The Fremonts 524 Main Street Topeka, KS 66601

1. Hi Everyone! It’s the third day of our vacation. We saw a big fish and a few other things. Jack If your family traveled to Hayward Wisconsin to visit the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame and climb into the Mouth of the giant fiberglass muskie, could you write a more interesting, descriptive postcard? The Fremonts 524 Main Street Topeka, KS 66601 National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame Hayward, Wisconsin

2. Expanding Sentences Using Precise Words A good writer chooses words carefully, selecting precise nouns and verbs that express exactly what the writer wants to say. She looked at the fish. Amystared at the muskie. Good writers also use modifiers – adjectives and adverbs – to add details to their sentences. Amy stared wide-eyed at the four-story fiberglass muskie.

3. Spice it up! To choose precise modifiers, read your sentences and ask yourself the questions who, what, when, why, and how. Use modifiers that answer these questions to expand your sentence. Improve these sentences by following the directions in the parentheses. We took a trip. (use precise words) We saw a barn. (add modifiers) It was old. (use precise words) The barn had a sign on the side. (add modifiers) It was hard to read. (use precise words)

4. Improve these sentences by following the directions in the parentheses. We took a trip. (use precise words) My family took a vacation. We saw a barn. (add modifiers) We saw a huge red barn. 1. It was old. (use precise words) 2. The barn was weathered and rickety. The barn had a sign on the side. (add modifiers) The neglected barn had a faded sign on the side. It was hard to read. (use precise words) The sign was too faint to read.

5. Paragraph 1: We took a trip. We saw a barn. It was old. The barn had a sign on the side. It was hard to read. Paragraph 2: My family took a vacation. We saw a huge red barn. The barn was weathered and rickety. The neglected barn had a faded sign on the side. The sign was too faint to read.

6. Write Away: What’s Your Hobby? Do you like to paint? Do you collect things? Do you assemble models? Do you stargaze? Write a paragraph describing a hobby you enjoy or would like to find more about.

7. Adding Phrases Phrases add focus and detail to your writing. It changes or clarifies parts of a sentence. A prepositional phrase can tell where, or when the action took place. You can add phrases to the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence. Dan’s family rented a cabin. 1) In the Rocky Mountains, Dan’s family rented a cabin. 2) Dan’s family, three kids and their parents, rented a cabin. 3) Dan’s family rented a cabin shaped like a teepee.

8. Liven Up the Family’s Vacation! Improve these simple sentences by adding a phrase to each. Follow the directions in parentheses. Then, add precise words or modifiers where you think they will improve each sentence. My family went on a vacation. (add a phrase to the end) We saw a display of dinosaur replicas. (add a phrase to the beginning) 3. My sister and I dug for fossils. (add a phrase in the middle) 4. She found a tiny jawbone. (add a phrase to the end) The guide said it was from an ancient mammal. (add a phrase in the middle)

9. My family went on a vacation. (add a phrase to the end) My family went on vacation to the desert in Utah. 2. We saw a display of dinosaur replicas. (add a phrase to the beginning) At a park by the side of the road, we saw a display of dinosaur replicas. • My sister and I dug for fossils. (add a phrase in the middle) My sister, who wants to be a paleontologist, and I dug for fossils. • She found a tiny jawbone. (add a phrase to the end) She found a tiny jawbone in the sand. • The guide said it was from an ancient mammal. (add a phrase in the middle) The guide, who was a student at the state university, said it was from an ancient mammal.