Capitalization, Punctuation, and Dialogue Mechanics

Identify and correctly use common, proper, and abstract nouns, subjective, objective, and possessive pronouns, and action, feeling, saying, and linking verbs.

Form simple verb tenses, maintain consistent tense across paragraphs, and ensure subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement.

Form and use comparative and superlative modifiers, adverbs of manner and time, and prepositional phrases to enrich sentence descriptions.

Use coordinating and subordinating conjunctions to construct compound and complex sentences and transform declarative, interrogative, exclamatory, and imperative types.

Apply capitalization and punctuation conventions in titles, names, direct speech, addresses, lists, compound sentences, and possessives.

Apply orthographic rules for multisyllabic syllable types, base-word suffix alterations, homophones, compound words, and abbreviations.

Alphabetize words through the third and fourth letters, and utilize print and digital reference materials to verify spelling, syllabication, pronunciation, and definitions.

Determine unknown word meanings using Greek and Latin roots, common prefixes and suffixes, and sentence- and paragraph-level context clues.

Distinguish synonyms, antonyms, homographs, idioms, and subtle shades of meaning among related verbs and adjectives.

Acquire general academic and domain-specific vocabulary, utilize spatial and temporal transition words, and distinguish oral vernacular from formal written registers.