Organising Writing
Section: Writing | Syllabus: Cambridge Primary English as a Second Language (0057)
Punctuating Short Texts
- Punctuate your short texts with reasonable accuracy when writing independently — it does not need to be perfect, but should be mostly correct and not get in the way of meaning.
- Key punctuation marks and their jobs:
- Full stops (.) end a sentence
- Capital letters start a sentence and mark proper nouns (names of people and places)
- Commas (,) separate items in a list, or mark a pause after an introductory phrase
- Question marks (?) end a question; exclamation marks (!) end an exclamation
- Apostrophes (') show possession (the boy's book) or a missing letter in a contraction (don't)
Unpunctuated: "my sister went to the market she bought apples bananas and bread then she came home"
Question: Add the missing punctuation to this text.
Step 1 — Add a capital letter at the start: "My sister went to the market." Step 2 — Split into separate sentences with a full stop and capital letter: "...to the market. She bought..." Step 3 — Add commas to separate the items in the list: "apples, bananas and bread." Step 4 — Add a final full stop after the last sentence. Answer"My sister went to the market. She bought apples, bananas and bread. Then she came home."
Linking Sentences into Paragraphs
- Connectives link sentences and ideas together, so writing reads smoothly rather than as a list of disconnected sentences.
- An increasing range of connectives to use, by job:
- Adding: and, also, in addition
- Sequencing: first, next, then, after that, finally
- Contrasting: but, however, although
- Giving reasons: because, so, as a result
- A paragraph groups sentences about one main idea. Start a new paragraph whenever the topic, time or place changes.
Connectives link separate sentences into one smooth, organised paragraph
Using Appropriate Layout for Different Genres
- Different types of writing (genres) use different layouts to help the reader find information and understand the text's purpose quickly.
- Examples of layout matched to genre:
- Instructions: numbered or bulleted steps, imperative (command) verbs
- A letter: a greeting, paragraphs, a sign-off
- A poster or leaflet: a bold heading, short punchy sentences, sometimes a bulleted list
- A story: paragraphs, with dialogue in quotation marks
Common Mistakes
MistakeUsing the same connective (e.g. "and") to join every sentence, making writing repetitive.
FixVary your connectives — use words like "however," "next" or "because" depending on the relationship between the ideas.
MistakeWriting a whole text as one long paragraph with no breaks.
FixStart a new paragraph whenever the topic, time or place changes, to make the text easier to follow.
MistakeUsing a story-style layout (long paragraphs) for a text that needs to look like a set of instructions or a poster.
FixCheck what genre you are writing before choosing a layout — features like numbered steps or bold headings only suit certain genres.
Worked Example: Choosing a Layout for a GenreQuestion: You are asked to write a leaflet advertising a school sports day. Which layout features should you use?
Step 1 — Identify the purpose and audience: the leaflet must catch attention and give key details quickly to parents and students. Step 2 — Choose features that suit this genre: a bold heading, short attention-grabbing sentences, and a bulleted list of key details. Step 3 — Compare this to a story layout (long paragraphs, no headings): that layout would not suit a leaflet, since readers need to find details quickly. AnswerUse a bold heading, short attention-grabbing sentences, and a bulleted list of key details (date, time, place) rather than long paragraphs.
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