Elaborating Sentence

Elaborating sentences follow on from the defining sentence/general statement and before the linking sentence.

They help flesh out the introduction by providing the reader with extra general information about the main topic/macro group they are going to read about to raise interest and engagement:

It's important that the elaborating sentence contains general information related to the topic and does not state specific, detailed information that will be written about in the main paragraphs:

The example on the left only gives information about just one of the micro groups. It's likely the student could accidentally repeat this fact later on or miss this out and then find themselves lacking content later on when writing. It's also too specific and detailed for an introduction, which should be focused on giving a brief overview of the main topic before going into specifics later on.

The example on the right gives us generalised information that can be applied to the macro group as a whole, not just one of the micro groups, so it's a good elaborating sentence. 

This is why it's a good idea to postpone writing the elaborating sentence until the linking sentence has been completed. Telling students they're not allowed to write any facts about the micro groups in this sentence will help them come up with alternative ideas:

*Note: Elaborating sentences and linking sentences aren't required for all genres in First Level and may appear from the start of Second Level, but could still be used as push and challenge tasks. The above examples are simply illustrations to show what is possible.