The Common Core in California

9-10.L Language

• 9-10. Conventions of Standard English

  • 9-10.L.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

    • 9-10.L.1.a Use parallel structure.

      • Identify sentences with parallel structure (10-K.3)
      • Use parallel structure (10-K.4)

    • 9-10.L.1.b Use various types of phrases (noun, verb, adjectival, adverbial, participial, prepositional, absolute) and clauses (independent, dependent; noun, relative, adverbial) to convey specific meanings and add variety and interest to writing or presentations.

      • Identify prepositional phrases (10-X.2)
      • Identify appositives and appositive phrases (10-X.3)
      • Identify dependent and independent clauses (10-X.4)
      • Is the sentence simple, compound, complex, or compound-complex? (10-X.5)
      • Combine sentences using relative clauses (10-X.6)
      • Identify participles and what they modify (10-AA.3)
      • Identify gerunds and their functions (10-AA.4)
      • Identify infinitives and infinitive phrases (10-AA.5)

  • 9-10.L.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

    • 9-10.L.2.a Use a semicolon (and perhaps a conjunctive adverb) to link two or more closely related independent clauses.

      • Transitions with conjunctive adverbs (10-K.1)
      • Use semicolons and commas to separate clauses (10-II.1)

    • 9-10.L.2.b Use a colon to introduce a list or quotation.

      • Use semicolons, colons, and commas with lists (10-II.2)

    • 9-10.L.2.c Spell correctly.

      • Use the correct frequently confused word (10-M.1)
      • Identify and correct errors with frequently confused words (10-M.2)
      • Identify and correct errors with frequently confused pronouns and contractions (10-M.3)
      • Correct errors with commonly misspelled words (10-M.4)
      • Use the correct homophone (10-Q.1)
      • Identify and correct errors with homophones (10-Q.2)
      • Form and use plurals: review (10-Y.1)
      • Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives (10-DD.2)
      • Form and use comparative and superlative adverbs (10-DD.4)
      • Identify and correct errors with plural and possessive nouns (10-KK.1)
      • Identify and correct errors with compound and joint possession (10-KK.2)

• 9-10. Knowledge of Language

  • 9-10.L.3 Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.

    • 9-10.L.3.a Write and edit work so that it conforms to the guidelines in a style manual (e.g., MLA Handbook, Turabian's Manual for Writers) appropriate for the discipline and writing type.

      • Understand a Works Cited entry (MLA 8th–9th editions) (10-N.1)
      • Recognize the parts of a Works Cited entry (MLA 8th–9th editions) (10-N.2)
      • Use in-text citations (MLA 8th–9th editions) (10-N.3)

• 9-10. Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

  • 9-10.L.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 9–10 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

    • 9-10.L.4.a Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word's position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

      • Interpret the meaning of an allusion from its source (10-C.2)
      • Interpret figures of speech (10-C.4)
      • Use context as a clue to the meanings of foreign expressions (10-R.2)
      • Determine the meaning of words using synonyms in context (10-U.1)
      • Determine the meaning of words using antonyms in context (10-U.2)
      • Use context to identify the meaning of a word (10-U.3)

    • 9-10.L.4.b Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate different meanings or parts of speech (e.g., analyze, analysis, analytical; advocate, advocacy) and continue to apply knowledge of Greek and Latin roots and affixes.

      • Word pattern analogies (10-O.1)
      • Word pattern sentences (10-O.2)
      • Words with pre- (10-O.3)
      • Words with re- (10-O.4)
      • Words with sub- (10-O.5)
      • Words with mis- (10-O.6)
      • Words with un-, dis-, in-, im-, and non- (10-O.7)
      • Words with -ful (10-O.8)
      • Words with -less (10-O.9)
      • Words with -able and -ible (10-O.10)
      • Sort words by shared Greek or Latin roots (10-P.1)
      • Use Greek and Latin roots as clues to the meanings of words (10-P.2)
      • Use words as clues to the meanings of Greek and Latin roots (10-P.3)
      • Determine the meanings of Greek and Latin roots (10-P.4)
      • Determine the meanings of words with Greek and Latin roots (10-P.5)

    • 9-10.L.4.c Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., college-level dictionaries, rhyming dictionaries, bilingual dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning, its part of speech, or its etymology.

      • Replace words using a thesaurus (10-S.3)
      • Use dictionary entries (10-V.1)
      • Use dictionary definitions (10-V.2)
      • Use dictionary entries to determine correct usage (10-V.3)
      • Use thesaurus entries (10-V.4)

    • 9-10.L.4.d Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).

      • Use dictionary entries to determine correct usage (10-V.3)

  • 9-10.L.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

    • 9-10.L.5.a Interpret figures of speech (e.g., euphemism, oxymoron) in context and analyze their role in the text.

      • Interpret the meaning of an allusion from its source (10-C.2)
      • Interpret figures of speech (10-C.4)
      • Analyze rhetorical strategies in historical texts: set 1 (10-E.5)
      • Analyze rhetorical strategies in historical texts: set 2 (10-E.6)

    • 9-10.L.5.b Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations.

      • Choose the word whose connotation and denotation best match the sentence (10-S.1)
      • Use words accurately and precisely (10-S.2)

  • 9-10.L.6 Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

    • Words with pre- (10-O.3)
    • Words with re- (10-O.4)
    • Words with sub- (10-O.5)
    • Words with mis- (10-O.6)
    • Words with un-, dis-, in-, im-, and non- (10-O.7)
    • Words with -ful (10-O.8)
    • Words with -less (10-O.9)
    • Words with -able and -ible (10-O.10)
    • Sort words by shared Greek or Latin roots (10-P.1)
    • Use Greek and Latin roots as clues to the meanings of words (10-P.2)
    • Use words as clues to the meanings of Greek and Latin roots (10-P.3)
    • Determine the meanings of Greek and Latin roots (10-P.4)
    • Determine the meanings of words with Greek and Latin roots (10-P.5)
    • Use etymologies to determine the meanings of words (10-R.1)
    • Use context as a clue to the meanings of foreign expressions (10-R.2)
    • Use the correct foreign expression (10-R.3)
    • Choose the word whose connotation and denotation best match the sentence (10-S.1)
    • Determine the meaning of words using synonyms in context (10-U.1)
    • Determine the meaning of words using antonyms in context (10-U.2)
    • Use context to identify the meaning of a word (10-U.3)