SENTENCE BEGINNINGS

This activity is meant to encourage students to vary the beginnings of sentences.  Some students get into a rut and use the same type of beginning for most of their sentences.  Put the ideas in any order you wish and add your own to the list.  If you use this activity more than once, vary the pattern.

STUDENT DIRECTIONS:  Choose a writing topic for this activity.  You will write at least 10 sentences, following the pattern below.

Sentence 1 -- Begin with a singular common noun.
                       (Do not begin with the.) 

Sentence 2 -- Begin with an adjective.

Sentence 3 -- Begin with a phrase that tells when.

Sentence 4 -- Begin with a verb ending in -ing.

Sentence 5 -- Begin with a phrase that tells where.

Sentence 6 -- Begin with an interjection. 

Sentence 7 -- Begin with an phrase that tells how.

Sentence 8 -- Begin with an adverb ending in -ly.

Sentence 9 -- Begin with prepositional phrase.

Sentence 10 -- Begin with a verb ending in -ed.  

A similar activity is to give the students a list of rules rather than a specific pattern.  Add your own rules to the suggestions below, but be careful not to give too many rules (only five or so); the idea is to get students to vary the sentence beginnings, not stifle their creativity. 

STUDENT DIRECTIONS:  Choose a writing topic for this activity.  You will write at least 10 sentences, following the rules below.  

1.  Do not begin any sentence with a, an, or the.

2.  All sentences must begin with a different word.

3.  Do not begin any sentences with a common noun.

4.  Do not begin any sentences with I or you.

5.  Do not begin more than two sentences with the same part of speech.

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This site last updated 2 September 2007.

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