Literacy Curricular Targets
Connectives
Use connectives within sentences to join and show the relationship between ideas.
This target particularly supports Assessment Focus 5.
A connective is a word or phrase that links clauses or sentences. Connectives can be conjunctions (e.g.
but, when, because) or connecting adverbs (e.g. however, then, therefore)
A conjunction links ideas within a sentence.
There are two kinds of conjunction:
- Co-ordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, so)
- Subordinating conjunctions (e.g. when, while, before, after, since, until, because, although). These
are a feature of complex sentences.
This is not an exhaustive list and pupils should not be limited to the examples provided. It is
important that the vocabulary examples are added to with pupils. Examples of connectives need to
be collected from reading and generated with pupils for display.
See Grammar For Writing for further examples and definitions
See Jumpstart by Pie Corbett for ideas of quick warm-up activities that can be used daily to support
teaching and learning.
and
but
so
because
then
when
if after
while as well as
although
also besides
even though
never the less
in addition to
contrary to
despite
so as to
Use complex sentence structures appropriately.
Vary sentence length and word order to keep your reader interested
Year 1
We can say sentences using connectives to join ideas
I can say a sentence using:
and, but, or, so
I can say a sentence using:
and, but, or, so, then, because, when
I can say and write sentences using:
and, but, or, so, then, because, when
Year 2
We can say and write sentences using connectives to join ideas
I can say a sentence using:
and, but, or, so, then, because, when
I can say and write sentences using:
and, but, or, so, then, because, when
I can write sentences using:
but, or, so, then, because, when, if, while, whenever
Year 3
We can say and write sentences using connectives to join ideas
I can say and write sentences using:
and, but, or, so, then, because, when
I can write sentences using:
but, or, so, then, because, when, if, while, whenever
I can write sentences using: but, or, so, then, because, when,
if, after, while, whenever, as well as, although, however,
until.
Year 4
We can write varied sentences using connectives.
I can write sentences using:
but, or, so, then, because, when, if, while, whenever
I can write sentences using:
but, or, so, then, because, when, if, after, while,
whenever, as well as, although, however, until.
I can write sentences using:
but, or, so, then, because, when, if, after, while, as well
as, although, however, until, nevertheless, even
though, in addition to, contrary to, despite, so as to
Year 5
We can write varied sentences using connectives.
I can write sentences using: but, or, so, then, because, when,
if, after, while, as well as, although, however, until.
I can write sentences using:
because, when, if, after, while, as well as, although, however,
until, nevertheless, even though, in addition to, contrary
to, despite, so as to
I can use a range of connectives (above).
I vary my sentence length and word order to keep the reader
interested.
Year 6
We can write varied sentences using connectives.
I can write sentences using:
because, when, if, after, while, as well as, although,
however, also, besides, nevertheless, even though, in
addition to, contrary to, despite, so as to
I can use a range of connectives (above).
I vary my sentence length and word order to keep the
reader interested.
I select and use a wide variety of sentence constructions
to suit the purpose for my writing and the effect I want
to create.
Whole School Writing Target:
Year:
What will you do differently to support pupils to achieve this target? (Teaching
strategies/resources/links to planning in literacy and across the curriculum)
Evidence of impact on
learning