Sample Sentence Exercise from my Seventh Grade Class

Sentence Combining
1. Students completed a Sentence Combining Worksheet. They learned about combining sentences by taking a key word (adverb, adjective, or participle) from a short sentence to combine with another short sentence. For example:
1. "I passed my English test. I passed it yesterday." (adverb)
This could be changed to "Yesterday, I passed my English test."
2. "Ella did the exercises with ease. The exercises were difficult." (adjective)
This could be changed to "Ella did the difficult exercises with ease."
3. "Joe's dog scares people. Joe's dog snarls." (participle)
This could be changed to "Joe's snarling dog scares people."

Looking for Sentence Variety
2. Looking for Sentence Variety in their own writing:
a) Students completed a chart for looking at the lengths and beginnings of their sentences from an essay they had written.

b) Students completed the back of the chart and read and studied selected information in the Writing and Grammar textbook.

Sentence Revising in their own Writing
c) Students revised at least 5 sentences from their essays by correcting fragments or run-ons, changing beginnings (for variety or effect), or by dividing or combining sentences.