Lesson video

Hello, it's Ms. Richards.

And welcome back to your third lesson of grammar.

So you've done really well on the last two where we've looked at, what is the purpose of nonfiction writing? Who is our audience? What are the different types of non-fiction that we know? And then last lesson, we looked at that introduction.

Today, we're going to look at how we write a really, really good supporting paragraph.

Hopefully you're ready with lots of great ideas.

Really, really focused.

Try be somewhere nice and quiet if you can, just so you're really focused no distractions turning notifications off on any of your devices.

And if you can, make sure you've got the work from the last two lessons as well, just because it all builds and feeds on top of each other.

Head off and get those bits if you need, and then come back, press play when you're ready and we'll get going.

Hopefully you've now got your pen, your paper, you're somewhere nice and quiet without distractions.

And you've got your work from the last two lessons hopefully.

So let's get going.

Today, we're going to start by recapping personal pronouns.

So that was our grammar focus for lesson two.

Then we're going to look at how we punctuate a list.

So that's going to be today's new grammar focus, might be something you're really confident on, in which case it's a recap, might be something new for you.

Then in our writing, we're going to look at how we argue for, what that means, what that looks like.

You're going to get to have a go at writing, adding to that task that we started in lesson two and like always, we're going to finish with our quiz.

Let's get going then.

Here's our reminder then.

Last lesson was an introduction.

Today's is our supporting paragraph.

So we're not going to write the whole piece.

It's fine, it's going to be one paragraph.

That will add to this overall piece of extended writing.

Let's recap personal pronouns first.

These are words that can be used instead of a noun so that we don't repeat the noun all the time.

And we don't have these really repetitive, mundane sentences.

Here are list of personal pronouns.

He, she, they, it, our, us, I and you.

hopefully you remember those from last time, even if you didn't remember that they're called personal pronouns.

It's more important that you know how to use them than just what their name is.

So we had our rules in our last lesson, that if we refer to for now in two consecutive sentences, we use the pronoun in the second sentence.

And then the one that we really practised and we put into our introductions, which was that using personal pronouns can help include the audience and make it seem like everyone is equal.

Let's have a go then.

I've got a paragraph for you here on the prefects who are raising some money.

I'd like you to pause the video, copy this down and fill in the personal pronouns please.

Press play when you're ready to start.

How'd you get on then? Now yours might look slightly different than mine and that's okay.

So I said, the prefect team would like to raise money for the Standhope Village Hall.

They are asking us, you might have said we, if you're imagining that you were one of the prefects speaking of writing, then we would be great as well.

So they are asking us to wear non-uniform on Friday.

The prefects wish for all of us to wear something green.

You must pay £1 on the day.

Are you going to join in and be part of a great cause for our community? If yours are a little bit different in your pronouns, that's okay, as long as your sentences read properly and make sense.

Our next grammar focus then is on how we punctuate a list.

Now, this is something that some students find really easy, they remember it when they were first taught it.

Others have kind of forgotten, or they're not quite sure, they think they know the rules, but not quite.

So we're going to look at it.

It might be a recap for you.

It might be something new, that's fine.

So in non-fiction, we can make a list of nouns.

We can make a list of key actions to remember or we can list emotional adjectives.

Let's look at each one.

Now the punctuation is the same but it's just remembering what we use the list for.

If I was listing these nouns, visiting Kings and Queens, Dukes and Duchesses, Lords and Ladies, Prime Ministers, Presidents and other serving members of state are invited to the palace at the Queen's request.

My nouns are separated with commas, and then between the last two, I've put an and.

Now this one's really interesting because I've joined up Kings and Queens.

I've joined up Dukes and Duchesses into one item.

So my comma separates the items, not just the nouns.

It's not visiting Kings comma, and Queens, Dukes, comma and Duchesses, comma.

I keep the Kings and Queens as a pair, Dukes and Duchesses as a pair, Lords and Ladies as a pair and the commas separate those as a collective group.

So we have commas in between and then a conjunction such as, and, between the last two.

I can also list key actions to remember.

So in non-fiction, you might want to give people, whether it's in their reading or writing, key actions to remember.

So here's an example of that.

The action is where they can find more information.

So, you can find out more information by visiting our website, looking at our social media pages, phoning our information line or by visiting one of our information centres.

Again, each piece or each action is divided by a comma but the last two actions are separated by a conjunction, in this case, or.

Now often when we think of lists, we think of just individual words don't we, like our shopping lists, like bread comma, milk comma, eggs, comma.

But actually, when we're thinking in non-fiction, they're often longer items that we need to separate.

The other thing we can separate is emotional adjectives.

Now these are kind of single words.

So here's my example.

Can you imagine how it would feel to be homeless at night, cold, isolated, lonely and helpless, with no family around to support you? My list is here, my emotional adjectives, cold, isolated, lonely and helpless.

So I've used a comma in between each emotional adjective and then my conjunction of and between the last two.

The punctuation rule is the same, whether I'm listing nouns, whether I'm listing actions, whether I'm missing the emotional adjectives but we have to remember those commas and those conjunctions between the last two and know that there are lots of different types of lists we can put into non-fiction.

It's a really great technique to use.

Okay, I'd like you to have a go then.

I've given you three examples of some different lists.

So there's a noun list, there's a key action list and there is an emotional adjective list.

You're going to pause the video, copy these down and have a go at punctuating them.

Press play when you're ready to go again.

How'd you get on? Hopefully, yours look something like this.

So you've got commas between plane, train and then bus is connected with the coordinate with the conjunction and, with car.

For number two, you'd have had a comma between sponsored silence, comma, hold a cake sale, comma, have a non-uniform day or do a sporting competition.

We don't need any commas there 'cause the last two are joined with or.

And then, do you enjoy the thrilling, comma, action-packed, comma, heart-stopping, comma, glorious moment when.

Now you might have put a coordinating conjunction there.

Do you enjoy the thrilling, comma, action-packed, comma, heart-stopping and glorious moment when the rollercoaster stops, either would be correct there.

Give yourself lots of ticks, make any corrections if you need to.

now that you've done that.

And you've had a go at just separating them, I'd like you to have a go at adding in a list, and you want to focus on adding in emotions and adjectives to the examples that I've given here.

So I've given you the punctuation this time but you're going to add in the words.

Copy these down, add in your own ideas and we'll go through any answers in just a moment.

So press pause now.

Let's see how you got on then, with adding in emotions or just adjectives.

Number one was more adjectives than emotions.

So I said, and yours will look different 'cause there's lots of different options you can put here.

But I went for adjectives, tropical, vibrant and diverse, to describe our rainforest.

Number two was emotion.

So I said, Smith said he was anxious, nervous but also really excited.

You might've got something different to me, that's absolutely fine.

These are just possible answers.

Number three, do you feel tired, grumpy or exhausted when you wake up in the morning? I know I certainly do, so those were my emotions.

You might have put in some positive ones there about feeling lively and energetic, but I'm not a morning person, That's definitely not me.

Give yourself lots of ticks if yours look like this and make sure that you remember to put in that punctuation as well.

Now, this is non-fiction writing.

Last lesson we looked at an introduction, this lesson we're going to look at a for paragraph, how we argue for.

So what does that mean? For means, that you are in support or in favour of an idea.

You might want to pause the video now and copy down that definition please.

For means you are in support or in favour of the idea.

If we have the topic, no student should have to wear a school uniform.

We've got some options here, which ones are for this idea, they're in favour of it, they support the idea that no student should have to wear a school uniform.

Option one says, when young people become adults and go out to work, lots of jobs allow you to wear your own smart clothing.

If schools prepare students for the real world, then they should allow them to prepare by letting them select their own outfits.

Is that supporting the idea, that no students should have to wear a school uniform? If it is, you could write down option one.

Option two, it might be expensive to buy lots of different clothes for students to wear, so parents may be worried about this idea.

Is that in favour, does that support our statement? Option three, students could express their individuality.

We're all unique, so why shouldn't students dress like themselves in school, rather than becoming clones of each other.

Two of those are supporting, they are for.

Pause the video now and write down which two options do you think it is.

Press play when you're ready.

Hopefully you said option one and option three.

They are for, they are supporting and in favour of the statement.

they give the reasons why they believe no student should have to wear a school uniform.

Option too isn't, 'cause option two describes some negative reasons.

Let's have a go at another one then.

Everyone should have do an hour of mandatory PE per day.

I'd like you to pause the video, have a read of the options and select which one or multiple, depending, you think in favour or supporting that statement.

Press play when you're ready.

Did you get option one and option two? I'm sure you did, 'cause I'm sure you're brilliant at this.

Option one gives all the reasons that people should do an extra hour of PE.

Option two is also in favour because it gives lots and lots of different options that could be included, so that people don't just limit or restrict it.

It's really positive, and it's really helping people understand what an hour of mandatory PE per day could look like.

Both option one and option two are in favour.

Here's another one then.

We should no longer subscribe to expensive streaming channels.

Quite a controversial statement, you might have some different thoughts on that, but I'd like you to look at option one, option two and option three, have a read and decide which one or multiple, are in favour of that statement.

They're in favour of no longer subscribing.

Pause the video, write down your options, press play when you're ready.

Did you say option one? Watch out, now option one is really positive.

It's giving all the reasons why streaming services are great because there are lots of different choices.

There's always film and TV series to keep you interested.

And it gives you some examples of what you could watch.

So you're absolutely correct that that is an in favour and a positive statement, it's a positive paragraph.

But, the statement was, we should no longer subscribe, so actually, for paragraphs, supporting paragraphs here, would be supporting the reason why we should no longer subscribe, in which case we actually want the negative reasons.

That's a bit complicated isn't it? When we're thinking about a for paragraph, we're thinking about the reasons that support our argument, they support the point of view and the perspective that we have.

This statement, we should no longer subscribe.

That's our point of view.

That's our opinion, or at least the opinion that we're being asked to have for the task.

So our supporting, our for paragraphs need to support the statement and need to back it up and evidence it.

So for this, option two and option three, the really negative ones, are actually the ones that are correct, because they list the reason that would persuade you to no longer subscribe.

They support the opinion of the statement.

Really, really confusing.

So if you did get it wrong, don't worry, but have another read now and see if you can understand why these are actually supporting paragraphs for negative statement.

Okay, hopefully worked that out and I've not confused you too much.

It's your turn to have a go.

You know that every lesson, we're looking at this big task.

Hopefully, you've got it written down in your notes from last time, so you don't need to write it again.

If you haven't, 'cause you can find your notes from last time, pause the video now and get this written down.

We are looking at writing a speech for our local council, arguing for more funding to create local community space.

And so that there's more spaces and activities available for teenagers.

We know that it's a speech and we know it's for our local council.

And we know it's an argumentative a piece of writing.

If you need to write this down and annotate it, that's absolutely fine.

If you've still got it from last time, keep watching.

This is our format, every lesson is going to take us through a different element of nonfiction writing and a different way we can look at evidencing and writing towards that speech.

Today, we're looking at the supporting paragraph, we're writing for.

If you're really confident and you love writing, you can pause the video now and get going.

You can write your supporting paragraph on arguing why there should be more spaces and activities available for teenagers in your local community.

If you're happy, press pause, get going.

If you're a bit stuck, I'm going to run through some different ideas now, to help us, 'cause actually, planning is really important.

And coming up with those ideas is important.

So here are the ideas I thought of that supported why there should be more spaces and activities available.

I think there should be more spaces and activities available because the UK's full of bad weather.

So actually, this would give young people a space to hang out and get away from the appalling, miserable and dismal UK rain.

You'll notice that I've used my list of emotional adjectives there.

If that's enough of an idea for you to write your paragraph, you can press pause now and get going, but I've got some more ideas for you too.

I think another reason there should be more spaces available in the local community is because teenagers don't earn lots of money.

Maybe you've got a part-time job, maybe get some pocket money but actually, that should really be saved for your future.

You shouldn't have to spend it at cafes or at the cinema 'cause those are the only places to go where you can hang out with your friends.

Another reason is that actually, if there aren't any spaces for you, you've got to be outside.

And that means there's a risk of danger from cars and on the road.

And there's going to be more pedestrians around.

But if they make a space, then actually there's somewhere safe for you to go away from others.

I also think that there should be more spaces and activities, another persuasive for supporting idea, is 'cause young people spend all day in school, working really hard, concentrating loads.

You don't get time to socialise.

Breaks are quite short, lunches are quite short.

Often you end up kind of running from one side of school to the other, getting some lunch, eating, then getting off to your next lesson.

So actually, you deserve some space to socialise.

And if there isn't that safe space, then you have to use your mobile phones or the internet and teenagers are always criticised for being on their phones.

But if they had a space and a community, then they can actually socialise and interact with each other.

So there's four really different supporting ideas there that might help you.

Now what you can do, you can use my ideas or maybe that's created some more of your own, to have a go at writing a supporting for paragraph, that explains why there should be more spaces and activities available, and have a go at putting in a list somewhere, whether it's listing the activities or spaces that should be available, whether it's listing the reasons why or listing some emotional objectives.

Pause the video now and have a go.

Well done, I know it's not an easy task when you have to sort of write and you're staring at a blank page.

You've done really, really well to create that first paragraph, that supporting one, that's going to argue why teenagers should have more space.

Hopefully you've managed to put a list in as well, to really persuade your audience.

Don't forget to do your quiz before you finish this lesson and I'll see you next time for lesson four.