New
New
Year 2

Analysing the language to use in a report about the Great Fire of London

I can understand the appropriate language to use when writing a non-chronological report on the Great Fire of London.

New
New
Year 2

Analysing the language to use in a report about the Great Fire of London

I can understand the appropriate language to use when writing a non-chronological report on the Great Fire of London.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. A non-chronological report must be written in a formal tone, avoiding language choices associated with fiction writing.
  2. Contractions are not used in formal writing.
  3. Information can be shared with the reader by phrasing it as a question.

Keywords

  • Formal - Formal means something is using a serious, unemotional and impersonal tone.

  • Informal - Informal means something is more relaxed and reflective of a person’s speaking voice and personality.

  • Questions - Something that is said or written in order to ask a person about something.

  • Contractions - A contraction is when two words are shortened in form and are put together to form one new word.

Common misconception

Pupils may think that non-chronological reports can be written in an informal way.

Reports should be formal and not use language that is too closely associated with fiction writing.

Have examples of reports and fiction texts available for the pupils to look through and spot the differences in formality.
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.
When did the Great Fire of London start?
Sunday 22nd September 1660
Saturday 1st September 1666
Correct answer: Sunday 2nd September 1666
Thursday 6th September 1666
Sunday 2nd December 1666
Q2.
How did the fire start in Thomas Farriner's bakery?
He knocked over a candle.
Correct answer: From a spark from his oven.
One of his children accidentally started it.
Q3.
Which of these could be used to describe the weather conditions on the day the fire started?
wet
Correct answer: dry
Correct answer: hot
cold
Correct answer: windy
Q4.
Which of these were reasons why the fire spread so quickly?
Correct answer: The houses were close together.
The rain made the houses damp.
Correct answer: The streets were narrow.
Q5.
In 1666, what were houses mostly made from?
Correct answer: wood
metal
brick
Q6.
Which of these are examples of equipment people used to help them tackle the fire?
Correct answer: buckets
Correct answer: water squirts
fire engines
helicopters
Correct answer: axes

6 Questions

Q1.
Which of these are examples of times when people behave formally?
going to the cinema
Correct answer: job interviews
Correct answer: making speeches
playing in the park
Q2.
Which of these is an example of a time when people behave informally?
attending a wedding
Correct answer: watching TV on the sofa
receiving an award at a ceremony
Q3.
Which of these best describes the tone of a written non-chronological report?
Correct answer: formal
informal
a mix of formal and informal
Q4.
Which of these shows the structrure of an expanded noun phrase?
Correct answer: adjective , adjective noun
noun , adjective , adjective
adjective , adjective , noun
Q5.
Which of these adjectives would be suitable to describe the fire in a formal report?
dazzling
monstrous
Correct answer: fast-moving
Q6.
Which of these question starters could be used in a formal report?
Did you hear that ...
Did you hear about ...
Correct answer: Have you ever heard ...