British Modern School Year 6

BMS 2023/2024
English Department

Author’s Crafts

Study notes

The techniques used by an author to create a

piece of written work are referred to as the
author's craft.

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English Department

Organisation/Paragraphs

Every piece of writing needs some kind of organisation. The

structure is like the frame of a house. It holds everything
together and gives a shape to ideas and details.

Here are some ways to organise your writing:

• a narrative with a beginning, middle, and end

• a step-by-step set of instructions
• an argument between two people
• a description of something
• an information
• a persuasive piece with the best reason last

Before you write, consider how to best shape your ideas.

Deciding on the form of your writing is just the first step.
Consider how all of your ideas connect to the topic. What
organisation would best present your ideas?

Strategies for Organising Ideas

• Plan your features and crafts you are going to follow

• Organise your ideas and use them in order

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Tips

• Point: Clearly state your main idea. Focus on the problem and

how you think it should be solved.

• Evidence, Explanation: Organise your evidence and explanation

logically in well-developed paragraphs. State reasons why your

solution or opinion is best, one at a time, and develop them

with supporting details.

• Link : Use transition words and phrases to show how ideas are

connected. Introduce reasons first, also, and most important,

end with the strongest reason.

• Tie ideas together in your conclusion. Avoid an abrupt ending.

Refer back to your main idea, using different wording

(rephrasing).

Writer’s Corner

• Make a “ladder” and summarise your main argument at the top

and your reasons on the rungs (level). Be sure each rung below
the main statement states a new reason. The final rung should
tell the most important reason.

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Task:

Read the paragraph below. Write the numbers of the sentences that
do not focus on the main idea in the first sentence.

By following a few simple steps, you can make perfect pasta. (6)
First, choose a large pot, fill it two-thirds full of water, and heat
it over a burner. (7) Add a half teaspoon of salt and a
tablespoon of oil. (8) When the water begins to boil rapidly, put
in the pasta. (9) There are many kinds of pasta. (10) I like rotini
best. (11) Stir the pasta every minute or so.
(12) After it has cooked for 9 minutes, pour the pasta and water
into a colander in the sink. (13) Drain the pasta, pour it into a
bowl, add butter, and enjoy!

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Voice/Tone
A writer’s voice/tone expresses his attitude towards the topic.
Word choice, sentence structure, and word pictures made by
details and comparisons create the tone in a piece of writing.

Every writer has a voice—a personality that comes through in the

tone and style of a piece of writing. Voice shows that a writer
knows and cares about a topic. It also reveals a certain style and
tone. A writer with a strong, clear voice speaks directly to
readers and keeps their attention.

• I stood on the bridge and looked at the water. (weak voice)

• I leaned over the railing of the bridge, scowling down at the
muddy, brown waters of the river. (strong voice)

Voice should take into account what the reader needs to know.
Your topic, audience, and purpose will determine your voice.

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Strategies for Developing Your Voice

• Be sure of your purpose and audience. A review of a school

play that flopped might have a humorous, light voice. An
argument for more lifeguards at the town beach demands a
serious, thoughtful voice.

• Select words that match your voice. When you write dialogue
for characters in a story, you can use contractions (I’ve, it’s)
along with slang.

• Figurative language can make your voice interesting and

colourful.

• Formal writing, such as research reports and business letters,

requires exact, objective vocabulary.

Tips

• Establish a voice in the opening paragraph. Create a voice that

establishes your mood and your feeling for the subject.

• Use interesting language to suggest your personality and get

your reader involved.

• Replace flat, dull sentences with vivid ones that bring the topic
to life.
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• Elaborate on your ideas. Use precise, descriptive details rather

than vague, general ones. (Replace got himself some birdseed
with scrabbled around in the grass under the bird feeder and
expertly raked in the seeds scattered by birds.)

• Match your language to your purpose. Don’t use slang or overly

informal words in a personal narrative. (Replace It sounds
gross.)

Writer’s corner

Remember that your voice shapes and controls your ideas.

Whatever you write about, express yourself in an engaging,
appropriate voice.

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Word Choice
Good writers always search for the perfect words to express an
idea and feeling. Precise nouns, strong verbs, and vivid
adjectives make their writing unforgettable.
• London is an example of a foggy city and is covered with thick
clouds much of the time. (dull and wordy)
• London’s fog is a fine mist that blankets its streets and chills
its citizens. (vivid and precise)

Strategies for Improving Word Choice

• Appeal to the senses. (The elephant’s hide was cracked like dry
earth instead of The elephant’s skin looked dry; The moon
hangs like a pearl earring instead of The moon is white and
round)
• Use precise nouns. (heron instead of bird; skyscraper instead of
building)
• Harness the power of strong verbs. (whisper instead of say;
galloped instead of ran)
• Eliminate wordiness. (I believe instead of It is my opinion
that)
• Banish empty words—good, cute, stuff, nice. Choose words with
meaning. (The cellar held battered trunks, rusted lawnmowers,
and countless cardboard boxes instead of The cellar was full
of stuff)

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• Try rewriting sentences that depend on linking verbs—is, am,

were. (The bell jangled in my ears instead of The bell was
loud)
• Find words that make magic on the page: shadowy, harsh,
glimmer, devastated. Jot these words down in a writer’s
notebook for future reference.

Tips

• Replace vague or general nouns. Substitute the names of

specific people, places, or things. (Use spines instead of stuff.)
• Use vivid verbs to describe actions precisely. (Replace walking
with padding; replace stood still with froze; replace said with
exclaimed.)
• Elaborate with words that appeal to the senses. (Use hissed
instead of made a weird noise.)
• Use images and figurative language to create strong word
pictures. (Use like a pincushion instead of more like needles.)
• Avoid wordiness. Rewrite sentences that contain unnecessary
words. (Delete kind of and sort of.)

Writer’s Corner
• Figurative language can make your writing come alive.
Consider whether you might describe your subject more vividly
by using a figurative comparison, such as the “pincushion” simile
used above for the hedgehog.

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Task:

Replace the underlined word in each sentence with a more exact

word or phrase from the box. Rewrite the paragraph.

(7) We could hear the storm come in from the west. (8) Trees
moved violently as wind whipped them. (9) Black clouds had
suddenly filled the sky. (10) Then lots of rain fell in windblown
sheets. (11) I jumped as lightning ripped the sky and thunder
sounded like a gunshot. (12) Afterwards, the air smelled good.

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Sentences

Good writing has a natural flow. Sentences that vary in structure

and length create a readable style. When writing follows the
rhythms of speech, it is a pleasure to read aloud.

Here Are Some Ways To Improve Your Sentences.

• Vary sentence types. Use interrogative, exclamatory, and

imperative sentences along with declarative sentences.
• Write sentences of varying lengths.
• Begin sentences with words other than the, I, or it.
• Use connectives. Show relationships between ideas with words
such as although, but, next, while, and however. Don’t rely too
heavily on and, so, and because.

Strategy for Improving Your Sentences

• Reread a piece of your writing.

• Look for areas to improve. You may notice that you overuse but
or and to connect ideas. Maybe your sentences could be longer
and more varied.
• When planning your writing, make a list of different
connectives so you don't forget to use them.

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Tips

• Vary sentence beginnings. Avoid starting too many sentences

with I and we.
• Join short, choppy sentences. Use connectors such as and, or, as,
and while to join sentences with related ideas.
• Avoid sentences that are too long or wordy. (Break the first
sentence in the second paragraph into two sentences.)
• Order sentences for a logical flow. (Move information about
anticipating fireworks from the second paragraph to the last
paragraph.)
• Vary kinds and lengths of sentences. Rephrase some statements
as exclamations, questions, or commands.

Writer’s Corner

Avoid running several sentences together with the conjunction

and. The result is a long train of ideas that all seem of equal
importance. Instead, use connectors such as when and before to
show relationships. Eliminate unnecessary words.
• No: School let out and I visited my aunt and she lives in
Georgia.
• Yes: When school let out, I visited my aunt in Georgia.

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Conventions

Conventions are rules for written language. They are the signals
that writers use to make their meaning clear to readers. For
example, sentences begin with a capital letter and end with
punctuation. Paragraphs are indented to show where a new idea
begins. Grammar and spelling follow patterns.
• sam and he frens walkd to the stor they buyed ice creem
(weak conventions)
• Sam and his friends walked to the store. They bought ice
cream. (strong conventions)

Strategies for Conventions of Writing

• Make sure sentences are complete, with correct capitalisation

and punctuation.
• Use a dictionary or spell-checker to check spelling.
• Choose the correct forms of pronouns, especially pronouns that
are compound subjects or objects.
• Do not change verb tenses without a reason.
• Check the use of apostrophes in possessive nouns and
contractions.
• Use Proofreading Marks as you revise and edit your work.

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Tips

• Do not run sentences together incorrectly. (Add a period after

CornFest and capitalise this in the first paragraph.)
• Make sure that subjects and verbs agree. (downtown is instead
of downtown are; restaurants open instead of restaurants
opens; ears have instead of ears has.)
• Spell all words correctly. ((noise, merchandise, whole, and
steam instead of nosie, merchandize, hole, and steem)
• Capitalise all proper nouns and adjectives. (August and
Chinese instead of august and chinese)
• Form plurals of nouns correctly. (smells instead of smelles)

Writer’s Corner

When you proofread, try using a ruler. Place the ruler under one
line. Read that line carefully from start to finish. Then move the
ruler down to the next line. Some people even read backward to
catch spelling errors.

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Original

Every august our town celebrates CornFest this three-day festival

draws people from miles around and sets the whole county abuzz with
nosie and activity.
The downtown are closed to traffic, and restaurants opens outdoor
stands. The smelles of chinese, Mexican, Italian, and Thai food mingle.
Clothing stores wheel out merchandize for sidewalk sales.
A big parking lot hosts carnival rides. Little kids shout and hold on tight
as the merry-go-round whirls. I always ride the Ferris wheel and look over
the hole town.
Best of all, thousands of people line up for the free sweet corn.
Volunteers hand out plates of the steaming treat. The golden ears has
been cooked in a huge old steem locomotive boiler.

Improved
Revising Tips
Do not run sentences together incorrectly. (Add a period after
Everyand
CornFest August our town
capitalize thiscelebrates CornFest.
in the first This three-day festival
paragraph.)
draws people from miles around and sets the whole county abuzz with
Make sure that subjects and verbs agree. (downtown is instead
ofnoise and activity.
downtown are; restaurants open instead of restaurants opens; ears have
Theof
instead downtown
ears has) is closed to traffic, and restaurants open outdoor
stands. The smells of Chinese, Mexican, Italian, and Thai food mingle.
Spell all words correctly. (noise, merchandise, whole, and steam
Clothing
instead ofstores
nosie, wheel out merchandise
merchandize, hole, andfor sidewalk sales.
steem)
A big parking lot hosts carnival rides. Little kids shout and hold on tight
Capitalize all proper nouns and adjectives. (August and Chinese
as the merry-go-round
instead whirls. I always ride the Ferris wheel and look over
of august and chinese)
the whole town.
Form plurals of nouns correctly. (smells instead of smelles)
Best of all, thousands of people line up for the free sweet corn.
Volunteers hand out plates of the steaming treat. The golden ears have
been cooked in a huge old steam locomotive boiler.
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Writer’s Corner
When you proofread, try using a ruler. Place the ruler under one
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line. Read that line carefully from start to finish. Then move the
ruler down to the next line. Some people even read backward
British Modern School Year 6
BMS 2023/2024
English Department

Show, Don’t Tell !!!

When you write, show, don’t tell, how your feelings and thoughts.
• Tell I was nervous.
• Show My voice squeaked and my knees knocked.

Using this technique helps paint a picture of the scene for the
reader. Telling might be quicker sometimes, but showing is a much
more immersive way of writing stories and can leave things up to
the reader to interpret.
• Tell Lucy felt really sad.
• Show Lucy felt her face crumple, and hot tears sprang to her
eyes.

Strategies to Show Don’t Tell

• Think about your character’s physical descriptionUse a

dictionary or spell-checker to check spelling. (James stood
staring, his mouth hanging slightly open. The handle of the pan
was heating quickly in his palm, but he didn’t notice it until it
had already scolded him. He let go of the handle with a cry.)
• Show the reader the setting, (As they gazed into each other’s
faces, rain dripped slowly from the oak leaves above them.)
• Use dialogue to show personality, (Oh I’m so looking forward to
it!)
• Describe body language, (Meira took a few slow steps back from
Lucas.)

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• Avoid generic words - try to be more specific,

• Tell Ron sat down on the chair.
• Show Ron sunk into the soft, padded armchair.

Writer’s Corner

Vivid descriptions draw the reader into the author’s personal

“world.”

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Character Sketch
A character sketch makes a person or story character come alive
for the reader. It vividly describes the
person’s actions and character traits.

A good character description can really make fictional characters

come to life in our imagination. It's thanks to character
description that when we read a good book we feel like we know
the characters so well, letting us picture exactly what they look
like in our mind’s eye.

Strategies to Show Don’t Tell

• Describe their character's appearance.
• Describe their background/past.
• Describe how they speak.
• Describe how they move.
• Describe their actions, thoughts and feelings.
• Describe their personality.

Using Dialogue To Create Character Descriptions:

• Describe their character's appearance.
• Describe their background/past.
• Describe how they speak.
• Describe how they move.
• Describe their actions, thoughts and feelings.
• Describe their personality.

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Tips

It's also a good idea to try to appeal to the reader's different

senses in your character description. This means you could try to
describe your character by appealing to a selection of different
senses.
• Sight - their visual appearance. What colour are their eyes? Are
they very tall or short?
• Sound - how do they talk? Encourage children to consider
their accent, as well as volume.
• Touch - do they have silky soft hair or sharp, pointy nails?

Writer’s Corner

Using figurative language such as metaphor, similes, or hyperbole

can help to create larger than life character descriptions. For
example, if you were describing a giant, you might write
something like "his arms were as sturdy as oak trees" or "his
shoulders were the size of mountains”.

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Strong Conclusions
A strong conclusion summarises your ideas in a memorable way
that keeps your message in your reader’s mind. A good
conclusion should be more than just a restatement of what went
before. It could provide an insight, present a twist, or pose a
challenge or a question to readers.

Strategies for Strong Conclusions

• Summarise the points made in the body of the text. Try to write
these in a different way from how they were written in the
body.
• Provide insight. Tell your audience what conclusion you have
come to based on the information you've provided.
• Provide a solution or ask open-ended questions. Give your
reader something to think about after they've finished. Is there
a solution to the issues raised? Is there further thought and
action that could be taken? Are there broader implications?

Writer’s Corner
Writing a good conclusion is an essential part of any text. It's
the last idea that the reader is left with once they're finished
reading, so you want to leave a good impression.

The conclusion briefly restates the main points of the writing and
makes sense of any results that were obtained.

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Tips for writing

Before Writing
• Read the task carefully. What does it ask you to do?

• Write down key words that name your audience (warn people
who eat junk food), state the purpose of the writing (give
directions), and tell you how to organise your points (provide
step-by-step instructions).

• Determine the tone of your writing (friendly, formal).

• List your features and crafts you are going to use.

During Writing
• Reread the task as you write to make sure you are on topic.

• Keep in mind your listed crafts and stay focused.

• Write a good beginning. You might engage readers with a

thought-provoking question or an interesting fact.

• Develop and elaborate ideas. Support your main idea, your

observations, or your opinion.

• Write a strong ending. Try to write a “clincher” - a fact,

argument, or an event that settles the writing conclusively - or
sentence to provide a clear ending. You might add a final
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comment of your own or challenge your reader with a

command.

After Writing
• Check your grammar and mechanics (punctuation, spelling).

• Reread the prompt and review your work.

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