Commonly Confused Words Have and of

Commonly Confused Words Have and of The sound of the preposition of  is similar to the sound of vethe shortened form of the helping verb have. As a result, of is sometimes misused in contractions. Usage Have  often functions as an auxiliary verb (or helping verb). In speech and informal writing, the contracted form ve  is sometimes used with the verbs could, must, should, would, may, and might. Of  is a  preposition, not a contraction. Examples Jed could have tried harder to help us.Jed said, I wouldve tried harder if Id known you were paying attention.Some of us must have been watching the game when the burglars broke into the house.If the Mets would have given him two more runs per game, Seaver would have won 20 games by the end of August. But that was one of those wouldve, couldve, shouldve scenarios.(Josh Rosengren, Hammerin Hank, George Almighty and the Say Hey Kid, 2008)The planning of the fly was an application of pure intelligence, morals not being concerned. Not one of us could have planned the fly, not one of us could have constructed him; and no one would have considered it wise to try, except under an assumed name.(Mark Twain, Thoughts of God, early 1900s) Usage Notes Mr. Wood, my English teacher, is always telling us that theres no such thing as must of, should of, could of, its must have, should have, could have. Mr. Wood says stuff like, The day you all get that simple little fact into your tiny little heads is the day I can retire a happy man. Well, this is all very well and good, but he doesnt need to be moaning on to me about it. (Hayley Long, Lottie Biggs Is [Not] Mad. Macmillan, 2009)When we speak, we slur these phrases so that they all sound as if they end in of, but in fact, all of them end in have. Their correct forms are may have, might have, must have, should have, would have, and could have. (Susan Thurman, The Only Grammar Book Youll Ever Need. FW Media, 2003)Some writers use of for ve deliberately to add flavor; should of and Id of have a drawled look that the more clipped shouldve and Idve lack. Ring Lardner and John OHara often used of for ve, and it is unlikely that either did it from ignorance. (Edward Johnson,  The Handbook of Good English. Washington Square, 1991)   Practice Exercises Fill in the blanks with either have or of. See how you did with the answers below. One _____ us made a mistake.It must _____ been you.She was one _____ the few gentlewomen I _____ ever known, and has remained throughout my life the measure _____ what a human being can be. (Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Random House, 1969) Answers to Practice Exercises One  of  us made a mistake.It must  have  been you.She was one  of  the few gentlewomen I  have  ever known, and has remained throughout my life the measure  of  what a human being can be. (Maya Angelou,  I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Random House, 1969)

6th Grade Math Word Problems with Answers

6th Grade Math Word Problems with Answers Math is all about problem-solving. One of the best ways to help children learn math is to present them with a problem in which they have to devise their own strategies to find the solution(s). There is usually more than 1 way to solve math problems and children need the opportunity to discover shortcuts and their own algorithms to determine the appropriate solution, they should also justify their solution(s). The following math word problems are specific for children in the sixth grade and are divided into the main math categories: Number Concepts, Patterns and Algebra, Geometry and Measurement, Data Management and Probability. Children should be involved in problem-solving activities every day. Problems for third grade students should be read to them. Students should also be able to describe why their solutions work or how they know its the right solution. My favorite question to children is how do you know. When they have to explain how they arrived at their answer, you immediately know the learning that has taken place. Patterns and Algebra Kellys classroom organized an e-Pal club. 11 people joined the club. Each of them sent an email to each of the members of the club. How many emails were actually sent? How do you know? Ticket sales for the bake sale were underway. Four people bought tickets on the first day of sales, twice as many people bought tickets on the second day and each day afterwards twice as many people bought tickets. How many tickets were sold after 16 days? Data Management and Probability Pet Parade: Mr. James has 14 cats, dogs and guinea pigs. What are all the combinations he could have? How many different types of pizza can you make with the following toppings: pepperoni, tomatoes, bacon, onions and green peppers? Show your answer. Number Concepts Sam bought 8 ball caps, one for each of her eight friends, for $8.95 each. The cashier charged her an additional $12.07 in sales tax. She left the store with a measly $6.28. How much money did Sam start with? Geometry and Measurement Watch your favorite television show from beginning to end. Time each of the commercials and determine the percentage of commercial time for the entire show. Now determine the percentage of time the actual show is. What is the fraction of commercials? Two squares are beside each other. One square has 6 times the length of the other square, how many times greater is the area of the larger square? How do you know?