End of Year Expectation:
Compose and write simple sentences independently to communicate meaning.
Use capital letters and full stops when punctuating sentences.
Ability Level / Target / Teaching Points / Examples
Must ( or Step 1) / I can orally rehearse simple sentences and begin to write them down.
I can recognise a sentence in my reading, and say where it starts and ends. / Teach children to say sentences out loud which make sense. Emphasise sense before punctuation.
Teach children to segment words and write in order to communicate meaning.
(Sentences may show awareness of full stops and capital letters and phonically plausible attempts at words will be seen)
Teach children to recognise units of meaning that can stand alone and make sense, i.e. a sentence. Show how these units of meaning are demarcated by capital letters and full stops. / Jack went up the beanstalk.
Once upon a time there was a boy called Jack. He lived in a cottage in the woods. He was rather a stupid boy.
Should ( or Step 2) / I can write a sentence independently which makes sense and begin to use and/but.
I can use capital letters and full stops when writing a sentence. / Teach children to write a simple sentence which makes sense and extend to using simple connectives.
(Sentences may not be punctuated accurately to achieve this target and phonically plausible attempts at words will be seen)
Teach children that a sentence is a unit of meaning. Encourage them to “think a sentence, say a sentence, write a sentence” establishing sense before writing so that punctuation is automatic. / Jack lived with his mother and their cow.
Jack’s mother asked him to go to market but he didn’t know the way.
The harp sang loudly.
Could ( or Step 3) / I can use compound sentences and extend sentences using while, so and because.
I can use commas to separate items in a list. / Teach children to join two simple sentences to make a compound sentence and extend ideas by using time or reason connectives.
Teach children to separate items, adjectives or actions in a sentence with a comma for all but the last item. / The sun shone. The birds sang. Jack and Daisy ambled along.
The sun shone and the birds sang while Jack and Daisy ambled along.
Jack and his mother went to market to buy bread, butter, bacon and eggs.
Writing / Layered Targets for: Sentence structure: punctuation / Year Group: 2
End of Year Expectation:
Write simple and compound sentences and begin to use subordination in relation to time and reason.
Use question marks, and use commas to separate items in a list.
Ability Level / Target / Teaching Points / Examples
Must ( or Step 1) / I can write a sentence independently which makes sense and begin to use and/but.
I can use capital letters and full stops when writing a sentence. / Teach children to write a simple sentence which makes sense and extend to using simple connectives.
(Sentences may not be punctuated accurately to achieve this target)
Teach children that a sentence is a unit of meaning. Encourage them to “think a sentence, say a sentence, write a sentence” establishing sense before writing so that punctuation is automatic. / Jack lived with his mother and their cow.
Jack’s mother asked him to go to market but he didn’t know the way.
The harp sang loudly.
Should ( or Step 2) / I can use compound sentences and extend sentences using while, so and because.
I can use commas to separate items in a list. / Teach children to join two simple sentences to make a compound sentence and extend ideas by using time or reason connectives.
Teach children to separate items, adjectives or actions in a sentence with a comma for all but the last item. / The sun shone. The birds sang. Jack and Daisy ambled along.
The sun shone and the birds sang while Jack and Daisy ambled along.
Jack and his mother went to market to buy bread, butter, bacon and eggs.
Could ( or Step 3) / I can begin to use different sentence starters such as a simile.
I can use a comma when I add detail to a sentence with a clause at the end. / Teach children to use interesting ways to start a sentence.
Teach the children to extend sentences by adding relevant detail at the end, placing a comma first. / As quick as a flash, Jack shot up the beanstalk.
After a while, Jack met a strange looking man.
Jack ambled down the road, whistling as he went.
Writing / Layered Targets for: Sentence structure: punctuation / Year Group: 3
End of Year Expectation:
Show relationships of time, reason and cause through subordination and connectives.
Clarify meaning through commas.
Ability Level / Target / Teaching Points / Examples
Must ( or Step 1) / I can begin to use different sentence starters such as a simile.
I can use commas to separate items in a list. / Teach children to use interesting ways to start a sentence.
Teach children to separate items, adjectives or actions in a sentence with a comma for all but the last item. / As quick as a flash, Jack shot up the beanstalk.
After a while, Jack met a strange looking man.
Jack and his mother went to market to buy bread, butter, bacon and eggs.
Should ( or Step 2) / I can vary my sentences by dropping in a clause.
I can use a comma when I add detail to a sentence with a clause at the end. / Teach children to drop a clause into a given sentence to add relevant detail.
Teach the children to extend sentences by adding relevant detail at the end, placing a comma first. / Jack went for a walk.
Jack, who was feeling restless, went for a walk. The cow, which had walked to market, was exhausted.
Jack ambled down the road, whistling as he went.
Could ( or Step 3) / I can use a range of sentence starters to create complex sentences.
I can use a comma after starting a sentence with an ‘ed’, ‘ing’ or ‘ly’ word. / Teach children to start complex sentences with ‘ing’ ‘ed’ or ‘ly’ clauses.
Teach the children that whenever they use an ‘ed’, ‘ing’, or ‘ly’ starter they must follow it with a comma. / Smiling suspiciously, the man put his hand into his pocket, rummaged about and pulled out a handful of glossy, red beans.
Mooing gently, Daisy’s big brown eyes looked at the strange man’s face.
Dressed all in black, the man appeared very strange to Jack.
Writing / Layered Targets for: Sentence structure: punctuation / Year Group: 4
End of Year Expectation:
Clarify meaning and point of view by using varied sentence structure (phrases, clauses and adverbials)
Use commas to mark clauses…..
Ability Level / Target / Teaching Points / Examples
Must ( or Step 1) / I can vary my sentences by dropping in a clause.
I can use a comma when I add detail to a sentence with a clause at the end. / Teach children to drop a clause into a given sentence to add relevant detail.
Teach the children to extend sentences by adding relevant detail at the end, placing a comma first. / Jack went for a walk.
Jack, who was feeling restless, went for a walk. The cow, which had walked to market, was exhausted.
Jack ambled down the road, whistling as he went.
Should ( or Step 2) / I can use a range of sentence starters to create complex sentences.
I can use a comma after starting a sentence with an ‘ed’, ‘ing’ or ‘ly’ word. / Teach children to start complex sentences with ‘ing’ ‘ed’ or ‘ly’ clauses.
Teach the children that whenever they use an ‘ed’, ‘ing’, or ‘ly’ starter they must follow it with a comma. / Smiling suspiciously, the man put his hand into his pocket, rummaged about and pulled out a handful of glossy, red beans.
Mooing gently, Daisy’s big brown eyes looked at the strange man’s face.
Dressed all in black, the man appeared very strange to Jack.
Could ( or Step 3) / I can use a range of different sentence types in my writing, including simple and complex sentences
I can combine three ideas and demarcate the first two with commas. / Teach children to join two ideas to make a complex sentence using a conjunction.
Teach the children to join simple sentences together to make a ‘sentence of three’ by replacing the subject with commas. / Jack took the cow to market whilst his mother stayed at home to feed the chickens.
although, since, whenever, because, whilst, if
Jack clambered down the beanstalk. He picked up his axe. He shouted, “Timber!”.
Jack clambered down the beanstalk, picked up his axe and shouted, “Timber!”
Writing / Layered Targets for: Sentence structure: punctuation / Year Group: 5
End of Year Expectation:
Adapt sentence construction to different text types, purposes and readers
Punctuate a variety of sentences accurately.
Ability Level / Target / Teaching Points / Examples
Must ( or Step 1) / I can use a range of sentence starters to create complex sentences.
I can use a comma after starting a sentence with an ‘ed’, ‘ing’ or ‘ly’ word. / Teach children to start complex sentences with an ‘ing’ ‘ed’ or ‘ly’ clause, and to follow it with a comma. / Smiling suspiciously, the man put his hand into his pocket, rummaged about and pulled out a handful of glossy, red beans.
Gently mooing, Daisy’s big brown eyes looked at the strange man’s face.
Dressed all in black, the man appeared very strange to Jack.
Should ( or Step 2) / I can use a range of different sentence types in my writing, including simple and complex sentences.
I can combine three ideas and demarcate the first two with commas. / Teach children to join two ideas to make a complex sentence using a conjunction.
Teach the children to join simple sentences together to make a ‘sentence of three’ by replacing the subject with commas. / Jack took the cow to market whilst his mother stayed at home to feed the chickens.
although, since, whenever, because, whilst, if
Jack clambered down the beanstalk. He picked up his axe. He shouted, “Timber!”.
Jack clambered down the beanstalk, picked up his axe and shouted, “Timber!”
Could ( or Step 3) / I can use a variety of
simple and complex
sentences in my writing to have an effect on the reader.
I can use commas to demarcate clauses accurately. / Teach children to apply a variety of sentence types in a paragraph. Explain and discuss the effect of each on the reader.
Teach children, when dropping in a clause, to place a comma before and after the clause. / Jack gasped! Why had his mother thrown the beans out of the window? Scratching his head in disbelief, he stormed off to his room.
The giant, howling with rage, raced after Jack.
Writing / Layered Targets for: Sentence structure: punctuation / Year Group: 6
End of Year Expectation:
Express subtle distinctions of meaning, including hypothesis, speculation and supposition, by constructing sentences in varied ways.
Use punctuation to clarify meaning in complex sentences. Where does the comma need to go to mark boundaries between [words, phrases or clauses]?
Ability Level / Target / Teaching Points / Examples
Must ( or Step 1) / I can use a range of different sentence types in my writing, including simple and complex sentences.
I can combine three ideas and demarcate the first two with commas. / Teach children to join two ideas to make a complex sentence using a conjunction.
Teach the children to join simple sentences together to make a ‘sentence of three’ by replacing the subject with commas. / Jack took the cow to market whilst his mother stayed at home to feed the chickens.
although, since, whenever, because, whilst, if
Jack clambered down the beanstalk. He picked up his axe. He shouted, “Timber!”.
Jack clambered down the beanstalk, picked up his axe and shouted, “Timber!”
Should ( or Step 2) / I can use a variety of
simple and complex
sentences in my writing to have an effect on the reader.
I can use commas to demarcate clauses accurately. / Teach children to apply a variety of sentence types in a paragraph. Explain and discuss the effect of each on the reader.
Teach children, when dropping in a clause, to place a comma before and after the clause. / Jack gasped! Why had his mother thrown the beans out of the window? Scratching his head in disbelief, he stormed off to his room.
The giant, howling with rage, raced after Jack.
Could ( or Step 3) / I can manipulate phrases and clauses in a sentence to have specific effects on the
reader.
I can use a semi-colon to separate two closely related main clauses in a sentence. / Teach children to play around with the order of clauses to affect shades and subtleties of meaning.
Teach children to use a semi-colon where two closely related main clauses, which could stand alone as simple sentences, could be linked with a conjunction, but can be understood without. / Wondering what to do next, Jack leant against the beanstalk and considered his options.
Considering his options, Jack leant against the beanstalk and wondered what to do next.
Leaning against the beanstalk, Jack considered his options and wondered what to do next.
Jack was pleased with the beans; he was sure they were magic.
(The missing conjunction here is “because”).
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