Varying Sentence Lengths

Write about what you like to do at recess Write about what you like to do at recess. It must follow the following rules: Five sentence Sentence 1: Has 1 word in it. Sentence 2: Has 8, 9, or 10 words in it. Sentences 3: Has 4 words in it. Sentence 4: Has 9, 10, 11, or 12 words in it. Sentence 5: Has 5 words in it.

Observations about sentence length Open to any page in your book and choose a spot to start. Make a ”number of words” chart. Count how many words are in each individual sentence? Does every sentence have the same number? Why not? What do you notice? Turn and talk with a partner.

What’s the point? Making some sentences long and short make your writing sound sophisticated and mature. There are three ways to do this, and we will learn all three!

Combine sentences Combine two sentences using commas or semi-colons; makes the sentence longer Basic sentences: The bird was a cardinal. It had bright red feathers. It had an orange beak. It had black marks around its eyes. New longer sentence: The cardinal had bright red feathers, an orange beak, and black marks around its eyes.

You try! 1: The eagle has a sharp beak. It has claws on each foot that picks up prey. It has eyes on the side of its head. 2: I kicked the ball. It went into the net. I was so excited!

Add dependent clauses We talked about dependent clauses. Use them! Basic sentence: I ate apple pie. New and improved: While watching the Eagles game after dinner, I ate apple pie.

You Try! 1: I made a 3 point shot into the net. 2: I finished my homework.

Break down the sentences Makes it shorter!! The dog ran across the street and jumped in a pile of leaves. The dog ran across the street. Darting. Dashing. Jump! He ran into a pile of leaves.

You Try! 1: The kids ran across the playground to the swings. Some went to the field to play soccer and kick the ball around. 2. The sky was dark and gloomy. It was windy out. The thunder started right after the lightning flashed.

What’s the point? The point is that having some long sentences and some short sentences makes your writing more mature and sophisticated. It makes it interesting to read. It has to be done through your whole writing piece, though

Try it! The Giant Panda has a white face with black circles around its eyes. It has a very cute face. Don’t let that fool you, though! It can be very ferocious and angry if you bother it. It is just another kind of bear.