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Year 8

Improving and proofreading a piece of narrative writing

I can improve a piece of narrative writing by considering sentence structure and vocabulary, as well as effectively proofreading it.

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Year 8

Improving and proofreading a piece of narrative writing

I can improve a piece of narrative writing by considering sentence structure and vocabulary, as well as effectively proofreading it.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Reviewing and refining a piece of writing is an important skill in English.
  2. There might be areas of your work that you want to rewrite, focusing on particular areas of weakness.
  3. Proofreading is the final stage of the writing process.
  4. Proofreading means to read through a piece of written work and correct any errors.
  5. Strategies like reading aloud, reading backwards or reading with a particular focus can help you proofread successfully.

Keywords

  • Proofreading - to read through a piece of written work and correct any errors

  • Decrepit - worn out, ruined

  • Lament - a powerful expression of grief

  • Haggard - a tired, exhausted appearance

Common misconception

Proofreading and rewriting are the same thing.

Proofreading is the final stage of the writing process. It is about checking for small errors - often grammatical. Rewriting is a larger task which requires you to think about the effects you want to create.


To help you plan your year 8 english lesson on: Improving and proofreading a piece of narrative writing, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Consider if you can direct pupils to improve and proofread their own writing in Learning Cycle 1 and Learning Cycle 2 rather than the models provided.
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Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of peer pressure or bullying
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
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Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), 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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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is the error in this sentence? "He could here the river." ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire')
the tense
the punctuation
Correct answer: the spelling
the sentence structure
Q2.
Match these words to their definitions. ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire')
Correct Answer:decrepit,worn out, ruined
tick

worn out, ruined

Correct Answer:lament,a powerful expression of grief
tick

a powerful expression of grief

Correct Answer:haggard,a tired exhausted appearance
tick

a tired exhausted appearance

Q3.
In a story which follows the five part narrative structure, what is the focus of the rising action? ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire')
how the story ends
Correct answer: the development of plot and character
the most dramatic or intense moment of the story
establishing characters and setting
the aftermath of the climax
Q4.
In a story which follows the five part narrative structure, what is the focus of the climax? ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire')
how the story ends
the development of plot and character
Correct answer: the most dramatic or intense moment of the story
establishing characters and setting
the aftermath of the climax
Q5.
Which sentence is punctuated correctly? ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire')
Carefully, he started to prepare his disguise,
Carefully he started to prepare his disguise.
Carefully he, started to prepare his disguise.
Correct answer: Carefully, he started to prepare his disguise.
Carefully he started, to prepare his disguise,
Q6.
Which sentence is punctuated correctly? ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire')
Swinging his arms to warm up he started, to size up his opponent.
Correct answer: Swinging his arms to warm up, he started to size up his opponent.
Swinging, his arms to warm up he started to size up his opponent.
Swinging his arms to warm up he started to size up his opponent.
Swinging his arms to warm up he started to size up his opponent

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
To means to read through a piece of written work and correct any errors.
Correct Answer: proofread, proof read, proof-read
Q2.
Which sentence uses the word 'decrepit' correctly? ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire')
Achilles was the youngest, fittest and most decrepit athlete there.
The medals looked stunning. They had just been made so were very decrepit.
Correct answer: The athletes were impressive, but the racetrack looked decrepit and unusable.
The crowd was full of young decrepit children and their parents.
Q3.
Which sentences use the word 'haggard', or its forms, correctly? ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire')
Correct answer: The fisherman hadn't eaten for three days and was beginning to look haggard.
The jinni looked powerful as he haggardly threatened the fisherman.
Correct answer: After spending every night telling stories, she was beginning to look haggard.
The jinni rewarded the fisherman with many haggard and precious jewels.
Q4.
Which sentence uses the word 'lament', or a form of it, correctly? ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire')
Correct answer: Briseis knew her men had lost the war and began to lament their deaths.
They were happy, entering the city with loud lamentation.
Briseis saw the children playing and considered how much lament they had left.
Achilles uttered a huge battle lament knowing he was about to be victorious.
Q5.
Proofread each sentence and select which need corrections so they make grammatical sense. ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire')
Correct answer: Confused and aching, the miller lay his back.
His head rested on the ground.
Correct answer: His hair was soon riddled with a dirt.
He sat surrounded by the blood of the fight.
Q6.
Proofread each sentence and select which need corrections so they make grammatical sense. ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire')
The miller staggered back.
Correct answer: He thuded to the floor, sack-like.
Correct answer: He strained, but knew he spend.
The fight was over.
Sweat streamed down his face.

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