English Knowledge Organiser

Year: 7 Term: Spring 1 Unit: Narrative and Descriptive Writing

Methods and definitions: Key concepts: The Five
Abstract noun: an idea, quality, or state rather than a concrete object. Descriptive Writing: describing a scene in detail (not telling a story), using the Senses
Adjective: describes a noun. five senses to create imagery in the reader’s mind. 1. Touch
Adverb: describes a verb. Narrative Writing: telling a story, creating an interesting plot, and convincing 2. Taste
Atmosphere: the tone or mood of a place, situation, or creative work. characters. 3. Smell
Characterisation: the creation or construction of a fictional character. Structure: the beginning, middle and end of a piece of writing. Sometimes these 4. Sight
Complex sentence: a sentence with a dependent and independent are organised a certain way e.g. cyclical, flashbacks to create a particular effect. 5. Hearing
clause. Showing not telling: the ability to describe something rather than directly say what it is, which
Compound sentence: two simple sentences joined with a connective (for, makes writing more interesting.
and, nor, but, or, yet, so). Tell Show
Concrete noun: person, place or material object.
‘My cheeks flushed red, a warm rage crawled
Connotation: an idea or feeling which a word creates in addition to its
‘I felt angry.’ from the bottom of my spine to my throat. I
literal or primary meaning.
clenched my fists together tightly.’
Cyclical narrative: a story that begins and ends in the same or very similar
Key Quotations: Structuring your Writing: Drop, Shift, Zoom in,
way.
1. ‘She found, in addition to various common Zoom out, Single-sentence paragraph:
Denotation: the literal meaning of a word/object.
but pretty ferns and leaves, and armful of DROP the reader into the action.
Dependent clause: part of a sentence that doesn’t make sense without
strange blue flowers with velvety ridges and a SHIFT to another time (e.g. flashback), mood or
the rest.
sweet suds bush full of the brown, fragrant place.
Dialogue: a conversation between two or more people.
buds.’ ZOOM IN and describe a tiny detail.
Flashback: a scene set in a time earlier than the main story.
2. ‘The lighthouse defiantly stood proud of the ZOOM OUT and describe the bigger picture.
Foreshadowing: a warning or indication that something negative is going
jagged rocks; a broken jaw of granite.’ A SINGLE SENTENCE PARAGRAPH should be
to happen.
3. ‘All his movements were large and perfectly included somewhere in your writing, and should
Genre: a style or category of art, music, or literature.
balanced, like those of a wild animal, and when create a specific effect on the reader.
Independent clause: part of a sentence that makes sense on its own.
he appeared in a room like this, he seemed a Core Skills – Punctuation: You should be able to
Linear structure: when a narrative is told in chronological order.
wild animal in a cage too small for it.’ use all of these accurately and consistently in
Metaphor: saying something is something else.
4. ‘Lord Asriel was a tall man with powerful your writing:
Narrative Hook: a literary technique at the start of a story to engage the
shoulders, a fierce dark face, and eyes that
reader.
seemed to flash and glitter with savage
Pathetic fallacy: where the weather reflects the mood of the scene or a
laughter.’
character.
5. ‘Before he pushed the loaded supply boat
Personification: giving human qualities to an object.
out in to the sound, he turned his back to the
Simile: a comparison using ‘like’ or ‘as’.
wind, reached in to his waistcoat pocket and  Use a colon : to start a list.
Simple sentence: a sentence with one verb.
delicately drew out a folded square of paper.’  Use a semi-colon ; to separate longer items in
Tension: feelings of nervousness and anxiety created in a text/film etc.
Verb: an action or state of being. a list.
Ambitious adjectives: absurd, Ambitious verbs: amplify, beam, Ambitious adverbs: adoringly, boldly,  Use a pair of parenthetic commas to add
deafening, epic, excruciating, heartfelt, capture, collide, demolish, devour, brutally, competitively, extravagantly, additional information to a sentence. The
lavish, miraculous, nimble, stringent, envelop, gravitate, illuminate, lurch, foolishly, promptly, sympathetically, sentence must still make sense when this
swamped, thrilling, vulnerable recoil, transform, unearth, weave urgently, utterly, wearily, worriedly information and the commas are removed.
 English Knowledge Organiser
Year: 7 Term: Spring 1 Unit: Narrative Writing
Ambitious Vocabulary
Ambitious Adjectives - Characteristics Ambitious Verbs Ambitious Nouns
Spelling Definition Spelling Definition Spelling Definition
1. belligerent argumentative 1. abhor hate 1. animosity hatred

2. charismatic charming 2. alleviate ease 2. antonyms opposite meanings

3. complacent lazy 3. augment increase 3. benevolence kindness

4. ephemeral fleeting 4. connive plot 4. crescendo climax

5. homogenous alike 5. coerce force 5. discrepancy inconsistency

6. industrious hardworking 6. collaborate work together 6. hybrid mixture

7. liminal in-between 7. empathise understand feelings 7. malevolence wickedness

8. melancholic sad 8. emulate imitate 8. melancholy sadness

9. munificent generous 9. endeavour try 9. modicum little bit

10. narcissistic self-obsessed 10. exacerbate worsen 10. nadir lowest point

11. ostentatious showy 11. interrogate question 11. paragon role model

12. soporific sleep inducing 12. ostracise alienate 12. plethora lots of

13. tenacious determined 13. reconcile reunite 13. stoicism calm self-control

14. vindictive spiteful 14. retaliate hit back 14. synonyms similar meanings

15. zealous enthusiastic 15. sympathise pity 15. zenith highest point