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Primary English · Year 5Chapter 11 · Writing stories and poems
Year 5 · Chapter 11

Writing stories and poems

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)

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).

Exercise P  Do you remember?

1
FWhich word is a naming word for a person or thing in The dog ran across the field?
2
FWrite the word that means the place and time where a story happens.
3
FWrite the word that means the reason for writing, such as to entertain or to inform.
4
FWrite the word for a group of lines in a poem.
5
FAdd the suffix -ly to the adjective quiet. Write the new word.
11.1

Planning: audience, purpose and form

Year 5
Plan writing by considering audience, purpose and form, and use similar writing as a model (WC1)
Video lesson: Planning: audience, purpose and formComing soon
Story. Ruby has been asked to write a story for the Year 3 reading corner. Before she writes anything, she asks three questions: who will read it, why am I writing it, and what form should it take? Her plan will shape every choice she makes.

Key ideas

  • Audience: who will read the writing, and what do they like?
  • Purpose: why are you writing, such as to entertain, to describe or to persuade?
  • Form: the type of writing, such as a story, a poem, a letter or a report.
  • Use a model: read a similar piece, and notice how it begins, builds and ends.
Worked example 11.1.1
Ruby is writing for Year 3 children. What is the audience?

Method. Look at who the story is for.

  1. Find the reader. The story is for the Year 3 reading corner.
    Year 3 reading corner
  2. Name the audience. The audience is Year 3 children.
    Year 3 children
  3. Write the answer.
    Year 3 children

Check. Year 3 children. ✓

Worked example 11.1.2
Ruby wants to make the reader laugh. What is her purpose?

Method. Think about why a writer writes.

  1. Find the aim. She wants to make the reader laugh.
    laugh
  2. Name the purpose. Her purpose is to entertain.
    to entertain
  3. Write the answer.
    to entertain

Check. To entertain. ✓

Worked example 11.1.3
Which form suits a story for young readers: a story or a report?

Method. Choose the form that matches the purpose.

  1. Check the purpose. The purpose is to entertain.
    entertain
  2. Choose the form. A story is the form that entertains.
    a story
  3. Write the answer.
    a story

Check. A story. ✓

Exercise 11A  Practice: planning

1
FWho might read a poem written for a school assembly?
2
FWrite one purpose for a letter to a friend.
3
FWhich form would suit a writer who wants to describe a storm: a poem or a list of instructions?
4
FName the form of writing that gives steps in order: a story, a set of instructions or a poem?
5
PSAli wants to persuade the school to have a longer lunch. Which purpose is his: to persuade or to entertain?
6
PSWhy might a writer look at a model text before writing a story?
7
PSPlan a story: which of these is the setting: a stormy night on a boat or a happy ending?
8
PSWhich word describes the form of a poem with 14 lines: sonnet or haiku?
9
RWrite a plan for a story: name the audience, the purpose and the form.
10
RExplain how a writer's choice of audience changes the words they use.
11.2

Choosing grammar and vocabulary, and how the choice changes meaning

Year 5
Choose grammar and vocabulary, and see how the choice changes meaning (WC2)
Video lesson: Choosing grammar and vocabulary, and how the choice changes meaningComing soon
Story. Sam has written, The dog ran. He thinks it is too plain. He tries three versions: The dog dashed., The dog raced. and The dog bolted across the lawn. Each one gives the reader a different picture.

Key ideas

  • A precise verb (such as bolted) shows exactly how something moved.
  • An adverb or a prepositional phrase can add when, where or how: quickly, across the lawn.
  • A modal verb or an adverb of possibility can change how sure the writer is: might, probably.
  • Read each version aloud and ask: what picture does this give the reader?
Worked example 11.2.1
Which verb shows the dog moved fastest: ran or bolted?

Method. Think about the speed of each verb.

  1. Compare the verbs. Ran is ordinary; bolted suggests sudden, fast movement.
    sudden
  2. Choose. Bolted gives the clearest picture of speed.
    bolted
  3. Write the answer.
    bolted

Check. Bolted. ✓

Worked example 11.2.2
How does the addition of across the lawn change the sentence?

Method. Think about the information added.

  1. Find the new words. Across the lawn is a phrase of place.
    place
  2. Explain. The reader now knows where the dog ran.
    where
  3. Write the answer.
    it tells the reader where the dog ran

Check. It tells the reader where. ✓

Worked example 11.2.3
Which version is most certain: The dog might run or The dog will run?

Method. Think about how sure the writer is.

  1. Compare. Might shows possibility; will shows more certainty.
    possibility
  2. Choose. Will is more certain.
    will
  3. Write the answer.
    will

Check. Will. ✓

Exercise 11B  Practice: choosing words

1
FWhich verb is more precise: walked or tiptoed, for someone who is trying not to wake a baby?
2
FWhich word is more vivid for a loud noise: noise or boom?
3
FChoose the adverb that makes the action slower: ran quickly or ran slowly?
4
FWhich sentence shows the writer is sure: It might snow or It will snow?
5
FAdd a phrase of time to We went to the park. Write the new sentence.
6
PSWhich version gives a clearer picture: The sky was dark or The sky was bruised with purple clouds?
7
PSChoose the verb form that makes the event happen in the past: She runs or She ran?
8
PSChange the sentence so the writer is less certain: The bus will be late.
9
PSWhich phrase is a noun phrase that adds detail: the old wooden gate or go away?
10
RChoose a plain sentence and rewrite it with a more precise verb and one extra detail.
11
RExplain how changing might to will changes the meaning of a sentence.
11.3

A narrative: setting, characters, atmosphere and plot

Year 5
Write a narrative with setting, characters, atmosphere and plot (WC4, WC-Y5a)
Video lesson: A narrative: setting, characters, atmosphere and plotComing soon
Story. Read the model opening below. Notice how the setting is built with sound and smell, how the characters are introduced, and how the atmosphere grows from quiet to strange.

Model story opening: The Locked Shed

The shed at the bottom of the garden had been locked for as long as anyone could remember. On the morning of the fifth day of half-term, a thin rope of silver light crept beneath its door, and the air smelt of wet soil and oranges.

‘Don’t,’ whispered Nell, but her brother Sam was already reaching for the rusty latch.

The door swung open with a groan. Inside, a single lamp burned on a crate, and a row of tiny clocks ticked in the dark, all of them a little out of step with one another.

Key ideas

  • Setting: the place and time. Build it with sight, sound, smell and touch.
  • Characters: show them by what they do, say and think.
  • Atmosphere: the mood of the story, built with word choice and short or long sentences.
  • Plot: a beginning that sets up a problem, a middle that builds it, and an ending that resolves it.
Worked example 11.3.1
Find one detail in the model that builds the setting with smell.

Method. Look for a sense other than sight.

  1. Find the sense. Smell is used in the first paragraph.
    smell
  2. Write the detail. The air smelt of wet soil and oranges.
    wet soil and oranges
  3. Write the answer.
    the air smelt of wet soil and oranges

Check. The air smelt of wet soil and oranges. ✓

Worked example 11.3.2
What is the mood of the model opening?

Method. Think about what the words make you feel.

  1. Look at the words. A locked shed, a whisper, a groan and clocks out of step make the reader feel uneasy.
    uneasy
  2. Name the mood. The mood is mysterious and tense.
    mysterious
  3. Write the answer.
    mysterious or tense

Check. Mysterious and tense. ✓

Worked example 11.3.3
Who are the two characters named in the model opening?

Method. Look for names.

  1. Find the names. Nell whispers; Sam reaches for the latch.
    Nell, Sam
  2. Write them. The characters are Nell and Sam.
    Nell and Sam
  3. Write the answer.
    Nell and Sam

Check. Nell and Sam. ✓

Exercise 11C  Practice: setting, characters and atmosphere

1
FFind one sound in the model that creates the setting.
2
FWhich word in the model suggests that the shed is old and rusty?
3
FWhat light is in the shed, according to the model?
4
FWrite one sensory detail (sight, sound, smell or touch) about a kitchen.
5
PSWhich sentence builds a strong atmosphere: It was dark or The lane was black and silent, with no lamp to guide us?
6
PSName the three parts of a plot in a simple story.
7
PSIn the model, what problem is set up at the end of the second paragraph?
8
PSWrite a sentence that shows a character by what they do, not by saying what they are like.
9
RWrite one sentence that begins a story in a setting you choose. Use at least one sense other than sight.
10
RExplain how the model's short sentences change the atmosphere in the last paragraph.
11.4

Dialogue that shows character and moves the action

Year 5
Write dialogue that shows character and moves the action (WC-Y5a)
Video lesson: Dialogue that shows character and moves the actionComing soon
Story. In the model opening, Nell whispers Don't. We learn she is careful and worried, and the word pushes the action forward: Sam keeps reaching for the latch. Dialogue can do two jobs at once.

Model story opening: The Locked Shed

The shed at the bottom of the garden had been locked for as long as anyone could remember. On the morning of the fifth day of half-term, a thin rope of silver light crept beneath its door, and the air smelt of wet soil and oranges.

‘Don’t,’ whispered Nell, but her brother Sam was already reaching for the rusty latch.

The door swung open with a groan. Inside, a single lamp burned on a crate, and a row of tiny clocks ticked in the dark, all of them a little out of step with one another.

Key ideas

  • Dialogue shows character: the words a person chooses reveal how they think and feel.
  • Dialogue moves the action: a line can create a choice, a problem or a turn in the plot.
  • Use a new line for each speaker, and the correct punctuation.
  • Use a reporting clause sparingly; the words can often show who speaks.
Worked example 11.4.1
What does Nell's word Don't show about her?

Method. Think about what she is trying to stop.

  1. Look at the action. Sam is reaching for the latch.
    reaching
  2. Infer. Nell is careful or worried about what might happen.
    careful
  3. Write the answer.
    she is careful or worried

Check. Careful or worried. ✓

Worked example 11.4.2
Write the correct punctuation for: come and see said Sam

Method. Put the spoken words in inverted commas.

  1. Find the words. Come and see is spoken.
    Come and see
  2. Punctuate. Inverted commas, a comma before the closing marks.
    "Come and see," said Sam.
  3. Write the answer.
    "Come and see," said Sam.

Check. "Come and see," said Sam. ✓

Worked example 11.4.3
Which line moves the action on: Hello or Hurry, the door is opening!?

Method. Look for a line that changes what happens next.

  1. Compare. Hello is a greeting; it does not move the plot.
    greeting
  2. Choose. The second line creates urgency and moves the plot on.
    urgency
  3. Write the answer.
    Hurry, the door is opening!

Check. The second line. ✓

Exercise 11D  Practice: dialogue

1
FPunctuate: I am not scared said Nell
2
FPunctuate: where is the key asked Sam
3
FWhich word in "Don't," whispered Nell shows how she speaks?
4
FWhich line shows a character is nervous: Fine by me or I... I think we should wait?
5
FWrite a short line of dialogue where a character is brave.
6
PSWhich action moves the plot on: Sam sighed or Sam unlocked the cupboard?
7
PSAdd a reporting verb to show how Sam speaks: "Hurry!" ____ Sam.
8
PSRewrite as dialogue: Nell told Sam to stop.
9
PSWhich line of dialogue shows that two characters disagree: Yes, let us go or No, it is locked, and you know it?
10
RWrite a short piece of dialogue (three lines) between two friends, where one is worried. Show the worry through the words.
11
RExplain how dialogue can show character without the writer saying what the character is like.
11.5

Writing a poem: rhythm, pattern and figurative language

Year 5
Compose poems with rhythm, patterns and figurative language (WC-Y5b)
Video lesson: Writing a poem: rhythm, pattern and figurative languageComing soon
Story. Read the model poem aloud, listening for the beat and the repeated phrase. The poet uses a pattern of lines to make the poem feel like a song.

Model poem: Morning Bells

Bells in the frost,
bright as a spoon on a tin,
wake the sleepy town
before the sun comes in.

Bells in the frost,
a hum of hope in the air,
the milk is on the step
and the cat is at the chair.

Key ideas

  • Rhythm: the beat in the words. Count the stressed syllables in each line.
  • Pattern: a repeated phrase or a repeated line shape, such as Bells in the frost.
  • Figurative language: a simile (like or as), a metaphor, personification or alliteration.
  • Rhyme is optional, but the sound must be deliberate.
Worked example 11.5.1
What repeated phrase is a pattern in the model poem?

Method. Look for the words that come back.

  1. Find the repeat. Bells in the frost starts both stanzas.
    Bells in the frost
  2. Name the pattern. It is a repeated phrase.
    repeated phrase
  3. Write the answer.
    Bells in the frost

Check. Bells in the frost. ✓

Worked example 11.5.2
Which figurative device is in bright as a spoon on a tin?

Method. Look for like or as.

  1. Look for the link word. As is used.
    as
  2. Name the device. Comparing bells to a spoon with as is a simile.
    simile
  3. Write the answer.
    simile

Check. A simile. ✓

Worked example 11.5.3
Which line of the model poem gives a human action to the bells?

Method. Look for a human action given to a thing.

  1. Look at the lines. Bells can not wake a town in real life, but in the poem they do.
    wake
  2. Name the line. Wake the sleepy town gives the bells a human action.
    wake the sleepy town
  3. Write the answer.
    wake the sleepy town

Check. Wake the sleepy town. ✓

Exercise 11E  Practice: writing poems

1
FCount the lines in the first stanza of Morning Bells.
2
FWhich word rhymes with frost in the model poem?
3
FWhich two words are alliterative in bright as a spoon on a tin?
4
FWrite a line that uses alliteration with the sound s.
5
FWrite a simile about snow, using like.
6
PSWrite a metaphor about a river: say it is something else.
7
PSGive a human action to the wind in one line.
8
PSWhich pattern is repeated in Bells in the frost, / a hum of hope in the air?
9
PSWrite a line with a rhythm of four beats, about a bus.
10
RWrite a four-line poem about the morning, using a repeated phrase and at least one simile.
11
RExplain why a poet might repeat a line.
11.6

Evaluating, editing and performing your writing

Year 5
Evaluate and edit writing, propose changes for cohesion, and perform aloud (WC6, WC7, WC9)
Video lesson: Evaluating, editing and performing your writingComing soon
Story. Ruby has drafted a story. She reads it aloud to a partner and listens for places where the words repeat, where the sentences are all the same length, and where the story jumps. She marks each change, then reads the story again with the right tone and pace.

Key ideas

  • Edit: check the meaning, the order and the words; then check the spelling and punctuation.
  • Cohesion: make links between sentences, such as first, then, however or at last.
  • Read aloud: use a clear voice, the right pace, and pause at full stops and commas.
  • Give a partner a positive comment and one question.
Worked example 11.6.1
Which word would link the two sentences best: The gate was open. The dog ran out. Choose: first, then or later?

Method. Think about the order of events.

  1. Read the sentences. The gate opened, and then the dog ran out.
    order
  2. Choose the link. Then shows the next event in order.
    then
  3. Write the answer.
    then

Check. Then. ✓

Worked example 11.6.2
How could you improve The dog ran. The dog ran. The dog ran.?

Method. Look for repeated words and change some.

  1. Find the repeat. The dog ran is repeated.
    repeated
  2. Vary the words. Use a different verb each time.
    dashed
  3. Write the answer.
    vary the words, e.g. The dog ran. It dashed, raced and bolted.

Check. Vary the verb. ✓

Worked example 11.6.3
Which change helps the reader most: a long list of adjectives, or one precise verb?

Method. Think about clarity.

  1. Compare. One precise verb shows the action clearly.
    precise
  2. Choose. A precise verb is the stronger change.
    one precise verb
  3. Write the answer.
    one precise verb

Check. One precise verb. ✓

Exercise 11F  Practice: editing and performing

1
FChoose the best linking word: We reached the top. ____, we ate our lunch.
2
FImprove this sentence by changing a repeated word: It was big. It was big. It was big.
3
PSWhich sentence has a better ending: And then it was over or The gate closed softly behind us?
4
PSWhich word would fix the meaning of Sam went to the shop. Then went home.?
5
PSWhich is a cohesive link to start a paragraph that follows on: However or Meanwhile?
6
PSName one thing to check when you read your writing aloud to make it clear.
7
PSRead this sentence aloud with a question tone: Are you coming? Which tone do you use?
8
PSWhich word should be spoken more quietly in a story: shouted or whispered?
9
REdit this sentence to improve its cohesion: We walked to the park. We played on the swings.
10
RGive a partner feedback on a poem: one thing that works, and one question about the meaning.
11
RDescribe how you would perform your own poem to an audience.

Chapter summary

SkillMethod
PlanningAudience, purpose and form; a model text shows how a similar piece is built.
Choosing wordsPrecise verbs, adverbs and modal verbs change the picture and the certainty.
NarrativeSetting, characters, atmosphere and a plot with a beginning, middle and end.
DialogueShows character and moves the action; punctuate with inverted commas.
PoemsRhythm, pattern, repetition and figurative language such as simile and alliteration.
Editing and performingCheck cohesion, vary repeated words, and read aloud with the right tone and pace.

Can you…?

  • I can plan a story or poem for an audience and purpose
  • I can choose precise words and say how they change meaning
  • I can write a narrative with setting, characters, atmosphere and plot
  • I can write dialogue that shows character and moves the action
  • I can write a poem with rhythm, pattern and figurative language
  • I can edit my writing and read it aloud clearly

Key terms

audience
the people who will read or listen to a piece of writing
purpose
the reason a writer writes
atmosphere
the mood or feeling a story creates
cohesion
links between sentences and paragraphs that help the text flow
figurative language
words used to create a picture, such as simile, metaphor and personification
edit
to change writing to improve its meaning, order, words and punctuation

Exercise 11Z  Check-up

1
Which form suits a story that entertains young readers: a story or a report?
2
Which verb is more precise: moved or crept, for a cat hunting a bird?
3
Which word in the model opening is a sound?
4
Name the mood of the model opening.
5
Punctuate: get down shouted Mum
6
Which line moves the action on: Good morning or The door slammed shut?
7
Identify the simile in bright as a spoon on a tin.
8
Which linking word shows the order of events best: then or purple?
9
What is the purpose of reading your writing aloud?
10
Write one sentence of dialogue that shows a character is excited.

Total 17 marks. Allow about 17 minutes.

Exercise 11X  Practice test questions

1
FName the audience for a story written for Year 3 children.[1 mark]
2
FGive the purpose of a poem written to describe a storm.[1 mark]
3
FChoose the word that makes the writer less certain: will or might?[1 mark]
4
PSWrite one sensory detail, other than sight, for a seaside setting.[1 mark]
5
PSPunctuate the dialogue: are you ready asked Mia[2 marks]
6
PSWrite a simile about the sea, using like.[2 marks]
7
PSChoose the better linking word: We ate lunch. ____, we went to the park. Then or However?[1 mark]
8
RExplain one way a writer can show character through dialogue.[2 marks]
9
RWrite a four-line poem with a repeated line and one simile.[3 marks]
10
REdit this sentence so it reads more clearly and vividly: The dog went fast.[3 marks]
← Chapter 10: Reading non-fiction: retrieving, summarising and fact or opinionChapter 12: Writing non-fiction, cohesion and layout →

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