Reviewing and refining descriptive writing: alliteration, plosives and sibilance
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can improve a piece of descriptive writing inspired by the painting 'The Execution of Lady Jane Grey' by making effective use of alliteration, plosives and sibilance.
Key learning points
- Alliteration is when two or more words start with the same consonant.
- A writer makes use of plosives when they use the letters 'p', 't', 'k', 'b', 'd' or 'g' for effect.
- Sibilance is the repeated use of the letter 's' for effect.
- Alliteration, plosives and sibilance can be a sophisticated way to create a sense of sound.
Keywords
Alliteration - when two or more words start with the same consonant
Plosives - use of letters 'p', 't', 'k', 'b', 'd' and 'g' to make a harsh sound; unlike alliteration, these letters don’t have to be found at the start of a word.
Onomatopoeia - words which sound like the noise they describe e.g. crash
Sibilance - repetition of the letter 's' in successive words
Common misconception
Using onomatopoeia is the only way to create a sense of sound in a piece of writing.
Onomatopoeia can be a helpful tool to rely on in some pieces of writing. However, alliteration, plosives and sibilance are often more sophisticated and more subtle. They also allow for a greater range of sounds to be generated.
Teacher tip
Consider if you have excellent models from your pupils to use to explain what effective alliteration, plosives and sibilance look like in writing. You could use these in place of, or in addition to, the models in each learning cycle.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.In 'Myths, legends and stories that inspire', we look at a painting called 'The Execution of Lady Jane Grey'. Match each figure in the painting to what they are doing.
trying to find the executioner's block while blindfolded
crying
guiding Lady Jane Grey towards the block
holding an axe, looking at the floor
Q2.In 'Myths, legends and stories that inspire', we look at a painting called 'The Execution of Lady Jane Grey'. Which of the following items are in the picture?
Q3.Match these key terms, all useful to the descriptive writing completed in 'Myths, legends and stories that inspire', to their definitions.
two or more words that start with the same consonant
repetition of the letter 's' in successive words
use of the letters 'p', 't', 'k', 'b', 'd', 'g' for effect
words which sound like the noise they describe
Q4.Which of these words is an example of onomatopoeia? ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire').
Q5.Sibilance is the repetition of the letter 's' in successive words. Which of the following sentences are examples of sibilance? ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire').
Q6.Alliteration is when two or more words start with the same consonant. Which of the following sentences are examples of alliteration? ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire').
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1. is when two or more words start with the same consonant ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire').
Q2. is the repetition of the 's' sound in successive words ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire').
Q3. are the sounds the letters 'p', 't', 'k', 'd' and 'g' create. Writers use these to create effects in their writing ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire').
Q4. is when words sounds like the noise they describe ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire').
Q5.Which sentence uses sibilance? ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire').
Q6.Which of the following sentences use alliteration? ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire')
To help you plan your 8 English lesson on: Reviewing and refining descriptive writing: alliteration, plosives and sibilance, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 English lesson on: Reviewing and refining descriptive writing: alliteration, plosives and sibilance, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 English lessons from the Myths, legends and stories that inspire unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.