Tying Paragraphs Together

English · Grammar & Punctuation · ages 10-11

Name ______________________ Date ____________

What is ellipsis in writing?
- Leaving out guessable words
- Repeating a word for emphasis
- Starting a paragraph with a linking word
A new paragraph can link to the one before it without any linking word, just by repeating a key word or using a synonym.
Circle one: True False
Paragraph 2 begins: 'As a result, the team celebrated.' What ties this paragraph to the one before it?
- An adverbial
- A synonym
- Ellipsis
Paragraph 1 ends with 'the whale surfaced.' Paragraph 2 begins 'The huge creature dived again.' What links the two paragraphs?
- A repeated word
- A synonym for the whale
- An adverbial
Paragraph 1 tells the history of the ancient castle. Which opening for paragraph 2 keeps the strongest link to it?
- Many people enjoy days out with their family.
- In conclusion, castles are old.
- The castle's walls still stand guard over the town.
Paragraph 1 ends: '...the falcon spread its wings.' Paragraph 2 begins: 'It rose above the cliffs.' What does 'It' stand for?
- the cliffs
- its wings
- the falcon
A writer wants to avoid repeating 'the scientist' four times across a paragraph. What's the best fix?
- Swap in synonyms like 'the researcher' or 'she'
- Delete the sentences that mention the scientist
- Repeat 'the scientist' every time for clarity
Join these with ellipsis: 'Amara kicked the ball. Amara scored a goal.' Which is the smoothest single sentence?
- Amara kicked the ball and Amara scored a goal.
- Amara kicked the ball and scored a goal.
- Amara kicked the ball and a goal scored Amara.
Leo wrote two paragraphs. Paragraph 1 explains how volcanoes form. Paragraph 2 suddenly describes his holiday in Spain. What is the cohesion problem?
- He used too many synonyms
- The paragraphs are about different topics with nothing linking them
- He left out too many words
Paragraph 1 ends with the explorers setting up camp for the night. Paragraph 2 describes what happened when they woke. Which adverbial best opens paragraph 2?
- On the other hand
- Early the next day
- As a result

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Tying Paragraphs Together W1-mt_hjtbA3g-Nn-s1

Leaving out guessable words · Ellipsis means dropping words that would just repeat something the reader already knows.
True · Repeating a key word or swapping in a synonym carries the idea across, so no linking word is needed.
An adverbial · 'As a result' is an adverbial. It shows the celebration followed on from whatever happened in paragraph 1.
A synonym for the whale · 'The huge creature' means the same thing as 'the whale', so it's a synonym holding the paragraphs together.
The castle's walls still stand guard over the town. · Repeating the key word 'castle' carries the same idea into paragraph 2. The other openings drift to new ideas or sound like an ending.
the falcon · 'It' stands in for 'the falcon', so the reader carries the same bird into the new paragraph without the word being repeated.
Swap in synonyms like 'the researcher' or 'she' · Synonyms and pronouns keep the meaning clear while avoiding dull repetition.
Amara kicked the ball and scored a goal. · Dropping the second 'Amara' keeps the meaning clear and stops the repeat: 'Amara kicked the ball and scored a goal.'
The paragraphs are about different topics with nothing linking them · The paragraphs jump between unrelated ideas with no repeated word, synonym, or adverbial to bridge them, so the writing feels broken.
Early the next day · The story moves forward in time from night to morning, so a time adverbial like 'Early the next day' fits best.