Lesson video

Hello my name is Ms. Johnson, and I'm going to be teaching you English today.

In today's lesson, we're going to be writing compound sentences to use in our non-chronological report on Portia spiders.

So when you're ready, let's get started.

We're going to start today's lesson by looking at the purpose, audience, language and layout of our report.

This is really important to the beginning of any English lesson when you're doing a piece of writing because it helps us to make decisions, over the types of things we need to include in the piece of writing that we're doing.

Then we're going to revise and recap what compound sentences are.

And then we're going to have a go at writing compound sentences for our non-chronological report on Portia spiders.

In the lesson today you're going to need an exercise book or paper and pencil or pen and your brain.

I want you to be thinking in this lesson through out, I want you to be actively engaging with the lesson.

And that is a good time as well if there's any distractions near you, for instance if the TV's on, or if your phone is close by, or if there's a window open and it's noisy outside to pause the video and go and sort out those distractions.

And then when you're ready, press play and we get started.

Okay, let's go.

So we're going to look today and remind ourselves of the purpose, audience, language and layout of our non-chronological reports.

So, can you pause the video and tell me what's the purpose of our report? What's the use audience? What's the language we need to include? And what does the layout look like? So pause the video now and have a go at doing those.

Well done.

So the purpose of our report is to inform and provide information about Portia spiders.

So we're trying to inform somebody who'd be interested in reading about Portia spiders so that's our audience.

Our language is formal and subject specific language.

I've got that top hat there to remind you that the language needs to be formal.

So it's a type of language we'd use in a written non-fiction book rather than the language we'd use in a diary entry.

Or rather than the language we use in conversation.

Imagine you're speaking to someone like your head teacher or writing to a head teacher.

And then we also, we need to think about our layout.

Our layout is going to have an opening which we've already written, a name and closing paragraphs.

So two main paragraphs or sections and a closing paragraph as well.

And this is what it looks like when we set it out.

So we've already done our opening and now we're moving on to think about the other sections of our writing.

And we're going to start thinking about how we might relate our sentences today.

And so when we do this, we've got lots of facts that we need to start putting into detail.

So what makes non-chronological reports really hard is you have all these different facts that you know about Portia spider and now you need to expand them and bring them together into sentences.

And so if we prepare our sentences now, when we have a go at writing some, when we actually come to write this report it will seem really easy because we've had a go ready.

Now, simple sentences are really good.

You should still be using them but where we want to add more detail, we want to use your compound sentence.

Let's see if you can remember what compound sentences are.

If you can't and you haven't learned what they are, then I'm going to teach you as well now.

So don't worry, you can still continue with this lesson.

Fill in the blanks.

A compound sentence consists of two mm joined by a mm, either mm or mm.

So we've got image here of the Mr.Main clauses I've got two main clauses and I can see they're joined together by the BOA.

Can you remember what BOA is? It means, but, or, and, and those are examples of coordinating conjunctions.

What are those examples of? Coordinating conjunctions fantastic.

And we have to remember that before but, and, or we have to have a comma and it does not need a comma before it.

So can you pause the video now and have a go at filling the blanks.

Well done let's see how you caught in, caught on.

So a compound sentence consists of two main clauses.

What is the main clause? A main clause must make sense on its own.

It is a sentence and it must include a verb, Every clause has to have a verb in it.

So your main clause makes sense on its own.

So we've got the Batman image here, because we're saying that the main clause can go out on mission alone.

It can stand alone and make sense completely on its own.

In a compound sentence, we take two main clauses, so two ideas, and we join them together.

The glue that joins them together are coordinating conjunctions.

And those words we use BOA to remember them, they are but, or, and.

And those words glue our two sentences together.

But the two ideas, the two main clauses that we join together, they must be linked.

They cannot be two separate different ideas.

They have to be linked by theme.

And that's really important when we write our compound sentences, because if we don't do that our sentences won't make very much sense.

So let's have a go now at thinking in a bit more detail about these compound sentences.

Each word, but, or, and and, each coordinating conjunction could also be used in a slightly different way.

And that's what we're going to practise and learn today.

So we're going to have a go at writing our compound sentences for our reports about the Portia spider.

What would be really good is by the end of this lesson, you should have about three sentences written.

Which means you can use those in your writing when you come to do your writing.

So that's fantastic.

It means that we're putting in the hard work now and it's going to help us later.

So really work hard today and then it will pay off later on.

So I've got an example here I have chosen to put and as my coordinating conjunction.

I said that when we use and as a coordinating conjunction, is when we're adding an idea.

So it's an additional idea like the plus sign.

So both my main clauses need to make sense, and they need to make sure that they are linked.

So they both need a verb.

So can you now check I will read my sentence to you.

The Portia spider has unique appearance and is adapted to suit its environment.

Can you check this makes sense? Have I got two main clauses? So find the verbs and have I got two ideas that are closely linked.

Can you spot the coordinating conjunction as well.

Pause the video here and have a go.

Well done let's check.

So I said this does work as a compound sentence.

I've got my coordinating conjunction and the Portia spider has a unique appearance, has is my verb and I have said adapted is my verb in the second part of the sentence.

In the second main clause also makes sense on its own.

The adapted is the verb.

Now it's your turn.

I want you to write a complex, a compound sentence using coordinating conjunction that is and.

So you've got your first idea and your second idea and you're adding something.

So they're similarly linked.

And what I'd like you to tell me is a little bit about the Portia spider.

So can you tell me it jumps? And can you tell me about the eyes? So those are your two main clauses.

What's interesting about each of these things.

They're linked because these are their superpowers.

So, pause the video here and have a go yourself at writing down a compound sentence using and and press play when you're ready to resume.

Well done.

I hope even though we're only writing sentences, you've done it neatly and you've used capital letters and fullstops.

Thumbs up if you have, good.

If you haven't pause the video and end it now, press play when you're ready.

Well done.

So I'm going to show you now my example of this sentence.

Yours almost might be different and that's okay, but you should have something similar to me.

My example is this, the Portia Spider is incredible at jumping and it has incredible eyesight.

The Portia spider is incredible at jumping and it has incredible eyesight.

How do I check that this works? I have underlined the verbs in both my clauses.

So the Portia spider is incredible at jumping, is is the verb to be is something it is and it has incredible eyesight.

So has is my verb.

So both clauses have a verb.

Do they make sense on their own? Let's check.

The Portia is incredible at jumping.

It has incredibly eyesight, good.

They could be sentences on their own, so they make sense.

So they are definitely main clauses.

Now I need check I've used the correct coordinating conjunction and works because it joins these two ideas together.

They're telling me about the skills or the features of a Portia spider.

So the two ideas are linked.

So I say thumbs up, this sentence is correct.

Well done.

Now we're going to do a slightly different type of complex, a compound sentence.

This one is using the but coordinating conjunction.

So looking at this compound sentence, I have got but as my coordinating conjunction.

These are slightly different sentences.

This is makes a slightly different way of using but here compared to and and we'll explain it in a minute.

Let's listen to the sentence first.

The Portia spider has two piercing venomous fangs, but in this phones but luckily they are not harmful to humans.

So the thumbs up thumbs down here shows a contrasting idea.

So they have venomous fangs but they're not harmful to humans.

So that's my opposite, my negative.

So that contrasting ideas.

And that really helps me to remember how to use but.

So can you check though, this is a compound sentence.

How have I got verbs in both clauses? Do they stand alone and does it make sense? And then press play when you're ready to resume.

Fantastic well done.

Let's check to see how we got on.

So when we check this sentence, I can see that I have got the Portia spider has two piercing venomous fangs E and P in that.

Has is my verb to be.

So there is my verb in that main clause.

Does this clause make sense on its own? The Portia spider has two piercing, venomous fangs.

Yes, so is there Mr. Main clause? Let's check my second clause and check it's a Mr. Main clause as well.

Luckily they are not harmful to humans.

Yes Mr. Main clause again because are is my verb and it makes sense on its own.

Verb being my being verb not a doing verb.

Well now I need to check that these two are contrasting ideas and that my that verb works.

The Portia spider has two pairs in venomous fangs is that they have are dangerous but they are not harmful to humans.

Thank goodness.

So that contrast is contrast my ideas.

And the last thing to check with but is I've got my comma before it.

That's really important, so remember that when you have a go at writing.

So now it is your idea.

So I want you to talk about how they catch their prey.

And despite being really small, they're still able to catch prey that are much bigger than them.

So can you a compound sentence using a but coordinating conjunction with a comma before it about these two images.

Have a go, don't worry if you find it hard and press play, when you're ready to resume Well done I always find these but coordinating conjunctions quite tricky.

So don't worry if you found it a bit tricky as well.

Let's have a go though checking and so you can see what I came up with and you could perhaps use it in your writing The Portia spider's prey are three times its own size, but it can still catch them.

So my but works here because it says that even though they are three times its own size they are bigger than them.

They can soon catch them.

Shall we check that I've got two main clauses? The Portia spider's prey are three times its own size.

Are is my doing verb here and I've got a main clause it makes sense on its own.

It can still catch them is also a main clause because catch is the verb and it makes sense on its own.

So I've joined the two main clauses together using the coordinating conjunction of that's the glue that sticks them together and my but works here because my ideas are contrasting.

I've also got a comma before but which is really important.

Okay, we're going to look at the last example of a compound sentence.

This time I've used a coordinating conjunction or.

Or gives you a choice or a consequence.

So you've got a choice of something or you've got a consequence.

A consequence being do your homework or you will go to bed.

And that's kind of my consequence.

So the Portia spider uses it but it's venomous fangs to kill their prey, or it uses their superb eyesight to capture.

So I've got my options here.

They either use venomous fangs to kill their prey or they use their superb eyesight to catch them.

So it's got a choice of two, either it's using venomous fangs or it's using superb eyesight.

So it's got us two choices there.

Can you check now pause the video and check that this has two main clauses in it and press play when you're ready to resume.

Well done.

So when I check I can see this has got two main clauses in it.

A Portia spider uses its venomous fangs to kill their prey.

That's the main clause, it stands on its own or another comment before it, it uses its superb eyesight to catch them.

I've got two options here.

So this one works as a compound sentence.

Now it's your turn.

Can you tell me how they capture their prey? Does it abseil or does it pluck? Can you put that into a sentence for me, when you do it make sure you're using your capital letters correctly.

So can you pause the video here and write a compound sentence using a coordinating conjunction or to describe the two pictures you can see and press play when you're ready to resume? Fantastic, well done.

So let's have a go now at seeing how you got on.

So this was mine.

The Portia spider abseils onto its unsuspecting prey, or it can plot the web to imitate struggling prey.

So it catches it spray like either abseiling onto it, or plucking the web to imitate struggling prey.

Let's check.

I've got abseils as my verb, the Portia spider abseils onto its unsuspecting prey that's my main clause and I've got it can pluck the web to imitate struggling prey, that's also a main clause.

And I've got my or coordinating conjunction here, which is really important.

I've joined the two ideas together and I've got a comma before it.

So I have written another successful compound sentence.

Well done you've done so well today.

We have looked at the purpose, audience, language and layout of our writing.

We have recapped compound sentences and we have written some of our own compound sentences, which is fantastic.

So well done.

What you have now is you have a series, you have three sentences that you can now use in your writing on a Portia spider.

It'd be really good to use these compound sentences in your writing, because it would help to add detail to your work and make your writing more sophisticated.

So congratulations on completing your lesson today.

I hope you've enjoyed it.

I you hope you've learn a new skill or revised a skill that you knew before.

And I hope you're looking forward to writing the rest of our non-chronological report.

Enjoy the rest of today's lessons and take care.