Sentence+Combining

Zakk --- Sentence Combining is a method where short sentences are added together to create a longer and more complex sentence. Two main methods can be used: 1. providing a model for the student to use as a guide or 2. just giving the student a set of sentences to combine without the model. Method 1 seems preferable when beginning this type of activity, but one should hope that students eventually are able to combine sentences without the presence of a model. The sentence is usually combined in the order of the list, but this can change depending on the context of the lesson.

Sentences can be combined to highlight different aspects of language including style, tone, and purpose. Students can be given the same set of short sentences to combine, but each time with a different purpose or audience. Another activity students can do is to rank the sentences in order of importance and try different arrangements to see what effects they produce. Ex. This is a quiet man. This is a frightened man. This is an insignificant man. He has been nothing his whole life. He has never had recognition. He has never had his name in the newspapers.

“This is a quiet, frightened, insignificant man who has been nothing all his life, who has never had recognition—his name in the newspapers.” or

"This man--who never had his name in the newspapers, never had recognition-- is quiet and insignificant-- a nothing his whole life-- and he is frightened."

Meredith--
 * A viable definition of what your strategy is.
 * Sentence combining is when you take small, simple sentences and you combine them to produce complex sentences. Longer sentences make writing more eloquent and the reading flow is more fluid.
 * The examples of it you and your partner tried out or ones you created yourselves.
 * Activity 23 Practice 1; 1a, 2b, 3a, 4b, 5a
 * Activity 23 Practice 2; 1. His movement is nervous and fast, however, it is restrained. The restraint to his movement suggests that he is thoughtful and cautious. 2. The girls were doing two things; talking among themselves and looking over their shoulders at the boys. The very small children rolled in the dust while others clung to the hands of their older brothers and sisters. 3. He took flour and oil and shaped them into a cake in the frying pan. The stove functioned on gas which was bottled. 4. After the cake was done, he set the cake on the windowsill in order to cool it. He heated some condensed milk which was diluted. 5. The old, withered traveler napped upon his cane. The gentleman sat across the aisle next to the middle door.
 * 2 or more good ideas for how you might use this strategy in the teaching of language or some other aspect of the English language arts. Consider its potential as an "in-context" activity.
 * I think this would be a good activity to use when editing papers with students. I had a professor in college who told me to that every third sentence could be a short sentence and the others should be at least two lines long. I found that after this, my writing was considerably more fluid and enjoyable to read.
 * Taking an excerpt from a piece of writing that we're reading, especially YAL, and seeing if we can combine sentences in that piece would be an interesting assignment. This would tie-in a lesson and a piece of literature.