Use a Range of Conjunctions and Pronouns to Write Paragraphs

Read the following paragraph about red squirrels.

Red squirrels have tufted ears. Red squirrels have four fingers and two toes on each paw. Red squirrels have bushy tails. Red squirrels' tails grow to 18 cm long. Red squirrels shed their coats twice a year. Red squirrels have thinner coats in summer and thicker coats in winter. Red squirrel babies have no hair or teeth. Red squirrel babies are called kittens. Red squirrel babies are blind when they are born.

Although it contains interesting facts, it is not a good paragraph because it keeps repeating 'red squirrels' and all the sentences are short. It would be much better if the sentences were joined together with conjunctions and the pronouns it and they were used.

Red squirrels have tufted ears and bushy tails that grow as long as 18 cm. They have four fingers and two toes on each paw. They have a thinner coat in summer but they shed this every year so that they can grow a thicker coat for the winter. Red squirrel babies, which are called kittens, are blind when they are born and have no hair or teeth.

This version flows better than the first one and is easier to read.

In this activity, we will practise using pronouns and conjunctions (such as 'so' and 'because') to join sentences and write interesting paragraphs.

Let's begin!