1. Replace Word Choice & Combine or Revise Sentences

2. Billy’s disreputable mustache led him into a life of dreadful crime. Excerpt from Moustache Baby by Bridget Heos (pg. 27) Writers make their stories stronger by choosing strong, precise words that help the reader better understand their story.

3. Billy tried to be strong, but he did shed a few tears. Excerpt from Moustache Baby by Bridget Heos (pg. 34)

4. One way to make your writing stronger is to combine 2 shorter sentences into one longer, more interesting sentence. A conjunction is a word you can use to combine the sentences. Examples of conjunctions are: and, or, but, so Suppose you wrote these sentences in your story... Melanie forgot her lunch. She called her mother. You could combine these sentences with a conjunction. Melanie forgot her lunch, so she called her mother. Remember to always put a comma before the conjunction!

5. Replace Word Choice & Combine or Revise Sentences

6. Billy’s disreputable mustache led him into a life of dreadful crime. Give it a try… Billy’s _________ mustache led him into a life of _______ crime. Share Time! Let’s hear some revised word choice! Find a piece of writing where you could make your writing stronger by combining two sentences with a conjunction. Share Time! Let’s hear some some combined sentences with conjunctions! Check with a partner to make sure there is a comma after the conjunction !

7. Replace Word Choice & Combine or Revise Sentences

8. 1 What is the BEST way to combine sentences 9 and 10? A Mom whispered to him, but his crying only got worse. B Mom whispered to him but his crying only got worse. C Mom whispered to him, so his crying only got worse. D Mom whispered to him and then his crying only got worse. (4) I was about to take a drink of orange juice. (5) Suddenly, we heard my baby brother, Grayson, crying. (6) Mom picked him up and changed his diaper. (7) Then she gently place him on the carpet so she could wash her hands. (8) That’s when Grayson began to cry. (9) Mom whispered to him. (10) His crying only got worse. (11) Next, Dad tried to calm Grayson down. (12) Dad picked him up and gave him kisses on the cheek, but Grayson threw his head back and wailed. (13) My Grandmother picked him up and bounced him on her knee, but it had no effect. (14) He was in a really bad mood. Super Brother from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Alex is a fourth-grader. He wrote a story about his baby brother. He would like you to read his paper and look for any edits he needs to make. When you finish reading, answer the questions that follow.

9. 2 Julian wants to use a more accurate word than bad in sentence 14. Which of the following could BEST replace this word? A trouble B depressed C upbeat D horrible (4) I was about to take a drink of orange juice. (5) Suddenly, we heard my baby brother, Grayson, crying. (6) Mom picked him up and changed his diaper. (7) Then she gently place him on the carpet so she could wash her hands. (8) That’s when Grayson began to cry. (9) Mom whispered to him. (10) His crying only got worse. (11) Next, Dad tried to calm Grayson down. (12) Dad picked him up and gave him kisses on the cheek, but Grayson threw his head back and wailed. (13) My Grandmother picked him up and bounced him on her knee, but it had no effect. (14) He was in a really bad mood. Super Brother from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Alex is a fourth-grader. He wrote a story about his baby brother. He would like you to read his paper and look for any edits he needs to make. When you finish reading, answer the questions that follow.

10. Replace Word Choice & Combine or Revise Sentences

11. 3 Julian wants to use a more accurate word than closed in sentence 16. Which of the following could BEST replace this word? A blinked B squeezed C opened D tight Super Brother from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (15) My sister, Allison, took Grayson and began to sing his favorite lullaby. (16) He closed his eyes shut, pursed his lips, and screamed even louder. (17) It was unbearable. (18) Someone had to calm down Grayson, but no one was having any luck. (19) As I walked toward him, I tripped over my own feet. (20) I tried to catch my balance. (21) Both of my arms shot into the air. (22) I didn’t fall, but I guess I looked pretty silly. (23) Grayson must have thought so, too, because he stopped crying and started to giggle. Alex is a fourth-grader. He wrote a story about his baby brother. He would like you to read his paper and look for any edits he needs to make. When you finish reading, answer the questions that follow.

12. (15) My sister, Allison, took Grayson and began to sing his favorite lullaby. (16) He closed his eyes shut, pursed his lips, and screamed even louder. (17) It was unbearable. (18) Someone had to calm down Grayson, but no one was having any luck. (19) As I walked toward him, I tripped over my own feet. (20) I tried to catch my balance. (21) Both of my arms shot into the air. (22) I didn’t fall, but I guess I looked pretty silly. (23) Grayson must have thought so, too, because he stopped crying and started to giggle. Super Brother from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Alex is a fourth-grader. He wrote a story about his baby brother. He would like you to read his paper and look for any edits he needs to make. When you finish reading, answer the questions that follow. 4 What is the BEST way to combine sentences 20 and 21? A I tried to catch my balance and both of my arms shot into the air. B Since I shot both of my arms into the air, I tried to catch my balance. C I tried to catch my balance, and both of my arms shot into the air. D I tried to catch my balance, or both of my arms shot into the air.