English Language Arts (CCSS)

Grade 7 > Language

Conventions of Standard English

L.7.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

  • Explain the function of phrases and clauses in general and their function in specific sentences.
  • Choose among simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences to signal differing relationships among ideas.
  • Place phrases and clauses within a sentence, recognizing and correcting misplaced and dangling modifiers.

L.7.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

  • Use a comma to separate coordinate adjectives (e.g., It was a fascinating, enjoyable movie but not He wore an old[,] green shirt).
  • Spell correctly.

Knowledge of Language

L.7.3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

  • Choose language that expresses ideas precisely and concisely, recognizing and eliminating wordiness and redundancy.

Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

L.7.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 7 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

  • Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word's position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
  • Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., belligerent, bellicose, rebel).
  • Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning or its part of speech.
  • 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).

L.7.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

  • Interpret figures of speech (e.g., literary, biblical, and mythological allusions) in context.
  • Use the relationship between particular words (e.g., synonym/antonym, analogy) to better understand each of the words.
  • Distinguish among the connotations (associations) of words with similar denotations (definitions) (e.g., refined, respectful, polite, diplomatic, condescending).

L.7.6 Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.