I'm a long-term sub for an ESL teacher out on maternity leave. I have my certification in ELL, but I've never really taught language learners. I've been chugging along on the curricula she left, but now she's extended her leave and I'm planning my own work for next week.
I'd like to do a writing workshop on the basics. Most of my students can't manage to write complete sentences. For example, on a recent Odyssey test: question: Is Odysseus a hero? They were supposed to answer the question in two complete sentences and also provide a specific example. One answer: "kinda b/c he help people but at same time he had killed people for no reason." Another: "yes, is because he whent thru a lot to get home"

So I feel like I need to spend some nitty-gritty time on basic sentence structures. One of my problems, though, is that they copy off each other incessantly. (Or tell each other the answers in Spanish, which I don't speak).
Does anyone have any good resources for a basic sentence boot-camp that will limit their ability to copy each other's work?