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Year 5

Planning and writing the introduction to an essay

I can write an introduction to an essay, including a range of linguistic features.

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New
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Year 5

Planning and writing the introduction to an essay

I can write an introduction to an essay, including a range of linguistic features.

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Share activities with pupils
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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Our essay will give one side of an argument, using a logical order and supported by evidence.
  2. Evidence can take many forms, including explanations, facts and statistics.
  3. In the introduction, we will explain how deforestation relates to the Amazon rainforest.
  4. We will include subject-specific vocabulary and a range of linguistic features.

Keywords

  • Subject-specific vocabulary - vocabulary that relates to a particular subject

  • Evidence - information or facts to show something is true

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

Common misconception

Pupils may believe that only statistics are forms of evidence.

Explanations and facts, as well as expert views and references to official reports, can be used as forms of evidence.


To help you plan your year 5 english lesson on: Planning and writing the introduction to an essay, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

A slide has been left intentionally lined for you to complete shared writing with your class. You will also want to model orally rehearsing the paragraph. Encourage pupils to personalise their essay using their own notes from the research lesson earlier in the unit.
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Licence

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 following would we not find in an essay?
a logical argument
Correct answer: subheadings
a title
paragraphs
evidence
Q2.
Put the paragraphs of our essay in order.
1 - introduction
2 - paragraph 1
3 - paragraph 2
4 - conclusion
Q3.
Which words are antonyms (opposites) of 'logical'?
Correct answer: confusing
Correct answer: disconnected
clear
sensible
Q4.
Put these points in a logical order for our essay.
1 - 20% of the Amazon rainforest has been cut down.
2 - Deforestation in the Amazon has been driven by the need for farmland.
3 - Deforestation adds carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, worsening climate change.
4 - If we reduced deforestation, we could help tackle climate change.
Q5.
Where in our essay might you find the following point? 'Deforestation is the clearing of trees from an area of land.'
Correct answer: introduction
paragraph 1
paragraph 2
conclusion
Q6.
Put these statements in order to complete our logical argument.
1 - The Amazon has suffered lots of deforestation.
2 - When trees are cut down, they release carbon dioxide.
3 - This worsens climate change.
4 - If fewer trees were cut down, less carbon dioxide would be released.
5 - This could help tackle climate change.

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following are features of our introduction?
Correct answer: range of linguistic features
Correct answer: subject-specific vocabulary
direct speech
Correct answer: formal tone
Correct answer: evidence
Q2.
Which of the following are forms of evidence we can include?
Correct answer: statistics
Correct answer: facts
our own beliefs
Correct answer: explanations
Q3.
Which points did we include in our introduction?
Correct answer: a definition of deforestation
an explanation of how it contributes to climate change
Correct answer: some description of the Amazon rainforest
Correct answer: evidence about deforestation in the Amazon
Q4.
Which of the following are helpful to do before we write?
practise writing each sentence
practise our letter joins
Correct answer: make a plan
Correct answer: orally rehearse the writing
Q5.
Which linguistic feature has been used here? '20% of the rainforest (an area four times the size of the UK) has already been lost.'
relative complex sentence
Correct answer: parenthesis in brackets
formal fronted adverbial
compound sentence
Q6.
Which linguistic feature is used here? 'Deforestation, which is the removal of trees from an area, is often completed using the 'slash and burn' method.'
parenthesis in brackets
adverbial complex sentence
Correct answer: relative complex sentence
non-finite (-ing) complex sentence