Year 1 English Writing Your Own Sentences and Stories: check-up and quiz

Key words. A word is a group of letters that we say together, like cat.

Method. Say the sentence out loud. Touch a finger for each word, then count them.

1. Say the sentence. Say it slowly, one word at a time.
   We went to the park.
2. Count the words. Each word is a group of letters with a space on each side.
   We / went / to / the / park
3. Write the answer. The full stop is not a word, so do not count it.
   5 words

Check. Count again from the last word back to the first: 5 words. ✓

Watch out. Do not count the full stop as a word.

Key words. First is the start. Finally is the end. Next, then and after that go in between.

Method. Think about when the thing happens in the story.

1. Read the sentence. Think about where it comes in the story.
   Finally Ali opens his gifts.
2. Pick the sequence word that shows the order. Finally tells us the last thing in the story.
   finally = the order word
3. Write the answer.
   finally

Check. Read the story out loud with the word in place. It makes sense. ✓

Watch out. Sequence words show the order: first, next, then, after that and finally.

Key words. The order is the way things happen, one after another.

Method. Start with the first thing that happens. Then find the next thing, and the next, in order.

1. Find the first thing. It is the sentence that comes at the start of the story.
   B: Ali has a birthday party.
2. Follow the story in order. Each sentence follows on from the one before it.
   B → A → C
3. Write the letters in order. The answer is the letters, first to last.
   B, A, C

Check. Read the sentences in the order you wrote them. The story makes sense. ✓

Watch out. Do not put the last thing first. Look for “first” and “finally” clues in the story.

Method. Check the first letter and the end of the sentence.

1. Read the sentence out loud. Listen for the places that do not sound finished.
   the cat sat
2. Fix what is wrong. The first word needs a capital letter, and the sentence needs a full stop.
   The cat sat.
3. Write the sentence correctly.
   The cat sat.

Check. Read the new sentence aloud. It starts with a capital and ends with a full stop. ✓

Watch out. Change only the letters or marks that are wrong. Check the start and the end.

Method. Read the sentence with the gap. Try the word in the gap, and check it makes sense.

1. Read the sentence with the gap. Think about what the sentence is saying.
   Sam ___ to the park.
2. Try the word in the gap. Went makes sense: Sam went to the park.
   Sam went to the park.
3. Write the word.
   went

Check. Read the whole sentence again. It makes sense with went. ✓

Watch out. Try each choice in the gap. Only one choice makes the sentence sensible.

Key words. A label names one thing, in one or two words.

Method. A label is one or two words that name one thing.

1. Look at the picture. Find the rubber.
   the rubber
2. Say what it is in one word. A label names the thing and nothing else.
   rubber
3. Write the label.
   rubber

Check. Check the spelling letter by letter: r · u · b · b · e · r. ✓

Watch out. A label is short. Write the name of the thing, not a sentence.

Method. Choose the sentence that tells us about the sun.

1. Read caption A. The sun is yellow is a whole sentence about the picture.
   The sun is yellow.
2. Read caption B. Sun yellow is only two words, with no sense as a sentence.
   sun yellow
3. Write the answer.
   A: The sun is yellow.

Check. Read A out loud. It tells us about the sun. ✓

Watch out. A caption is a whole sentence, with a capital letter and a full stop.

Key words. A tricky word does not follow the usual sound, so it is learned by sight.

Method. Say each word slowly, one sound at a time. Write the letters for each sound, then the whole sentence.

1. Say each word slowly. Hear each sound, then choose the letter or letters for it.
   Pat · and · Sam · sit · on · a · mat
2. Write the letters for each word. Some sounds need two letters, such as sh in ship. Tricky words are written as learned.
   Pat: p - a - t
   and: a - n - d
   Sam: s - a - m
   sit: s - i - t
   on: o - n
   a: tricky word, write it as you learned it
   mat: m - a - t
3. Write the whole sentence. Start with a capital letter, leave spaces, and end with a full stop.
   Pat and Sam sit on a mat.

Check. Read your sentence to the grown-up and check each word against the answer. ✓

Watch out. Check the tricky words first. Then check the capital letter at the start and the full stop at the end.

Method. Write one sentence for each step, in order, with the sequence words.

1. Step 1. The first thing is the swim.
   First Tom swims.
2. Step 2. The next thing is drying off. Use then.
   Then Tom gets dry.
3. Step 3. The last thing is lunch. Use finally.
   First Tom swims. Then Tom gets dry. Finally Tom eats lunch.

Check. Read the three sentences in order. They make a story. ✓

Watch out. Keep the order of the pictures, and start each sentence with its sequence word.

Method. Think about what happens when you check your writing again.

1. Read your writing again. You can see if the sentences make sense.
   Does it make sense?
2. Check the small things. You can find a missing word, a capital letter or a full stop.
   capital, full stop, spaces
3. Write the reason.
   It shows if each sentence makes sense, and if a word, a capital or a full stop is missing.

Check. Read your answer aloud. It gives one clear reason. ✓

Watch out. Read it again with fresh eyes, and the mistakes often show.

Key words. A word is a group of letters that we say together, like cat.

Method. Say the sentence out loud. Touch a finger for each word, then count them.

1. Say the sentence. Say it slowly, one word at a time.
   The big cat sat down.
2. Count the words. Each word is a group of letters with a space on each side.
   The / big / cat / sat / down
3. Write the answer. The full stop is not a word, so do not count it.
   5 words

Check. Count again from the last word back to the first: 5 words. ✓

Watch out. Do not count the full stop as a word.

Method. A sentence makes sense on its own and tells a whole idea.

1. Read A. It tells us where, but not who did something.
   In the park
2. Read B. It tells us who, and what Sam does.
   Sam plays.
3. Write the answer.
   B: Sam plays.

Check. Read B aloud. It makes sense on its own. ✓

Watch out. A sentence tells a whole idea, even when it is short.

Key words. First is the start. Finally is the end. Next, then and after that go in between.

Method. Think about when the thing happens in the story.

1. Read the sentence. Think about where it comes in the story.
   First Sam walks to the park.
2. Pick the sequence word that shows the order. First shows the start of the story.
   First = the order word
3. Write the answer.
   B

Check. Read the story out loud with the word in place. It makes sense. ✓

Watch out. Sequence words show the order: first, next, then, after that and finally.

Key words. A label names one thing, in one or two words.

Method. A label is one or two words that name one thing.

1. Look at the picture. Find the ruler.
   the ruler
2. Say what it is in one word. A label names the thing and nothing else.
   ruler
3. Write the label.
   ruler

Check. Check the spelling letter by letter: r · u · l · e · r. ✓

Watch out. A label is short. Write the name of the thing, not a sentence.

Method. A caption is a whole sentence that tells us about the picture.

1. Look at the picture. It shows a book.
   a book
2. Read the two captions. A is a whole sentence about the book. B is one word.
   A: The book is blue.   B: book
3. Choose the caption.
   A: The book is blue.

Check. Read A aloud. It tells us about the book. ✓

Watch out. A caption is a whole sentence. One word is a label, not a caption.

Method. Check the first letter and the end of the sentence.

1. Read the sentence out loud. Listen for the places that do not sound finished.
   ben went to the shop
2. Fix what is wrong. Ben is a name, so it needs a capital letter. The sentence needs a full stop.
   Ben went to the shop.
3. Write the sentence correctly.
   Ben went to the shop.

Check. Read the new sentence aloud. It starts with a capital and ends with a full stop. ✓

Watch out. Change only the letters or marks that are wrong. Check the start and the end.

Method. Write one sentence for each picture, starting with the sequence words.

1. Picture 1. The first picture starts the story.
   First Mia puts on her boots.
2. Picture 2. The next picture uses then.
   Then Mia opens her umbrella.
3. Write both sentences.
   First Mia puts on her boots. Then Mia opens her umbrella.

Check. Read both sentences aloud. They are in order. ✓

Watch out. Start the first sentence with First and the second with Then.

Key words. A tricky word does not follow the usual sound, so it is learned by sight.

Method. Say each word slowly, one sound at a time. Write the letters for each sound, then the whole sentence.

1. Say each word slowly. Hear each sound, then choose the letter or letters for it.
   The · dog · ran · to · the · van
2. Write the letters for each word. Some sounds need two letters, such as sh in ship. Tricky words are written as learned.
   The: tricky word, write it as you learned it
   dog: d - o - g
   ran: r - a - n
   to: tricky word, write it as you learned it
   the: tricky word, write it as you learned it
   van: v - a - n
3. Write the whole sentence. Start with a capital letter, leave spaces, and end with a full stop.
   The dog ran to the van.

Check. Read your sentence to the grown-up and check each word against the answer. ✓

Watch out. Check the tricky words first. Then check the capital letter at the start and the full stop at the end.

Method. Read the sentence with the gap. Try the word in the gap, and check it makes sense.

1. Read the sentence with the gap. Think about what the sentence is saying.
   Tom ___ a bat.
2. Try the word in the gap. Has tells us what Tom owns. Is and was do not make sense here.
   Tom has a bat.
3. Write the word.
   has

Check. Read the whole sentence again. It makes sense with has. ✓

Watch out. Try each choice in the gap. Only one choice makes the sentence sensible.

Method. Think about what reading again tells you.

1. Think about the first reading. When you write, you may miss a word or a full stop.
   missing word
2. Think about the second reading. A second read helps you check that it all makes sense.
   does it make sense?
3. Write the reason.
   It helps you find missing words and mistakes, and check that the writing makes sense.

Check. Read your answer aloud. It gives a clear reason. ✓

Watch out. Read your writing back before you say it is finished.