New
New
Year 10
Eduqas

Using synonyms and expanded noun phrases to craft effective descriptions

I can use small strategies to improve the cohesion of my descriptive writing.

New
New
Year 10
Eduqas

Using synonyms and expanded noun phrases to craft effective descriptions

I can use small strategies to improve the cohesion of my descriptive writing.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Synonyms can be used to avoid repeating a subject e.g. 'The trees'.
  2. Supporting details should be used to describe the paragraph focus in detail.
  3. Concluding sentences draw paragraphs together, creating cohesion.
  4. Expanded noun phrases can be effective at focusing on details within a scene.

Keywords

  • Synonym - A word that has the same meaning - or almost the same meaning - as another word.

  • Expanded noun phrase - A descriptive phrase made of a noun as well as one or more adjectives.

  • Concluding sentence - The last sentence in a paragraph, concluding that paragraph’s main idea or focus.

  • Cohesion - The act of sticking together tightly. If writing has cohesion it fits together well.

  • Tense - On edge, as if something bad is going to happen.

Common misconception

Using sophisticated vocabulary alone is enough to make my writing great.

Although sophisticated vocabulary is good, there are lots of smaller strategies that can also make writing effective.

You may wish to revisit other class texts/extracts that use the strategies discussed in this lesson to show students first hand examples of how they can elevate writing.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

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.
In which era did the sci-fi genre gain popularity?
Correct answer: Victorian
Elizabethan
Georgian
Q2.
If you describe someone as villainous then their behaviour is ...
Correct answer: immoral and wicked.
stupid and arrogant.
sneaky and rude.
cheeky and silly.
Q3.
Jun created a character for his story that had strong elements of a tragic hero. We could describe what Jun has done here as ...
context.
Correct answer: characterisation.
research.
creativity.
Q4.
A group of words related in some way can be described as a ...
Correct answer: semantic field.
group of three.
theme.
acronym.
Q5.
'The last sentence in a paragraph, concluding that paragraph’s main idea or focus.' What is being described here?
Topic sentence
Discourse marker
Correct answer: Concluding sentence
Supporting detail
Q6.
Which of the below is the best definition of the adjective 'tense'?
Correct answer: On edge, as if something bad is going to happen.
On edge, as if something good is going to happen.
On edge, as if something exciting is going to happen.

6 Questions

Q1.
What is being described here: 'A word that has the same meaning - or almost the same meaning - as another word.'?
Correct Answer: synonym, Synonym, synonym., Synonym.
Q2.
Which of the below could be considered synonyms for tense?
Correct answer: nervous
Correct answer: edgy
Correct answer: uneasy
chaotic
afraid
Q3.
If a piece of writing sticks together well then it has ...
Correct answer: cohesion.
consistency.
complexity.
clarity.
Q4.
To be considered an expanded noun phrase a sentence must have ...
Correct answer: a noun and one or more adjectives.
a noun, verb and adjective.
a noun and a verb.
a noun and a language device describing the noun.
Q5.
Sofia wrote a descriptive piece of writing about a jungle. However, she began three separate sentences with 'The trees'. What would be an appropriate piece of feedback for Sofia?
Correct answer: Use synonyms to vary the subject ('the trees').
Add a different adjective before 'trees' in each sentence.
Focus less on the trees and pick something else to write about.
This is too simplistic. Swap 'The trees' for language devices.
Q6.
When using a single paragraph outline, which of the below would be appropriate for the 'supporting detail' section?
Correct answer: note-form
Correct answer: specific language devices I'd like to use
Correct answer: key words
overall focus of the paragraph
conclusion