Sentence Level Workshop

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Sentence Level Workshop

• Joanna Cocker

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Progression Level 1

• 1B
• Pupils begin to show an understanding of how full
  stops are used
• 1A
• Pupils make some use of full stops and capital
  letters

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Progression Level 2

• 2C
• Pupils compose sentences and use some punctuation
  to demarcate these appropriately
• 2B
• The organisation reflects the purpose of the
  writing with some sentences extended and linked
  through connectives other than and
• There is evidence of some sentence punctuation
• 2A
• Links between ideas or events are mainly clear
  and the use of some descriptive phrases adds
  detail or emphasis
• Growing understanding of the use of punctuation
  is shown in the use of capital letters and full
  stops to mark correctly structured sentences

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Progression Level 3

• 3C
• Co-ordinating connectives (and, then, but, so)
  link clauses
• Consistent use of full stops and capital letters
  to demarcate simple and compound sentences
• 3B
• Use of question marks is accurate and commas used
  in lists
• Variety of simple, compound and occasional
  complex sentences
• 3A
• Beginning to use subordinating connectives to
  link clauses
• Beginning to use commas to separate clauses
• Attempts to vary word order and sentence openings
• Basic punctuation accurate including apostrophes
  for contractions

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Progression Level 4

• 4C
• Variation in sentence construction including
  simple, compound and complex sentences
• Mostly accurate use of commas to separate clauses
• A range of temporal and causal connectives used
• 4B
• Beginning to use embedded clauses
• Beginning to use colons
• Beginning to use more complex verb phrases
• 4A
• Relationships between sentences and clauses made
  explicit
• Beginning to use colons and semi-colons
• Verb tense appropriate and consistent with use of
  modal verbs should, could, would, might etc.
• Beginning to use parenthetic brackets, dashes and
  commas.

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What does that look like in childrens writing?
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Simple sentences
noun
noun

• The boy kicked the ball.

verb
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Simple sentences
proper noun
noun

• John kicked the ball.

verb
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Simple sentences
proper noun

• John kicked the red ball.

noun
verb
adjective
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Simple sentences
proper noun

• John kicked the red ball hard.

noun
adverb
adjective
verb
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Simple sentences
proper noun

• John lobbed the red ball.

noun
powerful verb
adjective
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Simple sentences
subject

• John lobbed the red ball.

object
Active voice the subject does the verb.
powerful verb

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Simple sentences
subject

• The red ball was lobbed by John.

object
Passive voice the subject has the verb done to
it.
powerful verb
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Simple sentences

• Simple sentences contain one verb and therefore
  one clause. That doesnt mean that they need to
  be boring e.g.

The astonishing bouncy turquoise ball was booted
in spectacular fashion by the left foot of the
head teacher.
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Compound sentences

• Compound sentences contain more that one clause.
  The clauses are linked together with
  connectives. The connectives which link the
  clauses in a compound sentences are co-ordinating
  conjunctions.
• These are

and, but, or so
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Compound sentences
one clause
one clause

• John kicked the ball. It hit the back of the
  net.
• John kicked the ball and it hit the back of the
  net.

Two simple sentences become a compound sentence
when joined together with a co-ordinating
conjunction.
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Compound sentences

• John kicked the ball but he missed the goal.
• Claire hurried to the shop so she could buy some
  sweets.
• Do you want to go now or shall we wait a bit
  longer?

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Complex sentences

• This is where the fun starts.

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Complex sentences

• A complex sentence has two or more clauses
• a main clause which is complete on its own and
  can form a complete sentence,
• and a subordinate clause which is part of the
  main clause and cannot exist on its own.

It was sunny.
when we were at the beach
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Complex sentences

• Subordinating conjunctions go at the beginning
  of a subordinate clause.

e.g. when, while, before, after, until, if,
because, although, that
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Complex sentences
main clause

• Frank had always liked golf since he took up the
  sport years ago.

subordinate clause beginning with a subordinating
connective
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Complex sentences
subordinate clause beginning with a subordinating
connective

• Since he took up the sport years ago, Frank has
  always liked golf.

comma to separate the clauses
main clause
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The Piano

• This is an example of how we make sentence level
  work (grammar) relevant.
• Children in Y5 are asked to write the narrative
  for a film.

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Modelled writing

• The teacher models the style of writing they
  want the children to adopt. The teacher is very
  explicit with their expectations and, while
  writing in front of the children, explains what
  they are writing and to what effect.