Sentence Fluency

This week we will begin our first grammar unit titled, 'Sentence Fluency'.

What does it mean to have a piece of writing that shows fluency?

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'Showing' not Telling Poetry

Enjoy these examples of Where I'm From...poetry written by your classmates. Notice the use of vivd descriptive 'showing' language.

I am made of the colors red and gold
Huge celebrations with dragons so bold
I’m from secret escapes from an island
and I’m a swordplayer in demand
I’m a lover of water, sunlight, and sand.
I’m from saddling up and falling right off
and little beany critters going aloft
A melody of any is a joy to me
It’s like I have gills some may say
and I like dreaming even during the day
I’m always showing my teeth,
and with my stomach, I’m likely to be green
I was given the gift of song
and I hark from the land of the gong
I’m ham-handed as can be
But I am exuberant, so I hope that you will like me.
by Katherine Lim

I am from sun blocking banks, law firms, and construction sites
From juicy, crunchy, delicious fried chicken and birthday foie gras

I am from 5 o’clock rush hour on Providence road
From the close calls of Bobcats games and the roar of the crowd as the Panthers play

I am from fireworks and cookouts on the Forth of July and that truly great Oreo pie
From the smell of gooey cookies right out of the oven

I am from the screams and laughs at Carrowinds and the costumes of characters as they greet the fans
From the smell of fried Twinkies and funnel cakes and the crowded but still very fun speed street
I am who I am and that can’t ever be changed

Makaela Sides




When you write descriptively...will you attempt to 'show' your readers like these examples below?

The pizza was delicious.

Steam rising up off the melted cheese made my mouth water. The first bite, my teeth sinking into the cheese through the tomato sauce and into the moist crust, made me chew and swallow rapidly. Even the cheese and tomato sauce, sticking to my fingertips, begged to be licked.

He is angry.

Sitting at his desk, his jaw tightened. His eyes flashed heat waves at me. The words erupted from his mouth, "I want to talk to you after class." The final hiss in his voice warned me about his feelings.

The morning was beautiful.

Behind the mountains, the sun peaked brightly, ready to start a new day. The blue sky remained silent yet showed signs of sadness. The wind whispered through the trees as the cheerful sun rose. The birds sang gently by my window as if they wanted to wake me up.

The coffee was enjoyable.

She cradled the mug in both hands and leaned her head over it in the rising steam. Pursing her lips, she blew softly over the clouded surface and let her eyelids drop. Her shoulders rose slightly as she breathed in, and she hummed with her head low. I lifted the tiny porcelain pitcher and poured a brief rotating arch of white into the black depths of my own cup. She opened her eyes, and we looked at each other across the table without speaking.

Watch these Videos for Tenses Practice

Descriptive Writing - Charlotte Doyle

Enjoy these descriptive writing pieces by your classmates. Look at Avery's very simple but powerfully descriptive ending that shows the mood of her character. Notice 'showing' phrase like " canvas hammock", "...wood moans", or "droopy sails kick into life" in Griffin's work.

The View

By: Avery Riescher

The sun was starting to rise and the sea was as clear as crystal. A calm sea was still and smooth like glass. Bleach-white sales were high in the sky and puffy like a giant marshmallow. The sun was to trying peak through the fluffy clouds. All of the rest of the sky looked like a marvelous water color painting. The deck’s floor boards were decrepit and squeaked when pressure was put on them. Even though they were wood the polish made them sparkle. The sun was half way in the sky and there was an ominous feeling in the air. Dark clouds started to fill the air as the wind was kicking up. A loud roar filled the sky as a bolt of light struck the sky. In a blink of the eye it started to pour down large droplets of water. The rat lines were swaying furiously in the strong wind. Lightning was lighting up the dense, dark sky. Thunder was roaring louder than I have ever heard in my life. I sprinted back to my tiny, dark cabin. Back in England, when there was a storm at night I curled up in my bed and listened to the pitter-patter of the rain. That is what I decided to do.

A Nation of It’s Own
by Griffin Walsh

Sails are down as the Seahawk glides through the splashing waves of the sea. I wake up to the sound of men running about. As I turn in my canvas hammock, the ship is jolted to one side. Falling down, I remember I am aboard a ship and I try to keep my balance. I pull on my torn sailor’s vest and jog outside onto deck.
Stepping onto the decrepit, sea beaten deck of the Seahawk, the wood moans. Looking up, men scurry about in the sails and riggings like scared monkeys running from a vicious predator. I climb up the thick ropes to the very top lookout point and my stomach lurches. The men below me look like small, tin soldiers. The mast seems as if it is a giant, four hundred year old Redwood growing up through the deck. A thousand whips crack around me as I climb even higher. Although the day has just begun, the sun, a huge flaming giant, soars in the sky burning whoever gets in its way. I set to work pulling the long, snakelike ropes that hold up the white sails. The wind blows and the droopy sails kick into life. Bells sound loudly as Mr. Hollybrass yells for everyone to come on deck on deck. I scamper down from the treacherous riggings. The eminent Captain Jaggery steps briskly out from his cabin. A long, unimportant speech follows. After resuming our stations and heading back to our laborious work, thoughts about Captain Jaggery fill my head.
What was it? Suddenly, I recall why the crew and I had come and what we were to do.

Tenses = Practice Exercises

Make sure you tackle all these exercises below

You will need to know Construction and Usage of nine tenses we studied. You should be able to write a sentence in any of the nine tenses we have studied. You should be able to use inference to decide how a sentence should end based on its tense. (Hint Hint! – Helping Verbs can sometimes be called ‘auxiliary verbs’) – Open Book.

Practice Present Perfect and Simple Past
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/410/grammar/ppvpast1.htm

All Tenses - Practice
http://www.english-4u.de/tenses_ex1.htm
http://www.english-4u.de/tenses_ex2.htm


Practice Present Perfect and Simple Past
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/410/grammar/ppvpast1.htm


Hard
Simple Past/Present Perfect/Past Perfect
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs12.htm