A control sentence is a sentence the student writes themselves to recall a strategy or make the information personally meaningful, usually in their own words and often as an analogy. Carol Gray introduced it as an optional, student-authored sentence type, distinct from the adult-written descriptive, perspective, and directive sentences. It is the one sentence type the student owns. In a 2024 community survey of 16 parents, school SLPs, OTs, and special educators, 94% reported spending 30 or more minutes on a single social story, and knowing which sentence types are optional is one way to keep a story short.
What does a control sentence actually look like?
A control sentence reads like the student's personal shorthand for a coping strategy. A student learning to wait in line might write: "waiting in line is like a video buffering, it will start again soon." The analogy comes from the student, not the SLP. That authorship is the whole point. The sentence helps the student retrieve the strategy later because it is stored in their own language. The methodology behind this comes from Carol Gray's own account of Social Stories.
How is a control sentence different from the other sentence types?
The clearest way to see it is by who writes the sentence and why. Descriptive, perspective, and directive sentences are drafted by the adult. The control sentence is drafted by the student.
| Sentence type | Written by | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Descriptive | Adult | States facts of the situation | My class lines up before lunch. |
| Perspective | Adult | Names others' thoughts or feelings | My teacher feels calm when the line is quiet. |
| Directive | Adult | Gently suggests a response | I can try to keep my hands at my sides. |
| Affirmative | Adult | Reinforces a shared value | Lining up quietly keeps everyone safe. |
| Control | Student | Personal reminder to recall the strategy | Waiting is like a video buffering. |
A directive sentence and a control sentence can point at the same strategy. The difference is that the directive comes from you and the control comes from the student, in their own words.
When should a school SLP add a control sentence?
Add one when the student is verbal enough to reflect on their own strategies, which usually means older or more expressive K-5 students. Skip it for younger or non-reading students, where a clean descriptive-plus-directive story does more work. Social narratives are an evidence-based practice across the K-12 range per AFIRM's evidence summary, but the control sentence specifically depends on the student being able to generate the reminder.
Why authorship matters: a control sentence a student writes in their own words is more likely to come back to them under stress than a line you handed them. It is the difference between reading someone else's note and reading your own. This is also why you never write the control sentence for the student and label it theirs.
Does adding a control sentence break the Carol Gray ratio?
No. The Gray ratio asks for at least two descriptive, perspective, or affirmative sentences for every directive sentence. Control sentences count on the descriptive side of that ledger, not the directive side. So a control sentence never pushes your story toward reading like a behavior plan. If anything, it helps, because it adds a student-owned, non-directive line to the story.
How do you help a student write their own control sentence?
Read the story together first, then ask the student one open question: "what could you tell yourself to remember this?" Offer a starter analogy only if they are stuck, and let them change it. Write down their exact words, even if the grammar is loose. The sentence is a retrieval cue, not a writing sample, so the student's phrasing is the version that works.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a control sentence in a social story?
A control sentence is a sentence the student writes themselves to recall a strategy or make the information personally meaningful. It usually uses the student's own words, often an analogy, and helps them retrieve the skill in the moment. Carol Gray introduced it as an optional, student-authored sentence type.
What is an example of a control sentence?
A student learning to wait might write: waiting in line is like a video buffering, it will start again soon. The analogy is the student's own, which is what makes it a control sentence rather than a directive sentence written by the adult.
How is a control sentence different from a directive sentence?
A directive sentence is written by the adult and gently suggests a response, such as I can take a deep breath. A control sentence is written by the student in their own words to help them remember the strategy. The author and the purpose are different: adult-guided versus student-owned recall.
Is a control sentence required in every social story?
No. The control sentence is optional and works best with older or more verbal K-5 students who can reflect on their own strategies. Many stories for younger or non-reading students skip it. Descriptive, perspective, and directive sentences remain the core of a Carol Gray story.
Where does the control sentence go in the story?
Place it near the end, after the situation and the strategy are described, usually on the last page or two. That order lets the student react to the information first, then record their own reminder in their own words as a closing thought.
Does the control sentence count against the descriptive-to-directive ratio?
The Carol Gray ratio asks for at least two descriptive, perspective, or affirmative sentences for every directive sentence. Control sentences are counted with the descriptive-type sentences, not the directive ones, so adding one does not tip your story toward being directive.
One approach for school SLPs short on time is to keep a 5-tool stack: a methodology checklist that lists all six sentence types, a slide template you reuse, a folder of stock photos sorted by scenario, an AI text drafter (ChatGPT, Claude, MagicSchool, or Emoquest for one-sentence-in story output), and a delivery format your district already uses (Google Slides or PDF). Draft the adult sentences with the tool, then leave the control sentence blank for the student to fill in. That last line is the one you never automate.