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SATs practice · Year 6Chapter 5 · Language and structure: how the writer creates effects
Year 6 · Chapter 5

Language and structure: how the writer creates effects

By the end of this chapter you will be able to

  • Name a simile, metaphor, personification or alliteration, and say why it is used
  • Explain the effect of a word or phrase on the reader, with a quotation
  • Explain how repetition and a short sentence change the mood
  • Explain how a flashback and the opening and ending of a story work on the reader
  • Explain how headings, lists, captions and questions help the reader of a non-fiction text

You should already know

  • Figurative language and how it creates pictures (Year 4 reading)
  • Parts of a non-fiction text: headings, captions and lists (Year 4 non-fiction)

Where this leads

  • Summarising main ideas from a text (Chapter 6 of this book)
  • The practice papers that mix all these skills (Chapters 7 to 9 of this book)

KS2 SATs practice for reading (Year 6). Original questions in the style of the national tests. Content: Explain how a writer’s word choice and figurative language (simile, metaphor, personification, alliteration) affect the reader (Y5-6 reading, R9), Explain how a story’s structure (its opening, a flashback or time shift, and its ending) affects the reader (Y5-6 reading, R9), Explain how the headings, lists, captions and rhetorical questions of a non-fiction text help the reader (Y5-6 reading, R9), Pick out key details that support the main ideas, and order the parts of a text (Y5-6 reading, R8).

Exercise P  Do you remember?

1
FWrite the word that means a comparison using like or as. Write one word.
2
FWrite the word that means a comparison that says one thing is another, without like or as. Write one word.
3
FWrite the word that means giving human feelings or actions to an object or animal. Write one word.
4
FWrite the word that means the repeating of the same first sound in nearby words. Write one word.
5
FWhich word is a noun in this sentence: The station was a cave of grey steel.? Write the word only.
5.1

Simile, metaphor and personification

Year 6
Explain how a writer’s figurative language, such as simile, metaphor and personification, affects the reader (Y5-6 reading, R9)
Video lesson: Simile, metaphor and personificationComing soon

This is practice material, not the official test.

Every text and question in this book was written for practice. It is not a real test paper, and the marks, the timing and the question types are a practice guide only.

Story. Nell is waiting on an empty station platform in the evening. The writer uses comparisons and pictures to show how the place feels.

A short story that moves between the present and the morning before. Read it, and notice how the writer builds the scene.

The clock above Platform Two had stopped at ten past nine, and Nell had been waiting beneath it for an hour.

Rain rattled against the glass roof. Somewhere a door banged, and the sound rolled along the empty platform like a dropped tin.

The station was a cave of grey steel and echoes. Nell pulled her coat tighter and told herself that the last train would come.

That morning, the house had been full of boxes. Her mother had taped them shut, one after another, until the hallway looked like a wall of cardboard.

‘We’ll be fine,’ Mum had said, but she had not looked up from the tape.

Nell had wanted to shout. Instead she had carried the smallest box to the car, holding it carefully, as though it might break. Then it was over.

Now the platform was silent. The vending machine hummed to itself, and the rails shone like two long silver promises.

Nell looked at the empty track and waited. The clock had stopped, but the train would come.

A writer can create a picture by comparing one thing with another. A simile uses like or as. A metaphor says one thing is another. Personification gives a thing human actions, such as humming to itself.

Key ideas

  • A simile uses like or as: the rails shone like two long silver promises.
  • A metaphor says one thing is another: a cave of grey steel and echoes.
  • Personification gives a thing a human action: the machine hummed to itself.
  • Always explain the effect, not just the name of the device.
Worked example 5.1.1
Which device is used in the station was a cave of grey steel and echoes? Name it.

Method. Look for like or as, and for a thing said to be another thing.

  1. Look for like or as. There is no like or as in this sentence.
    no like or as
  2. Check for a thing said to be another. The station is said to be a cave.
    the station is a cave
  3. Name the device. Saying one thing is another, without like or as, is a metaphor.
    metaphor
  4. Write the answer.
    metaphor

Check. The station is called a cave, with no like or as. ✓

Worked example 5.1.2
Which device is used in the vending machine hummed to itself? Name it.

Method. Think about whether the machine is given a human action.

  1. Look at the action. Humming to itself is a human action.
    hummed to itself
  2. Check the thing. A vending machine does not talk or hum to itself as a person would.
    does not talk
  3. Name the device. Giving a thing a human action is personification.
    personification
  4. Write the answer.
    personification

Check. The machine is given a human action. ✓

Worked example 5.1.3
Explain the effect of like a dropped tin on the reader.

Method. Name the device, then explain what it makes the reader hear and feel.

  1. Find the device. Like makes the sound a simile.
    like a dropped tin
  2. Explain the picture. A dropped tin makes a sudden, loud clatter.
    sudden, loud clatter
  3. Explain the effect. The reader hears a sudden noise on an empty platform, which feels lonely.
    feels lonely
  4. Write the answer.
    it makes the noise sudden and loud, so the empty station feels echoing and lonely

Check. The effect is explained. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: a simile is not always the same as a metaphor. Look for the word like or as before you name it.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Ask your child to find a comparison in a story, and to say whether it uses like or as.

Exercise 5A  Practice: simile, metaphor and personification

1
FWhich device is used in the sound rolled along the empty platform like a dropped tin? Choose one: simile / metaphor / personification.
2
FWhich device is used in The station was a cave of grey steel and echoes? Choose one: simile / metaphor / alliteration.
3
FWhich device is used in The vending machine hummed to itself? Choose one: personification / simile / rhyme.
4
FWhich device is used in the rails shone like two long silver promises? Choose one: simile / metaphor / personification.
5
FWhich device is used in Rain rattled against the glass roof? Choose one: alliteration / simile / metaphor.
6
FWhich device is used in until the hallway looked like a wall of cardboard? Choose one: simile / metaphor / onomatopoeia.
7
FExplain the effect of the simile like a dropped tin. Explain what effect this has on the reader. Write one or two sentences.
8
PSExplain the effect of the metaphor a cave of grey steel and echoes. Explain what effect this has on the reader. Write one or two sentences.
9
PSExplain the effect of the personification hummed to itself. Explain what effect this has on the reader. Write one or two sentences.
10
FCopy the simile in this sentence: the sound rolled along the empty platform like a dropped tin.
11
FWhich word makes the comparison in the rails shone like two long silver promises? Write the word.
12
PSMatch each device to the example from the text that uses it. Devices: 1 simile; 2 metaphor; 3 personification; 4 alliteration. Examples: A the station was a cave of grey steel and echoes; B the vending machine hummed to itself; C the rails shone like two long silver promises; D Rain rattled against the glass roof. Write the letter for each device, for example 1 = A.
13
RChoose one comparison from the text and explain how it helps the reader picture the platform.
5.2

Short sentences, repetition and questions

Year 6
Explain how a short sentence, repetition and a question affect the reader (Y5-6 reading, R9)
Video lesson: Short sentences, repetition and questionsComing soon
Story. Nell and her mum are packing up the house, and a garden poster gives advice about hedgehogs. The writer uses short sentences, repetition and a question to make the reader feel and think.

A short story that moves between the present and the morning before. Read it, and notice how the writer builds the scene.

The clock above Platform Two had stopped at ten past nine, and Nell had been waiting beneath it for an hour.

Rain rattled against the glass roof. Somewhere a door banged, and the sound rolled along the empty platform like a dropped tin.

The station was a cave of grey steel and echoes. Nell pulled her coat tighter and told herself that the last train would come.

That morning, the house had been full of boxes. Her mother had taped them shut, one after another, until the hallway looked like a wall of cardboard.

‘We’ll be fine,’ Mum had said, but she had not looked up from the tape.

Nell had wanted to shout. Instead she had carried the smallest box to the car, holding it carefully, as though it might break. Then it was over.

Now the platform was silent. The vending machine hummed to itself, and the rails shone like two long silver promises.

Nell looked at the empty track and waited. The clock had stopped, but the train would come.

A poster on a garden wall.

Keep calm. Keep quiet. Keep the hedgehog safe.

A very short sentence after longer ones can make a moment sudden or final. Repetition of a word makes a message firm and memorable. A rhetorical question is asked to make the reader think, not to get an answer.

Key ideas

  • A short sentence after longer ones makes the moment sudden or final.
  • Repetition makes a message firm, clear or easy to remember.
  • A rhetorical question makes the reader think about the subject.
Worked example 5.2.1
Explain the effect of the short sentence Then it was over.

Method. Look at the length of the sentence, and what comes before it.

  1. Compare the lengths. The paragraph before it is long and busy.
    long and busy
  2. Look at the short sentence. Then it was over. is very short.
    Then it was over.
  3. Explain the effect. The short sentence stops the paragraph, so the moment feels sudden and final.
    sudden and final
  4. Write the answer.
    it makes the moment feel sudden and final

Check. The short sentence changes the pace. ✓

Worked example 5.2.2
Explain the effect of repeating Keep in Keep calm. Keep quiet. Keep the hedgehog safe.

Method. Notice the repeated word, and what it does to the message.

  1. Find the repetition. The word Keep is repeated three times.
    Keep calm. Keep quiet.
  2. Think about the message. Repeated instructions sound firm and clear.
    firm and clear
  3. Explain the effect. The reader remembers the instruction and follows it.
    remembers the instruction
  4. Write the answer.
    the message is firm and easy to remember

Check. The repetition makes the message firm. ✓

Worked example 5.2.3
Which device is used in Have you ever seen one in your garden?

Method. Think about whether the question needs an answer.

  1. Look at the question. The reader is asked a question.
    Have you ever seen one
  2. Think about the answer. The writer does not expect a reply; it makes the reader think.
    makes the reader think
  3. Name the device. A question asked to make the reader think is a rhetorical question.
    rhetorical question
  4. Write the answer.
    rhetorical question

Check. The question makes the reader think. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: a question in a text is not always rhetorical. Ask whether the writer expects a real answer.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Ask your child to read the poster aloud, once with a pause after each Keep. Ask what changes.

Exercise 5B  Practice: short sentences, repetition and questions

1
FThe writer ends a paragraph with Then it was over. What is the effect? Choose one: it makes the moment feel sudden and final / it makes the story longer / it starts a list of boxes.
2
PSExplain why the writer uses the short sentence Then it was over. after the description of carrying the box. Explain what effect this has on the reader. Write one or two sentences.
3
FThe writer says the boxes were taped one after another. What is the effect? Choose one: it shows the taping going on and on, which makes the task seem endless / it shows the boxes are very light / it describes the weather.
4
FThe poster repeats the word Keep. What is the effect? Choose one: it makes the message firm and memorable / it shows the poster is old / it makes the poster harder to read.
5
FExplain the effect of the repeated word Keep in this poster. Explain what effect this has on the reader. Write one or two sentences.
6
FWhich device is used in Have you ever seen one in your garden? Choose one: rhetorical question / simile / alliteration.
7
FExplain the effect of the question Have you ever seen one in your garden? on the reader. Explain what effect this has on the reader. Write one or two sentences.
8
FWhich device is used in small, spiky mammals? Choose one: alliteration / simile / metaphor.
9
FExplain the effect of the word spiky in small, spiky mammals. Explain what effect this has on the reader. Write one or two sentences.
10
PSMum is busy with the tape. What does she had not looked up from the tape show? Choose one: Mum is distracted and not sharing Nell’s feelings / Mum is excited about the move / the tape is broken.
11
PSWhy does the writer use as though it might break? Choose one: to show how carefully Nell carries the box / to show the box is empty / to show the car is broken.
5.3

Structure: the opening, a flashback and the ending

Year 6
Explain how the structure of a story, its opening, a time shift and its ending, affects the reader (Y5-6 reading, R9)
Video lesson: Structure: the opening, a flashback and the endingComing soon
Story. The story starts at a stopped clock, moves back to a morning of packing, and returns to the platform. Look at how the writer arranges the parts.

A short story that moves between the present and the morning before. Read it, and notice how the writer builds the scene.

The clock above Platform Two had stopped at ten past nine, and Nell had been waiting beneath it for an hour.

Rain rattled against the glass roof. Somewhere a door banged, and the sound rolled along the empty platform like a dropped tin.

The station was a cave of grey steel and echoes. Nell pulled her coat tighter and told herself that the last train would come.

That morning, the house had been full of boxes. Her mother had taped them shut, one after another, until the hallway looked like a wall of cardboard.

‘We’ll be fine,’ Mum had said, but she had not looked up from the tape.

Nell had wanted to shout. Instead she had carried the smallest box to the car, holding it carefully, as though it might break. Then it was over.

Now the platform was silent. The vending machine hummed to itself, and the rails shone like two long silver promises.

Nell looked at the empty track and waited. The clock had stopped, but the train would come.

A writer chooses the order of a story. A flashback moves back to an earlier time, to explain what has happened. The ending can link back to the beginning, and it leaves the reader with a feeling.

Key ideas

  • The opening sets the scene and makes the reader curious.
  • A flashback moves back in time, and it explains the present.
  • The ending can link to the start, and leave the reader thinking.
Worked example 5.3.1
Which time does the story move back to in the paragraph beginning That morning?

Method. Find the time words, and say which time they show.

  1. Find the time words. That morning shows an earlier time.
    That morning
  2. Find what happens then. The house was full of boxes, which were taped shut.
    full of boxes
  3. Name the time. The story moves back to the morning, when the boxes were packed.
    the morning, when the boxes were packed
  4. Write the answer.
    the morning, when the boxes were packed

Check. That morning is an earlier time. ✓

Worked example 5.3.2
Why does the story open with the clock stopping at ten past nine?

Method. Think about what the opening makes the reader want to know.

  1. Find the opening. The clock had stopped at ten past nine.
    had stopped at ten past nine
  2. Think about the effect. A stopped clock makes the reader wonder why Nell is waiting.
    wonder why
  3. Name the effect. The opening creates mystery and sets a lonely scene.
    mystery and a lonely scene
  4. Write the answer.
    to create a sense of mystery and a lonely scene

Check. The opening raises a question. ✓

Worked example 5.3.3
What does the story return to at the end, and why does it matter?

Method. Look at the last line and the first line.

  1. Find the link. The clock had stopped, but the train would come.
    The clock had stopped
  2. Think about the link. The clock is also in the first line, so the story comes full circle.
    full circle
  3. Explain it. The link ties the opening and ending together.
    ties the opening and ending together
  4. Write the answer.
    the clock, which links the start and the end

Check. The clock links the start and the end. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: a flashback is not a new part of the story. It explains the present, and the story then returns to the present.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Ask your child to say what the story would be like if it started with the morning instead of the clock.

Exercise 5C  Practice: structure of the story

1
FPut these parts of the story in the order they appear in the text: A the morning, when the boxes were taped, B the stopped clock at the start, C the closing line about the train, D the return to the platform and the vending machine.
2
RPut these events in the order they happened in the story, not the order the writer tells them: A Nell carries the smallest box to the car, B Mum tapes the boxes shut, C Nell waits beneath the clock on the platform.
3
FThe story begins with a clock that has stopped. Why is this opening effective? Choose one: it creates a mystery and sets a lonely scene / it tells the reader the train times / it describes the weather in detail.
4
RExplain why the writer returns to the clock at the end of the story. Explain what effect this has on the reader. Write one or two sentences.
5
FThe writer moves back to the morning, then returns to the platform. What is this structure called? Choose one: a flashback / a title / a glossary.
6
FExplain how the paragraph beginning That morning helps the reader. Explain what effect this has on the reader. Write one or two sentences.
7
FIn which paragraph does the story return to the platform? Write the first word of that paragraph.
8
FWhich description best fits the order of the story? Choose one: present, then the past, then the present / the past, then the future / the present only.
9
RWhy might the writer end the story without the train arriving?
10
RWhy is the time shift helpful to the reader? Choose one: it explains what happened earlier, which makes the waiting meaningful / it makes the story shorter / it replaces the ending.
11
PSWhat does Nell had wanted to shout show about Nell? Choose one: she was upset but did not express it / she was happy to leave / she wanted to sing.
5.4

Non-fiction: headings, lists, captions and layout

Year 6
Explain how the headings, lists and captions of a non-fiction text help the reader (Y5-6 reading, R9)
Video lesson: Non-fiction: headings, lists, captions and layoutComing soon
Story. A garden club has printed an information sheet about hedgehogs. Read the headings, the list and the caption, and think about how each one helps the reader.

Hedgehogs in the garden

Who are hedgehogs?

Have you ever seen one in your garden? Hedgehogs are small, spiky mammals that roam gardens at night. A hedgehog can roam a long way in one night, so a garden may be part of a longer route.

Their spines are made of keratin, the same material as your fingernails. When frightened, a hedgehog curls into a tight ball, and its spines point outwards in every direction.

What do they eat?

Hedgehogs eat beetles, worms, slugs and caterpillars. They search for food after dark, with their noses close to the ground. Hedgehogs are most active in summer, when food is plentiful. In winter, many hedgehogs hibernate, which means they sleep for long periods to save energy. Their numbers have fallen in many parts of Britain, so every garden can help.

Helping hedgehogs

  • Leave a pile of logs in a quiet corner.
  • Make a small gap at the bottom of your fence.
  • Put out fresh water in a shallow dish.
  • Check a pile of leaves or a bonfire for hedgehogs before you light or move it.
  • Never use slug pellets, because they can harm hedgehogs.

Figure 1: A hedgehog curled into a ball, which is how it protects itself.

Non-fiction writers use headings to show what each section is about, lists to set out advice clearly, and captions to explain a picture. A question in the text can speak directly to the reader.

Key ideas

  • A heading tells the reader what the section is about.
  • A list makes several points easy to read, one at a time.
  • A caption explains a picture, and can add a detail.
Worked example 5.4.1
Why is the heading Helping hedgehogs useful to the reader?

Method. Think about what the reader needs when they read a heading.

  1. Find the heading. The heading is Helping hedgehogs.
    Helping hedgehogs
  2. Think about the reader. A reader wants to find advice quickly.
    find advice quickly
  3. Explain the use. The heading tells the reader that the section gives advice.
    gives advice
  4. Write the answer.
    it shows the section gives advice

Check. The heading shows what the section is for. ✓

Worked example 5.4.2
Why is the advice in Helping hedgehogs set out as a list?

Method. Think about how a list is read.

  1. Find the list. Three pieces of advice are set out in a list.
    Leave a pile of logs
  2. Think about the reader. Each point is clear and separate.
    clear and separate
  3. Explain the use. The reader can follow each step on its own.
    follow each step
  4. Write the answer.
    to make each piece of advice easy to read and follow

Check. The list makes the advice clear. ✓

Worked example 5.4.3
What does the caption add to the text?

Method. Read the caption, and say what it tells the reader.

  1. Read the caption. The caption says a hedgehog is curled into a ball.
    curled into a ball
  2. Think about why. The caption explains that this protects it.
    protects itself
  3. Explain the use. The caption helps the reader understand the picture.
    understand the picture
  4. Write the answer.
    it explains the picture and why a hedgehog curls up

Check. The caption explains the picture. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: a heading is not the same as a fact. It tells you what the section is about; the facts are in the text below it.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Ask your child to predict what a section will say, from its heading, and then to check by reading it.

Exercise 5D  Practice: headings, lists and captions

1
FWhat is the purpose of the heading Who are hedgehogs? Choose one: to tell the reader what the section is about / to make the page look bigger / to end the text.
2
FWhy is a list used under Helping hedgehogs? Choose one: to make the advice easy to read, one point at a time / to show the hedgehogs are in a list / to make the text longer.
3
FExplain the effect of the caption A hedgehog curled into a ball, which is how it protects itself. Explain what effect this has on the reader. Write one or two sentences.
4
FPut these headings in the order they appear in the text: A What do they eat?, B Helping hedgehogs, C Who are hedgehogs?.
5
FWhich fact does the writer give about hedgehog spines? Choose one: they are made of the same material as fingernails / they are made of glass / they are made of metal.
6
PSExplain why the writer compares hedgehog spines to fingernails. Explain what effect this has on the reader. Write one or two sentences.
7
FWhich words tell the reader when hedgehogs look for food? Choose one: after dark / at breakfast / in summer.
8
PSExplain how the heading What do they eat? helps the reader. Explain what effect this has on the reader. Write one or two sentences.
9
PSWhat does the sentence Never use slug pellets show? Choose one: a firm warning about a harmful product / a joke about slugs / a fact about what slugs eat.
10
FWhich word in small, spiky mammals begins with the same sound as small? Write the word.
11
RWhy might a writer use a question in an information text?
5.5

Matching devices, effects and structure

Year 6
Explain how a writer’s choices of language and structure contribute to meaning, and pick out key details (Y5-6 reading, R8, R9)
Video lesson: Matching devices, effects and structureComing soon
Story. A reader matches each device in the story and the hedgehog text to its example, and explains how the writer’s choices work on the reader.

A short story that moves between the present and the morning before. Read it, and notice how the writer builds the scene.

The clock above Platform Two had stopped at ten past nine, and Nell had been waiting beneath it for an hour.

Rain rattled against the glass roof. Somewhere a door banged, and the sound rolled along the empty platform like a dropped tin.

The station was a cave of grey steel and echoes. Nell pulled her coat tighter and told herself that the last train would come.

That morning, the house had been full of boxes. Her mother had taped them shut, one after another, until the hallway looked like a wall of cardboard.

‘We’ll be fine,’ Mum had said, but she had not looked up from the tape.

Nell had wanted to shout. Instead she had carried the smallest box to the car, holding it carefully, as though it might break. Then it was over.

Now the platform was silent. The vending machine hummed to itself, and the rails shone like two long silver promises.

Nell looked at the empty track and waited. The clock had stopped, but the train would come.

Hedgehogs in the garden

Who are hedgehogs?

Have you ever seen one in your garden? Hedgehogs are small, spiky mammals that roam gardens at night. A hedgehog can roam a long way in one night, so a garden may be part of a longer route.

Their spines are made of keratin, the same material as your fingernails. When frightened, a hedgehog curls into a tight ball, and its spines point outwards in every direction.

What do they eat?

Hedgehogs eat beetles, worms, slugs and caterpillars. They search for food after dark, with their noses close to the ground. Hedgehogs are most active in summer, when food is plentiful. In winter, many hedgehogs hibernate, which means they sleep for long periods to save energy. Their numbers have fallen in many parts of Britain, so every garden can help.

Helping hedgehogs

  • Leave a pile of logs in a quiet corner.
  • Make a small gap at the bottom of your fence.
  • Put out fresh water in a shallow dish.
  • Check a pile of leaves or a bonfire for hedgehogs before you light or move it.
  • Never use slug pellets, because they can harm hedgehogs.

Figure 1: A hedgehog curled into a ball, which is how it protects itself.

When you match a device to an example, check the example for its signal words first: like or as for a simile, a thing that is said to be another for a metaphor, a human action for personification, and a repeated first sound for alliteration.

Key ideas

  • Check each example for its signal: like or as, a thing that is another thing, a human action, a repeated sound.
  • Explain the effect on the reader, not only the name of the device.
  • Choose the example that best fits the device, and check it once more.
Worked example 5.5.1
Match the device alliteration to the example that uses it: small, spiky mammals or like a dropped tin?

Method. Look for a repeated first sound in each example.

  1. Check small, spiky mammals. Small and spiky both begin with the s sound.
    small, spiky
  2. Check like a dropped tin. Like a dropped tin is a simile, with no repeated sound.
    like a dropped tin
  3. Choose the example. The example with the repeated sound is small, spiky mammals.
    small, spiky mammals
  4. Write the answer.
    small, spiky mammals

Check. The repeated s sound matches alliteration. ✓

Worked example 5.5.2
Which effect does a short sentence have? Choose from: a sudden, final feeling, or a long list.

Method. Recall the effect of a short sentence after longer ones.

  1. Recall the effect. A short sentence after long ones stands out.
    stands out
  2. Check the choices. A long list is not a short sentence.
    long list
  3. Choose the effect. The effect is a sudden, final feeling.
    a sudden, final feeling
  4. Write the answer.
    a sudden, final feeling

Check. The short sentence feels sudden. ✓

Worked example 5.5.3
Which device is used in Keep calm. Keep quiet. Keep the hedgehog safe.?

Method. Look for a word or phrase that is used again and again.

  1. Find the repeated word. The word Keep appears three times.
    Keep
  2. Check the others. There is no like or as, and no thing given a human action.
    no simile
  3. Name the device. Repeating the same word is repetition.
    repetition
  4. Write the answer.
    repetition

Check. Keep is repeated three times. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: two devices can be in one line. Name the one that fits the example best, and explain its effect.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Ask your child to match each device to one example in a book, and to say what the example makes them feel.

Exercise 5E  Practice: matching devices and effects

1
FMatch each device to the example from the poster and the hedgehog text that uses it. Devices: 1 rhetorical question; 2 alliteration; 3 repetition; 4 caption. Examples: A Keep calm. Keep quiet.; B Have you ever seen one in your garden?; C small, spiky mammals; D Figure 1: A hedgehog curled into a ball, which is how it protects itself.. Write the letter for each device, for example 1 = A.
2
FMatch each device to the example from the story that uses it. Devices: 1 short sentence; 2 repetition; 3 time shift; 4 simile. Examples: A like a dropped tin; B Then it was over.; C one after another; D That morning, the house had been full of boxes.. Write the letter for each device, for example 1 = A.
3
FName the device in the poster: Keep calm. Keep quiet. Keep the hedgehog safe. Write one word.
4
PSExplain how the writer makes the station feel empty and cold. Use one device from the text. Explain what effect this has on the reader. Write one or two sentences.
5
PSExplain how the writer uses a list to help the reader. Explain what effect this has on the reader. Write one or two sentences.
6
RWhich feature creates suspense at the end of the story? Choose one: the waiting for a train that may come / the list of boxes / the caption in the text.
7
FThe writer says Now the platform was silent. What effect does this create? Choose one: the platform feels empty and still / a noisy crowd is waiting / the train is late.
8
FWrite the verb that describes the sound of the vending machine in the story.
9
RChoose one comparison or description from the story and explain how it helps the reader picture the platform.

Chapter summary

SkillMethod
SimileA comparison using like or as; name it, and explain the picture it creates.
MetaphorOne thing said to be another, without like or as.
PersonificationA thing given a human action or feeling.
Repetition and short sentencesRepeated words make a message firm; a short sentence after long ones makes a moment sudden.
StructureAn opening raises a question; a flashback explains the present; an ending can link back to the start.
Non-fiction featuresHeadings show what a section is about; lists make points clear; captions explain pictures.

Can you…?

  • I can name a simile, metaphor, personification, alliteration and repetition
  • I can explain the effect of a word or phrase on the reader, with a quotation
  • I can explain how a short sentence or a question changes the mood or the reader’s thinking
  • I can explain how a flashback, the opening and the ending work in a story
  • I can explain how headings, lists and captions help the reader of a non-fiction text

Key terms

simile
a comparison using like or as
metaphor
a comparison that says one thing is another, without like or as
personification
giving human actions or feelings to a thing
alliteration
the same first sound repeated in nearby words
flashback
a part of the story that moves back to an earlier time
rhetorical question
a question asked to make the reader think, not to get an answer
caption
a short explanation under a picture or a diagram

Exercise 5Z  Check-up

1
What does Keep the hedgehog safe show? Choose one: a clear instruction with a purpose / a question / a description of a hedgehog.
2
Copy the words that show hedgehogs search for food at night.
3
Explain the effect of the simile like a wall of cardboard. Explain what effect this has on the reader. Write one or two sentences.
4
Why does the writer use the smallest box? Choose one: it shows how carefully Nell treats the box, and her feelings / it shows the box is heavy / it shows the car is small.
5
Which paragraph begins with the words That morning? Write the number of that paragraph.
6
Explain the effect of the heading What do they eat?. Explain what effect this has on the reader. Write one or two sentences.
7
Which device is used in Keep calm. Keep quiet.? Choose one: repetition / simile / rhetorical question.
8
Explain why the writer uses the words Rain rattled against the glass roof. Explain what effect this has on the reader. Write one or two sentences.
9
Why does the writer mention the clock in the first paragraph? Choose one: to link the start and the end, and suggest the waiting continues / to show the time is always wrong / to tell the reader to buy a watch.

Total 17 marks. Allow about 17 minutes.

Exercise 5X  Practice test questions

1
FA story says: the sound rolled along the empty platform like a dropped tin. Which device is used? Choose one: simile / metaphor / personification.[1 mark]
2
FA story says: The station was a cave of grey steel and echoes. Which device is used? Write one word.[1 mark]
3
FA story says: The vending machine hummed to itself. Name the device in this line. Write one word.[1 mark]
4
FA story says: Then it was over. Explain why the writer uses such a short sentence.[2 marks]
5
FA poster says: Keep calm. Keep quiet. Keep the hedgehog safe. Explain the effect of repeating the word Keep.[2 marks]
6
FAn information text asks: Have you ever seen one in your garden? Explain the effect of this question on the reader.[2 marks]
7
RA story has these events. Put them in the order they happened in the story: A Nell carries the smallest box to the car; B Mum tapes the boxes shut; C Nell waits beneath the clock. Write the letters in order.[2 marks]
8
RA story says: The station was a cave of grey steel and echoes. Explain the effect of this metaphor on the reader. Explain what effect this has on the reader. Write one or two sentences.[2 marks]
9
RA story says: The clock had stopped, but the train would come. Explain how the writer creates a feeling of hope here, using two language or structure features from the story.[3 marks]
10
FAn information text has a heading that says Who are hedgehogs? What kind of sentence is the heading? Write one word.[1 mark]
← Chapter 4: Prediction from clues in the textChapter 6: Summarising main ideas →

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