It is satisfying to note that English can certainly be fun and engaging when the mode of application is right. I tried this method several times and it really helped my students in one way or the other especially in the topic of sentence construction. Interestingly, I never fail to carry out this activity in my English subject teaching.
Here is how it is done, I give my students a spelling test of 10 words. Upon completion, I will give them 10 minutes to use up at least 5 out of the 10 words to construct a sentence in a very creative way. Students are not allowed to change the original word or even add prefixes and suffixes to it.
Many a times, students try their very best to use up all 10 words to show their ability in being creative to come up with something different. Some students do it so well that it sometimes appears to be like a short story that is hilarious or meaningful. Students find it so enjoyable and they look forward to the next time a spelling test is carried out in class because they feel the urge to improve further and bring forth the best creativity in and amongst them.
Given words - unprecedented, prominent, stumble, conscience, phenomenon, coronary, defenselessness, breathe, panic-stricken, excursion, quarrel, disruption, discriminate, moustache, culinary.
Here is an example from a student:
The murderer with a prominent moustache used a culinary knife to cut off the coronary of his child; did not get an attack of conscience even after being arrested.
By: Lim Boon Yee - SCSJ0011374 (ADP)
I would then use this example and explain the sentence construction to the entire class mentioning that this student basically constructed a perfect sentence which has a combination of a simple sentence, compound sentence as well as a complex sentence.
Simple Sentence - a simple sentence comprises of a subject and a predicate.
The subject is "The murderer with a prominent moustache"
The predicate is (used a culinary knife) and (cut off the coronary of his child).
The murderer with a prominent moustache used a culinary knife.
The murderer with a prominent moustache cut off the coronary of his child.
Compound Sentence - a compound sentence comprises the use of conjunctions.
"to" is a conjunction used to combine two simple sentences.
The murderer with a prominent moustache used a culinary knife to cut off the coronary of his child.
Complex Sentence - a complex sentence comprises two or more subjects and predicates combined with the use of one or more conjunctions or punctuations.
(;) a semicolon is used to give a pause for the next sentence to be continued in reading.
subject:
The murderer with a prominent moustache
predicate:
used a culinary knife.
cut off the coronary of his child.
did not get an attack of conscience.
after being arrested.
conjunction: to
subordinating conjunction: even
The murderer with a prominent moustache used a culinary knife to cut off the coronary of his child; did not get an attack of conscience even after being arrested.
“There is no doubt that creativity is the most important human resource
of all. Without creativity, there would be no progress, and we would be
forever repeating the same patterns.” — Edward de Bono
