sentence combining exercise

I mentioned in the comment thread following the post asking for help finding a writing program the fact that I'm now convinced that sentence combining and text reconstruction are important, partly because I'd always thought both techniques sounded good - and mostly because I've just learned that Morningside Academy uses them.

So I'm trying to order the two Whimbey books from ATC Learning, although thus far I haven't been able to roust them by phone or email, so we'll see. (This page at ATC includes a description of both techniques.)

This morning I wrote my first sentence combining exercise using a sentence from a sports story C. read over breakfast:

Combine these sentences into one complete sentence. NOTE: I’ve listed these sentences in the order in which they appear in the original.


But, yes, Brazil does have a national amateur team

the squad has been preparing at its training center here

the squad has been preparing for months

the squad has been preparing for the Pan American Games

the Pan American Games open July 13

the Pan American Games open in Rio de Janeiro

The original sentence:

But, yes, Brazil does have a national amateur team, and at its training center here, the squad has been preparing for months for the Pan American Games, which open July 13 in Rio de Janeiro.
Source:
America’s Pastime Is Only a Blip in Soccer-Crazed Brazil
by LARRY ROHTER Published: July 12, 2007 Page D1

help for the struggling writer
sentence combining exercise
we're starting a copybook
man-eaters of Kumaon - text reconstruction
expert advice on teaching writing from Joanne Jacobs
eureka
more from Joanne Jacobs
doctor pion on writing a precis and critical reading
first crack at editing exercise
home writing program in place, for now
why kids should do text reconstruction
results of sentence combining exercise

whimbey.com
Arthur Whimbey obit
BGF Performance Systems (carries Whimbey's books)
Tips for Teaching Grammar from the Writing Next Report (pdf file)
Writing Next: Effective Strategies to Improve the Writing of Adolescents in Middle and High Schools (pdf file)