Study Hub

Study Guides

This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.

Back to Study HubBrowse Year 4 English Guides

Year 4 - English

Generating vocabulary to write a narrative based on 'Jabberwocky'

'Jabberwocky': narrative writing

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils write a full narrative based on the nonsense poem 'Jabberwocky' from 'Through the Looking-Glass' by Lewis Carroll. Pupils write an opening, build-up, climax and resolution, focusing on writing all parts of the narrative arc and devoting time to editing their writing.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to generate precise vocabulary to use in your narrative based on 'Jabberwocky'.

Key Notes

  • 'Jabberwocky' can be interpreted to follow this narrative structure: opening, build-up, climax, resolution.
  • Accurate and ambitious descriptions of the characters and setting rely on careful and precise language choices.
  • Some vocabulary is more precise than others; careful vocabulary choice is paramount to evoke setting and atmosphere.
  • Different nouns and adjectives are used to refer to characters to avoid repetition.
  • Imagining colours as we write helps us choose ambitious vocabulary that describes images as positive or negative.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • adjective: a person, place or thing
  • noun: describes a noun
  • verb: a doing, being or having word
  • character: a person, animal or thing in a story
  • setting: where a story is set

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Pupils may use adjective choices that are not precise enough or appropriate for this narrative.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.

'Jabberwocky' can be interpreted to follow this narrative structure: opening, build-up, climax, resolution. Accurate and ambitious descriptions of the characters and setting rely on careful and precise language choices.

2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'adjective'

a person, place or thing.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: Pupils may use adjective choices that are not precise enough or appropriate for this narrative. Correction: Create a shared word bank for the characters and setting that pupils can refer to.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 4 English guide library.