KS2 English textbook

Chapter 11: Writing stories and poems

  • Strand Composition
  • Level Year 5
  • Practice 89 questions with step-by-step solutions

National Curriculum for England, Key Stage 2 English, Year 5. Content: Plan writing by considering audience, purpose and form, and use similar writing as a model (WC1), Choose grammar and vocabulary, and see how the choice changes meaning (WC2), Write a narrative with setting, characters, atmosphere and plot, and dialogue that shows character and moves the action (WC4, WC-Y5a), Compose a poem with rhythm, patterns and figurative language (WC-Y5b), Evaluate and edit writing, and propose changes to grammar and vocabulary for cohesion (WC6, WC7), Perform own writing aloud with intonation, tone and volume (WC9).

Open Year 5 chapter

By the end of this chapter you will be able to

  • Plan a story or poem for a reader and a purpose
  • Choose words that create atmosphere
  • Write dialogue that shows what a character is like
  • Use rhythm, pattern and figurative language in a poem
  • Edit a piece of writing, and say why a change helps
  • Read own writing aloud with the right tone and pace

You should already know

  • Planning and writing narratives (Year 4, Chapter 11)
  • Poems, rhythm and figurative language (Chapter 9 of this book)

Where this leads

  • Writing non-fiction, cohesion and layout (Chapter 12 of this book)

Lessons in this chapter

  1. 11.1 Planning: audience, purpose and form
  2. 11.2 Choosing grammar and vocabulary, and how the choice changes meaning
  3. 11.3 A narrative: setting, characters, atmosphere and plot
  4. 11.4 Dialogue that shows character and moves the action
  5. 11.5 Writing a poem: rhythm, pattern and figurative language
  6. 11.6 Evaluating, editing and performing your writing
  7. Summary and key words
  8. Check-up and practice test questions

Read the whole chapter on one page (good for printing).

Practise with real exam questions

The DfE publishes every past KS2 test, with mark schemes, for free.

KS2 English past papers