Paragraphs: black mamba
The Grammar Bit!
Read the information about the black mamba opposite. You will notice that it is organised into 3 paragraphs. A paragraph is a collection of sentences based around a particular idea or topic. When the idea or topic changes, a new paragraph is needed.
Well formed paragraphs should begin with a topic sentence (bold). A topic sentence introduces the idea that all subsequent sentences within the paragraph are about.
Discuss with your talk partner what each paragraph is about.
Scintillating Sentences
Before he shed his skin, Bugs needed to cross the river. With his coffin-shaped head held high above the water’s surface, the athletic reptile propelled himself forward in an S-shaped motion. Like all mambas, Bugs was an excellent swimmer.
Once across the river, the serpent needed to find a suitable tree to climb, which could hide him from the prying eyes of predators. Despite the strong poisons in his body, Bugs knew that he could easily fall prey to mongooses on the ground and eagles in the sky.
After finding a suitable rough-surfaced branch, the shedding could begin. Bugs, like all snakes, needed to discard his old skin so that he could continue to grow and have any troublesome parasites removed.
Did you know?
Male black mambas fight each other when competing for a female. They twist their bodies together and wrestle with their necks until one gives up.