Sentence Structure Lessons

Lessons about sentence structure have always been about as exciting as watching paint dry.  And, I think it’s safe to say that these lessons are not too exciting for students, either. Unfortunately, for students to be successful in and out of the classroom, it’s a necessary evil. In my experience, I have found that having students participate in an activity makes them more motivated to learn. Here are some activity ideas and some general suggestions that might be useful in your classroom.

• “What Do You Know” Quiz: When I approach grammar with high school students, I begin with a thorough quiz to determine what students know. Any section that a student has mastered, he or she does not need to re-learn.  A positive of this method is that the students do not feel like they are wasting their time on material they already know.  A negative is that this method involves devoting a lot of time to individualizing lessons. Once you determine the learning level, I suggest breaking the students into cooperative groups by ability. Each group can help each other learn.  One caveat—no student wants to be stereotyped as being “behind.” Be sure that you keep the group levels secret.

• Grammar Games: I love this technique. If you have the right dynamic of students, it can be lots of fun and a great form of practice. The preparation time can be long, but the results are worth it. There are lots of formats to choose from. One of my favorites is “English Jeopardy.”  Another game I have used is “English Basketball.”  The procedure is simple—each question has a specific point value. If the team gets the question right, they have a chance to get bonus points by free-throwing “baskets” (a ball) into a large garbage can. Using duct tape, mark a 1 point, 2 point and 3 point line. Each basket equals that many bonus points. I have found that students like this game a lot. A few days before the game, I ask each student to compose an easy, difficult and hard question. Make sure you read through each question prior to game day.

• Technology Lessons: If you have access to a Smart Board or Promethean Board, try incorporating an interactive lesson. For example, write a sentence on the board that has errors in it. Then, have a student come to the board and identify the problem.  Another student can then make the proper correction. This technique seems pretty basic, but it is amazing how well students learn when they can get up and move about the room. Another activity that I have used is to have a group of students teach a specific aspect of grammar. You can give them whatever requirements work for you.  I usually require that some kind of technology must be used like PowerPoint or the Promethean Board.

On the days that are not devoted to grammar alone, I always incorporate grammar in some way. As the students enter, I give them a quick reading with questions.  It takes about 5 minutes, but gets their minds working.  Each sheet is worth 3 points.  It’s an easy way to boost grades!!  Here are some other lessons that you can try.

Grammar Lessons:

Generative Paragraphing in Revision of Writing

This lesson could be useful during a unit in essay writing. As part of the editing process, students learn to analyze paragraphs and deconstruct them using an outline format. I think this lesson has a lot of potential particularly as a means of helping students to edit their work objectively.

Sentence Auction

This is another fun grammar game. In this activity, the students "buy" grammatically correct sentences. I like this format. It's simple to understand and very engaging.

Sentence Combining

In this lesson, students experiment with structure by combining phrases and short sentences. They begin with text and then move to writing their own paragraphs. 

The Clause That Refreshes

This is a fun lesson that focuses on run-ons, fragments and simple sentences. The lesson can be adapted to fit the academic needs of your students.