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      Planning the third part of the build-up of 'The Highwayman'

      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can use my knowledge of stanzas five and six of ‘The Highwayman’ and speech punctuation to plan the third part of the build-up.

      Key learning points

      1. The purpose of the build-up is to keep the reader engaged, increase the tension of the plot and develop the characters.
      2. Dialogue is when two or more characters are speaking in a text.
      3. Dialogue can be written in the form of speech first or speech second sentences.
      4. Show-not-tell can be used to convey a character's thoughts or emotions.

      Keywords

      • Purpose - the aim of the text

      • Dialogue - when two or more characters are speaking in a text

      • Speech first - a speech sentence that includes direct speech first before the reporting clause

      • Speech second - a speech sentence that includes direct speech second after the reporting clause

      Common misconception

      Pupils may find correctly punctuating speech first and speech second sentences challenging.

      Use visual speech scaffolds to support pupils with correctly punctuating speech first and speech second sentences.

      Teacher tip

      Pupils may need to be reminded and supported to give additional information to the reader in the reporting clause in the form of subordinate clauses or adverbial detail.

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0
      except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions
      (Collection 2).

      Lesson video

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      Prior knowledge starter quiz

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Fill in the gap. __________ is the term used for a person speaking out loud in a text.

      Reporting clause
      Speech first
      Speech second
      Correct answer: Direct speech

      Q2.
      Match the punctuation symbols that can be used in speech to their names.

      Correct Answer:inverted commas," "
      Correct Answer:comma,,
      Correct Answer:question mark,?
      Correct Answer:exclamation mark ,!

      Q3.
      Match the key words to their definitions:

      Correct Answer:reporting clause,tells the reader who said the speech and how
      Correct Answer:speech first,includes direct speech before the reporting clause
      Correct Answer:speech second,includes direct speech after the reporting clause

      Q4.
      Fill in the gap. __________ involves describing a character's gestures, body language and facial expressions to convey their emotions.

      Direct speech
      Correct answer: Show-not-tell
      Reporting clause

      Q5.
      Tick the examples of show-not-tell from the list:

      he was angry
      Correct answer: his heart sank
      Correct answer: a smile spread across her face
      Correct answer: he sighed desperately
      she felt envious

      Q6.
      Match the type of show-not-tell to its example:

      Correct Answer:facial expression,he frowned
      Correct Answer:action ,she slammed the door
      Correct Answer:internal physical feeling,his stomach lurched

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Match the keywords to their definitions:

      Correct Answer:purpose,the aim of the text
      Correct Answer:dialogue,when two or more characters are speaking in a text
      Correct Answer:speech first,includes direct speech before the reporting clause
      Correct Answer:speech second,includes direct speech after the reporting clause

      Q2.
      Fill in the gap. Stanzas five and six form __________ of our narrative writing.

      the setting and character description
      part one of the build-up
      part two of the build-up
      Correct answer: part three of the build-up

      Q3.
      Match some of the vocabulary from stanzas five and six to their definitions:

      Correct Answer:stirrups,loops for a horse rider to put their feet in
      Correct Answer:brand,a hot iron or poker
      Correct Answer:casement,window
      Correct Answer:galloped,a horse running fast

      Q4.
      Select the correctly punctuated speech first sentence:

      Correct answer: "I'll be back by tomorrow night," promised the Highwayman.
      "I'll be back by tomorrow night" promised the Highwayman.
      "I'll be back by tomorrow night, promised the Highwayman.

      Q5.
      Tick the purposes of the build-up:

      Correct answer: to introduce key characters and storyline
      Correct answer: to keep the reader engaged
      to describe the setting
      Correct answer: to give clues about what will happen later in the story
      to explain how a problem was resolved

      Q6.
      Fill in the gap. __________ is spoken words between two or more people in a text.

      Correct answer: Dialogue
      Speech first
      Reporting clause
      Speech second

      To help you plan your 5 English lesson on: Planning the third part of the build-up of 'The Highwayman', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...