Year 5 · English · Literacy
Organising paragraphs
Grouping related ideas into paragraphs that begin with a clear topic sentence.
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These lessons were written around Australian Curriculum strands and matched to UK year groups by age (Year 1 is the year a child turns 6 in England). They are not mapped to the National Curriculum in England or the curricula of Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, so check them against your own plans.
Learning goals
Learners will
- Understand that a paragraph groups sentences about one main idea.
- Write a clear topic sentence that introduces the main idea of a paragraph.
- Sort related ideas into separate paragraphs when planning a text.
Success looks like
- I can write a topic sentence that says what the paragraph is about.
- I can keep every sentence in a paragraph about the same idea.
- I can start a new paragraph when I move to a new idea.
The big idea
A paragraph is a group of sentences about one main idea. Paragraphs break writing into chunks that are easier to read and understand. When the idea changes, a new paragraph begins.
Most paragraphs in information texts start with a topic sentence. It tells the reader what the paragraph will be about. The supporting sentences that follow give facts, examples or reasons about that idea.
Here is an example: 'Penguins are excellent swimmers. They use their flippers like wings to fly through the water. Their smooth, streamlined bodies glide easily. Some penguins can dive hundreds of metres deep to find food.' The first sentence is the topic sentence. The other three are supporting sentences, and every one is about swimming.
When planning a longer piece, first sort your ideas into subtopics. For a report on penguins, you might have:
- Paragraph 1: where penguins live
- Paragraph 2: what penguins eat
- Paragraph 3: how penguins raise their chicks
Each subtopic becomes one paragraph with its own topic sentence. Show a new paragraph by starting a new line, either leaving a blank line or indenting the first word.
To check your paragraphs, read each one and ask: 'Does every sentence belong with the topic sentence?' If a sentence is about a different idea, move it to another paragraph or remove it.
Worked examples
Writing a topic sentence
Write a topic sentence for: 'They can be ridden to the shops, for exercise or just for fun. They do not use fuel. They are cheaper than cars.'
- Ask what all the sentences are about: bicycles and why they are useful.
- Write one sentence that sums this up.
- 'Bicycles are a useful way to get around.'
Answer: Bicycles are a useful way to get around.
Removing a sentence that does not belong
Which sentence does not belong? 'Goldfish need regular care. Feed them a small pinch of food each day. Change some of their water each week. My favourite sport is basketball.'
- The topic sentence is about caring for goldfish.
- Feeding and changing water are both goldfish care.
- Basketball is a different idea.
Answer: 'My favourite sport is basketball.' does not belong.
Sorting ideas into paragraphs
Sort these notes into two paragraphs: 'eat fish', 'live in cold places', 'eat krill', 'some live on ice'.
- Look for two subtopics: food and where they live.
- Food: eat fish, eat krill.
- Where they live: live in cold places, some live on ice.
Answer: Paragraph 1 (food): eat fish, eat krill. Paragraph 2 (home): cold places, on ice.
Practice check
Have a go, then check your answers. Each answer comes with an explanation.
Answer guide for parents
What is a topic sentence?
the sentence that tells what a paragraph is mostly about — A topic sentence introduces the main idea of a paragraph.
Which sentence does NOT belong in a paragraph about looking after a goldfish?
My favourite sport is basketball. — Basketball has nothing to do with goldfish care.
Which is the best topic sentence for a paragraph about riding bikes to the shops, for exercise and for fun?
Bicycles are a useful way to get around. — It introduces the idea that all the other sentences support.
When should you start a new paragraph in an information text?
when you move to a new idea or subtopic — Each new idea or subtopic gets its own paragraph.
Where does the topic sentence usually go in an information paragraph?
at the start — Topic sentences usually come first so the reader knows what to expect.
You are writing about three ideas: what penguins eat, where penguins live and how penguins raise chicks. How many paragraphs should you write for these ideas? Type a number.
3 — One paragraph for each idea makes three paragraphs.
In the penguin swimming paragraph, how many supporting sentences come after the topic sentence? Type a number.
3 — The flippers, smooth bodies and diving sentences are the three supporting sentences.
Fill the gap: the sentence that introduces the main idea of a paragraph is called the ___ sentence.
topic — It is called the topic sentence.
Watch out for
- Thinking a paragraph is just a certain number of sentences. A paragraph is defined by its idea, not its length.
- Writing everything in one long block. Plan subtopics first so each one becomes a paragraph.
- Writing a topic sentence that is too narrow ('Penguins have flippers') for a paragraph about swimming. The topic sentence should cover every sentence in the paragraph.
Tips for parents
- Look at a non-fiction book together and read only the first sentence of each paragraph. You will often get a quick outline of the whole text.
- Cut a short text into sentence strips, mix them up and ask your child to rebuild the paragraphs.
- Before your child writes, ask them to list their subtopics. That list is their paragraph plan.
Go further
- Write a three-paragraph report about an animal of your choice, with a topic sentence for each paragraph.
- Take a long paragraph from your own writing and split it into two paragraphs where the idea changes.
- Write topic sentences only for a five-paragraph report, then swap with a family member and see if they can guess the details.
About 45 minutes
You'll need
- Sentence strips (one sentence per strip) for sorting
- Paper with three or four planning boxes
- Coloured pencils
Key words
- paragraph
- A group of sentences about one main idea.
- topic sentence
- The sentence, usually first, that tells the reader what the paragraph is about.
- supporting sentence
- A sentence that gives facts, examples or reasons about the topic sentence.
- indent
- To start the first line of a paragraph a little way in from the margin.
- subtopic
- A smaller part of a bigger topic, such as 'what penguins eat' within 'penguins'.
Still tricky?
For parents
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