Activities to Teach Students to Combine Sentences: Subjects
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Teaching students to combine sentences is an important skill that helps them to develop their writing skills. One of the key elements of sentence combination is the use of subjects. In this article, we will explore some activities that teachers can use to help their students learn how to combine sentences using subjects.
Activity 1: Subject Swap
To begin teaching students about subjects in sentence combination, teachers can use the subject swap activity. This activity involves presenting students with two separate sentences, each with its own subject. The students are then asked to swap the subjects of the two sentences to create a new sentence. For example:
Sentence 1: Emily loves to play the piano.
Sentence 2: John is a great fan of basketball.
Swapped sentence: John loves to play the piano, and Emily is a great fan of basketball.
By swapping the subjects of the two original sentences, the students have created a new sentence that combines the ideas of both.
Activity 2: Subject Synonyms
Another way to teach students about subjects in sentence combination is to have them focus on synonyms. In this activity, the teacher can present students with two separate sentences, each with its own subject. The students are then asked to exchange the subject of one sentence with a synonym of the other sentence’s subject. For example:
Sentence 1: Amanda enjoys going to the park.
Sentence 2: The children love to play outside.
Synonym swapped sentence: The kids love to play outside, and Amanda enjoys going to the park.
By exchanging the word “children” for “kids,” the students have created a new sentence that combines the ideas of both original sentences.
Activity 3: Sentence Scramble
The sentence scramble activity is another great way to reinforce students’ understanding of subjects. In this activity, the teacher writes separate clauses on strips of paper and assigns them to the students. The students must then work together to combine their clauses into a coherent sentence that includes a subject. For example:
Student 1: Went to the store.
Student 2: Bought some bread.
Student 3: Came home with a loaf.
Combined sentence: I went to the store and bought some bread, then came home with a loaf.
By combining clauses and adding a subject, the students have created a complete sentence that follows proper English grammar rules.
In conclusion, teaching students to combine sentences using subjects is an essential skill that helps their writing skills. Teachers can use a range of activities, such as subject swap, subject synonyms, and sentence scramble, to help students master this skill. By creating engaging and interactive activities, teachers can help their students understand the importance of subjects in sentence combination and how to use them effectively to create powerful and effective writing.