Earlier this year, I posted about a new strategy I was using to help teach English sentence structure to my ELL Newcomer students (see How I’m Adding A Twist To The Sentence Expansion Strategy In My ELL Newcomers Class).
Basically, they’re sheets of five groups of sentences, and they are all expanding sentences that gradually incorporate additional words.
Here’s a downloadable example.
They are extremely effective, especially combined with the use of Sentence Navigators.
They haven’t taken me very long to create, but they do take some time. I also have peer tutors create them when the students they are tutoring are absent, but I have to then spend time double-checking their work.
I couldn’t believe, though, that I hadn’t thought until tonight about the possibility of teaching ChatGPT to create them!
Duh!
It took a few tries, but it ended up creating one just like I wanted!
Here’s the final version it created, and here are the different prompts I used:
FIRST PROMPT:
I have attached a document I use in my English Language Learner Beginners class. It it a series of “expanding sentences” about describing things and using words about the body. The first page is the answer sheet. The second page are those sentences scrambled. Can you create a similar sheet using simple adjectives in sentences.
SECOND PROMPT:
You have created three groups of three sentences each. I would like five groups of three sentences each. Also, can you create sentences that do not require the use of commas? Also, in the scrambled versions, do not capitalize any letters, and put the periods in a different place than the end.
THIRD PROMPT:
This is better. I need two more adjustments. First, in the scrambled versions, please include periods – just don’t put them at the end. Secondly, in the answers, please include ALL versions of correct answers. For example, in the sentence “The pretty flower is pink and tall” include another correct version in parenthesis “The pretty flower is tall and pink.”
FOURTH PROMPT:
This is excellent. I will want to create more like this. Will you remember these specific instructions, or will I have to repeat them?
I’m adding this info to The “Best” Resources For Teaching Sentence Structure and to THE BEST POSTS ABOUT USING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE WITH ELLS.