Lesson video

Hi, everyone.

My name is Ms. Royalle, and welcome to today's lesson where you will be writing the closing paragraph for your journalistic report on "Little Red Riding Hood." For this lesson, you need to be listening carefully.

There'll be some tasks where you need somebody to talk to, so that you can orally rehearse your sentences, and then you will be writing your closing paragraph.

I hope you're feeling excited and ready to learn.

Let's get started.

The learning outcome for today's lesson is, I can write the closing paragraph of a journalistic report.

Here are our key words for today's lesson.

Let's practise saying them, my turn, your turn.

Closing.

Adverbial complex sentence.

Fronted adverbial of time.

Good job.

Well done.

Let's take a look at their definitions.

The closing is the final paragraph of a journalistic report.

An adverbial complex sentence is a sentence formed of a main clause and an adverbial subordinate clause.

A fronted adverbial of time is a sentence starter that tells the reader when something has happened or is happening.

There are two parts to today's lesson.

In the first part, you'll be preparing to write, and in the second part, you'll be writing your closing paragraph.

So let's begin with preparing to write.

The layout of a journalistic report can be structured like this: headline, opening paragraph, recount section, quote section, closing paragraph.

Let's remind ourselves what is in each part.

The headline grabs the reader's attention.

It makes them want to read the report.

The opening paragraph provides an overview of the event, and it does this by answering the questions who, what, where, and when.

The recount section gives specific details about the event in chronological order.

The quote section provides quotes from witnesses or experts.

And the closing paragraph is where the journalist says what is currently happening and what might happen next.

You have already written your opening paragraph, your recount section, and your quote section, and today's lesson is all about the closing paragraph.

The purpose is the aim of the text.

The purpose of the closing paragraph is to let the reader know what is currently happening, or what is expected to happen next.

This involves a shift in tense from past to present.

What does the reader need to know when a crime has happened? Have a little think.

The reader needs to know what is being done to address the crime.

This provides a sense of reassurance to readers that even though a crime has taken place, everything is okay and they are still safe.

The reader also wants to know the condition of the victims and any support being offered to them.

This is reassuring for the reader, so they do not worry about the victims. Let's check your understanding.

Which of the following are features of the closing paragraph in a journalistic report? A, past tense.

B, present tense.

C, says what has already happened.

D, says what is currently happening.

Pause the video and select your answers now.

The answers are B, the closing paragraph is written in present tense, and D, it says what is currently happening.

Well done.

What has already happened and what is happening now? Let's take a little look.

We know that Mr. Wolf was arrested.

This means he is now in police custody.

We know that the police attended the scene.

This means they are now examining the crime scene.

We know that the victims were saved, and they are now receiving medical attention.

We know that the local residents were shaken.

They are supporting one another.

These are examples of how to use what has already happened to shift into the present tense for the closing.

Read the following example of a closing paragraph.

Consider how it attempts to reassure the reader in the aftermath of the crime.

Which words or phrases are comforting to the reader despite the crime that has taken place? "Whilst further information on the motive of this crime is expected, the suspect remains in police custody and they are being questioned by expert officers.

Currently forensic scientists continue to investigate the crime scene, and they have sent various pieces of evidence off for further testing.

Meanwhile, the local community has rallied together to support the victims and one another through this difficult time.

Police are appealing for any further witnesses to come forward with information they may have linked to the event." So take a little pause and then think, how does this closing paragraph attempt to reassure the reader? Well, it says that the suspect remains in police custody.

This lets the reader know that the person they believe committed the crime is behind bars, so they are no longer a danger.

It says that forensic scientists, who are special scientists who investigate crime, continue to investigate the crime scene.

This provides the reader with a sense of reassurance that they are trying to solve the crime.

It says that the local community has rallied together to support the victims and one another.

This can provide a sense of comfort to the reader that despite the crime, everyone is okay and being taken care of.

It is also worth noting that the closing of a report on a crime often ends with a direct appeal to the reader for further information.

Police are appealing for any further witnesses to come forward with information they may have linked to the event.

This is also reassuring to readers because it lets them know that the police are determined to solve the crime.

Let's check your understanding.

True or false? The closing of a journalistic report on a crime should summarise the key information again.

Pause the video and answer now.

That is false.

Well done.

Now it's time to justify your answer.

A, it should focus on what is happening now and reassuring the reader in the aftermath of the crime.

Or B, it should offer a personal viewpoint or opinion.

Pause the video and select your justification now.

The answer is A.

Well done.

The closing paragraph should focus on what is happening now and reassuring the reader.

Which of the following sentences sounds more reassuring to the reader? While the suspect remains in police custody, the motive of the crime still remains unknown.

Or while the motive is currently unknown, the suspect remains in police custody, and he is being questioned by expert detectives.

Have a little look and think, which sentence sounds more reassuring? Hopefully you thought the second sentence sounded more reassuring to the reader.

Let's take a little look at why.

The main clause in this sentence is the clause that focuses on reassuring the reader.

"The suspect remains in police custody and he is being questioned by expert detectives." An adverbial clause has been used to add detail.

It says, "While the motive is currently unknown." It is important to be honest with the reader, even if it doesn't feel like good news, for example, the motive not being known, but to make sure that your sentence emphasises the reassuring aspects.

This sentence achieves that and it chooses words to carefully reassure the reader, even while being honest with bad news.

So the motive is unknown, but it says the motive is currently unknown, which hints to the reader that it won't always be unknown.

The police are trying to discover it.

And it uses the word expert to describe the detectives.

This reassures the reader that the best people are trying to solve the crime.

Let's now take a look at another two sentences and see which you think is more reassuring to the reader.

"While the motive is currently unknown, the suspect remains in police custody and he is being questioned by expert detectives." And, "While the investigation into the motive continues, the suspect remains in police custody and he is being questioned by expert detectives." Now have a little think, which one do you think is more reassuring? And my clue is that you should pay attention to the fronted adverbial clause.

So in the second sentence, it has the same main clause as the first, and this does reassure the reader.

The adverbial clause given to add detail here has really tried to find a way to say that the motive is unknown without saying that.

It's honest.

Like we said, you have to be honest, but you want to try and explain it in as much of a reassuring way as possible.

So instead of saying, "While the motive is currently unknown," this adverbial clause says, "While the investigation into the motive continues." This has more of a positive emphasis on what is being done to uncover the motive, rather than simply stating it's not currently known.

Both of these sentences could be considered as reassuring, but the second one would be slightly more reassuring.

The key words in this adverbial clause are "investigation" and "continues," and it still uses "expert" to describe the detectives.

Let's read this sentence again.

"While the investigation into the motive continues, the suspect remains in police custody and he is being questioned by expert officers." This is an adverbial complex sentence.

This sentence has two main clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction.

My first main clause is, "the suspect remains in police custody." My second main clause is, "he is being questioned by expert detectives." And my coordinating conjunction to join these is "and." A subordinating conjunction has also been used to form an adverbial clause at the start of the sentence.

The subordinating conjunction is "while." "While the investigation into the motive continues," that's my adverbial clause, "the suspect remains in police custody and he is being questioned by expert detectives." Here, we have a subordinate clause, followed by a comma, main clause, coordinating conjunction "and," and main clause.

Let's check your understanding.

True or false? An adverbial complex sentence must only contain one main clause and one subordinate clause.

Pause the video and answer now.

That is false.

Well done.

Now it's time to justify your answer.

A, an adverbial complex sentence must contain at least one main clause and a subordinate clause.

Or B, an adverbial complex sentence only needs a main clause.

Pause the video and select the correct answer.

The answer is A.

Well done.

An adverbial complex sentence must contain at least one main clause, but it can contain more than one main clause, and it must have a subordinate clause.

Well done.

Specific subordinating conjunctions are used to communicate when two things are happening at the same time.

These are "as," "while," "whilst." Let's take a look at some example sentences using these.

"As the investigation continues, the suspect is being held in police custody and interrogated by officers." "While detectives are examining the crime scene, officers are questioning the suspect in police custody to ascertain his motive." "Whilst the exact motive has not yet been identified, expert detectives are questioning the assailant to gain a deeper understanding." All of these sentences are examples of adverbial complex sentences.

A subordinating conjunction has been used to begin the adverbial clause, and the adverbial clause has been separated from the main clause by a comma.

Let's check your understanding.

Select an appropriate adverbial clause to join the following main clause.

Adverbial clause, comma, "The assailant is being questioned by specialist officer." The options are A, "Before knowing the motive of the crime." B, "While detectives examine the crime scene." C, "Whilst further details continue to emerge." And D, "Currently." Pause the video and select your answers now.

The possible answers are B, "While detectives examine the crime scene, the assailant is being questioned by specialist officers." This adverbial clause uses the subordinating conjunction "while" to begin it.

The other possible answer is C.

"Whilst further details continue to emerge, the assailant is being questioned by specialist officers." This uses the subordinating conjunction "whilst." Using the word "currently" would make sense here, but it wouldn't form an adverbial complex sentence, because "currently" is a fronted adverbial of time, not a clause.

Fronted adverbials of time are important linguistic devices to signal the shift to the present tense and reassure the reader.

"Currently, forensic scientists continue to investigate the crime scene and they have sent various pieces of evidence off for further testing." This is our fronted adverbial of time, and it lets the reader know that the main clause is happening right now.

What other fronted adverbial of time could we use to signal that shift to the present tense? Have a little think.

We could use, "At the present time," "Right now," "Presently" or "Meanwhile." This is while you say that something else is happening at the same time as the previous thing you have already said.

Let's check your understanding.

Fronted adverbials of time are an important linguistic feature of the closing in a journalistic report.

True or false? Pause the video and answer now.

That is true.

Well done.

Now justify your answer.

A, they help to communicate the shift to the present tense.

Or B, they help to order and sequence the events.

Pause the video and select your answer.

The answer is A.

Well done.

Fronted adverbials of time helped communicate the shift to the present tense to the reader.

It's now time for your task.

Say the first few sentences of the closing paragraph and make sure you include the following: an adverbial complex sentence which details at least two things that are happening at the same time.

Remember that you are speaking in present tense.

An adverbial complex sentence contains a subordinate clause which begins with a subordinating conjunction, and it has a comma to separate it from the main clause.

Some subordinating conjunctions you can use are "as," "while," and "whilst." And remember to include a sentence using a fronted adverbial of time.

You could use "currently" or "at the present time." Pause the video and discuss with your partner now.

Welcome back.

Well done.

It sounded like you did a great job orally rehearsing your sentences.

Now let's have a quick check of them before we look at an example.

Did you shift to the present tense to explain what is currently happening? Did you include an adverbial complex sentence? Did you include a fronted adverbial of time? Pause now and have a little think.

Well done for reflecting.

Let's take a look at a good example together.

"As the authorities continue to investigate the crime, the suspect remains in police custody and he's being questioned by detectives.

At the present time, the motive of his crime is unknown.

Currently, forensic detectives are examining the crime scene and they have already sent off various pieces of evidence for further the testing.

Meanwhile, the local community has come together to offer support to the victims. Police are appealing for anybody who may have information about the crime to come forward and offer a witness statement." Let's check this to see if it includes what we needed to.

So, did it shift to the present tense? Well, yes, I can see it says "continue to investigate" and "he is being questioned by detectives." There are lots of examples of present tense verbs in here.

Does it include an adverbial complex sentence? Yes, my first sentence here, "As the authorities continue to investigate the crime, the suspect remains in police custody and he is being questioned by detectives." This is an adverbial complex sentence, and it actually has two main clauses, "the suspect remains in police custody" and it uses a coordinating conjunction there, and to join to the next main clause, "he is being questioned by detectives," and the adverbial clause is, "As the authorities continue to investigate the crime." And the last point was, did we include a fronted adverbial of time? I can see a few.

We've got "At the present time," "Currently," and "Meanwhile." Well done.

It's time for the second part of our lesson where you will be writing your closing paragraph.

When we write, we always try to do these things: plan and say each sentence before we write it.

You've done lots of practise of that.

Use punctuation where we know the rules.

Showcase each sentence type we know.

Write letters neatly on the line in joined handwriting.

Use spelling strategies to spell words accurately.

And check and improve our writing when we think we have finished.

Let's take a look at the success criteria for today's writing together.

I have used the present tense to explain to the reader what is currently happening.

I have used a subordinating conjunction, "as," "while" or "whilst" to write an adverbial complex sentence.

And I have used formal language and fronted adverbials of time.

Now, I have had a go at writing the first few sentences of my closing paragraph, but I need your help to check it against the success criteria and make sure I haven't forgotten anything.

"Whilst further information for the motive of this crime is expected, the suspect remains in police custody and they are being questioned by expert officers.

Currently, forensic scientists continue to investigate the crime scene and they have sent various pieces of evidence off for further testing." So this is where I need your help.

Please check my writing against the success criteria and see if you can spot where and how I've achieved it, or if I've missed anything.

Pause the video now.

Thank you so much for your help.

You were great at spotting how I've met the success criteria.

Let's go over it together.

The first point says, I have used the present tense to explain to the reader what is currently happening.

Let's have a look.

It says "the suspect remains," that's present tense.

And "they are being questioned," that's present tense.

Great.

So I can tick that.

Then it says, I have used a subordinating conjunction, "as," "while" or "whilst" to write an adverbial complex sentence.

Well, you spotted that my very first sentence does this.

I have used the subordinating conjunction "whilst" to create an adverbial clause to form an adverbial complex sentence.

"Whilst further information for the motive of this crime is expected." So I can tick that.

And last it says, I have used formal language and fronted adverbials of time.

Well, there's lots of formal language in here that you picked out.

You picked out "motive," "police custody," "expert officers," "forensic scientists," and you spotted the fronted adverbial of time "currently" in that last sentence.

So we can tick that.

Thank you again for checking my writing.

It's now time for your writing task.

Write the closing paragraph of your journalistic report.

Here is the success criteria for you to refer back to.

Remember that an adverbial clause has a subordinate clause and a comma to separate it from the main clause.

There can be more than one main clause in it.

Here are some subordinating conjunctions to support you, "as," "while" and "whilst," and some fronted adverbial of time you can use, "meanwhile," "currently," "at the present time." Pause the video and do your writing task now.

Welcome back and well done for producing some fantastic writing.

I have really enjoyed reading it.

Let's take a look at a good example together.

"While the investigation attempts to uncover the motive behind the crime, the suspect remains firmly in police custody.

He is being questioned by expert officers and further information is expected in due course.

Currently, forensic detectives are examining the crime scene, and they have already sent off various pieces of evidence for further testing.

Meanwhile, the local community has rallied together to support the victims and one another.

Police are appealing for any further witnesses to come forward with information they may have linked to the crime." Let's check this against our success criteria.

So I have used the present tense to explain to the reader what is currently happening.

We can see it says, "the suspect remains," "he is being questioned," "detectives are examining," "police are appealing," all examples of present tense verbs, so we can tick that.

For I have used a subordinating conjunction to write an adverbial complex sentence.

The first sentence uses the subordinating conjunction "while" to form an adverbial complex sentence, so we can tick that.

And I have used formal language and fronted adverbials of time.

There is lots of formal language in here.

"Investigation attempts to uncover," "being questioned by expert officers." And fronted adverbials of time we can see are "currently" and "meanwhile," so we can tick that.

Pause the video now and make sure you read over your writing and check it against the success criteria.

Well done for checking your writing.

We've now come to the end of our lesson, so let's go over a summary together.

The closing paragraph of a journalistic report provides the reader with information about what is currently happening or what might happen next.

There is a shift in tense from past to present in the closing.

Adverbial complex sentences can be used to tell the reader about two things happening at the same time.

Fronted adverbials of time support in communicating the tense shift to the reader and closing the report.

Well done for your hard work on writing your closing paragraph and completing your journalistic report.

I have really enjoyed teaching you.