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Year 6

Identifying features of a biography in preparation for writing about Darwin

I can identify the features of a biography.

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New
New
Year 6

Identifying features of a biography in preparation for writing about Darwin

I can identify the features of a biography.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. A biography is a non-fiction text written about someone's life.
  2. Linguistic features of a biography include third person, formal fronted adverbials, formal tone and relative clauses.
  3. Structural features of a biography include a title, paragraphs and information grouped by theme.
  4. A biography is usually written in chronological order and will contain lots of past tense verbs.
  5. Additional factual information can be added to a clause as parenthesis.

Common misconception

Pupils may find the formal tone of a biography challenging.

You may wish to provide additional time for children to read a range of biographical writing to 'tune in' to the text type.

Keywords

  • Biography - a non-fiction text written about someone’s life

  • Formal tone - the effect created by choosing serious, factual language

  • Third person - the 'he/she/it/they' perspective, where we talk about another person

  • Fronted adverbial - a sentence starter followed by a comma

  • Relative clause - a type of subordinate clause starting with a relative pronoun (such as who, which or whose)

Complete lessons on using relative clauses, fronted adverbials and parenthesis are found throughout our grammar curriculum. You may wish to read the biography aloud to pupils, pausing occasionally to have them chorally say the next word.
Teacher tip

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).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which words best match the meaning of 'formal'?
chatty
Correct answer: serious
descriptive
Correct answer: factual
Q2.
Which sentence below is the most formal in tone?
She's done amazing things.
Correct answer: Her achievements are very impressive.
The things she's done would amaze you!
Q3.
What are the key features of a fronted adverbial?
Correct answer: comes at the start of a sentence
comes in the middle of a sentence
Correct answer: is followed by a comma
is followed by a semi-colon
Q4.
Which of these sentences have a fronted adverbial?
Correct answer: During the 1990s, she studied at university.
She studied at university during the 1990s.
She worked in Manchester after she left university.
Correct answer: After she left university, she worked in Manchester.
Q5.
Match the 'person' to the example.
Correct Answer:first person,I love nature.

I love nature.

Correct Answer:second person,You love nature.

You love nature.

Correct Answer:third person,She loves nature.

She loves nature.

Q6.
Which sentence below is not written in the third person?
She chose to train as a gymnast after watching the Olympics.
Correct answer: She offered me the job even though I was untrained.
She saw the potential in him immediately.

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is the purpose of a biography?
to inform the reader about a particular event
Correct answer: to inform the reader about a particular person
to inform the reader about a particular place
Q2.
Which of the following could be the subject of a biography?
Correct answer: the Prime Minister
an election
the Houses of Parliament
the River Thames
Q3.
In what order is a biography usually written?
random order
Correct answer: chronological order
starting from their death
starting from their first job
Q4.
Which of these are key linguistic features of a biography?
Correct answer: third person
Correct answer: past tense
first person
Correct answer: formal tone
Q5.
Which sentence is appropriate for use in a biography?
She just loved those chimps!
Correct answer: She was committed to learning more about chimps.
She taught me everything I know about chimps.
Q6.
Match the types of fronted adverbial to the examples.
Correct Answer:formal fronted adverbial,However,

However,

Correct Answer:fronted adverbial of cause,Due to this,

Due to this,

Correct Answer:fronted adverbial of time,During the war,

During the war,

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