resource guide
A comprehensive lesson pack
KS3SkillsJoining sentences
How it works / A substantial resource that takes students through a succession of easy-step worksheets that show them the essentials of sentence grammar and how to use them to improve their own writing.Try this!
Or this!
Or this! / Use this resource to help students to write more adventurous sentences. The section beginning on p14 is particularly interesting as it helps students do something the Strategy has recommended for the last few years: get students to start sentences with participles in order to shake up their thinking and give them access to new forms of expression and – therefore very often – new ideas. Participles are essentially verbs ending in –ing (present participle) or –ed (past participle). Use this resource in Y9 as preparation for the SATs and use it in conjunction with the SATs mark schemes from previous years to show students how much varied and sophisticated sentences are ‘worth’ in exam terms.
Look for examples of participles in action. Should you be blessed with a bizarre turn of mind, get students to write magazine interviews with favourite participles about the work they do. A good place to look is instruction texts: particularly cookery TV programmes (e.g. “Having done that …”), but get students to look back over their own work for places where they have (or could have) used participles at the starts of sentences.
The next section of the resource focuses on alternatives to if: e.g. ‘if you need a pen’ becomes ‘should you need a pen’. Look at advice leaflets for this type of semi-archaic, semi-formal construction.
Richard Durant
1
Joining sentences
JOINING SENTENCES (ONE)
AVOIDING “AND”
This work is aimed at improving your writing skills and your marks by helping you to make varied and interesting sentences.
LOOK AT THIS SENTENCE:
Ben won the race and he was given a medal.
REMEMBER: “and” is BORING. . .BORING. . .BORING
LOOK AT THESE
Because he won the race, Ben was given a medal.
Having won the race, Ben was given a medal.
Ben, the winner of the race, was given a medal.
After he won the race, Ben was given a medal.
Ben, who won the race, was given a medal.
After winning the race, Ben was given a medal.
NOTICE ANYTHING?
NOT ONE OF THEM USES BORING OLD “AND”!
TASK Remove boring old “and” from the following sentences by
filling in the blanks. Use the sentences above as examples.
Sentence 1
J.K. Rowling is the author of the “Harry Potter” books and is a millionaire.
Becomes J.K. Rowling, the ______
______, is ______.
Sentence 2
Sophie finished her homework and went to the cinema.
Becomes After finishing ______, Sophie ______.
Sentence 3
Sam liked History and decided to study it at G.C.S.E.
Becomes Because he ______, Sam ______G.C.S.E.
Sentence 4
I was listening to the car radio on the way to school and I recognised the voice of a boy in my class.
Becomes
Listening to ______school, I recognised ______class.
Sentence 5
Jo examined the problem closely for at least an hour and realised she needed the teacher’s help.
Becomes
Having examined ______hour, Jo ______help.
Sentence 6
Adam left school on Friday and doesn’t start his new school in Australia until January next year.
Becomes
Adam, who ______, doesn’t ______year.
Sentence 7
I couldn’t find Miss Jackson at break to tell her about my Science homework and so I waited for her at lunch.
Becomes
As I ______homework, I ______lunch.
Sentence 8
Emma was looking through the contents of an old suitcase in the loft and suddenly found something that made her gasp.
Becomes
Looking ______loft, Emma ______gasp.
JOINING SENTENCES (TWO)
CONJUNCTION RHYME
The most common (and so unimpressive) conjunctions are:
and but because
Also badly over-used are:
then so
These are still worse as they’re not even real conjunctions. Your sentences will be more varied and interesting,improving your writing skills and your marks if you avoid over-using them by choosing others.
THE RHYME BELOW CONTAINS SEVENTEEN CONJUNCTIONS.
LEARN IT!
USE THEM IN YOUR WRITING!
AS, WHERE, UNTIL, ALTHOUGH,
AFTER, BEFORE, SINCE, THOUGH,
WHILE, WHEN, WHEREAS, YET, OR,
WHETHER, UNLESS, IF, FOR.
FOUR TIPS FOR LEARNING THE RHYME
1) Lines one and two rhyme
2) Lines three and four rhyme
3) In the four lines, the number of words goes 4-4-5-4.
4) The starting letters of the lines are: a-a-w-w.
JOINING SENTENCES (THREE)
AVOIDING “BUT”
Just as BORING BORING BORING as “AND” is “BUT.”
Very often you can use one of these conjunctions instead:
THOUGH ALTHOUGH WHEREAS YET
LOOK AT THESE. THE WORD “BUT” HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH A MORE INTERESTING CONJUNCTION.
although
1) Tom likes running but he knows that he isn’t very fast.
whereas
2) Simon is extremely tall but his brother James is quite short.
yet
3) Rachel’s mother hates hockey but she always goes to the matches to support her daughter.
though
4)The students started the work in the lesson but the teacher knew that they would not finish it.
TASK
Remove boring old “but” from the following sentences by replacing it with one of the four conjunctions above. Try to use all four.
1) The tennis player knew that he could not win but he was determined to do his best.
2)My mother likes cats but my father prefers dogs.
3) I liked the poem but I found it difficult to understand.
4) Laura volunteered to help at the charity children’s party but she already had too many things to do that day.
5) Mrs. Barnett always drives to the shops but her fitness-fanatic husband usually chooses to jog.
6) Many people would have given up after failing the driving test ten times but David kept at it.
JOINING SENTENCES (FOUR)
PLACING CONJUNCTIONS AT THE BEGINNING OF SENTENCES
A conjunction is a word that joins, or creates a junction between, two sentences. It acts like a piece of Sellotape making two sentences stick together but YOU DON’T ALWAYS HAVE TO STICK THEM TOGETHER IN THEMIDDLE. This is BORING…BORING…BORING.
More varied and interesting sentences, improving your writing skills and your marks, are created if you realise that you can place most conjunctions (though not all) at the beginning of a sentence.
EXAMPLE
Jake was not allowed to go out until he had finished his homework.
“until” is the conjunction. Try starting the sentence with it.
Until he had finished his homework, Jake was not allowed to go out.
TASK
Change the order of the following sentences. Find the conjunction in the middle and make your new version begin with it. The first one has been started for you.
1) Rebecca decided to walk into the village although her ankle was slightly swollen.
Becomes: Although her ankle………...... ………...... …, Rebecca ………………...... ……
2) The coach will arrive in Birmingham at midday unless there are traffic problems on the motorway.
3) Matthew has been out every night since he passed his driving test six weeks ago.
4) The writer describes the Smiths’ house in great detail before he introduces the main character.
5) Some people had to travel to the match by car because there was not enough room on the minibus.
6)Jane decided that she would go to the concert whether or not Stephen chose to go with her.
7) Mum was watering the plants while Dad was washing the car.
8) I looked for the book I wanted on the library shelves after I had checked its details on the computer.
9) The teacher gave the class no homework on Friday as everyone had worked very hard during the lesson.
10) You will find the buried treasure where the river forks next to an old oak tree.
11) Anna pretended that she was very keen to borrow the book though she had no intention of ever reading it.
12) Passengers will not be allowed on their flight if they do not arrive at the check-in desk by three o’clock.
13) Lizzie was not allowed to leave the theatre until she had checked that every dressing room was empty.
14) The family was going on a luxurious holiday in Mauritius when Helen’s and Robert’s exams were over.
15) I received a letter from the shop demanding payment after I had sent a cheque to them for the correct amount.
JOINING SENTENCES (FIVE)
WHO THAT WHICH WHOSE WHOM
You might already have seen this example:
Ben won the race and he was given a medal.
To remove boring old “and”, this was suggested:
Ben, who won the race, was given a medal.
This sentence replaces “and” by using the word “who.” There are other words like this which can be used to join sentences together in a varied and interesting way, helpingyour writing skills and your marks. (They are called relative pronouns though knowing that isn’t as important as using them.) Here they are again:
WHO THAT WHICH WHOSE WHOM
LOOK AT THESE SENTENCES
A.
I have looked everywhere to find that book. I borrowed it from Mr. Spicer three weeks ago.
becomes:
I have looked everywhere to find that book which (or “that”) I borrowed from Mr. Spicer three weeks ago.
B.
When Eleanor was at the shops, she saw one of our neighbours. His dog has recently died.
becomes:
When Eleanor was at the shops, she saw one of our neighbours whose dog has recently died.
TASK
Join these sentences together by using one of the above five words.
Re-read the sentences above to serve as examples. You are given some help with the early ones.
1) Shakespeare was born in 1564 and died in 1616. He is the world’s greatest playwright.
Becomes: Shakespeare, who is the world’s……………………
2) At the end of the party, I looked everywhere for Guy Hughes. I had found his wallet under an armchair. (Clue: you’re going to need “…………whose wallet…………”)
3) When Alex was young, someone gave him a horse. The horse was so vicious that he never rode it.
4) On the train to London last week, I saw Nicola Dwyer. I had not seen her since junior school. (Clue: quite a tough one! You’re going to need “whom”)
5) Next week David Beckham is making a guest appearance at a London sports shop. He is my younger brother’s hero.
6) My sister and her new husband are spending their honeymoon in Paris. Many people think it is the most romantic city in the world.
7) Will realised that the girl he had been chatting to was Amy Mullins. He had known her brother, Chris, for years.
8) My cousin has won first prize in her medical exams. She is training to become a doctor.
9) I can’t understand how Capelham has become such a run-down and shabby place. It always used to be an attractive and tidy town.
10) Julia Jordan went to New York after the war to marry an American. His death two years later left her thousands of miles from her family.
JOINING SENTENCES (SIX)
PHRASES IN APPOSITION
You might already have seen this example:
Ben won the race and he was given a medal.
To remove boring old “and”, this is suggested:
Ben, the winner of the race, was given a medal.
This sentence replaces “and” by making the phrase “the winner of the race” out of “won the race.” You can often make phrases like this to join sentences in a varied and interesting way. They save you from having to use “and.” (They are called phrases in apposition but knowing their name isn’t as important as being able to make and use them.) They are quite easy: you simply make a phrase which refers to the same person or thing that you’ve just mentioned and then put commas around it.
EXAMPLES
1.
This one removes “and.” It is easy as the words are already the same:
Sentence: Rome is the capital city of Italy and is a fascinating place to visit.
Becomes: Rome, the capital city of Italy, is a fascinating place to visit.
2.
This one joins two sentences. You have to change the words by making “director” from “directed”:
Sentence: Steven Spielberg directed “E.T.” in 1982. He has now moved away from making children’s films.
Becomes: Steven Spielberg, the director of “E.T.” in 1982, has now moved away from making children’s films.
TASK
Join these sentences together or replace the word “and” by making one of these phrases. Use the above sentences as examples. You are given some help with the early ones.
1) Thomas Hardy wrote only a handful of novels. He decided to concentrate on poetry after his book “Jude the Obscure” was harshly criticised.
Becomes: Thomas Hardy, the writer of only ……………………………
………………, decided to concentrate on ………………………
2) LondonBridge is one of the world’s greatest bridges and is fairly recent though there has always been a crossing at that place.
Becomes: LondonBridge, one of…………………………
3) Winston Churchill was the Prime Minister of Great Britain during the Second World War. He was probably the greatest speaker of the twentieth century.
4) Mrs. Crawford teaches me Geography. She lives in an enormous house in the same avenue as my friend.
5) Andrew Mitchell rode the winning horse Chestnut Cracker. He announced after the race that he intends to retire at the end of the season.
6) Albert Swinton was the Wimbledon men’s tennis champion in 1949. He has died peacefully in his sleep at his home in Los Angeles.
7) “Falsely Accused” is an examination of ten murder trials. It is an exciting book which comes highly recommended.
8) Loch Ness is the largest inland lake in the British Isles. It is famous for the monster which is said to live in its depths.
9) Mr. Downham is the chairman of Sefton Residents’ Association. He has written to the Prime Minister about the increasing level of crime in the area.
10)Covent Garden is now a busy shopping area. It was once owned by the abbot and monks of Westminster.
JOINING SENTENCES (SEVEN A.)
USING PARTICIPLES
You might already have seen this example:
Ben won the race and he was given a medal.
To remove boring old “and”, these were suggested:
Having won the race, Ben was given a medal.
After winning the race, Ben was given a medal.
These sentences have been made by changing the verb from “won” to “having won” and to “winning.”
This is a very useful way to build sentences when you have:
a)two things happening at the same time.
e.g Walking through the park, Jack saw a badger.
b)one thing happening after another.
e.g. Having walked through the park, Jack went to the shops.
As it is quite a sophisticated, clever and impressive construction, it is worth taking some time to understand it.
LOOK AT THESE
Sentence: Phil was playing his best tennis for several years and he knew that he had a chance of winning the tournament.
Becomes: Playing his best tennis for several years, Phil knew that he had a chance of winning the tournament.
Sentence: Claire was sipping a cocktail near the golden beach and turquoise sea. She thought that this was the best holiday she had ever had.
Becomes: Sipping a cocktail near the golden beach and turquoise sea, Claire thought that this was the best holiday she had ever had.
TASK
Copy the same construction in the following sentences by filling in the blanks. Copy the sentences out in full. Most of them have been started for you.
Sentence: The police were clearing the streets after the worst riot for years. They found thousands of pounds’ worth of damage.
Becomes: Clearing the ______, the police found______of damage.
Sentence: My brother has applied for a very exciting job at the B.B.C. He is now spending his time doing research ready for his interview.
Becomes: Having applied for ______, my brother is now ______his interview.
Sentence: Victorian children were raised by their parents or nannies very strictly. They had to obey the rule that they should be seen and not heard.
Becomes: Raised by their ______strictly, Victorian children______not heard.
In all the above sentences, the new form of the verb has been put in italics. They are parts of the verb and so are called participles. Without realising it, you have been using participles to make those sentences!
There are two participles for every verb:
1)present participles. These are very easy as they always end in “____ing.” Above, there were: