Hot seat
A child pretends to be a character and answers questions: What do you look like? What do you do every morning? What are you afraid of?
Writing · Level 2 · Years 3 and 4 · Unit 1 of 6 · Character description
Character description with adjectives
Children build a character on the page with expanded noun phrases, strong verbs and one detail that shows personality.
7sessions
45minutes each
Years 3 and 4ages 8 to 10
A1 to A2CEFR
By the end
Children write a paragraph of six to eight sentences describing a character's appearance, movement and personality, using at least three expanded noun phrases.
How the unit runs
7 sessions, 8 parts
Every writing unit follows the same eight parts: read, talk, learn the sentence skill, plan, write together, write alone, check, publish. This unit fits them into 7 sessions of about 45 minutes.
| Session | Parts | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Session 1 | Part 1: Read and enjoy | Read and enjoy "Mr Bramley the baker". Find 3 features to notice. |
| Session 2 | Part 2: Talk it | Oral rehearsal games: Hot seat, Describe it, guess it, Show, not tell. |
| Session 3 | Part 3: Sentence skill | Teach the sentence skill: Expanded noun phrases. |
| Session 4 | Part 4: Plan | Plan on the frame: my character plan. |
| Session 5 | Part 5: Shared write | The teacher models the writing, thinking aloud. |
| Session 6 | Part 6: Independent write | Children write independently, with support and stretch. |
| Session 7 | Part 7: Check + Part 8: Publish | Check against the success criteria and the editing checklist. Publish for a real reader on the printable template. |
Curriculum link. Years 3 and 4 composition: discussing and recording ideas; in narratives, creating settings, characters and plot. Appendix 2: noun phrases expanded by modifying adjectives, nouns and preposition phrases (Year 4). Sources: see the end of this page.
Part 1 of 8
Read and enjoy a model text
Read it aloud first, or press the button. Talk about what the writer has done before anyone writes. This text was written for Litlings and is free to copy for your class.
Mr Bramley is a tall, round baker with rosy cheeks and a crooked white hat. His thick fingers are always dusty with flour, and his apron is covered in jam spots.
He hums loudly while he works, and his big laugh rattles the shop windows. Every morning he waves at the children outside the bakery, and sometimes he hands them a warm bun.
Although he looks stern when he frowns at a burnt loaf, Mr Bramley is the kindest person on the street.
What to notice
- a tall, round baker with rosy cheeksAn expanded noun phrase packs several details around one noun.
- hums loudly, waves, hands themStrong verbs show what he is like through action.
- Although he looks sternThe last line gives a surprise that reveals personality.
Part 2 of 8
Talk it: oral rehearsal
Talk comes before writing. Children say the sentences, then the paragraph, before the pencil moves.
Describe it, guess it
Describe a classroom object using three adjectives; the class guesses. Then describe a character from a picture, using a noun phrase for each feature.
Show, not tell
Say, He was kind. Then say what he does that shows it: He gave away his lunch. Collect examples for brave, shy, grumpy.
Part 3 of 8
Sentence skill: Expanded noun phrases
Add an adjective, another noun or a place phrase to tell the reader more: the tall, old oak tree beside the river.
Teach it in four steps
- Start with a plain noun: baker.
- Add adjectives before it: a tall, round baker.
- Add a place or with phrase after it: a tall, round baker with rosy cheeks.
- Read it aloud. Does it paint a picture?
Examples
| Start | Becomes or shows |
|---|---|
| the teacher | the strict maths teacher with curly hair |
| a dog | a scruffy brown dog with one floppy ear |
| the woman | the elderly woman in the faded green coat |
Part 4 of 8
Plan: My character plan
Invent a character. Collect ideas in each box. Children say each part aloud to a partner first, then jot notes. Type here, or print the frame to use on paper. It prints on one A4 page.
My character plan
NameDate
Invent a character. Collect ideas in each box.
Name and jobWho is it? What do they do?
What they look likeThree noun phrases: height, hair, clothes.
How they move and soundTwo strong verbs and a sound word.
Personality shown by actionOne thing they do that shows what they are like.
A surprising last lineAlthough ..., they are ...
Part 6 of 8
Independent write
The task
Write a paragraph describing a character you have invented. Use at least three expanded noun phrases and one detail that shows what the character is like.
Sentence starters
- ___ is a ___ with ___.
- Every morning, ___.
- Although ___, ___ is ___.
- His/Her ___ is always ___.
Word bank
- tall
- scruffy
- elderly
- crooked
- rosy
- twinkling
- grumpy
- kind
- hums
- marches
- shuffles
- chuckles
Support
Give a picture of a character and a word bank sorted by head, clothes and movement.
Stretch
Contrast two characters in a pair of paragraphs, or add dialogue that shows personality.
English as an additional or foreign language. Provide a sorted word bank of adjectives with simple pictures. Let children say the noun phrase aloud before writing.
Part 7 of 8
Check: success criteria and editing
Children read their writing aloud, tick what they have done and fix what they have not. Ticks are saved on this device only.
Success criteria
Editing checklist
Part 8 of 8
Publish for a real reader
Draw the character on the page and mount the description beneath. Display as a gallery called Who lives on our street?
Printable template: Picture and writing page
One A4 page, blank for handwriting. Print from the browser or download the PDF.
My page
NameDate
Draw your picture, then write underneath.
Title
Picture
My writing
Keep going
In this course
Elsewhere on the site
Sources
- National curriculum in England: English programmes of study (DfE)
- English Appendix 2: vocabulary, grammar and punctuation (DfE)
- Improving Literacy in Key Stage 2 (EEF)
Curriculum statements are paraphrased from the documents above. Model texts and activities are original to Litlings.