Lesson video

Hi everybody and welcome to the final lesson of our unit.

I can't believe how quickly this unit has flown past, so let's bring our best energy to our final writing lesson.

Today you will be writing the closing paragraph of a journalistic report about the Titanic.

Here are some key words we're going to be using.

Summarise, cohesive devices, modal verb, tense.

Well done.

To summarise is to sum up or conclude the main body of text.

Cohesive devices are language structures that develop text cohesion.

A modal verb is the type of auxiliary verb that helps us to talk about how likely, possible, necessary or obligatory something is to happen.

Tense tells the reader when something happened.

Today we're going to be writing the closing of a journalistic report about the Titanic.

Firstly, we're going to learn about the structural and linguistic features of the closing, and then we're going to move on to writing the closing.

Journalistic reports often follow the same structure.

They start with a headline, then an opening, which gives the reader some general information about the event.

This is followed by the recount section, which gives specific details that tell the reader about the event.

The quote section includes quotes from people who know more about the event, and finally, the closing describes what is currently happening and what is likely to happen next.

So far in our unit, we've already written the opening, the recount section, the quote section.

We've planned our closing, and today we're going to write the closing.

The purpose is the aim of the text.

The purpose of the closing is to summarise the key information of the report and give the reader general information.

We also want to explain what is currently happening and what is likely to happen next.

The closing is the final paragraph of a journalistic report that summarises the key information in the report and explains next steps.

The closing follows a clear structure.

We start with an introductory sentence, then some general information and finally, the concluding sentence.

The introductory sentence introduces the paragraph and summarises what is currently happening.

General information gives the reader some necessary information about what is likely to happen next, and the concluding sentence ends the report.

Throughout this report, we've learned to use a whole range of cohesive devices, fronted adverbials, subject specific vocabulary, complex sentences, parenthesis in brackets.

Each of these cohesive devices enhances the text's flow, keeps the reader engaged and helps achieve the text purpose.

Throughout this unit, when we've been learning about complex sentences, we've been focusing particularly on adverbial, relative and non-finite complex sentences, because using a range of different complex sentences ensures that our writing doesn't become repetitive.

It also means that we can vary how we share information with our reader.

Match each cohesive device to its example.

Pause the video while you do that.

Well done if you spotted that a fronted adverbial is, at present, this is a fronted adverbial of time.

Subject specific vocabulary is dock.

A complex sentence is, sailing towards New York City, the Titanic is now in the final stage of its journey.

Well done if you spotted that this is a non-finite complex sentence, and we know this because it starts with that non-finite subordinate clause.

We know it's a non-finite subordinate clause because it begins with that verb in the progressive tense, sailing with the ing suffix and finally we've got parenthesis, which is France enclosed within brackets.

Modal verbs are a type of auxiliary verb.

They are paired with a main verb and a clause to change the meaning of the sentence.

For example, the Titanic cannot sink.

The modal verb here is cannot.

Let's read the next one together.

Modal verbs are always linked to a main verb In this sentence, sink is the main verb and the modal verb shows how likely that is to happen.

Often modal verbs show the likelihood of something happening.

We've seen this scale before, where modal verbs showed different degrees of certainty, so may or might mean something is much less likely to happen than will or have to or shall.

Now it's time for your task.

Circle the modal verbs in the sentences below.

Pause the video while you do that.

Well done if you spotted that in A, the ship will collect additional passengers at Cherbourg and Cobh.

The main verb is collect and the modal verb is will to show that it's certainly going to happen.

B, family members of some passengers on board may receive meal from their loved ones due to the ship's postal service.

So receive is the main verb, and may is the modal verb.

It shows that this might happen, but it's not guaranteed and C, the ship ought to arrive in New York City on Wednesday based on current weather forecasting.

The main verb is arrive and the modal verb is ought to.

Another synonym for this would be, should arrive, so it's not 100% certain that it will definitely be on Wednesday, but it's expected that this will happen.

Well done everyone.

What a brilliant start to our lesson.

Now we're going to move on to writing the closing.

When we write, we always try to do these things.

We plan and say each sentence before we write it.

We use punctuation when we know the rules.

We showcase each sentence type we know.

We write letters neatly on the line in joined handwriting.

We use spelling strategies to spell words accurately and then we check and improve our writing when we think we have finished.

Here's our success criteria for today's writing.

Let's read them through together.

I have structured the paragraph with an introductory sentence, general information and concluding sentence.

I have used a range of cohesive devices.

I have included a modal verb.

I have maintained the correct tense throughout the paragraph.

Today we're going to be using our plans to write the closing paragraph.

We can build on our ideas from our plans when we are writing today.

Make sure you've got your plan with you ready for writing.

Before we start writing, let's just recap the structure of the closing.

We begin with our introductory sentence, which introduces the paragraph and summarises what is currently happening.

Then we include some general information which gives the reader some necessary information about what is likely to happen next and finally, we have a concluding sentence which ends the report.

First of all, we're gonna begin by looking at our introductory sentence.

Make sure you've got the relevant parts of your plan in front of you.

Here's my plan.

Make sure to take a moment to reread your plan before you start to write.

Before we start writing together, I'm going to show myself writing my closing with your help.

Hi everyone.

So I've got my success criteria stuck in here, and I need to start with my topic sentence.

So looking at my plan, I've got a few different fronted adverbial of time to begin with.

I'm gonna go with at present.

So I remember my indentation, obviously capital letter to start my sentence, at present, now this is a fronted adverbial of time and we know a fronted adverbial is a sentence starter followed by a comma.

At present, what is actually happening right now? So I've gotta think about my present tense.

Titanic is sailing towards, now I'm gonna say that it has, it is on its way to Cherbourg.

So towards, now I need to remember Cherbourg needs to have a capital C, because it's a proper noun.

My reader might not know where Cherbourg is, so I'm gonna put that inside.

So that's some parenthesis, inside brackets.

At present Titanic is sailing towards Cherbourg.

Now, I could just leave it there, but I'm also mindful that I wanna showcase some different sentence types and types of complex sentences.

So I'm actually gonna build onto this with an adverbial subordinate clause before, what's the final part of its journey? Where are we headed towards? Well done.

You're right.

We are headed towards New York City.

Before, now heading off on the final leg of its journey is too informal, but I'm gonna think back to some of the language we used before.

I'm gonna go with embarking.

Before embarking on the final, I could say the final leg or the final stage, I'm gonna go with stage, on the final stage of its journey towards New York City.

Now I need to have a capital N and a capital Y and a capital C, because this all forms the name.

Let's reread the whole sentence.

At present, comma, Titanic is sailing towards Cherbourg, France before embarking on the final stage of its journey to towards New York City.

Brilliant, so I've got some cohesive devices here.

I've got parenthesis, I've got a complex, an adverbial complex sentence.

I'm not gonna tick this one off just yet though, 'cause I need to have a range of cohesive devices, so I'm gonna give that a little bit more time.

I also know that I've got the right tense here and it's present tense using that word, is sailing.

Now I'm gonna move on to my general information, so this is where I'm switching into future tense.

So this ship, I'm not gonna call it Titanic again, 'cause I wanna vary the way I refer to it.

Hmm, I'm gonna explain that it's making great progress and also that it's gonna reach New York on Wednesday.

So I've got two facts there that I wanna get into my sentence.

So I'm gonna use a relative complex sentence to do this.

So this ship, comma, which will, there's my modal verb, which will reach New York on Wednesday and again, I need wed-nes-day, I sometimes say that in a funny way in my head to make sure I sound out properly and don't that miss any letters, which will reach New York on Wednesday has made excellent progress so far.

So those are my two facts in my sentence.

Fact number one is that it's going to reach New York on Wednesday.

Fact number two is that it's made excellent progress on its journey so far.

This ship, comma, which will reach New York on Wednesday, oh, what have I forgotten? I've forgot my second comma there on my, which relative clause.

Remember I need a pair of comma around the which clause to separate it from the main clause, okay.

I've used a modal verb here, will, so I can tick that one off.

Now I've showcased two different types of complex sentence, which I'm really happy about.

Now we're gonna switch to our concluding sentence and this sentence here, I really wanna think about more what are we as journalists doing, looking ahead to the end of the ship's journey.

So as journalists, we are updating our readers.

We're monitoring the situation closely.

We're communicating with our readers.

You might be able to spot what I'm trying to do.

I'm trying to come up with some progressive verbs for a non-finite clause.

I'm gonna go with monitoring, monitoring, the ship's journey closely.

There I've got a non-finite subordinate clause.

I've got that progressive verb monitoring with the ing suffix, monitoring the ship's journey closely, comma, remember I use a comma to separate the subordinate clause from the main clause.

Now, who's doing the monitoring? I am, I'm a journalist, we journalists, so I'm going to make sure that my main clause is also going to be about what the journalists are doing.

Journalists at the Oak National Times, that's the name of my newspaper, so it's got to have capital letter.

Times, will continue to update readers, nue to update readers on the, on the, vessels and I could say ships again, but that's when I starting to get really repetitive, so the vessels completion of its maiden voyage next week, of its maiden voyage.

Now, I could say next Wednesday, but that's getting a bit repetitive again, I can just write it as next week.

Next week, okay, full stop.

Let's reread the whole piece and make sure it's fully cohesive.

At present, Titanic is sailing towards Cherbourg, France before embarking on the final stage of its journey towards New York City.

This ship, which will reach New York on Wednesday, has made excellent progress so far, monitoring the ship's journey closely, journalists at the Oak National Times will continue to update readers on the vessel's completion of its maidan voyage next week.

Okay, I'm feeling like I don't really love that I've used, the ship, twice in two sentences.

I'm actually just gonna go back to calling it Titanics in this.

I've referred to the ship four times.

I called it Titanic, this ship, this ship again and the vessel.

I actually think there's no harm in just calling it Titanic again and remember, the journey belongs to Titanic.

So it's a singular, possessive, apostrophe.

Monitoring Titanic's journey closely, that sounds much better, okay.

So I've got a adverbial complex sentence, a relative complex sentence and a non-finite complex sentence.

Also got parenthesis, fronted adverbial of time, and I've referred to the ship in lots of different ways.

So I'm really confident I've used a whole range of cohesive devices here.

I've used present tense, future tense, and future tense again with those modal verbs.

So I've definitely used the right tense and I've got an introductory sentence, general information, and a concluding sentence here.

So I feel confident that I've met all of my success criteria.

Thank you so much for all of your help with that.

Thank you so much for your help just now, everyone.

Now it's time for you to write your closing paragraph and we're gonna begin with drafting your introductory sentence.

If you would like to, you can use my fronted adverbial of time at the time of press.

Pause the video while you do that.

Great work everyone.

Here is my introductory sentence.

At the time of press, Titanic is bound for its final destination, New York City.

So remember here I'm talking about what is happening right now.

So I've got to make sure I use the present tense.

Double check your writing.

Have you remembered to write in the present tense? Well done.

I've underlined this fronted adverbial of time, just as an example of one cohesive device I've used.

So we know that fronted adverbial are one way we can make our writing more cohesive.

So I've done that here with my introductory sentence.

Now we're gonna move on to the general information section.

Make sure you've got the relevant parts of your plan, and this is where we talk about what's going to happen next using future tense.

Here's my plan.

Take a moment to read through your plan before we start writing.

Okay, so now you're going to use your plan to draught your general information sentences.

You could use my non-finite subordinate clause, sailing across the Titanic, and it begins with that progressive verb sailing.

Pause the video now while you do that.

Well done everybody.

Here's my general information sentences.

Sailing across the Titanic, sorry, excuse me.

Sailing across the Atlantic, Titanic is expected to arrive in New York on Wednesday.

The ship which currently has approximately 2,300 passengers on board has already docked at Cherbourg, France and Cobh, Ireland.

Here I've used a non-finite complex sentence, starting with a non-finite subordinate clause.

I've also used a relative complex sentence, and I've underlined the which relative clause here, and I've used parenthesis marked using brackets as my cohesive devices.

Finally, now we're going to finish with our concluding sentence, which ends the report.

Make sure you're looking at the final section of your plan.

Here's my plan, and take a moment to reread yours.

Now it is time to use your plan to draught your concluding sentence.

You could use my adverbial subordinate clause.

As the ship concludes its maiden voyage.

Pause the video now while you've draught your concluding sentence.

Well done everyone.

Here is my concluding sentence.

As the ship concludes its maiden voyage, journalists at the Oak Chronicle will provide readers with regular updates on its progress and arrival at its final destination.

In my concluding sentence, I have used an adverbial subordinate clause, so created adverbial complex sentence.

Overall now I know that I've structured the paragraph with an introductory sentence, general information, and concluding sentence.

I also know that I have used a range of cohesive devices as we've pointed them out along the way.

I've also included a modal verb.

The word will here is a modal verb.

It will provide readers, saying that's certainly going to happen, and I've maintained the correct tense throughout my paragraph.

So here I've been using future tense.

Now rewrite your sentences as a full paragraph and check your writing and make any edits or improvements.

Make sure to use your success criteria to help you.

Pause the video while you do that.

Well done everyone.

Here is my full closing.

Let's read it through together.

At the time of press, Titanic is bound for its final destination, New York City.

Sailing across the Atlantic, Titanic is expected to arrive in New York on Wednesday.

The ship which currently has approximately 2,300 passengers on board has already docked at Cherbourg, France and Cobh, Ireland.

As the ship concludes, its maiden voyage, journalists at the Oak Chronicle will provide readers with regular updates on its progress and arrival at its final destination.

Rereading this, I can see that my sentences aren't fully cohesive, because sailing across the Titanic, sailing across the Atlantic, Titanic is expected to arrive in New York on Wednesday, should really go after the sentence that says, the ship, which currently has approximately 2000 passengers on board, has already docked at Cherbourg, France and Cobh, Ireland because I need these to be quite chronological.

The ship docked at Cherbourg and Cobh before it sailed across the Atlantic towards New York City.

So I need to switch these two around to make it completely cohesive, which is what I've just done here.

This now makes much more sense, because I'm now telling the events in chronological order.

I've also, you can see in sailing across the Atlantic, Titanic, I've scored it out and instead referred to the ship as the vessel, because I've already referred to the Titanic as Titanic in my first sentence.

Well done everyone.

This now brings us to the end of our lesson where we've been writing the closing of a journalistic report about the Titanic.

The purpose of the closing is to summarise what is currently happening and provide some general information about what is likely to happen next.

When writing, we should use our plan and success criteria to help us know what to include.

Using a range of cohesive devices throughout the paragraph helps keep our reader engaged and allows writers to share information in a variety of ways.

Well done everyone, I have been so impressed with the standard of writing you've produced throughout our unit on the Titanic.

I hope you're feeling really proud of your achievements.