Writing Techniques
Ways to Start a Sentence – Level 1
"Add more variety!" I'd say to my class. But I never really knew what this actually meant. Suprise! This bad advice never improved students' writing. In these videos, students learn nine specific ways to add variety just by changing the beginning of their sentences. This was easily one of my students' favorite writing tools - because it actually helped them.
Punctuation Power
In a sentence, punctuation may seem meek when compared to those mighty words, but punctuation has incredible power over the meaning of a sentence. Students will try re-punctuating sentences to find new meanings - without changing a single word!
Fancier Figurative Language: Start with a Cliche
We'll start with the cliché "as cold as ice" and go somewhere much more interesting.
Changing Coordinating Conjunctions
What happens when we switch out a "but" with a "so"? An "and" with a "for"? How can such tiny words make such big differences?
Ways to Start a Sentence – Level 2
We'll show students how to add more variety to their writing by starting sentences with a reason, a prepositional phrase, and a simile.
Pronouns With Too Many Antecedents
What happens when a pronoun could refer to more than one noun? Big problems!
Advanced Alliteration and Consonance
When students learn about alliteration, it's hard to steer them away from goofy tongue-twisters. Certainly, there must be more powerful and practical ways of using alliteration. In this lesson, I draw on delicious examples from Shakespeare to show how a very advanced writer used alliteration. Then, I break those ideas down so students can try them out.
Ways to Start a Sentence – Part 3
We'll show students how to add more variety to their writing by starting sentences with gerunds, participle phrases, and absolute phrases.
Ambiguous Sentences
Rather than just demand that students "write clearly," we'll explore the hazards of poorly written sentences… and maybe create one of our own!
Passive to Active Voice
In this lesson, students will not just fix passive sentences, but break active sentences as they learn to put the star of the sentence first.
Fancier Figurative Language: Use the Opposite
Let's start with "As cold as fire."
Writing Technique: Contrast With Synonyms
A specific technique to help students add some spice to their writing. We'll be contrasting two ideas using synonyms.
Fancier Figurative Language: Move the Simile
What if we started a sentence with the simile?
Fixing Shakespearean Run-Ons
Can your students help The Bard? We'll fix five Shakespearean run-ons in three different ways.
Writing Technique: 3 Dependent Clauses
A specific technique to help students add some spice to their writing. We'll be writing sentences with three dependent clauses.
Writing Technique: Opposite Adjectives
A specific technique to help students add some spice to their writing. We'll be using antonyms to describe the same topic!
Doubling Up Writing: Anadiplosis
Repeating words can be what you want, if what you want is an interesting effect. (Psst, that's an example of anadiplosis!)
Fancier Figurative Language: Advanced Repetition
Is your students' use of repetition limited to, "The girl was very, very, very fast."? Let's borrow some ideas from Shakespeare!
Writing Technique: Triple Anadiplosis!
Have students mastered the art of anadiplosis: ending one sentence with the beginning of the next? Now it's time to take it to the next level!
Super Specific Similes – Slimy Broccoli
Students will make this slimy broccoli simile seriously specific.
Super Specific Similes: Quick Baby
Let's make this simile about a quick baby even more specific.
Super Specific Similes: Stinky Seaweed
Students will make this simile about stinky seaweed super specific.
Getting Specific With St. Patrick’s Day Writing
Let's take a starting phrase about St. Patrick's Day and get specific. No, even more specific!
Super Specific Similes: Loud Class
Let's make this simile about a loud class super specific!
Super Specific Similes – Strong Uncle
Let's make this simile about a strong uncle even more specific.
Improving Shakespeare’s Repetition
Let's help William Shakespeare with his use of repetition.