Holiday Worksheets

Part 3

Exercise 1: Building detail in sentences

Expand the sentences to make them more descriptive.

1. She smiled

2. The wind blew

3. The city was crowded

4. She took a sip of her coffee

5. He walked through the park

6. The doorbell chimed

7. He whistled a cheerful tune

8. The aroma of baking bread filled the air

Exercise 2: Use Connectives, punctuation and clauses to build detail in

sentences.
Compare these sentences, and explain what change has been made

1. I love pizza. My friend prefers Chinese food.

I love pizza, but my friend prefers Chinese food.
2. She practiced for weeks. Her performance was flawless.
She practiced for weeks, so her performance was flawless.

3. We hiked for miles. We enjoyed a refreshing picnic by the lake.

We hiked for miles, then enjoyed a refreshing picnic by the lake.

4. The cat chased the yarn ball across the floor. the dog watched on with
amusement.
The cat chased the yarn ball across the floor, and the dog watched on with
amusement.
5. The wind howled through the trees. The little cabin stood strong.
The wind howled through the trees, yet the little cabin stood strong.

6. The rain pattered gently on the roof. I curled up with a good book. I sipped
a warm cup of tea.

While the rain pattered gently on the roof, I curled up with a good book
and sipped a warm cup of tea, feeling a wave of cozy contentment wash over
me.

7. He accidentally found a hidden antique shop on a cobblestone street.

He stumbled upon a hidden antique shop tucked away on a cobblestone

street, and before he knew it, he was lost in a labyrinth of treasures, each
piece whispering its own forgotten story.
 Part 4

Exercise 3: Building detail in sentences

Compare the sentences. Underline the verb phrases and explain what they
change about the meaning of the sentences.

1.The waves crashed against the shore, spraying mist into the air.
The waves crashed relentlessly against the shore, spraying a fine mist into
the air.

2. She gazed out the window.

She gazed thoughtfully out the window.

3. You will find the answers you seek within the pages of the ancient book.
You may find the answers you seek within the pages of that ancient book.
4. The storm passed and the sky was clean.
The storm must have passed while we slept, leaving behind a sky washed
clean.

5. Shania will visit us this weekend.

Shania is most likely to visit us this weekend.

Exercise 4: Identifying verb phrases

Underline the verb phrases in the sentences given below.

1. Grandma baked a delicious cake today.

2. As the boy was running, he tripped over a toy train.

3. They are waiting for the rain to stop.

4. We will return!
5. My brother has been working there for over five years.

6. It was a wonderful party. I did enjoy it.

7. Do come and see us some time.

8. You must attend this workshop on positive thinking.

9. Andrew has worked abroad for many years.

10.You should drink more water for better hydration.

11. Charlie has been working at the company for a decade.

12.We could have performed better at the competition.

13.Olivia might not attend Tony’s wedding.

14. Mom will have returned by 8 o’clock.

15.Sally and Fiona are singing a ballad for the talent show.