W.V.C.ED • P.O.

Box 5478
Louisville, KY 40255
[email protected]
[email protected]
website: wvced.com
website: wvced.com
facebook: W.V.C.ED

Syntax for Writing and Reading

Developing Sentence Skills in Students of All Ages
William Van Cleave • Educational Consultant • W.V.C.ED
PaTTAN Literacy Symposium • June 14, 2018

I. What the Research Says

II. Parts of Speech

- It’s All About the Job - Function Over Form

- Components of an Effective Lesson

- Useful Activities

III. Sentence Parts

- It’s All About the Clause - Building Blocks for Sentence Construction

- Clause vs. Phrase

- Independent & Dependent Clauses

- Using Clauses to Build Sentences

- Sentence Work for Writing & Reading Comprehension

- Components of an Effective Lesson

- Useful Activities

IV. Word Lists for Writing

1 © 2018 • wvced.com • [email protected]

 Elementary Grammar Reference Sheet (K-3)
Keep two things in mind:
• We teach grammar to improve writing. If you cannot justify teaching a particular concept in terms of
improving a student’s writing, don’t teach it.

• The best grammar exercises involve students writing sentences that contain and reinforce various
grammatical concepts.

Parts of Speech: Consider the job the word does in the sentence.
• noun names a person, place, thing, (idea) John, school, bench, (peace)
• verb action word (linking, helping) jump, (am, seem)
• pronoun takes the place of noun he, you, they, me
• adjective describes a noun (or pronoun) ugly, sleepy, blue
• adverb describes a verb, (adjective, or other adverb) quickly, soon
• preposition begins a phrase in, on, around
(anything a plane can do to a cloud)
• conjunction joins 2 words or 2 groups of words and, whenever

• article teach in adjective family a, an, the

• interjection expresses emotion - inessential whoa!

Sentence Parts: Clauses are the building blocks to all sentence writing.
For all:
simple subject what’s doing the action (the “doer”) John went to the store.
simple predicate main verb (use verb/predicate interchangeably) John went to the store.
simple sentence complete thought with one s-v (subject- John went to the store.
(1st and up) verb) relationship
compound sentence 2 complete thoughts, each with its own s-v John went to the store,
(1st and up) relationship, joined by comma + and, but, or but it was closed.

For all teachers and students 3rd grade and up (introductory material):
complete subject what’s doing the action and its modifiers My best friend met me here.
complete predicate main verb/action plus its baggage My best friend met me here.
clause group of words with subject John went to the store
and predicate because she is finished
independent clause clause that can stand by itself I John went to the store
dependent clause clause that cannot stand by itself D because she is finished
simple sentence one independent clause I John went to the store.
compound sentence 2 independent clauses joined by comma John went to the store,
+ for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so I,fanboysI but it was closed.
complex sentence 1 independent clause and 1 ID John went to the store
or more dependent clauses because he needed milk.
D,I When John went to the
store, he forgot his wallet.
direct object receives action of verb John threw the ball.
2 © 2018 • wvced.com • [email protected]
 Introducing Parts of Speech in K-5

Noun Classroom Naming/Labeling

Nature/Street Walk
Categorization

Verb Classroom Naming/Labeling

Nature/Street Walk
Conjugation
Yesterday/Today/Tomorrow
Verb Charades

Pronoun Family Tree

Passage Reading
(pronoun replacement)

Adjective Classroom Naming/Labeling

Nature/Street Walk
Object Description
Coloring/Counting
Sense Exploration
Adjective Charades

Adverb Verb Description

Preposition Student/Chair
Plane/Cloud
Paper/Words

Conjunction Plus Sign

Humans Holding Hands
Walk/Direction

Grammar Builder Sample

adjective common noun prepositional phrase

ugly toad on the mossy rock

3 © 2018 • wvced.com • [email protected]

 Grammar Reference Sheet (4-12)
Keep two things in mind:
• We teach grammar to improve writing. If you cannot justify teaching a particular concept in
terms of improving a student’s writing, don’t teach it.

• The best sentence-level activities involve having students write sentences that practice/contain
taught concepts.

Parts of Speech: Consider the job the word does in the sentence.
• noun names a person, place, thing, or idea boy, school, bench, peace
• verb action, linking, or helping word jump, am, seem
• pronoun takes the place of a noun (stands for a noun) he, you, they, me
• adjective describes a noun or pronoun ugly, ignorant, silly
• adverb describes a verb (or an adjective, or other adverb) quickly, soon, never
• preposition begins a phrase (shows position) in, during, around
• conjunction joins 2 words or 2 groups of words and, whenever

• article teach in adjective family a, an, the

• interjection expresses emotion - not useful for instruction whoa!

Sentence Parts: Clauses are the building blocks to all sentence writing.
simple subject who/what is doing the action The elderly man went to the store.
complete subject subject with its baggage (the “doer”) The elderly man went to the store.
simple predicate main verb The elderly man went to the store.
complete predicate verb with its baggage (the “do”) The elderly man went to the store.
direct object receives action of predicate (verb) John threw the ball.
indirect object tells to whom/for whom action is done John threw Mark the ball.
predicate noun follows linking verb and renames subject John is a pilot.
predicate adjective follows linking verb and describes subject John seems exhausted.
object of preposition noun/pronoun that ends prepositional phrase John sat on the chair.
clause group of words with subject - John went to the store
and predicate - because she is finished
independent clause clause that can stand by itself I John went to the store
dependent clause clause that cannot stand by itself D because she is finished
simple sentence one independent clause I John went to the store.
compound sentence 2 independent clauses joined by comma John went to the store,
+ for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so I,fanboysI but it was closed.
or 2 independent clauses joined by ; I;I John went to the store;
it was closed.
complex sentence 1 independent clause and 1 ID John went to the store
or more dependent clauses because he needed milk.
D,I When John went to the
store, he forgot his wallet.
I John, who was selected as
D our leader, rarely smiled.

4 © 2018 • wvced.com • [email protected]

 The Warm-Up
Displaying grammar vocabulary cards: During the warm-up and any
identifying activities, the teacher (and ideally the students) should display their
cards using the layouts below. Students should learn to organize the cards as such
independently. This practice will help students internalize the relationships between
the different parts of speech. They will understand the way words, phrases, and
clauses work together, improve their syntax comprehension, and develop sentence
writing and expanding skills.

noun verb preposition

adverb Parts of Speech

pronoun
conjunction
adjective

subject verb

clause Sentence Parts

independent dependent
clause clause

On the next page: This activity sheet (and similar sheets) have several advantages.
(1) They move students quickly from “identify” to the text generation activities that truly
benefit writing.
(2) They are interactive, allowing students to work together, share results, and check
their work with each other -- in a non-punitive way.
(3) They are instructive (a rarity for a “worksheet”).

5 © 2018 • wvced.com • [email protected]

 Now It’s Your Turn!
IECC: Identify, Expand, Combine, Create
Adjectives
Identify: Underline the adjectives in the following sentences. (Do not include articles.)
1. The hungry green alligator slithered up the muddy shore. (3)
2. The young girl was scared but brave. (3)
3. The frightened girl called to her father in a loud voice. (3)
Check your work!

Expand: Add at least 3 adjectives to each sentence to make it more descriptive.

1. The children and their leaders took vans to a campground.
__________________________________________________________________________
2. Over a campfire, the children roasted hotdogs and sang songs.
__________________________________________________________________________
Share: Choose #1 or #2 to share with your group.

Combine: Combine the following short sentences into one longer sentence.
1. My grandfather told jokes at the table. He is friendly. His jokes were funny.
__________________________________________________________________________
2. My sisters and I listened to the jokes and ate snacks. My sisters were hungry. The snacks
were nutritious. Our dad had prepared the snacks.
__________________________________________________________________________
Check your work!

Create: Write your own sentences.

1. Write a sentence using these adjectives: wise, elderly
__________________________________________________________________________
2. Write a sentence with at least two of your own adjectives in it:
__________________________________________________________________________
Share: Choose #1 or #2 to share with your group.

6 © 2018 • wvced.com • [email protected]

 Sample Parts of Speech Worksheet
Definition & Examples
Differentiated
Since this is not a quiz or test, provide a definition and plenty
Instruction
of good examples, allowing the student to remind himself of the
Customize this sheet by
concept addressed. Additionally, another adult (e.g., study hall
writing the # of words per
teacher, parent) can offer brief assistance if you provide examples.
sentence the student is to
write. If your number is too
large, the student is likely to
write run-ons or fragments.

Word Choice
Instructors can provide
words or collect a student-
generated list of words,
from which each student
can choose 4 to use.
Words can come from
studied content or reflect
a language arts concept
being taught (e.g., oo
nouns or nouns with the
base -port- in them).

Topic
The instructor should not
feel obligated to fill in a
Topic. If the Nouns to Use
are oo nouns, for example,
a topic will prove too
restrictive.

Sentence Check
The Sentence Check is customizable. Choose 2-3 items for her to
focus particular attention on. These items should be manageable
and not too far above the student’s current skill level. As a skill
becomes automatized, replace it with a new goal. Students should
do their sentence check when with you to allow for clarifying
questions. Often, I do not mark off for errors on a sheet like this
one unless they are on the Sentence Check.

7 © 2018 • wvced.com • [email protected]

 Five-Point Instructional Strategy
New Concept Review Concept
a. Teacher introduces concept and then a. Students explain concept, proving
asks students to explain it, proving understanding. The emphasis here
understanding. In most instances, is on information your students
introducing a part of speech or sentence have learned and can share. With
part to your students should take just a few most concepts this will take only a
minutes. Students should create (or you few minutes. Students should begin
should provide) a vocabulary card with term by verbalizing what they know from
on front, definition and examples on back; memory and then use the concept
explain the term and its definition; and have vocabulary card to elaborate on
them explain it back to you or, in the case their understanding.
of large group instruction, to each other.
Students can illustrate their cards as well.

b. Students identify examples of the concept in context. Have students sort words,
sentence parts, or sentences to help them recognize the concept you are teaching. Have
them identify examples of the studied element in a larger context. Professionally
written sentences, from both textbooks and good literature, sometimes serve this
purpose well and also offer material for further discussion.

c. Students create their own examples in isolation. Students must focus primary
attention on creating examples of the concept, in isolation and in applied context. Keep
the emphasis on student-generated work.

d. Students share their examples with the instructor and their classmates. When the
students complete independent practice of a concept at their desks, always allow time
to share results. This (a) validates the students’ writing, (b) encourages them to write at
a more sophisticated level since they anticipate an audience, (c) allows the instructor to
check for competence, and (d) provides student-generated examples (whether correct or
not) for further discussion and analysis.

e. Teacher uses examples, both correct and incorrect, for clarification and further
instruction. As the students share, the teacher writes any incorrect examples as
well as any examples that show a new or interesting development that warrants
discussion. Since the examples come from the students’ own writing on the day in
question, the teacher is able to target student difficulties immediately and strengthen
class understanding. Using student examples rather than prefabricated, professionally
written sentences connects students to the assignment, provides immediacy and
relevance, and gives the teacher valuable information about where the students are and
what they need next in order to further their writing.

8 © 2018 • wvced.com • [email protected]

 clause: group independent clause: clause
of words with that can stand by itself
a subject and
Common Sentence Templates dependent clause: clause
its verb that cannot stand by itself

Simple Sentence Compound Sentence Complex Sentence

1 independent clause 2 independent clauses 1 independent and 1 (or more)
dependent clauses
for
and
nor
but
or
yet
I I, I I;I D,I ID I D
Many have a single joined by comma and
subject and predicate. coordinating conjunction... using subordinating conjunction...

Mac went to the store. Jackson went to the store, but it was closed. While Rob was pulling out of his driveway, he

9
Tickets for the final game were scarce, yet Drew accidentally bumped into another car. (D,I)
On Tuesday Will visited our still got seats. Even though the movie ran late, Charles still
grandmother at her cottage I love to jog through the park, and Isabelle often got in before curfew. (D,I)
in the next town. joins me.
I do not want to go to the movies, nor do I feel Luke spent an extra $50 on his computer
Others have like playing baseball. because it came with a printer. (ID)

©
compound subjects Our mom banned drinks in the den after Jeb
and/or predicates. ...or joined by a semi-colon. spilled soda on the good table. (ID)

Wes and Ethan often play A number of recent inventions have changed the ...or using relative pronoun.
tennis on Saturdays. way the world functions; cell phones and the
internet are two of the most obvious. who has
Taylor,
played competitive sports since
Logan saw an excellent The game got rained out; however, the coaches fourth grade, started at free safety this fall.
movie and then went to rescheduled it for the following Saturday. Jack loved any book that could hold his
dinner with friends. attention.
(For a group of words to (Words such as however are conjunctive adverbs ������������������������F
be a clause, it must have its rather than conjunctions; these adverbs often begin ������������������������
own subject and predicate. the second clause of a compound sentence that uses ��������������������F
It cannot share either with a semi-colon and are always followed by a comma.)
another clause.)

2018 • wvced.com • [email protected]

 Sentence Developing Activities
As your students develop an understanding of parts of speech and sentence parts, here
are some activities designed to improve writing at the sentence level. Independent
sentence writing (I) is the ultimate goal.

A. Phrase/Clause & Independent/Dependent Clause Sorting - ESSENTIAL (3rd + up)

- sort groups of words by whether they are clauses or phrases
- sort clauses by whether they are Independent (main) or Dependent (subordinate)

B. Sentence parts matching - join sentence parts to make sentences

C. Sentence unscrambling - unscramble sentence chunks to make logical sentences

D. Sentence imitating - write a sentence similar in structure to a provided model

E. Sentence combining - combine sentences to create more sophisticated sentences

with increased variety (in activities/exercises & your own writing)

F. Sentence expanding - using bare bones sentence expanders

- provide simple subject and verb and use questioning to prompt sentence
expansion (e.g., John ate. when? where? why? how?)
- provide simplistic sentence with nouns, verbs, and phrases and ask student to add
adjectives and adverbs

G. Tandem writing
- student writes first half of sentence, trades papers with a classmate, and
finishes classmate’s sentence (subject to predicate or first clause to second clause)

H. Writing sentences from prompts

- “begin a sentence with the word __________” (sub. conj., transition word, etc.)
- “write a sentence that contains __________” (sub. conj., prep., noun, etc.)
- provide student with first sentence and transition word that is to begin second
sentence

I. Reordering elements of a sentence for variety

- provide a sentence with a “floating” prepositional phrase that students can move
- provide dependent and independent clauses to reorder for variety

J. Sentence writing - ESSENTIAL

- as a class starter
- for class work and homework, even instead of paragraph writing

10 © 2018 • wvced.com • [email protected]

 Sentence Frames
Sentence frames prove particularly useful to beginning and struggling writers, writers
with word-retrieval or syntax issues, and English language learners. Once students
have achieved basic sentence sense and the ability to generate sentences that follow
a standard, basic template, providing more sophisticated sentence frames will help
students vary their sentence structure.

Foundational Sentence Frame

Subject + Verb + Object

Who is to whom or
or doing what, where,
What or did when, or how.
������������
Title tells main idea.
or explains
Author describes
(choose one)

The digit _______ is in the ________ place.

When it comes to most of us would agree

_______________, that _______________.

I predict that _____________________.

Though ________ it is clear that

would disagree, _____________________.
11 © 2018 • wvced.com • [email protected]
 A. Clause/Phrase Activities
Identify each group of words below as a clause (C) or a phrase (P). Remember that a
clause must contain a subject and its predicate (or main verb):
_____ 1. until I receive your donation _____ 14. when the manager organizes the team
_____ 2. for breakfast _____ 15. through the woods by the river
_____ 3. under the window _____ 16. the party ended at midnight
_____ 4. since I slept _____ 17. as long as you study before the game
_____ 5. beside the grocery store _____ 18. if I finish the book
_____ 6. before she finished the pie _____ 19. as soon as the painter finished
_____ 7. as soon as the temperature drops _____ 20. when the exercise was over
_____ 8. because Mike could drive _____ 21. at the end of the long road
_____ 9. if we see another ant _____ 22. beneath the deep blue sea
_____ 10. after careful consideration _____ 23. we both finished eating breakfast in time
_____ 11. between two slices of bread _____ 24. because of the number of boxes
_____ 12. since yesterday _____ 25. though I gave you three warnings
_____ 13. until you hear back from me _____ 26. if the rain never stops

All the groups of words below are clauses. Identify each as I (independent or main) or
D (dependent or subordinate):
_____ 1. Constantine joined the sports club _____ 15. whenever we have a chance to play golf
_____ 2. since Abraham Lincoln was elected _____ 16. before I will clean out the closet
_____ 3. school lets out in June _____ 17. if T.V. remained black and white
_____ 4. the play begins at 9 a.m. _____ 18. my family is coming for the holidays
_____ 5. after we purchased the new car _____ 19. the doe was brown with a white tail
_____ 6. if we can handle the time change _____ 20. cleats were left on the radiator to dry
_____ 7. we ate the purple potato chips _____ 21. although asparagus is out of season
_____ 8. water is the most healthy drink _____ 22. the black panther pounced at the crowd
_____ 9. if my migraine doesn’t linger _____ 23. when the strawberries arrived
_____ 10. as long as the schedule will be kept _____ 24. before I considered my sister’s request
_____ 11. if I worry too much about the trip _____ 25. where our cousins live
_____ 12. the postal carrier delivered the mail _____ 26. whenever the detective catches the crook
_____ 13. at dawn the tribes gathered by the fire _____ 27. Athena bursts full-grown from Zeus’s head
_____ 14. just as Pearl Harbor was attacked _____ 28. even when you struggle with your math

12 © 2018 • wvced.com • [email protected]

 B. Sentence Part Matching
1 Subject Predicate

A. The little boy with dimples landed on the feeder in our yard.
A chirping blue jay smiled at the doctor’s offer of candy.
My grandmother used to bake me cookies each weekend.

B. A swarming nest of bees caused the family to leave the picnic early.
A pair of monarch butterflies awkwardly bent down to reach the pond.
Two long-legged giraffes fluttered near me on my Saturday walk.

2 Subject Verb Object

A. The grasshopper was ruined on a green leaf in our yard.

Our dinner landed the antique vase.
The rambunctious child toppled by a loud family argument.

B. An outstanding performer announced the national anthem.

The diver sang on the board.
Our president bounced a new plan for the country.

C. Sentence Unscrambling
1 At the word cluster level:
A. in our house we discovered much to our surprise $10,000
__________________________________________________________
B. to get ice cream we rode at noon our new bicycles to the store
__________________________________________________________

2 At the word level:

A. frog brown rock under a crawled the large
__________________________________________________________
B. friend night all we and video new a my got game played
__________________________________________________________

13 © 2018 • wvced.com • [email protected]

 D. Sentence Imitating
Write a sentence that is similar in form to the provided sentence:
1. Our friends came for dinner.
_________________________________________________________
2. At the game we saw a home run.
_________________________________________________________
3. While I was riding my bike, I saw a streak of lightning.
_________________________________________________________
E. Sentence Combining
1. Delete the 2nd and 3rd sentences by putting their information in the 1st sentence:
The man and woman went to the mall. The man was tall. The woman was short.
_________________________________________________________
The dinosaur stomped. He did it over the rocky ground. He did it to chase food.
_________________________________________________________
2. Make each pair of sentences into a compound sentence using the provided keyword:
The new video game hit stores yesterday. We were the first ones to get it. (and)
_________________________________________________________
Make each pair of sentences into a compound sentence. Use a conjunction:
Two rivers surrounded the town. There was still not enough water to drink.
_________________________________________________________
3. Make each pair of sentences into a complex sentence using the provided keyword:
She was a good teacher. She yelled a lot. (although)
_________________________________________________________
Make each pair of sentences into a complex sentence. (Use a subordinating conjunction.):
You do your homework. You will pass every test.
_________________________________________________________
4. Combine into one sentence. Do not leave out any information:
The movie was excellent. It ran quite late. It starred Denzel Washington.
_________________________________________________________
We were hungry. We went to my favorite restaurant. I ordered a burger and fries.
_________________________________________________________
My cousins are from Australia. They visited us last month. We had a blast.
_________________________________________________________

14 © 2018 • wvced.com • [email protected]

 F. Sentence Expansion

The man climbed the stairs. The man ate his lunch.
when? this morning when? _______________________
where? at the capitol building where? _______________________
how? grudgingly how? _______________________
why? because his appointment why? _______________________
was on the second floor
concession... although he was exhausted concession? ____________________

what kind? elderly, frustrated what kind? ____________________

which one? with a nasty attitude which one? ____________________
how many? the (already included) how many? ____________________

G. Tandem Writing
1. Finish these sentences:
a. I love weekends because ________________________________________.
b. John finished the quiz before _____________________________________.
c. Elijah found treasure in the chest, but _______________________________.
d. We bought a used car from Chris; meanwhile, __________________________.
2. Add a sentence to each of these sentences:
a. Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States.
_________________________________________________________
b. A Porsche pulled up to the five star hotel.
_________________________________________________________
c. My friends and I won our first soccer game last Saturday morning against our arch
rivals. ____________________________________________________
H. Writing from Prompt Words
1. Write sentences including the provided transition words:
a. although ___________________________________________________
b. sometimes __________________________________________________
c. before _____________________________________________________
2. Write sentences including the provided content-based words:
a. Benjamin Franklin ____________________________________________
b. Hamlet ____________________________________________________

15 © 2018 • wvced.com • [email protected]

 I. Other Sentence Building Activities
A. Prepositional Phrase Placement: Put a ^ in each spot where the given prepositional
phrase could be placed. (This can also be done by giving students in a group setting
their own cards, each with a word on it, and having them sort themselves into a logical
sentence. An additional student, armed with the phrase, can stand in various places
along the sentence’s route where the phrase could logically be inserted):

1. The angry troll gobbled the mischievous children. under the bridge

2. The doctor prepared for a difficult surgery. in the operating room

3. My friend came to stay with me. over the weekend

B. Write each sentence two ways, one beginning with the dependent clause and the
other ending with it. Be careful to use a comma when necessary.
1. my friend gave me a present because she is a nice person
version a: _____________________________________________________
version b: _____________________________________________________
2. I moved the boxes into the garage when my brother agreed to help
version a: _____________________________________________________
version b: _____________________________________________________

J. Content-Based Sentence Writing

1. List six things about _________________________ (content topic):
_____________________________ _____________________________
_____________________________ _____________________________
_____________________________ _____________________________
2. Write sentences using elements from the above list:
Use 2 in a compound sentence with a comma and coordinating conjunction: _____
__________________________________________________________
Use 2 in a compound sentence with a semi-colon and a conjunctive adverb: ______
__________________________________________________________
Use 2 in a complex sentence (D,I): __________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Use 2 in a complex sentence (ID): __________________________________
__________________________________________________________

16 © 2018 • wvced.com • [email protected]

Compound Sentences Minimum
SP-Compound2 Word Count
wvced.com

Name: __________________________________ Date: _________________________

compound sentence = 2 independent clauses Words

To Use
(joined by comma and coordinating conjunction)

I, I
We went tubing on the river yesterday, for _______________
and the water was icy. and
nor
The swirling river swept away her house, _______________
but
but she and her family escaped. or
yet _______________

Topic: _________________________ _______________

Write your own interesting compound sentences below: _______________

1. ___________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

2. _____________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

3. _____________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

4. _____________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

5. _____________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________
Sentence Check:
• Make sure each part of the sentence can stand alone.
• Make sure the subjects are different.
• Make sure the sentence has a comma (,) and a conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet)
17 © 2018 • wvced.com • [email protected]
Syntax Concept Text (Gr.) Fiction Examples Expository Examples
Simple Sentence All (K) 1. At the nature preserve, a family was 1. M.L.K. Jr. is famous for his “I
enjoying a picnic. Have a Dream” speech.

2. The aliens landed their spacecraft 2. Silk can be woven into a very soft
in a small town in Pennsylvania. and smooth fabric.

Compound All (1) 1. The family felt completely safe, yet 1. King penned a number of other
Sentence several bears ate them quickly and speeches, but only “Letter from
w/coordinating efficiently. Birmingham Jail” was written in a
conjunction jail.
(for, and, nor, but, 2. The aliens began exploring
or, yet, so) backyards in the town, for they 2. Silk was invented in Ancient China,
were considering their next meal. and for thousands of years it played
an important role in their economy.

Compound Mostly 1. The bears were just waking from 1. King was part of the Selma to
Sentence Expos. hibernation; therefore, they had Montgomery march; interestingly,
w/semi-colon Text (7) been really hungry! in 2014 it was made into an
Academy Award winning movie
2. Two aliens investigated a variety of called Selma.
vegetable gardens; meanwhile, the
remaining aliens guarded their ship. 2. The Chinese managed to keep silk
a secret for over a millennium;
however, in 550 AD it became
known.

Complex Mostly 1. Because they appreciated a 1. Since she outlived him by decades,
w/Adverb Clause Fiction (3) balanced diet, the bears were Coretta Scott King was able to help
(D,I or ID) usually omnivores. preserve King’s legacy.

2. The aliens appreciated most 2. Flowers and birds were often

vegetables although they despised embroidered into silk when it was
Lima beans and mushrooms. made in Ancient China.

Complex Mostly 1. The bears, who were not used to a 1. King, who was a preacher, used his
w/ Adjective Expos. human diet, had digestive issues. powerful oratory skills to preach
Clause Text (6) for racial equality throughout his
(D-wedge) 2. The aliens, who had traveled adult life.
many light years to visit planet
Earth, found one completely new 2. Silk is a fiber that silkworms
vegetable. produce.

Appositive (can Mostly 1. The bears, wise animals of the 1. King, a well known Civil Rights
appear in any Expos. wild, converted to vegetarianism leader, was assassinated in 1968,
kind of sentence) Text (8 - after their experience. the year I was born.
but do it
© 2018 W.V.C.ED earlier) 2. The aliens, visitors with growling 2. The Silk Road, a trade route from
Silk taken from stomachs, discovered artichokes for Europe to China, was extremely
ducksters.com. the first time. important.
18 © 2018 • wvced.com • [email protected]
Name: __________________________________ Date: ___________ Content
Instructor: ________________________________ Grade: __________ Sentence
Review
Topic ______________________________________________________________

List of 1. ____________________________________________________________
5 Facts
2. ____________________________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________________________

4. ____________________________________________________________

5. ____________________________________________________________

Use facts from the above list to generate sentences with the following specifications.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
19 © 2018 • wvced.com • [email protected]
 Conjunctions Prepositions
coordinating (for compound sentences): I, fanboysI concrete prepositions
for and nor but or yet (so) (to begin prepositional phrases)
subordinating (for complex sentences to begin above near to
Words for Sentence Construction

adverb clauses - grouped by purpose): D,I ID across next to

around on
time: cause: manner:
at on top of
after as as
behind onto
as because as if
below out of
as soon as since as though
beneath outside
before
beside outside of
just as comparison: purpose:
between over
now that as in order that
beyond past
once just as so that
by through
since than
close to throughout
until condition:
down to
when concession: as long as
far from toward
whenever although even if
from towards
while even though if
in under
though unless
in front of underneath
place: whereas whether
inside up
where while
into upon
wherever
near within

Relative Pronouns advanced prepositions

(to begin prepositional phrases):
(for complex sentences to begin adjective clauses):
aboard during
who which that whom whose about except (for)
according to for
Conjunctive Adverbs after in addition to
against in case of
(optional for I;I compound sentences* - grouped by ahead of in place of
meaning): alongside in spite of
among instead of
additionally accordingly afterwards amongst of
also as a result later along off
furthermore consequently next aside from on behalf of
likewise hence subsequently atop out
moreover therefore then because of prior to
similarly thus before subsequent to
in addition alternatively besides with
actually instead despite with regard to
however certainly due to without
nevertheless indeed for example
nonetheless in fact for instance
on the contrary
on the other hand at the same time certainly © 2017 W.V.C.ED • wvced.com
still meanwhile clearly Permission granted to copy for student use.
simultaneously obviously
*Use a semi-colon before and a comma after the conjunctive adverb.

20 © 2018 • wvced.com • [email protected]

 Recommended Resources
Writing Matters Approach developed by William Van Cleave
(available at wvced.com):
Binder Inserts. (several different styles for students at different grade levels, emphasizing quick
and easy access to word lists and rules for sentence and essay construction)
Grammar Dice. (grammar/sentence generating dice activities)
GrammarBuilder Concept Cards. (concept cards including parts of speech and sentence parts for
student and instructor use)
Sentence Sense. (workbook series for student practice in sentence skill development)
Sentence Stretches I & II. (sentence expansion card games)
Sentence Templates and Writing Expansion posters.
Words at Work I & II. (grammar/sentence construction card games)
Writing Skills Concept Charts. (with co-author Heather Redenbach) (8.5x11 visuals for parts of
speech and sentence parts)
Writing Skills Sorters. (grammar/sentence sorting activity packs)

Writing tools that complement the Writing Matters approach

(available by wvced.com):

Educational Fontware. (dual platform CD with all the major handwriting fonts; includes link letter, a
revolutionary feature that allows you to link cursive letters together when creating customized
handwriting sheets)
Handwriting paper. (different kinds of handwriting practice paper with different line spacings and other
features)
Killgallon, Don & Jenny. Sentence Composing & Grammar series (6 books - sentence combining and other
sentence building skills)
King, Diana. Learning Cursive - Elementary Level (left- & right-handed versions).
King, Diana. Learning Print. (new print workbook for instructing elementary students)
Padgett, Patricia. Writing Adventures 1 & 2. (workbooks involving sentence and paragraph writing)
Pencil Grips. (assorted pencil grips to improve or correct pencil grasp)
Tactile Surfaces for Writing. (Brain Freeze, Gel Board, and Smart Sand)

Other useful tools:

Graham, Steve, Charles A. MacArthur, and Jill Fitzgerald. Best Practices in Writing Instruction. guilford.
com. (teacher resource)
Hochman, Judith and Natalie Wexler. The Writing Revolution. wiley.com. (teacher resource)
Jennings, Terrill M. & Charles W. Haynes. From Talking to Writing: Strategies for Supporting Narrative and
Expository Writing. www.landmarkoutreach.org. (teacher resource)
King, Diana. Cursive Writing Skills (Left and Right Handed). epsbooks.com. (remedial workbooks)
King, Diana. Keyboarding Skills. epsbooks.com. (student book)
King, Diana. Writing Skills, Books A, One, Two, and Three. epsbooks.com. (workbooks involving
grammar and sentence and paragraph construction)
King, Diana. Writing Skills - Teacher’s Manual. epsbooks.com. (teacher resource)
MacArthur, Charles A., Steve Graham, & Jill Fitzgerald. Handbook of Writing Research, Second Edition.
guilford.com. (teacher resource)
Mather, Nancy, Barbara J. Wendling, and Rhia Roberts. Writing Assessment and Instruction for Students with
Learning Disabilities. josseybass.com. (teacher resource)
Schuster, Edgar. Sentence Mastery, Levels A, B, and C. phoenixlearningresources.com. (workbooks
focusing on sentence combining skills)
21 © 2018 • wvced.com • [email protected]