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Name:______________________________ Class:___________ Date:____________

BE POSITIVE ABOUT APPOSITIVES

Dear Parent or Guardian, We are practicing how to combine sentences in more interesting ways. This activity uses appositives to improve writing. I hope you enjoy this activity with me. This assignment is due ________________________. Sincerely, _______________________________ THINGS TO REMEMBER An appositive is a phrase that follows a noun or pronoun, and that identifies or adds details to the sentence. An example: You could say: Washington was a great statesman. Our first president was a great statesman. Or, you could write these sentences using an appositive phrase: Washington, our first president, was a great statesman. or Our first president, Washington, was a great statesman. Either way, the sentences that include details from appositives are better. PROCEDURE 1. Combine each set of short sentences into a better one by using an appositive. Then UNDERLINE the appositive in your new sentence. The first one is an example. a. Mr. Choo lives next door to me. He is the man riding a bicycle in the rain. Combine to: Mr. Choo, the man riding a bicycle in the rain, lives next door to me. b. The dolphin is a gentle mammal. The dolphin can be taught to jump through a hoop. Combine to:

c. The space shuttle is named Columbia. It has made five trips into space. Combine to:

d. My teacher is Mrs. Rivera. She showed us pictures of her trip to the Grand Canyon. Combine to:

e. Sam is the local fire chief. Yesterday, he saved a little girl from a house fire. Combine to:

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2. Now combine three sentences into ONE interesting one, using an appositive. a. Jamie is my cousin. Jamie lives in Hawaii. She works on a pineapple plantation. Combine to:

b. My family went to Hersey Park. Hersey Park is an amusement park. It is located an hour from my home. Combine to:

3. Challenge: Writing Sentences with Appositives. Use the following words or phrases as appositives in sentences that you create. Example -- a wonderful speaker Sentence: Keith Jackson, a wonderful speaker, made quite an impression on the crowd. a. a terrific teacher b. my favorite team c. my best friend d. a fascinating book e. a luscious dessert 4. Explain to your family partner what an appositive does in a sentence. Who is working with you? _________________ Read aloud each set of short sentences and your improvements from all sections above. Point out the appositive in each sentence. Fix any sentence that is not clear. HOME-TO-SCHOOL COMMUNICATION Dear Parent, Please give me your reactions to your child's work on this activity. Write YES or NO for each statement. ______ 1. My child understood the homework and was able to discuss it. ______ 2. My child and I enjoyed the activity. ______ 3. This assignment helped me know what my child is learning in language arts. Any other comments: Signature:
2001. Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork (TIPS), J. Epstein, K. Salinas, & F. Van Voorhis. Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships at Johns Hopkins University.