Grammar for Writing: Teaching Narrative and Non-fiction

1. Grammar for Writing: Teaching Narrative and Non-fiction Debra Myhill All art is achieved through the exercise of a craft, and every craft has its rudiments that must be taught. Fairfax and Moat (1998

2. INTRODUCTION

3. Aims of the Day • Recapping on the principles of Grammar as choice; • Exploring practical examples to develop settings and character in narrative writing; • Building subject knowledge of verbs and verb phrases; • Exploring practical examples to teach non-fiction writing.

4. REPRISE

5. Table Talk • Discuss together what you remember as the key learning from the last professional development day. • Share what you have done (and haven’t done!) since to test out these ways of teaching in your own classroom. • What can you remember about the noun phrase and its structure?

6. Key Message: Creative Grammar • Our approach to grammar integrates the teaching of reading and writing. • It asks writers to look, through their reading, at what other writers do; • It asks writers to be the readers of their own writing; • It asks writers to think about their own readers: • It shows how grammar choices are one way of managing the reader-writer relationship.

7. Key Message • Teaching writing with attention to grammar is not about telling children how they should write; it is about showing them the repertoire of choices available to them, and discussing how those choices create different meanings. NOT: • You should use fronted adverbials to make your writing better. BUT: • What happens if you move that adverbial to the front of the sentence? How does it change how we read this sentence?

8. Linking Grammar and Writing One way to create a strong visual description of a narrative scene is to use precisely-chosen prepositional phrases. One way to create suspense in a narrative is to put the subject after the verb. One way to create character, and show not tell, is to choose verbs carefully to make the reader infer.

9. LEAD Principles

10. Noun Phrases

11. Freewrite for 5 minutes about the character who might wear these shoes. Let your pen take your imagination for a walk. Writing Time Think of a piece of footwear: high heeled sparkly shoes; leather boots; school shoes; fluorescent orange trainers; ballet shoes … and who might wear them.

12. KS2 Assessment Framework Working at the Expected Standard- The pupil can: • write effectively for a range of purposes and audiences, selecting language that shows good awareness of the reader(e.g. the use of the first person in a diary; direct address in instructions and persuasive writing) • in narratives, describe settings, characters and atmosphere • integrate dialogue in narratives to convey character and advance the action • select vocabulary and grammatical structures that reflect what the writing requires, doing this mostly appropriately (e.g. using contracted forms in dialogues in narrative; using passive verbs to affect how information is presented; using modal verbs to suggest degrees of possibility) • use a range of devices to build cohesion (e.g. conjunctions, adverbials of time and place, pronouns, synonyms) within and across paragraphs • use verb tenses consistently and correctly throughout their writing • use the range of punctuation taught at key stage 2 mostly correctly (e.g. inverted commas and other punctuation to indicate direct speech)

13. ESTABLISHING A SETTING IN NARRATIVE

14. Setting in Narrative A kangaroo sits in the hot sun in the evening. Rewrite this as a short narrative paragraph about a particular kangaroo, conveying a sense of place and climate.

15. Setting in Narrative Far inland, where ocean is a dim memory, the sun floats on the waves of another bake-earth day. In the long shadows, a big red kangaroo licks his forearms and lets the early evening breeze wash over him. Adverbials positioned at the front of the sentence foreground a sense of location and time.

16. Setting in Narrative Far inland, where ocean is a dim memory, the sun floats on the waves of another bake-earth day. In the long shadows, a big red kangaroo licks his forearms and lets the early evening breeze wash over him. Nouns and noun phrases provide specific detail and evoke a sense of heat and dryness.

17. Setting in Narrative Far inland, where ocean is a dim memory, the sun floats on the waves of another bake-earth day. In the long shadows, a big red kangaroo licks his forearms and lets the early evening breeze wash over him. Action verbs extend the metaphor of desert as ocean.

18. Can you verbalise this link in more every day language? Setting in Narrative Verbalising the grammar-writing link The writer uses adverbials at the start of the sentence to foreground and locate the place where the kangaroo lives. The writer uses nouns and noun phrases to evoke the sense of heat and dryness. The writer uses action verbs to extend the metaphor of desert as ocean. What grammatical choices have you made in your description? Metalinguistic thinking

19. Detail in Setting for Inference What do you infer from this description of the setting? What language choices are creating that inference? Beyond the alley they came to a warren of grimy streets, where old women stood in the doorways, wearing sacks for aprons, and men in carpet slippers sat on the steps. Dogs nosed among crumpled paper in the gutter; a rusty bicycle wheel lay on the cobbles. A group of boys at the corner talked to a girl whose hair was rolled in brightly coloured plastic curlers. Elidor– Alan Garner

20. Detail in Setting for Inference Long (expanded) noun phrases with lots of additional detail after the verb Beyond the alleythey came to a warren of grimy streets, where old women stood in the doorways, wearing sacks for aprons, and men in carpet slippers sat on the steps.Dogs nosed among crumpled paper in the gutter; a rusty bicycle wheellay on the cobbles. A group of boys at the corner talked to a girl whose hair was rolled in brightly coloured plastic curlers. Elidor– Alan Garner

21. Detail in Setting for Inference Long (expanded) noun phrases with lots of additional detail after the verb Prepositional phrases to show details about the place These help us infer this is not a rich area, but that it is a community. Beyond the alley they came to a warrenof grimy streets, where old women stood in the doorways, wearing sacks for aprons, and men in carpet slippers sat on the steps. Dogs nosed among crumpled paper in the gutter; a rusty bicycle wheellay on the cobbles. A groupof boys at the corner talked to a girl whose hair was rolled in brightly coloured plastic curlers. Elidor– Alan Garner

22. Establishing Mood and Atmosphere The island looked perhaps two or three miles in length, no more. It was shaped a bit like an elongated peanut, but longer at one end than another. There was a long swathe of brilliant white beach on both sides of the island, and at the far end another hill, the slopes steeper and thickly wooded, but not so high as mine. With the exception of these twin peaks the entire island seemed to be covered with forest. So far as I could see there was no sign of any human life. .. I sat down in the shadow of a great rock. The gibbons set up a renewed chorus of howling and hooting in the forest, and a flock of raucous birds clattered up out of the canopy of the trees below us and flew off across the island to settle in the trees on the hillside opposite. Kensuke’s Kingdom – Michael Morpurgo

23. Establishing Mood and Atmosphere The islandlooked perhaps two or three miles in length, no more. It was shaped a bit like an elongated peanut, but longer at one end than another. There was a long swathe of brilliant white beach on both sides of the island, and at the far end another hill, the slopes steeper and thickly wooded, but not so high as mine. With the exception of these twin peaks/ the entire island seemed to be covered with forest. So far as I could see there was no sign of any human life... I sat down in the shadow of a great rock. The gibbons set up a renewed chorus of howling and hooting in the forest, and a flock of raucous birds clattered up out of the canopy of the trees below us and flew off across the island to settle in the trees on the hillside opposite. Kensuke’s Kingdom – Michael Morpurgo

24. Setting in KS1 Expanded noun phrases provide visual detail of the setting. Once there was a lighthouse keeper called Mr Grinling. At night time he lived in a small white cottage perched high on the cliffs. In the day time he rowed out to his lighthouse on the rocks to clean and polish the light. The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch

25. Writing Time Look at your free-writing: you have been thinking about a character. Now imagine your chosen footwear in a setting, without their owner. Write a paragraph about the shoes in that setting, thinking about what visual detail you want, what you want the reader to infer, and what mood you want to create.

26. Creating Settings Verbalising the grammar-writing link: • Using expanded noun phrases can provide visual detail about the setting; • Expanding noun phrases with prepositional phrases can provide detail about the setting; • Choosing your noun phrases and prepositional phrases carefully can make your reader infer about the kind of place that your setting is; • Choosing your noun phrases and prepositional phrases carefully can create a particular mood or atmosphere in your setting.

27. CREATING CHARACTERS IN NARRATIVE

28. Creating Characters in Narrative • Show not tell: reveal your character through showing what they are like, not just telling the reader; • Use specific, concrete detail to describe characters to make your readers believe in them - generic not specific: this man not any man; • Create strong visual descriptions which allow your reader to see the character in their own mind’s eye; • Reveal inner reflections so your readers know what your characters are thinking and feeling; • Think about how you name your characters; • Use dialogue to suggest character.

29. Show, not Tell: make your reader infer ‘Mr Wormwood was a small ratty-looking man whose front teeth stuck out underneath a thin ratty moustache’. Show not tell: Dahl doesn’t tell us that Mr Wormwood is a nasty little man, he tells us he is ‘ratty-looking’ and so shows us he is a nasty little man. We have to work this out for ourselves (or infer this). When we write, sometimes we do tell our readers about characters, but good writers also make the reader infer what the character is like.

30. Use Verbs to Show not Tell What do the verb choices here make us infer about Miss Trunchbull? When she marched – Miss Trunchbull never walked, she always marched like a Stormtrooper with long strides and arms aswinging –when she marched along a corridor you could actually hear her snorting as she went, and if a group of children happened to be in her path, she ploughed through them like a tank, bouncing off her to left and right. Matilda – Roald Dahl

31. Use Verbs to Show not Tell What do the verb choices here make us infer about Miss Trunchbull? What is the effect of choosing the verb ‘happened’ to describe the children? When she marched – Miss Trunchbull never walked, she always marched like a Stormtrooper with long strides and arms aswinging –when she marched along a corridor you could actually hear her snorting as she went, and if a group of children happened to be in her path, she ploughed through them like a tank, bouncing off her to left and right. Matilda – Roald Dahl

32. Give Specific, Concrete Details Make your characters believable by giving specific, concrete details. Noun phrases provide the concrete detail here: this is not any pigeon, but it is this pigeon. (about a pigeon) I felt its small heart racing underneath my finger And the push and power of its wings. Its headwas whiter than a splash of milk. Its eyeblazed fire. “Name him he’s yours”, the old man said. I didn’t have to think. “Re del cielo!” I replied “King of the sky!”

33. Give Specific, Concrete Details What concrete details about Harry Potter are given here to help us understand this character and believe in him? What grammatical choices does J.K Rowling use to achieve this? He wore round glasses held together with a lot of Scotch tape because of all the times Dudley had punched him on the nose. The only thing Harry liked about his appearance was a very thin scar on his forehead which was shaped like a bolt of lightning. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K.Rowling

34. Give Specific, Concrete Details Long extended noun phrases provide the concrete detail. He wore round glasses held together with a lot of Scotch tape because of all the times Dudley had punched him on the nose. The only thing Harry liked about his appearance was a very thin scar on his forehead which was shaped like a bolt of lightning. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K.Rowling

35. Writing Time • Re-read your freewriting about a character who wears the shoes you chose. • Now visualise him or her – what do they look like? What are they wearing? How do they feel? Imagine you are filming your character from every angle. • Now write one paragraph describing your character: thinking about how you can show not tell to make your reader infer, and about how you select specific concrete details to make your character specific and believable.

36. Create Strong Visual Images He has terrible tusks, and terrible claws, and terrible teeth in his terrible jaws. He has knobbly knees, and turned-out toes, and a poisonous wart at the end of his nose. His eyes are orange, his tongue is black; he has purple prickles all over his back.

37. Create Strong Visual Images Noun phrases to convey a strong visual image He has terrible tusks, and terrible claws, and terrible teeth in his terrible jaws. He has knobbly knees, and turned-out toes, and a poisonous wart at the end of his nose. His eyes are orange, his tongue is black; he has purple prickles all over his back.

38. Create Strong Visual Images What language choices help you see this character? How would you paint him? He was diminutive, no taller than me, and as old a man as I had ever seen. He wore nothing but a pair of tattered breeches bunched at the waist, and there was a large knife in his belt. He was thin, too. In places – under his arms, round his neck and his midriff – his copper brown skin lay in folds about him, almost as if he’d shrunk inside it. What little hair he had on his head and his chin was long and wispy and white. Kensuke’s Kingdom – Michael Morpurgo.

39. Create Strong Visual Images Expanded noun phrases with elaborating detail of his appearance. Noun phrases which refer to parts of his body so we see the whole man. Freestanding adjectives which add to the visual images. He was diminutive, no taller than me, and as old a man as I had ever seen. He wore nothing but a pair of tattered breeches bunched at the waist, and there was a large knife in his belt. He was thin, too. In places – under his arms, round his neck andhis midriff – his copper brown skin lay in folds about him, almost as if he’d shrunk inside it. What little hairhe had on his head and his chin was long and wispy and white. Kensuke’s Kingdom – Michael Morpurgo.

40. Reveal Character’s Inner Reflections How does this character feel? How does Michael Morpurgo convey this? Charlie is taking me by the hand, leading me because he knows I don’t want to go. I’ve never worn a collar before and it’s choking me. My boots are strange and heavy on my feet. My heart is heavy too, because I dread what I am going to. Charlie has told me often how terrible this school-place is: about Mr Munnings and his raging tempers and the long whipping cane he hangs on the wall above his desk. I don’t want to go with Charlie. I don’t want to go to school. Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo

41. Reveal Character’s Inner Reflections First person voice shows his thinking: first person pronouns and determiners emphasise the ‘I’ of this piece. Charlie is taking me by the hand, leading me because he knows I don’t want to go. I’ve never worn a collar before and it’s choking me. My boots are strange and heavy on my feet. My heart is heavy too, because I dread what I am going to. Charlie has told me often how terrible this school-place is: about Mr Munnings and his raging tempers and the long whipping cane he hangs on the wall above his desk. I don’t want to go with Charlie. I don’t want to go to school. Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo

42. Reveal Character’s Inner Reflections The use of negative verbs and adjectives convey his sense of fear and reluctance. This is reinforced by repetition. Charlie is taking me by the hand, leading me because he knows I don’t want to go. I’ve never worn a collar before and it’s choking me. My boots are strange and heavy on my feet. My heart is heavy too, because I dread what I am going to. Charlie has told me often how terrible this school-place is: about Mr Munnings and his raging tempers and the long whipping cane he hangs on the wall above his desk. I don’t want to go with Charlie. I don’t want to go to school. Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo

43. Reveal Character’s Inner Reflections Grandma Poss looked miserable. ‘Don’t worry Grandma,’ said Hush ‘I don’t mind.’ But in her heart of hearts she did.

44. Reveal Character’s Inner Reflections Adding a reflection in the midst of other description such as describing a character or setting. The island looked perhaps two or three miles in length, no more. It was shaped a bit like an elongated peanut, but longer at one end than another. There was a long swathe of brilliant white beach on both sides of the island, and at the far end another hill, the slopes steeper and thickly wooded, but not so high as mine. With the exception of these twin peaks the entire island seemed to be covered with forest. So far as I could see there was no sign of any human life. Even then, as I stood there, that first morning, filled with apprehension at the terrifying implications of my dreadful situation, I remember thinking how wonderful it was, a green jewel of an island framed in white, the sea all about it a silken shimmering blue. Kensuke’s Kingdom – Michael Morpurgo

45. A tip from the author, Philip Reeve Proper Nouns for characterisation Getting the names right is half the battle – you can do a lot of worldbuilding simply by deciding what people and places are called. In my Mortal Engines books I went for slightly whimsical, Dickensian-sounding names. When I started writing the story which became Railhead I tried to make sure the names sounded different. I called my central characters Zen and Nova because those were the sorts of names I remember from futuristic stories and TV shows that were around when I was a child – they’re sci-fi names.I knew that in German-speaking cities there are often railway lines called the U-bahn and the S-bahn. My interstellar empire would be linked by the K-bahn, whose trains would go through K-gates and flash across a dimension called K-space to reach their far destinations.

46. Writing Time • Now explain to your partner the change you made and why. • Re-read your draft paragraph of your character description. • Think about your description and what you wanted to make your reader think or feel or know about your character. • Look at the descriptive detail in your prepositional phrases and noun phrases: show not tell; visual images; concrete detail; inner reflection; naming • Make at least one language/grammatical change which you think improves your description and achieves what you want it to achieve (your authorial intention)

47. VERBS AND VERB PHRASES

48. Definitions How would you define a verb?

49. The Problem of the ‘Doing’ Word • ‘A verb is a doing word’ – what is the verb in this sentence? • Many verbs in authentic texts are not evidently ‘doing’ words at all: the verbs to be and to have are the most frequent verbs; • Often the word which seems to evoke ‘doing’ in a sentence is not the verb: • I lovehunting. • I saw the dreamcatcher. • To understand clauses, you need to understand the ‘verb’ is often a ‘verb phrase’: ‘I could have danced all night!’

50. The Verb – a Starting Point The verb - have have has had having • These are very high-frequency verbs in English and are also important building blocks for verb phrases (more later!) • Unlike many other verbs, these words are always verbs – they can’t be nouns or adjectives (except human being) • Encourage KS1 children to know that these are verbs (and can be very helpful for EAL children. The verb - be be am are is was were being been