Year 6 English · Cohesion, editing and reading your own writing aloud · Lesson 13.1

Year 6 English: Cohesion within a paragraph: connecting words and adverbials

Part of the Year 6 English cohesion, editing and reading your own writing aloud chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page

13.1

Cohesion within a paragraph: connecting words and adverbials

Year 6
Use devices to build cohesion within a paragraph, such as adverbials of time, place and number (Y5-6 grammar and writing)

Story. Sam writes about his Saturday. His first draft has short, separate sentences, so Ruby says the events do not link together. He adds connecting words to show the order.

Cohesion is the way sentences link together, so that the reader can follow the ideas. Connecting words and adverbials show when, where or in what order things happen. An adverbial of time tells when, an adverbial of place tells where, and an adverbial of number shows the order, such as firstly or secondly.

Adverbials for time, place and number

Adverbial	Kind	Example sentence
Later that afternoon	time	Later that afternoon, the family went home.
In the corner of the room	place	In the corner of the room, the cat slept.
Firstly	number	Firstly, the family went home.
Meanwhile	time	Meanwhile, the family went home.
Behind the old barn	place	Behind the old barn, the cat slept.
Secondly	number	Secondly, the family went home.

Key ideas

Connecting words link events in order: then, afterwards, meanwhile, finally.
An adverbial of time tells when; of place, where; of number, the order.
A fronted adverbial at the start of a sentence is followed by a comma.

Worked example 13.1.1

Which kind of adverbial is Later that afternoon? Write time, place or number.

Method. Ask what the adverbial tells the reader.

Ask the question. Later that afternoon tells the reader when.
when
Name the kind. It is an adverbial of time.
time
Write the answer.
time

Check. Later that afternoon is an adverbial of time. ✓

Worked example 13.1.2

Join these sentences with a connecting word that shows the time order: Sam went to the market. He bought some apples.

Method. Add a connecting word that shows what came next.

Find the time order. Buying apples came after going to the market.
after
Add the connecting word. Afterwards shows the next event, and the new sentence starts with a small letter.
Afterwards, he bought some apples.
Write the answer.
Afterwards, he bought some apples.

Check. Afterwards shows the time order. ✓

Worked example 13.1.3

Which adverbial of place fits the cat slept? Choose Firstly or Under the warm table.

Method. A place adverbial tells where.

Ask where. Under the warm table tells where the cat slept.
where
Check the other choice. Firstly tells the order, not where.
order
Write the answer.
Under the warm table

Check. Under the warm table tells where. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: do not repeat the same connecting word in every sentence. Vary them so the writing reads smoothly.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Ask your child to tell you what they did yesterday, using firstly, then, afterwards and finally.