8th Grade Grammar
8th grade grammar is all about verbs and ellipses. Read on for a list of the Common Core standards and what they mean, then follow the links to go deeper into each standard.
Explain the function of verbals (gerunds, participles, infinitives) in general and their function in particular sentences.
This means writers should know the definition of a gerund, a participle, and an infinitive. They should be able to identify each in a given sentence. Writers should also be able to explain what the verbal does in a sentence.
Form and use verbs in the active and passive voice.
This means writers should know the difference between active and passive voice. Active voice is more common, which means writers should make a deliberate – and informed – choice when using passive voice.
Form and use verbs in the indicative, imperative, interrogative, conditional, and subjunctive mood.
This means writers should know the difference between each of the five verb moods. They should be able to write sentences in each of the moods and choose the one that is most appropriate to the message when writing.
Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb voice and mood.
This means all sentences – with the possible exception of dialogue – should consistently stay in the same voice (active or passive) and mood (indicative, imperative, interrogative, conditional, or subjunctive) throughout the sentence. With few exceptions, the voice and mood of a piece of writing should also remain consistent.
Use punctuation (comma, ellipsis, dash) to indicate a pause or break.
This means writers first must recognize pauses in their writing. Then they need to choose the correct punctuation to convey the intended type of pause to the reader.
Use an ellipsis to indicate an omission.
This means writers must recognize when information can be left out of a long quote. Then writers use ellipsis within the quote to show that there are missing words. This is similar to the way an apostrophe shows missing letters in a contraction.