Lesson video

Hi everyone, and welcome to our lesson today.

Today we're going to be planning a narrative opening based on, "How to Train Your Dragon." In today's lesson, you will be planning the opening of a narrative based on, "How to Train Your Dragon." Here are some key words we are going to use.

Purpose, opening, non-finite subordinate clause, non-finite complex sentence.

The purpose is the aim of the text.

The opening is the first section of a fiction text.

A non-finite subordinate clause is a type of clause that can begin with a verb in the progressive tense.

A non-finite complex sentence is a sentence formed of a main clause and a non-finite subordinate clause.

Today, we're going to be planning a narrative opening based on, "How to Train Your Dragon." We're going to begin by looking at the purpose and linguistic features of this section.

Then, we're going to move on to planning the opening.

What is the purpose of an opening? Take a moment to have a little think.

The purpose of the opening is to engage the reader, introduce characters, and introduce plot.

To meet its purpose, an opening has a range of linguistic features, ambitious vocabulary, adverbial detail, a range of sentence types.

Using these linguistic devices will support the reader to visualise the setting, so they can picture it in their mind's eye, understand the atmosphere of the text and want to read on.

We really want to hook our reader in with this opening and make them have lots of questions about the characters and the plot, so that they're hooked into the story and want to continue reading.

The linguistic features of the opening are similar to those we use during the setting description.

We will continue to build on and develop this knowledge now.

Let's review the sentence type we learned about when we were writing the setting description.

Match the sentence types to their definitions, and pause the video while you do that.

Well done, if you spotted that a simple sentence is a sentence formed of one main clause.

A compound sentence is a sentence formed of two main clauses, joined by a coordinating conjunction.

An adverbial complex sentence is a sentence formed of a main clause and an adverbial subordinate clause, and a relative complex sentence is a sentence formed of a main clause and a relative subordinate clause.

Now, it's time for your first task.

Match the sentence types to their examples.

Pause the video while you complete your task.

Great work, everyone.

The example of the simple sentence was, "The island was encircled by ferocious dragons." The compound sentence was, "Berk's residents did "all they could to prevent it, "but the hungry dragons easily swooped down "to eat the sheep." The adverbial complex sentence was, "As the villagers leapt from their beds, thunderous roars filled the sky," and the relative complex sentence was, "The young boy, who was determined to help, "raced to the weapons shed." A complex sentence is formed of a main clause and a subordinate clause.

It contains a verb, which is a doing, having, or being word, and it makes complete sense on its own.

This is a main clause.

A subordinate clause also contains a verb, but it does not make sense on its own.

We learned about adverbial complex and relative complex sentences when we were writing the setting description.

Now, we're going to learn about non-finite complex sentences.

A sentence that contains a non-finite subordinate clause, connected to a main clause, is called a non-finite complex sentence.

A non-finite subordinate clause contains a verb, so a doing, being or having word, and it can begin with a verb in the progressive form.

The progressive verb form just means that this verb form indicates ongoing action, so something that is happening continuously over a period of time, and it ends in the -ing suffix.

For example, if we took the word dance in the simple present tense, we could convert it to the progressive tense, to dancing, or sing could be converted to the progressive tense with is singing.

Both of these, as you can see, have got the -ing suffix, so they indicate that these verbs are in the progressive tense.

Complete the table, changing the simple present tense verbs into the progressive form.

Use the auxiliary verb, "is," each time.

Pause the video while you complete your task.

Well done, flies becomes is flying.

Roars becomes is roaring.

Leaps becomes is leaping, brandishes becomes is brandishing, and bellows becomes is bellowing.

A sentence that contains a non-finite subordinate clause, connected to a main clause, is called a non-finite complex sentence.

Here's an example.

Let's read it together.

A hoard of dragons approached the island, roaring in thunderous rage.

In this example, our sentence begins with the main clause and ends with the non-finite subordinate clause.

We can see it's indicated there in purple.

It begins with that verb roaring in the progressive verb form, it's got that -ing suffix.

We can also switch around the order of the main clause and the non-finite subordinate clause.

Let's read this one.

Roaring in thunderous rage, a hoard of dragons approached the island.

This time, our non-finite complex sentence began with the subordinate clause and ended with the main clause.

The non-finite subordinate clause can come before or after the main clause.

We've got our progressive verb form, which starts the non-finite subordinate clause, the word roaring.

We also always use a comma to separate the non-finite clause from the main clause, so whether the non-finite clause comes first or whether it comes second, we always separate it from our main clause using a comma.

Underline the non-finite subordinate clause in each of these sentences and circle the progressive verb.

Pause the video while you complete your task.

Well done, if you spotted that A, brandishing their weapons, was the non-finite subordinate clause, and the progressive verb was brandishing.

In B, grabbing a heavy sword was the non-finite subordinate clause, and grabbing was the progressive verb, and finally, C, bellowing in frustration is the non-finite subordinate clause, and bellowing is the progressive verb form.

We can see across these examples, we have two where the non-finite subordinate clause comes first, and in B, the non-finite subordinate clause comes second, after the main clause, but remember, we always separate them, the two clauses, using a comma.

What a brilliant start to our lesson.

Now, we're going to move on to planning the opening.

When we plan, we use notes.

Notes are concise, and they capture vocabulary and information.

The purpose of notes is to help the writer organise information easily for future use, and we use bullet points when note-taking.

They look like this.

We can always build on our ideas in our plans when it comes to writing.

We will use this structure in our opening.

We'll begin by describing the dragons approaching the island.

Then, we're going to describe the dragons attacking the sheep.

Then, we're going to describe the villagers fighting back, and finally, we're going to describe our main character, a boy named Hiccup.

Here's the planning format that we're going to use for our opening.

It's got some prompts on it, so when we are considering the dragons approaching the island, we're going to be maybe describing them circling in the sky above.

How are we going to describe them flying? What words might we use? Some verbs, such as swooped, or descended, or plummeted from the sky might be quite powerful verbs.

What did their wings look like? What did they sound like as they were beating the air? Then, when we describe the dragons attacking the island, we might think, "What sounds did the dragons make?" What did the sheep do? What did they do to the sheep? Then, when we described the villagers fighting back, what sounds did the villagers make as they leapt from their beds and emerged from their huts, and grabbed their weapons, what did the villagers do? So, maybe they raced to the weapons shed to pick up their weapons.

Maybe, they valiantly, or boldly, or courageously defended their livestock, or maybe they watched on in horror as they observed the scene before them, and finally, we're going to describe Hiccup.

He is a young boy, and we are going to describe his appearance, his actions, and some feelings that he had in this moment.

Writing in note form.

Record ideas to describe the dragons approaching.

Include adverbial detail and other relevant linguistic devices where appropriate.

Pause the video while you complete your task.

Well done, everyone.

Here are some of my ideas.

I have included a non-finite subordinate clause, that's why I've written this first entry here, at the top of my plan, with a capital letter and a comma after it, "Circling silently overhead." I might describe the dragons as a group of dragons or a hoard of dragons, so we might use the word hoard as a collective, like if we were thinking about a hoard of angry bees or wasps, we could also maybe use that for the dragons.

We might describe their enormous, their vast wings, saying that they beat rhythmically or powerfully.

Take a moment to look at your plan.

Are there any ideas you would like to magnify or develop on your plan before we move on? Great work, everyone.

Now, writing in note form, record ideas to describe the dragons attacking the island.

Include adverbial detail and other relevant linguistic devices where appropriate.

So, thinking about what sounds did the dragon make as they descended from the sky towards the island? What did the dragons do? What did the sheep do? Pause the video while you complete your task.

Well done, everyone.

Here, I've included another non-finite subordinate clause, "Swooping down from the darkened skies," I've used that word swooping, because I think it's more specific than just saying they were flying down.

So, swooping creates that image in the reader's head for how they moved through the air.

I could describe the dragons as winged serpents, ferocious beasts, deadly creatures that attacked the villager's sheep or their livestock, because I don't want to repeat the word dragons over, and over, and over again.

I can use more interesting ways to refer to them, so that it doesn't become too repetitive for my reader.

I could write that the flames erupted from their fanged mouths, so here, the reader's got that visual of almost balls of flame firing out from their mouths, and thinking of their fangs, their sharp, sharp razor teeth.

Huts were engulfed in balls of flame, chaos and destruction was all around, the roaring of a fiery blast filled the air.

I might also think about the smoke filling the air, as well.

Now, writing in note form, record ideas to describe the villagers fighting back.

Included adverbial detail and other relevant linguistic devices where appropriate.

So, what sounds did the villagers make as they fought back? What did the villagers do? Pause the video while you complete your task.

Well done, everyone.

I've gone for an adverbial phrase of manner here, "With bellows of rage," the villagers lept from their beds, they grabbed their weapons, another non-finite subordinate clause, "Howling in fury," they fought the huge dragons with all their might, but that's where I might use a compound sentence in my writing, "Although they fought with all their might, "the dragons were too large and powerful." They preyed on the sheep before the villagers eyes.

I could also use some show, not tell here, you know, the villagers watched on with their shoulders slumped, hands shaking, hearts sank as they watched their livestock being picked from the island by the dragons.

And finally, we're going to describe Hiccup, our main character.

Writing in note form, record ideas to describe Hiccup.

Include adverbial detail and other relevant linguistic devices where appropriate.

You could describe what he looks like, what did he do, and what were his feelings as he watched this unfold? Pause the video now while you complete your task.

Brilliant work, everyone.

I'm going to describe Hiccup as a young boy.

I could use the adjective scrawny, he might have worn an anxious frown as he observed what was happening before him.

I might start a sentence with the phrase, "Determined to help," comma, he raced to the weapon shed, but he struggled to lift the heavy axe above his head.

He might have grabbed an axe, he might have grabbed a sword, he might have grabbed a crossbow, and he gazed in horror at the scene before him.

Take a moment now to review all of your planning, and decide whether you would like to add or develop any ideas you've got on there already.

Great work, everyone, and well done, everyone, that now brings us to the end of our lesson, where we have been planning a narrative opening based on, "How to Train Your Dragon." The purpose of a narrative opening is to engage the reader and introduce characters and plot.

When planning, we record our ideas in note form and use bullet points.

We can engage the reader in our writing by using a range of linguistic devices.

Including adverbial detail helps the reader understand when, where, or how something happened.

Using a range of sentence types enhances text flow and keeps the reader engaged.

I'm really looking forward to seeing us use our planning and apply that to our writing in our next lesson.

Well done, everyone.