Language Standards

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking

Explain the function of phrases and clauses in general and their function in specific sentences

Choose among simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences to signal differing relationships among ideas

Place phrases and clauses within a sentence, recognizing and correcting misplaced and dangling modifiers.*

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing

Use a comma to separate coordinate adjectives (e.g., It was a fascinating, enjoyable movie but not He wore an old[,] green shirt)

Spell correctly.

Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening

Choose language that expresses ideas precisely and concisely, recognizing and eliminating wordiness and redundancy.*

Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 7 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies

Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a words position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase

Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., belligerent, bellicose, rebel)

Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning or its part of speech

Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).

Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings

Interpret figures of speech (e.g., literary, biblical, and mythological allusions) in context

Use the relationship between particular words (e.g., synonym/antonym, analogy) to better understand each of the words

Distinguish among the connotations (associations) of words with similar denotations (definitions) (e.g., refined, respectful, polite, diplomatic, condescending).

Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression