1. Thursday, November 15th Agenda: Quick Write C-Notes
Topic: Sentence Fluency
Level: Identify & Apply
Agenda:
Quick Write
C-Notes
Dancing the Fluency Dance
Assessments/Assignments:
Quick Write
Book Wars – White Handout
Homework: TBD

2. Topic: Sentence Fluency EQ: What is sentence fluency?
Sentence fluency gives a piece a sense of rhythm and grace.
It is achieved through:
Logic
Creative phrasing
Absence of redundancy
A variety of sentence types and lengths
Can you read the piece quickly and get the main idea?

3. Problem 1: Short, choppy, bite-sized sentences
We went to the beach. We had fun. We saw seagulls.
Vary beginning and combine sentences:
Despite being overrun by pesky seagulls, we had fun at the beach.

4. Problem 2: All sentences begin the same way-boring!
In your notes, re-write the following sentence in as many ways as you can in 3 minutes. Do not change the meaning of the sentence.
“You have to be clever to survive school.”
Sentence fluency AVOIDS repetition and stating of the obvious.

5. Cutting the Fat!
The stadium has ample parking space for fans’ automobiles.
The stadium has ample parking space.

6. Transitions A transition word directly tells the reader the
logical relationship between one idea and
another idea.
Transition
Idea
Idea

7. Transitions Look at the two groups of sentences below.
Which sentences read more smoothly?
My friend, Marcos, loves to play sports and is very athletic. He has won a scholarship to play football at a university next year.
My friend, Marcos, loves to play sports and is very athletic. In fact, he has won a scholarship to play football at a university next year.

8. What are transition words?
Transitions
What are transition words?

9. Transitions - one clause and another clause
Transitions are words that help make
your writing more coherent. They create
connections between:
- one clause and another clause
- one sentence and another sentence
- one group of sentences and the next group of sentences

10. Connecting Two Sentences
You can use a transition and comma to tell the reader the logical relationship between two sentences.
In fact,
he plays three sports at school.
Marcos is very athletic.
Marcos is very athletic. In fact, he plays three sports at school.

11. Placement of Transition
Rather than placing the transition at the beginning of the second sentence, you may place it in the middle of the second sentence after the subject with two commas.
Marcos is very athletic.
transition
He, in fact, plays three sports at school.
subject

12. Transitions in Longer Writing
When writing a paragraph or a larger piece of writing, you can use a transition to show the reader the logical relationship between one group of sentences and another group of sentences.
This is useful when you want to let the reader know that you are changing from one idea to another idea.

13. Example- Longer Piece of Writing
Transition connects ideas in paragraph 2 to ideas in paragraph 1.
Essay
Introduction
Body Paragraph 1
Transition connects ideas in paragraph 3 to ideas in paragraph 2.
Body Paragraph 2: In addition,
Body Paragraph 3: Furthermore,
Conclusion:

14. Types of Transitions Relationship Transition ;moreover, ;furthermore,
Addition
Moreover
Furthermore
In addition
besides
Marcos loves to ski
he likes to fish.
;moreover,
;furthermore,
;in addition,
;besides,

15. Marcos enjoys outdoor sports he likes hiking, skiing, and fishing.
Types of Transitions
Relationship
Transition
Exemplification
For example
For instance
In particular
Marcos enjoys outdoor sports
;for example,
;for instance,
;in particular,
The second clause is more specific than the first.
he likes hiking, skiing, and fishing.

16. Types of Transitions Relationship Transition ;thus, ;consequently,
Result or Effect
Consequently Accordingly
Thus Hence
Therefore As a result
;thus,
;consequently,
;therefore,
;hence,
;as a result,
;accordingly,
Marcos broke his leg
he can’t play basketball.

17. Marcos plays basketball he plays every Saturday.
Types of Transitions
Relationship
Transition
Reinforcement/Emphasis
Indeed
In fact
Marcos plays basketball
The transition and second clause reemphasize the first clause.
;in fact,
;indeed,
he plays every Saturday.

18. One day there was a seven year old boy called Will. He loved to write
One day there was a seven year old boy called Will. He loved to write. In his life he has made ten great books. They read them every day in school. But there was a kid who hated Will. He was called Eric. He decided to make bigger stories than Will, using 14 pages of his draft book. Now that for Will was a problem. So, to get things back to normal he used whole draft books. The war began. Will used 5 draft books. Eric used 10. Will used so many because he was behind that he used 100 draft books. Eric only used 20 draft books. Will patted Eric on the shoulder and said Eric I wish we were friends. The war stopped. They became friends.
Re-write this story.
Combine sentences
Cut the fat
Insert transitions
Sentence Fluency rating of 2