Grammar for Writing: Working with Non-Fiction Texts

Grammar for Writing: Working with Non-Fiction Texts 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

INTRODUCTION

Writing to Change the World! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU1m6EWMZaY

Writing to Change the World! On your table, discuss: what do you know about food waste; how much food do you waste yourself; what are your views about the issue of food waste? Individually, just write for 3 minutes about food waste, letting your pen run with the ideas in your head.

Teaching Writing Creatively • To write well we all need to have something to say and a desire to say it; • Before young writers can meaningfully attend to how they have written something, they need to have engaged with what they want to say – the ideas; • Engaging young writers’ imaginations, emotions and personal beliefs is a really important part of teaching writing; • Allowing young writers freedom to explore ideas, test things out, and to write to find out what they want to say is critical • We often move far too quickly to pinning things down, to being explicit too soon, and making writing a very linear process – we need to create space for exploration, experimentation and re-drafting. • This is built into the way we plan for teaching writing.

TEACHER GRAMMAR KNOWLEDGE: REPRISE

Nouns and Noun Phrases • Concrete (table; girl; wind) and abstract (fear; thought; sadness) nouns; • Simple noun phrases (premodified); the handsome prince; a terrible thought; • Noun phrases, post-modified: the car with the alloy wheels (prepositional phrase) the banker who caused the crash (relative clause) a chocolate, silky, smooth and naughty (adjectives) a nightmare, eating its way into your senses (non-finite clause) the forest of trees, fringed with fields and river (non-finite clause) and many other variations on this.

REPRISE: GRAMMAR AS CHOICE

The Grammar of Choice What do you think goes in the gap? I found him in the garage on a Sunday afternoon. It was the day after we moved into Falconer Road. The winter was ending. Mum had said we’d be moving just in time for the spring. Nobody else was there. Just me. The others were inside the house with Doctor Death, worrying about the baby. He was lying in there [in the darkness behind the tea chests, in the dust and dirt ]. It was as if he’d been there forever.

The Power of Choice Why do you think David Almond chooses these prepositional phrases? I found him in the garage on a Sunday afternoon. It was the day after we moved into Falconer Road. The winter was ending. Mum had said we’d be moving just in time for the spring. Nobody else was there. Just me. The others were inside the house with Doctor Death, worrying about the baby. He was lying in there in the darkness behind the tea chests, in the dust and dirt. It was as if he’d been there forever.

The Power of Choice What difference do these choices of prepositional phrases make? I found him in the garage on a Sunday afternoon. It was the day after we moved into Falconer Road. The winter was ending. Mum had said we’d be moving just in time for the spring. Nobody else was there. Just me. The others were inside the house with Doctor Death, worrying about the baby. He was lying in there in a silken shawl with golden beading along the tasselled edges. It was as if he’d been there forever.

Grammar as Choice Why use a fronted adverbial? • Carter and McCarthy (2006:7) conceive of grammar as having two strands: grammar as choice, as well as a grammar of structure. • ‘knowing grammar is knowing how more than knowing what’ (Cameron 1997:236): Howwe write something is as important as what we write: making meaning. • Explicit, as opposed to implicit, grammar knowledge is learning knowledge that can be used in the writing classroom. • Explicit grammar knowledge needs to be used to develop knowledge about language egI used a passive voice there to foreground this information.

Another Illustration • Read this sentence aloud – where will you put the emphasis? • What possibilities are there for re-ordering this sentence? • How does this change the emphasis? • Read both these sentences aloud – how do they portray this moment in the plot differently? How might you film these two sentences? • What do you think is the effect of moving the adverbial ‘out of the mists’ to different places in the sentence? • What do you think is the effect of the putting the subject (a figure) after the verb (came) in the first sentence ?

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?

THE LEAD TEACHING PRINCIPLES

The Exeter Pedagogy A creative grammar-writing relationship • Explicit teaching of grammatical points relevant to the learning about writing • Developing young writers’ knowledge about language in the texts they read and how language choices shape meaning • Developing young writers’ understanding of the language choices they can make in their own writing Repertoires of possibility (and metalinguistic understanding)

Creating a Visual Description If you were painting this scene, what would you include in your picture? The next day was rainy and dark. Rain fell on the roof of the barn and dripped steadily from the eaves. Rain fell in the barnyard and ran in crooked courses down into the lane where thistles and pigweed grew. Rain spattered against Mrs Zuckerman’s kitchen windows and came gushing out of the downspouts. Rain fell on the backs of the sheep as they grazed in the meadow. When the sheep tired of standing in the rain, they walked slowly up the lane and into the fold.

Creating a Visual Description If you were painting this scene, what would you include in your picture? What is now missing? The next day was rainy and dark. Rain fell of the barn and dripped steadily from the eaves. Rain fell in the barnyard and ran in crooked courses down into the lane where thistles and pigweed grew. Rain spattered against Mrs Zuckerman’s kitchen windows and came gushing out of the downspouts. Rain fell on the backs of the sheep as they grazed in the meadow. When the sheep tired of standing in the rain, they walked slowly up the lane and into the fold.

Creating a Visual Description Prepositional phrases can be used in a narrative to create visual description. What grammar choice has E.B.White made which creates visual detail? The next day was rainy and dark. Rain fell onthe roof of the barnand dripped steadily fromthe eaves. Rain fell in the barnyard and ran incrooked coursesdownintothe lanewhere thistles and pigweed grew. Rain spattered against Mrs Zuckerman’s kitchen windowsand came gushing out of the downspouts. Rain fell on the backs of the sheepas they grazed inthe meadow. When the sheep tired of standing in the rain, they walked slowly up the lane and intothe fold.

Writers’ Choices Learning Point for Writers: One way to create a strong visual description of a narrative scene is to use precisely-chosen prepositional phrases.

LEAD Principles

Creating a Visual Description Prepositional phrases can be used in a narrative to create visual description. Authentic Text Link Examples How would you paint this scene? What grammar choice has E.B.White made which creates visual detail? The next day was rainy and dark. Rain fell onthe roof of the barnand dripped steadily fromthe eaves. Rain fell in the barnyard and ran incrooked coursesdownintothe lanewhere thistles and pigweed grew. Rain spattered against Mrs Zuckerman’s kitchen windowsand came gushing out of the downspouts. Rain fell on the backs of the sheepas they grazed inthe meadow. When the sheep tired of standing in the rain, they walked slowly up the lane and intothe fold. Discussion

LEADing Young Writers • Create a habit of noticing: attention to language • Generate opportunities to play with language, including lexical and syntactical units • Use discussion to talk explicitly about language choices and how they help us see, feel or think • Use grammatical terminology incidentally and at a level relevant to the learners

REFLECTION

Gap Task Plan and teach at least five episodes where you use the LEAD principles to draw young writers’ attention to the link between a grammar choice and its effect in writing. Keep a record of each of these episodes using the LEAD Planning Template. Look at the books that children in your class read. Find 5 books where you notice something effective about how nouns and noun phrases are used. Be precise about this – try writing down what the grammar-writing link is that you would like your children to master. Bring the completed planning templates and the five books to the next CPD Day (in January) to use in discussion.

Reflection on Gap Task: Planning • In pairs, share the five planning templates showing how you taught an episode, and discuss any particular challenges/successes that you had. • Explain to each other how the episode draws on the LEAD principles (Links; Examples; Authentic Text; Discussion) • Choose your most successful episode/planning template and hand it in.

Reflection on Gap Task: Noticing • On your tables, share the books you have looked at and what constructive links you could make between the author’s use of noun phrases and what that does for the writing. For example, you might see: • Noun phrases used to create a strong visual description of a setting or a character; • Noun phrases used to Show not Tell about a character; • Proper Nouns used for naming of characters or places in a way which creates character or communicates something about the setting; • Abstract nouns used to communicate feelings of a character; • Noun phrases used to provide concrete detail or information.

TEACHER SUBJECT KNOWLEDGE: VERBS

Where are the verbs? Kangaroos are only found in Australia and Papua New Guinea. They are a diverse family, with more than sixty different species, and live in a wide range of habitats from wet rainforests through to dry plains. Kangaroos are marsupials – their young are born undeveloped and then continue to grow in their mothers’ pouches. Their family name ‘macropod’ means ‘big foot’. The biggest of all macropods is the red kangaroo. They live in the hot, dry inland of Australia where food can be scarce and water even more so. From Big Red Kangaroo by Claire Saxby, illustrated by Graham Byrne

Kangaroos are only found in Australia and Papua New Guinea. Theyarea diverse family, with more than sixty different species, and live in a wide range of habitats from wet rainforests through to dry plains. Kangaroos are marsupials – their young are born undeveloped and thencontinueto grow in their mothers’ pouches. Their family name ‘macropod’ means ‘big foot’. The biggest of all macropodsis the red kangaroo. They live in the hot, dry inland of Australia where food can bescarce and water even more so. The verbs

Definitions How would you define a verb?

The Verb are is be grow can continue means are are are are be can continue grow is live live means

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!’

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

WRITING LIKE A SCIENTIST

The Value of Dual Texts • A dual text conveys the same information in two different ways, and plays with authorial choice and different voices egthe poet and the scientist; • This allows for direct comparisons of how the writer made grammar choices which communicate meaning in an appropriate way for each genre

Writing like a Scientist What are the language differences between the poetic text and the scientific text?

Writing like a Scientist • Poetic text: • main clause delayed with two foregrounded prepositional phrases; • descriptive detail – choice of ‘drowned’ and ‘twisting’ are not literary • lyrical rhythm of sentences • Scientific text: • Subject start to sentence = more direct; • precise detail – ‘burrows’, ‘cracks’; • prepositional phrase specifies ‘in the river bed’

Writing like a Scientist • Poetic text: • long sentences; • use of metaphor and simile; • expanded noun phrases; emotive engagement with subject ‘worn out’. • More indirect communication – inference needed. • Scientific text: • shorter sentence; • subject start; • expanded noun phrase provides scientific detail; • use of scientific vocabulary. • More direct communication – no inference needed.

Transforming Texts: Think of an Eel • Collaborative Writing in Pairs: • Rewrite this extract like a scientist • The eel swims for eighty days, with no food or sleep, and his body becomes wasted. When he reaches the Sargasso Sea, the male fertilizes the female’s eggs, and then dies. • Talk task: • What transformations have you made to alter the lyrical description into a scientific description? Could any other changes be made? After eighty days’ swimming, not eating, not sleeping, eel’s long, winding body is worn out and wasted. He spills the new life carried deep in his belly, then sinks through the sea like a used silver wrapper.

Transforming Texts: Think of an Eel Authentic text • Collaborative Writing in Pairs: • Rewrite this extract like a scientist • The eel swims for eighty days, with no food or sleep, and his body becomes wasted. When he reaches the Sargasso Sea, the male fertilizes the female’s eggs, and then dies. • Talk task: • What transformations have you made to alter the lyrical description into a scientific description? Could any other changes be made? Examples Discussion Links After eighty days’ swimming, not eating, not sleeping, eel’s long, winding body is worn out and wasted. He spills the new life carried deep in his belly, then sinks through the sea like a used silver wrapper.

Kangaroos are only found in Australia and Papua New Guinea. They are a diverse family, with more than sixty different species, and live in a wide range of habitats from wet rainforests through to dry plains. Kangaroos are marsupials – their young are born undeveloped and then continue to grow in their mothers’ pouches. Their family name ‘macropod’ means ‘big foot’. The biggest of all macropods is the red kangaroo. They live in the hot, dry inland of Australia where food can be scarce and water even more so. What do you notice about the verb tense? What do you notice about the nouns and noun phrases? From Big Red Kangaroo by Claire Saxby, illustrated by Graham Byrne

Kangaroos are only found in Australia and Papua New Guinea. They are a diverse family, with more than sixty different species, and live in a wide range of habitats from wet rainforests through to dry plains. Kangaroos are marsupials – their young are born undeveloped and then continue to grow in their mothers’ pouches. Their family name ‘macropod’ means ‘big foot’. The biggest of all macropodsis the red kangaroo. They live in the hot, dry inland of Australia where food can be scarce and water even more so. Universal present tense for scientific writing From Big Red Kangaroo by Claire Saxby, illustrated by Graham Byrne

Kangaroos are only found in Australia and Papua New Guinea. They are a diverse family, with more than sixty different species, and live in a wide range of habitats from wet rainforests through to dry plains. Kangaroosare marsupials – their young are born undeveloped and then continue to grow in their mothers’ pouches. Their family name ‘macropod’ means ‘big foot’. The biggest of all macropodsis the red kangaroo. They live in the hot, dry inland of Australia where food can be scarce and water even more so. Scientific vocabulary: marsupial; macropod; Proper Nouns provide geographical precision; Extended noun phrases provide informational detail. From Big Red Kangaroo by Claire Saxby, illustrated by Graham Byrne

Writing like a Scientist From Big Red Kangaroo by Claire Saxby, illustrated by Graham Byrne

Writing like a Scientist The heat eases with approaching nightfall. It is breakfast time for Red’s mob. Around them, the night orchestra begins. Red rises and leads his mob beyond the shadow line in search of grasses. Identify the verbs in the narrative and the scientific text. Red kangaroos are most active at dusk and dawn, although they will graze throughout the night. The grasses are difficult for their stomachs to digest. When they rest, they sometimes regurgitate their food and chew it again. From Big Red Kangaroo by Claire Saxby, illustrated by Graham Byrne

Writing like a Scientist The heat eases with approaching nightfall. It is breakfast time for Red’s mob. Around them, the night orchestra begins. Red rises and leads his mob beyond the shadow line in search of grasses. Narrative: eases; begins; rises; leads Scientific: are; graze; digest, rest, regurgitate; chew scientific verbs to describe different kinds of eating processes. Red kangaroos are most active at dusk and dawn, although they will graze throughout the night. The grasses are difficult for their stomachs to digest. When they rest, they sometimes regurgitate their food and chew it again. From Big Red Kangaroo by Claire Saxby, illustrated by Graham Byrne

Teacher Knowledge: Lexical Verbs • Lexical verbs are the verbs teachers are referring to when they talk about a ‘doing’ word, but they often don’t express a lot of doing. • It can be helpful to distinguish between action verbs and other verbs to avoid confusion Action verbs (the doing word): These verbs express an action, such as: jump, dance, eat or ache. Other lexical verbs: Eg reporting verbs: whisper, suggest, exclaim or shout. Sensing verbs: believe, know, imagine, enjoy, fear, see or hear. Other verbs: continue, progress, distinguish, develop, organise, lead, or survive. …

Lexical Verbs The heat eases with approaching nightfall. It is breakfast time for Red’s mob. Around them, the night orchestra begins. Red rises and leads his mob beyond the shadow line in search of grasses. Action Verbs: rises; graze; digest, regurgitate; chew, rest (?) Other lexical verbs: eases; begins; leads; are; is But notice: will graze – a verb phrase (more later!) Red kangaroos are most active at dusk and dawn, although they will graze throughout the night. The grasses are difficult for their stomachs to digest. When they rest, they sometimes regurgitate their food and chew it again. From Big Red Kangaroo by Claire Saxby, illustrated by Graham Byrne

Grammar for Writing: Working with Non-Fiction Texts