Language Standards (Grade 3)
This domain tests grade 3 conventions and vocabulary. Conventions questions ask for the correct sentence, the fix, or the rule; vocabulary questions ask for a word's meaning from context, the effect of a prefix or suffix, or the best word for a shade of meaning.
Conventions to know
- Nouns: Regular and irregular plurals, abstract nouns, and possessives (singular -'s, plural -s').
- Verbs: Simple tenses and subject-verb agreement, even when a phrase sits between subject and verb.
- Pronouns: Pronoun-antecedent agreement.
- Modifiers: Comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs; choose the form the sentence needs.
- Sentences: Simple, compound, and complex; coordinating and subordinating conjunctions.
- Punctuation: Commas in addresses and dialogue, quotation marks, capitals in titles.
Vocabulary to know
Context clues; how a prefix or suffix changes a known word; dictionary and glossary use; synonyms, antonyms, and shades of meaning.
Worked example
Sentence: 'The three puppy's bowls was empty.' There are two errors. 'Three' signals a plural possessive, so it should be puppies' - the apostrophe follows the plural. The subject 'bowls' is plural, so 'was' becomes 'were.' Correct: 'The three puppies' bowls were empty.' Reason: edit by rule, not by sound.
Traps
Using an apostrophe for a simple plural; confusing its and it's; matching a verb to the nearest noun instead of the subject; doubling a comparison ('more better'); misplacing commas in dialogue; choosing a synonym with the wrong strength.