Sentence Combining

Sentence Combining Examples

• • Example: Base clause: The dog ran after the bus.

  • Sentence to be embedded: The dog is yellow.

  • Student-generated solution: The yellow dog ran after the bus.

Connecting words to be used as a sentence-combining tool appear in parentheses at the end of a sentence that is to be combined with the base clause.

• • Example: Base clause: The car stalled.

  • Sentence to be combined: The car ran out of gas. (because)

  • Student-generated solution: The car stalled because it ran out of gas.

The element(s) of any sentence to be embedded in the base clause are underlined.

• • Example: Base clause: The economic forecast resulted in strong stock market gains.

  • Sentence to be embedded: The economic forecast was upbeat.

  • Student-generated solution: The upbeat economic forecast resulted in strong stock market gains.

References

• • Graham, S., & Perin, D. (2007). Writing next: Effective strategies to improve writing of adolescents in middle and high schools - A report to Carnegie Corporation of New York. Washington, DC Alliance for Excellent Education.

  • Robinson, L. K., & Howell, K. W. (2008). Best practices in curriculum-based evaluation & written expression. In A. Thomas & J. Grimes (Eds.), Best practices in school psychology V (pp. 439-452). Bethesda, MD: National Association of School Psychologists.

  • Saddler, B. (2005). Sentence combining: A sentence-level writing intervention. The Reading Teacher, 58, 468-471.

  • Strong, W. (1986). Creative approaches to sentence combining. Urbana, OL: ERIC Clearinghouse on Reading and Communication Skill & National Council of Teachers of English.

from "Intervention Central"

www.interventioncentral.org/academic-interventions/writing/sentence-combining-teaching-rules-sentence-structure-doing