Students will learn their eight parts of speech by working in a team of two. Each team will create five sentences and create a “key” of the eight parts of speech used. Then, the team will sort another team’s sentences into eight columns labeled the eight parts of speech.
Sentence Sort
Students will work in pairs to create sentences and to make a game for another pair to play. The pair in turn will “play” too. Students need to have a good understanding of the eight parts of speech: nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. If students are not familiar with the eight parts of speech, try one of the other lessons in this series or review the eight parts of speech from a grammar reference book.
Directions for Sentence Parts of Speech Sort
Materials needed: scissors, glue and three pieces of white paper for each team
Step 1 -- Place students in pairs.
Step 2 – Explain the game. Students will work in pairs to make sentences and a key of all of the parts of speech used in the five sentences. Then, another pair of students will sort the five sentences into the eight parts of speech on another piece of paper.
Example Sorting of Eight Parts of Speech
Example of sentence: Wow, my big and hungry dog quickly ate his bowl of food in five seconds.
Example of sort:
- interjection – wow
- noun – dog, bowl, food, seconds
- adjective – big, hungry, five
- adverb – quickly
- verb – ate
- preposition – of, in
- pronouns – my, his
- conjunction – and
Step 3 – Direct students to create five sentences that are written neatly. Within the five sentences, they need to use at least two examples of each of the eight parts of speech. It is best if the students try to use most of the eight parts of speech in each sentence. The sentences need to be able to be cut apart by another team. Students should leave two lines before each sentence and two lines after each sentence for ease of cutting the sentences. It also helps to make large spaces between each word.
After the sentences are created, the students need to create a key of all of the parts of speech used. The teacher may allow students to use a grammar reference book to help students identify the parts of speech.
Students Work in Teams to Sort and Lable
Step 4 – Each team needs to make eight columns on a sheet of paper and label with the eight parts of speech.
Step 5 – Trade sentences with another team. Teams need to work quickly, but sorting the words correctly is more important.
Step 6 – When the students are done, tell the students to give their parts of speech sort to the team who created the sentences. The sort needs to be “graded.” This can be for a grade or treats given to those teams who sorted the words correctly.
This is a fun way for students to learn to identify their eight parts of speech. They are learning while creating the sentences and sorting the sentences.
This post is part of the series: Parts of Speech Lessons
This series of lessons will offer tips and ideas on how to teach and how to review the eight parts of speech.
