Sentence Strategies
A. Generalize.
"All human beings have some faults."
B. Summarize.
"All four stories mentioned in the article are about
exceptional children who face challenges and
overcome them."
C. Compare.
"Orange juice is much sweeter than grapefruit juice."
D. Contrast.
"The last book we read was too short and simple; this one is much longer
and more detailed."
E. Give Cause and Effect.
"If you bring only light clothing with you on your trip to the Antarctic, you
will be very uncomfortable during your stay there."
F. Give an Opinion.
"Hockey is the most exciting sport."
G. Define something.
"A haiku is a Japanese poetry form based on seventeen syllables arranged in
three lines of five, seven, and five."
H. Describe a Procedure.
"Grease the pan first, then knead the dough, place it in the pan, and let it rise
in a warm place for at least an hour."
I. Pose a Problem and Give its Solution.
"I need to lose weight, so I think I'll go on a diet."
J. Construct a Simile.
"Joan has a face like a flower."
K. Construct a Metaphor.
"She's a real peach of a girl."
L. Make a List or Give Examples.
"The toy store carried beautiful handmade dolls, finely crafted train
sets, games from all over the world, and huge stuffed animals."
M. Construct a Bridge between one idea and another.
"My friend John was just finishing his lunch as I arrived to pick him up for the basketball game. While he was wolfing down the last of his sandwich, I made conversation with his mother. Even though his mom was really nice, I was happy when John finally completed his meal and was ready to go."
(Notice how the transition sentence picks up elements of
both the sentence that precedes and the sentence that follows it.)
