Language and Grammar: Define and Explain

Be an Expert Work with a partner. List the technical terms in the selection. Take turns choosing a term to define. Tell what it means and give an example. Use past tense verbs when it makes sense.

Artifacts are objects made by people, A toy or a bowl can be an artifact.

Writing and Grammar: Write About the Past and Present

Study the Models When you write about a discovery, it’s important to let your readers know when it happened and how it affects people today.

Not Ok

Some archaeologists go to Egypt. They bring special tools for digging up artifacts. Some workers find a large tomb. Today, scientists study the artifacts and learn about ancient Egypt.

This is not OK because the writer uses present tense to tell about the past.

Ok

Some archaeologists went to Egypt. They brought special tools for digging up artifacts. Some workers found a large tomb. Today, scientists study the artifacts and learn about ancient Egypt.

The writer uses past tense to tell what happened and present tense to tell how the discovery connects to today.

Add Sentences Think of two sentences to add to the OK model above. Be sure to use the correct tense.

Illustration of a pen icon WRITE ON YOUR OWN Choose a moment in history that you know about. Write about it, and tell how it connects to something that is happening today. Pay attention to the verb tenses.

REMEMBER

Add -ed to most verbs to show past tense. Some verbs use special forms to show action in the past.

Regular VerbsIrregular Verbs
Present Tensediscoverstudybringfindgoknowseetake
Past Tensediscoveredstudiedbroughtfoundwentknewsawtook