English skills: Sentences and paragraphs! Lesson objectives: All students will recognise the meaning of the terms paragraph and sentence (this is harder than it sounds!). Most students will be able to state the things you need for a simple and complex clause. Some students will be able to recognise when it is appropriate to begin a new paragraph.

But I already know what a sentence is! Just as a table is made out of pieces of wood put together to do a certain job, a sentence is made up of words put together in a specific way to do a certain job! Let's take a look at what those pieces are and how they fit together to make a sentence. First, we have words. Words are the smallest meaningful bits of sense. Barking     dog     big

Each of these words does a different job. barking     dog     big Each of these words does a different job. Barking is a verb - it tells us what happens in a sentence. Dog is a noun - it names things in a sentence. Big is an adjective - it gives us more detail about a noun. We put words together to make a phrase. A phrase is a short, single piece of information: The big dog

What’s a clause? We use phrases to make a clause. A clause is a larger word group that includes a little more information. It consists of at least two phrases - one is a noun phrase (known as the subject), and the other is a verb chain (known as the verb). A clause = a group of words that includes a noun and a verb.

the big dog was barking In this clause, the noun phrase is the big dog and the verb chain is was barking. This now takes us to the sentence. If we put a capital letter at the beginning of the clause we've used, and a full stop at the end, we have a sentence. The big dog was barking. This is a simple sentence. A simple sentence consists of one clause that has a subject and a verb. A simple sentence puts across one simple idea.

So, what’s a complex sentence? Then we have a complex sentence, which we use to put across more detailed ideas. A complex sentence contains one main clause that can make sense on its own, and one or more minor clauses that are linked to it. When I arrived the big dog was barking. The main clause is the big dog was barking because it has a subject and a verb and makes sense by itself. The minor clause is When I arrived. Although it is a clause with a subject and a verb, it doesn't make sense on its own, it needs a main clause.

Can you spot the main and the minor clauses in each of these sentences? Even though he drove with care he failed the test. I like cheese and onion sandwiches. During term time my school opens at 8.45 am. The loser of the race buys everybody else a drink.

The answers! Even though he drove with care he failed the test. Even though he drove with care he failed the test. 2. I like cheese and onion sandwiches. I like cheese and onion sandwiches. 3. During term time my school opens at 8.45 am. During term time my school opens at 8.45 am. 4. The loser of the race buys everybody else a drink. The loser of the race buys everybody else a drink.

Paragraphs are the building blocks of all texts, fiction and non-fiction. They help to divide texts into sections so it's easier to understand what's being said. In a similar way to sentences, they can be long and detailed, short and snappy, or somewhere in the middle. English questions can often involve phrases like "In paragraph 2...", or "Look at the last paragraph...", or "Sum up the last paragraph..." so you need to be clear about exactly what paragraphs are.

Setting out a paragraph… There are two main ways of setting out paragraphs, with a few small variations. The first example shows how new paragraphs can be started on the next available line, but with the first word beginning slightly to the right, or indented.

     Paragraph example 1, from a personal letter.            We've just come back from a lovely holiday in Southsea. The weather was glorious and Albert has still got a deep, golden glow from the sunshine. It's a pity it can't be like that all year round.            The hotel we stayed in was spotless. We felt like royalty because the bedsheets were changed twice, in the same week! I told Albert not to get too used to it as I wasn't going to carry that sort of thing on when we got home. We also got nice, clean fluffy towels every other day too.            I spoke to Mrs. Brown last week. She was telling me about her daughter who's going off to university in September. She's very proud. 'Holes' - Louis Sachar  

The second example shows how new paragraphs can be started by missing a line. In this type of example, indenting the first new word is not necessary. Paragraph example 2 We've just come back from a lovely holiday in Southsea. The weather was glorious and Albert has still got a deep, golden glow from the sunshine. It's a pity it can't be like that all year round. The hotel we stayed in was spotless. We felt like royalty because the bedsheets were changed twice, in the same week! I told Albert not to get too used to it as I wasn't going to carry that sort of thing on when we got home. We also got nice, clean fluffy towels every other day too. I spoke to Mrs. Brown last week. She was telling me about her daughter who's going off to university in September. She's very proud.

It doesn’t matter which style you use as long as it is clear when you are starting a new paragraph!

Why do I need to use paragraphs? There are two main reasons why paragraphs are used: To show a change of subject. To show a new speaker is talking. Without paragraphs, texts would be very confusing!

Have a look at this extract from Louis Sachar's novel, 'Holes'… A man was sitting with his feet up on a desk. He turned his head when Stanley and the guard entered, but otherwise didn't move. Even though he was inside, he wore sunglasses and a cowboy hat. He also held a can of cream soda, and the sight of it made Stanley even more aware of his own thirst. He waited while the bus guard gave the man some papers to sign. "That's a lot of sunflower seeds," the bus guard said. Stanley noticed a burlap sack filled with sunflower seeds on the floor next to the desk."I quit smoking last month," said the man in the cowboy hat. He had a tattoo of a rattlesnake on his arm, and as he signed his name, the snake's rattle seemed to wiggle. "I used to smoke a pack a day. Now I eat a sack of these every week." 'Holes' - Louis Sachar

It makes more sense if we put it like this… A man was sitting with his feet up on a desk. He turned his head when Stanley and the guard entered, but otherwise didn't move. Even though he was inside, he wore sunglasses and a cowboy hat. He also held a can of cream soda, and the sight of it made Stanley even more aware of his own thirst. He waited while the bus guard gave the man some papers to sign. "That's a lot of sunflower seeds," the bus guard said. Stanley noticed a burlap sack filled with sunflower seeds on the floor next to the desk. "I quit smoking last month," said the man in the cowboy hat. He had a tattoo of a rattlesnake on his arm, and as he signed his name, the snake's rattle seemed to wiggle. "I used to smoke a pack a day. Now I eat a sack of these every week." 'Holes' - Louis Sachar  

Why set it out like this? The first paragraph is quite long and detailed, to build up a picture of the room Stanley has entered. Two paragraphs are only one sentence long. Writers often do this to create drama or tension. Using short paragraphs is similar to using short sentences - it draws attention to a part of the text. A new paragraph is started for each new speaker, so when Mr Sir speaks twice in the last paragraph, the writer doesn't have to miss a line.

When should I start a new paragraph? Every time you want to make a separate point, you should start a new paragraph. Each paragraph should begin with this new point, followed by your evidence for making it and then with an explanation of that that means. PEE! = Point, evidence, explanation.