Practice in combining sentences.

1. Combining Sentences

2. Why combine sentences?
Too many short sentences make a paragraph
sound choppy.

3. Why combine sentences?
Combining sentences helps us
to showcase the relationships
between ideas.

4. Compound sentences
One way to combine two sentences
is to make a compound sentence
with the conjunctions
and, or, but, yet, or so.

5. Combine the sentences
Wetlands can improve water quality.
People build new wetlands in cities.

6. Combine the sentences
Wetlands can improve water quality.
What conjunction can
connect these ideas?
People build new wetlands in cities.
and
but
so
or
yet

7. Combine the sentences
Wetlands can improve water quality.
so
People build new wetlands in cities.

8. Combine the sentences
Wetlands can improve water
quality, so people build wetlands in
cities.

9. Combine the sentences
This body of water looks like a lake.
It is a reservoir to hold drinking water.
and
but
so
or
yet

10. Combine the sentences
This body of water looks like a lake.
but
It is a reservoir to hold drinking water.
and
but
so
or
yet

11. Combine the sentences
This body of water looks like a
lake, but it is a reservoir to hold
drinking water.

12. Combine the sentences
The Eastern newt spends part of its life in
the water.
It spends part of its life on land.
and
but
so
or
yet

13. Combine the sentences
The Eastern newt spends part of its life in
the water.
and
It spends part of its life on land.
and
but
so
or
yet

14. Combine the sentences
The Eastern newt spends part of its
life in the water, and it spends part of
its life on land.

15. Other ways to combine sentences
We can also move ideas around
to make longer, smoother
sentences.

16. Combine the sentences
Salt marshes are important habitats.
Many kinds of animals live in salt
marshes. Salt marshes are wetlands.
Salt marshes are important
wetland habitats with many kinds
of animals.

17. Combine the sentences
Salt marshes are important habitats.
Many kinds of animals live in salt
marshes. Salt marshes are wetlands.
Salt marshes are important
wetland habitats with many kinds
of animals.

18. Combine the sentences
Salt marshes are important habitats.
Many kinds of animals live in salt
marshes. Salt marshes are wetlands.
Salt marshes are important
wetland habitats with many kinds
of animals.

19. Lots of choices!
Fiddler crabs are small. They live in salt
marshes. They dig burrows.

20. Lots of choices!
Fiddler crabs are small. They live in salt
marshes. They dig burrows.
Fiddler crabs are small creatures
that dig burrows in salt marshes.

21. Lots of choices!
Fiddler crabs are small. They live in salt
marshes. They dig burrows.
Small fiddler crabs live in salt
marshes, where they dig
burrows.

22. Can you combine these?
Willets are wading birds. They have
sensitive beaks. They catch snails and
crabs.

23. Is this a good combination?
Willets are wading birds. They have
sensitive beaks. They catch snails and
crabs.
No, this is not a
good combination.
It is a run-on
sentence.
Willets are wading birds they
have sensitive beaks they catch
snails and crabs.

24. Is this a good combination?
Willets are wading birds. They have
sensitive beaks. They catch snails and
crabs.
Hmm….this is
closer, but does the
word because really fit?
Willets catch snails and crabs
because they are wading birds
with sensitive beaks.

25. Is this a good combination?
Willets are wading birds. They have
sensitive beaks. They catch snails and
crabs.
Yes! This combination
works well.
Willets are wading birds that use
their sensitive beaks to catch
snails and crabs.

26. More Practice
Herons live in wetlands. They wade in
the water. They are tall birds.

27. More Practice
Green frog tadpoles live in ponds. They
eat algae and dead plants.

28. More Practice
Many insect larvae live in creeks.
Mayfly larvae live in creeks. Dragonfly
larvae live in creeks.

29. What have you learned?
What strategies do you use to
combine sentences?
What are you still wondering
about?

30. by Emily Kissner
All photos by Emily Kissner