Sentence Structure and Sentence Development

Foundations of Reading 1

Topic: Sentence Structure and Sentence Activities

1. Scrambled Sentences

• A scrambled sentence has words that are out of order.

• Students put the words in the correct order to make a complete sentence.

• Example: hill the Sally up ran.

• Correct: Sally ran up the hill.

2. Sentence Fragments

• A sentence fragment is an incomplete sentence.

• It is missing something important, such as a subject or a verb, or it does not express a complete thought.

• Students need to learn how to recognize and correct fragments.

3. Run-On Sentences

• A run-on sentence happens when two or more complete thoughts are joined incorrectly.

• Students often use the word and to connect too many ideas.

• Example: Sally ran up the hill and she played outside.

• Correct: Sally ran up the hill. She played outside.

• Reading sentences out loud helps students hear when a sentence does not sound right.

4. Four Types of Sentences

Important:

• Start by teaching declarative sentences because they are the simplest.

• Then introduce interrogative sentences.

• Imperative sentences have an implied subject, which is usually you.

• Example: Eat your soup. The subject is understood to be you.

5. Level 1 and Level 2 Students

• Level 1 students: Need more support and practice. Teachers give them sentence starters, specific words, examples, and prompts.

• Level 2 students: Have mastered the skill and are ready for more challenging activities. They can create their own sentences without as much help.

Remember: Level 1 students need more guidance, while Level 2 students need more challenges.

6. Helping Students Create Questions

• Students need to learn how to create their own questions.

• Questions help students think more deeply about what they are learning.

• Teachers should encourage open-ended questions instead of only yes-or-no questions.

Example:

• Yes/no question: Can somebody come to the board?

• Open-ended question: Who wants to come to the board?

Ways to practice:

• Show students a picture and ask them to create questions about it.

• Have students create comprehension questions after reading.

• Play Jeopardy by giving students an answer and having them create the question.

• Ask Level 2 students to create test questions and provide answers.

7. Conjunctions

• Conjunctions are words that connect words, phrases, and clauses.

• Examples: and, because, but, so.

A clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb.

• Independent clause: A complete thought that can stand alone.

• Dependent clause: An incomplete thought that cannot stand alone.

Because, But, and So

These three conjunctions help students connect ideas.

• Because: Gives a reason.

• But: Shows a difference or changes direction.

• So: Shows a result.

Example:

• I wore a coat because it was cold.

• I wanted to play, but it was raining.

• It was raining, so I stayed inside.

Teaching tip: Level 1 students should practice saying sentences out loud before writing them. Start with one conjunction at a time. Level 2 students can create their own sentences using all three.

8. Subordinating Conjunctions

• These words connect a dependent clause to an independent clause.

• They are often used at the beginning of sentences.

Examples:

• Before

• After

• If

• When

• Although

• Even though

• Since

• While

• Unless

• Whenever

Example: After I finished my homework, I went outside.

Teaching tips:

• Start with simple conjunctions such as before and after.

• Let students practice speaking sentences before writing them.

• Level 1 students can complete sentence starters.

• Level 2 students can create their own complex sentences.

9. Appositives

• An appositive is a word or phrase that gives more information about a noun.

• It provides another name or description for the noun.

Example: Sally, the new girl, sat next to me.

• Sally is the noun.

• The new girl is the appositive.

Important:

• Appositives can usually be removed without making the sentence incomplete.

• When teaching beginners, use simple appositives that follow the noun they describe.

• Students can practice matching nouns with their correct appositives.

10. Sentence Combining

• Sentence combining is when students take two or more short sentences and put them together to make one longer sentence.

• It helps students improve their writing and understand how sentences work.

Example:

• The dog is brown.

• The dog is running.

Combined: The brown dog is running.

Teachers can give students clues, such as:

• Use a conjunction.

• Add an appositive.

• Add describing words.

Start with two or three short sentences. As students improve, give them more sentences to combine.

11. Classroom Activities for Sentence Practice

• Stop and Jot: Students stop during a lesson and write down a question about what they learned.

• Turn and Talk: Students discuss what they learned with a partner.

• Exit Ticket: Students answer a question or write something they learned at the end of class.

• Picture Questions: Students look at a picture and create questions about it.

• Sentence Combining: Students combine short sentences into longer sentences.

• Jeopardy: Students are given answers and must create the questions.

12. Expository Question Words

Students should learn to use these words when creating questions and responding to what they read:

• Discuss: Talk about something in detail.

• Explain: Tell how or why something happens.

• Justify: Give reasons to support an answer.

• Describe: Tell what something is like.

Important Things to Remember for the Test

• Know the difference between sentence fragments, scrambled sentences, and run-on sentences.

• Know the four types of sentences and their punctuation.

• Understand the difference between Level 1 and Level 2 students.

• Know what conjunctions do and understand because, but, and so.

• Know the difference between independent and dependent clauses.

• Understand subordinating conjunctions.

• Know what an appositive is.

• Understand sentence combining and classroom activities that help students practice writing.

Main takeaway: Students need plenty of practice creating, reading, correcting, and combining sentences. Teachers should begin with simple activities and provide extra support or challenges depending on students’ needs.