For a modified version of "Whose Line is it Anyway?" split the class into groups of four, giving each student in each group a different sentence function. Call one group at a time to the front and give them a situation. Some examples include four detectives at a crime scene, four zookeepers discover the poisonous snakes are missing or four friends are lost on a road trip. Students need to work together to get through the situation while each can only speak using the sentence function they have been assigned. The rest of the class will remain on alert for a slip-up. You can set a timer for a standard amount of time for each group, let groups go until someone makes a mistake or you can call it based on how well the group is doing with the situation.
One way for students to see how sentence functions work together is by showing them a piece of writing that has had the end punctuation removed. The overall skill level of the class will determine how challenging the passage is for the students. Have students punctuate the piece as they think it should be, and for each sentence tally the number of students who punctuated it as each function. This isn't as much about getting the "right" answer as being able to defend choices and see how certain sentence types make sense in the flow of a written piece.
A challenging way for students to think about sentence function and communication is to limit their options. Have each student draw a sentence function out of a hat. Their task is to speak using only that sentence function for an entire class period. For example, if a student needs to ask a question but drew "declarative," he or she will have to think about how to phrase what they need in the correct way. Have small prizes on hand for students who make it through the whole period. For more of a challenge, encourage them to stick with their sentence function for the whole day. This activity can be extended into the home as well if they want to try this with their families after school.
Chain stories are another way to help students practice with all four sentence functions. Start by writing the sentence functions on the board in any order:
1. Declarative
2. Interrogative
3. Imperative
4. Exclamatory
Each student will write a declarative sentence on their paper as a story starter. Decide on an efficient way to pass papers that will work with your classroom configuration and explain that each student will pass his or her first line to the next person. They aren't trading; they're simply circulating their paper around the room throughout the exercise. On the new paper in front of them, each student will then write an interrogative sentence to build on the first. They will pass again and continue the story with an imperative sentence. Repeat the process until the papers circulate the entire room. After students read their stories silently, take volunteers to share. Keep track of which stories follow the pattern correctly.