When the first letters don't make a word, make a sentence instead. Each word of the sentence starts with the letter of an item, in order.
| Sentence | Stands for |
|---|---|
| My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nachos | Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune (the planets from the Sun) |
| Every Good Boy Does Fine | E, G, B, D, F: the notes on the lines of the treble staff, bottom to top |
| Never Eat Soggy Waffles | North, East, South, West, clockwise around the compass |
| King Philip Came Over For Good Soup | Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species |
Key idea
A good acrostic is short, easy to picture, and keeps the items in order.
Worked example: Worked example
Make an acrostic for the first five U.S. presidents: Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe.
- Letters: W, A, J, M, M.
- Find a sentence: "Will A Jolly Man Make..." "Will A Jolly Man Mow?"
Answer: Will A Jolly Man Mow? (W, A, J, M, M)
Why it works
The sentence is a chain of cues. Each word reminds you of the next, and each first letter reminds you of an item.
Common mistake
Picking words that start with the right letter but a different sound, which can mislead you later. Keep the words simple.