Why is it important to practice writing sentences?
A sentence is a group of words that tells a complete thought. Sentence writing is when we put these words together to share an idea. By practicing sentence writing, you will get better at expressing your ideas and feelings. And when our sentences are clear, people can easily understand our stories and messages.
I worked for ten minutes in Alphawrite and got a 100 SmartScore. Now what?
Great job! You’ve mastered your session for the day and can stop. In Alphawrite, you only need to commit to ten minutes of focused writing once a day. Of course, if you’d like to keep practicing writing, you can continue to the next activity. Just remember that you should write in Alphawrite at least once a day.
How will I know if I’ve mastered an activity?
When you master an activity, you’ll see this:
If you get this screen, congratulations! You’ve mastered the activity and are finished with your required Alphawrite work for the day. You can now close Alphawrite and continue with your work in other subjects.
If you didn’t spend ten minutes in Alphawrite or want to continue your writing practice, click return home. When you do, you’ll get to Alphawrite’s “My Home.” Here, you can see your progression through Alphawrite, including mastered activities and any activity you might have attempted but didn’t finish.
Your mastered skills are identified with the ☑️, the 🏆, and the 100, your SmartScore.
If you were to restart one of the activities that you’ve already begun, you would have to start over from 00 SmartScore. See the next FAQ question for an explanation.
Why did my SmartScore start back over at 00?
To become a good writer, you need to practice the right way. That means finishing a complete activity in one session. By finishing an entire 10-minute writing activity in one session, you will ensure that you are getting the right amount of practice you need to become a better writer. If you are unable to finish a session in one sitting, you will need to start over again the next time you use Alphawrite.
<supportagent>Note for Agents. Alphawrite was designed aiming for 10 minutes sessions, and was made simpler than IXL, giving us the ability to roll out faster. It won't save progress across sessions, so it's normal to see the SmartScore revert back to 0 in this case.</supportagent>
I’ve finished all the activities in Alphawrite. Now what?
Wow! That’s an amazing accomplishment, well done! Alphawrite will be adding new activities all the time, and you can jump right into those when they show up in your recommendations. For now, you should return to the activities you struggled with the most and keep practicing—10 minutes a day, every day.
Do I have to go in order?
Yes. You should follow the recommendations in your Dash - My Assigned Learning. If you’ve finished your recommended activity and want to try out a harder level, you can! But for your daily requirements, always work on the activity that is at the top of your Dash recommendations.
Is it OK if I take longer than 10 minutes to get a 100 SmartScore in an Alphawrite activity?
Of course! Alphawrite’s activities are designed to take around 10 minutes to complete. But if you need to spend a few more minutes to get 100 SmartScore, that’s okay! What matters most is that you master the activity in one sitting.
But if you find yourself spending much longer than 10 minutes to master the activity, you might be working at a level that’s too difficult for you right now. You can speak to your guide and we can see about putting you at the level that’s best for you.
What if I get 100 SmartScore in less than 10 minutes?
Bravo! If you achieved 100 SmartScore in less than 10 minutes, it could mean that you’re working at a level that’s too easy for you. In this case, you should do 2 things:
1) You should start another activity in Alphawrite so that you are working for ten minutes. If you finish that activity, great! But what’s important is practicing Alphawrite for 10 whole minutes, once a day.
2) Speak to your guide about putting you at a more challenging level so that you are exercising your writing skills.
What is a fragment?
A sentence fragment is like a puzzle that's missing some pieces. It doesn't tell a complete thought by itself. It's like saying "Because it was raining" without telling what happened next. We need more information to understand the whole story.
To fix it, we can add what happened next: "Because it was raining, we stayed inside and played games." Now, it's a complete sentence that tells a whole story.
What kind of sentences should I write in “Fragment or Sentence?”
Write about things that you enjoy! Just make sure they are grammatically correct. Try to add to both sides of the fragment, too. In the following example, the fragment is “in his yard.”
You could write, “We played in his yard.” But challenge yourself to add more:
In the next example, the student is a big fan of ice hockey and used the fragments as a way to write about their favorite sport:
By writing more complex sentences, you’ll become a better writer. By writing about things you like, you’ll make writing fun!
What are the four types of sentences?
Imagine sentences are like different ways we talk or react. Here are the four types:
- Declarative - This is like when you tell someone a fact or something you know. For example: "I have a blue bicycle."
- Interrogative - This is when you're curious and ask a question. Like: "Do you want some ice cream?"
- Exclamatory - This is when you're super excited or surprised about something. It's like shouting out: "That's amazing!"
- Imperative - This is like giving a command or asking someone to do something. For instance: "Please close the door."
So, sentences can tell things, ask things, show excitement, or give commands. When you are writing, try to use different types of sentences!
Are you really going to deduct points if I forget to capitalize the first word of a sentence or miss a period?
In the activity “Unscramble Sentences,” you’ll be challenged to write fully grammatical sentences—that means correct punctuation and capitalization.
So, if you don’t capitalize the first word of your sentence or a proper noun, you will see this:
If you don’t do correct punctuation, this is what you’ll see:
In either case, all you have to do is fix your mistake and re-check your sentence.
The sentences in the activity “Fragment or Sentence?” don’t have punctuation or capitalization. Why is Alphawrite saying they are sentences?
In the activity “Identify the Sentence Type,” you’ll sometimes see a sentence like this:
They learned quickly didn’t they is missing punctuation in 2 places:
- A comma is needed after quickly to mark the beginning of the question tag didn’t they: They learned quickly, didn’t they
- A question mark is needed at the end of the sentence because the “question tag” changes the declarative sentence They learned quickly into an interrogative sentence: They learned quickly, didn’t they?
So, why is Alphawrite saying that this is a sentence? Didn’t you say that I need to have correct punctuation in the sentences I write?
Yes, you should have correct punctuation in the sentences you write in Alphawrite!
For this exercise, Alphawrite doesn’t give punctuation sentences or fragments. This is because punctuation would easily indicate which options are sentences and which are fragments.
For “Fragment or Sentence,” no punctuation is given at all. You must determine if each option is a fragment or sentence based on the words, alone.
How is the 'Complete Subordinating Conjunctions' activity structured? Are there multiple correct ways to complete the sentences?
You'll start with sentences that have a beginning but need you to finish them off. Think of it as a creative challenge where there's not just one right answer but many possibilities that make sense.
Your job is to use your understanding of how ideas in sentences can be connected using subordinating conjunctions. This is your chance to play with language, explore different ways clauses can come together, and see the variety of correct answers that can emerge from the same starting point.
If my sentence with a subordinating conjunction sounds awkward, how can I improve its flow?
If your sentence sounds a bit off, don't worry - it's a fantastic opportunity for revision. Try reading it aloud; sometimes, hearing the words can highlight what's not working. Experiment with swapping the subordinating conjunction or changing the order of your clauses.
Remember, writing is a process, and every attempt teaches you something new. Check out the examples in our tutorial for inspiration, and remember, every writer revisits their sentences to make them just right.
Priyanka Bhotika
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