Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Classy Clauses!

Mrs. Ranney's students have learned that one clever way to add class to your writing is to use a 
variety of sentence types!

One type that we have learned to write is a sentence that starts with a dependent clause.

Dependent clauses start with special words:
After, Before, Since, While, When, If, During.

 A dependent clause ends with a comma and cannot stand alone as a sentence. It must be followed by an independent clause, which is a sentence that can stand alone!


Here are some excellent examples of sentences with dependent clauses, written by students in our class:


When Ramona and Beezus were cross at their parents for making tongue for dinner, their parents told them that they had to make dinner for the family the next night. (by Carly)



When Molly paid scant attention to her mother's directions, she was very cross. (by Leah)



Since my black lab, Hopscotch, is still a mischievous puppy, she is always causing terrible calamities like jumping on strange, new people! (by Jamie)


After Hurricane Katrina was over, scientists figured out that fixing the ruins caused by the calamity would cost 81 billion dollars. 
(by Justin)




If we succeeded in building a toy car, we would win 
an outstanding prize.
(by Shawn)





*************

Since we are working on sentences with dependent clauses, please submit a comment that includes 
two sentences with dependent clauses.
(Use html code to bold your spelling words and any other high level words that you'd like to give special attention to.)

Today you may choose two of the following words: echoed, nuisance, quarrel, or stunned for your paperless homework today! 


25 comments:

  1. Dear Mrs. Ranney,

    Here is my homework:

    1. When Bob reluctantly cleaned his room, he was very upset.

    2. If I was the tiniest bug on earth, I would be scared!

    Regards,
    Rachel

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dear Mrs. Ranney and class,

    These are my two sentences for reluctantly, and tiniest.

    1. When I was searching for the largest statue of my biography person,Clara Barton, I found the tiniest I have ever seen, so I bought that figure instead.

    2. When she was reluctant to get involved, she got in trouble for not doing what she was told.

    Now, I have a few questions to ask you.

    Which sentence do you like the most of these two?

    Which one of your sentences do you like the most?

    For your sentence you liked best, which word did you use in that sentence, reluctantly, or tiniest?

    How did you get your ideas for using these words in your sentence?

    Why did you choose to use reluctantly or tiniest in that sentence?

    Was it easy or hard for you to use clauses in your sentence?

    Warmly,
    Grace:)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Dear Mrs. Ranney,
    I think this post is a great idea. Using less paper is a extraordinary way of saving paper. Here are my sentences: When I was walking by the lunch tables, somebody asked me if I could sit with them and I reluctantly said yes. When my teacher asked us to stand from tall to smallest, Kate was the last in line because she was the tiniest. I really hope you like my sentences. By the way, how did you come up with the idea of doing our homework on the computer? I can't wait to hear other classmates sentences. See you soon!


    Your Student,
    Mikayla ☆

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dear Mrs. Ranney,

    I’ve never had paperless homework before. It sounds interesting to me.

    These are my sentences with classy clauses:

    While I was gleefully playing in my room, I heard my mother’s announcement that dinner was ready and reluctantly went downstairs.

    While she was digging around for small insects, she found the tiniest ant she ever saw and caught it.

    I can’t wait to find out what the next two words are!

    Your student,
    Ella

    ReplyDelete
  5. Dear Mrs. Ranney,

    I am very excited about having paper free homework! I think it is a fantastic idea to save paper while getting everyone on the blog!

    Here are my two sentences:

    Because it was on my chore list, I reluctantly worked hard at picking up my fun-loving dog's disgusting poop.

    Since my family is an extremely colossal bunch, I'm the tiniest one in my gigantic family.


    I hope that you enjoyed my amazing sentences!

    Warm Regards,
    Jamie:)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Dear Mrs. Ranney,

    As you know, the class had paperless homework today, and here is mine:

    1. When I saw the tiniest cat in the world, I said, “WOW, that cat is as small as my fist!”

    2. After I lost the first draft of my homework, I reluctantly did it over again.

    Your Student,
    Philip

    ReplyDelete
  7. Dear Mrs. Ranney:

    Here are my two sentences for today’s paperless homework:

    #1 After Ramona heard “Yard Ape” had come to take her back to class, she reluctantly left the office and went back to Mrs. Whaley’s class.

    #2 When my brother asked if he could have a piece of candy for dessert, my mom said yes, but that he would have to choose the tiniest piece in his delicious candy basket.

    I hope you like my sentences! It was a lot of fun going paperless!

    Sincerely,
    Leah ♥

    ReplyDelete
  8. Dear Mrs. Ranney,

    These are my "Classy Clauses." When J.J. asked the question "Is an ant tinier than a little crumb?" his mother interrupted, "Go clean your room, J.J."
    When he was sobbing with tears, he reluctantly told his friend the news,"My house was burnt by a fire!" The clauses are neat.

    I can't wait for tomorrow's Classy Clauses.

    Cheers,
    Aidan

    ReplyDelete
  9. Dear Mrs. Ranney,

    Here are my sentences:

    1. Since Hurricane Hugo caused huge damage that
    residents knew they had to fix, they reluctantly fixed them.

    2. During your years of playing baseball, the strike zone depends on how tall you are, so if you are small you have the tiniest strike zone.

    All the Best,
    Justin

    ReplyDelete
  10. Dear Mrs. Ranney and Class,

    I have really enjoyed writing sentences with clauses this week, but I also loved writing sentences with quotation marks last week. It was really enthralling to hear my classmates spectacular sentences. One thing that I enjoyed about it was that nobody in our class copied a sentence from the book “Ramona Quimby Age Eight”, and that everyone made original sentences. I thought that the sentences were really intriguing.

    When I got chosen from my team to go up to the front of the room and read my sentence, I was very happy. After Jamie, Leah, Shawn, Justin, and I got to share our sentences, we were lucky enough to get to have our sentences on one of our amazingclassroom blog posts.

    Here are my two paperless sentences for homework:

    Here is my first sentence for the word reluctantly:

    When Payson got called to the front of the room to read the book, “Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows”, she walked to the front of the room reluctantly as she was extremely shy because all of the students’ relatives in her class were there, and here relatives weren’t.

    This is my second sentence, and it is for the word tiniest:

    Since Travis was the tiniest student in Mr. Larkin’s class, all of the taller kids made fun of him when he had to stand on a stool to reach the chalk board.

    I hoped that you enjoyed my two paperless spelling homework sentences!!

    Warmly,
    Carly:)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Dear Mrs. Ranney,

    I also think paperless homework is a great idea.

    Here is my homework you requested:

    1. Since Mrs. Ranney told the class recess was over, we reluctantly came into the room.

    2.When my sister was born, my mom said she was the tiniest of all her babies.

    Regards,
    Michael

    ReplyDelete
  12. Dear Mrs. Ranney,

    My first sentence is:

    When the neighbor's tiniest dog got out of the house, she ran away.

    My second sentence is:

    Since my play date was over, I reluctantly went home.


    Best Regards,
    Sydney

    ReplyDelete
  13. Dear Mrs. Ranney,

    Here is my sentences for reluctantly:

    When my 90 year old aunt gave me a huge wet kiss, reluctantly I gave her a hug back.

    Now here is my sentence for tiniest:
    Whenever a class has a class picture, the tiniest kids go in the front, then comes the second smallest, and then the tallest.

    @Grace, here are the answers to your questions 1,4,6:

    1.I like the first one.

    4. I used reluctantly.

    6. It was easy.

    I hope you liked my sentences!

    All The Best,
    Jordyn

    ReplyDelete
  14. Dear Mrs.Ranney,
    These are my clause sentences.
    While I was doing my chores, reluctantly my friend came over with a handball.
    Here is another one. When I was the tiniest person in Pre-k,I grew and became the tallest.
    There is my homework.
    Best Regard,
    Edo

    ReplyDelete
  15. Dear Mrs.Ranney,

    These are my sentences.
    1.
    If I had the tiniest pencil in my class, I would not be able to write nicely!

    2.
    Since I reluctantly walked away from my dad, I got in trouble.

    Those were my sentences.


    Warmly,
    Shawn

    ReplyDelete
  16. Dear Mrs. Ranney,

    While I was reading Harry Potter, I noticed that Ron was reluctant to help Harry in the end. This is because it's Harry's destiny to fight Lord Voldemort. Before Harry had to fight Voldemort in the final battle, he played a game of quidditch. In order for his house to win, Harry had to catch the tiniest ball.

    Best,
    Tristan

    ReplyDelete
  17. Dear Mrs. Ranney,

    Here is my paperless homework for the words echoed and quarreled.

    1. When we walked into the canyon and yelled, my voice echoed off the steep walls.

    2. When my dad and I quarreled about how to make the internet faster, I told him my way would work better.

    Your Student,
    Philip

    ReplyDelete
  18. Dear Mrs. Ranney,



    Here is my sentence for nuisance and stunned:



    When Ramona was in the nurse after she cracked a raw egg on her head, she was stunned that Mrs.Whaley called her a nuisance.



    Now here is my sentence for quarrel and echoed:



    When my sister and I quarrel, she will usually start to echo me.



    There is my homework.



    Sincerely,

    Jordyn

    ReplyDelete
  19. Dear Mrs. Ranney,



    I think paperless homework is splendid and amusing. It also helps to save trees.



    I chose to write all four words in four sentences. Here they are:



    When my considerate mother told my elder brother that the people that made the graffiti at his school were dangerous, I echoed back saying, “They are dangerous.”



    When Ramona accidentally whacked a raw instead of boiled egg on her head, it made her teacher think she was a nuisance.



    Since she thought Santa was real unlike her older sister, they had a quarrel over who was right, until their mother stopped them.



    When his best friend did not play with him for a while, he was stunned and asked him why.



    I have a question:



    Which sentence do you like the most out of all my sentences in this comment?



    Your student,

    Ella

    ReplyDelete
  20. Dear Mrs. Ranney,

    Once again, here are my sentences:

    1. If we talk while Mrs. Ranney is talking, she will think we are a nuisance.

    2.While I was doing my blogging homework, I was stunned to see a male duck swimming in my pool!

    Actually, it's true!

    Michael

    ReplyDelete
  21. Dear Mrs. Ranney,

    Here is my homework:

    When my voice echoed in the underground parking lot, my little brother wondered what the noise was.

    When I saw a red cockroach on my front porch, I was stunned.

    Yours Truly,

    Rachel

    ReplyDelete
  22. Dear Mrs. Ranney,

    Here is my homework:

    1. When I yelled in my room, the sound echoed.

    2. Since I won the game, my dad has remained stunned.

    Warmly,
    Shawn

    ReplyDelete
  23. Dear Mrs. Ranney:
    Here are my two sentences for today’s paperless homework.
    This is my sentence for stunned:
    #1 When Ramona heard Mrs. Whaley had called her a nuisance, she was so stunned that she didn’t want to go back to class.
    This is my sentence for nuisance:
    #2 Because my brother Alex always tattle-tales on me, I think he is a colossal nuisance.
    I hope you like my sentences! It was a lot of fun going paperless!

    Sincerely,
    Leah ♥

    ReplyDelete
  24. Dear Mrs. Ranney and Class,

    Yesterday for our paperless homework, I enjoyed listening to all of my classmates sentences.

    I hope that all of our sentences are as amazing as they were yesterday!

    Here is my first sentences with the words quarrel and stunned:

    When I walked into the kitchen, I heard Andrew and Bailey having a quarrel over what television show they will watch first on their brand new television, and with that I was stunned at what a silly thing was happening.

    Here is my second sentence with the words echoing and nuisance:

    Since Mrs. Whaley called Ramona a nuisance, Ramona didn’t like her very much anymore because the words “I heard my little show-off came into your office with egg in her hair,” kept echoing in her head.

    I hope that you all enjoyed reading my two sentences for the second night of paperless homework!

    Regards,
    Carly

    ReplyDelete
  25. Dear Mrs. Ranney and class,

    I am using the words echoed, quarreled and nuisance.

    When I yelled for help, my voice echoed loudly down the hall.

    If my younger brother is a nuisance, we sometimes begin to quarrel.

    All the best,
    Aidan

    ReplyDelete

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:) Mrs. Ranney