Building ambitious vocabulary in writing Building ambitious vocabulary in writing

Lesson objective:
To meet this assessment focus, you must show that you can
Writing Assessment Focus 7 select and use a range of vocabulary, and make choices
according to purpose and audience.

How can you do this in your work?

 Try to make original choices that are unique.
Target:  Use a thesaurus to help you.
 Consider the effect of certain words on your reader.
To use a range of vocabulary which is
 Read your work back to yourself or ask someone to read
varied and ambitious. through your ideas. Hear how your word choices sound in
your text.
© www.teachit.co.uk 2009 13304 Slide 1 of 10 © www.teachit.co.uk 2009 13304 Slide 2 of 10

Building ambitious vocabulary in writing Building ambitious vocabulary in writing

How does: How does:

• A cat move? • A cat slinks • A cat sound? • A cat mews
• A mouse move? • A mouse scurries • A mouse sound? • A mouse squeaks
• A spider move? • A spider scuttles • A spider sound? • A spider is silent
• A monkey move? • A monkey swings • A monkey sound? • A monkey howls
• A snake move? • A snake slithers • A snake sound? • A snake hisses
• A snail move? • A snail slides. • A snail sound? • A snail is silent.
What were yo What were yo
vocabulary ch ur vocabulary ch ur
oice
Keep focused s? oice
Keep focused s?
on on
originality. originality.
© www.teachit.co.uk 2009 13304 Slide 3 of 10 © www.teachit.co.uk 2009 13304 Slide 4 of 10

Building ambitious vocabulary in writing Building ambitious vocabulary in writing

How does: How does:

• A cat look? • A cat is sleek • A cat behave? • A cat prowls
• A mouse look? • A mouse is dainty • A mouse behave? • A mouse flits
• A spider look? • A spider is spiky • A spider behave? • A spider weaves
• A monkey look? • A monkey is hairy • A monkey behave? • A monkey is giddy
• A snake look? • A snake is scaly • A snake behave? • A snake is calculating
• A snail look? • A snail is curled. • A snail behave? • A snail is cautious.
What were yo What were yo
vocabulary ch ur vocabulary ch ur
oice oice
Keep focused s? Keep focused s?
on on
originality. originality.
© www.teachit.co.uk 2009 13304 Slide 5 of 10 © www.teachit.co.uk 2009 13304 Slide 6 of 10

1
 Building ambitious vocabulary in writing Building ambitious vocabulary in writing

What colour is: What colour is:

• A cat? • A cat is white • A cat? • A cat is arctic white
• A mouse? • A mouse is grey • A mouse? • A mouse is granite grey
• A spider? • A spider is black • A spider? • A spider is midnight black
• A monkey? • A monkey is brown • A monkey? • A monkey is chocolate brown
• A snake? • A snake is green • A snake? • A snake is emerald green
• A snail? • A snail is brown. • A snail? • A snail is speckled brown.

Thinking point: Thinking point

These colours :
are OK – but the Are these better
aren’t very am words vocabulary cho
bitious. Can you Would they he ices?
them by adding improve lp enhance you
some detail? r work?

© www.teachit.co.uk 2009 13304 Slide 7 of 10 © www.teachit.co.uk 2009 13304 Slide 8 of 10

Building ambitious vocabulary in writing Building ambitious vocabulary in writing

TASK: Now use your notes to help you write a description of a TASK: Use your notes to help you write a description of a
person where they are described as an animal. person where they are described as an animal.

For example, describing someone Choose any of the animals that WAF7
as a spider: you have made notes on and
develop your ideas into a  Try to make original choices
He scuttled in, silent and spiky. Thinking point: description. that are unique
Weaving his way around the What effect do  Use a thesaurus to help you
• a cat  Consider the effect of
chairs, carefully plotting what these more
unusual word • a mouse choosing certain words on
he would do next.
choices have on • a spider your reader
Dressed in midnight black, his the reader?  Read your work back to
• a monkey
frown was foreboding. The • a snake yourself or ask someone to
class fell silent, waiting and read through your ideas.
• a snail
Hear how your word choices
watchful. • or an animal of your choice. sound in your text
© www.teachit.co.uk 2009 13304 Slide 9 of 10 © www.teachit.co.uk 2009 13304 Slide 10 of 10