Truly, I don't know when I started doing this, if I stole it, or if it helps as much as I think it does, but The Man on the White Horse Series has been an integral part of my grammar curriculum for many years. The Man on the White Horse arrives to give various examples of poor grammar. I'm never sure when he'll come up, but a few months into each school year, he's made his appearance and is quite well known.
Sentence Fragments:
"If The Man on the White Horse rode up and said that, then rode off, would you know what he was talking about?" Followed by a dramatic presentation of a man on a horse riding wildly toward a student, shouting an enticing sentence fragment, and galloping away.
Run On Sentences:
"If The Man on the White Horse came up and started to talk to you, and he won't stop, and he just keeps going, and you keep thinking his sentence is over but it just keeps going... you may have a run-on sentence." Also followed by a dramatic presentation and many student examples.
Nouns:
Could The Man on the White Horse point to it? Could he go there? Could he hold it in his hand?
Action Verbs:
Could you see The Man on the White Horse do it?
And so it goes. For whatever reason, this Man on a White Horse made an appearance one day. He is still around over ten years later, and he is still teaching medium-quality grammar lessons.
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