Embed the meaning of the word

into the sentence so clearly that

even an idiot could infer the

definition.

Writing “Sentences for Dummies”

Most important is CONTEXT. I must know

that you know what the word means.

Embedding the meaning into each

sentence.

You are welcome to use two sentences per

word.

Sentences may sometimes seem

redundant, but our main goal it to learn the

words.

Good

grammar, syntax, mechanics, punctuation

Excellent

Good

Needs repair

NC = NO CONTEXT

VC = VAGUE CONTEXT

WC = WRONG CONTEXT

AC = APPENDED CONTEXT

WPOS = WRONG PART OF SPEECH

ILLEG = Messy handwriting

WORDY = SENTENCE IS VERBOSE

? or Awk or Huh?

RO = RUN ON

FRAG = INCOMPLETE THOUGHT

PUNCT = PUNCTUATION IS MISSING

OR MISUSED

SP = THE VOCABULARY WORD IS

SPELLED WRONG

For every sentence you get wrong…

On fresh paper, stapled to your graded

homework

Fix the original sentence

Write a new sentence using the word

correctly

Be sure to skip spaces between pairs of

sentences

Examples of acceptable sentences

• The sagacious attorney won his case by tricking the witness into confessing.

• The statesman’s sagacity enabled her to negotiate a truce between the warring nations.

• The wife argued sagaciously with her husband and won by making him think it was his idea.

Examples of acceptable sentences

• Albert Einstein is erudite because he has read thousands of books and conversed with the greatest minds in the world.

• Isaac Newton proved his erudition by explaining the nature of gravity based on a life-time of research.

• The erudite sophomore read every book he could find on botany.

Examples of acceptable sentences

• The pessimist quit looking for a job because he decided it was hopeless.

• Mary showed pessimism coming in to the vocabulary test. “I’m going to fail no matter how hard I try,” she said.

• John is pessimistic. He’s sure that if he ever wins the lottery, he’ll be robbed and beaten.

Examples of NC no-context sentences

• When the bell rang, the students diverged.

• When the bell rang, the students converged.

• My little sister is precocious.

• My Uncle Ed, the salesman, is sagacious.

• I ameliorated my essay.

• The situation was ironic.

• I want to be edified.

Examples of VC vague-context sentences

• When the bell rang, the students diverged from their desks.

• When the bell rang, the students converged to third period.

• My little sister is precocious. She can sing.• My Uncle Ed, the salesman, is sagacious. He can

sell a lot of cars.• I ameliorated my essay. I wrote it over.• The situation was ironic. I didn’t expect it.• I want to be edified. I want to know things.

Examples of repaired sentences

• When the bell rang, the students diverged. They ran off in all directions.

• When the bell rang, the students converged. They all came into the same classroom.

• My little sister is precocious. She can play the piano and she’s only three.

• My Uncle Ed, the salesman, is sagacious. He can sell salt water at the seashore.

• I ameliorated my essay. I rewrote it and made it better.• The situation was ironic. I thought I’d be in last, but I came

in first.• I want to be edified. I want to be spiritually enlightened.

Examples of Wrong Context

• The lawyer was erudite because he tricked the witness into confessing the crime.

• The monk was edified because he read the encyclopedia.

• The pessimist knew he’d win the raffle because he felt lucky.

• The car converged when the bomb exploded in the front seat.

Examples of Wrong Part of Speech

• The students divergent in all directions when the bell rang.

• I was edify by reading the religious book.

• My house was ameliorate by a new coat of paint.

• The precociousness boy spoke five languates

• The students convergently into the room when the bell rang.

Examples of AC Appended Context

• I was pessimistic about the test, looking on the dark side.

• I ameliorated my car, made it better.

• I became erudite by reading all the books, deeply learned.

• The students converged on the classroom when the bell rang, came together.

Examples of fragments

• The amity of my friends.

• The precocious five-year-old girl on stage before millions of people.

• My sagacious Uncle Ed, who has been a used car salesman in Chicago for twenty-two years and is married with eight children who all live at home.

• Edified by reading the Torah, Koran, and the Bible and seeing his spiritual side.

Examples of run-ons

• The amity of my friends is strong, we love each other.

• The five-year-old girl on stage before millions of people sang in four language, she was precocious.

• My sagacious Uncle Ed, who has been a used car salesman in Chicago for twenty-two years and is married with eight children who all live at home, he came to visit us.

• Edified by reading the Torah, Koran, and the Bible and seeing his spiritual side, John was happy, he learned to love everyone.