Reviewing and refining descriptive writing: alliteration, plosives and sibilance
I can improve a piece of descriptive writing inspired by the painting 'The Execution of Lady Jane Grey' by making effective use of alliteration, plosives and sibilance.
Reviewing and refining descriptive writing: alliteration, plosives and sibilance
I can improve a piece of descriptive writing inspired by the painting 'The Execution of Lady Jane Grey' by making effective use of alliteration, plosives and sibilance.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Alliteration is when two or more words start with the same consonant.
- A writer makes use of plosives when they use the letters 'p', 't', 'k', 'b', 'd' or 'g' for effect.
- Sibilance is the repeated use of the letter 's' for effect.
- Alliteration, plosives and sibilance can be a sophisticated way to create a sense of sound.
Keywords
Alliteration - when two or more words start with the same consonant
Plosives - use of letters 'p', 't', 'k', 'b', 'd' and 'g' to make a harsh sound; unlike alliteration, these letters don’t have to be found at the start of a word.
Onomatopoeia - words which sound like the noise they describe e.g. crash
Sibilance - repetition of the letter 's' in successive words
Common misconception
Using onomatopoeia is the only way to create a sense of sound in a piece of writing.
Onomatopoeia can be a helpful tool to rely on in some pieces of writing. However, alliteration, plosives and sibilance are often more sophisticated and more subtle. They also allow for a greater range of sounds to be generated.
To help you plan your year 8 english lesson on: Reviewing and refining descriptive writing: alliteration, plosives and sibilance, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 8 english lesson on: Reviewing and refining descriptive writing: alliteration, plosives and sibilance, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
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The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 english lessons from the Myths, legends and stories that inspire unit, dive into the full secondary english curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
trying to find the executioner's block while blindfolded
crying
guiding Lady Jane Grey towards the block
holding an axe, looking at the floor
two or more words that start with the same consonant
repetition of the letter 's' in successive words
use of the letters 'p', 't', 'k', 'b', 'd', 'g' for effect
words which sound like the noise they describe