny. nn N. Mr. Linnett, the principal of our school is, very funny. 11. nn O. Brett wanted to be here, today but he, has the flu. nn P. Brett wanted to be here today, but he has the flu. nn Q. Brett wanted to be here today, but, he, has the flu. nn R. Brett wanted, to be here today but he has the flu. 12. nn S. Grandma grew up in Bismarck, North Dakota. nn T. Grandma grew up in Bismarck North Dakota. nn U. Grandma grew up in Bismarck North, Dakota. nn V. Grandma grew up in, Bismarck North Dakota. Now solve the riddle! Each number below stands for one of the questions. Write the letter of the cor- rect answer above each number. You will spell out the answer to this riddle: What flowers have big mouths? __ __ __ __ __ __! 5 6 3 9 11 12 G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 54 Sentence Enders Look at each set of sentences. Fill in the circle next to the sentence that is punctuated properly. When you are finished,use the letters of your answers to solve the riddle at the end. 1. nn A. We stayed at the park for one hour, nn B. We stayed at the park for one hour. nn C. We stayed at the park for one hour? nn D. We stayed at the park for one hour 2. nn E. Help! There’s a fire! nn F. Help. There’s a fire. nn G. Help. There’s a fire? nn H. Help! There’s a fire 3. nn I. Do you know the capital of California. nn J. Do you know the capital of California! nn K. Do you know the capital of California? nn L. Do you know the capital of California 4. nn M. Is Francine home sick today. nn N. Is Francine home sick today! nn O. Is Francine home sick today nn P. Is Francine home sick today? 5. nn Q. My name is Colin? nn R. My name is Colin. nn S. My name is. Colin nn T. My name is Colin!? 6. nn U. Marigolds need a lot? of sun. nn V. Marigolds need a lot of sun nn W. Marigolds need a lot of sun. nn X. Marigolds need a lot of sun, FAST FACT A statement ends in a period. (.) A question ends in a question mark. (?) A strong com- mand or an exclamation ends in an exclamation point. (!) SKILL: Periods, Question Marks, Exclamation Points G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 55 7. nn Y. Stop, thief? nn Z. Stop, thief nn A. Stop, thief! nn B. Stop, thief. 8. nn C. Wearing sunscreen protects your skin from dangerous rays nn D. Wearing sunscreen protects your. skin from dangerous rays nn E. Wearing sunscreen protects your skin from dangerous rays. nn F. Wearing sunscreen protects your skin from dangerous rays? 9. nn G. What time will the next train depart? nn H. What time will the next train depart nn I. What time will the next train depart! nn J. What time will the next train depart. 10. nn K. Zachary rides a green mountain bike nn L. Zachary rides a green mountain bike. nn M. Zachary rides a green mountain bike,? nn N. Zachary rides a green mountain bike: 11. nn O. I just won a million dollars nn P. I just won a million dollars, nn Q. I just won a million dollars.? nn R. I just won a million dollars! 12. nn S. Would you like to share a snack nn T. Would you like to share a snack? nn U. Would you like to share a snack! nn V. Would you like to share a snack. Now solve the riddle! Each number below stands for one of the questions. Write the letter of the cor- rect answer above each number. You will spell out the answer to this riddle: Who gets paid for loafing around? __ __ __ __ __ __! 7 1 7 3 8 11 G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 56 Quotation Location Look at each set of sentences. Fill in the cir- cle next to the sentence that uses quotation marks properly. When you are finished, use the letters of your answers to solve the riddle at the end. 1. nn A. “Please open the letter, said Jeffrey.” nn B. “Please open the letter, said Jeffrey. nn C. “Please open the letter,” said Jeffrey. nn D. Please open the letter, said Jeffrey.” 2. nn E. Our national anthem is The Star-Spangled Banner. nn F. Our national anthem is “The Star-Spangled Banner. nn G. Our national anthem is The Star-Spangled Banner.” nn H. Our national anthem is “The Star-Spangled Banner.” 3. nn I. “I was on TV!” Lucy exclaimed. nn J. “I was on TV! Lucy exclaimed.” nn K. I was on TV! Lucy exclaimed. nn L. “I was on TV! Lucy exclaimed. 4. nn M. The umpire shouted, “You’re out! nn N. The umpire shouted, “You’re out!” nn O. The umpire shouted, You’re out! nn P. “The umpire shouted, You’re out!” 5. nn Q. Chapter 4 is called A New Beginning. nn R. “Chapter 4” is called A New Beginning. nn S. Chapter 4 is called A New Beginning.” nn T. Chapter 4 is called “A New Beginning.” 6. nn U. “Will you join me for lunch? Gil asked. nn V. Will you join me for lunch? Gil asked. nn W. “Will you join me for lunch?” Gil asked. nn X. “Will you join me for lunch? Gil asked.” FAST FACT Quotation marks go around a person’s exact words. They also set apart the titles of songs and poems and the titles of chapters in books. Quotation marks always come in pairs. SKILL: Quotation Marks G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 57 7. nn Y. “Check the card catalog, the librarian suggested. nn Z. Check the card catalog the librarian suggested. nn A. “Check the card catalog,” the librarian suggested. nn B. “Check the card catalog, the librarian suggested.” 8. nn C. Jody’s favorite saying is, Live and let live.” nn D. Jody’s favorite saying is, Live and let live. nn E. Jody’s favorite saying is, “Live and let live.” nn F. “Jody’s favorite saying is, Live and let live.” 9. nn G. The poem is called, “The Hilltop.” nn H. The poem is called The Hilltop. nn I. The poem is called, The Hilltop. nn J. The poem is called, The Hilltop.” 10 . nn K. The clerk asked may I help you find something? nn L. The clerk asked, May I help you find something? nn M. The clerk asked, “May I help you find something?” nn N. The clerk asked, “May I help you find something? 11. nn O. I pledge allegiance to the flag, the class recited. nn P. “I pledge allegiance to the flag,” the class recited. nn Q. “I pledge allegiance to the flag, the class recited. nn R. “I pledge allegiance to the flag, the class recited.” 12. nn S. Donald asked, “What time is it?” and Lora answered, Ten thirty. nn T. Donald asked, What time is it? and Lora answered, Ten thirty. nn U. Donald asked, “What time is it? and Lora answered, Ten thirty.” nn V. Donald asked, “What time is it?” and Lora answered, “Ten thirty.” Now solve the riddle! Each number below stands for one of the questions. Write the letter of the cor- rect answer above each number. You will spell out the answer to this riddle: What animal always wins at a game of cards? __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __! 7 1 2 8 8 5 7 2 G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 58 WORD SEARCH PUZZLES NNoouunn HHuunntt (page 9) PPeeooppllee:: 1. teacher; 2. mother and father; 3. teenager; 4. singer; 5. aunt. PPllaacceess:: 6. store; 7. school; 8. restaurant; 9. home; 10. airport. TThhiinnggss:: 11. bicycle; 12. bag; 13. apple; 14. table; 15. cloud. FFiinndd tthhee VVeerrbb (page 10): 1. begins; 2. visits; 3. caught; 4. read; 5. painted; 6. is; 7. won; 8. loves; 9. shared; 10. sang; 11. made; 12. blew; 13. listens; 14. broke; 15. has. VVeerrbbss HHeellpp OOuutt (page 11): 1. were; 2. should; 3,. can; 4. is; 5. am; 6. did; 7. do; 8. have; 9. are; 10. has; 11. was; 12. might; 13. had. GGoooodd,, BBeetttteerr,, BBeesstt (page 12): 1. faster; 2. cuter; 3. smart; 4. coldest; 5. tallest; 6. louder; 7. dark; 8. harder; 9. earlier; 10. closest. Noun Hunt B S H E A C K G T R B A A C L O U D A F E E M S P H D G N B I D A S O G P O F O T N T A C T T M L 0 H A C H A F H A H E E L O B T E B M E U E G S L M G Q H L W R R R B T E E N A G E R T A P U O I A K L K Y R V N C Z R B I C Y C L E A T I R E M R B C S I N G E R S B A I R P O R T M J Z N B P H D M A K H A S C I L A E C A U G H T A O L M I S B D G I C E L I N E N S N E S A O F O H V P T U T Z G V S L V S R I E B R E O I A H E I E Y D J W O N U N M S R P B R O K E M S G S T B C R F S H A R E D B I H T L E R V I S I T S D E R C W A O Q J A O G E Y H X H R D E A B L E W O E Find the Verb A F M I G H T E B P A R E D O I H B M C L D I O E G C L Q W E R E R S J S U A S E O N E T A K H C D I D H A D T N P V B O S F W T D U T G Q O M N U U R H E A B N J W Y W A L I M A S V A I D C H A R D L Q S E C M K T F K S N L G C O S L R S X A M U H D I D N T P U A O S B V UN P Z B I M S I H A V E J E R A H I B W T O E D S V P T Y O F Verbs Help Out Good, Better, Best A H S D Y B R O C U P E L M C M N E L O U D E R H B E O A K C G T N D I A D A L N R J M E A B S R T R F A S T E R C P A D A L O V H E K F O N Z E A I A E T Y I D L E H R I E O C L O S E S T B P S R T A L L E S T E D U B A Y R C O L D E S T Answer Key G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 59 NNoouunn SSuubbssttiittuutteess (page 13): 1. I; 2. he; 3. it; 4. they; 5. him; 6. us, ours; 7. you; 8. she; 9. we; 10. he; 11. her; 12. them; 13. my; 14. its; 15. their. CCoonnttrraaccttiioonn AAccttiioonn (page 14): 1. not; 2. have; 3. am; 4. had; 5. will; 6. are; 7. is; 8. It; 9. us. FFoorr SShhoorrtt (page 15): 1. c (Doctor); 2. h (Mister); 3. i (Street); 4. f (television); 5. l (January); 6. k (Pennsylvania); 7. b (Avenue); 8. d (Saturday); 9. a (October); 10. e (miles per hour); 11. j (United States); 12. g (California). SNAIL (“WRAPAROUND”) PUZZLES SSiinnggllee MMiinnddeedd (page 16): 1. planet; 2. truck; 3. key; 4. yard; 5. ditch; 6. hill; 7. leaf; 8. foot; 9. trip; 10. penny; 11. yam; 12. man; 13. nickel; 14. light. W E M Q N I A D J R T R E V P U A T E L E V I S I O N E E X N D O C T O R A F O P O N B E I M P H J A T D C G S N G K O T A T R L U N T S T S Q M I L E S P E R H O U R Y H I F E S D Y B D P B R E L C S R A I R S E A O E H E V K T L B A D G T Y F R I T A S E A U N I P Q A Z U K L N E R N H O F J E S T M C E I C A L I F O R N I A E R B A X D A V E N U E M A B S C D J A N U A R Y R W Q B I B For ShortNoun Substitutes A O U R S M C L B H E D A I B H C N P S A H X I T D O M R E D T G F M E N H G E L Y A I K C O W B L E I J Q H O S I R E Q J G M L H E D S H E V C A S R K O K U T E G W T N I T S E R R X S P R C H B E H L M U D F M I A F E M K E T S Z B H E R E Y I D F Y H I M P H M A L U R A Q S Z R M T R U J O T B R E C P E T N U F Y I G C M Y D A H Q Contraction Action A N E A R E H B M I S H F X I J O E A G D R K A U N L A C N V U A D Q D T E S F I T E Q A H B N O T G E I T U C I N W Z E R A S L I O S E F V G U J G I P L I Y A T V E H A G W G N H M F S W I L L E P A E U C O N B D P D U M C H S K E A I R O 1 2 3 4 56 7 8 9 1112 13 1014 P SINGLE MINDED L A N E T F O O T C K E R H C T I D M A Y H G N R R U C K E Y I P E L I N A E L L I N T A I A G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 60 IInn tthhee PPaasstt (page 17): 1. I slept in a bed; 2. She turned the key; 3. We decided what to eat for lunch; 4. Stephan drew a picture; 5. I won the spelling bee; 6. Rachel nodded her head in agreement; 7. They drove to school every day; 8. The nurse examined the patient; 9. Everyone danced to that song; 10. I dared you to watch the scary movie; 11. We did the dishes. PPiicckk aa PPrreeppoossiittiioonn (page 18): 1. below; 2. without; 3. toward; 4. despite; 5. except; 6. through- out; 7. to; 8. onto; 9. on; 10. near. CCrreeaattee aa WWoorrdd (page 19): 1. footprint; 2. teardrops; 3. sunshine; 4. earthquake; 5. eyelid; 6. doorknob; 7. baseball; 8. lifetime; 9. eggshell; 10. lighthouse; 11. earring. WWhhiicchh OOnnee ((WWoonn)) IIss IItt?? (page 20): 1. aunt; 2. too; 3. one; 4. eight; 5. threw; 6. week; 7. know; 8. weigh; 9. heard; 10. deer; 11. right; 12. Their; 13. rows; 14. sore 1 3 45 6 7 9 10 8 11 S IN THE PAST L E P T U E D R O E D A V W E R D E D E N I D I D R N E D E C E X A R E M D D O N C N D A O I 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 8 10 PICK A PREPOSITION B E L O W I T E P T H N E A R P S E D R O T U O A H O U T O O U G R H C X E T O T N I W 1 2 3 511 67 8 14 9 4 10 12 13 A I E W O N E I G H D ES E I E H T U N T O O G H E A R O W R T H G I E R O R N K WHICH WON IS IT? E E W E R H 1 2 34 5 6 7 8 9 11 10 CREATE A WORD F O O T P R I N E Y E L I D I M E G U S E G O L A B E S H G I L A B A E N I H S N U T E A R D R O O R K N O S H E A R N I G R L T E F I O H T L P K A U Q H T R S G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 61 DDoo TThheeyy AAggrreeee?? (page 21): 1. have; 2. eat; 3. tries; 4. shines; 5. says; 6. swim; 7. make; 8. earns; 9. swing; 10. grow; 11. was; 12. sits; 13. switch; 14. has. CROSSWORD PUZZLES MMaakkee IItt TTwwoo!! (page 22): DOWN: 1. plants; 2. waitresses; 4. feet; 6. deer; 7. notes; 10. children; 12. cookies; 13. people; 15. keys; 16. mice. ACROSS: 3. bananas; 5. presidents; 8. subjects; 9. itches; 11. disks; 14. tomatoes; 17. televisions. IInnvviissiibbllee NNoouunnss (page 23): DOWN: 1. sadness; 2. love; 3. democracy; 5. beauty; 6. courage; 7. intelli- gence; 10. sharing. ACROSS: 4. hope; 6. confidence; 8. respect; 9. fairness; 11. concern; 12. kindness; 13. anger. WWhheerree’’ss tthhee AAccttiioonn?? (page 24): DOWN: 1 led; 3. meet; 4. erased; 5. rock; 6. walked; 8. opened; 12. fly; 14. baked; 15. carry; 16. wore. ACROSS: 2. smiled; 6. wrote; 7. shook; 9. laughed; 10. won; 11. eat; 13. climbed; 17. roared; 18. yelled. 1 2 3 11 6 5 7 14 98 4 10 12 13 DO THEY AGREE? H E K A M I I E S H I N A V E A T S Y A S E S A W O R I S A H G S W I T I A R N S W T C N R W 1 2 8 9 10 11 17 15 16 12 14 13 3 5 6 7 4 MAKE IT TWO P L A N T S W A I T RP E E SI E S S E S C H I L D R E N C O O K I E S M I C E K E Y S P E O P L E F E E T T L S N SV O BU CJ S D B N SN A E E I T H E D S K R N AT M T O S O T E S 6 Where’s the Action? 1 2 6 9 11 12 10 13 14 15 18 16 17 7 8 3 4 5 L E DE R A S H O E D R O C KO P E N E D S W R O A L A U G H E K W O E A T D C R W O A R E C A R E R Y E L L E D F L I M Y B E A K E D M I L E E T E Invisible Nouns 4 7 5 6 8 11 1 9 10 12 13 2 3 S A D H O V P E M C O U O N E S F I N T D E A U N C E L R A G E S P E L L C T Y B E C O N C E N C E R N K I N N D N E S S A N G E R A R F A I G R N E S H S O C R A C Y D G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 62 PPrroonnoouunn MMaaggiicc (page 25): DOWN: 1. they; 3. they; 5. she; 8. mine; 11. us; 13. ours; 17. her; 18. my; 20. its; 21. she; 23. our; 25. we. ACROSS: 2. it; 4. theirs; 6. her; 7. him; 9. me; 10. you; 12. your; 16. them; 19. his; 22. yours; 24. their; 25. whose. AAwweessoommee AAddvveerrbbss (page 26): DOWN: 1. happi- ly; 2. loudly; 3. slowly; 5. angrily; 7. hopefully; 9. fast; 10. never. ACROSS: 1. hungrily; 4. hard; 6. lightly; 8. well; 9. finally; 11. there. IItt’’ss OOnnllyy PPrrooppeerr (page 27): DOWN: 2. Atlantic; 3. American; 4. Chinese; 5. Christmas; 6. Hawaiian; 9. Irish. ACROSS: 1. Amtrak; 3. Arctic; 7. Great; 8. Nike; 10. South; 11. Asian; 12. Disney. SSuubbjjeecctt SSeeaarrcchh (page 28): DOWN: 1. Travis; 2. telephone; 3. star; 6. everyone; 8. music; 9. Shelly; 10. Litter. ACROSS: 1. they; 2. teachers; 4. she; 5. newspaper; 7. shoes; 8. mare; 9. sun; 11. store; 12. it; 13. cheese; 14. letter. 7 Pronoun Magic 1 10 11 12 13 15 16 19 20 24 25 21 22 23 17 18 4 5 7 8 9 6 2 3 T H E Y U S S H E I M I N E M Y O U U R R H E T E S H E I T SW E H O H O T E I R I R I T H E Y E R RUO U R S M Awesome Adverbs 1 3 4 5 6 7 2 8 9 11 10 H A P P I U N G R I L O U Y W L Y E L Y S L O L H A R D N G R I L Y I G H O P E F U L L Y T L Y F A S I N E V A L L Y Y T H E R R E 9 It’s Only Proper 1 2 3 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 4 5 H A W A I I A N I R I S H A M E R I K C A N R C H I N E S E T I C H R I S T M A S G O D I N E Y H EA A M T R A K T L A N T I C U N AS Subject Search 1 T R H E Y E A S H E L V I T A C H E R S2 4 5 7 8 9 14 10 11 12 13 6 3T E P W S P A P E V E RN H O O E SS A R EM T O R ES H E E S EC E T T E R RL Y S H E L U N E I T T U I N Y I L G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es 63 PARTNER STORIES FFoooodd FFiigghhtt!! (page 29): Answers will vary. TThhee SSttrraannggeesstt FFiieelldd TTrriipp EEvveerr (page 30): Answers will vary. AAlliieenn AAddvveennttuurree (page 31): Answers will vary. II SSeeee tthhee FFuuttuurree!! (page 32): Answers will vary. SSaayy IItt WWiitthh AAddjjeeccttiivveess (page 33): Answers will vary. AA PPaarrttss--ooff--SSppeeeecchh CCiirrccuuss (page 34): Answers will vary. CRACK-THE-CODE STORIES Answers are listed in the order they appear in the stories. AA PPeett AAddvveennttuurree (page 35): desperately, loudly, wildly, fearlessly, breathlessly, quickly, high, hungrily, suddenly, sadly, innocently. MMeessssaaggee:: BBee kkiinndd ttoo ffuurrrryy ffrriieennddss.. PPrreeppoossiittiioonnss SShhooww PPoossiittiioonn (page 36): to, from, on, without, in, except, inside, by, above, with, about, near. MMeessssaaggee:: RReeaacchh ffoorr yyoouurr ddrreeaammss.. AA CCoonnjjuunnccttiioonn’’ss FFuunnccttiioonn (page 37): and, since, but, because, so, or, once, before, yet, if. MMeessssaaggee:: FFrriieennddss aarree ttrreeaassuurreess.. HHeeww,, WWooww!! (page 38): hello, thanks, wow, phew, all right, hey, yuck, oops. MMeessssaaggee:: SSttaayy oonn ttrraacckk.. TToo BBee oorr NNoott TToo BBee (page 39): is, be, was, am, were, are, being, been. MMeessssaaggee:: BBee aa wwiinnnneerr.. RIDDLE BUBBLE TESTS AA CCaappiittaall IIddeeaa (page 40): 1. B; 2. F; 3. I; 4. N; 5. S; 6. W; 7. A; 8. E; 9. I; 10. K; 11. O; 12. S. RRiiddddllee:: IInn aa ssnnoowwbbaannkk.. WWhhoossee IIss IItt?? (page 42): 1. D; 2. G; 3. I; 4. N; 5. R; 6. V; 7. A; 8. C; 9. I; 10. N; 11. O; 12. T; 13. Y. RRiiddddllee:: IInn aa ddiiccttiioonnaarryy.. TThhee GGeennuuiinnee AArrttiicclleess (page 44): 1. C; 2. H; 3. I; 4. O; 5. T; 6. V; 7. A; 8. E; 9. H; 10. M; 11. O; 12. S. RRiiddddllee:: TToo tthhee mmoooo--vviieess.. UUssiinngg CCoonnttrraaccttiioonnss (page 46): 1. C; 2. H; 3. L; 4. N; 5. T; 6. U; 7. A; 8. E; 9. I; 10. M; 11. O; 12. U. RRiiddddllee:: llaauunncchh ttiimmee.. BBee AAggrreeeeaabbllee (page 48): 1. A; 2. F; 3. I; 4. O; 5. R; 6. V; 7. A; 8. E; 9. I; 10. L; 11. R; 12. V. RRiiddddllee:: AA rriivveerr.. IIss IItt aa SSeenntteennccee?? (page 50): 1. B; 2. E; 3. I; 4. N; 5. T; 6. U; 7. A; 8. D; 9. G; 10. N; 11. R; 12. T. RRiiddddllee:: GGrriinn aanndd bbeeaarr iitt.. BBee aa CCoommmmaa CCoopp!! (page 52): 1. A; 2. G; 3. L; 4. P; 5. T; 6. U; 7. Y; 8. D; 9. I; 10. K; 11. P; 12. S. RRiiddddllee:: ttuulliippss.. SSeenntteennccee EEnnddeerrss (page 54): 1. B; 2. E; 3. K; 4. P; 5. R; 6. W; 7. A; 8. E; 9. G; 10. L; 11. R; 12. T. RRiiddddllee:: AA bbaakkeerr.. QQuuoottaattiioonn LLooccaattiioonn (page 56): 1. C; 2. H; 3. I; 4. N; 5. T; 6. W; 7. A; 8. E; 9. G; 10. M; 11. P; 12. V. RRiiddddllee:: AA cchheeeettaahh.. G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es Notes G ra m m ar P uz zl es & G am es K id s C an 't R es is t! © K ar en K el la he r, Sc ho la st ic T ea ch in g R es ou rc es Grammar Puzzles- p. 1-28 Grammar Puzzles 29-64