Sentence Structure and Grammar

These resources teach students about sentence structure and grammar so they can use a greater variety of sentences in their own writing. Students analyse sentences and then write their own. I have used the resources with 11 to 15-year-olds.

Sentence Structure teaches the parts of sentence and sentence patterns. It starts by defining ‘subject’ and ‘verb’. Students write sentences using the subject + verb pattern. Objects, complements and adverbials are introduced one at a time, and students write sentences using various patterns.

Beginning Sentences in Different Ways shows how many sentences begin with subject + verb. It then has the students experiment with other ways to start, for example, using a prepositional phrase or a subordinate clause. This activity works best if the students have already written something they can improve.

Building Better Sentences begins with students writing three simple sentences. They then add prepositional phrases of reason and place, adjectives, a relative clause, a prepositional phrase of time, an appositive, a strong verb, and make other changes. All of the terminology is explained with examples. Practising changing sentences so deliberately gets the students to understand how they can very their own sentences.

Finite and Non-Finite Verbs teaches the students to distinguish between the two so they can tell whether something is a phrase or a clause.

How can we rearrange words in a sentence? The students are given 5 words. They see how many ways they can put them together so that they make sense. Seven possibilities are then given. This is repeated for another five words. The students enjoy the game aspects of this activity.

Major and Minor Sentences teaches them to recognise which is which. A definition of a sentence is given before students are asked to judge examples, holding up fingers to show which they think each is. (This allows the teacher to see who understands.) There is a competition where students wager points on their answers. This resource also deals with the rule that some primary school teachers still drum into pupils that you can’t start a sentence with ‘because’.