South Dakota ELA 9-10.L.1.b
The Standard
- 9-10.L.1
- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
Use various types of phrases (noun, verb, adjectival, adverbial, participial, gerund, infinitive, prepositional, absolute) and clauses (independent, dependent; noun, relative, adverbial) to convey specific meanings, include a variety of sentence structures (syntax), and increase fluency in writing or presentations.
South Dakota English Language Arts Standards (2025)
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students move and combine sentence parts to show timing, purpose, description, or cause. They use phrases such as 'to practice' and 'walking home,' and clauses such as 'because it rained' and 'who won.' They vary sentence length and order in writing and presentations.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student can turn choppy notes into a clear sentence with a relative clause and an opening phrase, then add a short sentence for emphasis. They can explain what each part adds and read the result aloud smoothly.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may treat 'walking home' as a complete sentence or join two complete sentences with only a comma. In 'Walking home, the backpack felt heavy,' the opening phrase wrongly makes the backpack seem to walk.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: Combine 'Maya reached the station. She carried a heavy bag. The train was leaving.' using one dependent clause and one prepositional phrase. Underline each.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs strips reading 'The dog barked,' 'as we approached,' and 'behind the fence'; rearrange them and discuss which placement makes location clear.
Write 'When the crowd cheered, the singer returned' and 'Hearing the cheers, the singer returned'; discuss which better shows the singer's reaction.
Write 'The library opened' on the board; teams draw slips marked 'because,' 'to,' or 'which' and earn points for clear revisions.
Post 'Route 5 is delayed; roads are icy; it serves Oak Street'; students draft a bus announcement with 'which' and 'because.'
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