Name: ________________________
English 9 Regents
Poetry Notes pg 1
Mr. Valentin
Poetry Is Dead. Does Anybody Really Care?
If you're like me, untangling symbol and allusion seems as irrelevant now as it did in high school
by Bruce Wexler, Newsweek, May 5, 2003
It is difficult to imagine a world without movies,
plays, novels and music, but a world without poems
doesn't have to be imagined. I find it disturbing that no
one I know has cracked open a book of poetry in decades
and that I, who once spent countless hours reading
contemporary poets like Lowell and Berryman, can no
longer even name a living poet. All this started to bother
me when heiress Ruth Lilly made an unprecedented
donation of $100 million to Poetry Magazine in
November. An article published on the Poetry
International Web site said critics and poets agreed that
the gift "could change the face of American poetry."
Don't these critics and poets realize that their art form
is dead? Perhaps not. They probably also don't realize
that people like me helped kill it.
In high school, I, like most of my classmates, hated
the poetry unit in English class that surfaced annually
with the same grim regularity as the gymnastics unit in
physical education. Just as I was a good athlete who
detested the parallel bars, I was an avid reader who
despised rhymed and rhythmic writing. Plowing through
tangled symbol and allusion, I wondered why the damn
poets couldn't just say what they meant.
Then I went to college and at some point, I got it.
Maybe it was when I was infatuated with some girl and
read "I Knew a Woman" by Theodore Roethke: "I knew
a woman, lovely in her bones/When small birds sighed,
she would sigh back at them." Or maybe it happened
when I read Keats's odes or Eliot's "Prufrock" or that
haunting line in Frost: "I have been one acquainted with
the night." For the next 10 years or so, I was hooked. I
read poetry, wrote it and recited verse to impress dates.
And then my interest waned. On the surface, I
suppose it was because I had other interests that
demanded my time and attention: I got married, had
children, pursued my career, bought a house. With
apologies to Frost, I began to find more relevance in
articles about interest rates than essays on the sprung
rhythm of Hopkins.
Society, too, was changing in a way that did not favor
the reading of poetry. From the Me Generation of the
'70s to the get-rich-quick '80s, our culture became
intensely prosaic. Ambiguity, complexity and paradox
fell out of favor. We embraced easily defined goals and
crystal-clear communication (Ronald Reagan was
president, presiding over the literalization of America).
Fewer politicians seemed to quote contemporary poets in
speeches, and the relatively small number of namebrand, living American poets died or faded from view.
By the '90s, it was all over. If you doubt this
statement, consider that poetry is the only art form where
the number of people creating it is far greater than the
number of people appreciating it. Anyone can write a
bad poem. To appreciate a good one, though, takes
knowledge and commitment. As a society, we lack this
knowledge and commitment. People don't possess the
patience to read a poem 20 times before the sound and
sense of it takes hold. They aren't willing to let the words
wash over them like a wave, demanding instead for the
meaning to flow clearly and quickly. They want
narrative-driven forms, stand-alone art that doesn't
require an understanding of the larger context.
I, too, want these things. I am part of a world that
apotheosizes the trendy, and poetry is just about as
untrendy as it gets. I want to read books with buzz--in
part because I make my living as a ghostwriter of and
collaborator on books--and I can't remember the last
book of poetry that created even a dying mosquito's
worth of hum. I am also lazy, and poetry takes work.
In my worst moments, I blame the usual suspects for
my own failings: the mainstream media, the Internet, the
fast-food mentality. If it weren't for the pernicious
influence of blah, blah, blah... Ultimately, though, there's
no one to blame. Poetry is designed for an era when
people valued the written word and had the time and
inclination to possess it in its highest form.
I really do believe that poetry is the highest form of
writing. Read Yeats's "The Wild Swans at Coole,"
Whitman's "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd,"
Thomas's "Fern Hill," and you'll experience the true
power of art. They touch the heart and the head in ways
that movie-makers (our current artistic high priests) can
only dream of.
April was National Poetry Month, a fact I know only
because it was noted in my younger daughter's school
newsletter. I celebrated by finding out the name of our
poet laureate (Billy Collins) and reading one of his
poems. This may not seem like much, but I have
television shows to watch, best sellers to read and Web
sites to visit before I sleep.
Bruce Wexler is a writer living in the Chicago area.
© 2003, Newsweek, Inc.
Name: ________________________
English 9 Regents
Poetry Notes pg 2
Mr. Valentin
Poetry Anticipation Guide
Read the following statements. Circle the number on the scale that fits your opinion the
best. Write at least two sentences explaining your thoughts about each statement.
There are no right or wrong answers!
1
always true
2
sometimes true
3
depends
4
5
sometimes false always false
1. The true meaning of a poem can only be understood by the person who wrote it.
1
2
3
4
5
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. Poems are always about emotions.
1
2
3
4
5
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3. A poem cannot be fun or funny.
1
2
3
4
5
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
4. No poem can ever be completely understood.
1
2
3
4
5
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Name: ________________________
English 9 Regents
5. The sound of words is important in poetry.
1
2
3
Poetry Notes pg 3
Mr. Valentin
4
5
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
6. A good poem makes you feel something.
1
2
3
4
5
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Answer the following questions:
What is poetry?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Is it dead?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Name three things you know about poetry.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Name: ________________________
English 9 Regents
Poetry Notes pg 4
Mr. Valentin
Types of Poetry:
Narrative poem: the writer tells a story in verse. Narratives can take many forms.
Epic: A long narrative poem about gods or heroes.
Ballad: a songlike narrative about an adventure or a romance.
Dramatic poem: The writer tells a story using a character’s own thoughts or statements.
Lyric poem: a brief poem which the author expresses the feelings of a single speaker, creating a
single effect on the reader.
Poems usually have the following qualities, and you should be able to identify these qualities:
Figurative Language: Expressing ideas indirectly; language used in a special way to create a
special effect.
Metaphors:
Simile:
Personification:
Imagery: Descriptive language poets use to create word pictures or images.
Sound Devices: Used in poetry to achieve a musical quality.
Rhythm:
Rhyme:
Alliteration:
Assonance:
Consonance:
Onomatopoeia:
Euphemism:
Name: ________________________
English 9 Regents
Poetry Notes pg 5
Mr. Valentin
Stanzas:
Couplets:
Quatrains:
Meter: a controlled pattern of rhythm is called meter. There are several different types of meter,
which for a Regents freshman class would prove to be too challenging; however, at the very
least, as a reader of poetry, you should be able to identify the amount of syllables in a line of
poetry. This will begin your adventure into exploring poetry.
Counting syllables:
Syllable: a unit of pronunciation have one vowel sound.
Example
Wa-ter
2
Ba-loo-ga
3
Graph-ic
2
Nom-i-na-tion
4
De-in-sti-tu-tion-al-i-za-tion
9
Examine the following words and label how many syllables these words have:
Apple
Iowa
Fork
Encounter
Wash
Washed
Hunt
Hunted
Verisimilitude
Anthropological
Child
Collateral
Write a word with
One syllable:
Three Syllables:
Five syllables:
Seven syllables:
Name: ________________________
English 9 Regents
Poetry Notes pg 6
Mr. Valentin
Now that you can count lines, you can learn to count meter. Meter is dividing syllables up in a
specific way to figure out the meter of a line of poetry. Sometimes you divide lines of poetry by
every two syllables, and other times by every three syllables. The most common is two syllables
(iambic or trochaic rhythm). When we divide them this way, we call the grouping feet. For our
purposes, we will divide everything by two syllables.
Example:
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny.
From an | cient grudge | break to | new mut | i - ny
1
2
3
4
5
Notice there is a line placed between each two syllables. This sentence is what is known as
pentameter because it has five groupings of two syllables. Let’s try a sentence together: Place a |
after every two syllables and then write the number between each grouping.
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean
Is this sentence pentameter? _______
Let’s try two more:
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
Is this sentence pentameter? _______
Because I could not stop for death.
Is this sentence pentameter? _______
Name: ________________________
English 9 Regents
One Foot = Monometer
Three Feet = Tetrameter
Five Feet = Pentameter
Seven Feet = Heptameter
Poetry Notes pg 7
Mr. Valentin
Two Feet = Dimeter
Four Feet = Tetrameter
Six Feet = Hexameter
Eight Feet = Octameter
Examine the following sentences and divide up the meter and identify how many feet there are.
Show all work!
Example:
Run in | the deep:
1
2
Dimeter
When here the spring we see
Sometimes the only way out is to examine who I can be.
Little Miss Muffet, sat on her tuffet.
He stole along, and nothing spoke
He ran, but he found nothing there
Run, Fast! Now!
Name: ________________________
English 9 Regents
Poetry Notes pg 8
Mr. Valentin
Identifying rhyme scheme
Rhyme scheme allows the reader to examine lines of poetry and find a common thread.
Sometimes no common thread exists, and other times it is masked within the poetry. When we
examine lines of poetry with rhyme, it is marked with letters from the alphabet.
Example:
Look at the cat
It has a hat
The cat looks sad
And I am not glad
And that is that.
A
A
B
B
A
Cat ends the first line of the poem, so we mark it with the first letter of the alphabet (A). Hat
rhymes with cat, and because it rhymes, we use the same letter (A). Sad does not rhyme with cat
so it gets the next letter in the alphabet (B). Glad rhymes with sad so it also gets the letter B and
that rhymes with cat so it gets the letter A.
Try one on your own:
Hey, diddle diddle,
The cat and the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon.
The little dog laughed to see such sport.
And the dish ran away with the spoon.
Sometimes the rhymes are sight rhymes, while no rhyme actually occurs, and other times the
rhyme is an off rhyme. At these times, it is up the scanner of the poem to decide what to do;
however, more often than not, you mark the poem with the rhyme. i.e.: Afford ; Word
Mark the rhyme scheme for the beginning of this Shakespearean Sonnet.
Unthrifty loveliness, why dost thou spend
Upon thy self thy beauty's legacy?
Nature's bequest gives nothing, but doth lend,
And being frank she lends to those are free:
Then, beauteous niggard, why dost thou abuse
The bounteous largess given thee to give?
Profitless usurer, why dost thou use
So great a sum of sums, yet canst not live?
Name: ________________________
English 9 Regents
Poetry Notes pg 9
Mr. Valentin
As mentioned earlier, poems can be split into quatrains and couplets. A sonnet is a 14 line poem
that adheres to a strict rhyme scheme. A Shakespearean sonnet will have three quatrains and a
couplet at the end. Figure out the rhyme scheme for a Shakespearean sonnet.
Sonnet 92
But do thy worst to steal thyself away,
For term of life is thou art assured mine;
And life no longer than thy love will stay,
For it depends upon that love of thine.
Then need I not to fear the worst of wrongs,
When in the least of them my life hath end.
I see a better state to me belongs
Than that which on thy humour doth depend:
Thou canst not vex me with inconstant mind,
Since that my life on thy revolt doth lie.
O what a happy title do I find,
Happy to have thy love, happy to die!
But what is so blessed-fair that fears no blot?
Thou mayst be false, and yet I know it not.
Write down the Shakespearean Rhyme Scheme:
All Shakespearean Sonnets rhyme in this exact pattern.
Now I would like you to examine the meter of the poem. Count the syllables in the lines and
write down what meter is in each line.
Name: ________________________
English 9 Regents
Poetry Notes pg 10
Mr. Valentin
Task: Write a six line poem. The first part is a quatrain with an ABAB rhyme scheme. The
couplet at the end should have a CC rhyme scheme. Each A line should be pentameter, each B
line should be tetrameter, and each C line should be trimeter. Good luck!
Name: ________________________
English 9 Regents
Poetry Notes pg 11
Mr. Valentin
Identifying Alliteration, Assonance, and Consonance.
Alliteration: Repetition of initial sounds.
Milton Mallard mailed a mangled mango.
Assonance: Repetition of vowel sounds within the words
on a proud round cloud in white high night
Consonance: Poetic device characterized by the repetition of the same consonant sound two or
more times.
All mammals named Sam are clammy.
Examine the following lines of poems and after each line write down if there is alliteration,
assonance and/or consonance.
Poetry is old and ancient and goes back far.
The spider skins lie on their sides.
As if purposely someone was rapping and tapping at the door
Strips of tinfoil winking like people.
I dropped the locket in the thick mud.
BIG B, Little b, what begins with B? Barber baby bubbles and a bumblebee.
If I bleat when I speak it is because I fleeced
Name: ________________________
English 9 Regents
Poetry Notes pg 12
Mr. Valentin
Examining a poem: Now we’re getting closer to scanning a poem.
We’re not there yet; however, you have learned some necessary skills.
So take everything you know (Rhyme scheme, Alliteration, Meter, etc
and examine this famous little poem), and write down anything you can
decipher in the poem.
Yertle the Turtle by Dr. Seuss
On the far-away island of Sala-ma-Sond,
Yertle the Turtle was king of the pond.
A nice little pond. It was clean. It was neat.
The water was warm. There was plenty to eat.
The turtles had everything turtles might need.
And they were all happy. Quite happy indeed.
They were... until Yertle, the king of them all,
Decided the kingdom he ruled was too small.
"I'm ruler", said Yertle, "of all that I see.
But I don't see enough. That's the trouble with me.
With this stone for a throne, I look down on my pond
But I cannot look down on the places beyond.
This throne that I sit on is too, too low down.
It ought to be higher!" he said with a frown.
"If I could sit high, how much greater I'd be!
What a king! I'd be ruler of all that I see!"
So Yertle, the Turtle King, lifted his hand
And Yertle, the Turtle King, gave a command.
He ordered nine turtles to swim to his stone
And, using these turtles, he built a new throne.
He made each turtle stand on another one's back
And he piled them all up in a nine-turtle stack.
And then Yertle climbed up. He sat down on the pile.
What a wonderful view! He could see 'most a mile!
Name: ________________________
English 9 Regents
Poetry Notes pg 13
Mr. Valentin
Define the following words:
Simile:
Personification:
Metaphor:
Imagery:
Finding simile, personification, metaphor¸ and imagery.
Directions: in the following passage there are instances of simile, personification, metaphor and
imagery. Find one example of each of these and label them.
On a starry winter night in Portugal
Where the ocean kissed the southern shore
There a Dream I never thought would come to pass
The Dream came and went like time spent through an hourglass
Time is a thief and the thief will fade
So goes the story of the king and the maid.
Homework: Bring in a copy of the lyrics to a song that show rhyme and at least two other
literary terms. On your copy of the song lyrics identify the rhyme, the rhyme scheme and the
literary terms in the song.
Name: ________________________
English 9 Regents
Poetry Notes pg 14
Mr. Valentin
THE 8-STEP METHOD TO ANALYZE A POEM
1) What does the Title tell us?
2) Who is the Speaker? (NEVER THE AUTHOR)
3) Who is the Imagined Reader or Intended Audience?
4) What is the Tone?
5) What is the Situation?
6) What is the Speaker’s Attitude toward the Situation?
(not author’s)
7) What is the Theme?
8) How does the use of Literary Techniques suggest, develop,
or reinforce the theme?
* such as:
repetition of words or phrases
onomatopoeia, alliteration, assonance, consonance
imagery through actual description or figurative language
as in use of simile, metaphor, personification
symbolism, meter and rhythm
wordplay as in puns,
connotation, denotations
Name: ________________________
English 9 Regents
Poetry Notes pg 15
Mr. Valentin
GROUP: ___________________________________________________________
TITLE_____________________________________________________________
POET______________________________________________________________
POETRY PRESENTATION DATE______________________________________
You have the pleasure of “bringing to life” a poem. First, choose a poem from your text that is
no longer than 1-2 pages, and then clear it with me. Please make copies of your poem for the
class, but see me if you need help. Please do not choose: “Shoulders” by Nye or “Maggie, Milly,
Molly and May” by EE Cummings
Your presentation must be no longer than 15 minutes and must include:
1. Background on poet – Offer a brief background on your poet. Tell the class some facts on
your poet. Don’t simply read notes from a card.
2. Read and analyze your poem – Either you read your poem or have a classmate read it aloud
or consider offering an audio of your poem. Then, lead the class in a discussion using the 8-step
method of analysis questions.
3. Identify literary terms and rhyme scheme – Point out a line or lines in your poem where
you have found the author used a poetic device/technique. Don’t tell the students what it is but
have them identify the term. Be sure to identify rhyme scheme and meter if it is present in your
poem.
4. Creative choice – Create a visual interpretation of your poem, such as a sketch, sculpture,
diorama, etc. Discuss how your creation relates to the poem.
5. Connection – Connect your poem to something in the world, i.e. a song, film, current event,
etc. Play the song or just mention the connection to the class. Have the students guess why this
relates to your poem.
This oral presentation will be evaluated with the following point spread.
Completion of all tasks
Delivery & response from class
Effectiveness of conveying poem
points
20
5
5
30 Total Points
Name: ________________________
English 9 Regents
9th Poetry Presentations
Poetry Notes pg 16
Mr. Valentin
Outline of Tasks
Names of Presenters: ___________________________________________________________
Title of Poem to be Presented:____________________________________________________
Author of Poem to be Presented:__________________________________________________
Please complete the following to identify who will do the tasks of the presentation and to offer
some information to be used during your presentation.
1. Tell about the background on the poet:
Name of person who will do this for your group: ______________________________________
Write down some of the background info on your poet that you’ll discuss. Remember, do not
read the info when you are presenting.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
2. Read and Analyze your Poem
How do you intend to read your poem to the class? Name the member of your group who will
do it, or will you have another classmate read it, or will you have an audio or a video to relay it?
_________________________________________________________________________
List here the EIGHT (8) questions you will cover on your poem.
1. _________________________________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________________________________
4. _________________________________________________________________________
5. _________________________________________________________________________
6. _________________________________________________________________________
7. _________________________________________________________________________
8. _________________________________________________________________________
Name: ________________________
English 9 Regents
Poetry Notes pg 17
Mr. Valentin
3. Identify Sound Techniques or Sound Devices and Rhyme Scheme
Name of the person who will lead the class to discover these:
_____________________________________________
Identify any sound techniques or sound devices you have found in your poem. Write down some
of the words in the line and identify what line number it is.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Rhyme Scheme:
______________________________________________________________________________
4. Creative Choice
Name the person handling this for your group:
_____________________________________________
What do you intend to create as a visual interpretation of your poem? Remember, you also have
to discuss how it relates to the poem.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
5. Connection to your Poem
Name of the person handling this for your group
_____________________________________________
Identify what you plan to connect to your poem. How does it connect to your poem?
Remember, to have the students guess why this relates to your poem.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Name: ________________________
English 9 Regents
Poetry Notes pg 18
Mr. Valentin
Common grammar mistakes:
Then/Than
The words then and than look similar; however, they have different meanings. The word then
usually relates to time or sequence, while the word than is used in a comparison.
Examples:
The shark then grabbed Matt’s arms.
It seemed to shake him, but then it left him alone.
Matt was luckier than Simon.
Matt is about 5 inches taller than Simon.
Directions:
Examine the following sentences and circle the appropriate then/than.
1. Avi saw his first violin concert when he was 3 years old. Since than/then, he has been
fascinated by stringed instruments.
2. Yanni would rather eat 20 pieces of broccoli than/then touch a single green bean.
3. Finish your homework, than/then we can go for a bike ride.
4. “Fluffy, no!” Mrs. Hall scolded, scooping the cat up. “You know better than/then to walk on
the kitchen table.”
5. For some people, staying away from chocolate is easier said than/then done.
6. “Don’t forget,” Shawna called, “we’re meeting at the museum at five o’clock. I’ll see you
than/then!”
7.My little brother knows so much more about Star Wars than/then I do.
Directions: for each line below, combine the sentences into a single sentence using then or
than.
8. Siri ran fast. Aisha ran faster.
______________________________________________________________________________
9. Put a half cup of flour in a bowl. Add two eggs. Stir until smooth.
______________________________________________________________________________
10. I like playing baseball. I would rather play soccer.
______________________________________________________________________________
Name: ________________________
English 9 Regents
Poetry Notes pg 19
Mr. Valentin
Common grammar mistakes:
To/Too/Two
TWO: Two means only the number 2. For example: Two weeks ago, two new employees
were hired at my factory located two miles away from my home.
two years
(2)
two men
(2)
two ways
(2)
two causes
(2)
two books
(2)
TO:
1. A preposition used in front of a noun or pronoun
• to school
• to my church
• to the room
• to us
• to them
2. In front of a verb in the present tense.
• to go
• to be
• to eat
• to sleep
• to read
• to laugh
• to sing
TOO:
1. As another word for also.
I saw Star Wars, and my cousin saw it too. (also)
Many people like chocolate ice cream, and I like it too. (also)
2. A word meaning very or extremely or going beyond a proper limit.
• too expensive
• too fast
• too slow
• too tall
• too little
• too late
Today is too cold to have a picnic. (very, extremely cold)
The policeman said that I was driving too fast. (beyond a proper limit)
Name: ________________________
English 9 Regents
Poetry Notes pg 20
Mr. Valentin
Directions: Use two, to, or too in the following sentences to make the sentences correct.
1. Harry went __________ the store today.
2. I want some ice cream, __________.
3. There are __________ decks of cards needed for this game.
4. __________ boys and __________ girls will win the prize.
5. Sarah gave the biscuit __________ the dog.
6. There are __________ many people in the room.
7. __________ books are missing from the shelf.
8. It is __________ bad Timmy was sick on his birthday.
9. They built the bridge __________ the island last summer.
Directions: Complete the passage using the correct two, to, or too.
_________ many people, the blessings we enjoy in America are _______ be taken for
granted. They are _______ preoccupied with their own materialism ________ care about the last
_________ hundred plus years of American history. They go off ________ work every day and
just try ________ make enough money _______ pay their bills for their house, credit cards, and
________ car garages. For the last ________ decades, however, American citizens
have just begun ________ understand their duties ________ the nation and ________ each other.
The middle class and all other people ________ must come together _________ realize that all
are important __________ our great nation. America needs all its concerned citizens -- and
everyone else __________. Within the next _________ decades, we must begin ________ turn
our attention ___________ space, _________ the environment, and _________ other affairs
___________ important ___________ turn a deaf ear ________ _________ centuries of
American history.
Name: ________________________
English 9 Regents
Poetry Notes pg 21
Mr. Valentin
Common grammar mistakes:
Their/There/They’re
When to Use
How to Test
There
Naming a place, a thing, or
the existence of something
Replace “there” with “here”
Their
Showing possession
Replace “their” with “our”
They’re
Combining the words “they”
and “are”
Replace “they’re” with
“they are”
Directions: Examine the following sentences and circle the appropriate there/their/they’re
1. The Kavanaghs have lived in Madrid for three years, but there/their/they’re moving back to
Seattle
next month.
2. Megan already left for the party. Priscilla is meeting her there/their/they’re after dinner.
3. Aja carried the twins’ birthday cake, and I carried there/their/they’re presents.
4. Feyi said there/their/they’re are four kittens sleeping in a box under the porch.
5. The Barrett boys explained that there/their/they’re parrot flew away when they opened the
window.
6. Leo prefers Brazilian green peaches because there/their/they’re smaller and milder than
American peaches.
Directions: Complete the passage using the correct two, to, or too.
Yesterday, my little sisters challenged me to a game of Scrabble. Usually, I avoid playing games
with them because _________ terrible cheaters. But _________ pleading wore me down, and it
was raining, so I agreed. We set up the board on the dining room table, removing Princess, the
cat that likes to sleep _________. Then we picked our tiles. _________ are only two blank tiles,
and I got them both! Things were looking good. The girls obviously didn’t like _________ tiles:
They kept trying to sneak _________ hands into the tile bag for new ones. _________ is not
much else to say about the game, except that it went on and on and on. When it finally ended, I
was more than ready to get out of _________. The score? Lisa: 311. Janet: 296. Me: 64. Ugh.
My sisters, of course, had a great time. _________ already begging me to play again.
Name: ________________________
English 9 Regents
Poetry Notes pg 22
Mr. Valentin
Common grammar mistakes:
Miscellaneous
Does ≠ Dose
Its ≠ It’s
Lose ≠ Loose
Don’t ≠ Doesn’t
Affect is a verb and effect is a noun.
They is plural. His or her are singular
Could of, should of, would of are not ever usable: it
should be could have, should have, would have.
Don’t use random apostrophes! Photo’s and Photos are
two different things.
Cannot is always one word.
A lot = is always two words.
As a noun, principal means the highest in rank or the main
participant; as an adjective it means the most important of
a set. Principle is a noun meaning a fundamental truth, ,
law or standard.
You can begin a sentence with because or but.
In formal writing avoid “I” “Me” “My” “Our” “You”
“Your” or other first or second person pronouns.
Name: ________________________
English 9 Regents
Poetry Notes pg 23
Mr. Valentin
Fixing grammar mistakes:
fortunato who fancy himself a
wine expert is easy pray for
Montresors evil plan.
Poes Cask of amontillado deals
with murder + revenge the
reason for revenge is’nt clear in
the storie