🌱 Sentence expansion — grow your sentences

Start tiny: The dog runs. Then grow it, one idea at a time, until it is a rich, full sentence. Each added word adds information.

🪜 The growing ladder

Watch the sentence grow from a tiny seed to a tall tree.

🌰

📜 All the ladders

The dog runs.

The dog runs. seed
The big dog runs.
The big brown dog runs quickly.
The big brown dog runs quickly across the park.
The big brown dog runs quickly across the park because it wants to catch the ball.

Focus: adding describing words, a how-word and a place · Ages 6–10

The cat sleeps.

The cat sleeps. seed
The cat sleeps on the bed.
The small cat sleeps on the bed.
The small cat sleeps peacefully on the bed.
The small cat sleeps peacefully on the bed because it is tired.

Focus: adding a place, a describing word, a how-word and a reason · Ages 6–10

We play.

We play. seed
We play football.
We play football at the field.
We play football at the field every Saturday.
We play football at the field every Saturday morning with our neighbours.

Focus: adding what, where, when and with whom · Ages 6–10

I like ice cream.

I like ice cream. seed
I like chocolate ice cream.
I like cold chocolate ice cream.
I like cold chocolate ice cream on hot days.
I like eating cold chocolate ice cream on hot days at the beach.

Focus: adding detail and saying when and where · Ages 6–10

The baby laughs.

The baby laughs. seed
The baby laughs happily.
The happy baby laughs loudly.
The happy baby laughs loudly when Dad makes faces.
The happy baby laughs loudly whenever Dad makes funny faces at dinner.

Focus: adding how, describing words and when · Ages 6–10

The boy eats.

The boy eats. seed
The boy eats an apple.
The hungry boy eats an apple.
The hungry boy eats a juicy apple quickly.
The hungry boy eats a juicy apple quickly because he missed breakfast.

Focus: adding what, describing words, a how-word and a reason · Ages 7–11

The girl reads.

The girl reads. seed
The girl reads a book.
The little girl reads a book.
The little girl reads a storybook quietly.
The little girl reads a storybook quietly in the corner of the library.

Focus: adding what, describing words, a how-word and a place · Ages 7–11

The bird flies.

The bird flies. seed
The bird flies in the sky.
The little bird flies in the sky.
The little yellow bird flies high in the sky.
The little yellow bird flies high in the clear blue sky every morning.

Focus: adding a place, describing words and when · Ages 7–11

Mum cooks.

Mum cooks. seed
Mum cooks dinner.
Mum cooks a tasty dinner.
Mum cooks a tasty dinner every evening.
Mum cooks a tasty dinner every evening while we set the table.

Focus: adding what, describing words, when and a second action · Ages 7–11

The bus stops.

The bus stops. seed
The bus stops at the bus stop.
The red bus stops at the bus stop.
The red double-decker bus stops at the bus stop.
The red double-decker bus stops gently at the bus stop near my school.

Focus: adding describing words, how and a place · Ages 7–11

It is raining.

It is raining. seed
It is raining heavily.
It is raining heavily outside.
It has been raining heavily outside since noon.
It has been raining heavily outside since noon, so we stayed indoors.

Focus: adding how, where, when and a result · Ages 8–12

The fish swims.

The fish swims. seed
The fish swims in the pond.
The orange fish swims in the pond.
The orange fish swims gracefully in the pond.
The orange fish swims gracefully in the quiet pond behind Grandma's house.

Focus: adding a place, describing words, how and more detail · Ages 8–12