Sentence Expansion Adding ACTIONS/VERBS Focusing Writing Through Structures: The BASIC ACTION SENTENCE

THE BASIC ACTION SENTENCE: WHO or WHAT + ACTION (subject + predicate) MST=Main Sentence Trunk

The Basic Action Sentence Subject and Predicate The basic action sentence has two parts: the part that tells: 1. WHO or WHAT is doing the action, plus the ACTION itself. The ACTION tells what the subject did in the past, is doing now, or will do in the future. The WHO or WHAT part is often called the subject of the sentence. The ACTION part is often called the predicate.

Examples who + action 1. MST=The boy rode on a sled. what + action 2. MST=The wagon rolled down the hill. SAMPLE 'WHO/WHAT's" the baker, the fireman, the cat, the shark, the magician, the dancer. the spider, the artist, the surfer, the clown, the dinosaur, the thief, the teacher, the train, the airplane, SAMPLE ACTIONS: …ran to the store, barked, swam in the ocean, …painted a picture. put out the fire. scared the …people. performed a trick, ate apple pie, …arrived early, practiced a new dance, …decided to play.jumped, taught the class

THE TRUNK The trunk is the main part of a tree! Without it a tree would not be possible. The Basic Action: Sentence is like the trunk of a tree in that there could be NO sentence without it. The Basic Action Sentence (the part that tells WHO or WHAT plus the ACTION) might be thought of as the MAIN SENTENCE TRUNK. Just as there would be no tree without a trunk, there would be no sentence without a MAIN SENTENCE TRUNK!

WHO or WHAT + ACTION GROUP 1 and ACTION GROUP 2. (subject + compound predicate) In the Basic Action Sentence, the WHO or WHAT may do two separate actions. EXAMPLE: who + action group 1 and action group The man jumped from the roof and landed on his feet.

YOUR TURN DIRECTIONS: Write a sentence with the pattern: WHO or WHAT + action group 1 and action group 2. EXAMPLE: what + action group 1 and action group 2. The penguin threw a snowball and hit the other penguin in the head.

DIRECTIONS: Write a 2 sentence narrative sequence Sentence 1: use the following pattern: WHO or WHAT + ACTION GROUP 1 and ACTION GROUP 2. Sentence 2: make it short EXAMPLE #1: Sentence 1:The girl danced peacefully and twirled with grace in her beautiful, flowing gown. Sentence 2: She looked like an angel. EXAMPLE #2 Sentence 1: The bird sat on a small branch in the oak tree and chirped a sweet tune. Sentence 2: Then, it flew away. *GOLDEN RULE REMINDER: Vary phrase length!*

In the Basic Action Sentence, the WHO or WHAT may do three separate actions. Use commas to separate each action group. EXAMPLE: who + action group 1, action group 2, and action group 3. The squirrel sat on a limb, held a nut in his paws, and began to eat.

WRITE! Write a sentence with the following pattern that has three action groups: WHO or WHAT + action group 1, action group 2, and action group 3. EXAMPLE: The cat batted at the ball, looked around, and ran up the curtain with great speed. Look at the pattern: long, short, long.

EXAMPLES The little boy-SUBJECT/WHO ACTION/VERB #1: played with his trucks, ACTION/VERB #2: colored a picture, ACTION/VERB #3: and created a building with blocks. The little boy played with his trucks, colored a picture, and created a building with blocks. Lightening-SUBJECT/WHAT ACTION/VERB #1: flashed in the sky, ACTION/VERB #2: crackled, ACTION/VERB #3: and hit the ground with a great sound. Lightening flashed in the sky, crackled, and hit the ground with a great sound.