1. Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar
Cohesion Across Paragraphs
Year One
SPaG | Cohesion Across Paragraphs

2. Cohesion Across Paragraphs

3. Cohesion Across Paragraphs
Introductory Activity
Independent Focused Activity
Review Activity
Consolidation Activity
Assessment

4. Aim
I can identify a wide range of cohesive devices, explain how they can be used to link ideas across paragraphs and apply them in my own writing.
Success Criteria
I can identify cohesive devices.
I can describe the effect created by different cohesive devices.
I can select and apply appropriate cohesive devices to my own writing.

5. Introductory Activity

6. Creating Cohesion Revision questions: What is a paragraph?
Why do we use them?
When do we start a new paragraph?
How can we link the ideas in and across paragraphs?
Talk to the other children in your group and make a list together.
How many different ways can you think of to link paragraphs?
What types of words or phrases might we use?

7. You can think of cohesion like glue holding the paragraphs together.
Creating Cohesion
When the ideas within and across paragraphs link well together we say the paragraph has cohesion.
You can think of cohesion like glue holding the paragraphs together.
What does cohesion do?
Discuss your ideas with the other children in your group.
It keeps order in the paragraph.
Related ideas are kept together.
It makes it easier for the reader to understand the text.
Ideas flow more smoothly.
It provides links between ideas.

8. Creating Cohesion Cohesive Devices - Repetition
Repeating a key word or phrase helps the reader to hook onto the topic thread and re-affirms what the important information is.
Can you see how repetition is used in these short paragraphs?
Jasper looked up at the sky and a sense of panic began to set in. It would soon be dark and he was not home. The streetlamps flickered above his head, threatening to light; the darkness was looming menacingly.
Only yesterday he had promised to avoid the blackness of night. Only yesterday he had promised to never get caught. Yet here he was, out in the street with the blackness poised ready to envelop him.
It arrived. The promise was broken and Jasper felt the changes begin…

9. Creating Cohesion Cohesive Devices - Adverbials
Adverbials can help to create a connection between paragraphs and ensure that ideas flow more smoothly.
They can be used within or to begin sentences and paragraphs.
A few examples include:
Time
Contrast
Emphasis
Cause/Effect
later
after a while
firstly
however
on the other hand
nevertheless
most importantly
in addition
especially
as a result
consequently
therefore

10. Creating Cohesion Cohesive Devices - Order and Relevance
A cohesive text is ordered effectively and its points are clear and relevant
It is important to re-read your paragraphs carefully to check for cohesion.
Consider:
Are the sentences/paragraphs presented in the best order or could they be switched around to create a better flow? Do related points follow each other?
Are your paragraphs relevant and clear or does it jump around too much? Remember you don’t want your reader to become distracted or confused.

11. Creating Cohesion Cohesive Devices - Ellipsis
Ellipsis is leaving out words or phrases which are expected or predictable.
The ellipsis ( ) shows that words have deliberately been left out of a text and can be used to create mystery, suspense or a trailing thought.
However an ellipsis does not always use the . . .
E.g. Sarah had been feeling very unsettled recently but she didn’t know why
she had been feeling very unsettled.
The ellipsis in this sentence comes after why.
Many ellipses have … as a substitute for the omitted words. We don’t need to add … in this ellipsis, as the meaning is still clear and the missing words are very obvious.
By using ellipses in this way within and across paragraphs, repetition and unnecessary information can be avoided, which makes the writing clearer and more succinct.

12. Independent Focused Activity

13. Can you identify the cohesive devices on your activity sheet?
Cohesive Device Hunt
Can you identify the cohesive devices on your activity sheet?

14. Review Activity

15. Cohesive Adverbials Activity 2 Activity 1
Look at the card your teacher has given you.
Can you work out what type of adverbial it is by looking at the list?
Now try to find all the other children in the class who have the same type of adverbial as you.
Discuss how you might use that type of adverbial to create cohesion across paragraphs.
What text types would you be likely to see them in?
Activity 2
Next, your teacher will mix up the groups so you have a range of adverbial types in each. Work together with your new group to write a short text using the adverbials to create cohesion across the paragraphs.
Challenge
Can you also ensure cohesion through:
order
relevance
repetition of words/phrases
ellipsis

16. Consolidation Activity

17. A New Animal
Work with your partner to write a fact sheet about a newly discovered animal!
Use a range of cohesive devices to stick together your ideas and make the paragraphs flow smoothly.
Use the prompts to give you ideas on what to include in each paragraph.
Remember:
You can use the types of cohesive devices more than once and you can use them within paragraphs as well as across them.
You will need to decide which facts to include, how best to link them and what is the most appropriate order of paragraphs.

18. Assessment

19. Fully Cohesive
Complete the Mini-Test Activity Sheet to show how well you understand how to create cohesion across paragraphs.

20. Stick Together a Smashing Story
Show how well you can create cohesion in your writing, by writing a story that uses a range of cohesive devices.

21. Aim
I can identify a wide range of cohesive devices, explain how they can be used to link ideas across paragraphs and apply them in my own writing.
Success Criteria
I can identify cohesive devices.
I can describe the effect created by different cohesive devices.
I can select and apply appropriate cohesive devices to my own writing.