Year 3 · SPaG · Paragraphs
Year 3 what is a paragraph? worksheet and PowerPoint
To say what a paragraph is and to start a new paragraph for a change of time, place, topic or speaker.
Paragraphs
A paragraph is a group of sentences about one idea. Start a new paragraph when the time, the place, the topic or the person speaking changes. A sub-heading tells the reader what a paragraph or section is about.
| time | Later that day … (a new time) |
|---|---|
| place | Back at school … (a new place) |
| topic | a new idea or fact |
| person speaking | a new line for a new speaker |
| sub-heading | a short title for a section of a report |
Examples
- The next morning, the rain had stopped. (a new paragraph)
- “Where are we going?” asked Mia. (a new speaker)
Key words
- paragraph
- a group of sentences about one idea
- sub-heading
- a short title for a section
- topic
- what a paragraph is about
- sequence
- the order of sentences or paragraphs
What is on the worksheet
Every sheet for this lesson has a short teaching box and 12 questions that get gradually harder: 8 fluency questions, then 4 reasoning questions that ask pupils to explain or choose. A writing challenge follows. The questions use the same styles as the key stage 2 grammar and punctuation test (circle, underline, tick, fill the gap, add punctuation, rewrite, explain). They are written for this website, not copied from past papers.
All the answers are on the last page of the same editable Word file. New questions are made every time, so you can print a different sheet for every group or for homework. The same sheet code always gives the same sheet.
Writing challenge: Write a report of six sentences about a place you know. Split it into two paragraphs and give each a sub-heading.
Pupil target: I can say what a paragraph is.
The PowerPoint
A 20-slide lesson deck for the same lesson: a starter that revisits earlier learning, key words, an I do and a You do question on each slide with a countdown timer, answers that appear one click at a time, and a challenge. Download the what is a paragraph? PowerPoint.
Where this lesson fits
This is lesson 50 of 53 in the Year 3 SPaG scheme, in the block “Paragraphs”.
Other lessons in this block
- Sequencing sentences
- Paragraphs in narrative
- Paragraphs in reports (sub-headings)
- Paragraphs in biographies
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