Lesson 12  -  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.



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In this lesson you will learn how to combine choppy sentence by combining related sentences with a comma and a coordinating conjunction, or by adding introductory phrases and/or clauses.


Rule 6:  When sentences are related they may be turned into a compound sentence by adding a comma and a coordinating conjunction.


FANBOYS is an acronym made up of the first letters of the common conjunctions:
For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So.

If you wanted to combine two sentences and show a cause and effect relationship, one way you could do it would be to use a coordinating conjunction. These are the
connecting words for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so. One way to remember all of them is to call them "FANBOYS." In most cases, they will be preceded by a comma.

Example

Little Ann crossed the river. Old Dan stood bawling on the bank.
Little Ann crossed the river, and Old Dan stood bawling on the bank.

Part A - Correctly combine the following sentences by adding a comma and a coordinating conjunction (For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So).

Example:

I noticed that the road stated at the edge of the foothills. It was always in sight of the river.

I noticed that the road stated at the edge of the foothills, but it was always in sight of the river.


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Rule 7: Short choppy sentences may be turned into complex sentences.


Old Dan was afraid. He stood on the bank and bawled.

Because Old Dan was afraid, he stood on the bank and bawled.

Try using some of these words when building complex sentences:


after before though when
although if unless whenever
because since until while

Part B - Correctly combine the following sentences by adding an introductory clause.


Example:


Choppy - Grandpa fed and watered the team. Papa and I carried our bedding to the shelter.


Corrected - While Grandpa fed and watered the team, Papa and I carried our bedding to the shelter.




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Part C Multiple Choice