the beat, flow, or pattern of a piece of music or writing

to describe something that happened, to tell its story

the mental strain a reader is put under because of their suspicion that something bad is about to happen

words or phrases at the beginning of a sentence which describe the action that follows

a range of different forms, types, things

Improving the style of a letter: sentence structure and rhythm

English

In 'A World at War: Short Stories', pupils explore the reasons for writing war literature and how it seeks to convey the suffering of soldiers and civilians, in times of conflict. In 'Power and Conflict Poetry', students explore the many types of conflict that arise through war, with themes including patriotism, propaganda, fear, guilt and duty.

In 'The Tempest', pupils are encouraged to write from the viewpoint of Caliban and Ariel, adopting character voices in creative writing. In 'A World at War', pupils emulate the writing styles of the authors that they encounter, to create an authentic voice in their writing. 

Literary perspectives from the First World War

Depiction of war, threats of war, death or the aftermath of war.

Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Depiction or discussion of violence or fighting, including threats of violence or the aftermath of violence.

Often, writers try to create rhythm in their writing to engage their readers. What are the two main ways to create rhythm in writing?

A pupil wrote a sentence pretending to be a soldier on the frontline of WW1: "Gently crying, I tried to extricate myself from the wire." Which is the fronted adverbial?

A pupil wrote a sentence pretending to be a soldier on the frontline of WW1: "Looking left and right, I made a mad dash for the trench." Which is the fronted adverbial?

Seeking comfort I tore your letter open and read it immediately.

seeking comfort, i tore your letter open and read it immediately

seeking comfort, I tore your letter open and read it immediately.

Seeking comfort, I tore your letter open and read it immediately

Seeking comfort, I tore your letter open and read it immediately.

A pupil wrote a sentence pretending to be a soldier on the frontline of WW1. Which sentence contains a correctly punctuated fronted adverbial?

Starting with the first, put these words and punctuation marks in order to create a sentence with a fronted adverbial. The first word of the sentence has not been given a capital letter.

Pupils were tasked to write a letter recounting an imagined experience in the trenches of WW1. What does it mean to recount?

A pupil was tasked to write a letter recounting an imagined experience in the trenches of WW1. They start their letter with a greeting. Which greeting is accurate?

Wilfred Owen (1893-1918) was a British soldier. He is most famous for his {{ }} about the realities of trench warfare in World War One.

Wilfred Owen (1893-1918) was a soldier and poet. His poem about a gas attack in WW1 sees a speaker recount, "Dim through the misty panes and thick green light, As under a green sea, I saw him {{ }}."

Wilfred Owen (1893-1918) was a soldier and poet. His poem about a gas attack in WW1 sees a speaker recount the death of another soldier: "I saw him drowning." What type of clause is this?

In one of his 1917 letters to his mother, the poet and soldier Wilfred Owen describes a trench he was stuck in for 50 hours. “One entrance had been blown in and blocked. {{ }}, the other remained.”

Content guidance

Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Adult supervision recommended

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Improving the style of a letter: sentence structure and rhythm

Lesson outcome

Content guidance

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.