Grade by Grade
B. Foundations of Language · Listening, Speaking and Word Power

Speaking with Detail: New Words, Adjectives, Adverbs and Varied Sentences

B1.5 B2.2 A1.2About 40 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can use new vocabulary I've learned when I speak, including words from other subjects.
  • I can use varied adjectives and adverbs to elaborate on my ideas.
  • I can use different sentence types and lengths to keep listeners interested.
  • I can make my sentences cohesive by using pronouns, transition words and linking words.
  • I can cut filler words like um and like to make my talk clearer.

Words to know

adjective
A word that describes a noun: frosty morning, three canoes, enormous moose.
adverb
A word that describes a verb, an adjective or another adverb, telling how, when, where, how often or how much: quietly, yesterday, outside, often, very.
elaborate
To add details that make an idea clearer and more interesting.
sentence type
The kind of sentence: statement, question, command or exclamation.
cohesive
Connected, so each sentence links smoothly to the next.
filler word
A word that fills a pause but adds no meaning, like um, uh or like.

Remember from Grade 4

In Grade 4 you replaced tired words like went and nice with precise words, added adjectives and adverbs, mixed up sentence types and joined sentences with linking words. In Grade 5 you'll elaborate more: you'll use different kinds of adverbs, add new vocabulary from your lessons, mix sentence types and lengths, and connect your sentences with transitions so your speech flows.

Let's start with a puzzle

Which would you rather listen to?

A: "We went to the lake. It was nice. We saw a bird. It was big. We went home."

B: "Last Saturday, we hiked to Lake Simcoe. The water was calm and glassy. Suddenly, an enormous great blue heron lifted off right beside us! Have you ever seen wings that wide? We walked home slowly, talking about it the whole way."

B elaborates: it adds when, where, how and what kind, uses a precise name (great blue heron), and mixes a statement, an exclamation and a question.

Adjectives: tell which one, what kind, how many

Adjectives add pictures: a frosty, silent morning, a muddy, exhausted dog, a two-metre snowbank.

Tip: choose one or two strong adjectives instead of a long list. "An ancient, gnarled maple" is better than "a big, old, nice, brown, tall tree."

Adverbs: five jobs

Adverbs tell more about verbs (and sometimes adjectives or other adverbs).

Adverbs tell...ExamplesIn a sentence
How (manner)quickly, carefully, gently, proudlyThe goalie calmly stopped the puck.
When (time)yesterday, soon, finally, nowFinally, the bus arrived.
Where (place)outside, nearby, upstairs, everywhereSnow fell everywhere.
How often (frequency)always, often, sometimes, neverWe often skate on Sundays.
How much (degree)very, extremely, almost, quiteIt was extremely cold.
Not every adverb ends in -ly. Words like soon, outside and very are adverbs too.
Yesterday,snowfellveryquietlyoutside.whenverbhow muchhowwherevery → quietlyYesterday, quietly and outside all tell more about the verb fell.
Four adverbs in one sentence. Yesterday, quietly and outside tell more about the verb fell; very tells how much about the adverb quietly.

Vary your sentences

  • Types: statements (It snowed.), questions (Can you guess what happened?), commands (Picture this.), exclamations (What a storm!).
  • Lengths: a few long sentences, then a short one for punch. "We searched the whole park, under benches and behind trees, calling his name. Nothing. Then we heard a bark."
  • Openings: don't start every sentence with I or Then. Try a time phrase (After lunch,...), an adverb (Luckily,...) or a place (Behind the rink,...).
04812words in each sentence534337611710Talk Aevery sentence shortTalk Bvaried lengths and types
Sentence lengths in the two lake talks from the start of the lesson. Talk A is all short and sounds choppy; Talk B varies its sentences and mixes in a question and an exclamation.

Make it cohesive: tie your sentences together

  • Pronouns instead of repeating names: Ms. Patel... she...
  • Transition words: first, next, meanwhile, however, as a result, for example, in the end.
  • Linking words that join ideas: because, so, but, although, when.
  • Cut fillers: replace um and like with a quiet pause. A pause sounds confident; um sounds unsure.

Use your new words

When you learn a word in science, math or social studies, use it when you talk. Say "The water evaporated" instead of "The water disappeared." Using a new word out loud is one of the best ways to remember it.

Just for fun

Adverb overload: "The extremely very really quite tired snail slowly, slowly, sloooowly crawled." One strong adverb is plenty. The snail agrees.

Worked example

Let's elaborate a short talk

Kai's first try, telling the class about a science experiment: "Um, we put ice in a cup. It, like, melted. Then there was water. Then the water went on the outside. It was cool."

  1. Cut the fillers: remove um and like. Use a short pause instead.
  2. Add adverbs and adjectives: "we put six ice cubes in a clear plastic cup", "they melted slowly."
  3. Use new vocabulary: "water droplets formed on the outside of the cup. This is called condensation."
  4. Vary sentence types: start with a question: "Have you ever seen a cold glass 'sweat'?"
  5. Make it cohesive: use transitions: "First... After about ten minutes... As a result..." and a pronoun (they) for the ice cubes.
  6. New version: "Have you ever seen a cold glass 'sweat'? First, we put six ice cubes in a clear plastic cup. After about ten minutes, they had melted slowly, and the cup was very cold. Then tiny water droplets appeared on the outside of the cup! This is called condensation. It happens when water vapour in the air touches something cold and turns back into liquid."

The new version has no fillers, uses precise adjectives and adverbs, a science word (condensation), a question and an exclamation, and transitions that tie it together.

The pause beats the um

Next time you feel an um coming, close your lips and pause for one second. Listeners hear a pause as thinking, not as being unsure.

Hands-on activity

Adverb dice storytelling

You need: two pieces of paper, a pencil, a die (or six numbered slips of paper in a cup) and a family member.

  1. On one paper, number 1 to 6 and write an adverb for each: 1 suddenly, 2 carefully, 3 never, 4 extremely, 5 outside, 6 finally.
  2. Start a story about a winter adventure with one sentence.
  3. Take turns: roll the die and add a sentence to the story that uses that adverb. Every few turns, use a question or an exclamation.
  4. Use a transition word at least twice (meanwhile, as a result, however).
  5. If someone says um or like, they pause and try the sentence again.
  6. At the end, retell the whole story in under one minute.

What to look for: adverbs used correctly (not just stuck on); varied sentence types; transitions that make sense.

Your turn

1

Add one adjective and one adverb to: The fox ran.

2

What does the adverb tell in each? (a) We sometimes go tobogganing. (b) The kitten slept upstairs.

3

Change this statement into a question that would hook listeners: Polar bears have black skin.

4

Make these cohesive with a pronoun and a transition: Grandma knits mitts. Grandma gives the mitts to the shelter.

5

Replace the tired word with a more precise one: The music was loud.

6

Why is a short sentence after a few long ones powerful?

7

Use a math or science word in a sentence you might say out loud.

More practice: warm-up

1

Is quietly an adjective or an adverb?

2

Is frosty an adjective or an adverb?

3

Name two filler words.

4

What are the four sentence types?

5

Give one transition word that shows a result.

More practice: on your own

1

Find the adverbs and say what each tells: Yesterday, the team played extremely well outside.

2

Rewrite with varied openings: I woke up. I ate breakfast. I walked to school. I saw a deer.

3

Elaborate this sentence with when, where and how: The geese flew.

4

A speaker says, "The thing was, like, really, really, really big." Improve it and explain your changes.

5

Which transition fits? We planned a picnic. ______, it rained all day. (as a result / however / for example)

Challenge

1

Turn these notes into a short, cohesive spoken explanation (3 to 4 sentences) with one question and one transition: sugar maple – sap – early spring – boiled – syrup.

2

Write a sentence with an adverb that describes an adjective, and one with an adverb that describes another adverb. Underline (or name) them.

3

Explain why using precise words, varied sentences and transitions helps your audience, not just you.

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

Which word is an adverb?

2.

What does the adverb never tell?

3.

Which sentence uses a transition word?

4.

What is the best thing to do instead of saying "um"?

5.

Which sentence elaborates the most?

6.

Why vary sentence types when you speak?

For parents and teachers

Big idea (B1.5): Grade 5 students use new vocabulary, varied adjectives and adverbs to elaborate, a variety of sentence types and cohesive sentences to support audience comprehension when they speak. Using subject vocabulary aloud also supports B2.2. This lesson connects to A1.2 (expressing their own voice).

How to help at home:

  • Ask "Tell me more: when? where? how?" when your child gives a short answer.
  • Notice and praise when your child uses a new school word at home.
  • Play "no-um" storytelling for one minute at a time.

Common difficulties:

  • Stacking too many adjectives. Suggest choosing the one or two strongest.
  • Thinking all adverbs end in -ly. Point out soon, never, outside, very.
  • Overusing "and then". Offer a list of transitions to choose from.