Sentence Combining

Melissa N. Matusevich

"Boys and girls, I have noticed in your writing that many of you are using short, choppy sentences that could easily be combined into longer, more interesting sentences. But I must caution you, that run-on sentences are not acceptable. So, creating long sentences is an art." (Remind students that they have learned what a complete sentence is and is not. If necessary, write examples on the board. Include a run-on sentence or two, and have students tell why it is a run-on.)

"Today I am going to project several short sentences for us to combine into one longer, more interesting sentence:"

"Frankly, these sentences are ho-hum and uninteresting. There are no interesting words. Two of them begin in the same way. We must perform "surgery" on these choppy, lackluster, sentences and transform them into one that captivates the reader." (At this point the teacher may stop and call attention to the use of these words-- lackluster, transform, captivates--to briefly recall a former lesson on word choice.) As a group, rewrite the sentences, noting various choices as you complete the task.

"Now, I am going to give you and your partner an opportunity to perform surgery on this next batch of short sentences. Your goal is to create one stupendous sentence, one that jumps out at the reader. You may add interesting words as you create your masterpiece."

After discussing students’ revisions, announce that this week when reading journals, the teacher will be looking for improvement in these two areas: "The goal is to stretch yourself. Take the time to read and reread your work, both aloud and silently. Remember, good writers don’t just write; good writers revise."

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