My Favorite Word this Week

Xanthocarpous

adjective - [consisting of yellow fruit]

**Challenge!** Use this word in a sentence, comment, and I'll choose my favorite one! Happy creating!

~Little Miss Grammar~

Double Negatives

What is a double negative?
A double negative is when two negative-meaning words are placed into a sentence. For example:

You haven't never eaten an egg roll?

How do we fix it?
Just use one negative of course! Kick the other one out! Choose your favorite or read which one sounds better. For example:

You haven't ever eaten an egg roll? OR
You have never eaten an egg roll?

~Little Miss Grammar~

To VS Too VS Two

To: (preposition) expressing motion in the direction of something or someone

I am going to the store today, do you need anything?

I think I will give my new car to Julie instead.

Too: (adverb) a) at a higher degree than desirable b) in addition to 

Katelyn, that is way too much soy sauce!

Is Rachel coming to the dance, too?

Two: (number) the number after one and before three, representing a duo

Lenny and Hailey are like two peas in a pod. 

At last, Cassie discovered that one plus one really equals two.

How to Remember:

In the word "too," there are more "o"'s than in "to" or "two." Since "too" means "in addition to", which can traslate to "more", the spelling gives it its definition. Now, the way I remember "two" is fairly complicated, so if you have a better trick, let me know. In the word "two," there are 2 "v"'s to make the "w" and 2 other letters. Since this word is full of 2's, it represents the number.

~Little Miss Grammar~

Really and Very

I know when I'm writing I catch myself using the words "really" and "very" a lot. You too? Mix it up a little with these synonyms for "really" and "very."

• incredibly 
• exceptionally
• extraordinarily
• quite
• extremely
• exceedingly
• highly
• immensely 
• tremendously
• wonderfully
• abundantly
• particularly
• awfully
• remarkably
• terribly
• singularly
• undoubtedly
• truly
• honestly
• thoroughly
• ever so

~Little Miss Grammar~

There VS Their VS They're

There: (adverb) in a particular place or position

I saw your father over there, by the Food Court.

Look, there is Mary, waiting for us at the school.

Their: (possessive adjective) belonging to or associated with a group of people easily identified

We can't use their slogan, that would be cheating.

Their family goes to Disneyland every year over Spring Break.

They're: (contraption) contraption of they are

They're here already, is the table set?

They're exceptionally humorous, so don't take them too seriously.

How to Remember:

Just like all the other contraptions, "they're" is easy to place because all you do is put "they are" into your sentence. Use "there" when you are referring to a place, because it also has the word "here" in it, which is also a place. "Their" has the word "heir" in it, who is a person, so "their" must refer to people.

~Little Miss Grammar~

Everybody

Everybody: (pronoun) every single body.

Everybody was able to choose his own bike.

If you don't like the generalized gender, try something like this:

We were all able to to choose our own bike.

How to Remember:

When you use "everybody," you are including yourself. Resist using "their." For example, incorrect usage would look like this: Everybody was able to choose their own bike. Since you are referring to yourself as well, you wouldn't use "their."

~Little Miss Grammar~

Jake and I VS Jake and me

This is one of the most common yet simple errors I hear every day.

Proper Usage:

Lenny and I went to the park yesterday to play baseball.

Fred and I have blue eyes, while Carrie and Jordan have brown eyes.

Jane only gave tickets to me, Harold, and Savanna.

Carole chose Steve and me to go with her on the trip.

How to Remember:

Classic: When in doubt, kick the other one out. If you're not sure what to use, drop the other noun out of the sentence. Would it make sense if I said, "Me went to the park yesterday to play baseball"?

~Little Miss Grammar~

Consist VS Persist

Consist: (verb) to be composed of or made up of.

The dishwasher consists of the blue porcelain plates.

Her chores consist of taking out the trash and cleaning the bathroom.

Persist: (verb) to move forward or progress; continue or exist

Karen persists in her goal to become a champion swimmer.

If the excessive acne persists, contact your doctor immediately.

How to Remember:

Think about how you write the letter "c" and the letter "p." When you write a "c," you curve backwards, so think of it as if you are going into your self, consisting of something. When you write a "p," your curve goes forward, just like someone does when they persist.

~Little Miss Grammar~

Loose VS Lose

Loose: (adjective) not secure or tightly fixed in place

Since her shoelaces were loose, her shoes flew off.

The rope was loose enough to free Jenny from the trap.

Lose: (verb) to be deprived of possession of something.

If I lose my homework again, I may fail Algebra.

It is difficult to lose a pet ferret for Ernie.

How to Remember:

Think of "lose" as if you have lost the extra "o." Therefore, it means to cease to consist of something. 

~Little Miss Grammar~

Your VS You're

Your: belonging to or associated with any person.

Is this your highlighter I'm using?

I nearly forgot, today is your birthday!

You're: contraption of you are; most likely going to be followed by an adjective or verb.

You're amazing, George.

You're going to basketball practice tonight, right?

How to Remember:

Put in "you are" in your sentence and see if it works. Incorrect: "You're basket is over there, by the tree." . . . because this is incorrect: "You are basket is over there, by the tree." Correct: "Your basket is over there, by the tree." 

~Little Miss Grammar~

It's VS Its

It's: (contraption) contraption of "it is"

It's nice to see you today!

What color is the glue stick? It's blue.

Its: (possessive adjective) possession of something with our proper name or specified gender. 

The dog wagged its tail when it was happy.

Never judge a book by its cover.

How to remember:

Put the contraption's source in your sentence. If your sentence would make sense with "it is," then you are correct! For example: "The bird flapped it's wings" is most certainly INCORRECT! Does this make sense?: "The bird flapped it is wings." For the record, correctly this sentence would state: "The bird flapped its wings."

~Little Miss Grammar~