Correcting the sentence “Ostriches are so big they don't fly” — for a 7-year-old

Simple, kid-friendly grammar correction and explanation for a 7-year-old: how to say that ostriches are too big to fly, with corrected sentences and easy steps.

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Correct sentence:

  • Ostriches are so big that they cannot fly.
  • Or a shorter, informal version: Ostriches are so big, they can't fly.

Why this is better (easy steps):

  1. Ostriches means more than one ostrich, so we use are (not is).
  2. Use so...that to show why something happens. "So big that they cannot fly" means their size is the reason they can’t fly.
  3. Cannot / can't means they are not able to fly. Saying "they don't fly" can sound like they choose not to fly, but "can't" makes it clear they cannot do it.
  4. End the sentence with a period (.). Don 7t end it with a comma.

Try one: Elephants are so heavy that they cannot jump.

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