FreeTeach

It’s is a contraction of the words it is. If you prefer not to write it is, you would write it’s.

Its is the possessive form of it. Normally one uses an apostrophe when showing possession. The rule for pronouns, however, is never use an apostrophe in a personal possessive pronoun (except with the word one’s).

Directions: fill the blank with either it’s or its.

1. _____ about time you showed up!
2. It was _____ first time out of the cage.
3. _____ feet were covered with sand.
4. Get up, _____ time for school.
5. I’m glad to see you; _____  been a long time.
6. _____ important to study hard for tests.
7. The bear protected _____ cubs.
8. _____ my turn to go down the slide.
9. The dog felt great with _____ new hair cut.
10. _____ too late to eat dinner.
11. My car is old and _____ paint is peeling.
12. The bird realized that the wind had blown _____ nest away.
13. The game came to _____ conclusion.
14. Turn down the music, _____ hurting my ears.

Answers:

1. It’s about time you showed up!
2. It was its first time out of the cage.
3. Its feet were covered with sand.
4. Get up, it’s time for school.
5. I’m glad to see you; it’s been a long time.
6. It’s important to study hard for tests.
7. The bear protected its cubs.
8. It’s my turn to go down the slide.
9. The dog felt great with its new hair cut.
10. It’s too late to eat dinner.
11. My car is old and its paint is peeling.
12. The bird realized that the wind had blown its nest away.
13. The game came to its conclusion.
14. Turn down the music, it’s hurting my ears.

Directions: Write a paragraph with 6-8 sentences using these quotes. Which one do you most agree with? Why? Cite at least one of the quotes in your answer.

• “He will always be a slave who does not know how to live upon a little.” – Horace (Roman poet)
• “Moderation is a fatal thing: nothing succeeds like excess.” – Oscar Wilde
• “In everything the middle road is the best; all things in excess bring men to trouble.” – Plautus (Roman playwright)

The tagline on this blog is “Daily Teaching Ideas.” Well this video is NOT a recommended daily teaching idea, but it is funny. The teacher in the video overlooks the misbehaving student for a time then the eraser flies.

Here is a humorous look at what not to do when creating a Powerpoint project.
I first saw this post on Carla Beard’s blog.

A sentence must have a subject (the doer) and a verb (the action). Without both, the sentence does not express a complete thought, and it is a sentence fragment.

Identify each as fragment or complete.

1. The mouse in the corner.
2. The last thing I had to do.
3. Angel read last night.
4. Over the hills and through the woods.
5. They took out the trash today.
6. In hope of a better life, they set sail.
7. His last words to his grandpa.
8. The faster Kelly walks.
9. Over a month to make the homecoming float.
10. Greed overtook the senator.
11. By the garden in the rain.
12. The tall grass grew.
13. She prepared for the soccer game.
14. Computers help students.
15. Two times last week.
16. He ran.
17. Rain on the golden hills.
18. Smelling the scent of fear.
19. The last thing I remember.
20. A box arrived in the mail.