Years 5 and 6 English · Key Stage 2 · Writing – composition

Years 5 and 6 cohesion: linking ideas and structuring text

Cohesion is what makes a piece of writing hold together, so the reader can move smoothly from one sentence and paragraph to the next. In Years 5 and 6, children learn a wide range of devices to build cohesion within and across paragraphs, and organisational and presentational devices, such as headings and bullet points, that structure a text and guide the reader.

Cohesion and organisational devices, explained

Within a paragraph, cohesion comes from small words that connect sentences. Pronouns such as they, this and it avoid repeating a noun. Conjunctions such as because, although and so show how ideas are related. Adverbials such as then, after that, firstly and meanwhile place events in order. Children also meet the way tenses link ideas: “He had seen her before” puts one event earlier than another. A paragraph that is cohesive reads like a conversation with a thread through it, rather than a list of separate sentences.

Across paragraphs, children in Year 5 learn to link with adverbials of time (later, soon after), place (nearby, on the other side) and number (secondly, finally). In Year 6 they add a wider range: repeating a key word or phrase to create a link, using adverbials that show contrast or consequence, such as on the other hand, in contrast or as a consequence, and ellipsis, where words that the reader can work out from the context are left out. In “Some children walked to school and others cycled”, the words “to school” are not repeated at the end because the reader already knows them. (The same word, ellipsis, is also the name of the punctuation mark …, but here it means leaving words out.) A new paragraph usually begins for a new time, place, topic or speaker, and the start of it should signal how it connects to the one before.

Then there are organisational and presentational devices, which guide the reader through a whole text. The curriculum gives headings, bullet points and underlining as examples (non-statutory). Children have used headings and subheadings since Year 3, and in Year 6 they are taught a wider range of layout devices, for example subheadings, columns, bullet points and tables. A heading tells readers what a section is about. Bullet points suit lists of items or steps, and a table shows information that is easier to compare in rows and columns. The right device depends on the form and the audience. A leaflet or a report uses several of them, but a story usually uses none, and a formal letter relies on paragraphs and clear opening and closing sentences.

Children are also taught that these devices need careful use. A pronoun with no clear noun causes confusion: “Sam told Ben he was late” could mean either boy. A string of firstly, next, then and finally can read as a formula rather than a meaningful link. Bullet points should be consistent in their grammar. Choosing devices is a way of thinking about the reader. Some of this knowledge also comes up in the Year 6 tests in May: the grammar, punctuation and spelling test includes questions on adverbials and pronouns, and the reading test can ask how a text is organised.

Words your child will hear

Cohesion: The way sentences and paragraphs link so a text reads as one connected piece.
Adverbial: A word or phrase, such as later or on the other hand, that tells you more about when, where, how or why something happens.
Pronoun: A word such as he, they or it that stands in for a noun.
Topic sentence: A sentence, usually the first in a paragraph, that tells the reader what the paragraph is about.
Ellipsis: Leaving out words that the reader can work out from the context, as in “Some children walked and others cycled”.
Subheading: A heading for a section within a longer text.
Bullet points: A list of short items, each marked with a dot or symbol.

What the National Curriculum says

In Years 5 and 6, pupils should be taught to:

Draft and write by using a wide range of devices to build cohesion within and across paragraphs
Draft and write by using further organisational and presentational devices to structure text and to guide the reader

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

Try it: improving the cohesion of a draft

Improve the cohesion of this draft: “The school council wanted to reduce waste. The school council asked every class for ideas. The school council read the lists. The school council chose three ideas. A compost bin was bought. The compost bin cost money. Money was raised by a cake sale.”

Read it aloud. Notice the repetition of “the school council” and that each sentence stands alone, so the draft sounds choppy and the links are missing.
Use a pronoun and a conjunction to join the first two sentences: “The school council wanted to reduce waste, so they asked every class for ideas.”
Show the order of events with an adverbial of time and use a pronoun again: “Once they had read the lists, they chose three ideas.”
Link across the sentences by number and refer back with “this”: “The first was a compost bin. This cost money, so a cake sale was held to pay for it.”
Add a presentational device for the whole text. A short heading such as “Our waste plan” tells the reader the topic. A second paragraph could begin “Later that term…” to link back in time.

Under the heading “Our waste plan”: “The school council wanted to reduce waste, so they asked every class for ideas. Once they had read the lists, they chose three. The first was a compost bin. This cost money, so a cake sale was held to pay for it.” The meaning is the same, but each sentence now links to the one before.

Common mistakes and how to help

Using pronouns everywhere to avoid repetition, even when it is unclear who they refer to

Children are told to avoid repeating nouns, and the confusion is invisible to the writer, who knows what they meant.

What helps: Ask someone else to read the sentence and say who “he” is. If there is any doubt, use the noun. Repetition is better than confusion.

Starting every sentence with First, Next, Then and Finally

Lists of time words are taught as the way to show order, so children use them as a formula.

What helps: Vary the links and make sure each shows a real relationship, such as cause (as a result), contrast (however) or time (later that week). Not every sentence needs one.

Starting a new paragraph whenever the line fills up, or after every sentence

Paragraphs look like blocks of space on the page, so children use them for layout rather than to show a change.

What helps: Explain that a paragraph is for one idea, time, place or speaker. Ask, “What is this paragraph about?” If there are two answers, it may need splitting.

Thinking more headings, bullet points and underlining always make writing better

Layout makes work look organised, so children add it to every kind of writing.

What helps: Match the device to the form: a story reads best without headings, while a leaflet needs them. Ask whether the device helps the reader find or compare something.

How to help at home

Spot the muddled pronoun. Look for sentences in the news or in books with a pronoun that could mean two people. Talk about how you would rewrite them, and do the same with your child’s own writing.
Join up short sentences. Write five short sentences about your day and ask your child to join them using pronouns, conjunctions and time words. Read the two versions aloud and decide which flows better.
Write a guide to a household job. How to load the dishwasher, look after a pet or set up a game. Ask your child to use a heading, numbered steps or bullet points and a sentence of introduction, and then test it by following their guide.
Study real leaflets. Look at a leaflet, a menu or a recipe and ask why the writer chose headings, columns, numbered steps or boxes. Which would work in a story, and which would not?
Link two paragraphs. Write one paragraph about the morning and another about the afternoon, then rewrite the first sentence of the second so it clearly follows from the first, using a phrase such as “By lunchtime…” or “As a result…”.

Builds on

Years 3 and 4: Planning by learning from model texts
Years 3 and 4: Drafting sentences, paragraphs and stories
Years 3 and 4: Editing, proofreading and reading aloud

Leads on to

Key Stage 3: Writing for different purposes
Key Stage 3: Organising and rhetorical devices
Key Stage 3: Drafting, editing and proofreading