Writing the build-up of a narrative based on 'The Man on the Moon' | English

Starter quiz

Which word needs to start with a capital letter?
- man
- Lily ✓
- moon
- telescope
Which sentence is punctuated correctly?
- The man slumped on the cold bench
- the man slumped on the cold bench.
- The man slumped on the cold bench. ✓
- the man slumped on the cold bench
Which sentence is punctuated correctly?
- Excitedly, Lily ran up the stairs. ✓
- Excitedly Lily ran up the stairs.
- Excitedly, Lily, ran up the stairs.
- Excitedly Lily ran up, the stairs.
Match the word class to its example.
- noun
  
  ⇔
  
  Earth ✓
- adjective
  
  ⇔
  
  cold ✓
- verb
  
  ⇔
  
  stared ✓
- adverb
  
  ⇔
  
  longingly ✓
When writing our build-up, we can use our {{__________}} to help us.
- 'plan' ✓
What are the different sentence types you can use in your writing?
- paragraph
- complex ✓
- tension
- simple ✓
- compound ✓

The purpose of the build-up is to...
- build up tension and excitement. ✓
- introduce the setting and characters.
- introduce a problem. ✓
- find a resolution.
What is the purpose of a rhetorical question?
- to invite the reader to think about what's happening in the story ✓
- to give the reader general facts
- to involve the reader in the story ✓
- to make the reader feel frustrated
A {{__________}} sentence is formed of a main clause and a subordinate clause.
- 'complex' ✓
Which sentence is punctuated correctly?
- As the man slumped on the bench he gazed longingly at Earth.
- As the man slumped on the bench, he gazed longingly at Earth. ✓
- As the man, slumped on the bench he gazed longingly at Earth.
- As, the man slumped on the bench, he gazed longingly at Earth.
Match the sentence type to its example.
- simple
  
  ⇔
  
  Lily knew what she had to do. ✓
- compound
  
  ⇔
  
  Lily stared longingly and she knew what she had to do. ✓
- complex
  
  ⇔
  
  As Lily stared, she knew what she had to do. ✓
Complete this sentence with an appropriate fronted adverbial: '__________ she tried to find a way to send the letter to the moon.'
- Interestingly,
- In the starry sky,
- Again and again, ✓
- Carefully,

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The purpose of a build-up is to develop the characters and plot and often to introduce a problem.
Saying sentences aloud before they are written helps to check for sense.
Using the full range of sentence types (simple, compound and complex) improves text flow for the reader.
A rhetorical question engages the reader and makes them feel more curious about the narrative.
Fronted adverbials of time, place and manner describe the action in the main clause in further detail.

Pupils might write about moments that take place in the opening, climax or resolution.

The build-up follows a clear, chronological order that includes the three key moments from pupils' plans.

Text flow - how a text is written to keep the reader engaged
Fronted adverbial - a sentence starter followed by a comma
Past tense - shows that the action happened before now
Rhetorical question - a question asked to the reader that does not expect an answer