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Year 6

Understanding the structure, features and purpose of an essay

I can identify the logical argument of an essay and I can identify an essay’s linguistic features in a model.

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Year 6

Understanding the structure, features and purpose of an essay

I can identify the logical argument of an essay and I can identify an essay’s linguistic features in a model.

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These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The purpose of an essay can be to present a coherent argument in response to a stimulus or question.
  2. Understanding the question is critical to a successful essay answer.
  3. An essay can attempt to persuade the reader of a certain viewpoint.
  4. An essay follows a logical argument going step by step towards a conclusion.
  5. A range of linguistic features contribute to the formal tone of an essay and make it persuasive.

Keywords

  • Essay - a piece of writing that explores arguments about a particular issue

  • Logical argument - an argument that follows a series of steps that lead clearly towards a conclusion

  • Evidence - information or facts to show something is true

  • Linguistic features - language structures that are used within a text

Common misconception

Pupils may believe that an essay is always a two-sided discussion leading to the writer's own conclusion.

In this unit, we will write a one-sided essay, which makes the argument posed in the title; we will avoid presenting this as the writer's own opinion.


To help you plan your year 6 english lesson on: Understanding the structure, features and purpose of an essay, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

For complete lessons on any of the linguistic features in this lesson, refer to our KS2 Grammar units.
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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of the sentences below would best follow this sentence? 'Many woodlands in the UK have been cut down.'
In addition, these woodlands support many animals.
Correct answer: As a result, many habitats have been lost.
Because of this, there are many more insect species.
Q2.
Which of these sentences begin with fronted adverbials?
Correct answer: Since 1930, half of all woodlands have been cut down.
Correct answer: Because of this, we need to do more to conserve them.
Britain's woodlands, which are ancient, are at risk of disappearing.
We will all lose out if woodlands are destroyed.
Q3.
The following sentence consists of which sentence type? 'Britain's woodlands, which are ancient, are at risk of disappearing.'
adverbial complex sentence
Correct answer: relative complex sentence
non-finite (-ing) complex sentence
Q4.
Which part of the following adverbial complex sentence is the subordinate clause? 'When woodlands are destroyed, habitats are lost.'
Correct answer: When woodlands are destroyed,
habitats are lost
When woodlands are
destroyed, habitats are lost
Q5.
Which of these sentences uses brackets for parenthesis correctly?
Many tree species (such as oak) and beech can be found in our forests.
Correct answer: Many tree species (such as oak and beech) can be found in our forests.
Many tree species such as (oak and beech) can be found in our forests.
Many tree species (such as oak and beech can be found in our forests).
Q6.
Which fronted adverbial could fill in the gap in the following sentence? 'Forests are important habitats for insects. __________, they are home to many plant species.'
However,
Correct answer: In addition,
As a result,
Soon,

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is an essay?
a non-fiction text that gives an explanation
Correct answer: a non-fiction text that explores arguments on an issue
a fiction text that explores arguments on an issue
a fiction text based on the author's imagination
Q2.
Which of these essay titles suggest an essay that gives just one side of the argument?
Is history or geography a more important subject?
Correct answer: Explain why history is the most important subject for children to learn.
Would it be beneficial for schools to teach history every week?
Correct answer: Why should history be taught every week?
Q3.
What are the features of a logical argument?
Correct answer: It goes step-by-step.
It goes in a random order.
Correct answer: It includes evidence.
Correct answer: It reaches a conclusion.
Q4.
Which of the below are types of evidence we can use to support a logical argument?
Correct answer: facts
Correct answer: expert opinions
Correct answer: statistics
Correct answer: references to official reports
the author's emotions
Q5.
What type of evidence is used in the following sentence? 'In fact, woodlands support over 60% of the UK’s woodland birds.'
explanation
fact
Correct answer: statistic
expert opinion
reference to an official report
Q6.
What type of evidence is used in the following sentence? 'According to conservation specialists, an additional £500 million per year is needed for conservation efforts to be effective.'
explanation
fact
statistic
Correct answer: expert opinion
reference to an official report

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