Fixing Mixed-Up Sentences

Four steps

Here is the whole job in four steps.

1. Find the words that tell who or what. Put them first.
2. Add the words that tell what happens.
3. Put any where or when words at the end.
4. Add a capital letter at the front and a period at the end.

Watch it work

Mixed up: “mat the on sleeps cat the”

Step 1. Who or what? The cat.

Step 2. What happens? “sleeps”

Step 3. Where? “on the mat”

Step 4. “The cat sleeps on the mat.”

Now a harder one, because two words could look like the naming part.

Mixed up: “fish the feeds Ava”

Both “Ava” and “the fish” name something. Which one is doing the feeding? Ava is. A fish cannot feed a person. So Ava goes first.

“Ava feeds the fish.”

When two naming words show up, ask yourself which one is doing the action.

The step people skip

Most first graders get the order right and then stop. Look at this.

“the bus stops here”

The order is perfect. Nothing needs to move. But it is still not finished. It needs a capital letter at the front and a period at the end.

“The bus stops here.”

Step 4 is not extra credit. A sentence is not written correctly without it.

Your turn

Write each one as a correct sentence.

1. “song a sings Ava”
2. “park the in plays Leo”
3. “cold are hands my”
4. “my sister reads to me”

Check your answers

1. “Ava sings a song.”
2. “Leo plays in the park.”
3. “My hands are cold.”
4. “My sister reads to me.” The order was already right. It needed the capital letter and the period.

Remember

• Naming words first, then what happens, then where or when.
• If two words name something, ask which one is doing the action.
• Finish with a capital letter and a period every time.