Title: Crafting my writing for effect

Aim: Can I make interesting word / structural choices to add impact to my writing?
Learning aims
ALL: Clearly craft your
writing by adapting
sentence forms and
choosing apt vocabulary.
MOST: Create an engaging
piece of writing by carefully
adapting your sentence
forms, vocabulary, and
developing your ideas.
CHALLENGE: Create a
compelling piece of writing
using highly sophisticated
vocabulary, sentence
structure and developed
ideas.

All: Describe this image as powerfully as you can in no more than 10 words.
Most: Use interesting and varied adjectives, verbs and adverbs.
Challenge: Use imagery and language techniques (personification, metaphor, similes, and others.)
 Reminder: What does Question 5 look like? You might have a choice between…
Write a description suggested by A descriptive writing task
the image below. This means you need to write a sensory
description of the scene in the image. You
can imagine details as long as they seem
appropriate! Aim: To paint a vivid picture in
the reader’s mind.

A narrative writing task

This means you need to write the beginning
of a story – engaging the reader and hinting
at what will happen to the characters / ideas
you’ve introduced. You must still
demonstrate the skills required in descriptive
writing. Aim: To engage the reader’s
interest and make them want to read
Write the opening of a story about poverty. further!
In order for us to be successful writers, we must be selective with (24 marks for
our choice of vocabulary – it’s not just about choosing the content and
longest or complex word. organisation
When choosing the right word, need to consider: 16 marks for
1.What the word means technical accuracy)
2.How the word sounds
[40 marks]
3.Whether or not that word creates the right tone.
Vocabulary in action
In pairs, read the passage and discuss:
Is this an effective piece of writing? Why? Why not?
What tone is the writer trying to create? How are they doing this?
What would you add to / change about this writer’s description?

It’s okay to give constructive criticism!

The writer is attempting to convey a
Adjectives to qualify nouns
sad and somber tone
Personification
Flapping in the icy breeze, the
patchwork fabric that made up Short sentence – monosyllabic
the thin walls of this makeshift words to show restraint.
home threatened to give way.
The family held their breaths. Sibilant word sounds to mimic
Silent and still they sat. Solemn. silence
Serious. It felt as though if they
were to exhale, it would all fall
apart, like some fragile house Creating tone and mood.
of cards. Yes, they had been
dealt a terrible hand.
Extended metaphor
Let’s change the tone
Can you create a determined and POWERFUL tone?
ALL: How might the writer’s vocabulary choices change if she was aiming for a determined and
powerful tone?
MOST: Add in 3 tone-appropriate adverbs.
CHALLENGE: What are the benefits of using adverbs? What can the negative impacts be?

Flapping in the icy breeze, the patchwork fabric

that made up the thin walls of this makeshift
home threatened to give way. The family held
their breaths. Silent and still they sat. Solemn.
Serious. It felt as though if they were to exhale,
it would all fall apart, like some fragile house of
cards. Yes, they had been dealt a terrible hand.
Resiliently, the makeshift home they had
crafted…
In order for us to be successful writers, we must be selective with our choice
of vocabulary – it’s not just about choosing the longest or complex word.
When choosing the right word, need to consider:

1.What the word means

2.How the word sounds
3.Whether or not that word creates the right tone.
 What do we mean when we say ‘vary your sentence structures’?
We need to vary our sentence structures to jolt the reader’s attention every now and then –
writing should be rhythmic and dynamic.
We can do this a number of ways…
1. Using a combination of simple, compound and
complex sentences. Let’s test this out!
You are going to write
2. Varying your sentence openers by starting
eight sentences about
with…
a topic I will choose.
•An adjective: Ferocious waves heaved and surged Your sentences should
like mountains in motion. combine to create a
•A pronoun: She suddenly became aware of how story.
alone she really was. For each sentence, you
•An adverb: Hastily, she scurried along the will be given a different
pavement like a lost animal. instruction telling you
•A verb: Chortling mightily, William could not how to structure that
supress his sheer delight. sentence.
•A connective: Initially, she had come to enjoy a You may be instructed
peaceful walk in the settling evening sun. on:
The kind of word to start
3. Changing the length and number of words. with (adjective, adverb,
verb, pronoun,
 Write a description suggested by the image below
1. Start with 2. Start with 3. Start with a 4. Start with an
the word the word VERB (an action ADJECTIVE (A
“The” word / ‘doing’ word that
“Earlier..” word) describes a
person, place or
Challenge: Challenge: Use thing)
Use a
Challenge:
imagery
selective and Write a (personification,
second metaphor,
Challenge:
ambitious Use a
adjective in sentence. simile, etc) in
your sentence. different
your ‘Now, sense in your
sentence. however,…’ sentence.
 Write a description suggested by the image below
5. Start with an
oppositional 6. Start with an 7. Use only 5 8. Start with a
connective PRONOUN (A words in this VERB (an action
word that
(e.g. replaces a noun sentence. word / ‘doing’
‘However’….) – e.g. He, she, I, word)
me, you, they…)
Challenge:
Challenge: Be Challenge: This is
considerate Challenge: Use You cannot the concluding
of your word alliteration in use the word sentence. How
your sentence.
sounds. ‘the’. would you like to
end your story?

Share your writing with the person next to you.

Which steps made your writing more dynamic and engaging?
Which ones will you now adopt in your own writing?
 Read this description
They ambled along the winding path, toward
the horizon of the hill. The air was crisp. It
had been a pleasant walk.

Methods to develop your descriptions

•Zoom out and describe surroundings.
•Zoom in and pick out individual details /
How would you develop this aspects describe them.
description into further and more •Explore the character’s thoughts and
engaging detail?
feelings about…
- What’s happening /
Think / pair / share: surroundings
What would you describe as well? - The past
Can you think of any METHODS to - The future
extend this description?
In pairs, extend the description
Challenge: Can you link to the
using one or more of these
entrance activity?
techniques. You have 5 minutes!
 What did you come up with? Did it make the description more detailed and
engaging?

They ambled along the winding path, toward

Methods to develop your
the horizon of the hill. In the glowing light,
descriptions
its brow emerged, undulating across the sky.
•Zoom out and describe
As they reached the peak, they observed the
surroundings.
rest of the tiny village below: home. The air
•Zoom in and pick out individual
was crisp and sent a small shiver down the
details / aspects describe them.
little one’s back. ‘Time to go’, the older one
•Explore the character’s thoughts
thought, sensing the shudder in the tiny
and feelings about…
hand he was clasping, ‘tomorrow, we will - What’s happening /
leave this village.’ It had been a pleasant
surroundings
walk. - The past
- The future

Challenge: How did the writer use the

three techniques to STRUCTURE their
writing?
 Consolidation: Writing the opening to a story (15 mins)
You must….
•Use SELECTIVE vocabulary and imagery.
•Vary your sentence openers and lengths for effect.
•Vary the focus of your writing for effect.

Write the opening to a story suggested by this image….