Lesson video

Hello.

My name is Miss Johnson, and I'm going to be teaching you English today.

In today's lesson, we're going to be writing a range of sentence types for the build-up of our narrative on Man On The Moon.

If you haven't watched a previous lessons, you should stop this video and go back and watch those lessons first, if you have then let's get started.

We're going to start today's lesson by looking at the purpose of a build-up.

That is what its role is in a narrative of a story.

And then we're going to look at different sentence types that we might use when we come to write the build-up of the narrative on Man On The Moon.

And then we're going to have a go at writing a range of sentence types.

If we put a lot of work in today, then actually the following lessons are going to be much easier because we're going to have sentences that we can just copy and use.

And then we're going to review the effectiveness of the sentences that we've picked.

Now when I talk about effectiveness, I mean the effect each sentence has on the reader, the impact it has on my audience.

As an author, I'm always making decisions over what I'm doing.

And so the sentences and the sentence types that I choose to use have different effects on the reader.

And that's why I had to spend a bit of time thinking about them.

So in the lesson today, you will need an exercise book or paper, a pencil or a pen, doesn't matter which one and your brain.

I want you really to be thinking carefully about the effect that each sentence you're writing is having and how you make it more effective.

What can you do to change it and improve it? How can you push yourself today and be ambitious? So we're going to start off by thinking about what a build-up is.

So the purpose of a builder and that means what role it has is to introduce the problem of a narrative and it's to build suspense.

So in Man On The Moon, the problem in the build-up is that Lily wants to reach the old man.

She wants to communicate to the old man, but she can't find a way to and she's desperate for him to see her, she's desperate for him to let him know that she is there and that she has seen him because she knows he is lonely.

And so the suspense builds, every time she tries a different way and fails, it really gets more and more frustrated.

They also just want Lily to succeed.

They empathise with the man, they feel for the man.

They want him to have somebody to communicate with as every time Lily fails, the reader becomes more and more frustrated.

Suspense also has its way of speeding up our writing.

It makes a reader excited and put them on the edge of their seat.

So how do we do that? This is what we're going to focus on today.

We're going to think about how authors create suspense in their writing and how they really engage the reader.

So we're going to focus on the build-up here today and this is the section of the build-up that we're looking at.

So we've done our opening, we're focusing on our build up today.

So we know that she scooted rapidly home.

She's determined, Lily is determined to find out, to look through that telescope again.

Meanwhile the old man is just sat lonely on his bench, staring vacantly into space.

Then Lily looks up to the moon and has an idea.

She's worked out a way to communicate.

She's going to write a card to the old man and hold it up for him to see.

And sadly it fails, so but sadly it fails And sadly it fails, so but sadly it fails and then she's left wondering what to do next, and that's the section we're focusing on today.

So now we're going to think about different sentence types.

We're doing this because it is through our sentence types that we convey our meaning, that we create different effects on the reader.

And every sentence type is as purposeful and has as much worth as the other sentence types.

So don't think that one sentence type is better than the other one.

It's not, they all have their role and they all have a purpose to play when writing.

So we're going to match the sensing types first of all, to the images here.

You might have come across these images in previous lessons.

I'm going to explain them first to you though.

Mr. Main means a main clause.

Mr. Main makes sense on its own, it's a main clause.

Some sentences we have to have a Mr. Main and a subordinate clause, the helper.

So the main clause makes sense on its own.

The subordinate clause doesn't make sense on its own, but we add it to the main clause to go out on missions and to help the main man, the main clause.

It adds extra information to the main clause.

We also have sentences where we have two main clauses and we add those two main c;auses together.

And those two main clauses also create a sentence type.

So what I would like you to do now is pause the video and have a go at matching the compound, simple and complex to the images that you can see here.

What do you need for each of these sentence types? Do you need a main clause, a main clause and subordinate clause or two main clauses joined together? So pause the video, have a go and press play when you're ready to resume.

Well done, how did you get on? Let's see.

So a compound sentence, say it, compound has two main clauses.

They're joined by coordinating conjunction 'and' or 'but', and it has two main ideas joined together.

The two ideas must be linked though, but these two ideas, these two main clauses make sense by their own.

A simple sentence is just a main clause.

One main clause, on its own makes sense.

A complex sentence is a main clause plus a subordinate clause.

The subordinate clause doesn't make sense on its own.

It adds extra detail to that main clause.

And these ones are joined by subordinating conjunctions.

Three examples of subordinating conjunctions are 'as', 'when', and 'because' but there are many others.

So well done, now we're going to think about what each of these sentence types is used for.

So what is the purpose of each of these sentence types? A simple sentence, say it, simple has just one main clause.

How many main clauses? One main clause.

They can be used to build suspense.

Now we've already reminded ourselves in a build up we need to build suspense, so this is one way we can do that when we write our narrative.

We can use simple sentences.

They're nice and short.

They often speed the writing up and they build suspense.

So I'm going to give you an example now.

That was it.

Full stop.

She had an idea.

And that shows me this quick, the how quickly the idea has sprung into her mind.

So it's kind of mirroring exactly what's happening in the narrative.

And so even though a lot of children think simple sentences are really easy, so they're not going to use them.

Actually, if you use them carefully and with the correct purpose, then the effect they have can be really good.

But, we must be careful that we don't just use simple sentences.

If we did that, our writing would move so fast and it wouldn't have any detail to it.

So this is where the compound sentence comes in to help.

So compound sentences have two main clauses.

How many? Two main clauses.

A main clause makes sense by itself.

And the two main clauses are joined by coordinating conjunction, say it coordinating conjunction.

A conjunction is like glue.

It sticks these two main clauses together.

These two main clauses must be linked.

They need to have similar meaning or they need to be closely linked.

And that's really important.

The coordinating conjunctions we can use are: 'and', 'but', 'or'.

'and', 'but', 'or'.

And they can be used to join two ideas together.

So in our narrative, I have got an example of how I've used a 'but' coordinating conjunction to create a compound sentence.

She reached as high as she could but, it was hopeless.

Now 'but' shows a contrast.

It shows a negative and positive.

So she reached as high as she could, but it was hopeless.

She didn't succeed.

And that is a really nice way of adding detail to that simple sentence that I've got to begin with so that main clause.

It's really added to that first main clause by using the second main clause, I add extra detail.

These are links so it makes sense and helps the flow of my writing if I also link them.

Now also remember that before 'buts' and 'or' you must have a comma.

'And' does not need a comma before it Sometimes though, you want to add even more detail to a main clause and to do this, we use a complex sentence.

Complex sentences have a main clause and a subordinate clause.

What do they have? A main clause and a subordinate clause.

A main clause and a subordinate clause.

And they're joined by subordinating conjunction.

Say it, subordinating conjunction.

The main clause makes sense by itself, the subordinate clause doesn't.

It cannot be a sentence on its own.

You always have to stick to this, main clause with a subordinating conjunction, helping it to do so.

And we use complex sentences to add detail to our writing.

They help us to expand our ideas.

So they help us to stretch ideas into more than one.

And that's really nice, sometimes you want to added detail.

You'll find that when you write, sometimes he wants to be descriptive and other times you want to speed the pace up.

So you have to select the correct sentence type to do that.

When we want to be descriptive, it's the complex sentence that we want.

Now there's one other trick with a complex sentence is that you can move the position of the subordinate clause.

So it can come after the main clause, or it can go before the main clause.

In the sentence below, that is my example.

The subordinate clause is first.

"As she scooted home," I know that's a subordinate clause because it wouldn't make sense on its own as is my subordinating conjunction and I've got a comma marking where the subordinate clause meets the main clause.

As she scooted home, she frowned with steely determination.

I've expanded the idea because now I've told you how she's feeling when she scoots home.

And that's really effective as a really appropriate way to have expanded my idea here and to add more information.

So those are the three sentence types we're going to use today.

And now you're going to have a go at writing your range of sentence types for your writing.

As I said before, the word range is the important one.

We don't want to just use one type of sentence type because that will make our writing really repetitive and really boring for the reader.

So what we actually want to do is use that range.

We want to use a simple sentence, we know now that builds suspense.

We want to use a compound sentence to add on join two ideas together.

And we want to use a complex sentence to expand ideas.

And if we have the balance of those senses types in our writing, then our writing will flow really nicely and our reader will stay engaged.

It will be really clear for the reader as well.

So are you ready to start writing some? We're going to be writing them for our build up, just to remind you.

So we're thinking about building suspense and creating the problem, those are the two things I'm writing my sentences for.

So the first image that we use for our build-up is to show Lily scooting home after school determined to go and look through a telescope again.

So can you write two simple sentences to show the suspense, to show how Lily is feeling? She's desperate to get home.

She can't wait to look through her telescope, why? give me two short, simple sentences.

They need to be quite linked because they're building suspense.

They're making the reader read quickly.

So pause the video here and write two simple sentences.

One main clause in each and press play when you're ready to resume.

Fantastic, well done.

Did you make sure you used capital letters and full stops? Oh, I think you better check, pause the video check and press play when you're ready.

Well done, we have to always remember even when we're just planning sentences like we are in today's lesson, we still must make sure we've got capital letters correct.

And if we are saying Lily, we need a capital letter because it's a proper noun.

So these were my two short, simple sentences.

She had to get home.

She had to take another look.

And the repetition there 'she had to, she had to' actually also helps to build the suspense.

It also helps to build the pace of my writing.

So it's another effective way of doing so.

So, She had to get home.

She had to take another look.

And that really shows, it mirrors Lily's determination to get home as well, so this is a really effective way to use simple sentences.

Now I'm going to have a go at writing a compound sentence about the pictures below.

So what did she do here? We can see she's really trying to reach the old man and communicate with him.

You can pick which coordinating conjunction you use, your BOA words.

That's how I remember the three coordinating conjunctions, 'but', 'or', 'and', BOA like a boa constrictor which is a snake.

Remember that 'but' and 'or' also have a comma before them in the sentence if you're going to use them in the and doesn't.

So have a go, can you pause a video now? Write two main clauses joined by coordinating conjunction.

Just remember, your two main clauses must be a link.

They can't be completely separate ideas.

So pause the video here, press play when you're ready to resume.

Well done, what a fantastic job.

So let's have a check, shall we? I came up with this one.

You might have a completely different idea and that's fine.

I'm just showing you an example.

So don't worry if yours is different to mine.

That's okay.

But just check that it has, the grammar that you need.

So, She made a glittery, dazzling card.

I get extra points cause I used an expanded noun phrase two adjectives separated by a comma describing a noun.

She made a glittery, dazzling card and held it up to the sky So there's my two main clauses describing what she's doing, joining those two actions together.

Now we're going to have a go at adding an extra detail.

What's happening in these two pictures below? We're going to join the two actions together.

What is going on? So you're going to write a complex sentence.

This needs a main clause and a subordinate clause.

Remember you can put a subordinate clause before the main clause if you would like.

We join them using a subordinating conjunction.

We're going to focus on three subordinating conjunctions, there are a lot.

The three we're going to focus on are 'because', 'as', 'when'.

So pick one of those and write a complex sentence to describe the pictures below.

Remember the subordinate clause doesn't make on its own, it needs the main clause to help it.

How I always write complex sentences is like this.

I start by imagining what my main clause is and then I add on the subordinate clause.

If you start with your subordinate clause, generating that idea, what often happens is you forget to add on the main clause.

So start with the main clause, then add in that helper, add in the subordinate clause.

Press pause, have a go and press play when you're ready to resume.

Okay, let's check then.

So here is my complex sentence.

As Lily looked longingly at the moon, she thought of the old man sat slumped on a bench.

Now I have linked these two cause I talk about Lily and she, so I'm still keeping it within Lily, what she's thinking.

And this works really well here because I've expanded my sentence by showing you what she's thinking.

I've got my subordinate clause first "As Lily looked longingly at the moon," and I've used a comma to separate that from the subordinate clause, from the main clause.

And it's added extra detail here and explained what she's thinking.

Now we're going to have a look at the effectiveness of different sentence types in my writing for the build-up.

And I'll read it to you first and in a minute, I'll ask you to pause the video.

But what sentence types have I used? And what effect on the reader do they have in this piece of writing? Whoosh! As Lily frantically raced home after a long day at school, she clenched her teeth and frowned with steely determination.

She had to take another look.

She wouldn't give up! She had to find a way to tell him that he wasn't alone.

So pause the video here and tell me the effectiveness of each of these sentence types on the reader and press play when you're ready to resume.

Well done, let's look at these together.

So as lily frantically raced home after a long day at school, she clenched her teeth and frowned was steely determination.

I've really expanded my idea here.

I've shown you how she's feeling, by adding the extra detail to the action.

So I've shown you the action and also how she's feeling.

So that complex sentence works really well there.

And then I've used three simple sentences.

She had taken a look, she wouldn't give up! She had to find a way to tell him that he wasn't alone.

I've used repetition as well within those, by starting with she.

This really helps to add to the flow of my writing.

It speeds my writing up.

It shows the reader.

The reader is almost feeding how Lily is, we're determined to get home as well.

We're on the edge of our seats, just like she is.

Our hearts are pounding as a reader, just like Lily's heart.

So it was an effective way to use simple sentences.

And by having that balance between a complex sentence followed by simple sentences, I've kept the flow of my writing.

So today we've done lots of learning.

We've looked at the purpose of a build-up.

We then explored different sentence types and how these can have different effects on the reader.

And then we've written a range of sentence types.

Keep those, you can use them for the next few lessons.

And then we've reviewed the effectiveness of different sentence types in the writing for the build-up.

So congratulations, you've completed your lessons today.

You've done really, really well.

I hope you now understand in a little bit more detail, how to use different senses type for different effects as an author and the effect that this has on the reader.

I hope you enjoy the rest of your lessons today and take care.