A short sentence can grow. Add describing words and words that tell where or when, and a plain sentence becomes a picture.
Key idea
To make a sentence grow, add what kind (describing words), where, and when. Keep only details that fit.
Why it works
“The dog ran.” is a whole sentence, but the reader has questions: What dog? Where did it run? Each detail answers one of those questions before the reader has to ask.
Worked example: Grow it in steps
“The cat slept.”
- What kind of cat? A fluffy cat.
- Where? On the warm rug.
- When? All afternoon.
- Put it together.
Answer: “The fluffy cat slept on the warm rug all afternoon.”
Common mistake
Adding details that don’t match, or so many that the sentence runs on and on (“…and it was fun and it was sunny and…”). Add two or three details that help, then stop.
For the grown-up. Play “grow the sentence”: one of you says a short sentence, the other adds one word or phrase, and take turns until it feels just right. If it starts to sound silly, take a detail out.