1.3
WRITING SKILLS Strong Verbs
WARM-UP
PRACTICE
READ, LISTEN, SPEAK Read aloud your list of verbs from yesterday’s For Tomorrow homework. Explain why you chose those particular verbs and how you chose stronger verbs. Then have small groups share their verbs. Challenge students to choose one strong verb from another student’s list and use it in a sentence.
ACTIVITY B Complete this activity as a class. Ask volunteers to brainstorm strong verbs for each answer and write them on the board.
GRAMMAR CONNECTION Take this opportunity to talk about subjects. You may wish to have students point out subjects in their Read, Listen, Speak sentences.
ACTIVITY C Discuss what students know about the animals in the activity. Then have students complete the activity independently. When students have finished, have them discuss the differences in the meaning of each sentence as the verb changes.
ACTIVITY D Have partners complete this activity. When students have finished, ask volunteers to share their answers with the class. Ask students to justify their word choices. Then ask students to suggest alternative strong verbs for each sentence. ACTIVITY E Have students complete the activity independently. Then ask volunteers to read aloud their completed paragraphs. Have volunteers identify the strong verbs in each paragraph and write them on the board.
TEACH Discuss why students should use strong verbs when they write. (Strong verbs create clear pictures in readers’ minds.) Then write on the board the following verbs:
ACTIVITY B Read the following sentences. Replace each underlined verb with a stronger verb.
1. I went down the hill on my new sled. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
went asked go
Ask students to give examples of stronger verbs that might be used to replace the verbs on the board. Have students write their responses on the board. Then ask volunteers to use each word in a sentence.
I go to school on the bus every day. The penguin walked toward me. I looked at the rows of colorful sneakers in the window. Our cat likes his cat food. My little brother looked everywhere for his shoe. We put one block on top of the other. Leandro put his sister into the crib. We go the same way to the gym every time. The dish broke into tiny pieces.
ACTIVITY C Read each set of sentences. How does the verb in each sentence create a different picture? Add two more sentences to each set. Use strong verbs to show other actions the animals might do.
1. The dragon snorts. The dragon breathes. The dragon sneezes. 2. The eagle flies. The eagle soars. The eagle swoops. 3. The rabbit hopped. The rabbit leaped. The rabbit jumped. 4. The horse strutted. The horse galloped. The horse ran. 5. The cat meows. The cat hisses. The cat purrs.
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Chapter 1