Year 4 - English
Practising using figurative language
Weather: descriptive writing
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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 practise using figurative language in different sentence types.
Key Notes
- A simile describes something by comparing it to something else to make the description more vivid.
- Personification gives human characteristics to something non-human.
- Using a variety of sentence types in descriptive writing engages the reader.
Vocabulary To Learn
- 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
- compare: to note what is the same and what is different
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- More figurative language in descriptive writing is always better.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.
A simile describes something by comparing it to something else to make the description more vivid. Personification gives human characteristics to something non-human.
2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'figurative language'
the use of simile and personification to paint vivid pictures for the reader.
3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.
Mistake: More figurative language in descriptive writing is always better. Correction: Overuse of personification, similes or other figurative devices can overwhelm the reader or dilute the impact of the description.
More Lessons In This Unit
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