Language and Grammar: Retell a Story

Partner Story Exchange With a partner, take turns retelling the myth. Speak clearly. Use gestures and facial expressions. Tell events in order. Include some complex sentences.

Daedalus and Icarus were locked in a tower because Daedalus made the king angry.

Writing and Grammar: Write About Myths

Study the Models When you write a myth, keep your readers interested by using a variety of sentences. Mix short, simple sentences with compound and complex sentences.

NOT OK

Ajit read about Icarus and Daedalus. He wanted to read another myth. He went online. He found a Web site with myths from all over the world. He printed out a story about a flying horse named Pegasus. He loved the story. He wanted to read an illustrated version of it. He hurried to the library. It was still open.

The writer uses too many short sentences.

OK

After Ajit read about Icarus and Daedalus, he wanted to read another myth. He went online and found a Web site with myths from all over the world. He printed out a story about a flying horse named Pegasus. He loved the story, but he wanted to read an illustrated version of it. He hurried to the library since it was still open.

The writer uses conjunctions to combine sentences.

Revise It Work with a partner to revise the following passage. Fix fragments. Use conjunctions to combine sentences.

Mount Olympus is in the sky. It is beautiful. Because the Greek gods live there. One day, a man named Bellerophon tried to ride Pegasus to Mount Olympus. When the mighty god Zeus saw Bellerophon. He became angry. Zeus made an insect sting Pegasus. Bellerophon fell off Pegasus’s back.

Pegasus

Pegasus

Illustration of a pen icon Write On Your Own

Think of a myth you have read, or create your own. Write it, using short and long sentences.

Remember

  • • Use conjunctions to combine sentences.

  • • A compound sentence uses the conjunctions and, but, or or.

  • Daedalus made wings, and he escaped.

  • • A complex sentence uses conjunctions like because, since, or when.

  • Daedalus made wings because he wanted to escape.