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Primary English · Year 5Chapter 12 · Writing non-fiction, cohesion and layout
Year 5 English · Writing non-fiction, cohesion and layout · Lesson 12.5

Year 5 English: Layout devices and summarising as a precis

Part of the Year 5 English writing non-fiction, cohesion and layout chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page

12.5

Layout devices and summarising as a precis

Year 5
Use layout devices such as headings, sub-headings, bullet points and underlining (G5-10, WC5); summarise a passage as a precis (WC-Y5d)
Story. Ali needs to write a short guide for new pupils about the rock pool. He first reads the passage below, then he plans the layout. He will use a heading, sub-headings, bullet points and an underlined warning.

A passage to summarise: The Rock Pool

A rock pool is a small pool of seawater left behind on a beach when the tide goes out. Because the water is trapped, it can be warm in the afternoon and cold at night, so the animals that live there must be tough.

Shrimps hide under seaweed and dart away when they are touched. Crabs use their claws to find food and to defend their homes. Starfish move slowly across the rocks, holding on with hundreds of small tube feet.

People who visit should look carefully, stay on the rocks, and put every stone back exactly where they found it. This keeps the animals safe for the next visitor.

Key ideas

  • A heading names the whole text; a sub-heading names a section.
  • Bullet points show items that do not need to be in order.
  • Underline or bold a warning or a key word, so the reader notices it.
  • A precis is a short summary, in your own words, of the main ideas in order, with no examples.
Worked example 12.5.1
Which layout device would best list the animals in a rock pool: a bullet point list or a long paragraph?

Method. Think about the purpose of the list.

  1. Look at the items. Shrimps, crabs and starfish are separate items.
    separate items
  2. Choose. A bullet point list makes each item easy to find.
    bullet point list
  3. Write the answer.
    a bullet point list

Check. A bullet point list. ✓

Worked example 12.5.2
Write a sub-heading for the section about animals in the rock pool.

Method. Name the section clearly.

  1. Choose the topic. The animals.
    animals
  2. Write it. Animals in the Rock Pool.
    Animals in the Rock Pool
  3. Write the answer.
    Accept any clear sub-heading, such as Animals in the Pool

Check. A clear sub-heading. ✓

Worked example 12.5.3
Write a precis of the first paragraph in one short sentence.

Method. Keep the main idea and leave out detail.

  1. Find the main idea. A rock pool is a small pool of seawater left behind by the tide.
    small pool
  2. Write it briefly. Rock pools are small pools that can be warm or cold.
    warm or cold
  3. Write the answer.
    Rock pools are small pools of seawater that can be warm or cold.

Check. The precis keeps the main idea. ✓

Exercise 12E  Practice: layout and precis

1
FWhich layout device names a whole text: a heading or a bullet point?
2
FWhich device is best for a warning: underlining or a bullet point?
3
FWrite the three animals named in the second paragraph of the passage.
4
FWhich bullet point is a fact from the passage: Crabs use their claws to find food?
5
FWrite a sub-heading for the third paragraph about the visitors.
6
PSWhich two words are the key warning in the third paragraph? Underline one idea: stay on the rocks and put every stone back.
7
PSWrite the precis of the second paragraph in one sentence, in your own words.
8
PSWhich sentence is the main idea of the whole passage: Shrimps hide under seaweed or Rock pools are home to tough animals?
9
PSWhich layout device would best separate the rules for visitors from the description of the pool?
10
RWhy is a precis shorter than the original passage?
11
RWrite a precis of the whole passage in no more than three sentences.

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