Using synonyms and expanded noun phrases to craft effective descriptions
I can use small strategies to improve the cohesion of my descriptive writing.
Using synonyms and expanded noun phrases to craft effective descriptions
I can use small strategies to improve the cohesion of my descriptive writing.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Synonyms can be used to avoid repeating a subject e.g. 'The trees'.
- Supporting details should be used to describe the paragraph focus in detail.
- Concluding sentences draw paragraphs together, creating cohesion.
- Expanded noun phrases can be effective at focusing on details within a scene.
Keywords
Synonym - A word that has the same meaning - or almost the same meaning - as another word.
Expanded noun phrase - A descriptive phrase made of a noun as well as one or more adjectives.
Concluding sentence - The last sentence in a paragraph, concluding that paragraph’s main idea or focus.
Cohesion - The act of sticking together tightly. If writing has cohesion it fits together well.
Tense - On edge, as if something bad is going to happen.
Common misconception
Using sophisticated vocabulary alone is enough to make my writing great.
Although sophisticated vocabulary is good, there are lots of smaller strategies that can also make writing effective.
To help you plan your year 10 english lesson on: Using synonyms and expanded noun phrases to craft effective descriptions, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 10 english lesson on: Using synonyms and expanded noun phrases to craft effective descriptions, 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 4 english lessons from the Fiction: science fiction writing unit, dive into the full secondary english curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision required