New
New
Year 11
Eduqas

Exploring unique narrative voices

I can identify unique narrative voices and use tone and register to write with a unique voice.

New
New
Year 11
Eduqas

Exploring unique narrative voices

I can identify unique narrative voices and use tone and register to write with a unique voice.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Register and tone are important parts of establishing voice in a narrative.
  2. Register is the formality of language whilst tone is the mood of a text.
  3. 'The Lovely Bones' has a unique perspective, tone and register, making the narrative voice engaging.
  4. Unique perspectives might include writing from the perspective of an inanimate object, an animal or an abstract idea.
  5. We can adapt our perspective, register and tone to create unique voices in our own creative writing.

Keywords

  • Register - the level of formality of language

  • Tone - the mood or attitude conveyed in writing

  • Voice - the language a writer uses to communicate their perspective or a story

Common misconception

Pupils may not realise that they can choose a unique narrative perspective for their creative writing as they may not have come across that many narrative perspectives other than human.

Tell pupils that writers have written from the perspective of animals, objects, abstract ideas etc. Give examples. 'Black Beauty' is written from a horse's perspective. 'The Book Thief' is narrated by Death.

If your pupils are not used to writing from a unique perspective, you may want to write a short paragraph (with a unique perspective and tone) as a class before their practice in Learning Cycle 2.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You will need a copy of Chapter 1 of 'The Lovely Bones' by Alice Sebold for this lesson.

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
  • Depiction or discussion of serious crime

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), 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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6 Questions

Q1.
What is tone?
the level of formality of language
Correct answer: the mood or attitude of a text
the writer's feelings
Q2.
Which of these conveys a condescending tone?
Correct answer: "I don't think you know enough about the topic to make a comment."
"Tell me more about yourself."
"Are you okay?"
Q3.
What is register?
Correct answer: the level of formality of a text
the writer's feelings
the volume of a speech
Q4.
Which of these conveys a conversational register?
Correct answer: "Do you wanna go out for dinner?"
"She put on her coat and left for dinner."
"That evening, I decided I would go out for dinner."
Q5.
What is narrative perspective?
the writer's feelings
Correct answer: the point of a view a text is written from
someone's tone of voice
Q6.
Which of these is the most unusual narrative perspective?
Correct answer: a narrative written from the perspective of an animal
a narrative written from the perspective of the protagonist
an omniscient narrative perspective

6 Questions

Q1.
When might we use a formal register?
when talking to friends
Correct answer: when talking to colleagues in a meeting
Correct answer: when talking to people we do not know
Q2.
What makes the narrative perspective in 'The Lovely Bones' by Alice Sebold unique?
It is written from the perspective of a pet.
Correct answer: It is written from the perspective of a dead girl.
It is written from the perspective of Death.
Q3.
Match each sentence to the register being used.
Correct Answer:"Are you alright?",conversational

conversational

Correct Answer:"I am worried about Edward's health.",formal

formal

Correct Answer:"My darling, what's wrong?",intimate

intimate

Q4.
Which might provide the most unique narrative voice in a story or novel?
an old woman
a child
Correct answer: a clock
Q5.
"It's that new tiny human, it's led them to forget about me!" In this sentence, what makes it obvious that this is from a pet's perspective?
the syntax
the punctuation
Correct answer: the word choice
Q6.
"I hold myself supremely blest—blest beyond what language can express; because I am my husband's life as fully as he is mine." This example from 'Jane Eyre' uses which tone and register?
bitter tone, formal register
melancholy tone, conversational register
Correct answer: proud tone, formal register