Writing Strong Sentences, Lesson 1
Grade 7
Lesson Title:
Writing Strong Sentences: Lesson 1
Lesson Overview:
The purpose of this lesson is to help students write strong sentences by understanding simple, compound, and
complex sentences; understanding subject-verb agreement; and using consistent verb tenses.
Materials Needed:
Writing Strong Sentences, Lesson 1 PowerPoint and Writing Strong Sentences, Lesson 1 Handout
Instructional Focus Addressed:
Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
Explicit Instruction (steps):
1.
Explain to students that they will learn how to write strong sentences by identifying complete
sentences as well as understanding the distinctions among simple, compound, and complex
sentences.
2.
Explain that they will also learn to write sentences with consistent verb tenses and proper
subject-verb agreement.
Modeled Instruction (steps):
1.
Review with students that strong sentences are coherent, unified, and consistent.
2.
Review with students that in order to write strong sentences, they must understand the basics
of sentence formation. Explain that sentences express a complete thought and consist of a
subject and predicate. Explain that the subject tells what or whom the sentence is about, while
the predicate tells what the subject does, has, or is. Explain the predicate also contains the
verb.
3.
Explain to students that it is important to understand the basic construction of simple
sentences. Explain that with a solid understanding of basic sentences it is easy to add relevant
details to strengthen and improve sentences. Explain that simple sentences can have
compound subjects and predicates. Point out to students the distinctions among each in the
example sentences.
4.
Explain to students that only using simple sentences is boring and unsophisticated. Compound
sentences allow the writer to combine similar ideas. In order to do this well, writers need to
know how to correctly join sentences so the writing is coherent and unified.
5.
Explain to students that using complex sentences will help them add relevant details to their
writing. Explain that relevant details are facts and ideas that provide additional information to
the reader and make the writing more coherent. Point out that it is important to note that
dependent clauses must be combined with main clauses in order to avoid a sentence fragment.
For example: “That grandma had planted” and “Because the drought had lasted for years” both
contain a subject and verb, but they do not express a complete thought.
6.
Explain to students that no matter what type of sentence construction they choose, the subject
and verb must always agree. Explain that this generally means that singular subjects get
singular verbs and plural subjects get plural verbs.
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Copyright © 2015 by Write Score LLC
Writing Strong Sentences, Lesson 1
Grade 7
7.
8.
9.
Explain to students that in creating strong sentences, it is important to use verb forms and
tenses consistently. Explain that if a writer starts out writing in the past tense, past tense
should be used throughout, unless there is a reason for a shift in tense. Similarly, verb forms
should be consistent throughout. Ex: Jenna played, danced, and was studying after school.
Explain to students that in this example the verb shifts from past to past progressive, but there
is no reason for the shift. Jenna was not studying and playing and dancing at the same time.
Explain to students that they should ask themselves questions about their writing to assess the
strength of their sentences. They should be sure their sentences are complete; subjects and
verbs agree; verb tenses are consistent; and a combination of sentence types with relevant
details and phrases are included.
Guided Instruction (steps):
1.
Distribute the handout.
2.
Tell students to:
a.
Turn to a partner.
b.
Read and discuss the paragraph.
c.
In the space above each underlined word, rewrite the correct form of the verb.
d.
Change all verbs to the present tense.
3.
Allow students time to discuss.
4.
Once all partner groups have finished, have students share their answers in whole group.
5.
Check for understanding and correct any misconceptions.
Independent Practice (steps):
1.
Instruct students:
a.
Now that the verb tenses are consistent, revise the paragraph, making stronger
sentences by combining details and ideas to create compound and complex sentences.
b.
You may have no more than 4 sentences, and all facts from the sentences above must
be included.
c.
Be sure to join sentences correctly.
d.
Feel free to revise the paragraph further by improving word choice as well.
2.
Monitor student progress.
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Copyright © 2015 by Write Score LLC