Hot Fudge Monday: Tasty Ways to Teach Parts of Speech to Students Who Have a Hard Time Swallowing Anything to Do with Grammar

182 Pages·2007·0.77 MB·English

by  Randy Larson

Hot Fudge Monday
Tasty Ways to Teach Parts of Speech to Students
Who Have a Hard Time Swallowing
Anything to Do with Grammar
Randy Larson
Illustrated by Judith Ann Larson
Cottonwood Press, Inc.
Fort Collins, Colorado
Third edition copyright © 2007 by Cottonwood Press, Inc.
Second edition copyright © 2003 by Cottonwood Press, Inc.
First edition copyright © 1993 by Cottonwood Press, Inc.
Permission is granted to reproduce activities in this book, in other than electronic form, for the pur-
chaser’s own personal use in the classroom, provided that the copyright notice appears on each
reproduction. Otherwise, no part ofthis work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by
any means without written permission from Cottonwood Press.
Requests for permission, other than personal classroom use, should be addressed to:
Cottonwood Press
109-B Cameron Drive
Fort Collins, CO 80525
1-800-864-4297
Fax: [phone]
www.cottonwoodpress.com
ISBN 978-1-877673-74-0
Printed in the United States of America
To my wife, Judith Ann, and my son, Gabriel Wallace Larson,
who let me go off each day to write this book,
then put up with me afterwards.

Table of Contents
Using Hot Fudge Monday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Adjectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
Verbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 What Are Adjectives? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
What Are Verbs? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Here’s . . . the Adjective! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64
Five Hundred Horsepower Verbs . . . . . . . .12 Jazzing It Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
Pop Goes the Verb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Brothers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
Verbs Alive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 ADeal You Can Refuse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
Verb Variety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Jailbird . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Catastrophic Verbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Do You Love L.A.? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
The Ls Have It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Snake Spit! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
Time Warp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Ms. Silvershine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
Tight Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 No One Nose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72
Verbs that Personify . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Roadside Attractions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
Rewriting Mother Goose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Secret Shopper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
It Tolls for Thee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Conjunctions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75
Disturbed Verbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
What Are Conjunctions? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77
Hire Me! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Get Coordinated! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
Peanut Butter Spreader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
And You’re Breathless . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79
Verbs Doing Two Jobs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
ASeries of Ands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80
Piñata Party Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Details, Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
Turkey Melt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
The Exclusive Or . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82
Nouns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 29 But Put in the Comma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83
What Are Nouns? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 For the Love of Commas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84
On a Clear Noun You Can See Forever . . .32 Yet and Nor—Say No More . . . . . . . . . . . .85
Common Nouns and Proper Nouns . . . . . . .33 Either/Or . . . Neither/Nor . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86
Replace Dead Nouns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Use Them or Lose Them . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87
Muckberry Gazette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 Make Your Own . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88
More Muckberry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 Write On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89
Be Sharp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Subordinating Conjunctions . . . . . . . . . . . .90
What’s the Dif? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Subordinating Combos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91
Leaving Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 The Making of a Dependent Clause . . . . . .92
Turtlebiscuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Subordinatium Gladiloli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93
Metaphor Magic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Smothered Burrito Investigation . . . . . . . . .94
Weird Careers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Fruitful Fashion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95
Cheese Balls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 Ice Hotel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96
Prepositions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 Spaghetti Heaven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97
What Are Prepositions? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 Pronouns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99
In the Beginning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 What Are Pronouns? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101
Catching the Drift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 The Case of the Pronoun Prank . . . . . . . . .102
Cleaning Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 Getting Personal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103
The Correct Preposition, Please . . . . . . . . .51 “Self” Pronouns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104
Unnecessary Prepositions . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 Always Single . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105
What is a Prepositional Phrase? . . . . . . . . .53 Everyone’s Favorite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106
Prepositions in Concert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 Pronouns of Your Own . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107
Professional Phrases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 Find Them and Fix Them . . . . . . . . . . . . .108
Make Your Own . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 Possessive Pronouns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109
Pick Your Preposition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 Non-Sexist Pronouns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
Phrases From the Dark Side . . . . . . . . . . . .58 It’s All Relative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111
Idioms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 Pronouns Out of Place . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Preposition Recall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 Writing with Relatives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Nobody . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
Wild Weekend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Messed Up Titles and Bicycle Stew . . . . .116
Interjections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
What Are Interjections? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
All Alone in the World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120
Hey! This Is Serious . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121
Holy Bat Wings! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122
Pirate Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123
Super Socket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124
ANew Search Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125
Schloopy, Schloopy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126
Adverbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127
What Are Adverbs? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129
Adverbs? How? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130
Adverbs? Where? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131
The Case of the Adverb Clue . . . . . . . . . .132
Adverbs? When? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133
Adverbs? To What Extent? . . . . . . . . . . . .134
Adverbs . . . Not Just for Verbs Anymore .135
Lights! Action! Adverbs! . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136
Tagging Along . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137
Adverb Overflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138
Party Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139
Cat Whisperer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .140
Somewhere, Over the Dumpster . . . . . . . .141
Going Somewhere? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .142
Weird Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143
Swiss Only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .144
Answer Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145
Using Hot Fudge Monday
Hot Fudge Monday proposes to bring humor and a fair amount of joy to the writing process,
while at the same time teaching students the basics about parts of speech—no small trick. When
teachers hand out pens and paper to students, the mood in the room often darkens. Polite stu-
dents try not to grimace. Add a grammar book to the picture, and the situation becomes frighten-
ing as eyes glaze over and catatonia sets in.
It is my contention that with humor, all things are possible. That means that students can
smile, write and learn grammar simultaneously.
It makes sense to study parts of speech in the context of the writing process. It makes sense
to find joy in putting words on paper, and it makes sense to learn how to use words skillfully.
Hot Fudge Monday was written to make sense. More important, it was written to make sense to
young people, using words and terms they can understand, in a context they can understand.
Hot Fudge Monday joins the study of words to the process of writing those words into mean-
ingful sentences. The book consists of eight chapters, each one dealing with one part of speech:
verbs, nouns, prepositions, adjectives, conjunctions, pronouns, interjections, adverbs. Stu-
dents learn about the various parts of speech through short writing activities that are interesting,
humorous and a bit offbeat. The exercises are purposely quite different from those found in stan-
dard classroom texts.
Teachers who find themselves bumping along through Warriner’s Grammar may want to
dish out a few pages of Hot Fudge Monday to supplement and vary the daily routine. Others
may wish to use Hot Fudge Monday activities as a springboard to longer, more creative writing
assignments. The book can be used by itself to teach the basics or as a supplement for those who
prefer to stick to more traditional texts. Either way, students are bound to benefit by studying
about language as they use language.
Randy Larson

Verbs