Year 9 - English
Using vocabulary effectively in fiction writing
Malevolent characters: fiction writing
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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 create and write malevolent characters. They first look at the conventions of malevolent characters, before learning about the techniques they can use to present their malevolent characters. They finally plan and write their fiction with a malevolent character in it.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to carefully select verbs and adverbs to describe a malevolent character.
Key Notes
- Careful selection of verbs and adverbs are key in description as they strongly impact meaning.
- Changing a verb or adverb in your creative writing can change the way the reader views a character.
- Using specific language can reveal a character's intentions and emotions.
- Being clear what your intention is before writing will help you make more effective word choices.
Vocabulary To Learn
- verb: a word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence
- adverb: a word that describes a verb, an adjective, another adverb or even a whole clause; often ends in '-ly'
- menacing: suggesting the presence of danger; threatening
- unkempt: an untidy appearance
- intent: what you are aiming to do
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Pupils may think that a physical description of a character is enough to help the reader understand what the character's personality is like.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.
Careful selection of verbs and adverbs are key in description as they strongly impact meaning. Changing a verb or adverb in your creative writing can change the way the reader views a character.
2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'verb'
a word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence.
3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.
Mistake: Pupils may think that a physical description of a character is enough to help the reader understand what the character's personality is like. Correction: Though physical description is really useful, considering verb and adverb choices in particular allows the reader to really imagine a character. For example, how they walk, talk and behave around others are all telling of their character.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Contrasting characters: using juxtaposition Study Guide
- Crafting character through dialogue Study Guide
- Crafting malevolent characters Study Guide
- Crafting physical description for malevolent characters Study Guide
- Describing setting and developing tone Study Guide
- Planning fiction writing about a malevolent character Study Guide
- Using figurative language effectively for character description Study Guide
- Using paragraphs effectively Study Guide
- Writing fiction about a malevolent character Study Guide
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