Writing Techniques

Ways to Start a Sentence – Level 1

Part 1 of Ways To Start Sentences

"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

Part 1 of Fancier Figurative Language

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

Part 2 of Ways To Start Sentences

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

Part 5 of Fancier Figurative Language

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

Part 3 of Ways To Start Sentences

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!

Fixing Shakespearean Run-Ons

Can your students help The Bard? We'll fix five Shakespearean run-ons in three different ways.

Passive to Active Voice

n 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: Move the Simile

Part 3 of Fancier Figurative Language

What if we started a sentence with the simile?

Writing Technique: Contrast With Synonyms

Part 1 of Spice Up Your Writing

A specific technique to help students add some spice to their writing. We'll be contrasting two ideas using synonyms.

Writing Technique: Opposite Adjectives

Part 2 of Spice Up Your Writing

A specific technique to help students add some spice to their writing. We'll be using antonyms to describe the same topic!

Writing Technique: 3 Dependent Clauses

Part 3 of Spice Up Your Writing

A specific technique to help students add some spice to their writing. We'll be writing sentences with three dependent clauses.

Fancier Figurative Language: Advanced Repetition

Part 4 of Fancier Figurative Language

Is your students' use of repetition limited to, "The girl was very, very, very fast."? Let's borrow some ideas from Shakespeare!

Doubling Up Writing: Anadiplosis

Part 4 of Spice Up Your Writing

Repeating words can be what you want, if what you want is an interesting effect. (Psst, that's an example of anadiplosis!)

Writing Technique: Triple Anadiplosis!

Part 5 of Spice Up Your Writing

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!

Getting Specific With St. Patrick’s Day Writing

Part 5 of Super Specific Similes

Let's take a starting phrase about St. Patrick's Day and get specific. No, even more specific!

Super Specific Similes – Slimy Broccoli

Part 3 of Super Specific Similes

Students will make this slimy broccoli simile seriously specific.

Super Specific Similes: Quick Baby

Part 1 of Super Specific Similes

Let's make this simile about a quick baby even more specific.

Super Specific Similes: Stinky Seaweed

Part 4 of Super Specific Similes

Students will make this simile about stinky seaweed super specific.

Super Specific Similes – Strong Uncle

Part 4 of Super Specific Similes

Let's make this simile about a strong uncle even more specific.

Super Specific Similes: Loud Class

Part 2 of Super Specific Similes

Let's make this simile about a loud class super specific!