New
New
Year 1

Using descriptive language to describe yourself

I can write descriptive sentences to describe my appearance and personality.

New
New
Year 1

Using descriptive language to describe yourself

I can write descriptive sentences to describe my appearance and personality.

warning

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. a character description of yourself can be made about your personality and your appearance
  2. describing your personality is about what you are like on the inside and how you feel, such as "curious", "resilient"
  3. describing your appearance is about what you look like such as "curly, brown hair"
  4. descriptions can create expanded noun phrases or be listed as nouns separated by a comma, like ‘socks, jumper and hat’
  5. using verbs and adverbs can help to explain the adjectives you have chosen to describe yourself

Keywords

  • Character - a person or animal in a story

  • Description - using words to help someone imagine what something is like

  • Adjective - a word that describes a noun

  • Adverb - a word that describes a verb

  • Joining word - a word that joins words or ideas

Common misconception

Pupils may struggle to know when to separate nouns with a comma and when to use 'and'.

Get a list of nouns and discuss where the commas and 'and' will go. Move the nouns into a scaffold to ensure it is structured correctly. Spend more time on this as it is newer learning. If needed, remove expectation to include adjectives in the list.

Ask pupils to talk in partners and describe each other's appearances and personalities. Create a class word bank to share adjectives that were chosen. This is a great opportunity to celebrate similarities and differences in the class, as well as what makes us unique.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You will need a copy of the 2016 Abrams Books for Young Readers edition of 'Ada Twist, Scientist' by Andrea Beaty.

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

Loading...

6 Questions

Q1.
Complete the sentence: Your appearance is...
Correct answer: what you look like
what your personality is like
what your personality is like and what you look like
Q2.
Match the word to its word class in this sentence: Ada climbs bravely in the messy room.
Correct Answer:Ada,noun (person)

noun (person)

Correct Answer:climbs,verb

verb

Correct Answer:bravely,adverb

adverb

Correct Answer:messy,adjective

adjective

Correct Answer:room,noun (thing)

noun (thing)

Q3.
Which of these expanded noun phrases describe Ada's appearance?
Correct answer: red, spotty dress
curly, red hair
Correct answer: clear, plastic goggles
ripped, blue jeans
Q4.
Which of these expanded noun phrases describe Ada's personality?
boring, lonely Ada
uninterested, sad Ada
Correct answer: curious, chaotic Ada
Correct answer: happy, inquisitive Ada
Q5.
Which of these words are adverbs?
Correct answer: bravely
has
went
Correct answer: quickly
Q6.
Which of these lists of nouns has the punctuation in the correct place?
a sock, a shoe, and a dog
a sock, a shoe, a dog
a sock, a shoe and a dog,
Correct answer: a sock, a shoe and a dog

6 Questions

Q1.
Which of these might you describe in a character description?
what you did at the weekend
Correct answer: personality
where you live
Correct answer: appearance
Q2.
Match the word class to the example word.
Correct Answer:noun,trousers

trousers

Correct Answer:adjective,brave

brave

Correct Answer:verb,wearing

wearing

Correct Answer:adverb,collaboratively

collaboratively

Q3.
Which of these adjectives can describe your personality?
Correct answer: curious
blonde
long
Correct answer: creative
Q4.
Which of these adjectives can describe your appearance?
Correct answer: brown
inquisitive
Correct answer: spiky
happy
Q5.
Which of these nouns are listed correctly using the correct punctuation?
socks, a dress, and shoes
socks a dress and shoes
socks a dress, and shoes
Correct answer: socks, a dress and shoes
Q6.
Which of these is a being verb?
Correct answer: has
I
she
at