Do you teach grammar when you teach children about sentences? Or do you teach writing when you teach children about sentences? Let’s take a quiz. Read this sentence:
- Do you still eat pizza every day?
Which of these four kinds of sentences is this?
- Declarative Sentence: Makes a statement.
- Interrogative Sentence: Asks a question.
- Exclamatory Sentence: Expresses strong feeling.
- Imperative Sentence: Gives a command.
If you are teaching grammar, the answer is simple. It is an interrogative sentence because it does ask a question.
However, in a sense, it is two sentences. Let’s take a closer look at it.
- Do you still eat pizza every day?
Notice the word “still.” “Still” adds to the question in a way that makes it a presupposition. What’s a presupposition? Think pre-suppose. In meaning, the sentence really has two parts.
- A statement: You used to eat pizza every day.
- A question: Do you still?
What’s my point? My point is that teaching writing is complex because it is focused on communicating meaning. What do we teach students about communicating meaning? Very little. Traditionally, we use the term topic sentences and details. Did you know that topic sentences are implied at least half the time in professional writing? That means readers must infer the main idea at least half the time. Read the research!
One of the most critical concepts in writing and reading is considering what’s implied and what’s explicitly stated. Although we teach this aspect in reading instruction, it may confuse students in writing instruction. That’s where the Secret A, B, C Sentence ™ comes in.
Have You Heard of the Secret A, B, C Sentence ™?
The Secret A, B, C Sentence ™ is a sentence pattern in Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay that helps students master topic sentences and essays without overwhelming or confusing them with explanations. Just as the example sentence (“Do you still eat pizza every day?”) carries both a statement and a question, the Secret A, B, C Sentence helps students to intuitively understand that a sentence can communicate a primary idea while also implying other ideas. This mirrors how a topic sentence hints at the content to follow without explicitly stating everything.
We often think of a sentence as just one idea, but there are really many hidden ideas within that sentence. Wait! Please don’t try to explain this to kids. You will just confuse them! However, when you use Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay, they will just get it! No explanation necessary. Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay is the fastest, most effective way to teach students organized multi-paragraph writing… Guaranteed!
The Significance of This for Reading and Writing Teachers
If you wish to keep things simple and improve your students’ writing FAST, check out Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay.
Having said that, inferences are such an important concept in language that I will add a few points for reading and writing teachers. I will refer to our sentence moving forward, so please keep it in mind.
- Do you still eat pizza every day?
1. The Distinction Between Grammar and Writing Instruction: The sentence highlights the difference between teaching sentences as grammar versus teaching them as a part of reading and writing. Teaching grammar focuses on identifying sentence types and construction, while teaching reading and writing involves understanding a sentence’s deeper meaning, implications, and semantics.
2. The Complexity of Sentences in Writing: The sentence illustrates that when teaching reading and writing, a sentence can carry more complexity than its grammatical structure alone.
3. Presuppositions, Implied Ideas, and Making Inferences: The sentence introduces the idea of presuppositions. These are assumptions embedded in a sentence that add context or imply something not directly stated. In the example given, the word “still” presupposes that the person used to eat pizza every day, which makes the sentence function as both a statement and a question.
4. The Importance of Teaching Writing Beyond Grammar: By examining the sentence in the context of reading and writing, the text emphasizes that teaching reading and writing involves helping students understand and convey complex ideas, not just identifying sentence types.
5. Critical Thinking: By breaking down the sentence into its underlying parts—a statement and a question—the text encourages critical thinking. It shows how analyzing the components of a sentence can lead to a deeper understanding of its meaning and function in writing.
6. Context: The sentence points out that context matters in sentence construction. The word “still” changes the interpretation of the sentence, indicating that specific words or phrases within it can influence the meaning of a sentence.
7. Making Inferences: The sentence illustrates that understanding a sentence often involves making inferences. For example, the word “still” in the sentence “Do you still eat pizza every day?” leads the reader to infer that the person being asked used to eat pizza every day. This inference is not explicitly stated but is implied by the sentence structure.
Keep in mind that Academic Vocabulary for Critical Thinking, Logical Arguments, and Effective Communication creates a foundation of clear, logical, and organized thinking! It’s a vital resource for both academic and professional success!
