Lesson 11  -  Choppy Sentences

Tennessee Blueprint - 5th Grade
Assessed - Select the best way to combine sentences to provide syntactic variety within context.

Assessed - Identify within context a variety of appropriate sentence-combining techniques (i.e., comma + coordinating conjunction, use of semicolon, and introductory phrases and/or clauses).

Developing - Combine simple sentences into compound sentences.

Developing - Combine sentences using compound subjects and/or predicates.

~*~^~*~^~*~^~*~^~*~^~*~^~*~^~*~^~*~^~*~^~*~^~*~^~*~^~*~^~*~^~*~^~*~^~*~^

In this lesson you will learn how to combine choppy sentences by adding modifying words and phrases.

Rule 4:  Sometimes one sentence will do in place of two.

Mama baked muffins. They were delicious.
Mama baked delicious muffins.

Rule 5:  Using phrases in sentences lets you say more - with less.

Billy's birthday present was a new lantern. It was from his Mama and Papa.
Billy's birthday present from his Mama and Papa was a new lantern.

 

Practice

Part A - Correctly combine the following sentences.

  1. It was a few days later. Billy was on his way back from on the mill.

    ______________________________________________________________________

    ______________________________________________________________________

    ______________________________________________________________________

  2. I picked up a stick and slapped my leg with it. It was small.

    ______________________________________________________________________

    ______________________________________________________________________

    ______________________________________________________________________

  3. He was stiff-legged. He walked up close to her. He stopped. He showed his teeth.

    ______________________________________________________________________

    ______________________________________________________________________

    ______________________________________________________________________

  4. I noticed his old hand. It was wrinkled. It trembled as he rubbed his chin.

    ______________________________________________________________________

    ______________________________________________________________________

    ______________________________________________________________________

  5. We can enter Old Dan and Little Ann. We can enter them in the championship hunt.

    ______________________________________________________________________

    ______________________________________________________________________

    ______________________________________________________________________

Part B - Multiple Choice

  1. Choose the sentence that correctly combines the following underlined sentences.

    I've even had several friends helping me.
    They are good friends.

    1. They are good friends I've had helping me.
    2. The friends that are helping me, they are good.
    3. I've even had several good friends helping me.
    4. I've even had several friends helping me, and they were good.
  2. Which of the following is written correctly?
    1. The winner receives a gold cup, and we might come home with it.
    2. The winner receives a cup, and we might come home with it because it is gold.
    3. We might come home with it because the winner receives a gold cup.
    4. The gold cup the winner receives, we might come home with it.
  3. How can the error in the following sentence be fixed?

    My dogs were not allowed in the house. They didn't come in.

    1. They didn't come in my dogs were not allowed in the house.
    2. My dogs didn't come in and were not allowed in the house.
    3. Not being allowed in the house, my dogs didn't come in.
    4. My dogs didn't come in because were not allowed in the house.
  4. Choose the answer that correctly combines the following underlined sentences.

    I saw the wrinkles bunch up on Grandpa's forehead. They were thinking wrinkles.

    1. I saw the wrinkles bunch up on Grandpa's forehead, and they were thinking wrinkles.
    2. I saw the wrinkles bunch up on Grandpa's forehead, because they were thinking wrinkles.
    3. I saw the thinking wrinkles bunch up on Grandpa's forehead.
    4. I saw the wrinkles bunch up on Grandpa's forehead, which were thinking wrinkles.
  5. Choose the sentence which is worded the best.
    1. The silent echo died away, and silence settled over the bottoms in the distance.
    2. The echo died away in the distance. Silence settled over the bottoms.
    3. As the echo died away in the distance, silence settled over the bottoms.
    4. Silence settled over the bottoms, and as the echo died away in the distance.
  6. Which of the following is written correctly?
    1. I waited for his reply. I waited in silence.
    2. I waited for the reply, and it was silent.
    3. I waited, in silence, for the silently reply.
    4. I waited in silence for his reply.
  7. Choose the answer that correctly combines the following underlined sentences.

    I saw a smile spread over his face. He was pleased.

    1. I saw a pleased smile spread over his face.
    2. I saw a smile spread over his face, and he was pleased.
    3. He was pleased as a smile and it was pleased spread over his face.
    4. I saw a smile that was pleased it spread over his face.
  8. Which of the following is written correctly?
    1. I was as nervous as a June bug. It was in a henhouse on the day before we were to leave.
    2. The day before we were to leave, I was as nervous as a June bug in a henhouse.
    3. I was as nervous as a henhouse in a June bug the day before we were to leave.
    4. The day before we were to leave, a nervous June bug in a henhouse.