Vary Sentence Beginnings

Use Expand Sentences With Details as a warm up. Then have students apply the openings from Vary Sentence Beginnings to their own writing.

Rewrite 6 sentences from the paragraph Our Class Garden to start with a phrase, a clause or an adverb. Starting sentences in different ways, such as with a phrase, a clause or an adverb, keeps writing from sounding the same. The directions on the page read: Every sentence in the paragraph starts with The or I. Rewrite sentences 2 to 7 on the lines so each one starts the way its label says. Keep the meaning. An answer key is included.

Yes, both. We made it for 6th Grade sentences, and the page works the same whether it lands on a kitchen table or a center rotation. At home, most families go through it together and talk the answers out loud, and that talking is where most of the learning happens with writing varied sentences. In class it runs well as independent work while you pull a small group. Print one copy or thirty, whichever the day needs.

Add details that answer who, what, when, where, why and how. The dog barked can become Late last night, the dog barked at the back gate because a raccoon was in the yard.

Start with a phrase, a clause or an adverb. The rain finally came in May becomes Finally, the rain came in May.

A paragraph starts with a topic sentence, gives supporting details and ends with a closing sentence. Paragraph Structure With Topic, Support and Close labels each sentence T, D or C.