Question

Rachel's younger brother is in fourth grade. She is trying to explain to him how to do a household task. She is going to read the explanation aloud and post it on the refrigerator for him to refer to later. What kind of sentences do you recommend Rachel use: simple, compound, complex, or compound-complex?

Identify two sentence types and explain why you think they would effectively communicate Rachel's message.

Answer 1

I recommend that Rachel use simple and compound sentences.

Simple sentences are straightforward and easy to understand, making them ideal for explaining a task to a fourth grader. For example, Rachel could say "To brush your teeth, put toothpaste on your toothbrush and brush for two minutes."

Compound sentences can add more information or steps to the task in a clear and organized way. For example, Rachel could say "After brushing your teeth, use dental floss to clean between your teeth and rinse your mouth with water." This allows Rachel to break down the task into smaller steps while still maintaining clarity.