Writing More Than One Sentence
Put sentences together into a paragraph that holds: link them with the connecting words the language uses, keep the tense steady, and adapt a model text instead of translating out of your head.
What a learner can do afterwards
- Write a short paragraph in the new language that stays in one tense
- Join two sentences with a connecting word from the new language
- Adapt a model text into their own version rather than translating word by word
1 · Read
A paragraph that jumps around is hard for a reader to follow. One paragraph holds one idea: the first sentence names it, and every later sentence stays with it.
Glue sentences with connecting words such as and, but, because and then. Keep every verb in the same time, past or present.
A model text about a market day stays in the past and links each step with then and because. Borrow its shape and fill it with your own day.
End with one sentence that sums up the point. Then read the paragraph aloud to hear where it breaks.
Name one idea first, link sentences, stay in one tense, and close by summing up.
The rewritten readings were written for this dataset.
More to read
Keeping a paragraph together
Group sentences into a paragraph when they develop one main idea. An opening sentence often introduces that idea. Details, reasons and examples then help explain it. Begin another paragraph when your focus changes. Many languages use this approach, though paragraph conventions vary.
Choosing your paragraph's main point
A topic sentence states the main point you want to develop. It often opens the paragraph, though it can appear elsewhere. Check that every other sentence supports that point. Remove unrelated sentences or find another place for them. A clear topic sentence helps you decide what to write next.
Details readers can imagine
Help readers imagine a place through specific details. For a busy market, describe its sights, sounds and smells. Keep details that support your main point. Two or three precise observations tell readers more than ten unclear ones. Reread your paragraph: could a friend imagine being there?
Putting paragraphs in order
Arrange paragraphs so readers can follow your thinking. Introduce your main point, then develop your reasons in separate paragraphs. Words such as first, then, however and finally help connect the ideas. End with a brief summary.
2 · Watch
Take it off screen
Where it sits
Where this leads
Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.