Writing Exercise: Create a story through three questions

In this exercise, you’ll use three questions to stimulate creative thought. You can write these questions yourself, but I’ll give you some examples to show you what to do.

You want to answer the questions as quickly as you can, with whatever ideas pop into your mind. Write as much or as little as you wish, but just allow the words to flow without pondering too much what you want to say.

Example 1:

1.            Who just snuck out the back window?

2.            What were they carrying?

3.            Where were they going?

Example 2:

1.            Who is Tony?

2.            Why is he crying?

3.            What is he going to do about it?

Example 3:

1.            Whose house is Sonya leaving?

2.            Why was she there?

3.            Where is she going now?

Grammar: Advanced Subject-Verb Agreement Practice (With Prepositional Phrases)

Advanced Subject-Verb Agreement Practice (With Prepositional Phrases)

• Often, the subject of a sentence is followed directly by the verb.
• For instance: The dog barks all night.
• However, sometimes a prepositional phrase is between the subject and the verb.
• For this practice, look carefully for the subject and ignore the words that are part of prepositional phrases.

The character in The Arabian Nights is a woman named Scheherazade.

                      subject                                            verb

PRACTICE:     Circle the subject.

Underline the verb that “agrees” or matches the subject.

1. Marvin’s excuses for not having completed his research paper (bore, bores) me.

2. Speeding in restricted zones, especially those near schools, (endanger, endangers) lives.

3. One computer for two or three students (seem, seems) inadequate.

4. The popularity of violent movies (reflect, reflects) the values of our society.

5. Honeydews, one of the favorite melons of consumers, (taste, tastes) clean and sweet.

6. Coaches who are disciplined and who demand discipline from their players usually

(have, has) winning teams.

7. The annual sales of video games in the U.S.  probably (exceed, exceeds) a billion dollars.

8. Small amounts of tar and nicotine (damage, damages) the health of smokers.

9. The women riding in the back seat of the car (was, were) not injured in the accident.

10. Animals which sleep in the day and are active at night (have, has) good night vision.

11. The students waiting in line for tickets to the concert (expect, expects) good seats.

12. A teenager who tries to conform to the expectations of adults (is, are) often ridiculed

by his or her peers.

13. The bark of some trees (have, has) been used to treat certain diseases.
                                                                                   

Adapted from http://faculty.mccneb.edu/mbklocke

Free-write: Carl Sandburg

“Beware of advice—even this.”

Carl Sandburg

INSTRUCTIONS: 

What does this make you think of?  Reflect on it in a five-minute free-write.  Remember you cannot stop writing during the five minutes.  Even if you can't think of anything to write, write "I can't think of anything to write."  

Writing Exercise: Write a letter to your younger self.

 In this exercise, you are writing to yourself at a younger age. It can be your childhood self or yourself just a few years back. You can offer advice, compassion, explanation, forgiveness, or praise. Or you can simply recount an experience you had and how it impacted you as your adult self now. Try to see this younger self as a real and separate person when you write the letter. This exercise helps you think about your reader as a real person. Again, try not to overthink this exercise. Spend a few minutes deciding the core message of the letter, and then just start writing without filters.

Grammar- More Focus: Identifying Prepositional Phrases

More Focus: Identifying Prepositional Phrases

PRACTICE:     Put parenthesis around the Prepositional Phrases.  

Circle the subject. Draw two lines under the verb.

1.  Ramona loves writing texts to her friends.
2. Many students have complained about the new rules.
3. The pot of vegetable soup simmered gently on the stove.
4. My phone takes very clear photographs in all kinds of weather.
5. The concert was canceled with only one day’s notice.
6. The coffee was leaking from my cup onto the carpet.
7. The kitchen in my grandmother’s house smells like vanilla and spices.
8.  The meeting took place during lunch.
9. We ate our dinner in the car.
10. The book of quotes inspired me.
11. The best things in life are free.
12.  The tunnel through the mountain took three years to make.
13.  Our protest against censorship was successful.
14.  One of the most important ideas in the article is that multiasking is harmful.
15.   This reminds me of something.
16.  The best place to eat around here is Sam’s Restaurant.