Year 6 English · Key Stage 2 · Vocabulary, grammar and punctuation – English Appendix 2

Year 6 cohesion: linking paragraphs, ellipsis and layout

Cohesion is what makes a piece of writing hold together, so the reader can follow it from one sentence and one paragraph to the next. In Year 6 children move from linking ideas inside a paragraph to linking them across paragraphs, using repetition, grammatical connections such as linking adverbials, and ellipsis. They also learn to use layout devices such as headings and bullet points to give a text a clear structure.

Cohesion, ellipsis and layout devices, explained

Good writing feels as if it has a thread running through it. Children first learn to build that thread inside a paragraph, with pronouns, conjunctions and time words, and in Year 5 they start linking paragraphs with adverbials of time, place and number such as later, nearby and secondly. In Year 6 they use a wider range of devices, so that each paragraph connects clearly to the one before it and the one after. A paragraph that starts as though the previous one never existed is a common sign of weak cohesion.

The curriculum names three kinds of device. The first is repetition of a word or phrase: keeping a key word in view from one paragraph to the next, or returning to a phrase deliberately for effect. The second is grammatical connection, for example adverbials such as on the other hand, in contrast or as a consequence. Schools choose their own examples, but it helps to sort them by job: contrast (on the other hand, in contrast), result (as a consequence, therefore) and addition (in addition, what is more). When one starts a sentence it is usually followed by a comma.

The third device is ellipsis, which in this topic means leaving out words that the reader can easily fill in. “Did you enjoy the film?” “I did.” The reply leaves out “enjoy the film”, because it would be repetitive to say it again. In “Sam chose the red team and Priya the blue”, the missing word is chose, and nobody has any trouble supplying it. Ellipsis keeps writing tight and natural, but only when the gap is predictable. (The same word is also used for the three dots that show a voice trailing off; here we mean the omission of words.)

Layout devices are the visual side of structure. Headings tell the reader what a text is about, sub-headings split it into sections, and columns, bullet points and tables present information that would be clumsy as a paragraph. The choice depends on the text type: instructions, information leaflets and reports use more layout, while stories and letters use very little. Layout organises the text from the outside, and cohesion links it from the inside, so good writers use both.

Writing is assessed by teachers at the end of Year 6 rather than in a test, and building cohesion within and across paragraphs is part of what they look at. A sensible mix of devices reads better than one used over and over. At home, the best help is to talk about why a piece of writing, a leaflet or a news story reads smoothly or does not.

Words your child will hear

Cohesion: How well the parts of a text are linked so that it reads as a whole.
Cohesive device: A word, phrase or technique that links ideas, such as repetition, a linking adverbial or ellipsis.
Adverbial: A word or phrase that tells you how, when, where or why, or links ideas, such as on the other hand or as a consequence.
Ellipsis: Leaving out a word or phrase that the reader can fill in. “I did” in reply to “Did you enjoy it?”
Paragraph: A group of sentences about one idea or topic, starting on a new line.
Sub-heading: A smaller heading that introduces one section of a text.
Layout device: A way of organising a text on the page, such as headings, columns, bullet points or tables.

What the National Curriculum says

The programme of study for Year 6 says:

Pupils should be taught linking ideas across paragraphs using a wider range of cohesive devices: repetition of a word or phrase, grammatical connections, and ellipsis
Pupils should be taught layout devices to structure text
Pupils should be taught to recognise and use the grammatical terminology: ellipsis

Objectives from the National Curriculum in England, © Crown copyright, used under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Try it: linking two paragraphs about school uniform

Paragraph one: “Many pupils like wearing uniform because it saves time in the morning. Nobody has to decide what to wear.” Paragraph two: “Some pupils dislike wearing uniform because it can be uncomfortable. Other pupils dislike wearing uniform because it costs a lot.” Improve how they link and give the text a clear layout.

Read the end of paragraph one and the start of paragraph two aloud. The second paragraph disagrees with the first, but nothing tells the reader. That is the gap to fix.
Add a grammatical connection that names the relationship. The ideas contrast, so start paragraph two with “On the other hand,” followed by a comma.
Use repetition on purpose. Both paragraphs keep the key phrase “wearing uniform”, so the reader knows the topic is the same. Don’t swap it for “it” or “school clothes” at the join, where clarity matters most.
Tighten with ellipsis. The second sentence of paragraph two repeats “pupils dislike wearing uniform because”. Join the two sentences and leave out the repeated words: “…because it can be uncomfortable, others because it costs a lot.” The reader supplies “other pupils dislike wearing uniform” without effort.
Add layout. Put a heading above the whole piece and a sub-heading above each paragraph, so a reader can find each side of the argument quickly.

Uniform: for and against Why some pupils like it Many pupils like wearing uniform because it saves time in the morning. Nobody has to decide what to wear. Why some pupils dislike it On the other hand, some pupils dislike wearing uniform because it can be uncomfortable, others because it costs a lot.

Common mistakes and how to help

Starting every paragraph as if it were a fresh piece of writing

Children are taught that a new paragraph means a new idea, so they treat paragraphs as separate boxes and forget to say how one relates to another.

What helps: Read the last sentence of one paragraph and the first of the next. Ask “How are these connected?” and add a word or phrase that shows it, or repeat a key word.

Choosing a linking adverbial that doesn’t fit, or using too many

Children collect impressive words such as however and furthermore and drop them in without checking the relationship, or open every sentence with one.

What helps: Name the relationship first: is the next idea a contrast, a result or an extra point? Then choose the adverbial. One well-placed link per paragraph usually reads better than five.

Leaving out words so the reader can’t tell what is missing

Children hear that ellipsis saves words and cut too far, or they think ellipsis only means the three dots.

What helps: Use the test: could a reader fill in the gap without guessing? “Sam chose the red team and Priya the blue” passes. If the missing words could be filled in in two different ways, the gap is too big and the words should go back in.

Adding headings and bullets to every piece of writing

Layout makes writing look organised, so children use it for a story or a letter where paragraphs would be the right choice.

What helps: Ask what the reader needs. A timetable suits a table, a set of instructions suits a list and a story suits plain paragraphs. In a bullet list, keep the style of every point the same.

How to help at home

Highlight the links in a real text. Take a leaflet, a magazine article or a letter from school and ask your child to underline the words that connect one paragraph to the next. Talk about which ones show contrast, result or an extra point.
Write a pair of opposite paragraphs. Choose a friendly debate, such as pizza versus pasta, and write one paragraph for each side. The second paragraph has to open with a linking adverbial that fits and repeat the key word from the first.
Shrink wordy sentences. Say “I like tea and my sister likes coffee” and ask how to say it more neatly. “I like tea and my sister coffee” leaves out a word everyone can supply. Try a few more together.
Design a family plan. Ask your child to plan a day out or a party on one page, using a heading, sub-headings, a bullet list of things to bring and a small timetable. It is a practical reason to choose each layout device.

Updated 20 October 2026.