Hello, everyone, and welcome to your lesson on using similes to create atmosphere.

I'm Miss Sutherland and I'll be teaching you today.

Our learning outcome for today is to be able to identify how similes are used to create atmosphere.

And our keywords for today are: labyrinth, dilapidated, awry, and forlorn.

We're going to start off by learning how to make interesting comparisons within our similes.

Discuss: which of the following examples is not a simile and why? Is it A, the cityscape was as bleak as a broken mirror, is it B, the cityscape was a shattered mirror, or is it C, the cityscape was as bleak as a shattered mirror, reflecting only fragments of a forgotten world? Pause the video and answer the question well done if you said B.

The cityscape was a shattered mirror is not a simile.

The reason for that is because that sentence says the cityscape was a shattered mirror, meaning that sentence is a metaphor, not a simile.

So we are left with these two similes.

I want you to think about, which of the following similes then is the most sophisticated and why? Pause the video and have a go.

This simile is more sophisticated.

Let's read it again.

This cityscape was as bleak as a shattered mirror, reflecting only fragments of a forgotten world.

Well done if you said that.

One reason why this simile is sophisticated is because it uses a carefully selected adjective associated with dystopia, and that is the word bleak.

Another reason why this simile is sophisticated is because it chooses a noun that matches with the subject or verb.

It makes sense to compare a cityscape and a mirror.

Finally, it uses an impressive adjective to describe the noun, creating a noun phrase.

It uses the adjective shattered to describe the mirror.

Lastly, it has a subordinate clause at the end to give more vivid details about either the subject or the point of comparison.

So in this sentence, the subordinate clause, reflecting only fragments of a forgotten world, gives us a bit more detail about the cityscape and how exactly it's like a shattered mirror.

Which of the following would you not expect to see in an excellent dystopian simile? Pause the video and have a think.

Well done if you said a main clause at the end to add detail is what we would not expect to see in an excellent dystopian simile.

We've gone through that we need a carefully selected adjective to compare, we need a suitable comparative noun phrase, and that it would be really good to add a subordinate clause at the end for detail.

Well done if you've got that question right.

I want you to complete the table below to create some interesting dystopian similes.

You've been given the subject of each sentence.

For example, sentence one refers to the surveillance cameras, sentence two refers to the polluted air, and sentence three refers to the city's buildings.

What you have to do is say the surveillance cameras where as adjective as adjective plus noun and then add a subordinate clause at the end.

The polluted air was as something as adjective plus noun and then add a subordinate clause at the end.

For example, when creating a simile for the surveillance cameras, you might choose the dystopian adjective sharp.

You might then say the surveillance cameras were as sharp as.

Now you need to choose an adjective and noun to compare the surveillance cameras' sharpness to.

So you might say the surveillance cameras were as sharp as a hungry hawk inspecting its prey.

Pause the video and have a go at completing all of those similes.

Let's go through some possible answers.

You could have written, the surveillance cameras were as alert as malevolent eyes, never blinking.

You could have written, the polluted air was as suffocating as a ravenous boa constrictor, devouring its prey.

And lastly, the city's buildings were as decayed as decomposing bodies, which had been left to rot.

Well done on completing those similes.

Don't worry if your similes weren't exactly like those, as long as you created a dystopian atmosphere in the similes that you wrote.

We're now going to move on to using similes to create atmosphere.

How can we use similes to create atmosphere? Let's read the dystopian description below to help us have an idea about how similes can help us create atmosphere.

"In the far-stretching wasteland, the sky hung heavy, like an overbearing blanket, suffocating the world beneath.

The once-vibrant city, now a desolate labyrinth, sprawled out like a jigsaw puzzle missing essential pieces, its dilapidated buildings a testament to a world gone awry.

The sun struggled to break through the smog-filled horizon.

Its rays were as feeble as a sick patient, slowly dying like all the land it touched.

It cast long, eerie shadows that danced upon the rusted skeletons of cars, abandoned and forlorn." Which of the following would not be an appropriate adjective to describe the atmosphere created by the setting we just read? Pause the video and have a think.

Dilapidated would not be an appropriate adjective to describe the atmosphere created by the setting we just read.

This is because dilapidated means something that's been destroyed due to neglect or age, which isn't a feeling.

When we use the term atmosphere, we mean what feeling does that place create? That place creates an unsettling, unnerving, bleak feeling, but not a dilapidated feeling.

Let's move on.

Let's answer some questions about this extract.

How many similes can you spot in this description? Remember, a simile might use the word like or as.

Pause the video and have a think.

Here's the first simile: "The sky hung heavy, like an overbearing blanket, suffocating the world beneath." That is a simile because it uses the word like to compare the sky's heaviness to an overbearing blanket which suffocates the world beneath.

The second simile is, "The once-vibrant city, now a desolate labyrinth, sprawled out like a jigsaw puzzle missing essential pieces, its dilapidated buildings a testament to a world awry." This is a simile because it compares the city to a sprawled out jigsaw puzzle missing essential pieces.

The third simile is "Its rays were feeble as a sick patient, slowly dying like all the land it touched." This is a simile because it compares the sun's rays to a feeble and sick patient.

Well done if you found those similes.

Now, how did these similes help to create an unsettling atmosphere? Pause the video and have a think.

I heard some really great answers there.

Well done.

We are now going to write an analysis about one of the three similes used in the description.

We are going to answer the question, how has the author used similes to create an unsettling atmosphere? First, let's look at a model response together.

"The writer creates an unsettling atmosphere in the opening of their text.

This is most clearly seen when they use the simile to compare the sky to an 'overbearing blanket, suffocating the world beneath.

' By comparing the sky to an overbearing blanket, it is clear the sky reaches as far as the eye can see.

This creates an oppressive atmosphere, as if it is impossible to escape the unnerving sky.

The writer uses the distressing verb 'suffocates' which creates a menacing tone, as if the sky is deliberately trying to harm the world beneath it.

As a result, this simile creates a rather unpleasant atmosphere, painting a picture of a dystopian world impossible to escape from." Now, let's unpick why this is a good response.

First of all, the opening sentence focuses on the atmosphere, not the simile.

You want to bring in your knowledge of the simile later in the paragraph.

Next, the response mentions the language device when introducing the quote.

So the response does mention that a simile is used, but mentions it as they put the quote in the paragraph.

Next, this response breaks down analysis to explain the effects of individual words.

For example, it really zooms in to the phrase overbearing blanket and writes about what that suggests about the sky.

Next, the response keeps focus on the atmosphere that's created.

Remember, you want to be talking always about the effect of the simile, and the effect of the simile is that it creates an oppressive atmosphere.

Next, the writer zooms in on more than one word in the simile.

The writer also looks at the verb suffocates.

So remember, look at more than one word in the simile and analyse more than one word in the simile.

Lastly, the response uses the final sentence to focus again on atmosphere, because that's the question we're answering.

We're answering how are similes used to create an unnerving or unsettling atmosphere? So always bring your response back to the question that was asked of you.

True or false? When analysing similes, you should zoom in on individual words and phrases.

Pause the video and have a think.

Well done if you said true.

When analysing similes, you absolutely should zoom in on individual words and phrases.

Why is that? Is that because there might be more than one interesting word in the simile or because looking at individual words allows you to analyse the effectiveness of a simile on multiple levels? Pause the video and have a think.

Well done if you said it's because looking at individual words allows you to analyse the effectiveness of as simile on multiple levels, therefore making your response better.

Now it's over to you.

How has the author used similes to create atmosphere? Analyse this simile: "The sun's rays were as feeble as a sick patient, slowly dying like all the land it touched." Make sure you include a topic sentence which focuses on atmosphere, the language device, which is a simile, when introducing the quote, you must focus on the most interesting parts of the simile, always take your analysis back to atmosphere, and zoom in on different words in the quote.

Finally, your last sentence should focus on atmosphere.

Pause the video and have a go at that task.

Good luck! Now, I want you to self-assess your work.

Re-read your work and identify where you've done the following: where have you used a topic sentence which focuses on atmosphere? Where have you discussed different words or phrases in the simile? And where have you linked the writer's vocabulary choices back to atmosphere? Pause the video and self-assess your work.

Well done on that task, everyone.

Let's go through what we've learnt today.

Similes are a useful technique for creating atmosphere.

Excellent similes will use carefully selected adjectives and noun phrases so comparisons are suitable.

Subordinate clauses can be used to add vivid detail to your similes.

And when analysing a writer's use of similes, zoom in on individual word choices and explain how they create atmosphere.

Really good job on today's lesson, everyone! I hope to see you next time.