Year 4 - English
Linguistic features of descriptive writing
Weather: descriptive writing
Study Hub
Study Guides
This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupils practise discrete narrative writing skills, basing their writing around typical stormy or desert island weather. Pupils practise using figurative language appropriately and with increasing sophistication; they also finish the unit by illustrating their descriptive scene writing.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to identify and explain linguistic features of descriptive writing.
Key Notes
- Descriptive writing uses figurative language to create vivid pictures in the reader's mind.
- Descriptive writing appeals to the reader's five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste and touch.
- Descriptive writing uses precise and ambitious vocabulary.
- Simile and personification are types of figurative language.
Vocabulary To Learn
- descriptive language: language that creates a clear picture for the reader that is often found in fiction texts
- figurative language: the use of simile and personification to paint vivid pictures for the reader
- simile: a linguistic device that compares two things using 'like' or 'as', highlighting similarities to create vivid imagery
- personification: a linguistic device that gives human characteristics to non-human objects to create vivid imagery.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Similes must compare two similar things.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.
Descriptive writing uses figurative language to create vivid pictures in the reader's mind. Descriptive writing appeals to the reader's five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste and touch.
2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'descriptive language'
language that creates a clear picture for the reader that is often found in fiction texts.
3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.
Mistake: Similes must compare two similar things. Correction: While similes often compare two things with some shared characteristics, they can also highlight differences for emphasis or contrast.
More Lessons In This Unit
Browse all guides in the Year 4 English guide library.