Directions: Here are more sequencing activities, with sentences from a paragraph still listed in numerical order. 
Be sure to read carefully, looking for the connection between sentences and the transitions that provide clues as to what should go next! Have fun!
 
Example A:

1. Kyle ran a great coffee business.
2. He served many cities and states in the northeast region of the U.S.
3. These people in particular always enjoyed the latest coffee he delivered, and in turn, Kyle enjoyed visiting them when he made deliveries. 
4. This had become Kyle's favorite part of the country because of its wonderful people and changing seasons.
5. In fact, Kyle had made many friends who invited him in for a cup of his own coffee at the end of his work day.
6. Kyle could not imagine a better job and hoped his success in the coffee world would continue forever!

Would you change the order of these sentences?

a. Sentence 4 should follow Sentence 2.
b. Sentence 6 should follow Sentence 3.
c. Sentence 5 should be placed before Sentence 1.
d. Sentence 5 should be placed after Sentence 2.
e. No changes are necessary.


Let's try another:

Example B:

1. Sal and Liz, for instance, had been looking for their new home for quite some time.
2. Searching for a new house can be a long and difficult journey--especially in 2021.
3. Sal wanted a big yard, while Liz was more interested in a beautiful kitchen.
4.They had both initially thought that once they began looking, they would find the perfect home right away.
5.But Sal and Liz became discouraged when they finally made an offer that was not accepted; this caused them to begin the process all over again.
6. "Don't worry," they were told by friends, relatives, and even their new real estate agent, "when the right house comes along, you will be happy you didn't stop trying!"
7. Sal and Liz hoped this was true and that they would be moved into their new home soon so they could enjoy every beautiful month of summer!
8. Finding the right home can be difficult, but asking the right questions and remembering to be patient can make the process a rewarding experience!

Would you change the order of the sentences?

a. Sentence 7 should go before Sentence 1.
b. Sentence 6 should go after Sentence 7.
c. Sentence 4 should go before Sentence 3.
d. Sentence 2 should go before Sentence 1.
e. No changes are necessary.

Directions: Putting information in order is crucial to the writing process. Sometimes when we edit, we decide to change sentences around to better fit the meaning we wish to convey. In the following groups of sentences, one sentence is out of place. Where does it belong? Be ready to share your answers and explain your thoughts! Let's try the first one together!

1. a. She suddenly found a wallet containing hundreds of dollars; it was on the sidewalk close to her house.
    b. Mary needed money to pay her bills; she had been out of work for months due to the pandemic.
    c. Mary decided to take a walk around her neighborhood to get some fresh air and exercise.
    d. She knew keeping the money would be the answer to her prayers, but she also knew the wallet was not hers to keep.
    e. Mary picked up the wallet and took out her cellphone to call the police; it was truly the right thing to do.

If you could only make one change, which of the following would you select:

The sentences are fine in the order in which they appear.
Sentence a should come after Sentence b.
Sentence e should come after Sentence a.
Sentence c should go before Sentence a.

Now it is your turn!

2. a. It was a stormy evening; snow was falling rapidly to the ground.
    b. Tomas started to worry about his snowblower--would it continue to work in a storm like this?
    c. He knew the snowblower had been fine during most of the previous storm, but it had suddenly shut down towards the end.
    d. Tomas decided to call his friend Issa, an MDC worker who had offered to help Tomas in the past.
    e. This particular storm had been predicted to last all evening and well into the following day.
    f. As Tomas had hoped, Issa was available and ready to help him dig out of the snow; thank goodness for a friend like Issa!

Which change would you make? 

The sentences are fine in the order in which they appear.
Sentence a should go after Sentence f.
Sentence e should go after Sentence a.
Sentence f should go before Sentence c.
Sentence d should go before Sentence b.

3. a. Rikki enjoyed working with his hands.
    b. He had always been talented in carpentry and was proud of the results each time.
    c. One day, Rikki was offered a job with a technology company; he would have to sit at a desk for 8 to 10 hours each day.
    d. The CEO of the company even told Rikki that his salary would double by the following year.
    e. Rikki knew that even though he would make much more money, this would not be the job for him.
    f. He politely declined the offer and went back to his latest woodworking design feeling sure he had made the right decision.

Which change would you make:

The sentences are fine in the order in which they appear.
Sentence a should go after Sentence b.
Sentence c should go before Sentence a.
Sentence f should go before Sentence c.
Sentence e should go after Sentence c.

Directions: In the sentences below, please fill in the blanks with an appropriate appositive of your choice. Be sure to read the rest of each sentence to understand its meaning before making your selection. Be ready to also tell us which noun your appositive renamed!

For example, in number one, the appositive is our new president, and the noun it renames is Joe Biden!

1. Joe Biden, our ___new president____________________________________________, is making a lot of changes already!
2. My best friend, ____________________________________________, is on her way to my house; I'd better hurry home now!
3. Massachusetts, a _________________________________________________, is part of New England.
4. The molecule that contains our unique genetic code, ____________________________, is a double helix and resembles a spiral staircase.
5. My cousin, ______________________________, visited our family during the holidays.
6. My puppy, a __________________________________________, is my newest pet!
7. Tom's friend, _______________________________________________, once starred in a movie filmed in Boston!
8. The class, __________________________________, takes place on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
9. Her dad, a ___________________________________________, works at a restaurant in Cambridge.
10. Shana, a ____________________________________________, will interview you for the new position.

BONUS: Can you create your own sentence using one of the following nouns and add an appositive that renames it?
You only need to select one word!!  

For example, if I select the word bananas, my sentence might be: 
I went to the store to purchase the best bananas, Dole Organic, but they were all out!
The noun I selected from the list was bananas, and my appositive was Dole Organic.
Good Luck!

bananas                               pie                             restaurant                               movie                                 book