WriteTraitsWriteTraits

Sentence Sentence FluencyFluency

Sentence FluencySentence Fluency

Have you ever ridden with a driver who Have you ever ridden with a driver who seemed to have one foot on the brake and seemed to have one foot on the brake and the other on the gas pedal? Zoom! Stop! the other on the gas pedal? Zoom! Stop! Zoom! Stop!Zoom! Stop!

Instead of enjoying the ride, you were Instead of enjoying the ride, you were probably bracing yourselfprobably bracing yourself

If you write like that, readers will be If you write like that, readers will be bracing themselves, too.bracing themselves, too.

Smooth writing or Smooth writing or fluencyfluency will happen if will happen if you keep in mind your readers’ comfortyou keep in mind your readers’ comfort

Improving FluencyImproving Fluency

Many writing strategies can Many writing strategies can improveimprove

fluency. These strategies include:fluency. These strategies include: Combining short, choppy sentencesCombining short, choppy sentences Varying sentence lengthVarying sentence length Using transition wordsUsing transition words Revising for fluencyRevising for fluency

Rolling AlongRolling Along

Riding in a Riding in a bumpy car is not bumpy car is not fun!fun!

Skating boarding Skating boarding and bike riding are and bike riding are not fun on a bumpy not fun on a bumpy surface, either.surface, either.

Any Fun?Any Fun?

What fun would any of these things What fun would any of these things be if you had to keep stopping and be if you had to keep stopping and restart every metre or so?restart every metre or so?

Good Writing Also….Good Writing Also….

Needs to roll along as smoothly as a Needs to roll along as smoothly as a good bike ride or a good afternoon at good bike ride or a good afternoon at the skateboard park the skateboard park

Not Fun Either!Not Fun Either!

Reading choppy sentences is not fun Reading choppy sentences is not fun eithereither

They bump the reader through the They bump the reader through the text the way rocky, bumpy roads text the way rocky, bumpy roads bump drivers along a dirt roadbump drivers along a dirt road

Periods and commas when used with Periods and commas when used with care, don’t interrupt the flow care, don’t interrupt the flow anymore than a nice, gradual turn or anymore than a nice, gradual turn or small bumpsmall bump

There is a Cure!There is a Cure!

Fortunately we can pave roads, build Fortunately we can pave roads, build skateboard parks and ALSO create smooth skateboard parks and ALSO create smooth sentencessentences

One way to improve this is with sentence One way to improve this is with sentence combiningcombining

A little sentence combining weaves ideas A little sentence combining weaves ideas together in a way that improves the flow together in a way that improves the flow and make for greater clarityand make for greater clarity

Now the reader clearly understands what Now the reader clearly understands what you are sayingyou are saying

The Result….The Result….

The road and the sentences are The road and the sentences are smooth!smooth!

Read the following passage Read the following passage

My horse is white. He has one My horse is white. He has one blue eye and one brown eye. He blue eye and one brown eye. He is friendly. He likes when we is friendly. He likes when we brush him. He snuggles his nosebrush him. He snuggles his noseinto us when we brush him. He into us when we brush him. He is fun to ride. He is my horse is fun to ride. He is my horse and I am glad.and I am glad.

What Did You Notice?What Did You Notice?

Does the paragraph roll smoothly along?

Why?

Why?Why?

Short sentencesShort sentences Full of starts and stopsFull of starts and stops Most sentences start with the same Most sentences start with the same

wordword

Read this passageRead this passage

My friendly horse, Flash, has one blue My friendly horse, Flash, has one blue eye and one brown eye. This majestic eye and one brown eye. This majestic white creature loves when I brush his soft white creature loves when I brush his soft coat. I can tell because he snuggles his coat. I can tell because he snuggles his nose into me and whinnies. He also loves nose into me and whinnies. He also loves to race through the corn fields behind our to race through the corn fields behind our barn. Whoosh! Flash gallops through the barn. Whoosh! Flash gallops through the stalks like a NASCAR racer flying around a stalks like a NASCAR racer flying around a speedway. I clutch his mane and shriek speedway. I clutch his mane and shriek with laughter. He is a wonderful horse!with laughter. He is a wonderful horse!

What Did You Notice?What Did You Notice?

Does the paragraph roll smoothly along?

Why?

Why?Why?

Smooth sentencesSmooth sentences A variety of length of sentencesA variety of length of sentences

Rules of the GameRules of the Game

Listen as the teacher reads the Listen as the teacher reads the passage on page 76 aloudpassage on page 76 aloud

Does the passage run smoothly?Does the passage run smoothly? In ‘Your Response’ check how the In ‘Your Response’ check how the

paragraph looked and sounded to youparagraph looked and sounded to you Now, complete ‘Locating the Problem’ Now, complete ‘Locating the Problem’

by rating the passageby rating the passage

Revision of ‘Rules of the Revision of ‘Rules of the Game’Game’

Read the revisionRead the revision Put your check beside “What Did You Put your check beside “What Did You

Notice?’Notice?’

Combining SentencesCombining Sentences

What does it mean?What does it mean? It is a great way to smooth out It is a great way to smooth out

writing that isn’t rolling alongwriting that isn’t rolling along Combining sentences isn’t always Combining sentences isn’t always

about combining 2 sentences with a about combining 2 sentences with a conjunction like and or butconjunction like and or but

Combining SentencesCombining Sentences

Example:Example:

Jack ran along way. He went more Jack ran along way. He went more than athan a

Mile.Mile.

CAN BECOMECAN BECOME

Jack ran more than a mile.

Remember….Remember….

Combining sentences sometimes Combining sentences sometimes includes condensing, which can includes condensing, which can make the final product shorter than make the final product shorter than the total length of the original the total length of the original sentences.sentences.

Combine these sentencesCombine these sentences

Combine the following sentences on Combine the following sentences on loose leaf.loose leaf.

A new animal was born. It was born at A new animal was born. It was born at the the

zoo. It was an elephant. It weighed two zoo. It was an elephant. It weighed two

hundred fifty pounds.hundred fifty pounds.

Combined Sentences Combined Sentences RevisedRevised

A two hundred and fifty pound baby A two hundred and fifty pound baby elephant was born at the zoo.elephant was born at the zoo.

Sentence CombiningSentence Combining

Using 4 sentences from ‘Rules of the Game’Using 4 sentences from ‘Rules of the Game’Players can get a penalty.Players can get a penalty.++They can get a penalty for breaking a rule.They can get a penalty for breaking a rule.++ Players who break rules have to sit in the Players who break rules have to sit in the

penalty box.penalty box.++ Players may have to sit out for two minutes Players may have to sit out for two minutes

or more.or more.=A player who gets a penalty for breaking a =A player who gets a penalty for breaking a

rule must sit still in the penalty box for two rule must sit still in the penalty box for two minutes or more.minutes or more.

Writing NotebookWriting Notebook

In your writing notebook, create a title page for In your writing notebook, create a title page for ‘‘SENTENCE FLUENCYSENTENCE FLUENCY’’

Under the title add this checklistUnder the title add this checklist

~~Do my sentences begin in different ways?Do my sentences begin in different ways?~Did I use some long and some short ~Did I use some long and some short sentences?sentences?~Did I use transition words and conjunctions ~Did I use transition words and conjunctions to make my writing flow smoothlyto make my writing flow smoothly~Does my paper sound smooth as I read it ~Does my paper sound smooth as I read it aloud?aloud?

May Flower Service ProjectMay Flower Service Project

Carefully read ‘May Flower Service Project’.Carefully read ‘May Flower Service Project’. Look and listen for sentences you could Look and listen for sentences you could

combine to get this passage rolling.combine to get this passage rolling. Read the passage again putting a + between Read the passage again putting a + between

any sentences you feel could be combinedany sentences you feel could be combined Rewrite your revised versionRewrite your revised version You may have to change the wording or add You may have to change the wording or add

linking words to make some combinations linking words to make some combinations workwork

This is homeworkThis is homework

HomeworkHomework

Complete ‘May Flower Service Project’ revision. If Complete ‘May Flower Service Project’ revision. If you don’t have enough room, use loose lesfyou don’t have enough room, use loose lesf

In the Sentence Fluency section of your writing In the Sentence Fluency section of your writing notebook, write about ‘Your Best or Worst Big notebook, write about ‘Your Best or Worst Big Cove Experience’Cove Experience’

Remember to date the page, title your work and Remember to date the page, title your work and double spacedouble space

This writing must be at least 1 ½ pages double This writing must be at least 1 ½ pages double spaced. We have increased the length of your spaced. We have increased the length of your writingwriting

Be prepared to share your writing on Day 4Be prepared to share your writing on Day 4

What is sentence fluency?What is sentence fluency? May Service Project RevisionMay Service Project Revision Sharing time – remember when you Sharing time – remember when you

are asked to comment on someone’s are asked to comment on someone’s writing you must first say why you writing you must first say why you like it and why and then one way to like it and why and then one way to improve the writingimprove the writing