Okay, Reish boys–and anybody else in my virtual world who has non-virtual poison ivy right now!

1. Itch

a. A noun that indicates a place on the body that is irritated, such as a spot of poison ivy that is bothersome

b. A verb that happens to a part of the body: my poison ivy itches (meaning it feels like it needs scratched)

2. Scratch–a verb that is the action that one does (though one shouldn’t!) when he has an itch (noun)

Thus, Jonathan, Josiah, and Jacob–you guys each have an itch here and there where your poison ivy is bothering you (or it is itching on its own), and technically, you should NOT scratch it!

However, if you do have an itch that needs scratched, please call the portion of skin that is irritated an itch and the action you are doing “scratching.” Please do not tell your brothers to “stop itching”!  Thanks…

The post Don’t Scratch Your Itch! appeared first on Character Ink.

There are many grammar problems that people (even professionals, speakers/pastors, and writers) can get by with today without sounding like fingernails on a chalkboard. (Is that analogy too old school to use nowadays?) 🙂

I listen to talking books as I drive, clean, cook, and edit—and even million dollar best sellers somehow get away with things like “she had less smiles for him today than before” and “contest between the two of us–who works the most; who works the hardest; who is the most tired” (ouch!). However, when it comes to past participles, finger nails on the chalkboard do not even describe the sound of a couple of those from the pulpit or webinar!

Irregular verbs are just that—irregular. And irregularity, but its very nature, can be, um…..uncomfortable. (Sorry!)

The most common errors with irregular verbs occur with the past participle form.The “past participle” is the form of the verb that is used with the being or helping verbs has, have, and had.

There are two errors made with past participles:

(1) Saying the past participle form (like run from the meme above) when you need the past (ran): I run all over town today.

(2) Saying the past tense (ran, again from the meme) when you need the past participle (run): I had ran through the campground.

Here is the scoop on forming past participles in terms of regular vs irregular:

(1) Most English verbs form the past tense and the past participle by adding ed—want/wanted, help/helped, etc.

(2) About 150 common English verbs do not form them with ed only—have/had, find/found

(3) Over half of the irregular verbs that do not use ed are easy because their past is the same as their past participle form:

Today I find

Yesterday I found

Before that I HAVE found

(4) That leaves about seventy irregular verbs with different past participles than past tense—and this is where the Five Past Participle Verb Mistakes That Make a Person Sound, um, Uneducated comes in:

Today I go; yesterday I went; before that I have gone

Today I run; yesterday I ran; before that I have run

Many people do not notice if someone uses the wrong swim/swam/swum or even run/ran/run, but there are a handful that sound so wrong that they truly can make a speaker sound at least undereducated (from what he might be!)—and can truly detract from your message.

So—don’t say these!
(1) Ran for run….I have RUN.

(2) Gave for given…I have GIVEN.

(3) Went for gone…I have GONE. (very common…very bad!)

(4) Wrote for written….I have WRITTEN.

(5) Did for done…I have DONE.

Other common past participle errors:

swim         swam               had swum

dive          dived/dove      had dived

ring           rang                 had rung

spit           spit/spat          had spat

lie              lay                   had  lain        (to lie down yourself …not to place)

lay             laid                  had laid      (to place something…lay it down)

hang         hung                had hung    (to hang a picture….not to kill)

hang        hanged            had hanged     (to hang someone/execute)

The post Five Past Participle Verb Mistakes That Make a Person Sound, um, Uneducated appeared first on Character Ink.

1. People lie; things get laid down—sort of works, but it’s not just people who lie—the sun lies on the horizon; the city lies asleep in the early morning hours; the animal lies in the middle of the road….you get the idea
2. People lie; things get laid down—but it still didn’t help with the sit/set and rise/raise dilemma
3. The past tense of lie (as in yesterday I lay down to take a nap…don’t I wish!) is the same as the current tense of lay (as in I am going to lay the book on the table)—poor kids!
4. And so many more!

1. Consider a rhyme or mnemonic like the one above to reinforce the I’s in sit, rise, and lie—when we remind students that I do those things—and they have I’s in them, we are helping them remember that these do not have objects following them.
2. Do NOT start with lie. It is by far the most confusing of the trio—and I try to do that one after rise and sit (with fewer exceptions, etc.) are established in students’ minds.
3. DO start with sit. Set has the same tense for all—present; past; and past participle. Today I set the table; yesterday I set the table; before that I have set the table.
4. If you are teaching from a Christian standpoint, Jesus and God are prime examples of rise/rose/has risen and raise/raised/has raised:
1. Jesus will rise from the grave. God will raise Jesus.
2. Jesus rose from the grave. God raised Jesus.
3. Jesus has risen from the grave. God has raised Jesus.

5. Suggested order: sit/set; rise/raise; and lie/lay.

The post Rise/Raise and Sit/Set and Lie/Lay Tips appeared first on Character Ink.

1. Lie has an I—and I alone can do it (it is not done TO something else).
1. I lie in bed at midnight wide awake.
2. Yesterday I lay awake half the night.
3. Before that I had lain down when the cat jumped on me.

2. Lie means to stretch out in a flat position—anybody or anything can lie, as long as it does it by itself (i.e. it is NOT laid)
1. She lies down with a headache every day.
2. The sun is lying low.
3. She has lain down for a nap.

3. Lay must have an object following it—something that it is being laid down.
1. Lay your book on the table.
2. He laid his money down.
3. She has laid the towels in the sun.

1. Base form: lay—I lay the kids’ clothes out every day. (Tricky: lay is the base form of lay (to put something down; it is also the past tense of lie—to stretch out by yourself or itself.)
2. Past simple: laid—Yesterday I laid the pink pants out for Jon.
3. Past participle: laid—Before the dog came in, I had already laid his bones out.
4. Third person singular: lays—He lays the book down every night at ten.
5. Present participle/gerund: laying—I am laying the swim suits out to dry.

1. Again, do sit/set first (all same base word for tenses of set!) or rise/raise (since many people get this pair correct even if they do not know sit/set and lie/lay very well).
2. Do rise/raise after sit/set or sit/set after rise/raise (saving lie/lay for last).
3. Memorize acronym/rhyme to cement the fact that all three with I’s are the ones that are done by someone or something (not to something).
4. When you get to lie and lay, to lie first all by itself until it is memorized. Then do lay. (I am starting to wait a week between the two with lots of practice on lie during that week before moving on to lay.)

The post Lie vs Lay appeared first on Character Ink.

      Sit Down While I Set Up a Quiz For You!

Sit and rise have I’s–and lie does too.
“Coz these are things that I, all by myself, can do.
Set, raise, and lay are words that you choose
When each one has an object after it to use.

1. She _________ down and wept when she heard the news.
2. They _______ down.
3. They _______ the plants out.
4. They will be _______ the clothes out beforehand.
5. Yesterday, he ________ down to rest.
6. They will ________ the clothes out to dry.
7. He _________ down.
8. He is ____________ down.
9. They will be _________ the clothes out beforehand.
10. She has _________ the clothes out beforehand.
11. They have __________ down.
12. He has ____________ down.
13. They __________ the trap to catch the bear.
14. They are __________ down.
15. They will ________ the tent up at noon.

The post Sit and Set Pop Quiz With Answer Key! appeared first on Character Ink.

1. Lie has an I—and I alone can do it (it is not done TO something else).
1. I lie in bed at midnight wide awake.
2. Yesterday I lay awake half the night.
3. Before that I had lain down when the cat jumped on me.

2. Lie means to stretch out in a flat position—anybody or anything can lie, as long as it does it by itself (i.e. it is NOT laid)
1. She lies down with a headache every day.
2. The sun is lying low.
3. She has lain down for a nap.

3. Lay must have an object following it—something that it is being laid down.
1. Lay your book on the table.
2. He laid his money down.
3. She has laid the towels in the sun.

1. Base form: lay—I lay the kids’ clothes out every day. (Tricky: lay is the base form of lay (to put something down; it is also the past tense of lie—to stretch out by yourself or itself.)
2. Past simple: laid—Yesterday I laid the pink pants out for Jon.
3. Past participle: laid—Before the dog came in, I had already laid his bones out.
4. Third person singular: lays—He lays the book down every night at ten.
5. Present participle/gerund: laying—I am laying the swim suits out to dry.

1. Again, do sit/set first (all same base word for tenses of set!) or rise/raise (since many people get this pair correct even if they do not know sit/set and lie/lay very well).
2. Do rise/raise after sit/set or sit/set after rise/raise (saving lie/lay for last).
3. Memorize acronym/rhyme to cement the fact that all three with I’s are the ones that are done by someone or something (not to something).
4. When you get to lie and lay, to lie first all by itself until it is memorized. Then do lay. (I am starting to wait a week between the two with lots of practice on lie during that week before moving on to lay.)

The post day 99: lie and lay appeared first on Character Ink.

1. She sat down and wept when she heard the news.
2. They sit down.(or sat)
3. They set the plants out.
4. They will be setting the clothes out beforehand.
5. Yesterday, he sat down to rest.
6. They will set the clothes out to dry.
7. He sits down.
8. He is sitting down.
9. They will be setting the clothes out beforehand.
10. She has set the clothes out beforehand.
11. They have sat down.
12. He has sat down.
13. They set the trap to catch the bear.
14. They are sitting down.
15. They will set the tent up at noon.

The post day 95: sit and set pop quiz—answer key appeared first on Character Ink.

1. She _________ down and wept when she heard the news.
2. They _______ down.
3. They _______ the plants out.
4. They will be _______ the clothes out beforehand.
5. Yesterday, he ________ down to rest.
6. They will ________ the clothes out to dry.
7. He _________ down.
8. He is ____________ down.
9. They will be _________ the clothes out beforehand.
10. She has _________ the clothes out beforehand.
11. They have __________ down.
12. He has ____________ down.
13. They __________ the trap to catch the bear.
14. They are __________ down.
15. They will ________ the tent up at noon.

The post day 94: sit and set pop quiz! appeared first on Character Ink.

Sit and rise have I’s–and lie does too.
“Coz these are things that I, all by myself, can do.
Set, raise, and lay are words that you choose
When each one has an object after it to use.

“Sit, Fido! Before I have to set you down myself!”

1. Sit has an I—and I alone can do it (it is not done TO something else).
1. I sit down.
2. Yesterday I sat down.
3. Before that I had sat down.

2. Sit means to recline or lower down to a sitting position—anybody or anything can sit, as long as it does it by itself (i.e. it is NOT set)
1. The chair sits in the corner empty, missing its owner.
2. She sat there and pouted all afternoon.
3. They are sitting down in protest.
4. She has sat there in tears all day.
5. They are sitting in the parlor.

3. Set does not have an I—it is done TO something.
4. Set must have an object following it—something that it is setting.
1. Set the table.
2. Set the baby down in her seat.
3. God set the stars in the sky.
4. Set the book on the counter.
5. We will be setting up decorations at noon.
6. The jello still needs to set . (It’s like you are saying to set the jello!)
7. She sets the table as though a king is coming.

5. Set is the same base word for all of its tenses: set; set; set; sets; setting. That is why I recommend teaching this Wacky Word pair first (of the three).

1. Base form: set—Today I set the vase on the table. (Object—vase)
2. Past simple: set—Yesterday I set the vase on the table.
3. Past participle: set—Before that I set the vase on the table.
4. Third person singular: sets—She sets the vase on the table.
5. Present participle/gerund: setting—I am setting the vase on the table.

The post day 91: sit and set appeared first on Character Ink.

1. People lie; things get laid down—sort of works, but it’s not just people who lie—the sun lies on the horizon; the city lies asleep in the early morning hours; the animal lies in the middle of the road….you get the idea
2. People lie; things get laid down—but it still didn’t help with the sit/set and rise/raise dilemma
3. The past tense of lie (as in yesterday I lay down to take a nap…don’t I wish!) is the same as the current tense of lay (as in I am going to lay the book on the table)—poor kids!
4. And so many more!

1. Consider a rhyme or mnemonic like the one above to reinforce the I’s in sit, rise, and lie—when we remind students that I do those things—and they have I’s in them, we are helping them remember that these do not have objects following them.
2. Do NOT start with lie. It is by far the most confusing of the trio—and I try to do that one after rise and sit (with fewer exceptions, etc.) are established in students’ minds.
3. DO start with sit. Set has the same tense for all—present; past; and past participle. Today I set the table; yesterday I set the table; before that I have set the table.
4. If you are teaching from a Christian standpoint, Jesus and God are prime examples of rise/rose/has risen and raise/raised/has raised:
1. Jesus will rise from the grave. God will raise Jesus.
2. Jesus rose from the grave. God raised Jesus.
3. Jesus has risen from the grave. God has raised Jesus.

5. Suggested order: sit/set; rise/raise; and lie/lay.

The post day 90: sit/set; rise/raise; lie/lay tips for teachers appeared first on Character Ink.