Year 6 English: Narrative writing: setting, characters and atmosphere
Part of the Year 6 English writing for purpose: narrative, non-fiction, persuasive and discursive chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Narrative writing: setting, characters and atmosphere
A good story describes the setting (where and when), the characters (who they are and what they want), and the atmosphere (the mood the reader feels). Dialogue shows what a character is like, and it moves the action on.
Setting, character, atmosphere, dialogue
| Part | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Setting | Where and when | a harbour town in thick fog, before dawn |
| Character | Who, and what they want | an old fisherman who wants his boat home |
| Atmosphere | The mood | the fog muffles every sound |
| Dialogue | Shows character and moves on | "The tide is turning," he said. |
Key ideas
- Describe the setting with place and time.
- Create atmosphere with precise words and sensory details.
- Use dialogue to show character, and to move the action on.
Method. Look for the detail that creates a mood.
- Find the mood. A quiet, misty harbour has a muffled, still feeling.muffled, still
- Choose the detail. The fog muffled every sound creates that mood.the fog muffled every sound
- Write the answer. the fog muffled every sound
Check. The detail creates the atmosphere. ✓
Method. Look for the line that makes something happen.
- Read each line. Hello is a greeting, and does not move the action.greeting
- Choose the line. The tide line tells the crew to act, so the action moves on.we must leave now
- Write the answer. The tide is turning, so we must leave now.
Check. The second line moves the action on. ✓
Method. Look for the phrase that gives the most detail.
- Compare. A town is general; the second phrase gives place, weather and time.place, weather, time
- Choose. The second phrase describes the setting in most detail.a harbour town in thick fog, before dawn
- Write the answer. a harbour town in thick fog, before dawn
Check. The second phrase gives the most detail. ✓
Watch out
Watch out: a setting is not a list. Choose the details that create the mood, and leave out the ones that do not help the reader.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Ask your child to describe a room in their home, with three details that create the mood, such as warm light, a ticking clock and the smell of bread.
Exercise 12C Practice: narrative setting, character and atmosphere
Method. Choose a place, then add a time.
- Choose a place. The park is a place where a kite could be lost.the empty park
- Add a time. A windy Saturday gives the time.on a windy Saturday
- Write the answer. On a windy Saturday, in the empty park beside the old railway.
Check. The setting has a place and a time. ✓
Method. Give the character a want.
- Name the character. Ella is a gardener.Ella
- Add the want. She wants her roses to win the prize.win the prize
- Write the answer. Ella was a careful gardener who wanted her roses to win the village prize.
Check. The detail shows what the character wants. ✓
Method. Look for the word that creates a calm, still mood.
- Compare the words. Glittering suggests bright light; silent suggests stillness.bright, still
- Choose the mood word. Silent suits a quiet night.silent
- Write the answer. silent
Check. Silent suits the mood. ✓
Method. Think about how a nervous person speaks.
- Choose the feeling. Nervous people hesitate and whisper.hesitate, whisper
- Write the line. The stammer and whisper show the feeling.whispered Tom
- Write the answer. "I- I think we should go back," whispered Tom.
Check. The dialogue shows nervousness. ✓
Method. Look for the detail that suggests cold.
- Find the cold word. Frost suggests cold weather.frost
- Choose the detail. The frost covered the path creates a cold atmosphere.the frost covered the path
- Write the answer. the frost covered the path
Check. Frost creates a cold atmosphere. ✓
Method. Think about what the words make happen.
- Find the action. The doors are closing, so the characters must act.must act
- Write the line. The dialogue sends the characters running, so the action moves on.must run
- Write the answer. "The doors are closing, so we must run!" shouted Mum.
Check. The dialogue moves the action on. ✓
Method. Look for the phrase with the most detail.
- Compare. A boat gives no detail; the other phrase gives size, colour and a feature.size, colour, feature
- Choose. The small blue boat with a torn sail gives the most detail.the small blue boat with a torn sail
- Write the answer. the small blue boat with a torn sail
Check. The phrase gives the most detail. ✓
Method. Choose a sense, then describe what it notices.
- Choose the sense. The smell of bread is a sensory detail.smell
- Add the atmosphere. The crowd and the narrow lanes add a busy mood.busy mood
- Write the answer. The air smelled of fresh bread and the crowd jostled in the narrow lanes.
Check. The detail creates a busy atmosphere. ✓
Method. Think about what dialogue does.
- Think about the character. Dialogue shows what a person is like.what a person is like
- Think about the story. Dialogue moves the action on.moves the action on
- Write the answer. Dialogue shows what the character is like and helps the story move on.
Check. Dialogue shows character and moves the story. ✓
Method. Think about the feeling in the place.
- Find the feeling. People who are afraid create a tense mood.afraid
- Name the mood. Tense describes the feeling.tense
- Write the answer. tense
Check. tense describes the mood. ✓
Method. Add a time and a detail.
- Add the time. At dawn sets the time.at dawn
- Add the detail. The boats rocked gently on the water.rocked gently
- Write the answer. The harbour was still at dawn, and the boats rocked gently on the grey water.
Check. The sentence sets the scene. ✓