Sentence Structure as a System
This week introduces the sentence not as a rule to memorize, but as a system to engineer. Students move deliberately from recognition to control to explanation.
We begin by identifying the "load-bearing" walls (clauses), learn how to attach detail without breaking the structure (phrases), and finish by mapping and documenting our work. By Friday, students will not just build sentences—they will explain exactly how they work using the language of design.
Clauses as Load-Bearing Structures
Students explore the "building" metaphor. We define a clause by function, not punctuation. Focus: identifying the subject and verb.
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Independent & Dependent Clauses
Not all clauses can stand alone. Students learn how subordinators create attachment. Practice repairing dependent clauses.
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Phrases as Structural Connectors
Phrases are the furniture and decoration. Students practice attaching phrases to add detail without breaking the main structure.
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Mapping Structure Visually
Moving from intuition to visualization. Students externalize sentence architecture using boxes, arrows, and spatial layouts.
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Explaining Structure
The Peak Performance. Students analyze a sentence, map it, and write a precise technical explanation of how it works.
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