This week we are focussing on how to edit and improve our work. Each day this week we are going to revise some sentence strands that we have covered this year. Each day you will recap the strand and use this in a piece of writing that you have already completed to improve the piece of work. You should then aim to use these in your next pieces of work over the coming weeks.
Follow the PowerPoint on Noun Phrases. What is a noun phrase? When would you use a noun phrase?
Once you feel confidence with noun phrases try and create some sentences based on ‘Snow White in New York.’
You may want to look back through work you have already completed and edit these sentences to include noun phrases or you may want to take sentences straight from the story and add your own noun phrases in!
Top tip: try and use a thesaurus to extend your vocabulary
e.g. You will never guess what my vulgar, despicable stepmother did to me today!
She really does despise me, I think it has something to do with her large, golden mirror that she stares into each day…
Follow the PowerPoint on fronted adverbials. What is a fronted adverbial? When would you use a fronted adverb?
Task 1: Create a die with a different fronted adverbial on each face. Roll the die and whatever phrase it lands on use this to start a sentence.
Task 2: Again, once you feel confident with fronted adverbials try and use these in your writing. Again, try and improve any Snow White in New York work or any other English task that you have completed so far!
e.g. Through the fog, a mysterious figure approached Snow White.
Follow the PowerPoint on embedded clauses. How do you use an embedded clause? What punctuation would you use with an embedded clause?
Task 1: See if you can find any embedded clauses in adverts, newspaper articles or any other books that you may be reading at the moment.
Task 2: Choose a piece of work you have completed so far and try to improve it by editing in at least two embedded clauses. If you are finding this difficult chose a book you are reading and emend one of the sentences to include an embedded clause.
Top tip: You can also use – or () instead of commas
e.g. Snow White, who was the most beautiful girl in the whole of New York City, made her stepmothers blood boil with rage.
Follow the PowerPoint on subordinating and coordinating conjunctions. What are the acronyms for each? How would you use a conjunction?
Task 1: Chose your favourite three coordinating conjunctions and your favourite three subordinating conjunctions. Create a main clause sentence then end each sentence differently using the different conjunctions.
My dad is great and
My dad is great but
My dad is great so
Task 2: When you feel confident with both types of conjunctions go back through your work and edit and improve your sentences.
e.g Snow White wondered through the dirty streets although she had no idea where she was going.
Revise and recap any sentence strands that you don’t feel as confident with. In this lesson you are going to combine all of these into one piece of detailed writing – the aim is quality and not quantity. Use the story opener to start you off.
‘I pushed open the ancient, wooden gate that was hidden beneath ivy that had infected the whole area…’