Writing Skills
Builder
Level 6
English
Scholastic Study Smart: Writing Skills Builder (Level 6) © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Copyright © 2013 Scholastic Education International (Singapore) Private Limited
All rights reserved.
Previously published as Success with Writing and Week-by-Week Homework for Building
Writing Skills Grades 3–5 by Scholastic Inc.
This edition published by Scholastic Education International (Singapore) Private Limited
A division of Scholastic Inc.
No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher. For information
regarding permission, write to:
Scholastic Education International (Singapore) Private Limited
81 Ubi Avenue 4 #02-28 UB.ONE Singapore 408830
[email protected]
First edition 2013
ISBN 978-981-07-3284-4
Scholastic Study Smart: Writing Skills Builder (Level 6) © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Welcome to
!
Writing Skills Builder provides opportunities for the
systematic development of your child’s writing skills as she
progresses from word to sentence to paragraph.
It is often a challenge to help children develop their writing
skills. The high-interest topics and engaging exercises in this
book will both stimulate and encourage your child to
develop the necessary skills to become an independent
writer. As your child encounters a variety of texts and
language features, she will learn to select the appropriate
language structures for her writing. She will also learn to
plan, write and proofread her writing.
Every section targets a specific skill and there are two
mini-projects that are appropriately placed to ensure that
your child uses the skills she has picked up in previous
sections.
How to use this book?
1.Introduce the target writing skill at the top of the page to
your child.
2.Direct her attention to the Note, where there is one, and
go through the skills tip with your child.
3. Let your child complete the writing exercises.
4.Reinforce your child’s learning with an extension activity
at the end of each activity. These activities provide
additional practice, and extend your child’s learning of
the particular writing skill.
5.Refer to the Writing Tips section of the end of the book
for a recap of some fundamental strategies to better
your child’s writing.
Note: T o avoid the awkward ‘he or she‘ construction, the pronouns on
this page and in the parents’ notes will refer to the female gender.
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Scholastic Study Smart: Writing Skills Builder (Level 6) © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Contents
Using Commas in Sentences....................................... 6–7
Punctuating Dialogue..................................................... 8
Fixing Run-on Sentences......................................... 10–12
Writing Sentences....................................................... 13
Writing Questions for Interviews................................... 14
Making Meaning Clearer....................................... 15–16
Varying Sentence Length........................................ 18–19
Adding Variety in Sentences......................................... 20
Expanding Sentences............................................ 21–22
Combining Sentences with Conjunctions.................. 23–24
Combining Subjects, Objects and Predicates................. 25
Combining Sentences Using Appositives.................. 26–27
Combining Sentences to Make Compound Sentences...... 28
Combining Details from Several Sentences............... 29–31
Using Figurative Language: Similes............................... 32
Using Figurative Language: Metaphors.................... 33–34
Using Figurative Language: Alliteration.......................... 35
Using Figurative Language: Hyperboles......................... 36
Using Figurative Language: Personification............... 37–38
Using Personification and Hyperboles............................ 39
Using Metaphors, Similes, Personification
and Hyperboles..................................................... 40
Using Figurative Language: Idioms................................ 41
Writing Specific Details............................................... 42
Using Pronouns in Writing............................................ 43
Writing to Set the Tone................................................ 44
Eliminating Unnecessary Words in Sentences................. 45
Choosing Exact Words...........................................46–47
Mini Writing Project 1................................ 48–49
Identifying Parts of a Paragraph.............................. 50–51
Completing a Sequenced Paragraph ...................... 52–54
Using an Outline to Organize Information...................... 55
Organizing Facts and Details into Paragraphs................ 56
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Scholastic Study Smart: Writing Skills Builder (Level 6) © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Using Time Order in Paragraphs............................. 58–60
Writing Supporting Sentences....................................... 61
Writing Facts and Opinions................................... 63–64
Writing Introductions: Using Questions.................... 65–66
Writing Introductions: Using Descriptive Vocabulary........ 67
Writing Introductions: Using Dialogue........................... 68
Writing Introductions: Restating the Prompt..................... 69
Writing Conclusions.................................................... 70
Writing a Descriptive Paragraph............................. 71–72
Writing Topic Sentences.............................................. 74
Writing Strong Endings................................................ 75
Writing Supporting Details for Topic Sentences............... 76
Learning More About Topic and Supporting Sentences.... 78
Writing from Different Points of View....................... 80–82
Writing a Comparison Paragraph........................... 84–85
Writing a Persuasive Paragraph................................... 86
Using Facts and Opinions to Persuade........................... 88
Writing Cause and Effect Sentences.............................. 90
Writing a Cause and Effect Paragraph.......................... 91
Planning an Expository Paragraph.......................... 92–93
Writing an Expository Paragraph.................................. 94
Writing Elaboration Paragraphs............................. 96–97
Planning a News Story................................................ 98
Writing a News Story.................................................. 99
Writing From Illustrations........................................... 100
Writing Directions..................................................... 102
Writing Instructions................................................... 103
Planning and Writing a Book Review.......................... 104
Planning a Story............................................... 106–108
Proofreading.................................................... 109–112
Proofreading a Text........................................... 113–114
Mini Writing Project 2............................ 115–116
Writing Tips..................................................... 117–121
Answers........................................................... 122–127
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Scholastic Study Smart: Writing Skills Builder (Level 6) © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Date:
Using Commas in Sentences
Note
Use a comma
• after each item in a series, except before the word and
• after introductory words like yes, no and well.
• before a conjunction that joins two sentences.
• to separate geographical names and dates.
Write a sentence to answer each question. Include commas where they
are needed.
And the Winner Is . . .
1.On what day and date will you celebrate your next birthday?
2.If you could choose to live in any city or town in any country, where would
it be?
3. How would you complete the following sentence?
Whenever I 4.How would you use and in a sentence that tells what you had for lunch
yesterday and what you had for lunch today?
To parents
Ask your child to look for three examples of commas in sentences in an article and write them on a
sheet of paper. Then ask her to identify the comma rule that was used.
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Scholastic Study Smart: Writing Skills Builder (Level 6) © Scholastic Teaching Resources
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Using Commas in Sentences
Note
We also use commas to set off an appositive from the rest of
the sentence.
The Pen to Paper Club, a writers’ organization, sponsored a contest.
Correct the following sentences by crossing out the incorrectly placed commas.
Pay attention to the words in bold.
Comma Courtesy
1.During recess, at the canteen, the principal noticed the uneaten food left on
the tables, the overworked cleaners, and the wet floor.
2.We were late for school, because Dad, who is a late riser, could not wake
up early enough to send us.
3.His rude, boorish behavior, made it difficult for him to make and
keep friends.
4.In order to lose weight, Farah began jogging around the
track, which was just around the corner from her house.
5.“Call me when you are free,” Sammy told Nathan. “I have
an interesting, proposition for you,” she added.
6.Unlike Rachel, Ryan had time to finish his homework,
and complete some revision exercises.
7.“With great power comes great responsibility, Peter,”
said Uncle Ben, as he drew his last breath.
8.Max entered the contest, and won a trip to Orlando,
Florida.
To parents
Ask your child to review the sentences above and identify the rules that they adhere to. Point them
to the rules of comma usage on pages 6 and 7.
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Scholastic Study Smart: Writing Skills Builder (Level 6) © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Date:
Punctuating Dialogue
We include dialogues in our stories to let our readers know
what the characters are saying. Remember to
Note
• Begin and end all dialogues with quotation marks.
• Capitalize the first word of the dialogue.
• Put all punctuation marks within the quotation marks.
•Indent or start a new paragraph each time a new speaker speaks.
We include dialogue tags such as Marlon said, she asked or
Betty exclaimed to let the reader know who is talking. These
tags can be placed at the beginning, the middle or at the end of
a sentence.
Revise the following sentences with quotation marks, commas question marks,
exclamation marks, full stops and capital letters.
“Say What?”
1. speak softly someone might hear us whispered Bill
2.you better watch your words young man Mother warned or you’ll be
grounded for the next one week
3.Stanley asked aloud wouldn’t it be great to just enjoy the view for a while
4. you should see that gorilla it’s enormous exclaimed Kevin
5.Sally complained i’m always waiting for you can you try to be early for once
6. don’t cry little girl Jamie reassured the child everything will be okay
7. weeping uncontrollably she burst out this is so unfair
8. the hungry child asked please can i have some bread
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Scholastic Study Smart: Writing Skills Builder (Level 6) © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Read the following passage. Revise the segment in the space provided by
including the correct punctuation and formatting. Remember to start a new
paragraph each time a new speaker speaks.
would you like a cup of coffee renee asked the
homeless man no thank you too much caffeine keeps
me up at night I would like some food though before
renee knew what was happening the man shouted out
across the café can somebody take my order a tall
waitress looking as cross as a bear with a toothache
marched up and barked what do you want bring me a
bowl of mushroom soup the biggest croissant you have
and a tall glass of milk the man rattled off thank you
for buying me lunch thanks to your generosity I now
can sleep with a full belly tonight
To parents
Ask your child to add one or two sentences of dialogue to the text above to continue the story.
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Fixing Run-on Sentences
Do you sometimes run together several ideas into one long,
run-on sentence?
According to my grandma, it is a good idea to eat chicken
soup when you have a cold and believe it or not, scientists
agree with her the protein in the soup fights the stuffiness by
thinning out the lining of your sinuses.
Note
You can easily fix a run-on sentence by rewriting each complete
idea as a separate sentence. Begin each sentence with a capital
letter and end it with the correct punctuation mark.
According to my grandma, it is a good idea to eat chicken soup
when you have a cold. Believe it or not, scientists agree with
her! The protein in the soup fights the stuffiness by thinning out
the lining of your sinuses.
Use any of the methods above to fix the following run-on sentences.
Rein in the Run-ons!
1.I wanted to have dinner at home but my sister wanted to eat out and in the
end we went to a fast-food outlet.
2.Most people think burping loudly is rude but that is not always the case
because in some cultures it shows that you appreciate the food you
have eaten.
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Scholastic Study Smart: Writing Skills Builder (Level 6) © Scholastic Teaching Resources
3.Fergie is my faithful dog and he follows me wherever I go and he loves to
play fetch and will always wait eagerly for me to return from school and he
also likes to eat dry dog biscuits and nibble on bones.
4.Janet has always been optimistic she never lets anything sadden her and
she and even on the rare occasion that she is feeling down she goes out for
a walk or writes in her journal or talks the problem out with her good friend
she usually feels much better soon after that.
5.We need to leave immediately and if we do
not hurry we will miss our flight and if that
happens that will be disastrous, we will miss
our connecting flight we will be late for your
brother’s graduation ceremony and may even
have to miss it altogether!
To parents
Take a short paragraph from a storybook and rewrite it without punctuation in a continuous run-on
sentence. Then ask your child to fix the run-on sentences.
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Scholastic Study Smart: Writing Skills Builder (Level 6) © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Date:
Fixing Run-on Sentences
Rewrite each run-on sentence correctly.
Lots of Words
1.Did you know that carrots really are good for your eyes there is a vitamin in
this crunchy orange root called beta-carotene that helps lower the risk of eye
disease and so the next time you find carrot sticks in your lunch don’t trade
them or toss them away munch away in good health instead?
2.Do you like potato chips, cookies, cake, and ice cream if you’re like me,
you probably do and I’m sure you also know that these wonderful taste
treats are considered to be junk food and it is a good idea to eat small
amounts of food with a lot of fat, oil, sugar, and salt?
3.Think about all the foods you eat and are they nutritious and do they have
all the vitamins and minerals your body needs to be healthy, or are they full
of fats, sugar, and salt use the food pyramid to make healthful choices because you are what you eat.
To parents
Ask your child to reread a report, composition or story she had recently written. Ask your child to
look for run-on sentences and rewrite them correctly.
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Scholastic Study Smart: Writing Skills Builder (Level 6) © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Date:
Writing Sentences
Use any or all of the words in each group to write four kinds of sentences. One
sentence has been completed for you. Begin and end each sentence correctly.
Body Facts
do how you many times breathe minute is per that count twenty
humans fast
Interrogative: How many times per minute do humans breathe?
Declarative:
Imperative:
Exclamatory:
sixty-five believe the is body water about percent I it don’t really
Interrogative:
Declarative:
Imperative:
Exclamatory:
how did read small twenty-two long you are the feet about
intestines
Interrogative:
Declarative:
Imperative:
Exclamatory:
To parents
Ask your child to look at the words in the three boxes and try to form four new sentences — one of
each kind of sentence.
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Scholastic Study Smart: Writing Skills Builder (Level 6) © Scholastic Teaching Resources
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Writing Questions for Interviews
Note
We usually begin a question with
• question words like who, what, where, when, why or how.
• helping verbs like is, are, was, were, do, does, did, can or could.
For each category, write the name of a person you would like to interview. Then
write several questions you would ask to learn more about the person. Try to
avoid questions with yes or no answers.
Get the Scoop
1. an interesting fictional character:
2. an early explorer:
3. a favorite rock star:
4. someone you admire:
5. an elderly person:
To parents
Ask your child to prepare a list of questions to interview you. Role-play the interview and ask your
child to record your responses.
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Scholastic Study Smart: Writing Skills Builder (Level 6) © Scholastic Teaching Resources
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Making Meaning Clearer
Note
Choose and arrange the words in your sentences so that your
meaning is clear. Look at the following sentences.
Eating a bowl of curds and whey, a spider frightened
Miss Muffet away.
While Miss Muffet was eating a bowl of curds and whey, a
spider frightened her away.
Notice that in the first sentence, it is unclear if the spider or
Miss Muffet was eating the curds and whey.
The meaning is unclear in the sentences below. Rearrange each sentence to
make the meaning clear. As you revise, remember that you can also add and
remove words. There may be more than one possible way to fix each sentence.
Sentence Sense
1. When she was just a puppy, my sister taught Sunshine many tricks.
2. The students cheered for their team in the bleachers.
3. My mother for teasing my little brother scolded me.
4. The saleswoman sold shirts to the tourists with rainbows on them.
5. As a preschooler, Dad taught me to read.
6. We heard about the missing painting that was found on the news today.
To parents
Ask your child to look for sentences in her recent writing in which the meaning is unclear. Ask her
to revise each sentence.
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Date:
Making Meaning Clearer
Note
Sometimes, a writer can confuse a reader with repetitive pronouns
in a paragraph.
Back in the hut, Charles and James were freezing from the
blizzard. They decided to make fire. They looked around for
wood, but there was none. He saw his brother turning pale. He
knew he had to hurry.
It is not clear who said or did what in the above paragraph. The
writer could vary the sentences to make his meaning clear by
naming the characters and beginning the sentences in different
ways.
Back in the hut, Charles and James were freezing from the
blizzard. They decided to make fire. The two brothers looked
around for wood, but there was none. Seeing his brother
turning pale, Charles knew he had to hurry.
Continue the passage above. Revise the paragraph below to make it clearer
who did what.
Then, he spotted an old chair at a corner and smashed
it against the wall. He flung the broken pieces into the
fireplace. He lit a match close to the wood, but it did
not burn. He lit another, and the wind blew it out! He
turned and he was all curled up shivering on the floor.
He knew he must do something quick!
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Write a paragraph on how two friends helped each other after they had fallen
down the hill in a trekking trip. The beginning of the paragraph has been
provided for you.
Amy and Rina rubbed the leaves off their bodies. It had been a rough fall! They
must get back up the hill. “Ouch!” cried Amy as she tried to stand.
To parents
Choose a short paragraph from a favorite storybook. Ask your child to change some of the
pronouns so that different characters are doing the various actions in the paragraph. Then review
how this changes the story.
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Varying Sentence Length
Note
Having some long and some short sentences in your writing will
prevent your writing from sounding too boring.
I woke up and realized I had nothing to do. Nobody was at
home. Everyone had gone out. I did not go because I had the
flu. I did not know what to do.
All the sentences in the paragraph above begin in almost the same
way and are about the same length. Here’s how you can vary the
sentences and inject some fun into your writing.
Dreary days like this make me miserable. I had nothing to do!
Everyone had gone out except me and all because I had the flu.
What should I do?
Now expand on the following topics. Remember to include long and
short sentences.
The Long and the Short of It
1. It was a fine, sunny day.
2. It was pizza night.
3. Dad was busy.
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Varying Sentence Length
Write one long sentence, one short sentence, and a sentence fragment for each
topic below. Remember, a sentence fragment is a group of words that lacks
a subject, a verb or both. Try to make the fragment work with the other two
sentences so the paragraph makes sense.
The Long and Short of It
1. Topic: You are enjoying a cool drink on a hot day.
2. Topic: Someone just stole your bicycle.
3. Topic: Describe your bedroom.
To parents
Ask your child to add one more paragraph to any of the above topics.
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Adding Variety in Sentences
Note
Changing the orders of the words in a sentence can make it
more interesting.
The telephone rang just as the girls were about to leave.
Just as the girls were about to leave, the phone rang.
Rewrite each sentence by changing the order of the words.
Show Time
1. Marta watched for the bus while Gina answered the phone.
2. The caller hung up just as Gina said, “Hello.”
3. The girls were going to miss the one o’clock show unless they hurried.
4. The bus had already come and gone by the time they got to the corner.
5. The next bus to town finally showed up after the girls had waited a half hour.
6.The girls decided to catch the four o’clock show since they missed the
earlier show.
7. They wouldn’t have to stand in line later since Gina bought the tickets first.
To parents
Ask your child to read the example sentences and say which one created more suspense.
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Scholastic Study Smart: Writing Skills Builder (Level 6) © Scholastic Teaching Resources
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Expanding Sentences
There are many types of adjectives you can use to expand a sentence. They are
organized in this order:
Opinion
cute
expensive
dark
Size
little
Age
old
Shape
Colour
white
Origin
Chinese
round
small
Javanese
Material
porcelain
golden
wooden
Purpose
jewelry
Noun
vase
box
hut
Expand each noun with three suitable adjectives in any column.
Opinion
Size
Age
Shape
Colour
Origin
Material
Purpose
Noun
bully
map
temple
coin
Expand each sentence with appropriate adjectives.
1.Tim had been lost in the desert for hours. His throat was so ______________
that it felt ______________ each time he swallowed his saliva.
2.Jane tried to sleep, but the noise from her neighbour’s radio was just too
______________. Jane wished she had the guts to tell him off, but she was
too ______________.
3.The police stopped the car. Uncle Donald looked ______________ as his
hands gripped the steering wheel tight. His eyes were ______________
staring at the policeman knocking on his window.
4.Dad had been keeping his money in his pocket, so Mum bought him a
______________ ______________ wallet. Dad loved the smooth brown texture
of the wallet.
To parents
Ask your child to add adjectives to describe some of the items she sees in the house.
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Expanding Sentences
Add to each list of adjectives, adverbs and prepositional phrases.
Clearly Interesting
Adjectives
lonely
old
friendly
beautiful
frightened
Adverbs
calmly
eagerly
continuously
quickly
yesterday
Prepositional Phrases
over the bridge through the woods across the lake out of the building during rush hour ___________
_____________
______________________________________________________
___________
_____________
______________________________________________________
___________
_____________
______________________________________________________
with my friends
until noon
of commuters
under the bed
into the water
Use some of the words and phrases above to expand each sentence. The first
one has been done for you.
The frightened, little kitten ran quickly under the bed.
1. The kitten ran.
2. Thousands left.
3. The man walked.
4. The students sat.
5. I went.
To parents
Challenge your child to form more expanded sentences using the list of adjectives, adverbs and
prepositional phrases.
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Combining Sentences with Conjunctions
Note
You can use words such as when, because, while and before to
combine two sentences with related ideas into one sentence with
a main clause and a dependent clause. A clause is a group of
words with a subject and a predicate. A dependent clause
cannot stand alone. An independent clause can stand alone.
You add a comma after the dependent clause only when the
dependent clause comes before the main clause.
Lee woke up late today. He realized he hadn’t set the alarm last night.
When Lee woke up late today, he realized he hadn’t set his alarm last night.
↑
This is a dependent clause.
↑
This is an independent clause.
Use the word in the brackets to combine each pair of sentences.
Applause for the Clause
1. I waited for my parents to get home. I watched a movie. (while)
2. My brother was in his room. He had homework to do. (because)
3. The movie was over. The power went out. (before)
4. I didn’t mind the dark at first. I heard a scratching sound. (until)
5. I found my flashlight. I started to look around. (when)
To parents
Ask your child to complete the following sentence: Lee woke up late today because... Remember to
check that she does not include a comma after the main clause.
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Scholastic Study Smart: Writing Skills Builder (Level 6) © Scholastic Teaching Resources
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Combining Sentences with Conjunctions
Make your story come alive with conjunctions to show contrast,
reason, condition and time sequence of actions. We use
• but to show contrast.
• in order that to show reason.
• if to show condition for an action.
• just as and after to show sequence of actions.
Note
Complete each paragraph with the appropriate conjunction in the box. You may
use each conjunction only once.
Fun With Conjunctions
but
if
just as
in order that
after
Oh no, it had happened again. Keith shook hard,
(1) __________________ nothing came out of his
wallet. (2) __________________ he could pay for the food,
Keith must needed money. Keith felt his cheeks burning as the
other pupils in the queue stared hard. (3) __________________
there was a hole right there, he would jump right in!
(4) __________________ Keith was about to leave, someone shoved a dollar note
into his hand. It was Bob, the class bully! Keith was puzzled. He had not spoken
to Bob (5) __________________ their last fight over an eraser.
Ben looked at his watch for the tenth time. It was departure time! He had to
go, (6) __________________ he had to wait for Jane. She had left
(7) __________________ they fought over who should have the window seat.
Would she return? She had to for she had the tickets! (8) __________________ he
could board the ship, Ben needed the ticket! (9) __________________ Jane did not
return in time, he would miss the ship! (10) __________________ Ben was giving
up hope, Jane appeared waving the tickets in her hand!
To parents
Ask your child to think of other conjunctions she could use to rewrite either one of the above
paragraphs. Remind her to retain the meaning and sequence of events in the paragraph.
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Combining Subjects, Objects and Predicates
Complete each pair of sentences. Then combine them into a single sentence.
Listen to the Music
1. Many songbirds eat ______________. Many songbirds eat _______________.
2. You should always _______________. You should always ________________.
3. ______________ is a famous landmark. _____________ is a famous landmark.
4. All living things need ______________. All living things need ______________.
5. ______________ hibernate in winter. ______________ hibernate in winter.
6. Many kids enjoy ______________. Many kids enjoy ______________.
To parents
Look in a book, magazine or newspaper for several sentences with compound subjects, predicates
or objects. Ask your child to rewrite the sentences as two or more short sentences and say whether
the combined or short sentences are more effective.
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Combining Sentences Using Appositives
Note
An appositive is a word or phrase that follows a noun or pronoun
and gives more information about it. If two sentences share the
same subject, you can combine the sentences using an appositive.
Commas set apart the appositive from the rest of the sentence.
The Gateway Arch is America’s tallest man-made monument.
The monument rises 630 feet above the ground.
The Gateway Arch, America’s tallest man-made
monument, rises 630 feet above the ground.
Read the sentences. Combine the ideas in each pair into one sentence by
including information in a phrase after the subject in the sentence.
Hot Subjects
1.The Caspian Sea is the world’s largest lake.
The lake covers an area about the same size as Montana.
2.The Komodo dragon is a member of the monitor family.
It can grow to a length of 10 feet.
3.Our closest star is the sun.
It is estimated to be more than 27,000,000°F.
4.Neil Armstrong was the spacecraft commander of Apollo 11.
He was the first man to walk on the moon.
To parents
Ask your child to find out two important facts about a place or a person. Ask her to write a
sentence to combine both facts like the ones on this page.
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Combining Sentences Using Appositives
Underline two sentences in each paragraph that can be combined by using an
appositive. Then write the combined sentence. Remember to include commas.
That’s Deep!
What is the world’s most expensive food? If you guessed saffron, then you are
right. Saffron is worth about $2000 an ounce. It is a spice. It takes a long time
to harvest saffron. That is why it costs so much.
The atlas moth is the world’s largest moth. It has a wingspan of about 12 inches.
Picture a dinner plate, and you’ll have a good idea about how large an atlas
moth is. They are so large that people sometimes mistake them for birds when
they are in flight. Atlas moths are found in Australia and New Guinea.
Georgia is the top peanut-producing state in the United States. It harvests over
1.3 billion pounds of peanuts each year. Georgia provides about half the
peanuts used for making peanut butter. Did you know that our country’s 39th
president was also a peanut farmer in Plains, Georgia? His name is Jimmy
Carter, and he served as president from 1977 to 1981.
Chocolate is popular throughout the world. Believe it or not, the average person
in Switzerland eats about 19 pounds of chocolate per year! That is eight pounds
more a year than the average American eats. In fact, Switzerland holds the
world record. It is a small country to the north of Italy. As a country, the Swiss
consume an annual total of about 138 million pounds of chocolate.
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Scholastic Study Smart: Writing Skills Builder (Level 6) © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Date:
Combining Sentences to Make Compound Sentences
Read the paragraph. Place brackets around the pairs of sentences that can be
combined with and, but, or or so. Then rewrite the paragraph with the combined
sentences. Remember to include commas.
Time to Experiment
My brother Alex has more “interests” than anyone I know. The novelty always
wears off very quickly. I know my brother! Last week, Alex wanted to join the
school band. He asked if he could rent a drum set. I burst out laughing. My
parents just looked at each other. I knew what they were thinking. Would they
be able to convince Alex to try something a little quieter? Would he insist on
the drums? Well, they convinced Alex to try something else. It wasn’t something
quieter. Today he informed us that he’s decided to try the tuba. In fact, the
school has an extra tuba. Mom and Dad won’t have to rent one. Needless to
say, I hope this novelty wears off very, very, very quickly!
To parents
Get your child to compare the paragraph provided with the one she wrote and say which is easier
to read and understand.
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Scholastic Study Smart: Writing Skills Builder (Level 6) © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Date:
Combining Details from Several Sentences
Note
You can combine several related sentences to make the
meaning of the sentences clearer. Sentences can be combined in
many ways.
The bird was fearless. It snatched the sandwich out of my hand.
It happened suddenly.
The fearless bird suddenly snatched the sandwich
right out of my hand.
Marilyn went to Vienna. Vienna is a popular tourist destination.
She went to Vienna for her honeymoon.
Marilyn went to Vienna, a popular tourist
destination, for her honeymoon.
Combine related details in these sentences to make an interesting paragraph.
Nemo had always been a curious kid.
He would squeeze through cracks in the coral reef.
He was looking for treasure.
He would chase after schools of fishes.
He wanted to see if he was the fastest one around.
Nemo loved his dad.
He was gentle and careful.
“Never swim near the ship,” warned Dad.
He said this every time he swam near the ship.
Dad worried too much!
Nemo couldn’t stand it.
To parents
Ask your child to think of alternative ways of combining the above sentences.
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Scholastic Study Smart: Writing Skills Builder (Level 6) © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Date:
Combining Details from Several Sentences
Read each paragraph. Put brackets around the groups of sentences with
details that can be combined into one sentence. Then rewrite the paragraph with
the changes.
Solve the Problem
What a summer I spent! It was fantastic. It was at the shore. I spent it with my
grandparents. They have a summer home. It is near Cape May. That is in New
Jersey. We went swimming. We collected shells. We fished. Their house is
right on the beach. We never had to go far. The beach was my backyard. It
was great.
My grandfather has a motorboat. It is small. It is called a runabout. He keeps
it at a marina. The marina is nearby. Gramps took me crabbing one morning. It
was before sunrise. I was half asleep. My job was tying fish heads to the lines.
The fish heads were smelly. That sure woke me up. It was worth it. We caught
crabs. They were blue. We caught six dozen. What a great dinner we had
that night!
To parents
Revisit an essay your child wrote. Ask her if there are sentences in the essay that can be combined.
Then ask your child to rewrite and combine the sentences.
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Scholastic Study Smart: Writing Skills Builder (Level 6) © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Combine related details in these sentences to make an interesting paragraph.
Robinson Crusoe’s ship had sunk and he was swept
to shore. He opened his eyes. He saw white clouds in
the sky. He tried to move. His shoulders hurt. He lay
down again. He looked around and saw no one.
He realized that he was all alone. Suddenly,
something moved among the trees in a distance.
It was brown and furry. Robinson Crusoe stared hard
at it. It stopped. He searched around for something.
He needed something to protect himself. He found a
broken branch near his feet.
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Scholastic Study Smart: Writing Skills Builder (Level 6) © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Date:
Using Figurative Language: Similes
Note
A simile makes a comparison between two unlike things, using
like or as.
Make up your own similes for each of the following situations.
Similes using like :
1. You hit your thumb with a hammer. It feels like __________________________.
2. Your little sister cut her own hair. It looks like ______________________________.
3.Your football team has lost every game this season. The players run the ball like
.
4. You have the cutest dog in the world. You think he looks like _______________.
5. You see a dime on the sidewalk. It is shining like _______________________.
Similes using as _____ as _____:
1. You hit your thumb with a hammer. It is as
2. Your little sister cut her own hair. It is as
as
as
.
.
3.Your football team has lost every game this season. The players are
as
as
.
4. You have the cutest dog in the world. He is as
as
.
5. You see a dime on the sidewalk. It is as
To parents
as
Ask your child to compare an item in the home with another object using a simile.
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Scholastic Study Smart: Writing Skills Builder (Level 6) © Scholastic Teaching Resources
.
Date:
Using Figurative Language: Metaphors
Note
A metaphor makes a comparison between two unlike things,
without using like or as.
The fog was a thick gray blanket covering the entire valley.
Finish each sentence by filling in the blank with a metaphor. Try to use more than
one word to complete each sentence.
1. The huge dictionary is
2. The cafeteria is
3. The pepperoni pizza is
4. Jose is so stubborn, he is
5. My grandmother’s cookies are
6. That tiny kitten is
7. Lisa’s new bicycle is
8. The Internet is
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Scholastic Study Smart: Writing Skills Builder (Level 6) © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Finish each sentence by filling in the blank with a metaphor. Try to use more than
one word to complete each sentence.
1. The flowers in the trees are
2. The last Harry Potter book is
3. The river is
4. The kids in the classroom are
5. This new video game that just came out is
6. This red apple is
7. The snow falling on the ground is
8. The crowded school bus is
9. The goldfish in the bowl is
10. That cloud is
11. The night is
12. My best friend is
To parents
Find a picture of a snow-covered landscape or a desert. Ask your child to think of a metaphor to
describe the scene.
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Scholastic Study Smart: Writing Skills Builder (Level 6) © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Date:
Using Figurative Language: Alliteration
Note
Alliteration is evident when two or more words start with the
same letter or sound. We may use alliteration in our daily
language, such as coffee cup, crazy cat or bouncy baby.
Some students are having lunch together. For each name, write a sentence
containing alliteration that uses the beginning letter of the name and that tells
about his or her lunch experience.
Example: Sid says his salami sandwich smells better than Sally’s soup.
1. Paul
2. Micah
3. Jennifer
Some friends are at the playground together. For each name, write a sentence
containing alliteration that uses the beginning letter of the name and that tells
about his or her playground experience.
Example: Susan slides into the slippery sand.
4. Erika
5. Bill
6. Harry
7. Julia
8. Karin:
To parents
Ask your child to think of some adjectives and nouns that start with the same letter and can be
combined, for example, slippery slide.
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Scholastic Study Smart: Writing Skills Builder (Level 6) © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Date:
Using Figurative Language: Hyperboles
Note
A hyperbole is a deliberate exaggeration.
The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife.
Read each situation below and complete the accompanying sentence with
a hyperbole. The first one has been done for you.
1.You just ran a race across the playground, and you are exhausted. You
say, “My legs are going to fall off this very minute!”
2. You just jumped into a pool only to discover that the water is freezing cold.
You say, “
!”
3. Your teacher just chose you for “student of the week.” You say, “
!”
4. You just cut your finger. You say, “
!”
5. You are watching a thunderstorm from your window. You say,
“
!”
6. Your teacher just announced that you won the art contest. You say,
“
!”
7. Your best friend just told you she is moving out of state. You say,
“
!”
8. You realize you left your backpack on the school bus. You say,
“
To parents
!”
Ask your child to think of a hyperbole to describe a situation where she has broken a window in
the house.
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Scholastic Study Smart: Writing Skills Builder (Level 6) © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Date:
Using Figurative Language: Personification
Note
Personification is evident when human characteristics and qualities are given to non-human things like animals or objects.
The moon peeked through the clouds and smiled down on us.
Fill in each blank with a word that will give the topic of the sentence a
human characteristic.
Example: The moon smiled down on the children in Halloween costumes.
1.The rusted hinges on the barn door
as the storm wind blew.
2. A gentle spring breeze
on the playground.
the children
3. The refrigerator
opened for the hundredth time that day.
as the door was
4. The baseball
night sky.
as it sailed into the
5.The old table
the books.
under the weight of
6.The puppy
when it saw the boy
coming home. (In this sentence, you can’t say “barked,” “yipped,” or
“jumped up,” because a puppy would bark or yip or jump. What would a
human do when he sees the child coming home?)
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Scholastic Study Smart: Writing Skills Builder (Level 6) © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Fill in each blank with a word that will give the topic of the sentence a
human characteristic.
Example: The computer refused to run all morning long.
1. The telephone
for the seventh time.
2. The stool
elephant.
under the weight of the
3. The flowers
in the summer sun.
4. The bulldozer
to life.
5. The sun
6. The bird
7. The wind
8. The pencil
9. The flag
10. The shoes
Write three sentences that contain personification. You can follow the form of the
sentences above.
11.
12.
13.
To parents
Ask your child to think of two more sentences that contain personification.
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Scholastic Study Smart: Writing Skills Builder (Level 6) © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Date:
Using Personification and Hyperboles
Personify the animal or object in each sentence by giving it human qualities.
Adding Spice
1. The rusted hinges on the old wooden door
2. As several birds began feasting on the farmer’s corn, the scarecrow
3. A gentle summer breeze
Complete each sentence with an example of a hyperbole.
4. The salsa was so spicy hot
5. The pumpkin grew so large
6. If we placed all the books in the library end to end, they
7. My room was so cold last night that by morning
To parents
Ask your child to listen for examples of hyperbole in conversations and make a list. Then ask her to
make up more hyperboles to add to her list.
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Scholastic Study Smart: Writing Skills Builder (Level 6) © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Date:
Using Metaphors, Similes, Personification
and Hyperboles
Note
Figurative language can be used to add details to sentences or to
enhance your writing. Metaphors, similes, hyperboles and
personification are four kinds of figurative language.
Complete each sentence with a simile, metaphor, hyperbole or personification.
Try to use each type of figurative language at least two times. Write S, M, P or
H before each sentence to label each figure of speech.
Figuratively Speaking
_____ 1. Everyone was so exhausted by the end of the day that ______________
_____ 2. Slowly meandering through the countryside, the river ________________
_____ 3. The frigid winter air ____________________________________________
_____ 4. The dilapidated house at the end of the lane ________________________
_____ 5. Suddenly the players became _____________________________________
_____ 6. Our refrigerator _______________________________________________
_____ 7. The ancient California redwoods ________________________________
_____ 8. By evening, a gentle summer breeze _____________________________
To parents
Advertisements often use figurative language. Gather some old newspapers, magazines and
catalogs. Then ask your child to find at least five examples of figurative language.
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Scholastic Study Smart: Writing Skills Builder (Level 6) © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Date:
Using Figurative Language: Idioms
Match the idioms in the left column with their meanings in the right column.
(HINT: There are two idioms with the same meaning).
1. John sat there like a bump on a log. A. T here is something good
even in bad situations.
2. T ommy’s mother put her foot down
and told him to be home by noon.
B. T here are several ways of
reaching the same goal.
3. M
r. Jones ran off at the mouth
about having neighborhood
kids in his yard.
C. Gave away a secret
4. Every cloud has a silver lining.
D. T o make a firm statement and
refuse to change your mind
5. T here is more than one way
to skin a cat.
E. Why aren’t you talking?
6. She was as mad as a wet hen.
F. D
on’t risk everything on one
idea that might fail
7. Y
ou can’t have your cake and
eat it too.
G. To talk too much or talk nonstop
8. Has the cat got your tongue?
H. Strong desire for sweet foods
9. I have a terrible sweet tooth.
I. To be inactive and not responding
10. He spilled the beans.
J. Angry and ready to fight
11. She let the cat out of the bag.
K. You can’t have both things when
you are forced to choose only one.
12. D
on’t put all of your eggs in
one basket.
To parents
Find out a few more idioms and ask your child to guess what each means.
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Scholastic Study Smart: Writing Skills Builder (Level 6) © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Date:
Writing Specific Details
Rewrite the story below, replacing the words in bold with more specific ones.
You can make the story funny, sad, scary or happy. Try not to repeat the same
words in the story.
The girl (who?) looked out. (Out of a window? What else can you look out
of?) She could tell she was not on Earth. She saw stuff (what stuff?) floating
by doing funny things. (What was it doing?) She could smell something
strange. (How did it smell?) She could hear a noise. (What noise?) The noise
made her think about something. (What?) Then she felt movement. (What
kind of movement? How could she be moving?) Suddenly she realized she was
not alone. Someone (who?) was there with her, and the person (who?) was
talking. (What was he or she saying?)
To parents
Ask your child to add other sentences to the story to provide more details.
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Scholastic Study Smart: Writing Skills Builder (Level 6) © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Date:
Using Pronouns in Writing
Read the passage below. Starting from the **, rewrite the second paragraph
without using the word you. Use first-person pronouns such as I, we, our and us.
My family loves roller coasters. We love to ride them at the county fair, at Disney
World and at amusement parks. We all pile into the roller coasters — even my
mom — and then scream the whole time we are on.
The best roller coaster I have ever been on is ShieKra at Busch Gardens in
Tampa. ** First, they put you in the seat and strap the seatbelt tightly around
you. As you start to move, you soon realize that you are in for a wild ride.
When you get to the very top, you tip over the edge but you don’t come
crashing down like on other roller coasters. Instead, you go over the edge and
then the whole car jerks around while you are staring straight down at the
ground. You feel like you are going to die as everyone starts screaming around
you. Finally, you rush down toward the end. That is when you know that ShieKra
is the best roller coaster of all!
To parents
Ask your child to rewrite the second paragraph, using third-person pronouns. Remind her to
change the verbs to ensure subject-verb agreement.
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Scholastic Study Smart: Writing Skills Builder (Level 6) © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Date:
Writing to Set the Tone
Fill in each blank with a word that has a similar meaning to the word said.
Choose words that convey an appropriate mood for each conversation.
“I just spilled the paint,“
Mark.
“Let's clean it up quickly,“
Corey.
“I'm going to tell on you,“
Jamie.
“Here comes the teacher,“
Julie.
Heidi.
“I think we have a problem,“
“I'm tired,“
Benny.
“Let's go straight to bed,“
his brother Jake.
“Did you just hear a noise?“
Benny.
“Yes, I think it was a door,“
Jake.
“It's creaking like someone is opening it,“
Benny.
“Do you hear footsteps?“
Benny.
“Something is coming upstairs,“
Jake.
“Something is coming in our room,“
Benny.
“I feel something on my bed,“
Jake.
“Turn on the light,“
Benny.
“It's only the dog,“
Jake.
“I never knew he could open doors,“
To parents
Benny.
Ask your child to write another conversation with at least five sentences about a topic of her choice
without using the word said. Ask her if the characters are happy, sad, frightened, suspicious or angry.
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Scholastic Study Smart: Writing Skills Builder (Level 6) © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Date:
Eliminating Unnecessary Words in Sentences
Note
When you write, it is important to be clear and concise.
Sometimes a sentence can have too many unnecessary words.
The audience couldn’t hear what the speaker was saying on
account of the fact that the microphone wasn’t turned on.
The audience couldn’t hear the speaker because the
microphone wasn’t turned on.
Cross out the unnecessary words and phrases in each sentence below. You can
replace words or change their positions to make each sentence clearer and
more concise. Write the revised sentence.
Get to the Point
1.In your own opinion, do you think students should have to wear uniforms?
2. What is incredible about the cheetah is the cheetah’s quickness!
3. I drew an egg-shaped oval, a round circle, and a four-sided square.
4. The neighborhood families worked as a team all together.
5.The ostrich, the world’s largest flightless bird, is a big bird that can run as
fast as 40 miles per hour.
6.More than anything else in the whole wide world, I would really like to be a
professional basketball player some day in the future.
To parents
There is more than one way to revise the sentences above. Choose two sentences and ask your
child revise them in two other ways.
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Scholastic Study Smart: Writing Skills Builder (Level 6) © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Date:
Choosing Exact Words
Note
To make your wrtiting clearer, you can replace dull, overused
words with more interesting and exciting words.
The sparrow sat on the thin branch and waited.
The sparrow perched on the frail branch and waited.
Replace each deleted word with a more exact, colorful or interesting word.
Write it above the deleted word.
Make It Exact
1. The loud siren told residents to take shelter immediately.
2. The tired hikers nearly collapsed after the hard trek.
3. My opponent may be small, but what a strong serve she delivers!
4. The men stopped as the rattler moved across their path.
5. The audience laughed at the comedian’s funny stories.
6. What is that bad
To parents
odor coming from the kitchen?
Ask your child to rewrite a familiar children’s story such as “Little Red Riding Hood” for an older
audience. Look for dull and overused words and replace them with more interesting words. For
example, you might change “Grandmother, what big ears you have!” said Little Red Riding Hood to
“Grandmother, what enormous ears you have!” exclaimed Red Riding Hood.
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Scholastic Study Smart: Writing Skills Builder (Level 6) © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Date:
Choosing Exact Words
Replace the underlined words in each sentence with a more exact word.
1. The thin boy had not eaten for days and he was hungry.
2. His tummy made noises and he looked through the bin for leftover food.
3. The waitress from the café saw him eating the scraps and felt sad for him.
4. She offered him some food and he ate it quickly.
Rewrite the paragraph and replace or add words to make the ideas clearer.
A parcel had just arrived. Jim and Rose looked at the stamp closely. “China.
Who could it be from?” said Jim. He did not know anyone from China. Jim
looked at the parcel and saw a label by the side. “Chen Xiao Li,” said Jim. Rose
looked at him for a while and said, “Oh, Xiao Li! We met at the summer camp!
She said she would send me some local snacks when she returned home!”
To parents
Ask your child to revisit an old essay she wrote. Review how the essay could be improved by using
more exact words.
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Scholastic Study Smart: Writing Skills Builder (Level 6) © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Date:
Mini Writing Project 1
Read the paragraph starter below.
Recap
An Adventure of Sunny, The Squirrel
Sunny, the squirrel, had found an old map in
his home. The map led him to the …
Plan a description of the setting and the
characters in the story. Think about the kind of
story and the mood that you want to create.
Then think about the figurative language that
you can use to improve your description.
Improve your writing and
descriptions by using figurative
language such as similes,
metaphors, hyperbole,
alliteration and personification.
It is also important to keep your
writing concise by not using
unnecessary words and using
exact words.
Setting: Describe the setting. Remember to use adjectives, similes and
metaphors.
Characters: List the characters in the story and describe them. Remember to
use adjectives and figurative language.
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Scholastic Study Smart: Writing Skills Builder (Level 6) © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Now, use the notes that you have written above to describe the setting and
introduce the other characters in the story. Remember to give vivid descriptions
of the place and the characters. Draw a picture to go along with your
description.
To parents
Ask your child to think about what the characters would encounter next and to suggest a possible
plot for the story.
49
Scholastic Study Smart: Writing Skills Builder (Level 6) © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Date:
Identifying Parts of a Paragraph
Note
A paragraph usually focuses on a topic and has one main idea about
that topic. A topic sentence expresses that main idea. The supporting
sentences in the paragraph develop the main idea by telling more about it.
Going to Disneyland was like a dream come true for Kelly. Since
watching the first Mickey Mouse cartoon on TV, Kelly had always dreamt
of visiting the land where Mickey lived. It would be also be fun exploring
the Snow White’s castle. Kelly even dreamt of wearing Snow White’s
gown. They could never afford the trip till today, when Mum won free
tickets in a lucky draw. Now Kelly could really go to Disneyland!
Topic Sentence: Going to Disneyland was like a dream come true for Kelly.
Supporting details answer these questions: Why did Kelly like Disneyland
so much? What did she like about Disneyland? Why couldn’t Kelly go to
Disneyland before and what made it possible now?
Read each paragraph. Underline the topic sentence in each one. Put brackets
around each supporting sentence. Then write the question or questions that each
topic sentence answers.
Powerful Paragraphs
There is an energizing chill in the air now that the days are
shorter. The last of the crops are about to be harvested,
and a blanket of leaves covers much of the landscape. All
but a few of our summertime visitors have already flown
south for warmer places. Once again, the long, hot days
of summer have given way to fall.
Falling asleep was never a problem for me until we moved to the country. I was
used to the sounds of subway trains pulling into the station near our apartment, the
horns and squealing brakes of buses, taxis, and cars, wailing sirens, and planes
landing or taking off. I was not used to the sound of chirping crickets. My parents
assured me that I would get used to it. They were right, of course, but it took awhile.
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This amazing marsupial spends about 22 hours a day asleep in a eucalyptus
tree. A nocturnal creature, it is mostly active at night. The habits of the world’s
sleepiest animal, the koala, really fascinate me. When it is awake, the koala
feeds on eucalyptus leaves and shoots, up to two pounds at a time. What’s
more, it seldom drinks water because it gets most of what it needs from the
leaves and shoots.
Write a paragraph on the given topic sentence. Choose only the relevant points
from the box to write your supporting sentences. Remember that a supporting
sentence should tell more about the topic sentence.
Topic: Our body parts form the most magnificent machine in the world.
Supporting details:
• The organs work together to make the body work.
• 75 percent of the human body is water.
• The human body has replaceable parts such as the skin, blood and teeth.
• The skin makes new cells to cover and protect blood vessels.
• The blood makes new blood cells to transport air and nutrients to the body.
• Our first set of teeth is replaced by a more mature set of teeth.
• We use only part of our human brain.
Write a paragraph with the above topic and supporting sentences.
To parents
Review the paragraph with your child and ask her how the points chosen tell more about the
main idea.
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Scholastic Study Smart: Writing Skills Builder (Level 6) © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Date:
Completing a Sequenced Paragraph
Note
It is important to make the order of the events or details clear
to your reader. You can do so using words to talk about
chronological order such as
• First, second, third, etc
• First, then, next, after than or finally
You can also use time-related words such as
• Recently, previously, afterwards, subsequently, when,
before, after, at first or at last
Read the paragraph below.
Recently, Asako came to stay with her uncle’s family
in Tokyo, the capital city of Japan. Previously, Asako
was living and studying in Sendai till the tsunami
destroyed her neighbourhood. Subsequently, her
family was evacuated to a temporary shelter where they
stayed there for a long time. At first, Asako cried every night. After months,
she stopped crying because she had adapted to living with a big crowd at the
shelter. Finally, Asako’s uncle invited her family to stay in his home. Now,
Asako was gald she could go to school again.
Using the details in the above paragraph, number the sentences in order of the
events in Asako’s life.
_____ Asako lived and studied in Sendai.
_____ She adapted to living at the shelter and stopped crying.
_____ Asako and her family were evacuated to a temporary shelter.
_____ Tsunami destroyed her neighbourhood.
_____ Asako’s uncle invited her family to stay in his home.
_____ Asako could not cried every night when she first stayed at the shelter.
_____ Aasko could go to school again.
_____ Asako and her family stayed at her uncle’s home in Tokyo, Japan.
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Read the following details. Use them to write a paragraph beginning with the
appropriate sequence words.
A Visit to the Clinic
(1) Kim registered for an appointment at the counter
(2) she waited for her turn at the bench
(3) ten minutes, the nurse called out Kim’s name
(4) Kim entered the consultation room, she realized it was Dr Norman
(5) she told him about the rash on her hands
(6) Dr Norman had examined Kim, he prescribed medication for her
(7) Kim left the clinic with antibiotics and a tube of antiseptic cream
To parents
Ask your child to add a sentence or two to extend the above paragraph.
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Scholastic Study Smart: Writing Skills Builder (Level 6) © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Date:
Completing a Sequenced Paragraph
Write a paragraph about an interesting period in your parent’s childhood. List
down what happened in the correct order. Remember to include details such as
who, what, when, where and why.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Using the appropriate sequence words, write the above details into a paragraph.
To parents
Ask your child to write another paragraph about an eventful day.
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Scholastic Study Smart: Writing Skills Builder (Level 6) © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Date:
Using an Outline to Organize Information
Suppose you are writing your autobiography — the story of
your life. Use the outline form below. For each section, list
details that tell about each main idea listed.
All About Me →
main topic
I. Biographical Facts → Main Idea 1
A.
_________________________________________ facts and details
B.
_________________________________________
C.
_________________________________________
D.
_________________________________________
II. My Earliest Memories → Main Idea 2
A.
__________________________________________ facts and details
B.
__________________________________________
C.
__________________________________________
D.
__________________________________________
III. My Major Accomplishments → Main Idea 3
A.
__________________________________________ facts and details
B.
__________________________________________
C.
__________________________________________
D.
__________________________________________
To parents
Ask your child to add one more section about the major influence on her life.
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Scholastic Study Smart: Writing Skills Builder (Level 6) © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Date:
Organizing Facts and Details into Paragraphs
Note
When you are getting ready to write two or more paragraphs for
a report, you can make the task easier if you follow these steps:
•O
rganize related facts and details into groups.
• Write a topic sentence expressing the main idea for each group.
•U
se the facts and details in each group to write sentences that
support each topic sentence.
The Dead Sea is a saltwater lake located between Israel and Jordan. Read the
facts and organize them into three groups for a report. Think of a category name
for each group of facts. Then use the symbols *, ¸, and × to indicate the facts
that belong in each group.
Getting Organized
* =
¸=
× =
1. 7 times as salty as ocean, saltiest body of water in world
2. covers about 400 square miles
3.almost impossible for swimmers to sink in Dead Sea because of high
density of salt
4. water comes from Jordan River and streams
5. measures about 11 miles wide at widest point
6.water so salty that fish die immediately; nothing but simple
microorganisms survive in Dead Sea
7. measures about 50 miles long
8. its shore lowest place on surface of Earth
9. bottom measures to depths of 2,622 feet below sea level
10. water doesn’t flow out of Dead Sea
11. water evaporates, leaving salt and other minerals behind
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Write a topic sentence for each group of facts. Then use the facts to write
sentences that support each topic sentence.
The Dead Sea
Subject:
Topic Sentence for Paragraph 1:
Supporting Sentences:
Topic Sentence for Paragraph 2:
Supporting Sentences:
Topic Sentence for Paragraph 3:
Supporting Sentences:
To parents
Ask your child to use the information to write a report about the Dead Sea on another sheet of paper.
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Using Time Order in Paragraphs
Note
Whenever you write about something that has happened or how
to do or make something, it is important to write about the events
or the steps in the correct order.
Carefully read the notes about the day the Mason family went on vacation.
Number the events in the order that they happened.
Step by Step
back on road by 1.00 p.m.
stopped for lunch around noon
helped Dad load up the van
unloaded van and went down to the beach
up at 6.00 a.m., got dressed, ate breakfast
double-checked house before locking up
stopped for gas on way out of town
arrived at the motel by late afternoon
got on the turnpike and headed east
piled in the van and ready to go by 7.30 a.m.
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Pretend that the notes on the previous page are yours. Use them to write a
paragraph. Include a topic sentence, closing sentence, and title. Write about
the events in sequence. Include words such as before that, after, first, next, then,
later and finally to help indicate the order in which you did things.
To parents
Ask your child think about something that she knows how to do or make. Ask her to write out the steps.
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Using Time Order in Paragraphs
Note
To indicate the order in which things are done, we can use sequence
words such as before, that, after, first, next, later and finally. We can
also use:
• time of the day, day of the week
• season, weather
• date and year
Fill in each blank with a suitable word or phrase from the box.
Since
in 1596
Finally
Subsequently
until
soon after
The toilet is an important sanitary equipment of our lives. (1) __________________
the ancient days when people dug holes to store their bowel waste, there was
always a need for a sanitary product.
(2) __________________, Sir John Harrington invented the first modern flush toilet
in England. It was a valve that, when pulled, would release water from a water
closet (WC). He built his first flush toilet in England and presented the idea to the
Queen. (3) __________________, the queen was so impressed that she requested
for one to be installed in the palace.
It was not (4) __________________ 1775 that Alexander Cummings, a watch
maker, invented the S-trap design of having a little water left in the bowl after
each flush. However, the seal at the bottom of the toile would often leak and
cause the house to smell.
(5) __________________ in 1777, Joseph Bramah improved and patented a
design that had a valve that worked like a hinge at the bottom of the bowl.
(6) __________________ in 1885, Thomas Twyford, a potter, built the first trapless
toilet with a single piece of china.
To parents
Ask your child to research on the history of an interesting place in your country. Then get her to write a
short paragraph about the place. Remind her to use sequence words.
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Writing Supporting Sentences
Read the following paragraph. Underline the topic sentence. Then cross out any
supporting sentences that do not relate to the main idea.
Drizzle With Details
Yesterday our science class went on a field trip to a pond. Next month
we’re going to the ocean. That will be fun. We’ve been studying the pond as
an ecosystem in class. Our teacher wanted us to observe firsthand all the
different habitats in and around the pond. She had us keep a checklist of the
different kinds of plants and animals in each pond habitat. One of the boys
accidentally fell in. He was really embarrassed. Along the water’s edge, I saw
several kinds of plants partly underwater, two salamanders, snails and water
bugs. The water bugs were really cute. I observed many different habitats.
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Read the title and topic sentence for each of the following paragraph plans.
Then write four supporting sentences that relate to and support each one.
1.
Paragraph Title:Uniforms — To Wear or Not to Wear?
Topic Sentence:Our school should require all students to wear uniforms.
Supporting Sentences:
1.
2.
3.
4.
2.
Paragraph Title:An Adventure in Dreamland
Topic Sentence:Last night I had the most incredible dream.
Supporting Sentences:
1.
2.
3.
4.
3.
Paragraph Title:A Sad Day
Topic Sentence:I will always remember how sad I was that day.
Supporting Sentences:
1.
2.
3.
4.
To parents
Ask your child to choose one of the titles and topic sentences above, and write a paragraph using the
supporting sentences she wrote above.
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Writing Facts and Opinions
A fact can be checked or proven.
An opinion is what someone believes or feels about something.
Note
Read each sentence. Write F next to each fact. Write O next to each opinion.
Is That a Fact?
1. Everyone in the world thinks chocolate makes the best candy.
2.In Switzerland, the average person eats about 22 pounds of
chocolate in a year.
3.The Swiss eat about 160 million pounds of chocolate annually.
4. I think Americans eat more chocolate than that.
5. People also use chocolate to make drinks and to flavor recipes.
6.Nothing beats a chocolate donut with chocolate glaze.
Write two facts and two opinions about each snack food. Use clue words such
as think, best, believe, like and dislike to signal an opinion.
1. Fact:
Opinion:
To parents
2. Fact:
Opinion:
3. Fact:
Opinion:
Listen to a discussion on television. Ask your child to identify the facts and the opinions presented.
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Writing Facts and Opinions
Think of an animal and write three facts about it. Then write your opinion about it.
Topic:
Facts:
1.
2.
3.
My Opinion to:
Fact No. (
)
Organise and write the above ideas into a paragraph.
To parents
Ask your child to write an additional paragraph about the animal.
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Writing Introductions: Using Questions
Note
One way of beginning an essay is to ask a question.
Write a three-sentence introduction for each topic below. One sentence must
be a question, and it can be the first, second or third sentence. Note that your
responses do not have to be real; they can be fictional.
1.Explain what you would like to be when you grow up and why you chose
that profession.
2.Tell a story about why you were late for school one day.
To parents
Ask your child to choose one of the above paragraphs and rewrite it such that the question begins
the introduction.
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Writing Introductions: Using Quotations
Note
You can begin an essay with a quotation “We're off and running
now!“ Remember that a quotation must have beginning and
ending quotation marks and may have a “tag line,“ which tells
who is speaking.
Write a three-sentence introduction for each topic below. Make sure at least one
of the sentence is a quotation. Your responses do not have to be real; they can
be fictional.
1.Tell why a particular holiday is your favorite time of the year.
2.Tell what happened one time when you were lost.
To parents
Ask your child to add a question into one of the above paragraphs.
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Writing Introductions: Using Descriptive Vocabulary
Note
Toil! Grunt! Authors often choose to begin their writing with sound
and motion words to set the mood. How did you feel when you
read, "Toil! Grunt!" Did you think? Did you think you were in for
hard work? Or did you think the writer was trying to be funny?
Try to set a mood with your choice of sound or motion words. For each topic
below, write a three-sentence intoduction that includes sound or motion words.
1.What animal would you choose for a pet? Why would you choose
that animal?
2.Write a story about a time you rode something.
To parents
Ask your child to think of possible sound words to start an essay about an adventure, a haunted house
or a carnival.
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Writing Introductions: Using Dialogue
Note
You can begin an essay or story by simply starting to talk. In other
words, just start writing. You do not always need to use clever
techniques, such as quotations, questions, or sound words.
Write a three-sentence introduction for each topic below.
1.What is the best book you have ever read? Write an essay to tell why you
liked it.
2.Tell a story about a favorite day at school.
To parents
Ask your child to write alternative introductions for one of the above paragraphs using some of the
techniques learnt previously.
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Writing Introductions: Restating the Prompt
Note
If you are stuck and cannot think of a clever introduction you can
restate the prompt if there is one.
Use the words in each of these three-sentence prompts to create an introduction
paragraph. You may not copy the sentences exactly as they are written.
1.Most people have a favorite holiday or time of year. What is your favorite
holiday? Write an essay to explain why a particular holiday or time of year
is your favorite.
2.You are walking down the sidewalk when you find something interesting.
What is it? What will happen if you pick it up? Write a story to tell what
happened the day you found something interesting on the sidewalk.
To parents
Challenge your child to expand the introduction by adding interesting words or phrases.
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Writing Conclusions
Note
A story or essay should not leave the reader wondering how the
story ends. When the reader reads the closing, he or she should
instinctively know that it is the end.
An effective closing simply takes a word, an idea or a name from
the introduction and reuses it in the conclusion.
For each essay, read the introduction and write a three-sentence closing. Be sure
to use at least one thing from the introduction in your conclusion.
1.Introduction: “Buddies and pals!” That is what Donna and I always say
whenever we meet. We have been friends since we were three. Donna is a
good friend to me, and this essay will tell why I think she is special.
Closing:
2. Introduction: Have you ever lost a tooth? Did it bleed everywhere? Wait
until you read what happened to me one day in kindergarten. It was a
bloody day I will never forget.
Closing:
To parents
Ask your child to choose one of the seenarios above and write the middle of the story.
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Writing A Descriptive Paragraph
Choose a room in your house. Start at one spot and describe what you see as
your eyes move around the room and back to where you are standing. Don’t just
make a list of what you see. Talk about colors, sizes and shapes. You can even
include sounds, smells and even tastes.
I choose to describe
Choose a scene you can actually look at or one you know well, such as your
backyard or a neighborhood park. Write a paragraph describing what you see,
starting at one place and sweeping your eyes across the scene.
I choose to describe
To parents
Ask your child to descibe a person now and follow the same process of describing what can be seen.
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Writing a Descriptive Paragraph
Note
A narrative often includes a main character. It is usually important
to develop the charactr so that the reader understands and can
feel what the character is feeling or thinking.
Read the scene below carefully. Think about what the character might think
about the situation in which she finds herself. Then write at least three sentences
that tell what she is thinking.
The teacher is at her desk grading papers from a spelling test. She realizes that
every student in the class has received a failing grade. She sighs. She frowns.
She thinks.
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Read each scene carefully and try to put yourself in the character’s situation.
Write at least three sentences to tell what that person is thinking.
It’s picture day, but Lisa had forgotten all about it. She is wearing her oldest,
shabbiest clothes, and her hair is a mess. When her turn comes for her
photograph,
You are at a beautiful summer camp. Everywhere you look, you see trees,
cabins, and lots of friends. You finally get to choose your activities for the day.
You choose archery
Joe is on the school bus, sitting all alone. All the other seats have at least two
kids in them. Suddenly the school bully boards the bus and looks around.
To parents
Ask your child to choose one of the above scenarios and expand the paragraph by adding a few
more sentences.
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Writing Topic Sentences
Note
A topic sentence expresses the main idea about the paragraph.
It should tell just enough to interest your readers.
Here are some topics. For each one, write a topic sentence that would grab the
attention of your readers.
Grab Some Attention
1. Topic: a frightening experience
Topic Sentence:
2. Topic: wearing uniforms to school, yes or no
Topic Sentence:
3. Topic: a brush fire that burned out of control
Topic Sentence:
4. Topic: witnessing a friend steal a candy bar
Topic Sentence:
Now come up with some topics of your own. Then write a topic sentence for
each one.
5. Topic:
Topic Sentence:
6. Topic:
Topic Sentence:
7. Topic:
Topic Sentence:
To parents
Ask your child to keep a writer’s journal or small notebook handy. Whenever she gets an idea for a
topic, she should jot it down. Then she can write some possible topic sentences for the topics.
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Writing Strong Endings
Write a strong closing sentence for each writing situation below.
The Mighty End
1. a news report about an earthquake or tornado
2. an account of a UFO sighting
3. an explanation of how to study for a history test
4. an ad for a nutritious cereal you have developed
5. a warning about skateboarding without the proper equipment
6. a lesson on how to make the perfect submarine sandwich
7. a letter of apology to a friend for something you have done
8. an account of an embarrassing moment
9. a story about camping in the woods
To parents
Ask your child to choose one of the above sentences and develop and write a paragraph with a
beginning and a middle that leads to an ending that concludes with the sentence.
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Writing Supporting Details for Topic Sentences
Read each topic sentence. Write the questions you would want the paragraph
to answer.
In the Know
1.So faint was the sound that Emerald thought it was just the rustling of leaves
stirred by the gentle breeze.
2. Maggie realized that there was only one way to end the ridiculous argument.
3.Max thought baking a birthday cake was a “piece of cake,” but he was wrong!
4. They’re fun to ride, they’re completely portable, and millions of kids ride
them every day.
5. KER-PLUNK! “What now?” moaned Andreas.
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Choose and rewrite one of the topic sentences on page 76. Then reread the
questions you listed and use your imagination to answer them. Use your answers
to write supporting sentences for a possible paragraph. Add any other details
that you think of to support the topic.
Topic Sentence:
Supporting Sentences:
•
•
•
•
Now, use the information to write a paragraph. Include a closing sentence.
To parents
Ask your child to illustrate the story and share it with you.
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Learning More About Topic and Supporting Sentences
Read the topic and the notes for a paragraph about the world’s best hot fudge
sundae. Cross out the details which seem unnecessary or unrelated. Then read
the three possible topic sentences. Make a check next to the best topic sentence.
A Scrumptious Topic
Topic:
Details:
the world’s best hot fudge sundae
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
at least 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream, should fill a big bowl
mounds of fresh-whipped heavy cream — slightly sweetened
need napkins
big spoonful or 2 or 3 spoons of chopped walnuts
lots and lots of hot fudge, has to be thick and gooey
a couple of cherries on top with a little cherry juice
hot, cold, sweet, crunchy, smooth, creamy, yummy all in one
meant to be shared with a friend — or not
don’t forget the spoon
perfect dessert for ice cream lovers — young and old
serve with a glass of water
Possible topic sentences:
— There is absolutely nothing more scrumptious than my hot fudge sundae recipe.
— The hardest part of making a hot fudge sundae is not eating it as you make it.
— If you like ice cream, you’ll love my recipe for a hot fudge sundae.
Number the details above to show the order in which you would use them. Then
use the details to write supporting sentences in order below.
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Now, choose one of the following topics and follow the steps.
friendship
sunset a superstition
making a BLT on toast
a great hobby
a national political figure a mystery gift
a musical instrument
a current event
• Write the topic and list at least five details or facts about it.
• Review your list. Cross out any facts or details that do not relate to the topic.
Add any other important details. Number the details in an order that makes
sense.
• Write several topic sentences. Check the one that best tells the main idea.
Topic:
Details:
Possible topic sentences:
Write a first draft. Begin by writing the topic sentence that best tells the main
idea. Then use the numbered facts and details to write supporting sentences.
To parents
Ask your child to proofread the draft and revise it if necessary.
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Writing from Different Points of View
Rewrite the following passage from a first-person point of view.
The Narrator
Spotting the doe in a clearing, he froze in his tracks and
quietly took out his camera. He didn’t want to startle
the animal. Sensing his presence, the doe looked up at
him. “Don’t be frightened,” he said in his most soothing
voice. “I won’t hurt you. I just want to take your picture.”
The doe accommodated him for about five seconds
before running off into the woods.
Rewrite the following passage from a third-person point of view.
After hiking for more than an hour up the steep trail, I
decided to take a break because my feet were killing me.
Although I had worn my new hiking boots around the house
all week, I soon realized that they were not sufficiently
broken in. “I should have listened to Beth and worn my old
boots,” I grumbled to myself.
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Look at the scenario below. Write a short story using the first-person point of
view — either the camper’s or the skunk’s. A topic sentence is provided to help
you get started.
It was an absolutely perfect summer evening at the Pine Grove Campgrounds
until my unexpected encounter
Now, rewrite the story using the third-person point of view.
It was an absolutely perfect summer evening at the Pine Grove Campgrounds
until his unexpected encounter
To parents
Choose a favorite fairy tale such as “Little Red Riding Hood”, “Goldilocks and the Three Bears”
or “Jack and the Beanstalk”. Ask your child to rewrite the story as a first-person narrative as if she
were one of the characters.
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Writing from Different Points of View
When a writer creates a story, one of the first things he must
decide is from whose point of view to tell the story. For example,
a story from a pencil’s point of view, might sound like this:
Note
Hey! I’m talking to you, kid! Stop squeezing me so hard! And stop
chewing on my middle! What do you think I am? An ear of corn?
And please get me sharpened. I can hardly write with this dull
point.
The following passage has been written from the point of view of a cat owner.
Rewrite these paragraphs from the point of view of the cat. Tell what he is
thinking when he plays with his toys or gets ready to sleep, and what the cat
thinks of “his human”.
A Day in the Life of Collis
My cat, Collis, has a very difficult life. There are 24 hours in
a day, and he sleeps about 20 of those hours. That leaves
four whole hours of each day when he actually entertains
me. He plays with his little rattle toys and throws his catnip
mouse up in the air. I love it when he does this because he
seems to be smiling.
Every evening I feed him supper. Then he snuggles beside me on the couch as I
read the newspaper. He purrs all evening and then follows me to bed.
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Read the passage below. It is written from a parent’s point of view.
My husband and I knew that this would be the happiest day of our son’s life. It
was the day he was finally going to get a brand-new two-wheeled bicycle. We
shopped for two weeks to pick out the perfect one that we were sure he would
like. We probably should have taken him with us, but we wanted this to be a
big surprise.
On Sunday afternoon we led him to the garage and pulled the sheet off the
shiny new bike. Benjamin just stood there and stared. At first we couldn’t be sure
if he loved it or hated it. Then he broke into a big grin, jumped on and dashed
down the driveway, pedaling as fast as he could. At the end of the street we
saw him doing tricks and showing off for his friends. We guess he liked it!
Now rewrite the passage from the child’s point of view. How did you feel about
the bike? What were you thinking of? How did you feel when you got on?
What tricks can you do? What did your friends say?
It was the happiest day of my life.
To parents
Just for fun, ask your child to rewrite the above paragraph from the bicycle’s point of view.
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Writing a Comparison Paragraph
There are many kinds of paragraphs. When you write a
comparison paragraph, you compare by telling how things
are similar and contrast by telling how things are different. You
can use a Venn diagram to help organize your ideas.
Trumpet
Note
Both
• brass
• has a mouthpiece
• has three
valves
Violin
• are played in
orchestras
• musical instruments
• require practice
• wood
• four strings
• played with
a bow
Look at the Venn diagram above complete the paragraph using details to
compare and contrast the trumpet and violin.
Trumpet Versus Violin
The trumpet and violin are both musical instruments that are __________________
________________________________________________. However, there are
some important differences. The trumpet ____________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
On the other hand, the violin _________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Both instruments __________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
To parents
Ask your child to list things to compare and contrast such ice skating and skateboarding, or spinach
and broccoli. Then ask her to complete a Venn diagram like the one above about one pair.
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Writing a Comparison Paragraph
Choose two sports that you enjoy playing. Organize your ideas about the
similarities and differences in the sports in the Venn diagram below.
_______________________________
_______________________________
Both
_______________________________
Use the points above to write a paragraph to compare and contrast the sports.
To parents
Provide your child with some additional points of comparison. Then ask her to expand on the
paragraph above or add an additional paragraph to include the new points.
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Writing a Persuasive Paragraph
Note
In a persuasive paragraph, you give an opinion about
something and try to convince readem to think or feel the way
you do. A convincing persuasive paragraph includes:
• a topic sentence that clearly states your opinion.
• reasons that support your opinion.
• facts to back up your opinion.
• a strong closing statement that summarizes your opinion.
Pretend you are a world famous chef who prepares dishes that include edible
insects — insects that you can eat. You want to persuade people to include
insects in their diet.
I'm Convinced!
Topic Sentence: Everyone should try eating insects.
Here are some reasons and facts.
• Many insects like mealworms, crickets and weevils are edible.
• People in many cultures around the world eat insects.
• Many insects are low in fat and rich in vitamins.
• Lots of tasty recipes include insects.
• F arming and harvesting insects is more efficient
than raising cattle.
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Now put it all together. Write a persuasive paragraph that includes a title and a
strong closing sentence. Remember the rules for writing a paragraph.
Paragraph Title:
Topic Sentence:
Reasons/Facts:
Closing Sentence:
To parents
Ask your child to list down points to encourage people to recycle. Then get her to write a short
persuasive paragraph.
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Using Facts and Opinions to Persuade
Note
To write a convincing persuasive paragraph, state your
opinion clearly, give reasons, and support your opinion with facts.
Remember that facts can be checked or proven.
Read a letter to the editor of a newspaper.
Our town should consider building a skateboard park. According to a recent
community survey, there are more kids skateboarding than ever before but
fewer places to skateboard. Certain townspeople and merchants have
complained to authorities that skateboarders make too much noise, create a
nuisance for pedestrians and drivers, and damage property. As a result, we
skateboarders are continually “asked” to move on. We are always looking
for new places to practice. Specially designated parks for skateboarders have
worked in other communities with similar problems. If everyone would work
together, it could work here.
Jason Anderson
Green Hills
Answer each question about the letter to the editor above.
The Power of Persuasion
1. What opinion does Jason state in his letter?
2. What reasons does Jason give?
3. What facts does Jason present to support his opinion?
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Think about some problems and issues that affect your school, neighborhood
or community. Choose one that you feel deeply about. What is your opinion?
Write what you think should be done to resolve the problem or issue.
List reasons for your opinion.
List facts to support your opinion.
Now, write a paragraph to persuade your friend about the issue.
To parents
Ask your child to use the points above to make a poster to convince others.
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Writing Cause and Effect Sentences
Note
A cause is the reason something happens. An effect is the result
of the cause. Words such as so, because and since are used in
cause and effect sentences.
Add a cause to each of the following sentences about the day that school was
cancelled because of snow.
A Sentence Relationship
1. Many shops, stores and offices were closed
2. School was cancelled today
3. It took several minutes to open the back door
Add an effect to each of the following sentences.
4. I shoveled snow for two hours,
5. The wind knocked out power lines,
6. By late afternoon it began snowing again,
To parents
Ask your child to add two more sentences to say what could have happened and what the possible
causes were.
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Writing a Cause and Effect Paragraph
Answer each question about the paragraph below.
What a Mess!
The piercing sound of the smoke alarm reminded Max
that he had forgotten to check the pot of stew heating up
on the stove. The stew had boiled over, the bottom of the
pot was scorched, and smoke was filling the kitchen.
Dinner was ruined!
1. What is the cause?
2. What were the effects? List them.
Read the first sentence of the following paragraph. It states a cause. What might
happen as a result? Write what you think the effects will be.
I walked into my room just as Sebastian, our very inquisitive cat, managed to tip
over the goldfish bowl that had been on my desk.
To parents
Ask your child to list the possible effects of staying up too late. Then ask her to develop the ideas into
a paragraph.
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Planning an Expository Paragraph
Note
When you write an expository paragraph, you:
• explain how something is done.
• explain ideas or why something is important.
• give facts and information about a topic.
Read the following paragraphs and identify which of the functions each
paragraph is for. Write the letter in each blank.
(A) Explain how to make a terrarium for Christmas
(B) Give facts about terrariums
(C) Tell what is important in maintaining a terrarium
Function:
_________
Function:
_________
Function:
_________
A terrarium is a miniature garden in your home! There are two types
of terrariums; open and closed. The open terrarium can be created
with a bowl, pot or any container with a depth. The closed terrarium,
however, is different. It is commonly created in a clear glass or plastic
container like your jam or cookie jar. You can use outdoor or indoor
plants for your terrarium.
First, put a layer of pebbles at the bottom of a large-mouth clear glass
container for drainage.
Next, go over with a layer of charcoal to filter the water.
Then, cover it with a thick layer of soil.
After that, poke little holes and put in your plants. Remember to water
them.
Finally, place little miniature colored stones or figurines around your
plants for decoration. Now, you have your very own terrarium!
To keep your terrarium alive, monitor it carefully, especially in the first
week. Light and water are crucial to the survival of your terrarium. If you
use outdoor plants, keep your terrarium near the window where it will
get sunlight. With indoor plants, you can have them in shady areas. If
the leaves turn brown, that means your plants are dying of thirst! Water
them immediately. If the soil is soggy, it means there is too much water!
Open the cover of the container and let the water evaporate. Prune your
plants once a while to keep them attractive and balance the little
eco-system in there.
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Planning an Expository Paragraph
Complete the following topics for expository paragraphs with your own ideas.
Step by Step
Explain how to
Give facts about
Tell why
______________________ ______________________ ______________________
______________________ ______________________ ______________________
______________________ ______________________ ______________________
Use the form below to develop one of your ideas for an expository paragraph.
Paragraph Title:
Topic Sentence:
Details/Facts/Steps:
Closing Sentence:
To parents
Ask your child to use the plan above to write an expository paragraph.
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Writing an Expository Paragraph
Read the following beginning paragraph.
The Benefits of Mobile Phones
The mobile phone is a device that can be used to make or receive telephone
calls via a cellular network. Unlike in the past, people can now contact other
people over a wide geographical area and even while they are on the move.
Now, list the possible benefits of mobile phones.
Benefits of Mobile Phones
1.
2.
3.
For each benefit, list a few examples to support the topic for each paragraph.
1.
2.
3.
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Use the points you have listed on page 94 and write three paragraphs to
complete the expository essay. Remember to write a closing sentence that
summarizes your writing. The beginning has been provided.
The Benefits of Mobile Phones
The mobile phone is a device that can be used to make or receive telephone
calls via a cellular network. Unlike in the past, people can now contact other
people over a wide geographical area and even while they are on the move.
To parents
Ask your child to think of additional benefits and add on the essay.
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Writing Elaboration Paragraphs
Read this essay about why Friday is a favorite day of the week. Then use the
“paragraph starters” to write elaboration paragraphs.
TGIF! I used to hear that and not understand what it meant. Now I know that it
means: “Thank Goodness It’s Friday!” And I agree. Friday is my favorite day of
the week for two reasons, and this essay will explain them both.
I love Friday because it is always pizza night at our house. My dad says that all
of the restaurants are too crowded on Fridays, so I can always count on staying
at home for supper. My mom loves having pizza too because she doesn’t have
to cook.
The best pizza is
Another reason Friday is great is that there is no school the next day. That means
having friends over for sleepovers and playing board games. My friends and I
can also stay up late and watch all kinds of movies.
My favorite movie is
It is only three more days until Friday. I can’t wait! I still say it is the best day of
the week because my family and friends have a great time on Fridays. TGIF!
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Writing Elaboration Paragraphs
Read the following essay about a favorite place. Then use ”paragraph starters”
to write elaboration paragraphs that feature very short stories.
“Over the river and through the woods, to Grandmother’s house we go!”
Have you ever heard that song? It is usually played at Thanksgiving, but I sing it
every time I am going to my favorite place — my grandparents’ home.
The main reason I love to visit my grandparents is because they have so
much time for me. My parents work all the time, but my grandparents are retired
and look forward to having me visit. My grandfather always takes me fishing.
He taught me how to bait the hook and cast.
One time we went fishing and
The other reason my grandparents’ house is my favorite place is because it
is out in the country. They don’t live on a farm or anything, but it is so quiet out
there that you can hear all the birds and crickets. You can see lots of stars out
there, too. I always feel safe and comfortable in their house.
Last summer when I went to visit
My grandparents’ home is my favorite place for many reasons. I always
love going over the river and through the woods to get there — even if we go in
our mini-van on the interstate!
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Planning a News Story
Note
A news story reports about what happened and include facts
about the event and answers the questions who, what, when,
where, why and how. Read the beginning part of this news report.
Latest Scoop!
Melbourne – An old basement, hidden and sealed
beneath wooden flooring, was discovered on Tuesday
morning. Mark Zucker, a 25-year old engineer,
planning to renovate his new home was shocked to
discover a stone door ring after hacking his wooden
flooring. Horror findings of a pack of bones believed to
have been 100 years old were found stuffed in an
antique wooden chest.
Read the news report above. What information can you gather from the report?
Fill in the blanks below.
Who:
When:
Where:
What:
How:
Now think of a news story that you would like to report on. What kind of
information would you need? List them out below.
Who:
When:
Where:
What:
How:
Why:
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Writing a News Story
Read All About It
Write a news story using the information below. Remember to write about the
facts and events in the order they occurred. Follow the model lead above.
Who: Roseville Emergency Rescue Team
When: April 10, 2003; 5 a.m.
Where: Slate Run River What: team and rescue vehicles sent;
worked for three hours; rescued residents
How: used helicopter and boats
Why: residents along river stranded by flash flood after storm
To parents
Ask your child to write a news story on a sheet of paper for one of the following headlines or one
of her own:
• Mystery of the Missing Dinosaur Solved
• Students Protest School Lunch Menu
• City High Wins Championship
• First Female Elected President
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Writing From Illustrations
Note
Illustrations and photographs often contain important and
interesting details that you can use to write a story, an article,
an essay or just a simple paragraph.
Study the photo. Think about the details it shows and what you can write about.
Working Together
Write a possible topic sentence for the photo.
Write details about the photo that support the topic sentence.
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Review your ideas. Then write a brief paragraph about the scene in the photo.
Include a closing sentence.
To parents
Find a picture of a scenic location that you and your child would like to visit. Ask your child to
come up with ideas for an advertisement, an article for a travel magazine or a paragraph about a
dream vacation.
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Writing Directions
Note
A how-to paragraph gives directions for doing or making
something. It usually includes a topic sentence, the necessary
materials, and step-by-step directions. A how-to paragraph can
also give directions for getting from one place to another. Here is
a paragraph in which the directions are not very clear.
Do you turn left or right at the light?
How many blocks are “a few” blocks?
Which street?
Getting from school to my house is a snap. Just walk a few blocks down the street
toward town. Turn at the traffic light. Go a couple more blocks. My house is on the
corner. If you go past the intersection, you’ve gone too far.
Which corner? How many blocks are “a couple more” blocks? Which intersection is too far?
How would you give directions to get from one place to another
in your neighborhood? To get started, close your eyes and picture
the route. Sketch the route in the box below. Then write a how-to
paragraph with clear and specific directions.
Finding the Way
From
to
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Writing Instructions
Here is a comic strip on how to make French Toast for breakfast.
STEP 1
STEP 2
Use the pictures above to write a how-to paragraph on the steps to make French
toast. You don’t have to list the ingredients and utensils. Just start with the steps.
Remember to use time order words such as first, next, then, after that and finally
to indicate the sequence.
To parents
Ask your child to think of another recipe or instructions for making something and write a
how-to paragraph.
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Planning and Writing a Book Review
Note
A book review is one way to share a book you have read. It
has three parts — an introduction, body and a conclusion — and
includes facts and opinons supported by reasons.
Choose a novel you have recently read. Fill in the book-review planner.
Read and Review
Facts
Title:
Author:
Type of Book (science fiction, realistic fiction, mystery, etc.):
Main Character(s):
Setting (where, when):
Plot (main events, problem/solution):
Opinions
The character(s) I liked most and why:
How I would describe the plot –– interesting, exciting, boring, etc –– and why:
The part of the book I enjoyed most (least) and why:
Features of the book I liked (disliked) and why:
Why I would (would not) recommend this book:
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Now use the information you recorded to write a book review. Remember to
include facts and opinions.
To parents
Ask your child to read other book reviews from magazines.
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Planning a Story
Note
Before writing, it is good to have a plan. When you plan, you
determine the characters in your story, the setting and the
plot. The plot includes a problem, events leading to the climax
and events leading to the resolution.
Read the following story and identify the plan made by the writer.
The Break of Dawn
This was the first winter after the Second World War ended. The coldest Ming
ever remembered. The war had affected everyone, even Ming’s village in China.
Most neighbors had left for the city where it was warmer, except Ming’s
family. They would have to leave soon too or risk being frozen. Yet they couldn’t
because Pa had disappeared again. The light from the fireplace dwindled. Mei
wailed. Ming cuddled his baby sister and rubbed her tiny feet and hands. He
must do something quick! Ming looked around. No wood left. Click clack click
clack! Is that a horse carriage? Is Pa coming for us? Ming listened hard, but the
sound stopped. Ming tried to open his eyes, but they were just too heavy. Mei
wriggled hard in his arms and Ming held her tighter. Slowly, his grip loosened
until he could hold on no longer. Mei hit the ground with a thump. She wailed
even louder, but Ming lay motionless on the bed. The door swung open suddenly.
A big shadow appeared and scooped Mei up swiftly. Seeing Ming on the bed,
it wrapped a thick blanket around Ming and hugged him tight. Ming lifted his
drooping eyes and broke into a weak smile. “Pa, you’re back.”
Complete the plan based on the above story.
Title:
Where and when does the story take place?
Who is the main character?
What is the main character like?
What problem does the main character face?
Who are the other characters?
What is the most exciting moment?
What event leads up to this moment?
What is the resolution?
Is this story in the first-person or third-person?
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Planning a Story
What kinds of stories do you like? Plan a story that you think your friends will
enjoy. Use the answers to the questions below to plan your story.
Make a Plan
What is the title?
Where will the story take place?
When will the story take place?
Who is the main character?
What is the main character like?
What problem or problems will your main character face?
What other characters will you include?
What will be the most exciting moment or turning point?
What events or actions will lead up to this moment?
What events or actions will follow this moment and show how the problem is
resolved?
What is the resolution?
Will you tell your story in the first-person or third-person point of view?
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Now, review the plan you created on page 107 and write a draft of the story.
To parents
Ask your child to review the essay and think of ways to improve it.
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Proofreading
Note
After writing, it is important to proofread your work for errors.
Read the paragraph and circle the 14 errors. Rewrite the parapgraph on the lines.
The land is charred and cracking. It had not rained at the summit for months.
Ugloo looks up and the sky. Not a single crowd! Ulgoo closes his mouth as the
sun is just too bright for him. The hit is making him drowsy too. Just than, a
rattling sound shook him up. Ugloo peered opened his eyes. A water truck is
climbing up the hill slowly and steady. Ugloo couldn’t believe what he is seeing.
Help is firstly here! Up he springs and hurries to tell all him neighbors.
Proofread these sentences. Rewrite them on the lines.
1. morning is my favourit time of the dey
2. even if its pouring cats and dog
3. the thot of having a bland new day excites me
4.
I’m so enegetric after breakfast that I can write for hrs
To parents Ask your child to write the sentences above in a paragraph.
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Proofreading
Note
When proofreading your writing, you can look out for errors in
subject-verb agreement and punctuation.
Proofread these sentences. Rewrite them on the lines.
1. the weather have changed and its busy time for the graham family again
2. uncle billy graham orchard is ripe for harvest
3. he as well as his sons have to wake up early to pick the grapes
4.hurry we must delivers these grapes to the market before eight oclock yelled
the anxious father
5. the boys gets up from there beds reluctantly
6.do you know that every bunch of grapes picked mean income for our family
asked the father.
7. with this everyone scurry out to the vineyard with a baskets.
To parents
Ask your child to write the sentences above in a paragraph.
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Proofreading
Note
When proofreading a text, you can look out not only for errors in
subject-verb agreement, but also errors related to connectors.
Proofread these sentences. Rewrite them on the lines.
1. Be careful what you reads on the Internet so the information can be fake.
2. Since the operation, Alice have been absent from school for a week.
3. None of the boys admitted to the prank, so everyone in class were punished.
4. Tim tries to cover his head, and the swarm of bees just keep stinging him.
5. If Willy does not find a doctor soon, his wife will have been in trouble.
Proofread the following paragraph and circle the 10 errors.
Though Alvin or Andy are twins, their personalities are totally different. Alvin is
a chatterbox with Andy is quiet. While Alvin play the African drum very well,
Andy sings opera in school. He has been singing for his first year in school.
Andy had even perform before the mayor in the school concert. Alvin does not
appreciate Andy’s talent till he thinks singing opera is girly stuff. He prefers to
bang out loud on the drum when that gives Andy headache. The only common
thing between the twins are ice cream. Both of them simply loves mango ice
cream. They never fails to bug their mom for it at the supermarket.
To parents
Ask your child to rewrite the above paragraph with the correct words.
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Proofreading
Note
When you proofread your work, you look for errors and mark
them so that you can correct them.
Read the following part of a story. Correct the errors.
Read Carefully
The most amazing thing happened this morning. I still can’t
believe it! Just as I was about to fill one of my feeders, I
noticed a Chickadee perched on the lower branch of a
nearby tree The little bird seemed to be watching me. Of
course, chickadees really like like sunflower seeds and that’s
what I always put in this feeder. I figured it was probably
hungry and just waiting for me to finish up and leave. It
was then that I got this great idea.
Chicadees are supposed to be easy to hand tame.
well, the chickadee was still perched on the, and I
had the seeds, so I decided to try. I took a bunch of
seeds, held out my hand next to the feeder and stood
very still. I didnt even scra tch my nose when it started
to itch! About a minutelater, the chickadee flew to the tree closest to the feeder. I
held my breath and waited. The didn’t fly to my hand, but it did fly to the feeder!
It took a seed and flew off to eat it. I knew it wuold be back, so I continued to
watch and wait
To parents
Ask your child to write another paragraph to tell what happened when the chickadee came back. Then
ask her to proofread her writing.
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Proofreading a Text
Read the following text about our body. Proofread it and rewrite it in the lines
below. There are 10 errors.
Our Body
Our body is an amazing machine. It has different parts all conneted as one. No
one part is better than the other. They are all important.
Imagine the eyes saying “I am the best part of the body. I can see everything.”
and the legs say “Okay, I shall stay here and you will not gone anywhere.”
How much can the eyes see then They need the legs to bring them around to see
different things.
What if the hart says “I pump blood around the body. I’m the most important.
Without me, you cant live”? And the blood says, “Okay, I shall stop transporting
everything aronud. Without me, the heart is nothing. I am most important.”
We will be in trouble if our body parts fight between themselves. We have to
take charge and take car of our bodies.
To parents
Remind your child of the different kinds of errors that can occur as they write.
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Proofreading a Text
Read the following part of a news article. Proofread it and rewrite it on a sheet
of paper. There are 10 errors.
Lost!
Kota Kinabalu, Sabah – Three childhood friends, Betty Chan, Kala Krishnan and
Jane Thompson, have been lost in Mount Kinabalu for a week. Police have stop
the rescue efforts this morning.
The three friends, all twentytwo years old, made their first ascend up Mount
kinabalu, the highest mountain in Southeast Asia on Monday morning. They were
last seen at the resting lodge mid-way up the mountain that evening. The logde is
the resting stop for mountaineer preparing to head up for the summit. The three
girls had planned to ascend the summit with their guide at 2am that night.
Mary, Kala and Jane have been friends since they were seven years old. They
were classmates an played hockey together in the school team. This is the first
time the three frends are travelling together.
Other mountaineers remembered meeting the girl at the lodge. “Its really
crowded at the lodge. We were having our dinner when the three girls came
to join us at our table. They looked young and one of them looked really bad.
She was shivering and her lips were pale. I thought she might be sick recalled
Mr Don, an experienced mountaineer from Malaysia. “One of them, I think it’s
Betty, told me they couldn’t breathe well in the thin air,” said Sazali, another
mountaineer.
To parents
Ask your child to write another article about what happened after the police had stopped the
rescue search.
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Mini Writing Project 2
It’s Buddies’ Week in school and the school is having a story writing competition.
You are to plan and write a story on the topic ‘Best Friends Forever’.
Plan a story that you think your friends will enjoy:
Title:
Setting (Where, When):
Characters:
Problem faced by main character:
The most exciting moment or turning point in your story:
Events or actions that lead up to this moment:
Events or actions that follow this moment:
Resolution to the problem:
Point of view (First-person/Third-person):
Write down the main idea and details for your paragraphs.
Main idea(s):
Supporting details:
Main idea(s):
Supporting details:
Main idea(s):
Supporting details:
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With the ideas in your plan, write a draft of your story here. Then proofread
for errors.
To parents
Ask your child to publish her essay using a computer. She can add pictures of her best friend.
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Writing Tips
Writing Tip 1: Develop your own voice through the use of
figurative language.
There are many types of figurative language. They are not easy to use but they
do make our writing so much more interesting.
1. Similes: A simile makes a comparison between two things, using like
or as.
He ran like a jaguar.
She laughed like a hyena.
The room is as hot as the Sun.
My fingers are as cold as icicles.
2.Metaphors: A metaphor is another type of comparison in which we
compare two things that are obviously not related. Unlike a simile, a
metaphor makes a comparison without using the words like or as.
That huge dictionary is a heavy brick!
The Internet is a library filled with endless information.
3.Alliteration: Alliteration is evident when two or more words begin with the
same letter. It is often used in advertising, in tongue twisters (“She sells
seashells on the seashore”) or in books and rhymes (“Sing a song of
sixpence”).
4.Hyperbole: People use hyperbole (pronounced ‘hy-per-bo-lee’) all the time.
Someone may be “too tired to move” or “too hot to breathe”, yet he or she
is still moving and breathing. Hyperbole is an extreme form of exaggeration
and should be used sparingly in your writing.
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5.Personification: Personification entails giving human qualities to things that
are not human. Writers often do this to set the tone or mood of their
writing. Writing that a car “roars to life” sets a different tone than writing a
car “creaked and groaned before starting”. To create personification, use
vivid and unusual verbs to show the action that the inanimate object makes.
Adding adverbs will improve the quality of the writing.
6.Idioms: An idiom is a phrase or expression with a hidden meaning. The
meaning of the words taken together has little or nothing to do with the literal
meaning of the words taken one by one. Consider, for example, the common
idiom “it’s raining cats and dogs”. The idiom simply means that it is raining
hard. It has nothing to do with either cats or dogs.
Writing Tip 2: Write from different points of view.
When you write a story, you have to choose a point of view. The point of view
of a story is the angle or perspective from which it is told. Here are the two most
common points of view:
1.First-person point of view: The story is told from the perspective of one
of the characters. This character is known as the storyteller or the narrator.
The narrator uses first-person pronouns such as I, me, my, we, us or our
to talk about his or her own experiences, thoughts, feelings and actions.
Read the paragraph below:
I was famished. It was nearly two o’clock, and I had not eaten since
breakfast. I asked my mom if she would stop at a fast food restaurant
on our way home from my soccer practice. She rolled her eyes and
shook her head. My mom absolutely loathed fast food, but with so
many fast food restaurants in the neighborhood, she found it hard to
avoid them. They were everywhere!
Writing from a first-person point of view will help your readers step into the
narrator’s shoes and relate to his or her feelings and actions more easily.
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2.Third-person point of view: The story is told from the perspective of
someone ‘outside’ of the story, ie the narrator is not part of the story. The
narrator talks about the characters in the story using third person-pronouns
such as he, him, his, she, her, hers, it, its, they, them and theirs.
Read the paragraph below:
Reese was famished. It was nearly two o’clock, and he had not
eaten since breakfast. Reese asked his mom if she would stop at
a fast food restaurant on their way home from his soccer practice. She rolled her eyes and shook her head. His mom absolutely
loathed fast food, but with so many fast food restaurants in the
neighborhood, she found it hard to avoid them. They were
everywhere!
When you write from a third-person point of view, you describe each character’s
experiences, thoughts, feelings and actions.
Writing Tip 3: Stay in a consistent “person” when writing.
Whether you are writing from a first-person point of view or a third-person point
of view, it is important to stay consistent throughout the text.
Read the paragraph below:
My brother and I love rollercoasters. Every time we go to an
amusement park, we pile into the rollercoasters and scream the whole
time we are on. Our favorite rollercoaster is called Turbulence. First,
they put you in the seat and strap the seatbelt tightly around you. As
you start to move, you soon realize that you are in for a wild ride.
When you get to the very top, you tip over the edge but you don’t
come crashing down like on other rollercoasters. Instead, you go over
the edge and then the whole car jerks around while you are staring
straight down at the ground. Finally, you rush down towards
the end!
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In the previous paragraph, the writer begins in the first person, using first-person
pronouns such as we and our. A few sentences later, the writer starts
describing his favorite rollercoaster. Instead of writing in the first person, he
switches to the second person and uses the second-person pronoun you. When
the writer does this, the paragraph stopped making sense because obviously it is
not the reader who is riding the rollercoaster.
Read the paragraph below:
My brother and I love rollercoasters. Every time we go to an
amusement park, we pile into the rollercoasters and scream the whole
time we are on. Our favorite rollercoaster is called Turbulence. First,
they put us in the seat and strap the seatbelt tightly around us. As we
start to move, we soon realize that we are in for a wild ride. When
we get to the very top, we tip over the edge but we don’t come
crashing down like on other rollercoasters. Instead, we go over the
edge and then the whole car jerks around while we are staring straight
down at the ground. Finally, we rush down towards the end!
One easy way of keeping to a consistent “person” is to avoid using the
word you.
Writing Tip 4: Write elaboration paragraphs for your
expository texts.
In most expository texts, you make your main points and then follow up with
explanations. These explanations support the topic sentence, so they are called
supporting sentences. To further illustrate a point, you can include the following
types of elaboration paragraphs:
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1.Paragraphs that provide specific examples. In the example below,
the third paragraph includes an example of the ‘great classroom activities’
mentioned in the second paragraph.
Greenvale School is the best school in town! We have the greatest
teachers and the best students.
One reason Greenvale School is so good is the wonderful teachers.
They are very smart, they don’t give lots of
homework and they care a lot about students. Best of all, they make
learning fun with great classroom activities.
My favorite activity was when Mrs Lee let us finger paint in class. She
made everyone put on paint shirts, and she covered our tables with
plastic wrap. Then she spread out the brown finger paint. We made all
kinds of pictures. When I licked my finger, I realized that it wasn’t paint
at all. It was chocolate pudding! What a great surprise!
2.Paragraphs that provide short vignettes. In the example below, the
second paragraph contains a vignette – a short, descriptive story – about the
writer’s favorite game.
I go to daycare after school and it is pretty cool. We go to a big
playground and run around like crazy. Then, after we run around a
little, we get to play games. My favorite game is soccer.
I remember one day when I was playing soccer and Sam was the
goalkeeper. Sam is the best goalkeeper in the neighborhood and I
knew I couldn’t possibly score a goal against him. Just then, his dad
called to him from across the playground. As he turned to wave to
his dad, I kicked the ball real hard into the goal. I had beaten the
best goalkeeper in the neighborhood!
By using the above methods, you will be able to elaborate on your expository
texts and provide more details for your readers.
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Answer Key
Page 6
Accept all reasonable answers.
Pages 10–11
1.I wanted to have dinner at home, but my sister
wanted to eat out. In the end, we went to a
fast-food outlet.
2.Most people think burping loudly is rude but that is
not always the case. In some cultures, it shows that
you appreciate the food you have eaten.
3.Fergie, my faithful dog, follows me wherever I go. He
loves to play fetch and will always wait eagerly for
me to return from school. He also likes to eat dry dog
biscuits and nibble on bones.
4.Janet has always been optimistic. She never lets
anything sadden her. Even on the rare occasion that
she is feeling down, she would go out for a walk,
write in her journal or talk the problem out with her
good friend. After than, she usually feels much better.
5.We need to leave immediately! If we do not hurry,
we will miss our flight. If that happens, that will be
disastrous. We will miss our connecting flight and we
will be late for your brother’s graduation ceremony
and may even have to miss it altogether!
Page 7
Delete the commas after these words:
1. cleaners
2. school
3. behavior
4. track
5. interesting
6. homework
7. responsibility
8. contest
Page 8
1.“Speak softly, someone might hear us,” whispered
Bill.
2.“You better watch your words young man,” Mother
warned, “or you’ll be grounded for the next one
week.”
3.Stanley asked aloud, “Wouldn’t it be great to just
enjoy the view for a while?”
4.“You should see that gorilla! It’s enormous!”
exclaimed Kevin.
5.Sally complained, “I’m always waiting for you! Can
you try to be early for once?”
6.“Don’t cry little girl,” Jamie reassured the child,
“everything will be okay.”
7.Weeping uncontrollably she burst out “This is so
unfair!”
8.The hungry child asked, “Please can I have some
bread?”
Page 12
1.Did you know that carrots really are good for your
eyes? There is a vitamin in this crunchy orange root
called beta-carotene that helps lower the risk of
eye disease. So the next time you find carrot sticks
in your lunch, don’t trade them or toss them away.
Munch away in good health instead!
2.Do you like potato chips, cookies, cake and ice
cream? If you’re like me, you probably do. I’m sure
you also know that these wonderful taste treats are
considered to be junk food. It is a good idea to eat
small amounts of food with a lot of fat, oil, sugar
and salt.
3.Think of all the foods you eat. Are they nutritious?
Do they have all the vitamins and minerals your body
needs to be healthy or are they full of fats, sugar and
salt? Use the food pyramid to make healthy choices
because you are what you eat.
Page 9
“Would you like a cup of coffee?” Renee asked the
homeless man.
“No, thank you. Too much caffeine keeps me up at night.
I would like some food though.”
Before Renee knew what was happening, the man
shouted out across the café, “Can somebody take my
order?” A tall waitress, looking as cross as a bear with a
toothache, marched up and barked, “What do
you want?”
“Bring me a bowl of mushroom soup, the biggest
croissant you have and a tall glass of milk,” the man
rattled off.
“Thank you for buying me lunch. Thanks to your
generosity I now can sleep with a full belly tonight.”
Page 13
Answers may vary.
Interrogative: How many times per minute do
humans breathe?
Declarative: Humans breathe twenty times per minute.
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Imperative: Count the number of times you breathe
per minute.
Exclamatory: That is fast!
Page 21
Accept all reasonable answers.
Answers may vary.
1. dry; painful
2. loud; timid
3. nervous; fearful
4. new leather
Interrogative: Is the body really sixty-five percent water?
Declarative: The body is sixty-five percent water.
Imperative: Believe it.
Exclamatory: I don’t believe it!
Interrogative: How long are the small intestines?
Declarative: The small intestines are about twenty-two
feet long.
Imperative: Read about the small intestines.
Exclamatory: The small intestines are twenty-two
feet long.
Page 22
Accept all reasonable answers.
1.Thousands of terrified office workers left hurriedly out
of the building.
2. The lonely man walked sadly through the woods.
3. The talkative students sat continuously until noun.
4. I went eagerly into the water.
Page 14
Accept all reasonable answers.
Page 23
1.While I waited for my parents to get home, I
watched a movie.
2.My brother was in his room because he had
homework to do.
3.Before the movie was over, the power went out.
4.I didn’t mind the dark at first until I heard a
scratching sound.
5. When I found my flashlight, I started to look around.
Page 15
1.When Sunshine was a puppy, my sister taught her
many tricks.
2.The students in the bleachers cheered for their team.
3. My mother scolded me for teasing my little brother.
4.The saleswoman sold shirts with rainbows on them to
the tourists.
5.Dad taught me to read when I was a preschooler.
6.We heard on the news today about the missing
painting that was found.
Page 24
1. but
4. Just as
7. after
10.Just as
Page 16
Then, Charles spotted an old chair at a corner and
smashed it against the wall. He flung the broken pieces
into the fireplace. He lit a match close to the wood, but
it did not burn. He lit another, and the wind blew it out!
Charles turned and James was all curled up shivering on
the floor. Charles knew he must do something quick!
2. In order that
5. after
8. In order that
3. If
6. but
9. If
Page 25
Accept all reasonable answers.
Page 26
1.The Caspian Sea, the world’s largest lake, covers an
area about the same size as Montana.
2.The Komodo dragon, a member of the monitor
family, can grow to a length of 10 feet.
3.Our closest star, the sun, is estimated to be more
than 27,000,000F.
4.Neil Armstrong, the spacecraft commander of Apollo
11, was the first man to walk on the moon.
Pages 17–19
Accept all reasonable answers.
Page 20
1.While Gina answered the phone, Marta watched for
the bus.
2.Just as Gina said, “Hello”, the caller hung up.
3.Unless they hurried, the girls were going to miss the
one o’clock show.
4.By the time they got to the corner, the bus had
already come and gone.
5.After the girls had waited a half hour, the next bus to
town finally showed up.
6.Since they missed the earlier show, the girls decided
to catch the four o’clock show.
7.Since Gina bought the tickets first, they wouldn’t
have to wait in line.
Page 27
Answers may vary.
1. The spice, Saffron, is worth about $2000 an ounce.
2.The atlas moth, the world’s largest moth, has a
wingspan of about 12 inches.
3.Georgia, the top peanut-producing state in the United
States, harvests over 1.3 billion pounds of peanuts
each year.
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4.Switzerland, a small country to the north of Italy,
holds the world record.
Robinson Crusoe stared hard at it. It stopped. He
searched around for something to protect himself and
found a broken branch near his feet.
Page 28
My brother Alex has more “interests” than anyone I
know, but the novelty always wears off very quickly. I
know my brother! Last week, Alex wanted to join the
school band so he asked if he could rent a drum set. I
burst out laughing. My parents just looked at each other.
I know what they were thinking. Would they be able to
convince Alex to try something a little quieter or would he
insist on the drums?
Well, they convinced Alex to try something else, but it
wasn’t something quieter. Today he informed us that he’s
decided to try the tuba. In fact, the school has an extra
tuba so Mum and Dad won’t have to rent one. Needless
to say, I hope this novelty wears off very, very quickly!
Answers may vary.
Pages 32–36
Accept all reasonable answers.
Page 37
Answers may vary.
1. screamed
4. laughed
2. caressed
5. sighed
3. hissed
6. grinned
Pages 38–40
Accept all reasonable answers.
Page 41
1. I
4. A
7. K
10.C
Page 29
Answers may vary.
Nemo had always been a curious kid. He would
squeeze through cracks in the coral reef looking for
treasure. He would chase after schools of fishes to see if
he was the fastest one around.
2. D
5. B
8. E
11.C
3. G
6. J
9. H
12.F
Page 42
Answers may vary.
Elsa looked out of the time capsule. She could tell she was
not on Earth. She saw little green creatures floating by
waving their arms and legs. She could smell something
sweet in the air. She could hear scratchy sounds nearby.
The noise made her think about rats. Then she felt a light
touch on her feet. Suddenly she realized she was not
alone. A little green creature was there with her, and it
was speaking in a language she could not understand.
Nemo loved his gentle and careful dad. “Never swim
near the ship,” warned Dad, every time he swam near
the ship. Dad worried too much and Nemo couldn’t
stand it.
Page 30
Answers may vary.
What a fantastic summer I spent! It was at the shore. I
spent it with my grandparents. They have a summer home
near Cape May in New Jersey. We went swimming,
collected shells and fished. Their house is right on the
beach so we never had to go far. The beach was my
backyard. It was great.
Pages 43–44
Accept all reasonable answers.
Page 45
Answers may vary.
1. Do you think students should wear uniforms?
2. What is incredible about the cheetah is its quickness!
3. I drew an oval, a circle and a square.
4. The neighborhood families worked as a team.
5.The ostrich, the world’s largest flightless bird, can run
as fast as 40 miles per hour.
6.More than anything else, I would really like to be a
professional basketball player some day.
My grandfather has a small motorboat called a runabout.
He keeps it at a nearby marina. Gramps took me
crabbing one morning before sunrise when I was half
asleep. My job was tying smelly fish heads to the lines.
That sure woke me up, but it was worth it. We caught six
dozen blue crabs. What a great dinner we had that night!
Page 46
Answers may vary.
1.The wailing siren warned residents to take shelter
immediately.
2.The exhausted hikers nearly collapsed after the
arduous trek.
3.My opponent may be petite, but what a fearsome
serve she delivers!
Page 31
Robinson Crusoe’s ship had sunk and he was swept to
shore. He opened his eyes and saw white clouds in the
sky. He tried to move but his shoulders hurt so he lay
down again. He looked around and saw no one. He
realized that he was all alone. Suddenly, something
brown and furry moved among the trees in a distance.
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4.The men halted as the rattler slithered across their
path.
5.The audience guffawed at the comedian’s hilarious
stories.
6.What is that pungent odor emerging from the kitchen?
Page 52
1, 5, 3, 2, 6, 4, 8, 7
Page 53
Answers may vary.
First, Kim registered for an appointment at the counter.
Then she waited for her turn at the bench. Ten
minutes later, the nurse called out Kim’s name. When
Kim entered the consultation room, she realized it was
Dr Norman. Next she told him about the rash on her
hands. After Dr Norman had examined Kim, he
prescribed medication for her. Finally, Kim left the clinic
with antibiotics and a tube of antiseptic cream.
Page 47
Answers may vary.
1.The scrawny boy had not eaten for days and he
was famished.
2.His tummy growled and he looked through the bin
for leftover food.
3.The waitress from the café spotted him eating the
scraps and felt pity for him.
4.She offered him some food and he gobbled
it immediately.
Pages 54-55
Accept all reasonable answers.
Page 56
* = Saltiness of the Dead Sea
√ = Width and length of the Dead Sea
X = Location of the Dead Sea
A package had arrived. Jim and Rose examined the
stamp thoroughly. “China. Who could it be from?”
wondered Jim. He did no know anyone from China. Jim
peered at the parcel and saw a label by the side. “Chen
Xiao Li,” commented Jim. Rose stared at him for a while
and exclaimed, “Oh, Xiao LI! We met at the summer
camp! She promised she would send me some local
snacks when she returned home!”
1. *
4. X
7. √
10.X
Pages 48–49
Accept all reasonable answers.
2. √
5. √
8. *
11.√ 3. *
6. √
9. X
12.√
Page 57
Review that the points listed below are in the categories
listed on the previous page.
Pages 50–51
(There is an energizing chill in the air now that the
days are shorter.)(The last of the crops are about to be
harvested, and a blanket of leaves covers much of the
landscape.)(All but a few of our summertime visitors have
already flown south for warmer places.) Once again, the
long, hot day so of summer have given way to fall.
Page 58
8, 7, 2, 11, 1, 3, 9, 10, 5, 4
Page 59
First, we got up at 6.00 a.m., got dressed and ate
breakfast. Next, we helped Dad load up the van and
double-checked the house before locking up. Then, we
piled in the van and we were ready to go by 7.30 a.m.
Next, we got on the turnpike and headed east. We
stopped for lunch around noon and were back on the
road by 1.00 p.m.. Then, we stopped for gas on the way
out of town in the mid afternoon and we finally arrived at
the motel by late afternoon. After we unloaded the van,
we went down to the beach.
Falling asleep was never a problem for me until we
moved to the country. (I was used to the sounds of
subway trains pulling into the station near our apartment,
the horns and squealing brakes of buses, taxis, and cars,
wailing sirens, and planes landing or taking off.)(I was
not used to the sound of chirping crickets.)
(This amazing marsupial spends about 22 hours a day
asleep in a eucalyptus tree.)(A nocturnal creature, it is
mostly active at night.) The habits of the world’s
sleepiest animal, the koala, really fascinate me. (When
it is awake, the koala feeds on eucalyptus leaves and
shoots, up to two pounds at a time.)(What’s more, it
seldom drinks water because it gets most of what it needs
from the leaves and shoots.)
Accept all reasonable answers.
Page 60
1. Since
3. Subsequently
5. Soon after
2. In 1596
4. until
6. Finally
Page 61
Cross out:
Next month we’re going to the ocean.
That will be fun.
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and rich in vitamins. Many people around the world eat
insects. In fact, farming and harvesting insects is more
efficient than raising cattle. Lots of tasty recipes include
insects.
Closing Sentence: You should try eating insects!
One of the boys accidentally fell in.
He was really embarrassed.
Underline:
Yesterday our science class went on a field trip to
the pond.
Page 88
1. The town should build a skateboard park.
2.There are more skateboarders but fewer places to
skate. Skateboarders have to keep looking for new
places to skate because of the complaints of certain
people.
3.He refers to a survey. He points out that parks and
areas for skateboarders have worked in other
communities.
Page 62
Accept all reasonable answers.
Page 63
1. O
2. F
4. O
5. F
Accept all reasonable answers.
3. F
6. O
Pages 64–79
Accept all reasonable answers.
Pages 89–90
Accept all reasonable answers.
Page 80
Spotting the doe in a clearing, I froze in my tracks and
quietly took out my camera. I didn’t want to startle the
animal. Sensing my presence, the doe looked up at me.
“Don’t’ be frightened,” I said in my most soothing voice.
“I won’t hurt you. I just want to take your picture.” The
doe accommodated me for about five seconds before
running off into the woods.
Page 91
1. Max had forgotten to check the pot of stew.
2.The stew boiled over; the bottom of the pot was
scorched; smoke filled the kitchen; dinner was
ruined; and Max was in trouble.
Answers will vary.
Pages 93-105
Accept all reasonable answers.
Answers may vary.
After hiking for more than an hour up the steep trail, he
decided to take a break because his feet were killing
him. Although he had worn his new hiking boots around
the house all week, I soon realized that they were not
sufficiently broken in. “I should have listened to Beth and
worn my old boots,” he grumbled to himself.
Page 106
Accept all reasonable answers.
The Break of Dawn;
China, after the Second World War;
Ming;
He was young;
He and his baby sister were cold and alone in their house;
Ming’s sister, Mei, and his father;
When the door swung open;
Ming dropped his sister on the ground;
Ming’s father had come home;
Third-person.
Pages 81–83
Accept all reasonable answers.
Page 84
Answers may vary.
The trumpet and violin are both musical instruments that
are played in orchestras. However, there are some important differences. The trumpet is made of brass. It has
a mouthpiece and three valves. On the other hand, the
violin is made of wood. It has four strings and is played
with a bow. Both instruments require lots of practice.
Pages 107–108
Accept all reasonable answers.
Page 109
The land is charred and cracked. It had not rained at
the summit for months. Ugloo looked up and the sky.
Not a single cloud! Ulgoo closes his eyes as the sun is
just too bright for him. The heat is making him drowsy
too. Just then, a rattling sound shook him up. Ugloo
peered opened his eyes. A water truck was climbing
up the hill slowly and steadily. Ugloo couldn’t believe
what he was seeing. Help is finally here! Up he
sprang and hurried to tell all his neighbors.
Page 85
Accept all reasonable answers.
Page 87
Answers may vary.
Paragraph Title: Edible Insects
Topic Sentence: Everyone should try eating insects.
Reasons/Facts: There are many edible insects such as
mealworms, crickets and weevils. They are low in fat
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1. Morning is my favorite time of the day.
2. Even if it’s pouring cats and dogs.
3. The thought of having a brand new day excites me.
4.I’m so energetic after breakfast that I can write
for hours.
Chickadees are supposed to be easy to hand tame.
Well, the chickadee was still perched on the tree, and
I had the seeds, so I decided to try. I took a bunch of
seeds, held out my hand next to the feeder and stood
very still. I didn’t even scratch my nose when it started
to itch! About a minute later, the chickadee flew to the
tree closest to the feeder. I held my breath and waited.
The chickadee didn’t fly to my hand, but it did fly to
the feeder! It took a seed and flew off to eat it. I knew it
would be back, so I continued to watch and wait.
Page 110
1.The weather has changed and it’s a busy time for the
Graham family again.
2.Uncle Billy Graham’s orchard is ripe for harvest.
3.He, as well as his sons, have to wake up early to
pick the grapes.
4.“Hurry! We must deliver these grapes to the market
before eight o’clock!” yelled the anxious father.
5. The boys get up from their beds reluctantly.
6.“Do you know that every bunch of grapes picked
means income for our family?” asked the father.
7.With this, everyone scurry out to the vineyard
with a basket.
Page 113
Our body is an amazing machine. It has different parts
all connected as one. No one part is better than the
other. They are all important.
Imagine the eyes saying “I am the best part of the body.
I can see everything.” and the legs saying “Okay, I
shall stay here and you will not go anywhere.” How
much can the eyes see then? They need the legs to bring
them around to see different things.
Page 111
1.Be careful what you read on the Internet
as/because the information can be fake.
2.Since the operation, Alice has been absent from
school for a week.
3.None of the boys admitted to the prank, so everyone
in class was punished.
4.Tim tries to cover his head, but the swarm of bees
just keeps stinging him.
5.If Willy does not find a doctor soon, his wife will be
in trouble.
Page 114
Kota Kinabalu, Sabah – Three childhood friends, Betty
Chan, Kala Krishnan and Jane Thompson, have been lost
in Mount Kinabalu for a week. Police have stopped the
rescue efforts this morning.
The three friends, all twenty-two years old, made their
first ascend up Mount Kinabalu, the highest mountain in
Southeast Asia on Monday morning. They were last seen
at the resting lodge mid-way up the mountain that evening.
The lodge is the resting stop for mountaineers
preparing to head up for the summit. The three girls had
planned to ascend the summit with their guide at 2am that
night. s
Though Alvin or Andy are twins, their personalities are
totally different. Alvin is a chatterbox with Andy is quiet.
While Alvin the African drum very well, Andy sings
opera in school. He has been singing for his first year
in school. Andy had even perform before the mayor
in the school concert. Alvin does not appreciate Andy’s
talent till he thinks singing opera is girly stuff. He prefers
to bang out loud on the drum when that gives Andy
headache. The only common thing between the twins
are ice cream. Both of them simply loves mango ice
cream. They never fails to bug their mom for it at the
supermarket.
Mary, Kala and Jane have been friends since they were
seven years old. They were classmates and played
hockey together in the school team. This is the first time
the three friends are travelling together.
Other mountaineers remembered meeting the girl at the
lodge. “It’s really crowded at the lodge. We were having
our dinner when the three girls came to join us at our
table. They looked young and one of them looked really
bad. She was shivering and her lips were pale. I thought
she might be sick,” recalled Mr Don, an experienced
mountaineer from Malaysia. “One of them, I think it’s
Betty, told me she couldn’t breathe well in the thin air,”
said Sazali, another mountaineer.
Page 112
The most amazing thing happened this morning. I still
can’t believe it! Just as I was about to fill one of my
feeders, I noticed a chickadee perched on the lower
branch of a nearby tree. The little bird seemed to be
watching me. Of course, chickadees really like like
sunflower seeds, and that’s what I always put in this
feeder. I figured it was probably hungry and just waiting
for me to finish up and leave. It was then that I got this
great idea.
Pages 115–116
Accept all reasonable answers.
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