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Year 6

Exploring cohesive devices in non-chronological reports

I can identify cohesive devices that are used in a non-chronological report about a shark.

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New
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Year 6

Exploring cohesive devices in non-chronological reports

I can identify cohesive devices that are used in a non-chronological report about a shark.

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Share activities with pupils

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Text cohesion refers to how a text flows together to maintain the interest of the reader.
  2. We can improve text cohesion using cohesive devices that connect information within and between sentences.
  3. Compound and complex sentences can be used to join linked information in one sentence.
  4. Fronted adverbials can be used to show links between information in adjacent sentences.
  5. There are different types of complex sentence and fronted adverbials, which serve different purposes.

Keywords

  • Text cohesion - how a text flows to maintain the interest of the reader and achieve text purpose

  • Compound sentence - a sentence formed of two main clauses and a co-ordinating conjunction

  • Complex sentence - a sentence formed of at least one main clause and a subordinate clause

  • Fronted adverbial - a sentence starter followed by a comma

Common misconception

Pupils may have difficulty recognising that there are different types of complex sentence.

Different types of complex sentence contain different types of subordinate clause, each starting with a different type of word.


To help you plan your year 6 English lesson on: Exploring cohesive devices in non-chronological reports, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Throughout the lesson, relate the use of different sentence structures to the improved text cohesion that they bring - they allow us to join ideas together to give the text coherence.
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Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following expanded noun phrases could replace 'many teeth' in a non-chronological report?

hundreds of jagged teeth, as sharp as diamonds
Correct answer: hundreds of sharp teeth
teeth like fearsome daggers

Q2.
Which of these phrases use a hyphen correctly?

Correct answer: this well-adapted creature
extremely-sharp teeth
very-small fish
Correct answer: well-protected animals

Q3.
Which of the following features would we not find in a non-chronological report?

subheadings
Correct answer: a short poem describing the subject
Correct answer: dramatic descriptions of how the author sees the subject
conclusion

Q4.
Which of these features help the reader find information in a non-chronological report?

the conclusion
Correct answer: subheadings
paragraphs grouped around a theme
the title

Q5.
Where in a non-chronological report are we most likely to find specific information about different aspects of the subject?

Correct answer: the sections with subheadings
the introduction
the conclusion

Q6.
Which of these sentences could belong in a paragraph called 'Where do basking sharks live?'?

Correct answer: Basking sharks are usually found in the North Atlantic Ocean.
Basking sharks consume thousands of zooplankton each day.
Correct answer: Some basking sharks migrate while others do not.
Basking sharks weigh up to six tons.

Assessment exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Why do we want to improve text cohesion in our writing?

Correct answer: so that the text serves its purpose and informs the reader well
Correct answer: so that the text flows together well
Correct answer: so that we can show the reader how different pieces of information fit together
so that the text is longer

Q2.
Which of these would we find in a compound sentence?

Correct answer: at least two main clauses
a subordinate clause
Correct answer: a co-ordinating conjunction
a relative pronoun

Q3.
Which co-ordinating conjunction would best join these two sentences? 'Basking sharks have many sharp teeth. They do not use them for eating.'

and
because
Correct answer: but
or

Q4.
Match each type of complex sentence to the type of word that begins its subordinate clause.

Correct Answer:adverbial complex sentence,subordinating conjunction (as, because, while...)

subordinating conjunction (as, because, while...)

Correct Answer:relative complex sentence,relative pronoun (who, which, whose...)

relative pronoun (who, which, whose...)

Correct Answer:non-finite complex sentence,-ing form of verb (using, allowing, consuming...)

-ing form of verb (using, allowing, consuming...)

Q5.
Which is the best definition of a fronted adverbial?

a sentence starter
Correct answer: a sentence starter followed by a comma that can be a word, phrase or clause
a word, phrase or clause followed by a comma

Q6.
Match the types of fronted adverbial to the examples.

Correct Answer:formal fronted adverbial,However,... / In addition to this,...

However,... / In addition to this,...

Correct Answer:fronted adverbial of cause,Due to this,... / As a result of this,...

Due to this,... / As a result of this,...

Correct Answer:viewpoint fronted adverbial,Amazingly,... / Of particular interest,...

Amazingly,... / Of particular interest,...

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