Grammar Cop

GRAMMAR COP
Super-fun Reproducible Pages That Give Kids Practice in

Parts of Speech, Capitalization, Punctuation, and Mor e!
by the staff of Storyworks magazine
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BUENOS AIRES
Grammar Cop Scholastic Teaching Resources
Scholastic Inc. grants teachers permission to photocop y the activity sheets from this book for
classroom use. No other part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in an y form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
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regarding permission, write to Scholastic Inc., 557 Broadw ay, New York, NY 10012.
Cover design by Gerard Fuchs

Interior design by Russell Bart
Illustrations by Jack Desroscher
ISBN 0-439-51375-8
Copyright 2004 by Scholastic Inc.
All rights reserved.
Printed in the U.S.A.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
40
10 09 08 07 06 05 04
Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PARTS OF SPEECH
The Case of the Strange Playground Equipment (Nouns) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Case of Rapunzels Long Hair (Nouns) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Case of Jack and Jill (Pronouns) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Case of the Old Woman in the Shoe (Pronouns) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

The Case of a Letter to Old MacDonald (Pronouns) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
The Case of the Bumbling Cupids (Plural Nouns) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
The Apology of Goldilocks (Possessives and Plurals) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
The Case of Mary Had a Little Rooster (Verbs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
The Case of the Dog Who Eats Homework (Verbs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
The Case of the Cat Food Casserole (Verbs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
The Case of the Saxophone Disaster (Adjectives/Adverbs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
The Case of the Unexpected Delay (Adjectives/Adverbs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
MECHANICS
the case of the missing capital letters (Capitalization) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
19
The Case of the Fairy Godmother for Hire (Capitalization) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
20
The Case of Freddys Tarantula (Capitalization) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
21
The Case of Frostys Rules (Capitalization) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
22
The Case of Humpty Dumpty (Contractions) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
23
The Case of the Grumpy Goose (Contractions) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
24
The Case of the Sick Bookworm (Contractions) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
25
The Case of the Chicken That Crossed the Road (Contractions) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

The Case of the Wanna-be Superstar (Punctuation) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
27
The Case of the Weary Lunch Lady (Punctuation) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
28
The Three Little Pigs Day in Court (Quotation Marks) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
29
SPELLING & USAGE

The Case of the Frog Prince (Spelling) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
30
The Case of the Careless Typist (Spelling) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
31
The Case of the Terrible Tooth Fairy (Spelling) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
32
The Case of the Missing Rabbit (Spelling) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
33
The Case of Frosty the Snowman (Homophones) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
34
The Case of the Cow Who Jumped Over the Moon (Homophones) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
The Case of Fabulous Fritz (Homophones) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
36
The Case of the Big Bad Wolf (Its/Its) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
37
The Case of the Worried Elf (Their/Theyre/There) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
38
The Case of the Stinky Dragon (Their/Theyre/There) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
39
The Case of the Itsy Bitsy Spider (To/Too/Two) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
40
The Case of the Surfing Elephant (To/Too/Two) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
41
The Education of Snow White (Your/Youre) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
42
The Case of the Unemployed Princess (Your/Youre) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
43
The Case of the Slimy Aliens (Your/Youre) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
44
The Case of the Sad Spider (Your/Youre) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
45
The Case of the Dissatisfied Dog (Your/Youre, Its/Its) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
46
Answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
47
Introduction
Grammar Cop has been one of Scholastic Storyworks magazines
most popular features over the yearsand now, weve compiled the
best of these super-fun grammar activity pages all in one book!
Students will have a blast reading the hilarious adv entures of their
favorite storybook characters and correcting their mistak es all in
the name of the lawgrammar laws, that is. Theyll enforce the rules
of grammar to help the animals in Old MacDonald s farm learn the
difference between we and us, teach Marys little rooster (not lamb)
which verb tense to use, correct the Frog Prince s spelling in his letter
of apology to the witch, and much more!
Inside, youll find 40 reproducible activity pages that give students
practice in parts of speech, capitalization and punctuation,
contractions, spelling, and usage. You can make an overhead
transparency of each activity page and work on it together as a whole
class. Or you can distribute copies for students to tak e home as
homework or to work on when theyre waiting for the rest of the class
to finish their work. These activity pages are perfect for reviewing
grammar skills that youve already taught or to assess ho w much
students have learned.
Enjoy!
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Nouns
The Case of the Strange Playground Equipment

Build a roller coaster for the school
playground? Find out what the SuperRiders Construction Team thinks about
this highly unusual request!
Directions: Underline all the nouns in the letter
below. Then go back and circle the proper nouns.
Dear Principal Billsley,

Its very unusual for my company to
receive a letter like the one you sent. Weve
never built a roller coaster in a schools
backyard before. Were thrilled for the
opportunity!
The Super-Riders Construction Team has taken a look at the plans you included with
your letter. Its a shame you used a crayon. The ideas you drew on the school picture were hard
to read. But we liked what we saw. As you wrote, the second loop will require demolishing the
school cooks cafeteria. I hope she w ont mind.
Of course, every good roller coaster needs an e xciting name. Im not sure your
suggestion, the Kara Has Cooties Coaster, is appropriate. What about the Multiplication
Shocker or the Research Report Terror? Thats sure to the get the kids e xcited.
One more thing: just between us, you should w ork on your spelling. And your signature
looks like a kid wrote it!
I think this will certainly help Pick ens Elementary with the three Rs of a great
education: reading, writing and rides! If you e ver think about expanding, let us know.
We build great water parks.
Sincerely,
Tim Showtime, manager
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Nouns
The Case of Rapunzels Long Hair

Rapunzel desperately needs to get her hair done for the ball. Can she find someone
to help her?
Directions: Underline all the nouns in the letter belo w. Then go back and circle the proper nouns.
Dear Hair Innovations,

I need someone to do my hair for the Ro yal Ball! Ive tried everyone else. The hairdresser
at Cute Clips fainted when he saw me. The shampoo boys at Fine Styles quit their jobs as soon as
I walked in the door. Please, you must help.
Youve probably heard of me. My name is Rapunzel. When I was young, a wicked witch
named Wanda kidnapped me and put me in a huge, tall to wer. There were no stairs, so she made
me grow my hair really long so that she could use it as a ladder . And let me tell you, ever since,
my hair has been impossible to manage.
The witch simply doesnt care how my long, golden locks look. Shes very cheap. Doesnt
she realize that with 100 feet of hair I need more than just one bottle of F airytale Shampoo a
week? I dont think she expected this extra expense when she put me up in this room.
I have another problem. My date to the ball, Prince Charming, has been secretly climbing
up my hair too. Sometimes he for gets to take off his boots. And even worse, he sometimes doesnt
wipe his feet! Gross! Some bo ys just
dont understand women.
Please say you can help. I need
the latest style, and I ha ve to wear my
hair up off my shoulders. Otherwise
Im sure King Phillip and the other
dancers will get tangled in it. That
could be painful.
Sincerely,
Rapunzel
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Pronouns
The Case of Jack and Jill

Jill wants to explain what really happened when
she and Jack went up the hill. But she doesnt
understand the difference between he and him.
Can you help her?
Directions: The word he or him belongs in each of the
spaces below. Choose the correct word and write it in.
It was all Jacks fault. I didnt even want to go with

_________ up that hill. Everyone knows that _________
is a troublemaker. _________ is always teasing Mary
about her lamb. But _________ begged me to go with
_________. Frankly, I think _________ has a crush on me.
_________ and I went up the hill. At first we were
having a fine time chatting about basketball, my favorite
sport. It was after the pail was full of water that
_________ and I got into trouble. _________ started
flicking me with water. I asked _________ to stop, but
_________ kept flicking away. _________ is very
immature. I reached over and tried to grab the pail from
_________. _________ got mad and jerk ed his arm away.
The water spilled all over _________ and me, and we
started to fall. Suddenly, we were both tumbling down the
hill. The pail kept hitting _________ in the head on the
way down. Thats why _________ got hurt and I didn t.
Frankly, I would say _________ deserved it!
Grammar Cops Clues

He and him are both personal
pronouns. You use both of
them as a substitute for
someones name. The key is
knowing when to use he and
when to use him. Here are
some nifty tricks to help you
get it right:
He is the subject of a
sentence or a clause. He is
used at the beginning of a
sentence and right before a
verb. (Example: He won the
dance contest. When the winner
was announced, he jumped
for joy.)
Him is the object of a
sentence or a clause. Him is
likely to be at the end of a
sentence and after a verb or
a preposition. (Example:
Richard called. I told him I
want to take dancing lessons
from him.)
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Pronouns
The Case of the Old Woman in the Shoe

The Old Woman in the Shoe is thinking about moving to a
new home, but she doesnt know the difference between I
and me. Can you help?
Directions: The word I or me belongs in each of the spaces
below. Choose the correct word and write it in.
Do you know _________? _________ am the old

woman who lives in a big shoe. They say I have so many
children, _________ dont know what to do. Actually,
_________ know exactly what to do. Im selling the shoe
and moving! Do you want to buy a great house? Believe
Grammar Cops Clues
_________, _________ will make you a good deal.
I and me are both personal

pronouns. You use them as a
substitute for someones name.
Here are some nifty tricks to
help you remember when to use
each one:
My children and _________ have been living in

this shoe for years. It w as fun at first. When they were
little, they all fit in the heel and _________ could k eep
an eye on them. When they got bigger, the girls drove
_________ crazy, swinging on the laces, pretending the y
were Tarzan. The boys liked to bodysurf down the tongue
and dive off the toe. Scared _________ to death! And
_________ must say, every year its a tighter fit.
Next year, _________ will send six of them to
college. As for _________, _________ am thinking
about a simpler life. Maybe I ll move to a little sneaker
in San Francisco. Or a sandal on the beach in Florida.
Between you and _________, this house needs a
little fixing up, but it has a lot of heart and sole!
I is the subject of a sentence

or a clause. I is used at the
beginning of a sentence and
right before a verb. (Example:
I like to go to school. In school,
I hang out with my friends and
have fun.)
Me is the object of a
sentence or a clause. Me is
a preposition. (Example: My
friend asked me to help him with
the homework.)
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Pronouns
The Case of a Letter to Old MacDonald

The animals in Old MacDonalds farm are quite upset.
So they wrote a letter to Farmer MacDonald.
Understandably, they dont know the difference between
we and us. Can you help them?
Directions: In each of the underlined w ord pairs,
circle either we or us.
Dear Farmer MacDonald,

All these years we/us animals have lived happily on
(1)
your farm, moo-mooing here and cluck-clucking there,

oink-oinking here, and neigh-neighing there. It is w e/us
(2)
who have put this farm on the map. We/Us have put your
(3)
song at the top of the nursery school charts. W e/Us have

(4)
made you a household name. And what has it gotten
Grammar Cops Clues
we/us? A big, fat nothing! You have not given we/us
We and us are both personal

pronouns. Read these clues to
help you know when to use
each one:
(6)
(5)
animals one dime.
We/Us animals are fed up, Mr. MacDonald. Its

(7)
time for we/us to get our fair share. Do you think w e/us
(8)
(9)
animals should go right along mooing and neighing and

oinking and clucking for free? We/Us say, ee-I-ee-I-No(10)
Way!
Our agent will be contacting you ne xt week.

Sincerely,
Mary OMare, the horse
Barb Bovino, the cow
Sid Swine, the pig
Chuck Fowler, the chicken
10
We is the subject of a
sentence or a clause. We is
used at the beginning of a
sentence and right before a
verb. (Example: We had a great
time at the beach this summer.)
Us is the object of a
sentence or a clause. Us is
a preposition. (Example: Our
mom took us out for dinner the
other night.)
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Plural Nouns
The Case of the Bumbling Cupids

Big Boss Cupid wrote this memo to Americas Cupids.
But hes confused about plurals. Can you help?
Directions: For each pair of underlined w ords, circle the
correctly spelled plural noun.
TO:
FROM:
Americas Cupids
Big Boss Cupid
This Valentines Day, there will be 200

Cupids/Cupides flying around the skys/skies. You will be
(2)
(1)
shooting your arrows/arrowes to bring love and happiness to

(3)
lucky couples/couplese.
(4)
Please be careful. A few years ago, a Cupid (who shall remain nameless) accidentally shot
a walrus, causing her to fall madly in love with Leonardo DiCaprio. These kinds of terrible
mistakes/mistaks give all of us a bad name. Do you kno w how long it took to get that w alrus off
(5)
the set of Titanic?

We must avoid these disasters/disasteres in the future. Here are some tipp s/tips to help you.
(7)
(6)
1. Practice your landings/landinges. Avoid slippery rooves/roofs. No one likes to see a

(9)
(8)
naked Cupid falling into bushes/bushs or mailboxs/mailboxes.

(10)
(11)
2. Sharpen the points/pointes of your arrows. A dull arrow is likely to bounce right off
your target.
(12)
3. Wear your glasses/glassess. If you cant see clearly, how can you be sure youre
(13)
shooting the right person? Glasses also protect you from getting fly s/flies in your
(14)
eyes/eyies.
(15)
These simple rules will help mak e this the best holiday ever!
11
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Possessives and Plurals
The Apology of Goldilocks

Goldilocks feels guilty about messing up the home
of the three bears. She wants to make it up to them.
But she doesnt understand the laws of possessive
words. Can you help her?
Directions: Wherever you see a blank line, decide whether
the word needs an s, an s or a plain s. Write your answer
on the blank.
Dear Mama Bear, Papa Bear, and Baby Bear,

I owe you guy__ an apology. I didnt mean to
Grammar Cops Clues
get my germ__ all over everyone__ porridge and
Remember these basic laws of
break Baby Bear__ chair. I didnt say to myself, I
possessives and plurals:
think Ill head to the bear__ cottage and mess up their
Singular possessive (s): Use

s when you want to show that
stuff. I had been hiking through the w ood__,
something belongs to
gathering rock__ for my science project. I had stuf fed
someone or something.
all the rocks into my jumper__ pock et. When I sat
(Example: That is Bozos clown
down in Baby Bear__ chair, the rock__ weight caused
wig.)
me to crush the chair.
Plural possessive (s): Use s

when something belongs to
To make it up to you, I w ould like you to come
more than one person.
to my family__ house for dinner. I have a new chair
(Example: Those are the clowns
for Baby Bear. (I used all my baby-sitting mone y to

pay for it.) Please let me kno w if you can come.
wigs.)
Plural noun (s): Use a plain s
Love,
when you simply want to show
Goldilocks
something. (Example: There are
P.S. Ill be serving some of my parent__ homemade
lots of clowns in town. They are

all wearing wigs.)
honey.
12
that there is more than one of
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Verbs
The Case of Mary Had a Little Rooster

It seems that Mary didnt just have a little lamb. She had
a rooster as well. And hes mad! He wants to tell us why hes
so angry, but he doesnt know how to use verbs correctly.
Can you help him?
Directions: Circle the correct verb from each underlined pair.
Mary had a little rooster

With a very clever mind.
And everywhere that Mary went
The rooster was left behind.
I bet youve never heard/hearing that verse
(1)
before. Do you know why? Its because that silly lamb

gets/get all the attention. Maybe if I had fleece as white as sno w then everyone would
(2)
sing/sang about me. But I i s/am just a plain rooster with a flabby red w attle. I guess Mary
(3)
(4)
thinks/thinking white and fluffy is better than red and flabby. I guess she likes/liking a whiny
(5)
(6)
little baahhhh more than a bold cock-a-doodle-doo. Maybe shes never heard/hearing the
(7)
words lamb chop!

You think I didnt try/tried to follow her to school one day? I trie d/try all right. And you
(9)
(8)
know what that little lamb d o/did? He tripped me so I fel l/fall down the hill that gave Jack and
(10)
(11)
Jill their problems. By the time I got to school, that lamb w as there. He got sen t /send to the
(12)
principals office. I bet they were afraid that lamb w ould give/giving everyone lice.
(13)
Ive never hearing /heard of a rooster with lice, ha ve you? Why doesnt anyone
(14)
write/writing a song about that?

(15)
13
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Verbs
The Case of the Dog Who Eats Homework

Molly the Mutt has something shocking to tell, but
she doesnt know which verbs to use. Can you help?
Directions: For each pair of underlined w ords,
circle the correct verb.
From the Desk of Molly the Mutt

Dear Teachers,
The first thing I want / wants to say is that
(1)
Im sorry. Sort of.
Let me explain. Im sure there are times

when a student come / comes to class without his or
(2)
her homework. You patiently ask / asks where it is, and your
(3)
student reply / replies, The dog ate it! You tend to think that your student has / have a big
(5)
(4)
imagination and is just making up a story . Well, its all my fault. I confess / confessing.
(6)
I, Molly the Mutt, eat / eats homework. And lots of it. I tra vel / traveling from state to
(7)
(8)
state, house to house, devouring homework.
Im not picky. Ill eat anything I can get / gets my paws on. I like / likes essays,
(9)
(10)
vocabulary lists, even math workbooks. Dog food is / are just not interesting to me an ymore.
(11)
There is nothing better than a hearty meal of note cards from a 4th-grade oral report on Geor ge
Washington. Though Id have to say my most f avorite treat was / were Karl Butlers book report
on Green Eggs and Ham. That was so tasty, so delicious!
(12)
So the next time your student show / shows up in class with a scrap of torn notebook
(13)
paper covered in slobber, Im responsible.

Catch me if you can!
Sincerely,
Molly the Mutt
P.S. I even started to eat this letter after I typed / typing it!
(14)
14
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Verbs
The Case of the Cat Food Casserole

Would you feed your family cat-food casserole?
Not on purpose, maybe. Read this confession from
a budding chef.
Directions: On each blank line, write the past tense form
of the verb that appears below it. We did the first one for you.
I think that last night my f amily ate cat food

(eat)
for dinner. And, I think it was my fault. Heres what

______________:
(happen)
My dad was making tuna casserole. He had already ______________ the celery ,
(slice)
______________ the onion, and ______________ the noodles when the phone ______________.
(chop)
(cook)
(ring)
I ______________ that I would finish making dinner while he ______________ on the phone.
(talk)
(whisper)
I had, after all, ______________ my parents mak e tuna casserole hundreds of times. Just lea ve it to
(watch)
me, I ______________.
(say)
I ______________ a can of tuna from the cupboard abo ve the sink and ______________ its
(grab)
(dump)
contents into a casserole dish along with e verything else. Then I ______________ it all together and
(mix)
______________ it in the oven. My family ______________ the casserole, and I ______________

(feel)
(love)
(stick)
very proud of myself!
I ______________ still feeling proud this morning when my mom ______________ me to

(am)
(ask)
feed our cat, Benjamin. Theres one can of cat food left. It s in the cupboard above the sink, she
said. But when I ______________ the cupboard, I ______________ not see an y cat food. All I
(open)
(do)
______________ was one can of tuna fish. One can of tuna fish that ______________ exactly the
(is)
(see)
same shape and size as the can I had ______________ into last night s casserole.
(empty)
So, do I tell them that the y ______________ cat food? Its not like the cat food
(eat)
______________ them in any way. I think it might be better for e veryone if I keep the truth to
(hurt)
myself. Or maybe Ill share it with Benjamin, as I feed him the lefto ver casserole.
15
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Adjectives/Adverbs
The Case of the Saxophone Disaster

Oops! Marcias big mistake got her kicked out of the school band. But was it really her fault?
You decide.
Directions: Circle all the adjectives and
underline all the adverbs in the letter below.
Dear Mom and Dad,

I have a little problem. Mr. Willis
suddenly kicked me out of the band. He
called me a troublemaker. But its all a big
mistake! Heres the whole story:
Remember last Friday when you told
me to thoroughly clean my closet? Well, what
I didnt tell you is that while I w as cleaning, I
lost dear Zippy. I took her out of her cozy tank so she
could keep me company. But I must have lost her in my
closet. You have repeatedly told me my closet is
ridiculously messy. And youre right. You wouldnt believe
the crazy stuff I found in there! Do you remember that
pepperoni pizza we couldnt find? And Dad, are you
missing some fuzzy, purple slippers?
Anyway, I never found poor Zippy. I figured she
was slithering happily in the closet. I thought I w ould find
her eventually. Snakes like pepperoni pizza, right?
So I went to the recital. We started playing
Oops I Did It Again. Suddenly the girl next to me
screamed loudly. Zippy was sticking her little, green head
out of my saxophone! I swear she w as dancing. The rest
of the band was not charmed, and they quickly ran off the
stage. Mr. Willis closed the front curtain. He angrily told
me I was fired from the band!
Do you think Mr. Willis will forgive me? And what
about Zippy? That snakes got some serious groove! Do
you think she can audition for the ne xt American Idol?
Grammar Cops Clues

Remember these simple rules
about adjectives and adverbs:
An adjective describes a noun
or a pronoun. It might tell
what kind, which one, or how
many. (Example: Mr. Bean
bought those delicious red apples
for us.)
An adverb describes a verb,
Your sorry daughter,

Marcia
16
an adjective, or another
adverb. Many adverbs end
in -ly. (Example: We tiptoed
quietly past the sleeping dog.)
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Adjectives/Adverbs
The Case of the Unexpected Delay

Will the Gingerbread Mans delicious new house ever be completed?
Not if the hungry workers can help it!
Directions: Circle all the adjectives and underline
all the adverbs in the letter below.
Dear Mr. Gingerbread Man,

We have some bad news. The big
additions you asked us to build on your
gingerbread house havent been going as
originally planned. Something strange is
happening. Please let me humbly e xplain.
You must know that coconut
lollipops, sticky Snickers bars, and giant
candy canes are not normal materials for
building a new bedroom. But when I ask ed my loyal
employees, they said that they would joyfully welcome
the unusual challenge. Big Tony was especially excited.
He even started anxiously licking his lips.
On the first day of work, I noticed that we were
using up purple gumdrops faster than Id expected. And
the order I had placed for giant ja wbreakers was short by
nearly a hundred. Then the huge crate of red licorice we
were using for the inside w alls disappeared!
Suddenly my favorite workers are regularly calling
in sick. Heavy Hank told me he had se venteen cavities.
Hes going to be out for a week getting them
professionally drilled. Chubby Chuck has gotten so
chubby that he fell through the graham-crack er roof. I
dont know whats happening to them. Maybe the y need
more physical exercise.
Please, just give us more time. Well quickly do a
wonderful job.
Sincerely,
Do-It-All Builders, Inc.
Grammar Cops Clues

Remember these simple rules
about adjectives and adverbs:
An adjective describes a
noun or a pronoun. It might
tell what kind, which one, or
how many. (Example: My two
best friends gave me the most
wonderful surprise ever!)
An adverb describes a verb,
an adjective, or another
adverb. Many adverbs end
in -ly. (Example: I quickly
finished my homework so I
could watch TV.)
17
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: _____________________

Capitalization
the case of the missing capital letters

The person who wrote this letter didnt really
understand the laws of capital letters. Can you help
find the mistakes?
Directions: Circle the letters that should ha ve been
capitalized. (Hint: There are 20 mistakes.)
Dear cinderella and Prince Charming,

there must be a terrible mistak e! the stepsisters
and I have not yet received an invitation to your
wedding. i keep telling the stepsisters that the
Grammar Cops Clues
invitation will arrive soon. im getting worried that our
invitation got lost. i hear you often ha ve problems
capital letters:
with the unicorns that deliver the palace mail.

Im sure you intend to invite us! After all, you
Names: Always capitalize

someones proper name.
were always my special favorite. How i spoiled you! i
(Example: Gina, Kenneth,
let you do all the best chores around the house. are
you still mad about that trip to disne y world? i dont
know how we could have forgotten you! anyway,
Terrence)
Places: Always capitalize the
name of a town, city, state,
florida is too hot in the summer.
or country. (Example: I live in
so cinderella dear, please send along another
Orchard Beach, California, which

is in the United States.)
invitation as soon as you can. i kno w how busy you

are in your new palace! if you need an y cleaning help,
I: Always capitalize the letter
i can send one of your stepsisters along. the y both
I when it stands for a person.
miss you so much!
(Example: I am in fourth grade

and Im 10 years old.)
Best wishes,
First letter: Always capitalize
Your Not-Really-So-Wicked Stepmother
18
the first letter of a sentence.
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Capitalization
The Case of the Fairy Godmother for Hire

Belinda Cunningham is looking for a job. She wrote this
business letter, but she is confused about the use of
capital letters. Can you help her?
Directions: Circle the letters that should be capitalized.
Draw a line through the capital letters that should be
lowercase. (Hint: There are 19 mistakes.)
mollie OBrien
4485 Problem street
New york, NY 10009
February 28, 2004
dear Ms. OBrien,
I am writing in response to The classified ad that
appeared in Magic Wand Weekly (fairy godmother
wanted). my many years of experience make Me highly
qualified for this position.
You may already be familiar with my work. One of
my former clients, Cinderella, received quite a bit of
attention. With my help, She married Prince luck yfellow
and moved into that castle (the real one looks nothing lik e
that tacky thing at disney world). Of course, I would want to
work with you to determine the happ y ending thats right
for you, were i to become your f airy godmother.
I currently live in palm Beach, florida. There, i keep
quite busy, thank you. My book, Turning vegetables into
Vehicles, has been on the best-seller list since last april. I am
also developing my own line of glass footwear.
If you want to speak to my former clients, feel free
to contact Cinderella, Sleeping beauty, and Michael Jordan
(talent only goes so far, my dear).
If you would like to meet me, just close your e yes
and make a wish. I will appear immediately.
Grammar Cops Clues

capital letters:
(Example: Gina, Kenneth,
Terrence)
or country. (Example: I live in
Orchard Beach, California,
which is in the United States.)
sincerely,
Belinda Cunningham
19
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Capitalization
The Case of Freddys Tarantula

Freddy may never get his dream pet, but
maybe he can teach his mom and dad some
rules about capitalizing family titles. Can you?
Directions: In the letter below, all of the family titles
(like mom and uncle) have been underlined.
Circle the ones that should be gin with a capital letter.
TO:
Freddy
FROM:
mom and dad
SUBJECT:
Your birthday present request
(2)
(1)
Grammar Cops Clues
Dear Freddy,
How do you know whether to
Your mom and I read with great interest your birthday

(3)
capitalize family titles like
wish list. You know mom and I love you. We want your tenth
mom, grandma, and uncle? Here
birthday to be a huge hit. Your grandfather already picked up
are some tricks:
(4)
(5)
the bowling shoes, and aunt Marjorie wants to get you the
(6)
glow-in-the-dark socks. However, were having a little trouble

with item number three on your list: the tarantula.
If youre using the word as

part of a persons name (Aunt
Rhoda) or as a substitute for
You know mom and I are glad you love animals. But
(7)
a persons name (Did
really, Freddy, do you think a tarantula is a good pet for a
Grandma call?), capitalize it.
l0-year-old? How would your grandparents react? I dont
You are using it as a proper
(8)
think saying, grandma, meet the newest addition to the
noun.
(9)
Horowitz family will work. Your sweet granny would run

(10)
screaming from the house. And forget about your uncle.

(11)
Dont you know that uncle Clayton is terrified of spiders?

(12)
To be honest, mom and I dont feel that a venomous

(13)
it; you are not using it as a

proper noun. Heres a hint:
When you use a word like my,
spider fits our idea of a cuddly household pet. If you w ant
your, or her before the family
something small and furry, your mother and I will buy you a
title (My mom has red
couple of hamsters.
(14)
Much love,
dad
20
Otherwise, do not capitalize
(15)
hair), you usually do not

capitalize the title.
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Capitalization
The Case of Frostys Rules

It seems that some of the snowpeople need to be reminded
of the rules of the trade. Too bad Frosty cant seem to
remember the rules of capitalization. Can you help him?
Directions: Circle the letters that should be
capitalized.
dear fellow snowmen and snowwomen,

its that time of year again, when f all
turns to winter and the snowy season approaches. to
make sure this will be a great season for all of us, i w ant
to remind you of a few important rules:
1. dont eat your face. i know you get hungry out there.
no matter what, though, do not eat your carrot nose
and raisin eyes. have a little self-respect.
2. do not peek in windows. i dont care if the minnesota
vikings are playing the buffalo bills. no human wants
to discover a snowperson peeking through the window.
last year, julius iceman was nabbed by the minneapolis
police department watching how the grinch stole
christmas through the melville familys window.
he melted in the backseat of the squad car .
3. do not play gameboy. do i need to remind you that
video games will turn your brain to slush? there are
plenty of other ways to entertain yourself out there in
the yard.
i know this will be a f antastic season. if you have
any questions, call me at my pre-season headquarters,
the freezer section of stop & shop.
Grammar Cops Clues

capital letters:
(For example: Gina, Kenneth,
Terrence)
or country. (Example: I live
in Orchard Beach, California,
which is in the United States.)
sincerely,
frosty
21
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Contractions
The Case of Humpty Dumpty

Humpty Dumpty has written a letter to all the kings
horses and all the kings men, but he doesnt know
how to make contractions. Can you help?
Directions: A contraction is formed by putting together
two words with certain letters left out. An apostrophe ()
takes the place of the missing letters. F or each underlined,
numbered word pair, write the correct contraction in the
blanks on the right. We did the first one for you.
Dear All the Kings Horses and All the Kings Men,
HELP! Have you forgotten that I am still lying here next to
(1)
the wall? I do not mean to be a pest. You are all very busy with
(3)
(2)
your royal responsibilities. But you should not have just left me
(4)
Im
1. _______________
2. _______________
here! Do not you think you could have tried a little harder to put
3. _______________
me back together again? My feet are not even attached to my legs.
4. _______________
(5)
(6)
I cannot find one of my ears. And I do not know what became of

(7)
(8)
my top hat. I am worried that one of Cinderellas stepsisters took it.

(9)
The situation could not be more dangerous. You know that
5. _______________
6. _______________
(10)
diner across the street? It is only a matter of time before I sho w up
7. _______________
(11)
on its menu: Humpty Dumpty over easy with bacon and home
8. _______________
fries.
I will give a big hug to the person who gets me back on my
9. _______________
(12)
feet. Hurry!
22
10. ______________
Sincerely,
11. ______________
Mr. Humpty Dumpty
12. ______________
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Contractions
The Case of the Grumpy Goose

This goose is fed up and confusedconfused about
the use of contractions. Can you help her?
Directions: A contraction is formed by putting together
two words with certain letters left out. An apostrophe ()
takes the place of the missing letters. F or each
underlined, numbered word pair, write the correct
contraction in the blanks on the right. We did the first
one for you.
You are probably aware that the game

(1)
Duck, Duck, Goose does not require the participation of an actual

(2)
Youre
1. _______________
goose. Well, some of the people around here seem to ha ve forgotten

that. Lately, no matter where I am, somebody is after me. I cannot
explain it, but it is driving me crazy!
(3)
(4)
2. _______________
3. _______________
(5)
For example, the other day I w as resting behind the barn.

I had just finished a delicious crust of bread and could not have been
(7)
(6)
feeling more relaxed. Suddenly, the farmers boy came by and

whacked me on the head.
Goose! he yelled and started chasing me around the pond.
I do not want to play this game! I screamed as I ran. Plus,
4. _______________
5. _______________
6. _______________
7. _______________
8. _______________
(8)
you are playing it wrong. Im supposed to chase you! But he

(9)
would not listen. He caught me and demanded that I sit in the

(10)
mushpot (whatever that is).

Please help me. I will try anything to end this foolishness. We
9. _______________
10. ______________
11. ______________
(11)
geese are not safe anymore. The best I have been able to do so f ar is
(12)
buy a good pair of running shoes!
12. ______________
(13)
13. ______________
23
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Contractions
The Case of the Sick Bookworm

Neither Mr. Worm nor Dr. Fish understands the use of
contractions. Can you help them?
Directions: A contraction is formed by putting together tw o words
with certain letters left out. An apostrophe () takes the place of the
missing letters. For each of the underlined, numbered w ord pairs,
write the correct contraction in the blanks on the right. We did the first one for you.
Dear Dr. Fish,

I hope you will be able to help me. I am the bookworm who
(1)
(2)
lives in the New York Public Library. Ever since gulping down
Meet the Backstreet Boys last week, I have been suffering from a
(3)
youll
1. _______________
mysterious stomach illness. Normally, I can munch through

Shakespeares complete plays and still ha ve room for a chapter
from Treasure Island. Now, I can barely make it through Romeo
2. _______________
3. _______________
and Juliet! Also, I had been nibbling on a chapter from Little

(4)
House on the Prairie when suddenly I could not stop belching up
4. _______________
(5)
adjectives. It happened again with The Hobbit. Not only is this
5. _______________
problem embarrassing, but if the librarian hears me, she will be

furious. Help me! I cannot eat my favorite books!
(6)
6. _______________
(7)
7. _______________
Dear Mr. Worm,

First, you are eating too many big words. You must
(8)
immediately begin a strict diet of three-letter w ords. I prescribe

Dr. Seusss Hop on Pop. After that, try a few pages of Goodnight
9. _______________
Moon, but avoid all words with more than two syllables! As for
10. ______________
your mysterious stomach illness, well, I do not think it is very

(9)
(10)
mysterious at all! The answer is obvious: no more Meet the
11. ______________
Backstreet Boys. It clearly does not agree with you. Stick to this
12. ______________
(11)
diet for a few weeks and you will be back to your luscious
Shakespeare in no time.
24
8. _______________
(12)
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Contractions
The Case of the Chicken That

Crossed the Road
This chicken has something to say. Can you give him some
help with contractions?
Directions: A contraction is formed by putting together tw o words
with certain letters left out. An apostrophe () takes the place of the missing
letters. For each of the underlined, numbered w ord pairs, write the correct
contraction in the blanks on the right. We did the first one for you.
Youve
1. _______________
Why did the chicken cross the road?
2. _______________
You have heard this joke, have not you? You are laughing
(2)
(1)
(3)
right now, just thinking about it, are not you? Well, I am the chicken
(4)
(5)
who crossed the road, and I will tell you something. I do not find
(7)
(6)
that joke funny at all.

Since the day I was hatched, I have minded my own business.
(8)
3. _______________
4. _______________
5. _______________
6. _______________
It is not like me to cause trouble or dra w attention to myself. And
7. _______________
yet, you have turned me into a big jok e. Is not it time to end this
8. _______________
mockery?
9. _______________
(9)
(11)
(10)
So here is what really happened: I had spent the morning with

(12)
10. ______________
(13)
my friendsa real cluckfest. We had had a few laughs, and quite a
11. ______________
few cans of soda. On the w ay home, I had to go to the bathroom.
12. ______________
I looked across the road, and there w as a gas station with a nice
13. ______________
clean restroom. So I did it. I crossed the road. I used the restroom
14. ______________
and went on my way. That is the whole story.
15. ______________
(14)
(15)
So the next time someone asks you why the chick en crossed
the road, you will not giggle, chuckle, or snort. You will tell him the
(16)
(17)
truth: When a chickens gotta go, a chickens gotta go.
16. ______________
17. ______________
25
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Punctuation
The Case of the Wanna-be Superstar

This budding superstar is trying to
convince his parents to support his
ambitions. Too bad he doesnt know
the first thing about punctuation.
Can you help him?
Directions: Fill in the correct punctuation
marks in the letter below.
Dear Mom and Dad

Im going to be a star I sa w an ad for Starmakers in the back of a comic book F or two
years they have made their name by turning youngsters lik e me into pop music idolso vernight
I just need $1,000 for their ho w-to book Can I ha ve a loan
If Im going to become a superstar I ll need a new hairstyle A neon green mohawk will
look great on stage Also youll need to buy a limousine I can t bear having you pick me up from
school in the minivan anymore It doesnt fit my new image I just know crowds will come every
night to hear me sing I ha ve real talent After all these years of listening to me in the sho wer
you must know that Im great Ev en Bubba loves howling along to my version of The StarSpangled Banner
Ill sell millions of records Youll see my picture in hundreds of magazines This could be
my big break So can I ha ve the $1,000 Of course I ll pay you back when I become a multimillionaire Ill save every cent honest Please don t say no Do you think the principal w ould
excuse me from school for a w orld tour with Avril
Your son
Billy
26
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Punctuation
The Case of the Weary Lunch Lady

If this letter from the students at Webster
Elementary doesnt convince the lunch lady to
change the lunch menu, then nothing will. Too bad
these kids dont know how to use punctuation
marks. Can you help?
Directions: Fill in the correct punctuation marks in the
letter below.
Dear Lunch Lady Ruth

Lately we students have noticed that you seem
overworked You look tired Your hairnet is always on
crooked You can barely keep your eyes open as we
slide our trays by you Once you dumped a ladleful of gra vy on Tommys head His mom w as not
pleased when she got the dry-cleaning bill for his Bo y Scout uniform
It cant be easy to feed all of us It must tak e hours of chopping broccoli slicing brussels
sprouts and cooking lima beans to f ix lunch for hundreds of students Things need to change
Dont get us wrong We appreciated the liver meatballs you fixed for us last Thursday Just
because that food fight started before we could eat an y of them doesnt mean we wouldnt have
loved the meal Those meatballs were just so easy to thro w They bounced nicely too Oh and
sorry you had to clean up the cafeteria afterw ards Still it w as pretty impressive how high we got
those spaghetti noodles stuck up on the w all wasnt it
Let us make a suggestion Candy corn and jelly beans require absolutely no preparation in
the kitchen Just grab a b unch set them on the plate and hand them to us hungry students Well
be happy to put them in our stomachs not on each other Can Swedish Fish pro vide us with
protein Candy Corn is a v egetable right
We hope you will consider our proposal
Sincerely
The Students of Webster Elementary
27
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Quotation Marks
The Three Little Pigs Day in Court

The Three Little Pigs are trying to prove
their case against the Big Bad Wolf. But
they dont know the rules for using
quotation marks. Can you help by adding
the quotation marks needed in their
story?
Directions: Insert quotation marks in the
correct places below.
One day the Three Little PigsHambone,

Porky, and Daisyagreed that Wolf had bothered
Grammar Cops Clues
them long enough. I hate to be a pig, Daisy said, b ut I
Remember these basic laws for
think we should sue him.
quotation marks:
A few weeks later, they went to court. The

courtroom was packed with other animals.
Whats the problem? asked the judge.
Wolf wont leave us alone, said Hambone. He
keeps blowing down our houses.
Porky said, He turned my house into a pigsty!
The judge asked Wolf if the charges were true.
Theyre all hogwash, said Wolf. Im not guilty.
The judge said that he didn t know what to
believe. Do you have witnesses? he asked the pigs.
The pigs looked to the other animals for help,
but they all said that they were scared of Wolf.
marks around words that

someone is actually saying.
(Example: Are you positive,
Bills mother asked, that you
really want to put turnips on your
sandwich?)
Indirect Quotes: Dont put
quotation marks around words
that summarize what someone
said. (Example: Bill said that he
The pigs were losing hope when a flea jumped
likes to eat turnips at every meal.)
out of Wolfs fur. I saw everything, she said. The pigs
Tip: Phrases such as said that
are telling the truth. Wolf is a real beast!

What a relief, Daisy said. Maybe no w well all
live happily ever after!
28
Direct Quotes: Put quotation
or reported that are often good

clues that you dont need
quotation marks.
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Spelling
The Case of the Frog Prince

Ever since Prince Leonardo was turned into a frog, his
spelling skills have really suffered. His letter below is filled
with spelling errors. Can you help him?
Directions: Circle each misspelled word. Then write down the
correct spelling in the spaces pro vided below. Hint: There are 20
misspelled words.
Dear Madam Witch,

I am writting to you to tell you ho w dissapointed I am that
you have refussed to tern me back into a prince. I ha ve apoligized
over and over agian for making that little coment about the w art on
your nose. I have suffered enougf! If you dont think so, turn
yourself into a frog and see what it is lik e. I must share my pond
1. _______________
2. _______________
3. _______________
4. _______________
5. _______________
with three verry nasty geese. The pond water is recking my skin.
6. _______________
And the food is terible (altho I did catch a most delishous fly
7. _______________
yesterday for lunch). I miss my palase!
8. _______________
In your last letter, you told me that the spell will be brok en
9. _______________
when a princess gives me a kiss. I am afrade that there is a real
10. ______________
shortage of princesses around the kingdom. Most are of f at collige.
11. ______________
If a princess did happen to see me at the pond, I someho w dout she
12. ______________
would want to kiss me.
13. ______________
Please, wont you reconsidder? You know wear to find me: on

the second rock to the rite.
14. ______________
15. ______________
Best wishes,
Prince Leonardo
(the geese call me Prince Slimo)
16. ______________
17. ______________
18. ______________
19. ______________
P.S. If you turn me back into a prince, I ll pay the finest doctor to
20. ______________
take care of that little problem in your nasal area.

29
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Spelling
The Case of the Careless Typist

Author Johanna Hurwitz has written a letter to all the
Storyworks readers, but whoever typed it made some
spelling mistakes. Can you help?
Directions: There are 14 misspelled words in this letter.
Circle them and write the correct spellings in the spaces belo w.
Dear Storyworks Readers,

What fun Ive had reeding the entries to the Create a
Character contest. In fact, in the end, it even inspired me to right a
story about a contest.
Grand Prize winner Mika Roy may wonder why I didnt
include many peices of information about Juniper Green. This is
because authors always know lots more about there characters than
they tell in their stories. By kno wing details such as faverite foods,
TV programs, and hobbies, and even the dislikes of my characters, I
understan them better and am better able to write about them.
One thing that fassinated me was that so many of you who
entered this contest wrote about a character who li ved in a town
diferent from your own. I think this is because young writers
always think things are more inneresting else where. When I was
your age, the stories I wrote all took place in f araway places wear
Id never been. My addvice to you is to write about your o wn
community. You know it better and if you think for a while, you ll
descover that there are many things that you can write about.
Congratulations to all who entered. You all did a great job!
Your friend,
Johanna
P.S. Heres a secrit from my past: I entered some writing contests
when I was your age and I never won. I geuss my writing improved
as I got older.
30
1. _______________
2. _______________
3. _______________
4. _______________
5. _______________
6. _______________
7. _______________
8. _______________
9. _______________
10. ______________
11. ______________
12. ______________
13. ______________
14. ______________
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Spelling
The Case of the Terrible Tooth Fairy

There are problems in Tooth Fairy Land. This letter
will be sent to the queen, but its filled with spelling
mistakes! Can you help?
Directions: Circle the misspelled words in the letter below.
Write them correctly in the blanks on the right. Hint: There
are 15 misspelled words.
TO:
Queen Tooth Fairy
FROM:
Complaint Bureau
Over the past month, I ha ve recieved five complaints about

tooth fairy number 324, also known as Doris. Last Friday, on a job
in Montana, she stopped in the kichen and made herself a lettuce
1. _______________
2. _______________
and wipped cream sandwish. She left a big mess. Then, she took a
3. _______________
nap in the kids doll house.
4. _______________
Afterwords, she turned on a Backstreet Bo ys CD and started

dansing on the bed. The little girl woke up and started screeming.
5. _______________
The mother thought Doris was a giant mosquito and went after her
6. _______________
with a can of bug spray. Doris escaped, but we nearley had a
7. _______________
disaster. I dont have to tell you what w ould happen if the
8. _______________
newspapers herd about this.

As you know, all tooth fairies are trained at the Tooth Fairy
9. _______________
Command Center. The rules are clear. They are to fly into a room
10. ______________
quietley and carfully inspect the tooth under the pillo w, without
11. ______________
waking up the child. If the y beleive the tooth is real (f ake teeth are a
12. ______________
growing probblem) they are to leave fifty cents. They are then to
exit the house without making an y noise.
13. ______________
Doris is a hopeless case. I belie ve you should help her f ind a
14. ______________
job with anuther organization. I undorstand the Easter Bunn y needs
15. ______________
some help this year.

31
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Spelling
The Case of the Missing Rabbit

The class rabbit has disappeared, and now theres a
wild bunny on the loose. Could they be the same animal?
Directions: Decide whether each of the numbered ie and
ei words is spelled correctly. Circle the ones that are spelled
incorrectly. Hint: There are 8 mistakes.
Dear Mrs. Washington,

As you know, I received permission to take
(1)
care of our class rabbit, Bink y, over summer

vacation. I fed him a v areity of vegetables every day. I changed his water and cleaned his cage,
(2)
but something went wrong. A few weeks ago, he disappeared. I hung missing b unny posters all
over the neighborhood, but nobody had seen him. Then, things started getting wierd .
(3)
(4)
First, I found a copy of the book The Runaway Bunny hidden in his cage. Then, I read that
the Stop & Shop had been robbed. Eight bags of carrots, a head of lettuce, and a pair of pink
(5)
sunglasses were stolen. A casheir reported that she saw a gang of rabbits hopping a way from the
(6)
store. She claimed thier leader was a large rabbit with black and white spots. He w as wearing the
(7)
sunglasses.
At first, I didnt beleive it. Niether did my friends. But, Mrs. Washington, I think we all
(8)
(9)
know who that large rabbit was. I think Binky was the mastermind of the grocery store heist .
(10)
I hope you dont blame me for the f act that our class rabbit has turned out to be a theif .
(11)
I dont know what happenedhe was always so quiet and sweet! Maybe, if he goes to jail, we
(12)
could take a feild trip to visit him. Anyway, I think our next class pet should be a goldf ish.
(13)
Sincerely,
Joseph
32
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Homophones
The Case of Frosty the Snowman

Frosty the Snowman has a complaint, but he is confused about homophones. Can you help?
Directions: Homophones are words that sound the
same but have different spellings and different
meanings. Circle the correct word in each pair of
underlined words below.
From the Desk of Frosty the Snowman

I know/no you all think that I am a jolly ,
(1)
happy soul/sole. Thats really not the case. I

(2)
mean, my eyes are made out of coal. I can t sea/see a thing! Thats why I am always going
(3)
thumpety-thump-thump all over town.

Everyone thinks I came alive only because those kids put a silk hat on my head. I w as
already alive, but I was just freezing cold. Im maid/made of snow, after all! Do you kno w/no that
(5)
(4)
most of your body heat escapes through/thre w the top of your head? Thats why its important to
(6)
where/wear a hat in the winter.

(7)
Please, dont even get me started on my kno ws/nose! It doesnt work at all. First it w as a
(8)
button, now its a carrot. Everybody is always roasting chestnuts, and I ha ve absolutely no
sense/cents of smell. Plus, my nose barely stays on my f ace. I sneezed once and that thing
(9)
flue/flew right off. It took me an hour/our to find it.

(11)
(10)
And do you know/no why I was running here and their/there all over the square? Because
(13)
(12)
those kids were chasing me! They even through/threw snowballs at me! I had to use my
(14)
broomstick as a shield.
Oh well, at least its not July.
33
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Homophones
The Case of the Cow Who Jumped Over the Moon

Hey diddle, diddle, does anyone know what happened
to the cow who jumped over the moon? Well, we
finally found out. In this exclusive letter to Storyworks,
the cow tells us about her new life.
Directions: Homophones are words that sound the same but
have different spellings and different meanings. For each
pair of underlined homophones, circle the correct w ord.
Greetings, Earthlings!
We all know/no that the dish ran away with
(1)
the spoon, and they lived happily ever after (for six months). I bet you are all dying to kno w what
happened to me after my f amous jump over the moon. Now that I have my very own
stationary/stationery, I decided to right/write to you. Yes, I jumped over the moon, but I did not
(3)
(2)
land back on Earth. I k ept flying through/threw the night sky all the way/weigh to the planet
(4)
(5)
Venus. At first I didnt know wear/where I was. It turns out Im not the only w on/one who lives
(7)
(6)
on Venus. One of the three bears/bares built a house here. I see/sea Little Red Riding Hood
(8)
(9)
skipping around. We are all very happy and we meet/meat once a week/weak for our book club.
(10)
(11)
Life here/hear on Venus is a little bit strange. Let me try to/too explain. It takes longer for
(13)
(12)
Venus to rotate once than it does for it to orbit the son/sun . That means that on Venus, a day is
(14)
longer than a year! I know, I know, its confusing. And the weather/whether is not great.
(15)
Sometimes the temperature rises to 900F! On those days, Im not aloud/allo wed to go outside.
(16)
I just stay in and send e-mail to the rest of my herd/heard back on Earth. So now you know where
(17)
I am. I hope you will send me some mail/male soon.

(18)
Sincerely,
The Cow Who Jumped Over the Moon
34
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Homophones
The Case of Fabulous Fritz

Jeremy Jenkins wrote this letter to his favorite author.
He needs some help with homophones before he can send it,
though. Can you help him?
Directions: Homophones are words that sound the same b ut have
different spellings and different meanings. Circle the correct w ord
in each pair of underlined w ords below.
Dear Mr. Glumpus,

I have never sent mail/male to an author before, but I
(1)
had to let you know/no how much I love your book, Fabulous
(2)
Fritz. Never before have I red/read about a dog like Fritz.

(3)
I just got the book tw o weaks/weeks ago and have already memorized it. My f avorite part
(4)
is when Fritz pretends to be a rock star and e verybody stares/stairs at him. You are so/sew
(5)
(6)
creative! And when Fritz put peanut b utter on his nose/knows, I thought I was going to dye/die of
(8)
(7)
laughter. I, to/too, love peanut butter, though such antics are not/knot tolerated in my house.
(9)
(10)
I am saving my allowance to bye/buy a pair/pare of Fabulous Fritz night-vision goggles.

(11)
(12)
My hole/whole room is covered with Fritz stickers. And guess what I named my pet Burmese
(13)
python? If you guessed Fritz, youre/your correct. I would/wood change my name to Fritz, too,
(14)
(15)
but my parents say Im not aloud/allo wed. I heard/herd that you mite/might right/write a 10-book
(16)
(18)
(17)
(19)
series about Fritz. That seems/seams like a great/grate idea. I will never get bored/board with my
favorite pooch.
(20)
(21)
(22)
Your #1 fan,
Jeremy Jenkins
35
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Its/Its
The Case of the Big Bad Wolf

The wolf from Little Red Riding Hood is
trying to tell his side of the story. But he
doesnt really understand the difference
between its and its. Can you help?
Directions: The word its or its belongs on each
of the lines below. Choose the correct word and
write it in.
Im the wolf from Little Red Riding

Hood. You probably know me as the guy
who ate Grandma. Im here to tell you ______ all a big lie.
Every bedtime story needs ______ bad guy. But I
didnt eat Grandma. I didnt dress up in Grandmas
nightgown and chase Little Red Riding Hood. I didn t get
Grammar Cops Clues

Remember these basic laws
for its and its:
killed by a hunter. ______ a big mistake.

______ very simple. I was walking through the
woods and I saw a basket with ______ lid open. I peek ed
inside and saw some cookies. I took just one cookie.
All of a sudden someone yelled, He y! Put that
cookie back! ______ mine!
or it has. A contraction is
made up of two words that
are joined by an apostrophe.
The apostrophe shows
where one or more letters
I looked over and there was a little girl wearing a red

cape and hood. She ran o ver and started yelling at me. She
looked so scary! So I dropped the cookie. ______ crumbs
flew behind me. I ran all the w ay home.
Little Red Riding Hood was so mad about her
have been left out.

(Example: Its time for lunch.)
Its is the possessive form of
it (the fancy name is
possessive pronoun).
cookie. She started telling everyone that I had tried to eat
Its shows that it owns
her up. ______ all lies. You have to believe me. So the next
something. (Example: The
time someone tells you the story of Little Red Riding Hood,
squirrel dropped its acorn.)
tell my side of the story.

______ the truth!
36
Its is a contraction of it is
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Their/Theyre/There
The Case of the Worried Elf

Santas head elf is worried. But he doesnt
know the difference between their, theyre,
and there. Can you help him?
Directions: The word their, theyre, or there
belongs on each of the lines belo w. Choose
the correct word and write it in.
Dear Santa,
__________ is a problem with some of
the elves. __________ acting very lazy. I know that
Grammar Cops Clues
Christmas isnt until the end of December, but the elves
arent ready. Many of them dont have __________ tools
their, theyre, and there:
in shipshape. I caught a group of doll-making elv es

playing with __________ Gameboys. I saw some of the
candy makers having a sword fight with __________
Their is the possessive form of

they. You use it when you want
to say that something belongs
candy canes. I inspected __________ sleeping area and
to a group of people. (Example:
I must tell you its a disgusting mess down __________.
They went sledding, but they
I found candy wrappers and soda cans e verywhere.
forgot their mittens.)
Santa, I know that the elves are a good bunch.
Theyre is a contraction of
__________ all very sweet and nice. But __________
they are. (Example: Mindy and
like a bunch of kids. We must ask them to impro ve
Jessica are best friends. Theyre
__________ work habits. We must make sure
always together.)
__________ ready for the big day. We need to make them
There is a place. It is the
responsible for cleaning all of __________ garbage. Most
opposite of here. (Example:
of all, we must make them understand that __________
Australia is far away. I wonder if
Santas elves! Lets hope they get the message.
Ill ever go there.) There is also

a pronoun used to introduce a
Very sincerely,
sentence. (Example: There is
Rocko, your head elf
someone at the door.)
37
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Their/Theyre/There
The Case of the Stinky Dragon

Whoever wrote this advertisement doesnt know the
difference between their, there, and theyre. Can
you help?
Directions: The word their, there, or theyre belongs in
each of the spaces below. Choose the correct word and
write it in.
New, IMPROVED Dragon Breath!

The brand new mouthwash just for dragons
and __________ loved ones!
Grammar Cops Clues

their, theyre, and there:
Their is the possessive form of
Finally, __________ is a new mouthwash for

dragons and __________ families! Many dragons say
__________ breath smells like a burnt hamburger. Some
say __________ embarrassed when __________ breath
causes __________ dentists to faint. But now
they. You use it when you want

to say that something belongs
to a group of people. (Example:
They got their kiwis in New
Zealand.)
Theyre is a contraction of
__________ is a solution: new, improved Dragon
they are. (Example: If they live in
Breath, the only mouthwash just for fire breathers.
New Zealand, theyre called New
Dragons who use Dragon Breath f ind that __________

breath smells smoky fresh. __________ friends and
families are thrilled. And __________ thrilled, too.
So, try Dragon Breath! Or give a bottle to a dragon
you love.
Zealanders.)
There is a place. It is the
opposite of here. (Example:
Aukland is the capital of New
Zealand. I wonder if Ill ever go
there.) There is also a pronoun
used to introduce a sentence.
(Example: There is nothing for me
to do but wait.)
38
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

To/Too/Two
The Case of the Itsy Bitsy Spider

The Itsy Bitsy Spider wants to explain a few things,
but he doesnt know the difference between to, two,
and too. Can you help?
Directions: Write either to, two, or too on each blank
below.
From the Desk of the Itsy Bitsy Spider

Im the itsy bitsy spider and I need ________ set
some things straight:
Number one: Im not ________ itsy. Im
________ inches long, and hairy, ________. If I landed
Grammar Cops Clues
on your shoulder, youd jump nearly ________ the moon.
Number ________: I dont really like spending

every day of my life climbing up that w ater spout. Just
when I get ________ the top, do wn comes the rain and
to, too, and two:

To is a preposition. (Example:
I returned the book to the library.)
washes me ________ kingdom come. And then the sun
Sometimes the word to also
comes out, dries up the rain, and bak es me like a Poptart.
comes before a verb. (Example:
You think thats fun?
Lamont needs to pick up his
And then I have ________ get back up there and

climb up ________ the top of that spout all o ver again. I
younger brother.)
Too means also or too
wish I didnt have ________. I wish I could retire to the
much. (Example: I have too
back of your sock drawer and eat a fly or ________. But
much homework!)
you know what the song says. In the end, the itsy bitsy
spider climbs up the spout again. So that s what I do.
Otherwise, Ill be out of a job. Maybe youd like to climb
Two is a number. (Example:

Linda was so hungry, she ate two
huge hotdogs.)
with me, ________.
39
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

To/Too/Two
The Case of the Surfing Elephant

Mr. Brandon L. Phant is looking for a new job. But he doesnt
know the difference between to, two, and too. Can you help him?
Directions: Write the word to, too, or two in each of the blanks below.
The Hang Ten Surfboard Company

100 Enormous Wave Lane
Honolulu, Hawaii
Dear Sirs and Madams,
Allow me ________ introduce myself. My name is
Brandon L. Phant. I am a ________-ton gray elephant and
I believe I would make an ideal spokesperson for your
surfboards. I came ________ Hawaii from South Africa,
where I first learned ________ surf. My mother w asnt
________ thrilled when I began surfing. She said it was
________ dangerous. I told her ________ just relax. I
Grammar Cops Clues

to, too, and two:
To is a preposition. (Example:
move through the water like a graceful whale. I promised
I went to the doctor yesterday.)
________ wear a strong sunblock. I assured her that
Sometimes the word to also
other surfers move out of the way when they see a
comes before a verb. (Example:
________-ton elephant riding a wave.
Before crossing the street, you

need to look both ways.)
I used ________ be a personal trainer , but I was

________ big for the Stairmaster. Im interested in
changing my career. My idea is that you hire me
Too means also or too

much. (Example: Ill join you
________ be in commercials for your surfboards. I look
for lunch. Im feeling hungry, too.)
great in a swimsuit. (Not ________ man y elephants can

say that!)
Two is a number. (Example:
I look forward ________ hearing from you!

Sincerely,
Brandon L. Phant
40
Those two cats were making too

much noise last night.)
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Your/Youre
The Education of Snow White

Snow White has left the seven dwarfs cottage. She
wants to explain her disappearance, but she doesnt
really understand the difference between your and
youre. Can you help her fill in the blanks?
Directions: The word your or youre belongs on each of the
lines below. Choose the correct word and write it in.
Dear Dwarfs,
___________ probably wondering why I left. I
have to admit, I have gotten tired of ___________
strange habits. It seems like if ___________ not
sneezing, then ___________ sleeping, or ___________
Grammar Cops Clues
acting grumpy.
Also, it turned out the prince w asnt for me. As I

said to him, ___________ really nice, b ut I dont want
to sit around ___________ castle all day while
___________ off slaying dragons.
The other day, I took a good look in the mirror .
Sure it said, ___________ the f airest of them all. But it
your and youre:

Your is the possessive form of
you. Use it when you are
talking about something that
belongs to the person with
whom you are speaking.
also said, Plan for ___________ future. What about
(Example: I really like your new
__________ education? ___________ career?
jeans. Where did you get them?)
That was it. Snow, I said, say good-bye to

___________ dwarfs. ___________ going back to
school.
I hope I havent hurt ___________ little feelings.
I appreciate ___________ kindness. ___________ all
very generous. But for now, ___________ on
___________ own.
Youre is a contraction of you

are. Heres a tip: Whenever you
write youre, read over the
sentence again and substitute
the words you are for youre.
If the sentence makes sense,
youve made the right choice.
(Example: I always tell people that
___________ friend,
youre the best dancer in our grade.)
Snow White
41
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Your/Youre
The Case of the Unemployed Princess

Sleeping Beauty wrote this letter to the Royal
Mattress Company. But she doesnt understand the
difference between your and youre. Can you help?
Directions: The word your or youre belongs on each of
the lines below. Choose the correct word and write it in.
From the Desk of Sleeping Beauty

The Royal Mattress Company
29 Goose Feather Lane
Wunsuhponna Kingdom
To Whom It May Concern:
Grammar Cops Clues
___________ not going to believe this. Ive been

asleep for one hundred years on one of ___________
mattresses! And I feel great! Ive been telling everyone
how terrific ___________ beds are.
Is ___________ company looking for a
spokesperson? Id be perfect. After all, I have tons of
sleeping experience! If ___________ interested, I could
come to ___________ factory and test ____________
new mattresses. Just think what a good w ord from me
could do for ___________ company.
___________ probably saying to yourselves,
Hire a princess? Never! Well, ___________ wrong.
Times have changed since I fell asleep. I just w oke up
an hour ago, and a handsome prince said to me, I w ant
to marry you. But ___________ going to ha ve to get a
job. So I sat right down to write this letter.
___________ welcome to contact me at the
palace. I look forward to ___________ reply.

your and youre:
Your is the possessive form
of you. Use it when you are
(Example: You dropped your bag.)
(Example: Youre so busy, I hardly
see you anymore.)
___________ biggest fan,

Sleeping Beauty
42
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Your/Youre
The Case of the Slimy Aliens

The slimy aliens from the planet Gooeygoopiter need
to read this important advertisement. Can you help
the writer fill in the blanks?
Directions: Write either your or youre on each blank.
If ________ an alien from the planet

Gooeygoopiter, listen up!
Do you have an embarrassing slime problem?
Does it positively ooze from ________ ears and toes?
Do ________ feet leave embarrassing gooey marks on
the carpets of ________ human friends?
________ in for a wonderful surprise. ________
Grammar Cops Clues

problems are about to be solv ed with SLIME AWAY, the
your and youre:
first slime remover especially engineered for ________
embarrassing problem. Here is how SLIME AWAY will
change ________ life. Simply apply it to ________ toes
and ears. Wait five minutes. Then watch as SLIME
AWAY works. Like magic!

________ going to be amazed.
Never again will you have to wear slime-catching
buckets on ________ears. Never again will you have to
pay ________ friends carpet-cleaning bills. Never again

(Example: I promise Ill return
your CD tomorrow.)
will you hear ________ friends whisper, Uh-oh, here
comes the slime machine as ________ w alking through
their door. ________ problem will disappearand so
will ________ worries.
________ only moments away from relief.

SLIME AWAY! $49.00 plus tax.
(Example: Youre really such a

good friend.)
43
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Your/Youre
The Case of the Sad Spider

This spider needs some help before he can send
this note to Miss Muffet. He is confused about
how to use your and youre.
Directions: Write either your or youre on each blank
below.
Dear Miss Muffet,

Im sorry. I didnt mean to scare you, honest. I
just wanted to be ________ friend! All I did was sit
down beside you and . . . well, it doesn t matter now.
________ gone.
Grammar Cops Clues

your and youre:
Listen, this is a bit a wkward, but I need to talk to

you about ________ dish of curds and whe y. You left it

sitting here by ________ tuffet. I was thinking that if
________ not going to eat it, maybe I could. It s
________ call, though! If you w ant the curds, the whey,
or both, just let me know!
(Example: Its your turn to wash

the dishes tonight.)
You dont have to tell me ________ reasons for

leaving. Maybe ________ shy. Maybe ________ used to
eating alone. Maybe spiders just aren t ________ thing.
Its ________ business, not mine. But honey, I need to
know what to do with ________ food.
Respectfully,
A. Spider
44
you are for youre. If the

sentence makes sense, youve
made the right choice. (Example:
They say youre a singer, too.)
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Your/Youre, Its/Its
The Case of the

Dissatisfied Dog
Poochie Doodle wants a new doghouse and has
written this letter to his family. Problem is, he
doesnt know when to use your or youre and
its or its. (Big surprise!) Can you help him?
Directions: On each underline, write either your or
youre. Inside each box, write either its or its.
Grammar Cops Clues
Dear Family,
As _________ aware, I have been _________
loyal dog for five happy years. _________ great people,
and
al ways been a pleasure being _________
dog. Thats why what Im about to say is dif ficult for me.
But I think
important, so here it goes.
I hate the doghouse you b uilt for me.

small and
too
design is not practical. I ha ve
nowhere to entertain and nowhere to store my toys. Plus,

[
B not safe! There is no lock, let alone an alarm
system. Perhaps _________ not aware of this, but the

skunks in this neighborhood are looking for a ne w
clubhouse!
I hope _________ not offended, but I have hired
an architect to draw up some plans for a ne w house.
_________ going to love her work! She designed the
house of the star of Air Bud. ( [BOX ] pictured in the
latest issue of Dog Fancy, if you want to see it.) The new
house will be a great addition to _________ property , I
promise. So whenever
[BOX] convenient, lets get
together and talk.
Remember these basic rules:

(Example: Can I borrow your bat
during practice?)
Youre is a contraction of
you are. Whenever you write
youre, read over the sentence
again and substitute you are
for youre. If the sentence
makes sense, youve made
the right choice. (Example:
So youre the one who won.)
Its is a contraction of it is or
it has. (Example: Its going to
start raining soon.)
Its is the possessive form
of it (the fancy name is
possessive pronoun).
Its shows that it owns
something. (Example: The dog
buried its bone in the backyard.)
_________ pet,
Poochie Doodles
45
Answers
The Case of the Strange Playground Equipment (p. 7)
Nouns: company; letter; one; roller coaster; school; back yard; opportunity; plans; letter; shame; crayon; ideas; picture; loop; cook;
cafeteria; roller coaster; name; suggestion; kids; thing; spelling; signature; kid; R s; education; reading; writing; rides; water parks;
manager. Proper Nouns: Principal Billsley; Super-Riders Construction Team; Kara Has Cooties Coaster; Multiplication
Shocker; Research Report Terror; Pickens Elementary; Tim Showtime
The Case of Rapunzels Long Hair (p. 8)
Nouns: hair; hairdresser; boys; jobs; door; name; witch; tower; stairs; hair; ladder; hair; witch; locks; feet; hair; bottle; week;
expense; room; problem; date; ball; hair; boots; feet; bo ys; women; style; hair; shoulders; dancers. Proper Nouns: Hair Innovations;
Royal Ball; Cute Clips; Fine Styles; Rapunzel; Wanda; Fairytale Shampoo; Prince Charming; King Phillip; Rapunzel
The Case of Jack and Jill (p. 9)
him; he; He; he; him; he; He; he; He; him; he; He; him; He; him; him; he; he
The Case of the Old Woman in the Shoe (p. 10)
me; I; I; I; me; I; I; I; me; me; I; I; me; I; me
The Case of a Letter to Old MacDonald (p. 11)
1. we 2. we 3. We 4. We 5. us 6. us 7. We 8. us 9. we 10. We
The Case of the Bumbling Cupids (p. 12)
1. Cupids 2. skies 3. arro ws 4. couples 5. mistak es 6. disasters 7. tips 8. landings 9. roofs 10. b ushes 11. mailboxes 12. points
13. glasses 14. flies 15. e yes
The Apology of Goldilocks (p. 13)
guys; germs; everyones; Baby Bears; bears; woods; rocks; jumpers; Baby Bears; rocks; familys; parents
The Case of Mary Had a Little Rooster (p. 14)
1. heard 2. gets 3. sing 4. am 5. thinks 6. lik es 7 heard 8. try 9. tried 10. did 11. fell 12. sent 13. gi ve 14. heard 15. write
The Case of the Dog Who Eats Homework (p. 15)
1. want 2. comes 3. ask 4. replies 5. has 6. confess 7. eat 8. tra vel 9. get 10. lik e 11. is 12. w as 13. shows 14. typed
The Case of the Cat Food Casserole (p. 16)
happened; sliced; chopped; cooked; rang; whispered; talked; watched; said; grabbed; dumped; mixed; stuck; loved; felt; was; asked;
opened; did; saw; was; emptied; ate; hurt
The Case of the Saxophone Disaster (p. 17)
Adjectives: little; big; whole; last; dear; cozy; messy; right; crazy; pepperoni; fuzzy; purple; poor; pepperoni; little; green; front; ser ious;
next; American; sorry. Adverbs: suddenly; thoroughly; repeatedly; ridiculously; never; happily; eventually; Again; Suddenly; loudly;
quickly; angrily
The Case of the Unexpected Delay (p. 18)
Adjectives: bad; big; gingerbread; strange; coconut; sticky; giant; normal; new; loyal; unusual; big; excited; first; purple; giant;
short; huge; red; inside; favorite; sick; Heavy; seventeen; Chubby; chubby; graham-cracker; more; physical; wonderful. Adverbs:
originally; humbly; joyfully; especially; anxiously; faster; nearly; regularly; Suddenly; professionally; quickly; Sincerely
the case of the missing capital letters (p. 19)
Cinderella; There; The; I; Im; I; I; I; Are; Disney; World; I; Anyway; Florida; So; Cinderella; I; If; I; They
The Case of the Fairy Godmother for Hire (p. 20)
Molly; Street; York; Dear; the; My; me; she; Luck yfellow; Disney; World; I; Palm; Florida; I; Vegetables; April; Beauty; Sincerely
The Case of Freddys Tarantula (p. 21)
(1) Mom (2) Dad (4) Mom (6) Aunt (7) Mom (9) Grandma (12) Uncle (13) Mom (15) Dad
The Case of Frostys Rules (p. 22)
Dear; Fellow; Snowmen; Snowwomen; Its; To; I; Dont; I; No; Have; Do; I; Minnesota; Vikings; Buffalo; Bills; No; Last; Julius;
Iceman; Minneapolis; Police; Department; How; Grinch; Stole; Christmas; Melville; He; Do; Gameboy; Do; I; There; I; If; Stop;
Shop; Sincerely; Frosty
The Case of Humpty Dumpty (p. 23)
2. dont 3. Youre 4. shouldnt 5. Dont 6. arent 7. cant 8. dont 9. Im 10. couldn t 11. Its 12. Ill
The Case of the Grumpy Goose (p. 24)
2. doesnt 3. somebodys 4. cant 5. its 6. Id 7. couldnt 8. dont 9. youre 10. wouldnt 11. Ill 12. arent 13. Ive
The Case of the Sick Bookworm (p. 25)
2. Im 3. Ive 4. Id 5. couldnt 6. shell 7. cant 8. youre 9. dont 10. its 11. doesnt 12. youll
The Case of the Chicken That Crossed the Road (p. 26)
2. havent 3. Youre 4. arent 5. Im 6. I ll 7. dont 8. Ive 9. Its 10. youve 11. Isnt 12. heres 13. Id 14. Wed 15. Thats
16. wont 17. Youll
The Case of the Wanna-be Superstar (p. 27)
Dear Mom and Dad,
Im going to be a star! I sa w an ad for Starmakers in the back of a comic book. F or two years, they have made their name
by turning youngsters like me into pop music idolsovernight! I just need $1,000 for their ho w-to book. Can I have a loan?
If Im going to become a superstar, Ill need a new hairstyle. A neon green mohawk will look great on stage. Also, youll
need to buy a limousine. I cant bear having you pick me up from school in the mini van anymore! It doesnt fit my new image. I just
know crowds will come every night to hear me sing. I ha ve real talent. After all these years of listening to me in the sho wer, you
must know that Im great. Even Bubba loves howling along to my version of The Star-Spangled Banner.
Ill sell millions of records! Youll see my picture in hundreds of magazines. This could be my big break! So, can I ha ve
46
the $1,000? Of course, Ill pay you back when I become a multi-millionaire. I ll save every cent, honest. Please dont say no. Do
you think the principal would excuse me from school for a w orld tour with Avril?
Your son,
Billy
The Case of the Weary Lunch Lady (p. 28)
Dear Lunch Lady Ruth,
Lately we students have noticed that you seem overworked. You look tired. Your hairnet is always on crooked. You can
barely keep your eyes open as we slide our trays by you. Once you dumped a ladleful of gra vy on Tommys head! His mom was not
pleased when she got the dry-cleaning bill for his Bo y Scout uniform.
It cant be easy to feed all of us. It must tak e hours of chopping broccoli, slicing brussels sprouts, and cooking lima beans
to fix lunch for hundreds of students. Things need to change! Dont get us wrong. We appreciated the liver meatballs you fixed for
us last Thursday. Just because that food fight started before we could eat an y of them doesnt mean we wouldnt have loved the
meal. Those meatballs were just so easy to thro w! They bounced nicely, too. Oh, and sorry you had to clean up the cafeteria
afterwards. Still, it was pretty impressive how high we got those spaghetti noodles stuck up on the w all, wasnt it?
Let us make a suggestion. Candy Corn and Jelly Beans require absolutely no preparation in the kitchen. Just grab a b unch,
set them on the plate, and hand them to us hungry students. Well be happy to put them in our stomachs, not on each other . Can
Swedish Fish provide us with protein? Candy Corn is a v egetable, right?
We hope you will consider our proposal.
Sincerely,
The Students of Webster Elementary
The Three Little Pigs Day in Court (p. 29)
I hate to be a pig, Daisy said, but I think we should sue him.
Whats the problem? asked the judge.
Wolf wont leave us alone, said Hambone. He keeps blowing down our houses.
Porky said, He turned my house into a pigsty!
Theyre all hogwash, said Wolf. Im not guilty.
Do you have witnesses? he asked the pigs.
I saw everything, she said. The pigs are telling the truth. Wolf is a real beast!
What a relief, Daisy said. Maybe now well all live happily ever after!
The Case of the Frog Prince (p. 30)
writing; disappointed; refused; turn; apologized; again; comment; enough; v ery; wrecking; terrible; although; delicious; palace;
afraid; college; doubt; reconsider; where; right
The Case of the Careless Typist (p. 31)
reading; write; pieces; their; favorite; understand; fascinated; different; interesting; where; advice; discover; secret; guess
The Case of the Terrible Tooth Fairy (p. 32)
received; kitchen; whipped; sandwich; Afterwards; dancing; screaming; nearly; heard; quietly; carefully; belie ve; problem; another;
understand
The Case of the Missing Rabbit (p. 33)
(2) variety (4) weird (6) cashier (7) their (8) belie ve (9) Neither (11) thief (13) f ield
The Case of Frosty the Snowman (p. 34)
1. know 2. soul 3. see 4. made 5. kno w 6. through 7. wear 8. nose 9. sense 10. fle w 11. hour 12. know 13. there 14 . threw
The Case of the Cow Who Jumped Over the Moon (p. 35)
1. know 2. stationery 3. write 4. through 5. w ay 6. where 7. one 8. bears 9. see 10. meet 11. week 12. here 13. to 14. sun
15. weather 16. allowed 17. herd 18. mail
The Case of the Fabulous Fritz (p. 36)
1. mail 2. know 3. read 4. weeks 5. stares 6. so 7. nose 8. die 9. too 10. not 11. b uy 12. pair 13. whole 14. you re
15. would 16. allowed 17. heard 18. might 19. write 20. seems 21. great 22. bored
The Case of the Big Bad Wolf (p. 37)
its; its; Its; Its; its; Its; Its; Its; Its
The Case of the Worried Elf (p. 38)
There; Theyre; their; their; their; their; there; Theyre; theyre; their; theyre; their; theyre
The Case of the Stinky Dragon (p. 39)
their; there; their; their; theyre; their; their; there; their; Their; theyre
The Case of the Itsy Bitsy Spider (p. 40)
to; too; two; too; to; two; to; to; to; to; to; tw o; too
The Case of the Surfing Elephant (p. 41)
to; two; to; to; too; too; to; to; tw o; to; too; to; too; to
The Education of Snow White (p. 42)
Youre; your; youre; youre; youre; Youre; your; youre; Youre; your; your; Your; your; Youre; your; your; Youre; youre; your; Your
The Case of the Unemployed Princess (p. 43)
Youre; your; your; your; youre; your; your; your; Youre; youre; youre; Youre; your; Your
The Case of the Slimy Aliens (p. 44)
youre; your; your; your; Youre; Your; your; your; your; Youre; your; your; your; youre; Your; your; Youre
The Case of the Sad Spider (p. 45)
your; Youre; your; your; youre; your; your; youre; youre; your; your; your
The Case of the Dissatisfied Dog (p. 46)
youre; your; Youre; its your; its; Its; its; its; youre; youre; Youre; Its; your; its; Your
47

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GRAMMAR COP

Super-fun Reproducible Pages That Give Kids Practice in

by the staff of Storyworks magazine

Grammar Cop Scholastic Teaching Resources

Cover design by Gerard Fuchs

Grammar Cop Scholastic Teaching Resources

The Case of Rapunzels Long Hair (Nouns) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Case of Jack and Jill (Pronouns) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Case of the Old Woman in the Shoe (Pronouns) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

The Case of the Fairy Godmother for Hire (Capitalization) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Case of Freddys Tarantula (Capitalization) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Case of Frostys Rules (Capitalization) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Case of Humpty Dumpty (Contractions) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Case of the Grumpy Goose (Contractions) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Grammar Cop Scholastic Teaching Resources

The Case of the Sick Bookworm (Contractions) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Case of the Chicken That Crossed the Road (Contractions) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

The Case of the Weary Lunch Lady (Punctuation) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Three Little Pigs Day in Court (Quotation Marks) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

SPELLING & USAGE

The Case of the Careless Typist (Spelling) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Case of the Terrible Tooth Fairy (Spelling) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Case of the Missing Rabbit (Spelling) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Case of Frosty the Snowman (Homophones) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Case of the Big Bad Wolf (Its/Its) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Case of the Worried Elf (Their/Theyre/There) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Case of the Stinky Dragon (Their/Theyre/There) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Case of the Itsy Bitsy Spider (To/Too/Two) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Case of the Surfing Elephant (To/Too/Two) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Education of Snow White (Your/Youre) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Case of the Unemployed Princess (Your/Youre) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Case of the Slimy Aliens (Your/Youre) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Case of the Sad Spider (Your/Youre) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Case of the Dissatisfied Dog (Your/Youre, Its/Its) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Grammar Cop Scholastic Teaching Resources

Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

The Case of the Strange Playground Equipment

Dear Principal Billsley,

Grammar Cop Scholastic Teaching Resources

Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

The Case of Rapunzels Long Hair

Dear Hair Innovations,

Grammar Cop Scholastic Teaching Resources

Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

The Case of Jack and Jill

It was all Jacks fault. I didnt even want to go with

Grammar Cop Scholastic Teaching Resources

Grammar Cops Clues

Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

The Case of the Old Woman in the Shoe

Do you know _________? _________ am the old

Grammar Cops Clues

_________, _________ will make you a good deal.

I and me are both personal

My children and _________ have been living in

I is the subject of a sentence

Grammar Cop Scholastic Teaching Resources

Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ______________________

The Case of a Letter to Old MacDonald

Dear Farmer MacDonald,

Name: ______________________________ Date:

Name: ______________________________ Date:

Name: ______________________________ Date:

Name: ______________________________ Date:

Do you know _? _ am the old

_, _ will make you a good deal.

Name: ______________________________ Date:

Name: ______________________________ Date:

Name: ______________________________ Date:

get my germ all over everyone porridge and

down in Baby Bear chair, the rock weight caused

Name: ______________________________ Date:

Name: ______________________________ Date:

Name: ______________________________ Date:

it in the oven. My family the casserole, and I __

I still feeling proud this morning when my mom me to

Name: ______________________________ Date: