Improving a letter: deliberate verbs and precise adjectives

I can improve a letter which recounts an imagined experience from the British home front during World War One by paying close attention to my choice of verbs and adjectives.

Adult supervision: Adult supervision required

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    What you'll learn

    • Writers spend as long choosing deliberate verbs and precise adjectives as they do on other methods.
    • Verbs tell us how an action is done, and so can give an insight into character, atmosphere and tone.
    • Adjectives describe nouns and also impact tone.

    Common mix-up

    “It is important to focus on the creation of complex methods like metaphor or anaphora. Verbs don't matter.”

    Every sentence should contain a verb. As such, choosing them requires careful thought, and can dramatically impact the tone and pace of your writing.

    Keywords

    See all the words in the word bank

    Vera Brittain
    a British writer (1893-1970) best known for her memoir ‘Testament of Youth’ about her experiences on the home front of World War One
    flare
    a light used to attract attention
    Wilfred Owen
    a British soldier and poet (1893-1918) best remembered for his poetry about World War One
    tone
    the attitude and emotion of your voice - written or verbal
    PTSD
    an acronym for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, a mental health condition

    Year 9 · English · Key Stage 3 · Lesson 22 of 24

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    A English lesson by Oak National Academy licensed under Open Government Licence (OGL). Open Government Licence v3.0. quizo.school is not associated with or endorsed by Oak National Academy.