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      Writing the build-up of 'The Iron Man' (part one)

      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can write the first paragraph of the build-up of 'The Iron Man'.

      Key learning points

      1. In part one of the build-up, Hogarth encounters the Iron Man and tells his father, who goes out in search of the giant.
      2. The use of precise and ambitious vocabulary, including ‘show and tell’ language supports the building of suspense.
      3. Using a range of sentence types, including adverbial complex sentences, supports text flow.
      4. An adverbial clause begins with a subordinating conjunction.
      5. An adverbial clause is joined with a main clause to form an adverbial complex sentence.

      Keywords

      • Suspense - when you are feeling anxious or excited about what may happen

      • 'show and tell' - a writing technique for showing a character’s feelings with description of their actions and expressions

      • Subordinating conjunction - a word that starts an adverbial clause

      • Adverbial clause - a type of subordinate clause that starts with a subordinating conjunction

      • Adverbial complex sentence - a sentence formed of a main clause and an adverbial subordinate clause

      Common misconception

      Children may struggle with switching the order of the clauses in an adverbial complex sentence and remembering the comma rule.

      Provide a model of an adverbial complex sentence. Example: 'His pulse raced as he sprinted home.' Ask children to identify the subordinating conjunction that begins the adverbial clause in order to switch the clauses. Ask them where the comma goes.

      Teacher tip

      Ensure children have their plan with them to support them when writing. Include an additional short teaching point to recap fronted adverbials from their plan (time, place and manner).

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), 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.
      What is the purpose of the build-up?

      Correct answer: to develop the plot and build suspense
      to introduce the protagonist and set the scene
      to describe the main action and take the suspense to its highest point

      Q2.
      Put the following events in the correct order to show the chronology of events in part one of the build-up.

      1 - Hogarth was peacefully fishing.
      2 - Hogarth sensed somebody watching him.
      3 - Hogarth spotted the Iron Man.
      4 - Hogarth ran home and told his parents.
      5 - Hogarth's father went out in search of the Iron Man.
      6 - Hogarth's father spotted a tractor bitten in half.
      7 - Hogarth's father had a close escape from the Iron Man.

      Q3.
      What is 'show and tell' language?

      language that explicitly tells the reader how a character feels
      Correct answer: language that conveys a character's feelings through their actions/expressions
      language that makes the reader laugh

      Q4.
      Which of the following are examples of 'show and tell' language?

      Hogarth felt worried.
      Correct answer: Hogarth had an uneasy feeling in his stomach.
      Hogarth turned around.
      Correct answer: Hogarth suddenly caught his breath.

      Q5.
      True or false? Using a range of sentence types supports text flow and helps to achieve the text's purpose.

      Correct Answer: True, true

      Q6.
      Match each sentence type to the correct definition.

      Correct Answer:simple sentence,a sentence about one idea that makes complete sense

      a sentence about one idea that makes complete sense

      Correct Answer:compound sentence,a sentence formed of two main clauses and a joining word

      a sentence formed of two main clauses and a joining word

      Correct Answer:complex sentence,a sentence formed of at least one main clause and a subordinate clause

      a sentence formed of at least one main clause and a subordinate clause

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      What is a subordinating conjunction?

      a group of words that contains a verb and makes complete sense
      Correct answer: a word that starts an adverbial clause
      a word that joins two main clauses to form a compound sentence

      Q2.
      Which of the following are subordinating conjunctions?

      Correct answer: when
      Correct answer: as
      and
      Correct answer: because
      but

      Q3.
      True or false? An adverbial subordinate clause always follows the main clause.

      Correct Answer: False, false

      Q4.
      What is an adverbial subordinate clause?

      Correct answer: a type of subordinate clause that starts with a subordinating conjunction
      a group of words that contains a verb and makes complete sense
      word or words that can tell the reader where a noun is

      Q5.
      What is an adverbial complex sentence?

      a sentence formed of two main clauses and a joining word
      Correct answer: a sentence formed of a main clause and an adverbial subordinate clause
      a letter or group of letters at the end of a word which creates another word

      Q6.
      Choose the appropriate subordinating conjunction to complete the following sentence: '__________ Hogarth ran home to tell his parents, his heart was pounding through his chest.'

      When
      Because
      So
      Correct answer: As

      To help you plan your 3 English lesson on: Writing the build-up of 'The Iron Man' (part one), download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...