![]() ![]() It's fun for students to take on the rule of incomplete sentence checker! The teacher isn't the only one who can identify mistakes. Step 4: Identify Examples and Non-ExamplesĪfter you have a fully formed definition of what a complete sentence actually is, you're ready for students to start using the class definition to identify examples and non-examples. It can't go on and on and on or it will be hard to read and understand You might add to your definition like the last bullet in this list: Introduce the term run-on sentence and add something about run-ons to your definition of a complete sentence. ![]() Have students try to explain what seems to be wrong and how it might be revised. My teacher put the tooth in a plastic bag and I put it inside my desk I stuffed it inside carelessly with other books and supplies.Įxplain to students that this sentence does meet all the requirements to be a complete sentence but there's something wrong with it. The following sentence is an example of a run-on: revise your definition of a complete sentence to include something about not letting a sentence go on and on. Ask students what they notice, discuss these sentences, refer back to your definition of a complete sentence, and ask if the run-on meets all the requirements of a complete sentence. Now that students have a working definition of a complete sentence you'll want to show students examples of sentences that run on. Notice this definition doesn't really include technical grammar terms! There are many different ways to approach helping students write complete sentences, but the most engaging way is to allow students to come to conclusions on their own about what a complete sentence is. It must include a person, place, or thing (or a word that can stand for the person, place, or thing) A class definition of a complete sentence without too many grammatical terms might go something like this: ![]() We want this definition to go beyond a sentence being a group of words. Grammar is best done within the context of reading and writing and studies have shown this to be true!įinally, combine the definitions into one class definition. Also, some students can feel overwhelmed if we bombard them with too many grammatical terms. Explain to students that we really want our definition to be as clear as possible, so we don't want to use too many technical grammar terms. Try to get students to elaborate on what they mean if they use terms in their definition such as subject, verb, independent clause, dependent clause, subordinating conjunction, or action verb. Accept all definitions students come up with and try hard not to start teaching technical, grammatical terms (don't worry you will have time for that in the last step!).Īfter students have written their definitions down, have student volunteers share their definitions. Rather than teaching all sorts of grammatical terms, or the parts of a sentence, allow students to come up with their own definition of a complete sentence. Step 2: Define What Makes a Sentence Complete Check out this comprehensive Grammar and Mechanics Unit: Want a ton more mentor sentences as well as mini lessons that are engaging and fun for students. The first sentence is one of my favorites:) If you are trying to teach students how to use commas, how to identify a subordinate clause, coordinating conjunction, or identify the main verb of a sentence, all of these grammar concepts can be found in any book you read. ![]() The easiest way to find your own mentor sentences is by looking through your favorite books. We want students to be exposed to longer sentences and shorter sentences, fragments, and complete sentences. They include sentences with a variety of grammatical structures. These sentences are all examples of complete sentences. To the right is an image with lots of mentor sentence examples from famous authors. The whole point of the first step is to just look at the sentences and discuss observations. The reason for this is described in step two. In addition, show students examples of complete sentences in literature.īe sure not to define these as incomplete or complete though! Start by showing students examples of incomplete sentences or what I like to call "purposeful fragments" in literature. The English language is complex and in order to become adept at utilizing words in an articulate way, students need to be exposed to lots of writing! A mentor sentence is any quality sentence that can be used to help students understand and utilize a literary or grammatical concept in their own writing. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |