Magic Tree House: Dinosaurs Before Dark

Grammar: Articles

There are two articles in English, the definite article “the” and indefinite article “a/an.” Use the article
“a” before a word beginning with a consonant. Use “an” before a word beginning with a vowel.

Example: I want an apple. (I do not see an apple. But I feel hungry for one.)

Example: I want the apple. (I am choosing between the apple and the orange that I see before me.)

Practice: Fill in the blank with a/an or the, whichever makes the best sense.

1. Did you buy a Kia or _______ Hyundai?

2. Does he know______ man at E-Mart?
3. He has_______ question for you.
4. When does______ train leave?
5. We need_______ burgers and a bottle of juice.
6. Did you see _____ accident?
7. He met _______ guests as they arrived.
8. ______ coach is angry with us.
9. I can’t find______ keys.

10. Is that _______ monkey in that tree?

Practice: Fill in the blank with a/an or the, whichever makes the best sense.
10. Sunday is _____ last day of the week.
11. I live in _____ apartment. _____ apartment has ___kitchen, ___bathroom, and two bedrooms.
12. Teacher Harry is _____ best in the school. He has ____wife and many friends.
13. Many people live in _____ Korean city, Seoul.

Practice: rewrite the sentence and change the singular nouns to plural nouns. Remember to change to
the verbs and articles as needed.

14. They gave us an apple.

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15. She likes the book very much.

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16. The cat is hiding behind it.

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17. Rabee likes to play with the kitten.

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Grammar: Verbs- Past Tense

Verbs are words that tell about an action or a state of being.

Magic Tree House: Dinosaurs Before Dark is written in the past tense. Action verbs that end with the
suffix -ed often tell about actions that have already happened, so they are verbs in the past tense.

Practice: Rewrite each sentence in the past tense.

1. Jack helps his sister.

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2. We go to the treehouse.

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3. She is climbing the rope.

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4. My brother is in the treehouse.

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5. She does not understand him.

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6. Are you happy?

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7. Do you always speak Korean?

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8. The boys are riding on a dinosaur.

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9. He catches the ball.

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10. We play chess after school.

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11. Someone has my money.

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12. Does Teacher Rabee live here?

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13. They are learning a new language.

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14. Sara works in Jeonju.

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15. You often make jokes.

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Practice: write the meaning of the word and change the verb tense

Present Tense Past tense Meaning

Scramble

Tumbled

Waddle

Nudge

Gazed

Dangle

Glittered

Gleam

Graze

Laughed

Groan

Grammar: Contractions
Contractions combine a pronoun and verb to make a shorter word. Contractions also combine a verb
with the word “not”. For example, are + not = aren’t, must + not = mustn’t, would+not=
wouldn’t.

Practice: Combine the pronouns with the correct verb and write the contraction

Pronoun Has/have Contraction Is/am/are Contraction Would/will Contraction

I I have I’ve I am I’m I would I’d

I will I’ll

You

He

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She

It

We

They

Who

Practice: Rewrite the pronoun and/or verb in each sentence as a contraction.

1. Jack and Jill have not been very polite. _______________________

2. You must not see the dress. _____________________

3. He would enjoy this movie a lot. ___________________

4. They are my best friends. ____________________

5. It has been a very humid day. _________________

6. Mother will not stop by for a visit tomorrow. ___________________

7. Who has been using my computer? _________________

8. He is a very fine teacher._______________________

9. We have never seen anything like this. ____________________

10. I will join you for dinner tomorrow. _______________________

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11. Annie would not follow Jack. ____________________________

12. Who would want to eat in this restaurant? ________________________

13. You are spending too much money. ____________________________

14. They have gone to the United States. ______________________________

Grammar: Adjectives

Sentence Noun Adjective

The white wooden House White, wooden
house

My parents are young Parents Young

The donkey became thirsty Donkey thirsty
Jack was scared of the dog Jack Scared
A glittering medalion Medalion Glittering
Adjectives are words that describe nouns. Study the following sentences:

Practice: Circle the adjective that makes sense in the sentence.

1. I like to watch green/funny movies.

2. Their young/right girl is seven years old.
3. The wrong/tall teacher is very smart.
4. We took the fast/loose train to Seoul.
5. The old/funny story made me laugh.
6. Do you know that gigantic/early dinosaur?
7. His eyes were early/bright and alert.
8. I heard the spiked/terrible tuba sound.
9. The tree house has exciting/sphere books.

10. Jack could see his gleaming/blood teeth.

Practice: Fill in the blank with any adjective that makes sense.

1. David wrote a poem for her.

2. Do you like the cake?

3. I cannot find an book.
4. Where is the doctor’s office?

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5. The_____________ girl found a _________________ dog.

Grammar: Figurative Language

Figurative language helps readers get a better pictures of the story in their mind. Similes and metaphors
are examples of figurative language.
Similes Metaphores Adjectives

Comparing two different objects using Comparing two different objects with- Words that describe nouns
the words “as” or “like”. out using “as” or “like”

Example: Example: Example:

Mouth like a black hole. Her eyes are stars. Her starry eyes.
He was tall as a dinosaur. My father is a bear. My burly father.
My father is angry as a bear. The food is trash. The trashy food.
The teacher is like an angel in life. The teacher is an angel. The angelic teacher.

Practice: Write S if the sentence is a Simile or M if it is a Metaphor.

1. _____ My life is a dream.

2. _____ Math is like a puzzle that never ends.

3. _____ My mother is an angel, always watching over me.

4. _____ Love is a flower that grows and becomes beautiful.

5. _____ My mother is beautiful, with hair that is soft as a cloud.

6. _____ This city is a sea of sadness.

7. _____ The blue ocean waves hit the beach like a thousand hammers.

8. _____ My wife is the light in my life.

9. _____ Watch out for John. He is a sneaky snake.

10. _____ When my brother fell, he howled like a wolf.

Practice: Write YOUR OWN example sentences; One with a similes, one with metaphor, and one with
an adjective. Bonus points if you get an example from Magic Tree House: Dinosaurs Before Dark.

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Grammar: Verbs- Present Tense

In the present tense, the verb describes actions that are currently happening right now or regularly. Only
the third-person singular (he, she, it) requires adding an -s (or -es) ending. Study examples of the
present tense:

Pronoun To eat To do To go To see To want can Must

I Eat Do Go see Want Can Must
You Eat do go see want can must
He, she, it Eats Does Goes Sees wants can must
We Eat Do Go see Want can Must
They Eat Do Go see Want can must

Practice: re-write the following sentences with the pronouns shown. Be sure to write complete sen-
tences and change the verbs as necessary.

1. I always find a good book.

You_________________________________________________________________

He_________________________________________________________________

2. We always try to make friends.

She_________________________________________________________________

They________________________________________________________________

3. He goes to work early.

We_________________________________________________________________

I_________________________________________________________________

4. It can help us.

They________________________________________________________________

He_________________________________________________________________

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5. Dow and Raina do the cooking.

She _________________________________________________________________

You_________________________________________________________________

6. I must sleep tomorrow.

They________________________________________________________________

He _________________________________________________________________

7. They borrow some food.

I_________________________________________________________________

She_________________________________________________________________

8. He sends a few messages.

You_________________________________________________________________

We _________________________________________________________________

9. You can spend the night here.

He _________________________________________________________________

They________________________________________________________________

10. It moves very fast.

They________________________________________________________________

He _________________________________________________________________

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Grammar: Phrases and Idioms.

Nuts:

You’re nuts, Are you nuts?, Was she nuts?, She’ll say you’re nuts

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Tough nut to crack

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Nuts about English

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Soccer nut

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Oh! :

Oh, man; Oh, brother; Oh my god!

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“Couldn’t help himself”

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“Took off together”

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“The wind picked up”

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“Don’t count on it”

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“I’ll look it up”

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“Walked her fingers through the air”

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“Duck!”

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“Coast clear”

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“Sticking close to their nests”

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“Took off together”

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“This better be good”

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Grammar: comparatives and superlatives

Comparatives Superlatives

are used to compare two different are used to express the highest or low-
things, people, or places. est degree of quality.

are formed by adding -er to the end of are formed by adding -est to the end of
the adjectives or by using the the adjective or by adding
word “more or “less” before the “most” or “least” before the ad-
adjective jective.

Examples: Examples:

John is taller than Marry. Susan is the tallest person in class.

This book is more interesting than that one. This is the most interesting book I have ever
Harry is better than Brian at cooking. read.
Harry is worse than Hermonie at charms. Harry is the best cook.
Ron is the worst at charms.

Practice: write the comparative and superlative forms of the following adjectives.

Adjective Comparative Superlative

Pretty

Long

Clean

Bad

Good

Little

Slow

Heavy

High

Big

Much

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Practice: Complete the sentences with the comparative or superlative form of the adjectives in brackets.

6. My bike is ___________ yours (fast).

7. He is one off ___________ man in the world (rich).

8. Texting is ___________ speaking on the phone (cheap).

9. A Ferrari is ___________ a Fiat (expensive).

10. Is your suitcase ___________ mine (heavy)?

11. February is ___________ month of the year (cold).

12. Sally is _______________________ girl I have ever met (beautiful).

13. Mount Fuji is ___________ mountain in Japan (high).

14. What is ___________ monument in Rome (famous)?

15. Randy is ___________ student in the class (good).

16. The test was ___________ what I expected (difficult).

17. Who is ___________ man in the world (tall)?

18. Jim is ___________ at soccer than me (good).

19. The blue whale is ___________ animal in the world (big).

20. The cheetah is ___________ land animal of all (fast).

21. Our math teacher is ___________ in the school (strict).

22. This is ___________ grade I have ever had (bad).

23. The dinosaurs is ___________ than a truck (big).

24. This has to be the ___________ treehouse in the world (tall).

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Grammar: Prepositions

Prepositions of place are words that tell us the

location of something or someone.
Some examples of preposition of place
words are: on**, in**, under, in front
of, behind, next to, between, above,
at**
On**: touching something/surface

Caption

In**: places with a boundary

at**: is used with a specific place or time.
Practice: Complete the sentences based on the picture on the left.

1. The T.V. is ____________ the table.

2. The dog is ____________ the floor.
3. The cat is _____________ the flowers.
4. The keys are _________ the cat and flowers.
5. The flowers are ______ the vase.
6. The picture is ___________ the T.V.
7. The cat ___________ the dog.
8. The bird is ___________ the cage.

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Practice: Complete the sentences with in, on, at

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25. Crystal lives ___________ Korea.
26. There were some beautiful pictures ________ the museum walls.

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27. The children are playing _______ the grass ________ the park.
28. She is coming _________ 5 O’clock.

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29. Does the train stop _______ Seoul?
30. FTK school is _______ the fourth floor.

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31. Korea is Country ________ Asia.
32. There is a line of people __________ the entrance.

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33. What’s_______ T.V. tonight.
34. I have a meeting ______ 9AM tomorrow ______ the library.

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35. Rabee is not home, he is teaching ______ FTK school________ Jeonju.
36. There is a pharmacy _________ the corner of 1st and 2nd street.

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37. Do not believe everything you find ______ the internet.
38. She was sitting ______ the table waiting for her boyfriend.

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39. Customer service is ________ the entrance of the building.
40. He is _______ a plane to Japan.

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41. I left my phone _____ the car.
42. What’s _____ the cover of the book?

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43. There are many stars_____ the sky tonight.
44. It says _____ the book that dinosaurs are dangerous.

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Who Am I?

Across Down
3. I am the largest meat-eating animal of all times. 1. I have two long horns above my eyes and one on
my nose. I look like a huge rhinoceros.
7. I have beautiful, tulip-shaped flowers that some 2. I have many books and can be used for time
dinosaurs like to eat. travel.
8. I have a duckbill and make a deep, bellowing 4. I have huge bat-like wings, fuzzy skin, a mouth
sound like a tuba. like scissors, and a bony crest on top of my head.

9. I am adventurous and bold. I like to pretend play 5. I am careful, rule follower who likes books about
with my older brother. dinosaurs.
6. I have the letter M engraved on me

Grammar: sentence structure

Practice: arrange the words into a complete sentence. Do not forget to use capital letters and full
stops (.).
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45. into the woods/ Jack /the road/ left /and headed/

Jack left the road and headed into the woods.

46. in the world/ that /the /highest/ tree house/must be/

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47. Pteranodon/ of the oak tree/ standing/ at the base/ was /like a guard

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48. it /creature/ good/would be/ to examine/the

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49. were/ at the dinosaur /they panting/ out the window/as they looked/

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50. Annie/ the/ dinosaur/ spotted /big/had

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51. of babies/ can’t/ running /just go/ to a nest/ you

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52. bellowing/at him/all/ the /Anatosauruses/ were

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53. looking /in his direction/the / was/Tyrannosaurus rex

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54. over the plain/ then / soared out /Pteranodon/the

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55. a trip/we / tree house /took/ in a magic

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56. put /back/ in gold medallion/Jack/pocket /his/the

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