Writing a paragraph
Class 4 English · Writing · 8 questions with answers
By Class 4, answers are expected to run to several sentences that belong together. Most children can produce the sentences; what is missing is the order and the ending. This sheet practises planning separately from writing, which is what makes the difference.
- Plans a paragraph in four words before writing it
- Opens with a sentence that says what the paragraph is about
- Ends with a closing line rather than stopping
Exercise 1 of 3 · 4 questions
These sentences are jumbled. Number them in the right order.
Put in order · Warm-up
Here’s one done for you
B comes first because it says what the whole paragraph is about - that is the opening sentence. Then the order words do the rest: First (D), Then (A), Finally (C). Teaching a child to look for those words is quicker than teaching them to reason about the events.
- 1)A. Then we packed our bags and left for the station.
- 2)B. Our trip to the hills began very early one morning.
- 3)C. Finally, after four hours, we saw the first mountain.
- 4)D. First Amma woke everyone at four o'clock.
Answers
- 1) B, D, A, C
Exercise 2 of 3 · 3 questions
Write only a four-word plan for each topic. Do not write the paragraph.
Write the answer · Guided
Here’s one done for you
A rainy day at school → rain / no games / indoors / paper boats. Four words, thirty seconds, no sentences. Every child resists this because it feels like wasted time, and every child who does it writes a better-ordered paragraph in less time. These plans are examples - any four sensible points are correct.
- 1)A rainy day at school
- 2)The person I like most
- 3)A festival we celebrate at home
Answers
- 1) rain / no games / indoors / paper boats
- 2) who / what they do / one story / why I like them
- 3) which festival / preparations / the day / best part
Exercise 3 of 3 · 1 questions
Now write one paragraph of five or six sentences using your plan from above.
Write the answer · Challenge
Here’s one done for you
The model answer follows the plan exactly: rain, no games, indoors, paper boats, and then a closing line. Notice the last sentence does not add anything new - it finishes. A paragraph that simply stops feels unfinished to a marker, and one closing sentence is the cheapest fix in Class 4 writing.
- 1)A rainy day at school
Answers
- 1) It rained heavily on Tuesday and we could not go out to play. Our games period was moved to the classroom instead. We sat in groups and played word games while the rain hit the windows. Some of us made paper boats and raced them in the puddles at the gate afterwards. It was not the day we had planned, but it turned out to be a good one.
While your child works
- Insist on the plan before the paragraph, even though your child will say it is unnecessary. It is the whole point of the sheet.
- The model answer is one possible paragraph, not the correct one. Judge your child's on order and on whether it ends, not on how closely it matches ours.
- Do not correct spelling while they are writing. Mark it after, or you will interrupt the thinking that this sheet is practising.