Geometry: Shapes, Angles and Lines
Shapes, angles and lines is the Year 3 geometry topic covering how to describe 2D and 3D shapes by their properties, recognise an angle as a description of a turn, with a right angle equal to a quarter turn, and identify horizontal, vertical, parallel and perpendicular lines.
Before you start
No specific prerequisites - this is a good place to start.
Method
- Learn to name and describe common 2-D shapes (e.g. triangle, quadrilateral, pentagon, hexagon) by counting their sides and vertices.
- Learn to name common 3-D shapes (e.g. cube, cuboid, cone, cylinder, sphere, pyramid) by their faces, edges and vertices.
- Recognise a right angle as a quarter turn, and use the corner of a piece of paper or a right-angle checker to test whether an angle is exactly a right angle.
- Compare an unknown angle to a right angle to decide if it is greater than a right angle or less than a right angle.
- Identify horizontal lines (flat, going side to side) and vertical lines (going straight up and down).
- Identify parallel lines (always the same distance apart and never meeting) and perpendicular lines (meeting at a right angle).
Worked example
Look at a rectangle. State how many right angles it has, and identify one pair of parallel sides and one pair of perpendicular sides.
- A rectangle has 4 corners, and every corner of a rectangle is a right angle, so it has 4 right angles.
- The top and bottom sides of the rectangle never meet and stay the same distance apart, so they are a pair of parallel sides.
- The top side and the left side meet at one of the rectangle's corners, which is a right angle, so they are a pair of perpendicular sides.
Practice questions
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Q1A shape has six straight sides, but two of them are much longer than the others. Is it still a hexagon? Explain your answer.Show answer
Answer: Yes. A hexagon is any shape with six straight sides, so the sides do not have to be equal. Only a regular hexagon has six equal sides and six equal angles.
Q2Name a 3-D shape that has exactly one curved surface and one flat circular face.Show answer
Answer: A cone
Q3Is a quarter turn the same size as a right angle?Show answer
Answer: Yes
Q4How many right angles make a complete turn?Show answer
Answer: 4
Q5Is the angle in a thin pizza slice usually greater than or less than a right angle?Show answer
Answer: Less than a right angle (it is an acute angle)
Q6Name a pair of lines that are always the same distance apart and never meet.Show answer
Answer: Parallel lines
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a KS2 Maths exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
A square is cut in half along one diagonal to make two triangles. How many right angles does each triangle contain?
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Look at a capital letter T drawn with two straight lines. State whether the two lines that make the T are parallel or perpendicular, and explain your answer.
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A shape has 4 sides, 4 vertices, and all four of its angles are right angles, but it is not a square. Name a shape it could be.
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Free printable worksheet
Want more practice on paper? Download the geometry: shapes, angles and lines worksheet pack - 6 pages of exam-style questions with a full mark scheme. One email opens every download in this browser for 14 days - no account, no card. Print it for personal and classroom use.
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