Grammar and Mechanics Worksheets

Related ELA Standard: L.2-4.1

Core Standard
Answer Keys Here

Mechanics refers to things in language that follow specific rules and how they interact to produce a coherent sentence. In most cases we attribute mechanics being directly correlated to spelling and punctuation, but it is much deeper than that. There are many things that go into writing that are not found in speech. Mechanics is all about being able to describe the spoken word in written form. Through the proper use of punctuation, we can really project speech into text. To be honest, this skill often presents itself in the editing and proofreading stage of our work after we create the first draft. While this may seem like an afterthought, this is a critical portion of becoming a quality writer. These worksheets will help students put together a solid handle on the mechanics used for written speech.

Grammar and Mechanics Worksheets:

Noun | Pronoun | Adjective | Adverb - Read each sentence below. On the line beside it, write whether the underlined word is a noun, a pronoun, an adjective or an adverb.

Conjunctions - Underline the conjunction in each sentence. This is a recognition activity for you to work on.

Mixed Parts of Speech - Identify the part of speech for each bold word. You will circle the correct pairing.

Sentence Types - Read each sentence. Is it a declarative, interrogative, imperative, or exclamatory sentence? Write the sentence type on the line.

Sentence Structure - Write an example of each type of simple sentence. You will work through all the major forms of sentence writing.

Pronouns and Antecedents - Underline the pronoun. Write its antecedent on the line. This may take you a few minutes to think through for yourself.

Participles and Participial Phrases - Circle each participle used as an adjective. If it is part of a participial phrase, underline the phrase.

Helping Verbs - Complete each of the sentences by choosing the correct helping verb.

Transitive Verbs - Underline the transitive verb in each sentence. Write its direct object on the line.

Action Verbs - Underline the action verb in each sentence. It is the term that is the get up and go portion of the sentence.

Using Commas with Compound Sentences - Read each set of sentences below. Then rewrite each set as a single sentence with an introductory phrase. Use correct punctuation.

Find the Capitalization Errors - Underline the capitalization error in each sentence. We did not make it the first word, you are going to have to dig around a bit.

Quotation Marks - Rewrite the indirect speech as direct speech. Punctuate correctly. You will need some quotes and commas in here.

Writing with Colons and Semi-colons - Per the prompts, write original sentences using colons or semi-colons.

Contractions - Rewrite each sentence below, replacing the underlined words with a contraction.

What is the Difference Between Grammar and Mechanics?


Grammar and mechanics are both different parts of the language. Here is the difference between them.


Grammar


Grammar is an essential part of the English language. It makes sure that you are not making any mistakes in your text that would confuse your readers. Grammar mostly refers to the parts of speech and how they are combined to form accurate sentences. The general idea here is that we want to communicate in a clear and concise manner. The following are some basic elements of grammar.


Nouns


Nouns are the naming words. They are used when you want to indicate the name of something. A noun can be a place, name, or thing. There are several different types of nouns such as personal noun, countable noun, uncountable noun, proper noun, collective noun, abstract noun, etc.


Verbs


A verb is an action word. It is used to indicate an action that is happening or has happened in the past. There are also many different types of verbs that are used to form sentences, for example, auxiliary verbs, infinitives, modal verb, linking verb, etc.


Adjective


An adjective is a word that is used to modify nouns. There are many different types of adjectives such as a descriptive adjective, quantitative adjective, demonstrative adjective, etc.


Mechanics


Mechanics refers to the rules of text. It lets you know when to use certain formats and when not to use them. Mechanics consist of capitalizations, punctuations, and spelling. These formats allow the reader to understand the nature of how something was to be expressed.


Capitalization


Capitalization means using the upper case letter. We do not use capital letters in our daily text. However, they are used on special occasions. Most commonly, the first letter of the first word of a sentence is capitalized.


Punctuation


This is a series of symbols and signs that help the audience understand how a statement was constructed and meant to be read back as. Punctuation has many types and parts. Punctuation is used to make the text more clear for the readers.


Spelling


Spelling refers to the arrangement of the letters to form words. We find that as you increase your vocabulary and reading skills, spelling gets a great deal easier.