1. Characteristics of Strong Writing 1.Idea Development (Unity & Development) 2.Organization (Format, Coherence, &Cohesion) 3.Voice & Audience 4.Sentence Fluency 5.Word Choice 6.Conventions

2. Sentence Fluency Adapted from http://www.jjuriaan.com/Sentence_Fluency.htmhttp://www.jjuriaan.com/Sentence_Fluency.htm SENTENCE FLUENCY is the readability of your writing. The sentences should flow smoothly from one to the next. The writing should sound natural--the way someone might talk. The sentences should have different beginnings, lengths, and structures. You should use complete sentences, not fragments. How do we check sentence fluency or readability?

3. Common Sentence Beginnings Adapted from http://www.ehow.com/how_7906729_vary-sentence-beginnings.htmlhttp://www.ehow.com/how_7906729_vary-sentence-beginnings.html 1.The most common sentence pattern is to write the subject first, followed by the verb: Weeds are important too because birds eat the seeds. 2.Reverse the sentence to begin with the dependent adverbial clause Because birds eat the seeds, weeds are important too.

4. 3. Begin a sentence with an infinitive phrase used as an adjective To get a head start, he arrived 20 minutes early 4. Use an infinitive phrase as a subject To get a head start was his goal. 5. Begin a sentence with a prepositional phrase and end it with the subject: From out of nowhere came a loud shriek. 6. Begin with an adverb Regretfully, I will not be able to attend the wedding.

5. 7. Begin with an "ing" participial phrase: Muttering to himself, the old man shuffled throughout the house. 8. Begin with an "ed" participial phrase: Angered by the long wait, I slammed the phone down on the receiver. 9. Start with a transitional word: Finally, we found the lost keys. 10. Begin a sentence with an appositive An obedient child, Samantha turned off the light and went to sleep.

6. When and How to check sentence fluency? Adapted from http://www.scribd.com/doc/6869281/The-6-traits-assignment-and-rubrichttp://www.scribd.com/doc/6869281/The-6-traits-assignment-and-rubric 6 Tips for Success in Sentence Fluency 1.Read Aloud – Read everything you write aloud. If some things are hard to get this, now is the time to fix it. 2.Check out the first four words – Do not use the same opener over and over: I enjoy.. I like.. I.. I 3.Don’t get breathless – Separate one sentence from another. Stop one thought before you start another. 4.Read other people’s writing aloud – Find the most fluent writing you can. Read it aloud and really listen to the rhythms.

7. http://www.cyberspaces.net/6traits/mini-sf.html 1.We went to the beach. It was sunny. It was warm. We had fun. We flew kites. We ate snacks. 2.We spent a warm, sunny day at the beach. When we got hungry we had a snack. Later on, we flew kites high in the sky. It was a great day!

8. I love living in the city. I have a wonderful view of the entire city. I have an apartment. I can see the Golden Gate Bridge. I can see many cargo ships pass under the bridge each day. I like the restaurants in San Francisco. I can find wonderful food from just about every country. I don’t like the traffic in the city. I love living in the city of San Francisco. I have a wonderful view of the entire city from my apartment window. In addition, I can see the Golden Gate Bridge under which many cargo ships pass each day. I also like San Francisco because I can find wonderful restaurants with food from just about every country; however, I don’t like the traffic in the city.

9. Combine the following sentences using –ing modifiers: 1 – She performed the surgery with great skill. 2 – She saved the patient’s life. 1 – They conducted a survey of Jackson Heights residents. 2 – They found that most opposed construction of the airport.

10. ed- Participle 1 – Judith is alarmed by the increase in meat prices. 2 – Judith has become a vegetarian. 1 – The term paper was revised and rewritten. 2 – It received an A. 1 – Duffy was surprised by the interruption. 2 – He lost his train of thought.

11. Appositives 1 – Carlos is the new wrestling champion. 2 – He is a native of Argentina. 3 – Carlos, a native of Argentina, is the new wrestling champion. -OR- 3 – A native of Argentina, Carlos is the new wrestling champion. 1 – Naomi wants to become a fashion model. 2 – She is the daughter of an actress. 1 – My uncle taught me to use water colors. 2 – He is a well-known artist.

12. Questions are taken from http://www.kimskorner4teachertalk.com/writing/sixtrait/sentencefluency/read.htmlhttp://www.kimskorner4teachertalk.com/writing/sixtrait/sentencefluency/read.html 1.The best way to evaluate sentence fluency in a writing piece, is to listen to it read aloud. As it is read aloud, ask the following questions. 2.Does the reader have any areas where he runs out of breath? If so, look at those areas for possible run-on sentences. 3.Do any areas of the reading sound short and choppy? If so, check those areas for fragments and an overuse of simple sentences. Combine some of the sentences. 4.Are there any fragments, or incomplete thoughts? If so, do they add to the message? If not, rewrite the fragments so that they are complete sentences. 5.Do several sentences begin in the same way? If so, rewrite the sentences so that they have different beginnings.

13. 6.Do several sentences sound the same? If so, rework some of the sentence structures. 7.Do the sentences all seem to be of the same length? If so, rewrite some of the sentences to add variety in the length. 8.Does the reader get lost and have to backtrack in any areas? If so, look at how the sentences are connected to each other. Rewrite them so that their relationship is more clear. 9.Does it sound like the way a person would normally speak? If not, rewrite the sentences to sound the way a person would talk. 10.Do any areas of the reading sound effortless, flowing, and rhythmic? If so, these areas contain good sentence fluency. 11.Do any areas invite expressive, oral reading? If so, they contain good sentence fluency.