Study type: Genre Study |
Status: Exemplar
Concepts
This study delivers 1 primary concept and 4 secondary concepts.
Primary concept: Narrative writing: character, setting, atmosphere and dialogue (EN-Y5-C027)
Type: Skill |
Teaching weight: 4/6
In narrative writing at upper KS2, pupils are expected to describe settings, characters and atmosphere with deliberate craft, and to integrate dialogue in ways that convey character and advance the action — not simply punctuate speech correctly. Mastery means pupils make authorial choices about how and when to use description and dialogue for effect, drawing on their knowledge of how authors work.
Teaching guidance: Read extracts specifically for the techniques authors use to build atmosphere and character. Teach the distinction between describing a character and revealing character through action and dialogue. Model integrating dialogue into narrative smoothly rather than as isolated exchanges. Practise writing the same scene using different combinations of description, action and dialogue to explore the effects.
Key vocabulary: character, setting, atmosphere, dialogue, narrative, integrate, convey, action, reveal, craft
Common misconceptions: Pupils often write dialogue in isolated chunks rather than integrating it with action and description. They may describe characters' emotions directly ('she felt sad') rather than conveying emotion through behaviour, action or dialogue ('she turned away and said nothing').
Differentiation
| Level | What success looks like | Example task | Common errors |
| Entry | Writing a simple narrative with a character, a setting and a basic sequence of events, including some dialogue with correct punctuation. | Write the opening of a story set in a forest. Include a character, describe the setting, and write at least two lines of dialogue. | Describing the setting with a list of adjectives rather than creating a sense of place; Writing dialogue as isolated exchanges disconnected from the action |
| Developing | Writing narratives that use description to build atmosphere and character, and integrating dialogue with action rather than presenting it in isolation. | Rewrite this flat narrative to create atmosphere: 'It was night. The house was old. Sarah went inside. She was scared.' | Telling emotions directly ('she was scared') rather than showing them through action and description; Overloading description so that the pace of the narrative is lost |
| Expected | Writing narratives that deliberately build character, setting and atmosphere through carefully chosen description and dialogue, integrating dialogue to convey character and advance action. | Write a scene where two characters disagree about something. Use dialogue to show their different personalities and use description to create the atmosphere. Do not tell the reader how the characters feel; show it through what they say and do. | Using dialogue only for information exchange rather than to reveal character; Separating description and dialogue into different paragraphs instead of weaving them together |
| Greater Depth | Making deliberate authorial choices about how and when to use description, action and dialogue for maximum effect, drawing on techniques observed in published authors. | Write the same short scene twice: first, telling the story mainly through dialogue; second, telling it mainly through description and action with very little dialogue. Explain which version works better and why. | Writing two versions that are essentially the same with minor differences; Not analysing which version is more effective for the specific story being told |
Model response (Entry): The forest was dark and quiet. Liam walked slowly along the path, looking at the tall trees. 'I think we are lost,' he said to his sister. 'No we are not,' she replied. 'The map says we go left.'
Model response (Developing): The last sliver of daylight disappeared behind the rooftops as Sarah stood before the house. Its windows stared back at her like hollow eyes. She pushed the door and it groaned open. Inside, the air smelled of dust and something older. Sarah's hand trembled on the doorframe.
Model response (Expected): 'We should turn back,' whispered Priya, pulling her coat tighter around her shoulders. The rain hammered against the windows of the abandoned station. Marcus did not look up from the map. 'We have come too far to give up now,' he said, tracing a line with his finger. 'The bridge is only half a mile from here.' Priya stared at the dark shapes of the trees outside. A branch scraped across the glass like fingernails on a blackboard. 'Half a mile in that?' she said. Marcus folded the map with a sharp snap. 'Stay here if you want. I am going.'
Model response (Greater Depth): Version 1 (dialogue): 'They have taken the bridge,' gasped Leo. 'What do we do now?' Ava did not answer immediately. 'We swim,' she said. Version 2 (description): Leo stopped at the riverbank. Where the bridge had been, there was nothing but broken timber and churning water. He looked at Ava. She looked at the river. Then she began to take off her shoes. Both versions tell the same story but create different effects. Version 1 is faster and more dramatic because the dialogue drives the pace. Version 2 builds more tension because the reader has to infer what Ava is thinking. I think Version 2 is stronger here because the silence is more powerful than words.
Secondary concept: Cohesive devices and paragraph linking (EN-Y5-C025)
Type: Skill |
Teaching weight: 4/6
Cohesive devices are words and phrases that connect ideas within and across paragraphs, creating a coherent, unified text. At Year 5, these include devices within paragraphs (then, after that, this, firstly) and linking adverbials across paragraphs referring to time (later), place (nearby) and number (secondly), as well as tense choices that signal temporal relationships. Mastery means pupils deploy a wide range of these devices deliberately and appropriately.
Differentiation
| Level | What success looks like | Common errors |
| Entry | Using basic time connectives (then, next, after that) to link ideas within a paragraph. | Using 'then' repeatedly as the only linking word; Joining all sentences with 'and' without varying the connective |
| Developing | Using a range of cohesive devices within paragraphs (then, after that, this, firstly) and beginning to link paragraphs using adverbials of time, place or number. | Using only time connectives without varying with place or manner; Starting a new paragraph without any link to the previous one |
| Expected | Deploying a wide range of cohesive devices deliberately and appropriately, organised by function (time, place, number, addition, contrast, consequence), to build coherent, well-structured texts. | Using cohesive devices that do not match the logical relationship (writing 'however' when 'therefore' is needed); Inserting devices mechanically without ensuring they genuinely connect the ideas |
| Greater Depth | Using cohesive devices with subtlety and variety, including pronoun references, synonyms, and tense choices as well as adverbials, to create seamless, professional-sounding prose. | Identifying problems but not being able to articulate why the revision is better; Over-correcting by removing all repetition, making the text unclear about what 'they' or 'this' refers to |
Secondary concept: Audience, purpose and form in writing (EN-Y5-C026)
Type: Process |
Teaching weight: 4/6
At upper KS2, pupils plan writing by explicitly identifying the intended audience, the purpose of the writing and the most appropriate form to achieve that purpose, selecting from a range of text types used as models. Mastery means pupils make conscious choices about form and language that reflect genuine awareness of audience and purpose, not simply genre conventions applied mechanically.
Differentiation
| Level | What success looks like | Common errors |
| Entry | Identifying who a piece of writing is for and what it is trying to do when given clear examples. | Describing what the text says rather than who it is for and what it is trying to do; Not understanding that audience and purpose affect the language choices |
| Developing | Identifying audience, purpose and form before writing, and making some deliberate language choices that reflect this awareness. | Choosing a form without explaining why it suits the purpose; Using the same register regardless of audience |
| Expected | Consistently identifying audience, purpose and form before writing, selecting appropriate forms using other writing as models, and making conscious language and structural choices throughout the writing process. | Writing in the correct form but not varying the language to reflect the different audiences; Treating audience as a box to tick rather than a genuine influence on every language choice |
| Greater Depth | Adapting writing flexibly for different audiences and purposes within the same piece, and evaluating how published writers make audience and purpose choices. | Using the same tone and register across all three versions; Not explaining the specific choices made for each audience |
Secondary concept: Relative clauses (EN-Y5-C028)
Type: Knowledge |
Teaching weight: 5/6
A relative clause is a subordinate clause introduced by a relative pronoun (who, which, where, when, whose, that) or by an omitted relative pronoun, which gives more information about a noun. At upper KS2 mastery, pupils can construct relative clauses correctly, punctuate them appropriately, and understand the difference between defining and non-defining relative clauses. This is Year 5-specific grammar in Appendix 2.
Differentiation
| Level | What success looks like | Common errors |
| Entry | Understanding that a relative clause gives extra information about a noun and is introduced by a relative pronoun (who, which, that, where, when). | Placing the relative clause in the wrong position ('The girl won the race who trains every morning'); Not understanding that 'who' replaces the repeated noun |
| Developing | Constructing relative clauses using the correct relative pronoun for the type of noun (who for people, which for things, where for places). | Using 'which' for people instead of 'who'; Using 'who' for things instead of 'which' |
| Expected | Constructing relative clauses accurately in independent writing, punctuating non-defining relative clauses with commas, and understanding when relative pronouns can be omitted. | Omitting commas around non-defining relative clauses; Adding commas around defining relative clauses where they are not needed |
| Greater Depth | Using relative clauses with variety and precision in extended writing, choosing between defining and non-defining forms for effect, and using whose and complex constructions confidently. | Avoiding 'whose' because it feels difficult and substituting a clumsy alternative; Writing very long relative clauses that make the sentence difficult to follow |
Secondary concept: Parenthesis punctuation (brackets, dashes and commas) (EN-Y5-C032)
Type: Skill |
Teaching weight: 4/6
Parenthesis is additional information inserted into a sentence that could be removed without changing the main meaning. It can be marked by brackets, a pair of dashes or a pair of commas. At upper KS2 mastery, pupils use all three forms of parenthesis correctly and make deliberate choices between them based on the degree of emphasis and the register of the writing. This is Year 5-specific grammar in Appendix 2.
Differentiation
| Level | What success looks like | Common errors |
| Entry | Understanding that brackets, dashes and commas can be used to add extra information to a sentence, and identifying parenthesis in example sentences. | Not realising that the extra information could be removed without breaking the sentence; Confusing parenthesis with other uses of commas |
| Developing | Adding parenthetical information to sentences using brackets, dashes or commas, and beginning to recognise that each punctuation mark creates a different effect. | Opening the parenthesis but forgetting to close it (one bracket or one dash instead of a pair); Using a single dash where a pair is needed |
| Expected | Using all three forms of parenthesis correctly in independent writing and making deliberate choices between them based on the degree of emphasis and formality required. | Always using commas without considering whether brackets or dashes would be more effective; Confusing commas used for parenthesis with commas used for lists or before conjunctions |
| Greater Depth | Using parenthesis as a deliberate stylistic tool in extended writing, varying the form for effect and explaining how published authors use parenthesis to control pace and emphasis. | Analysing the content of the parenthesis without discussing why the specific punctuation form was chosen; Not recognising that punctuation choice is an authorial decision with stylistic consequences |
Thinking lens: Structure and Function (primary)
Key question: How does the structure of this thing enable or explain what it does?
Why this lens fits: Deliberate authorial choices about character, setting, atmosphere and dialogue are structure-function decisions — pupils learn how each element contributes to the narrative's effect, asking 'what does this do for the reader?'
Question stems for KS2:
How does the shape or arrangement help it do its job?
Can you find two different structures that do the same thing? How do they compare?
If you were designing this, what would you keep and what would you change?
Why is this material or structure better suited than another?
Secondary lens: Perspective and Interpretation — Writing with craft requires pupils to adopt the author's perspective consciously — they must consider how a reader will experience the text and make choices designed to create specific interpretive and emotional effects.
Session structure: Text Study
Text Study
A reading-to-writing cycle for primary and KS3 English. Begins with shared or guided reading of a high-quality text, moves through analysis of language features and authorial choices, builds vocabulary, then scaffolds the writing process from planning through drafting to editing and publication.
shared_reading →
analysis →
vocabulary →
planning →
drafting →
editing
Assessment: Final written outcome in the genre studied, demonstrating understanding of text features, appropriate vocabulary use, and effective application of the writing process.
Teacher note: Use the TEXT STUDY template: share a quality text and guide pupils to analyse the author's choices — vocabulary, sentence structure, and literary techniques. Build subject-specific vocabulary through discussion. Support pupils in planning and drafting their own writing, applying techniques they have identified. Include time for editing and improving their work.
KS2 question stems:
What effect does the author create with this word or phrase?
Why did the author structure the text this way?
What technique could you borrow for your own writing?
How could you improve this section of your draft?
Text type and features
Text type: Fiction
Features to teach: narrative voice and perspective, character development through dialogue and action, atmospheric description using figurative language, structural choices (flashback, foreshadowing)
Writing outcome: Write a myth-inspired narrative (600-800 words) with controlled narrative voice, atmospheric description using figurative language, and a clear thematic arc
Grammar focus: relative clauses, modal verbs for possibility and obligation, parenthesis (brackets, dashes, commas)
(from Y5 Appendix 2)
Literary terms: narrative voice, perspective, atmosphere, foreshadowing, figurative language, metaphor, simile, personification
Suggested texts
Beowulf by Michael Morpurgo — Morpurgo's accessible retelling with rich descriptive language
The Saga of Erik the Viking by Terry Jones — Humorous mythological adventure with Norse setting
Genre
Narrative: Extended prose fiction with characters, setting, and a plot driven by conflict and resolution. The dominant literary form across all key stages, progressing from simple retelling (KS1) through structured narrative (KS2) to literary fiction with controlled voice and style (KS3-KS4).
Why this study matters
At Y5, narrative writing moves from retelling to original composition with conscious stylistic choices. Myth-inspired fiction provides a bridge: pupils draw on the structural patterns of myth (quest, challenge, transformation) while developing their own narrative voice and descriptive style. This unit introduces relative clauses and parenthesis as tools for adding detail and complexity to sentences.
Pitfalls to avoid
Story is all plot with no atmospheric description or character development
Figurative language used randomly rather than to create a consistent atmosphere
Relative clauses and parenthetical asides interrupt flow rather than enhancing it
Cross-curricular opportunities
| Link | Subject | Connection | Strength |
| Charcoal Landscape Drawing | Art and Design | Illustration of mythological scenes using atmospheric techniques | Moderate |
| Vikings and Anglo-Saxon England | History | Anglo-Saxon and Viking Britain — myths as cultural artefacts | Strong |
Reading and writing skills (KS2)
These disciplinary skills should be woven through teaching, not taught in isolation:
Analysing vocabulary choices and their effects — Analyse how authors select and deploy vocabulary for effect, examining connotation, register, etymology and ambiguity, and evaluating how these choices position the reader or shape the meaning of the text.
Language choices and their effects — Identify and explain how the author's choice of specific words and phrases enhances or shapes meaning, considering the connotations, imagery and deliberate effects created by those linguistic choices.
Evaluating and synthesising information across a text — Retrieve, select and evaluate information and evidence from across extended and complex texts, synthesising material from different sections to construct a coherent and comprehensive response.
Noticing interesting words and phrases — Identify and discuss words and phrases that capture attention or create an effect, beginning to explain what makes them interesting, surprising or effective in the context of the text.
Retrieval of information and key details — Retrieve and record specific information and key details from both fiction and non-fiction texts, locating relevant sections and selecting the precise evidence required to answer a question.
Inference with textual evidence — Make inferences about characters, events, settings and authorial viewpoint that go beyond what is stated explicitly, and justify those inferences by citing evidence from the text.
Vocabulary word mat
| action |
| additional information | Extra detail added to a sentence using parenthesis (brackets, dashes, or commas) without changing the main meaning. |
| adverbial | A word, phrase, or clause that works like an adverb, telling when, where, how, or why something happened. |
| aside | A comment or remark addressed directly to the audience or reader, breaking from the main narrative. |
| atmosphere | The mood or feeling created in a text through language, setting, and description. |
| audience |
| bracket | A punctuation mark ( ) used to enclose additional information that could be removed without changing the sentence. |
| character |
| cohesion | The way ideas in a text are linked together using connectives, pronouns, and repeated words. |
| cohesive device | A word or technique that links ideas within and between sentences and paragraphs (e.g. connectives, pronouns, repetition). |
| comma |
| context | The surrounding words, sentences, or situation that help clarify the meaning of a word or text. |
| contrast |
| convey | To communicate or express an idea, feeling, or meaning through language. |
| craft | The skill and art of constructing a well-written text; a writer's deliberate use of techniques. |
| dash | A punctuation mark (—) used to add emphasis, insert a dramatic pause, or set off additional information. |
| defining | A relative clause that is essential to the meaning of the sentence and cannot be removed (no commas). |
| dialogue | Conversation between two or more characters, shown in writing with speech marks. |
| embedded clause | A clause placed inside a main clause, usually set off by commas, dashes, or brackets. |
| form |
| genre | A category or type of text with shared features and conventions (e.g. adventure, myth, report, diary). |
| integrate | To combine different skills, ideas, or text types together in a cohesive piece of writing. |
| linking phrase | A phrase used to connect ideas between sentences or paragraphs (e.g. 'on the other hand', 'as a result'). |
| model text |
| narrative |
| non-defining | A relative clause that adds extra information but could be removed without changing the sentence's essential meaning (uses commas). |
| number |
| paragraph |
| parenthesis | Additional information inserted into a sentence using brackets ( ), dashes — — or commas , , that could be removed. |
| place |
| purpose |
| register |
| relative clause | A subordinate clause beginning with a relative pronoun (who, which, that, whose, where) that adds information about a noun. |
| relative pronoun | A pronoun (who, whom, which, that, whose, where, when) used to introduce a relative clause. |
| reveal | To show or make known something that was previously hidden, especially about a character or plot. |
| sequence |
| setting |
| style | A writer's distinctive way of using language, including vocabulary, sentence structure, and tone. |
| subordinate clause |
| that |
| time |
| when |
| where |
| which | A relative pronoun used to introduce a relative clause referring to things (not people). |
| who |
| whose |
| narrative voice |
| foreshadowing |
| flashback |
| figurative language |
| thematic arc |
Prior knowledge (retrieval plan)
Pupils should already know the following from earlier units:
| Prior knowledge needed | For concept | Description |
| Reading for different purposes and structures | Audience, purpose and form in writing | Pupils read books structured in different ways and read for a range of purposes including pleasur... |
| Dictionary use for reading comprehension | Narrative writing: character, setting, atmosphere and dialogue | Pupils use dictionaries to check the meaning of words they have read, efficiently using alphabeti... |
| Themes and conventions in books | Cohesive devices and paragraph linking | Pupils identify themes and conventions in a wide range of books, recognising recurring themes in ... |
| Questions to improve reading comprehension | Relative clauses | Pupils ask questions to improve their understanding of a text, developing, agreeing on and evalua... |
| Prediction from stated and implied detail | Parenthesis punctuation (brackets, dashes and commas) | Pupils predict what might happen from details stated and implied in the text, using explicit and ... |
Assessment alignment (KS2)
KS2 test framework content domain codes assessed by this study:
| Code | Description | Assesses concept |
| CDC-KS2-GPS-G1_5b | Relative pronouns | Relative clauses |
| CDC-KS2-GPS-G3_1a | Relative clauses beginning with who, which, where, when, whose, that, or an omitted relative pronoun | Relative clauses |
| CDC-KS2-GPS-G5_9 | Punctuation for parenthesis – brackets, dashes or commas to indicate parenthesis | Parenthesis punctuation (brackets, dashes and commas) |
Scaffolding and inclusion (Y5)
| Reading level | Fluent Reader (Lexile 450–650) |
| Text-to-speech | Available |
| Max sentence length | 22 words |
| Vocabulary | Academic vocabulary expected. Technical domain vocabulary accessible with in-context clues. Figurative language (metaphor, personification) appropriate. |
| Scaffolding level | Light To Moderate |
| Hint tiers | 4 tiers |
| Session length | 20–30 minutes |
| Worked examples | Required — Text-based. Child completes partial worked examples (fading). Not fully narrated. |
| Feedback tone | Peer Like Respectful |
| Normalize struggle | Yes |
| Example correct feedback | You recognised that 1/2 is larger than 2/5, and used the common denominator method correctly. The visualiser confirms it — the bar for 1/2 is noticeably longer. |
| Example error feedback | The reasoning does not quite hold: you said both fractions are the same because the numerator in 2/5 is double the numerator in 1/2. But the denominator changed too — the pieces got smaller. Converting to tenths: 1/2 = 5/10 and 2/5 = 4/10. Which is larger now? |
Knowledge organiser
Key terms:
narrative voice
atmosphere
foreshadowing
flashback
figurative language
thematic arc
Core facts (expected standard):
Narrative writing: character, setting, atmosphere and dialogue: Writing narratives that deliberately build character, setting and atmosphere through carefully chosen description and dialogue, integrating dialogue to convey character and advance action.
Graph context
Node type: EnglishUnit |
Study ID: EU-EN-Y5-001
Concept IDs:
EN-Y5-C027: Narrative writing: character, setting, atmosphere and dialogue (primary)
EN-Y5-C025: Cohesive devices and paragraph linking
EN-Y5-C026: Audience, purpose and form in writing
EN-Y5-C028: Relative clauses
EN-Y5-C032: Parenthesis punctuation (brackets, dashes and commas)
Cypher query:
``cypher
MATCH (ts:EnglishUnit {unit_id: 'EU-EN-Y5-001'})
-[:DELIVERS_VIA]->(c:Concept)
-[:HAS_DIFFICULTY_LEVEL]->(dl)
RETURN c.name, dl.label, dl.description
``
Generated from the UK Curriculum Knowledge Graph — zero LLM generation.