1. Investigating how language works: sentence variety
Y9 Language Detectives
Investigating how language works: sentence variety

2. TASK: Think, pair, share: This is the main setting for a story – what kind of story might that be? Take a few minutes to talk through a possible plot outline. Briefly feedback ideas.
Now tell students that they are going to write the opening to a horror story, and that this room is important to the story.
Same pairs: Give them a couple of minutes to revise initial ideas to bring them in line with horror genre. How might this setting be important in their story? Explain ideas briefly to another pair.
Whole class: Stress purpose of starting a horror story by describing the setting – to give the reader ‘the chill factor’ and suggest sense of foreboding and horrors to come. With that purpose in mind, ask students to focus on one object/feature in the picture and to describe it in a noun phrase – model this for them first e.g:
cold sharp steel rafters; a door the colour of blood; violently smashed windows.
Invite them to describe the smell or the feel of the room as well as physical objects.
Choose a few of the best examples to record and display so that students have a ‘hoard’ to refer to as needed in the next activities.

3. How can writers vary the length and structure of sentences to create specific effects?
Minor sentence /sentence fragment: a single word or a group of words
without a verb
Crumbling plaster. Smashed floorboards. A room full of echoes. Cold as
death.
Can capture a quick snapshot of the scene and speed up the reading pace
to build tension.
Single-clause sentence with only one finite verb
The room smelt of rusty nails and wet cardboard. Holes were punched in
the wall, as if by a giant fist.
Can focus the reader’s attention on one important detail at a time.
A series of short one-clause sentences can speed pace and build tension
or excitement.
Slide is animated by clicking.
Explain the focus on varying sentence lengths and types to create effects in keeping with the genre. This and the next slide provide models of sentence patterns for imitation. You might want to make these slides into a one-sided handout to make it easier for students to refer to when it comes to their extended writing task (or to save for reference in other lessons.)
You don’t need to do a lot of grammar here – just concentrate on showing the sentence patterns and suggesting the kind of effect they might have on the reader.

4. How can writers vary the length and structure of sentences to create specific effects?
Multi-clause sentences
A light flex snaked from the ceiling, swinging like a mad thing in the
cold wind, while plaster flaked from the walls. Window frames, that had
been twisted into distorted shapes, gaped open like the sockets of
gouged-out eyes.
Can add layers of detail and suggest time relations: different things
happening at the same time, or things that have happened previously.
Try changing the subordinate clause to a different place in the sentence, for
emphasis:
Swinging like a mad thing in the cold wind, a light flex snaked from
the ceiling.
You might want to clarify the terms main clause and subordinate clause but concentrate on showing the examples – both finite and non-finite verbs have been highlighted to show the idea of multi-clause sentences.

5. Try it out
Minor sentence (sentence fragment): a single word or a group of words
without a verb.
Crumbling floorboards. Cold as death.
Capture a quick snapshot of the scene and build tension.
Whole class or individuals/pairs: Time these slides to keep the pace going – point is to get students to practise following the different sentence patterns. They will have time at the end to put together an opening paragraph and experiment with mixing and matching choices. Get them to use ideas and vocabulary suggested by the picture to list own sentences, following the pattern shown. 2-3 minutes should be enough.

6. Try it out Single-clause sentence with only one finite verb
The room smelt of rusty nails and wet cardboard. Holes were punched in
the wall, as if by a giant fist.
Focus attention on one important detail at a time.
Speed up the pace and build tension.
Whole class or individuals/pairs: Time these slides to keep the pace going – point is to get students to practise following the different sentence patterns. They will have time at the end to put together an opening paragraph and experiment with mixing and matching choices. Get them to use ideas and vocabulary suggested by the picture to list own sentences, following the pattern shown. 3-4 minutes should be enough.

7. Try it out Multi-clause sentences
A light flex snaked from the ceiling, swinging like a mad thing in the
cold wind, while plaster flaked from the walls. Window frames, that had
been twisted into distorted shapes, gaped open like the sockets of
gouged-out eyes.
Add layers of detail and suggest time relations: different things
happening at the same time, or things that have happened previously.
Whole class or individuals/pairs: Time these slides to keep the pace going – point is to get students to practise following the different sentence patterns. They will have time at the end to put together an opening paragraph and experiment with mixing and matching choices. Get them to use ideas and vocabulary suggested by the picture to list own sentences, following the pattern shown. 5 mins max – encourage subclause positioned in different places within the sentence.

8. TASK: Your aim is to write the opening paragraph of a short story in the horror genre, setting the scene with a description of this room and creating ‘the chill factor’ for your reader. Review the sentences you’ve written and choose the ones you think will work best; rework them to create the effect you want. If you can, try two deliberately different versions of the opening.
Allow 10 minutes of concentrated writing.
Use peer partners to provide feedback, using ‘chill factor’ test.
Plenary: encourage students to explain the different sentence patterns they’ve used and which ones they think work best.
Consolidate: Focus on accuracy of sentence boundary punctuation, even where minor i.e. verbless sentences have been used. Get students to highlight full stops in their writing and to re-read frequently to check punctuation in place and sentences make sense.
Extend: Focus on boundary punctuation and use of commas to mark off clauses within the sentence. Encourage experimentation with semi-colon to link clauses. Explore variety of sentences used in current reading book e.g. in opening paragraphs and explain impact on reader.