Sentences, Transformed!

Third Grade Writing

Do your students frequently write short sentences that don’t contain much detail? With this lesson your
students will use prepositional phrases to beef up their sentences. Sentences will be transformed!

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to use prepositional phrases to lengthen sentences.

Students will be able to construct sentences that include greater elaboration and depth of meaning.

Materials and preparation Key terms

Class set of Powerful Prepositions worksheet prepositional phrases

Class set of Sentence Stretching worksheet
Extending Sentences Lesson Plan Attachment
Guided practice sentence parts (from lesson
plan attachment or your own choice of
sentence parts) — each sentence part written
on a different index card or sentence strip
Pocket chart (optional)
Class set of Preposition Placement worksheet
(optional)

Attachments

Extending Sentences Lesson Plan Attachment (PDF)

Powerful Prepositions (PDF)
Sentence Stretching (PDF)
Preposition Placement (PDF)

Introduction (5 minutes)

Give students a simple sentence such as the following: "The girls went shopping."
Invite students to share anything that they wonder about the sentence. Where did the girls go shopping?
What time did the girls go shopping?
Tell the students that prepositional phrases can be used to extend sentences, give more information, and
to clarify (or make details more clear).
Explain that they will be learning how to expand and extend their sentences using prepositional phrases.

Explicit Instruction/Teacher modeling (5 minutes)

Explain that prepositional phrases usually show the relationship between a noun and other words in
the sentence. This can include giving more information about the time, place, or direction.
Using several simple sentences (or suggested sentences from the lesson plan attachment), show the
students how you can use prepositions and corresponding prepositional phrases to lengthen the
sentences.
Write each simple sentence on a piece of chart paper and then show the students how you can transform
that sentence into a longer sentence using a prepositional phrase that shows place, time, or direction.

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Guided Practice (5 minutes)

Tell the students that they will be practicing creating longer sentences using shorter sentences.
Explain that each student will be given an index card or sentence strip and their task is to find a person
with a card that completes and makes their sentence longer.
Distribute one card to each student.
Invite students to mix and mingle around the room, working on forming a sentence.
Once students are finished, invite pairs of students to come to the front of the room and share the
sentences that they created.
If desired, place the two sentence parts on a single line of a pocket chart to form a complete sentence.

Independent working time (10 minutes)

Ask the students to complete the Powerful Prepositions worksheet.

Circulate around the room and provide assistance as needed.

Related books and/or media

BOOK: Under, Over, By the Clover: What Is a Preposition? by Brian P. Cleary

BOOK: If You Were a Preposition by Nancy Loewen
BOOK: Behind the Mask: A Book about Prepositions by Ruth Heller

Differentiation

Support:

Guide students in creating visuals that help them match preposition use in context or provide additional
visuals for the students.

Enrichment:

Invite students to brainstorm other ways that they can bring greater meaning to sentences, such as
including additional adverbs and adjectives to describe verbs and nouns.
Ask students to complete the Preposition Placement worksheet.

Technology Integration

Use an interactive whiteboard to write sentences on the board and color code them, labeling and
highlighting different parts of a sentence.
Invite students to work collaboratively on extending sentences within a shared document.

Assessment (10 minutes)

Ask the students to complete the Sentence Stretching worksheet.

Circulate around the room to check sentence formations.
Provide additional probing and instruction as needed for students to extend sentences and provide
greater detail.

Review and closing (5 minutes)

Lead the students in a brief discussion.

Ask the students how prepositions can enrich a sentence and provide deeper meaning.

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 Lesson​ ​Plan​ ​Attachment:​ ​Extending​ ​Sentences

Teacher​ ​Modeling

Starting​ ​Sentence Prepositional​ ​Phrase Ending​ ​Sentence

Jason​ ​rode​ ​his​ ​bicycle. along​ ​the​ ​road​ ​(place) Jason​ ​rode​ ​his​ ​bicycle​ ​along
the​ ​road.

My​ ​cat​ ​sat. beside​ ​my​ ​chair​ ​(place) My​ ​cat​ ​sat​ ​beside​ ​my​ ​chair.

Our​ ​family​ ​went​ ​to​ ​the​ ​ice after​​ ​the​ ​show​ ​(time) Our​ ​family​ ​went​ ​to​ ​the​ ​ice
cream​ ​shop. cream​ ​shop​ ​after​ ​the​ ​show.

Meaghan’s​ ​mom​ ​said​ ​that by​ ​midnight​ ​(time) Meaghan’s​ ​mom​ ​said​ ​that
she​ ​had​ ​to​ ​be​ ​home. she​ ​had​ ​to​ ​be​ ​home​ ​by
midnight.

We​ ​saw​ ​a​ ​deer. across​​ ​the​ ​river​ ​(direction) We​ ​saw​ ​a​ ​deer​ ​across​ ​the
river.

Jason​ ​walked. down​ ​the​ ​stairs​ ​(direction) Jason​ ​walked​ ​down​ ​the
stairs.

Guided​ ​Practice

Part​ ​One Part​ ​Two

Mom​ ​placed​ ​the​ ​beef inside​ ​the​ ​freezer.

My​ ​little​ ​brother​ ​was​ ​hiding around​ ​the​ ​corner.

As​ ​we​ ​sat​ ​in​ ​our​ ​boat​ ​we​ ​saw​ ​a​ ​fish close​ ​to​ ​the​ ​surface.

Mark​ ​had​ ​been​ ​wanting​ ​a​ ​little​ ​brother for​ ​five​ ​years.

Jennifer​ ​dove into​ ​the​ ​swimming​ ​pool.

A​ ​bunny​ ​hopped near​ ​the​ ​garden.

The​ ​airplane​ ​shook​ ​as​ ​it​ ​flew through​ ​the​ ​storm.

They​ ​took​ ​a​ ​trip far​ ​from​ ​home.

Make​ ​sure​ ​to​ ​finish​ ​the​ ​project before​ ​Monday.

Jenna​ ​loved​ ​to​ ​sit by​ ​the​ ​ocean.

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Name: Date:

Powerful Prepositions
Prepositional phrases can help us make powerful sentences that include many details! Most
prepositions help the writer tell about a time, place, or direction.

Use each prepositional phrase from the word bank and match it to a corresponding sentence.
Write your new sentence with the prepositional phrase on the line below each sentence.

at 3:00 in front of the restaurant behind the door

in back of our house until 9:00 p.m. under the table

Example:
The store will be open.
Prepositional Phrase: until 9:00 p.m.
New Sentence: The store will be open until 9:00 p.m.

1. Our family planted a garden.

Prepositional Phrase:
New Sentence:

2. The dog waited for a piece of food.

Prepositional Phrase:
New Sentence:

3. Kelly will meet Joanne for coffee.

Prepositional Phrase:
New Sentence:

4. My sister was waiting to surprise me.

Prepositional Phrase:
New Sentence:

5. Mom parked the car.

Prepositional Phrase:
New Sentence:

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Name: Date:

Sentence Stretching
Prepositions and prepositional phrases can be used to give more information about our topic.
Our sentences can be longer and more specific!

Use prepositions from the word bank to extend the sentences below and provide more details.
Write each new sentence on the matching line. Look at the example below to get started.
Word Bank
before above toward
onto during between 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Example:
Starting Sentence: Scott sat in the car.
New Sentence: Scott sat between his two sisters throughout the long car ride.

1. Starting Sentence: Lacey’s dog jumped.

New Sentence:

2. Starting Sentence: Look in the cabinet.

New Sentence:

3. Starting Sentence: On the screen I saw an announcement that you shouldn’t talk.
New Sentence:

4. Starting Sentence: It is important to buy the airplane tickets.

New Sentence:

5. Starting Sentence: Jessie ran.

New Sentence:

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Preposition Placement
Use each of the prepositional phrases below to write a different sentence. Make sure that you
include details in your sentence that help your reader understand your writing. The first
sentence is written for you.
Phrase Box
with her ahead of Susan to the city

throughout the day until 8:00 for thirty minutes

inside the house due to the rain for her

Example:
Prepositional Phrase: for thirty minutes
Sentence: Joey will go to the gym and exercise for thirty minutes.

1. Prepositional Phrase:
Sentence:

2. Prepositional Phrase:
Sentence:

3. Prepositional Phrase:
Sentence:

4. Prepositional Phrase:
Sentence:

5. Prepositional Phrase:
Sentence:

6. Prepositional Phrase:
Sentence:

7. Prepositional Phrase:
Sentence:

8. Prepositional Phrase:
Sentence:

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Copyright © 2017 Education.com LLC All Rights Reserved
Find worksheets, games, lessons & more at education.com/resources
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© 2007 - 2021 Education.com