Course Content
A. Main Idea
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A.01. Determine the main idea of a passage.
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A.02. Identify the supporting details that reinforce the main idea.
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A.03. Summarize a passage concisely, capturing its main idea and key details.
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A.04. Compare and contrast different summaries of the same passage.
B. Audience, Purpose, and Tone
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B.01. Identify the target audience of a text.
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B.02. Identify the primary purpose of a given text (e.g., to inform, persuade, entertain).
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B.03. Compare passages for subjective and objective tone.
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B.04. Analyze how the author’s tone influences the reader’s perception.
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B.05. Determine how the author’s purpose shapes the text’s structure and content.
C. Literary Devices
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C.01. Recall the source of an allusion.
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C.02. Interpret the meaning of an allusion from its source.
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C.03. Interpret the figure of speech.
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C.04. Identify the narrative point of view.
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C.05. Classify the figure of speech: euphemism, hyperbole, oxymoron, paradox.
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C.06. Classify the figure of speech: anaphora, antithesis, apostrophe, assonance, chiasmus, understatement.
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C.07. Analyze the effects of figures of speech on meaning and tone.
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C.08. Evaluate the effectiveness of different literary devices in conveying meaning.
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C.09. Identify the impact of sound devices (e.g., alliteration, assonance) on a text.
D. Analyzing Literature
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D.01. Analyze short stories: set 1.
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D.02. Analyze short stories: set 2.
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D.03. Compare and contrast different short stories, focusing on themes and character development.
E. Analyzing Informational Texts
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E.01. Analyze the development of informational passages: set 1.
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E.02. Analyze the development of informational passages: set 2.
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E.03. Trace an argument: set 1.
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E.04. Trace an argument: set 2.
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E.05. Analyze rhetorical strategies in historical texts: set 1.
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E.06. Analyze rhetorical strategies in historical texts: set 2.
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E.07. Evaluate the credibility and bias of informational sources.
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E.08. Compare and contrast different informational texts on the same topic.
F. Organizing Writing
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F.01. Organize information by topic.
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F.02. Order topics from broadest to narrowest.
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F.03. Evaluate the logical flow and organization of a given text.
G. Topic Sentences and Thesis Statements
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G.01. Identify thesis statements.
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G.02. Choose the topic sentence that best captures the main idea.
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G.03. Craft effective thesis statements for various types of essays.
H. Developing and Supporting Arguments
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H.01. Distinguish facts from opinions.
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H.02. Identify supporting evidence in a text.
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H.03. Identify stronger and weaker evidence to support a claim.
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H.04. Choose the best evidence to support a claim.
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H.05. Choose the analysis that logically connects the evidence to the claim.
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H.06. Evaluate counterclaims.
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H.07. Transition logically between claims, evidence, analysis, and counterclaims.
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H.08. Construct well-supported arguments with clear claims, relevant evidence, and logical reasoning.
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H.09. Analyze and critique arguments, identifying weaknesses in logic or evidence.
I. Persuasive Strategies
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I.01. Identify appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos in advertisements.
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I.02. Use appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos in persuasive writing.
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I.03. Evaluate the effectiveness of various persuasive strategies.
J. Writing Clearly and Concisely
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J.01. Remove redundant words or phrases.
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J.02. Transitions with conjunctive adverbs.
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J.03. Identify sentences with parallel structure.
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J.04. Use parallel structure.
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J.05. Avoid double, illogical, and unclear comparisons.
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J.06. Rewrite sentences to improve clarity and conciseness.
K. Editing and Revising
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K.01. Suggest appropriate revisions.
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K.02. Identify and correct errors with frequently confused words.
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K.03. Identify and correct errors with frequently confused pronouns and contractions.
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K.04. Correct errors with commonly misspelled words.
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K.05. Correct errors with signs.
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K.06. Correct errors in everyday use.
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K.07. Use the correct frequently confused word.
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K.08. Revise and edit a text for grammar, clarity, and style.
L. Research Skills
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L.01. Use in-text citations (MLA 8th–9th editions).
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L.02. Recognize the parts of a Works Cited entry (MLA 8th edition).
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L.03. Understand a Works Cited entry (MLA 8th–9th editions).
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L.04. Identify plagiarism.
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L.05. Evaluate the credibility and reliability of sources.
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L.06. Properly format a Works Cited page, including various source types.
M. Prefixes and Suffixes
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M.01. Prefixes.
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M.02. Suffixes.
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M.03. Word pattern analogies.
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M.04. Word pattern sentences.
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M.05. Apply knowledge of prefixes and suffixes to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words.
N. Greek and Latin Roots
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N.01. Sort words by shared Greek or Latin roots.
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N.02. Use Greek and Latin roots as clues to the meanings of words.
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N.03. Use words as clues to the meanings of Greek and Latin roots.
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N.04. Determine the meanings of Greek and Latin roots.
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N.05. Determine the meanings of words with Greek and Latin roots.
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N.06. Analyze complex words to deconstruct meanings.
O. Homophones
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O.01. Use the correct homophone.
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O.02. Identify and correct errors with homophones.
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O.03. Explain the difference in meaning between different sets of homophones.
P. Foreign Words and Expressions
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P.01. Use context as a clue to the meanings of foreign expressions.
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P.02. Use the correct foreign expression.
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P.03. Use etymologies to determine the meanings of words.
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P.04. Identify the origins and cultural context of foreign words and expressions.
Q. Word Usage and Nuance
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Q.01. Describe the difference between related words.
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Q.02. Choose the word whose connotation and denotation best match the sentence.
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Q.03. Use words accurately and precisely.
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Q.04. Replace words using a thesaurus.
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Q.05. Use dictionary entries to determine correct usage.
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Q.06. Explore words with new or contested usages.
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Q.07. Analyze how word choice impacts tone and meaning.
R. Analogies
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R.01. Analogies.
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R.02. Analogies: challenge.
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R.03. Solve complex analogies based on various relationships.
S. Context Clues
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S.01. Determine the meaning of words using synonyms in context.
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S.02. Determine the meaning of words using antonyms in context.
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S.03. Use context to identify the meaning of a word.
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S.04. Domain-specific vocabulary in context: science and technical subjects.
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S.05. Use a combination of context clues to determine the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary.
T. Sentences, Fragments, and Run-ons
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T.01. Identify sentence fragments.
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T.02. Identify run-on sentences.
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T.03. Choose punctuation to avoid fragments and run-ons.
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T.04. Correct sentence fragments and run-ons, ensuring proper punctuation and structure.
U. Phrases and Clauses
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U.01. Is it a phrase or a clause?
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U.02. Identify prepositional phrases.
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U.03. Identify appositives and appositive phrases.
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U.04. Identify dependent and independent clauses.
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U.05. Is the sentence simple, compound, complex, or compound-complex?
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U.06. Combine sentences using relative clauses.
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U.07. Analyze the function and impact of different types of phrases and clauses.
V. Pronouns
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V.01. Subject and object pronouns review.
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V.02. Identify and correct errors with subject and object pronouns.
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V.03. Pronouns after “than” and “as”.
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V.04. Identify and correct pronoun errors with “who”.
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V.05. Use relative pronouns: who and whom.
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V.06. Use relative pronouns: who, whom, whose, which, and that.
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V.07. Identify vague pronoun references.
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V.08. Identify all of the possible antecedents.
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V.09. Correct inappropriate shifts in pronoun number and person.
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V.10. Use pronouns correctly to maintain clear reference and avoid ambiguity.
W. Verb Types
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W.01. Identify transitive and intransitive verbs.
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W.02. Identify linking verbs, predicate adjectives, and predicate nouns.
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W.03. Identify participles and what they modify.
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W.04. Identify gerunds and their functions.
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W.05. Identify infinitives and infinitive phrases.
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W.06. Analyze the function of different verb types within sentences.
X. Subject-Verb Agreement
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X.01. Identify and correct errors with subject-verb agreement.
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X.02. Identify and correct errors with indefinite pronoun-verb agreement.
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X.03. Identify and correct verb agreement with compound subjects.
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X.04. Apply subject-verb agreement rules to complex sentences.
Y. Verb Tense
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Y.01. Form the progressive verb tenses.
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Y.02. Form the perfect verb tenses.
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Y.03. Identify and correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense.
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Y.04. Use verb tenses correctly to convey the correct time frame.
Z. Adjectives and Adverbs
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Z.01. Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives.
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Z.02. Good, better, best, bad, worse, and worst.
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Z.03. Form and use comparative and superlative adverbs.
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Z.04. Well, better, best, badly, worse, and worst.
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Z.05. Use adjectives and adverbs correctly to modify nouns, pronouns, verbs, and other modifiers.
AA. Misplaced Modifiers
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AA.01. Misplaced modifiers with pictures.
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AA.02. Select the misplaced or dangling modifier.
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AA.03. Are the modifiers used correctly?
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AA.04. Correct misplaced and dangling modifiers to ensure clarity and precision.
BB. Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Elements
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BB.01. Commas with nonrestrictive elements.
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BB.02. What does the punctuation suggest?
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BB.03. Use punctuation to differentiate between restrictive and nonrestrictive elements.
CC. Commas
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CC.03. Commas with coordinate adjectives.
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CC.04. Commas: review.
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CC.05. Apply comma rules correctly to ensure clarity and grammatical accuracy.
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CC.01. Commas with direct addresses, introductory elements, absolute phrases, interjections, interrupters, and antithetical phrases.
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CC.02. Commas with compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences.
DD. Semicolons, Colons, and Commas
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DD.01. Join sentences with semicolons, colons, and commas.
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DD.02. Use colons and commas to introduce lists, quotations, and appositives.
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DD.03. Use semicolons and commas to separate items in a series.
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DD.04. Semicolons, colons, and commas: review.
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DD.05. Master the correct usage of semicolons and colons.
EE. Dashes, Hyphens, and Ellipses
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EE.01. Use dashes.
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EE.02. Use hyphens in compound adjectives.
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EE.03. Decide whether ellipses are used appropriately.
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EE.04. Use dashes, hyphens, and ellipses correctly to enhance clarity and style.
FF. Apostrophes
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FF.01. Identify and correct errors with plural and possessive nouns.
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FF.02. Identify and correct errors with compound and joint possession.
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FF.03. Use apostrophes correctly to indicate possession and contractions.
GG. Capitalization
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GG.01. Correct capitalization errors.
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GG.02. Apply capitalization rules accurately.
HH. Formatting
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HH.01. Formatting quotations and dialogue.
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HH.02. Format various elements of writing correctly according to established conventions.
