Teaching Strategies, Tactics, and Methods

Direct Speech

Direct speech, also known as direct discourse, relays the exact words spoken. One way to tell when direct speech is used is to look for quotation marks. Another useful indicator is the presence of a reporting verb or a signal phrase.

What is Direct Speech?

If you’re looking for a straightforward definition of direct speech, you’re in the right place. So put, direct speech is a sentence where the exact words spoken are written in speech marks, quotation marks, or inverted commas.

Direct Speech can be used in multiple written texts. For example, it is widely used in fiction, which can help readers understand characters better.

Direct Speech Examples

If you’re struggling to picture how direct speech might work, here are some examples to help you get the hang of it.

“What are your plans for tonight?” Said Lisa.

“I don’t have any!” Said, Janine

“Do you fancy going out for a meal?” Said Alex.

The Rules of Direct Speech

Children typically begin to learn about direct speech when they are seven to eight. At this time, kids will learn what direct speech is, why it is used, and what general rules they should follow. Here are some of the main reasons why writers use natural speech.

• It can be beneficial for expanding on the development of characters in a story. This is because, by showing the things that people say and the ways that they tell them, readers will learn more about their personalities.
• It can also be beneficial for driving the plot in stories.

Several fundamental rules must be followed when writing a direct speech. Kids must master these rules to effectively and correctly use direct speech. Here is a list of the rules and some direct speech examples to help you get the hang of it.

Speech Marks

In direct speech, punctuation separates the spoken words, or dialogue, from the rest of the text. Therefore, the words directly spoken by a character, i.e., the direct speech, should be placed inside speech marks.

For example:

“Can I ask you a question?” Emily inquired.

“I’m far too tired to play football today,” yawned Sam.

There is some nuance with this direct speech rule: some writers use double speech marks, and some use single speech marks. However, don’t be thrown off by this, as both are perfectly fine!

The only rule is to decide which type of speech marks you want to use and ensure consistency throughout your work. Therefore, you shouldn’t start your work using single speech marks and end it using double ones.

A New Speaker = A New Line

Another rule that must be followed when using direct speech is taking a new line each time a new person speaks. Direct speech is designed to help the reader follow the dialogue in a text. This is why it is so important to structure it. To help the reader follow who precisely is speaking, you must take a new line for each new speaker.

For example:

“I didn’t see you at school today,” said Hannah concernedly.

“I wasn’t feeling very well, so I took the day off sick,” explained Tom.

“You poor thing! I hope you’re feeling better tomorrow,” Hannah remarked, hugging her friend.

“Me too,” Tom pouted.

It’s also important to note that each new line of direct speech should start with a capital letter.

Reporting Clauses

A reporting clause occurs after the direct speech and indicates to the reader who is speaking.

For example:

“How was your holiday?” asked Mrs. Anderson.

In the example above, the reporting clause, ‘asked Mrs. Anderson’, tells us who is speaking in the text. Reporting clauses are not always necessary if it is clear who is speaking. This is why reporting clauses are often dropped in a text once a conversation between characters gets going.

Punctuation Inside Speech Marks

A punctuation mark should always be at the end of each direct speech section. If there is no reporting clause, this punctuation mark will likely be a complete stop, question mark, or exclamation mark.

For example:

“Help! I can’t swim!”

“Hello there, Amy. Can I help you?”

On the other hand, if there is a reporting clause, the punctuation mark will likely be a comma before the final speech marks.

For example:

“I am going to walk home with Mary after school,” Lisa explained.

Then, after the reporting clause, there tends to be a complete stop. This may come later on, however, if the sentence continues after the reporting clause.

For example:

“My mum said we can walk home together,” said Lisa as she packed her school bag.

Moving the reporting clause

Sometimes, the reporting clause is placed in the middle of a direct speech.

For example:

“I am excited to play hockey at the weekend,” said James, “My favorite instructor will be there.”

Even in this instance, you will note that the punctuation still goes inside the speech marks of the first section.

After the reporting clause, a punctuation mark must be used before the second set of direct speech starts. The punctuation mark should be a comma if the reporting clause is in the middle of a sentence. However, if the reporting clause is between two separate speech sentences, it should be a complete stop.

Reported Speech

The rules above are for punctuating direct speech, but we don’t need to use speech marks when punctuating reported speech.

Reported speech (sometimes known as indirect speech) is when we summarise or reword the address instead of quoting the direct words spoken by a person. For example:

Mrs. Wood claimed it had been a tough year for businesses across the country and pledged to keep her staff well-informed of any changes.

When punctuating reported speech, we only need to punctuate the sentence as we would any other sentence, without worrying about using any specific speech punctuation.

When do Children begin to learn about Direct Speech?

Children will begin to learn about Direct Speech in their third year of primary education. Teachers of Lower Key Stage 2 will usually outline the general rules of Direct Speech, which include:

• speech is opened with quotation marks, speech marks, or inverted commas
• each line of speech will start with a capital letter
• a reporting clause is used at the end of the sentence
• a full stop is placed at the end of the reporting clause
• each new character’s speech should begin on a new line

What is a concrete noun?

A noun is a word that describes a person, place, or thing. A concrete noun is a noun that can be physically experienced through one of the five senses. They are also known as proper nouns. Nouns are an essential part of a sentence, along with verbs and adjectives.

What’s the difference between a concrete noun and an abstract noun?

Nouns can be split into two categories: concrete nouns and abstract nouns. While concrete nouns are things you can experience through your senses, abstract nouns are ideas and concepts that can be understood but not physically experienced through the senses, such as love, justice, and happiness.

You can determine if a noun is concrete or abstract by asking yourself: is this something I can experience through one of the five senses?

Concrete noun examples

Sight:

• Flower
• Bridge
• Sky
• Building
• Traffic Light

Smell:

• Bread
• The sea
• Burgers
• Perfume
• Sweat

Taste:

• Pizza
• Medicine
• Apple
• Sweets
• Cakes

Hearing:

• Alarm
• Rain
• Singing
• Television
• Thunder

Touch:

• Skin
• Fur
• Leather
• Chair
• Money

How can I use a concrete noun in a sentence?

Here are some examples of sentences that include a concrete noun. In each sentence, the noun is highlighted in bold.

Lucy tied her shoe.

Yasmine ate her sandwich.

I went and answered the phone.

In these examples, the people (Lucy and Yasmine) and objects (sandwich, shoe, phone) are concrete nouns. They can all be physically experienced.

Past Tense

The past tense is a grammatical tense used to talk about something that happened in the past or the way something was in the past. It’s one of the three main tenses alongside present and future, and it has four kinds: past simple, past perfect, past continuous, and past perfect continuous.

What is the past tense?

The past tense expresses actions that have happened in the past. It’s one of the three main grammatical tenses, with the other two being present and future.

The past tense indicates that an event has already happened but can also display a state of being. For instance, something might have been in a different way or a different form in the past than it is today. In addition, it can be used to talk about something we have imagined. Here are a few examples of the past tense in action:

• I went for a run in the park.
• This used to be quite a lovely park.

What are the four types of past tense?

We’ve now figured out the past tense and when we might use it. But did you know that the past tense can come in four different forms?

There are four kinds of past tense in the English language. They are the past simple, past perfect, past continuous, and past perfect continuous. The following chart offers some basic examples of each past tense

Past simple	I walked
Past continuous	I was walking
Past perfect	I had walked
Past continuous perfect	I had been walking

But what does all of this mean? First, let’s break down each of this different past tense forms and when we might use one over another.

1) Simple Past Tense:

The simple past tense shows that a completed action took place at a particular time in the past. You will also find that the simple past tense is often used when talking about past habits and generalizations. Here are some examples of sentences using simple past tense:

Yesterday, I walked all day.

Ben talked for hours at the party.

I saw a perfect movie at the cinema last night.

Last year, I went on holiday to Spain.

Generally, the way to form the simple past tense is to add ‘ed’ to the end of the verb. However, it is essential to note that there are many exceptions to this rule, as many verbs have irregular past forms.

For example, when a verb ends in ‘y’, it’s important to know that we often change the ‘y’ to an ‘I’ if it comes after a consonant. For example:

‘He will try for the school football team.’

‘He tried for the school football team.’Top of Form

2) Continuous Past Tense:

Next up, we have the continuous past tense (also known as the past progressive tense), which shows that an ongoing action was happening at some point in the past. The continuous past tense is formed by combining the past tense of ‘to be’  with the verb’s present participle.

There are several scenarios in which the continuous past tense is required. For instance, it is used to describe conditions in the past:

• Everyone in the classroom was grinning as the teacher began to speak.
• The rain was beating down so hard that everyone got soaked.

Another way we might use the continuous past tense is to describe something happening in the past but interrupted by another action.

• The wedding guests were dancing outside until the rain started.
• She was putting her makeup on when her friends arrived.

The past continuous tense describes something happening at a time in the past.

• At 9 o’clock last night, I was getting ready for bed.
• I was walking home at 6 pm last night.

The last use of the past continuous tense is to discuss a habitual action in the past. For instance:

• She was running to work every day about a year ago.
• Debbie was constantly practicing in preparation for the dance competition.

3) Perfect Past Tense:

The following main form of the past tense is the perfect past tense, also known as the pluperfect, and we use it to talk about something that happened before something else in the past. Perfect past tense helps convey the sequence of events in the past.

The perfect past tense is often formed by adding ‘had’ to the past participle of a verb:

• When I walked outside, I saw that all my flowers had been dug up.
• I got to the restaurant and saw that my friends had already left.

Another way to use the perfect past tense is when expressing a condition and a result:

• I would have been late if I had gotten to school a minute later.
• If I had left my coat on the bus, I would have lost it for good.

4) Continuous Perfect Past Tense:

The final form of the past tense that we need to mention is the continuous perfect past tense, which you might sometimes see referred to as the past perfect progressive tense. It’s used when discussing an action that started in the past and continued until another time.

The continuous perfect past tense is formed using ‘had been’ plus the verb’s present participle (i.e., the root + -ing). Here are a few examples:

• He had been cooking all day when his dinner guests called to cancel.
• The girl had been complaining about the weather for hours when the sun finally came out.
• I had been cleaning the coat for hours when the stain finally came out.

You will typically see words used with the continuous perfect past tense: when, for, since, and before.

• The students had been causing havoc in the classroom for ages before the teacher arrived.
• Amy had been walking for over an hour before she reached her destination.
• The choir that won the competition had been practicing hard since March last year.

What is a Decagon?

A decagon is a polygon easily identified by one key trait – a ten-sided shape with ten interior angles and ten vertices. However, it’s important to remember that a polygon is a closed shape, so even if a figure has ten sides, if it’s not closed, it’s not a decagon.

Decagons are two-dimensional shapes. Two-dimensional shapes are flat and only have two dimensions: length and width. They include squares, rectangles, circles, triangles, and more. All 2D shapes can be measured by their length and width or length and height. But remember, 2D shapes are entirely flat.

Keep reading to learn all about this ten-sided shape!

Types of Decagon

Just like any polygon, there exist two ways in which a decagon can exist – regular or irregular. In polygonal terms, regular means a shape is equal-length sides and equal-measure interior angle, while irregular means it is not restricted to congruent angles or sides.

Comparatively, the regular decagon is far easier on the eye with a more elegant, pleasing shape. This is why regular decagons are popularly used for coins (like those from Australia, Belize, and Hong Kong). Irregular decagons must have ten sides closing in a space, but the lengths of their sides can vary greatly.

Concave and Convex Decagons

The majority of polygons can be either convex or concave. Convex decagons, for instance, protrude outwards and do not possess any interior angles greater than 180°. On the flip side, concave decagons have indentations, which create interior angles greater than 180°.

Regardless of whether a decagon is concave or convex, it possesses the following qualities:

• It is a ten-sided shape
• It has ten vertices
• It has ten interior angles

All decagons share the above properties, including regular, irregular, concave, and convex. However, there is one property that is unique to concave and convex decagons:

• Their interior angles always add up to 1,440°

Simple and Complex Decagons

Decagons can either be simple or complex. Simple decagons have no sides that cross over themselves, and they follow all of the conventional rules of polygons.

A standard regular decagon meets all these requirements:

• Regular decagon
• Convex decagon
• Simple decagon

On the other hand, complex decagons are self-intersecting, meaning that their sides cross over each other. Despite having additional interior spaces because their sides cross over one another, complex decagons are still technically classified as a ten-sided shape, with ten interior angles and ten vertices. Because they are so irregular, complex decagons do not follow any rules.

What is an Explanation Text?

An Explanation text is a piece of non-fiction writing that explains an action process or event in a detailed but basic way. It has numbered points, pictures, diagrams, labels, and captions to help the reader understand the process of what’s being delivered.

What are the Key Features of an Explanation Text?

• Explanation text is typically written in the present tense with formal to-the-point language that doesn’t deviate from the topic.
• It uses separate text with headings and subheadings to make the explanation text simple and easy to understand.
• Add pictures and diagrams with labels for visual learners.
• Any technical vocabulary should fit into a glossary at the end to help with jargon.
• Numbered points that explain something step-by-step.

Here is the above explanation text example that’s been rewritten in an instructional way:

How is Ice Cream Made?

Mix milk, cream, and sugar.

Heat the mixture to kill off any germs.

Add flavors and colorings to the mixture, i.e., strawberry and pink food coloring.

Freeze and whip the mixture to make the ice cream consistency.

How can I use explanation text examples to support students’ writing?

You can use explanation text examples within the classroom to support the following:

• For text analysis where children search for genre features.
• To support teachers and staff in their knowledge and understanding of the 2014 English National Curriculum objectives.
• As a high-quality example for children to aim for in their writing.
• Children can see how language devices can work in the context of a complete text.
• For SLT or English subjects, leaders are to develop a portfolio of exemplar texts.

What’s the difference between an information text and an explanation text?

Instructional text is sequencing an event, action, or process by telling someone what to do. See above for an example.

Explanation text describes something non-fiction; it typically explains ‘why’ we do something and the entire process.

Repetition

Repetition is when a single word or phrase is used multiple times in short succession for effect. It can help emphasize a point. For example, ‘I have to practice my time’s tables over so I can learn them’ vs. ‘I have to practice my time’s tables over and over and over again so I can learn them.’

What is Repetition?

Repetition is when a word, sentence, or phrase appears more than once in a poem.

Repetition is used in poetry and prose to excite the writing and help create patterns. Depending on the repeated word or phrase, repetition allows for more emphasis on specific themes, ideas, or objects.

Common Examples of Repetition

We use repetition every day without realizing it. These are examples that you probably hear people say every day:

Time after time;

Heart-to-heart;

Hand in hand;

Get ready, get set, go;

Home sweet home;

It is what it is.

Repetition in Poetry

Odes are a type of poetry that traditionally make use of repetition.

Different types of repetition can be used in poetry.

• Refrain – This is where a verse or phrase is repeated during different stages of a song or poem.
• Chorus – Chorus is where a verse or phrase is repeated following each verse within a song or poem. The Christmas carol repeats the line, ‘We wish you a Merry Christmas,’ multiple times.
• Echo poems – In an echo poem, the last word of each line can be repeated as a response in the following line.
• Alliteration – Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds, often at the beginning of a word. For example, ‘The slimy snake slowly slithered away.’
• Rhyme – Rhyme is the repetition of sound using rhythmic patterns to create a musical effect.

Repetition in Prose

In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, repetition is used to emphasize the size of Tom Buchanan’s apartment:

‘The apartment was on the top floor—a small living room, a small dining room, a small bedroom, and a bath.’

The repetition of the word ‘small’ highlights to the reader how tiny Tom’s apartment is.

Repetition in Persuasive Writing

Repetition can also be used in persuasive writing and media, such as adverts.

Some might also repeat positive adjectives to describe their product to make the audience think that way. For example, a water park might say it’s ‘fun, fun, fun!’.

Repetition is an excellent way to get an idea to stay in our minds, which is why many advertisers are fond of it – and why so many adverts get stuck in our heads!

7 Types of Repetition in Writing

Repetition can be a powerful tool in writing and has been commonly used in songs, poetry, and even the most powerful and memorable speeches throughout history. Seven types of repetition can be identified in writing. These include:

• Anaphora -Anaphora is the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of several sentences. This technique can be seen in Martin Luther King’s famous speech, ‘I have a Dream.’
• Epistrophe -This is the counterpart to anaphora. Epistrophe involves repeating the last word or phrase across successive phrases, clauses, or sentences. This means that, instead of beginning a sentence the same way, the writer will end every sentence with the same word or phrase. A famous example of this can be read in the Gettysburg Address, where Abraham Lincoln urged the American people to ensure that ‘government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.’ Here, his repetition of ‘the people’ at the end of each clause is an example of epistrophe.
• Symploce – Symploce is a combination of anaphora and epistrophe. This occurs when one word or phrase is repeated at the beginning of a line and another at the end.
• Antistasis – Antistasis repetition is when antanaclasis goes so far as to incorporate opposite meanings.
• Negative-positive restatement -This repetition requires the writer to write the same sentence twice, first with a negative intonation and then with a positive twist. For example, the famous statement, ‘Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.’
• Palilogia is the simple repetition of a single word or phrase in immediate succession. Take ‘HO! HO! HO!’, the famous words of the much-loved Father Christmas as an example.

What are Comparative Adverbs?

Comparative adverbs are a kind of adverb. The adverb’s job is to modify a verb, so we use a comparative adverb to compare two verb actions to reach another.

In both sentences, ‘fast’ is the adverb. In the second, ‘faster’ is the comparative adverb.

We use comparative adverbs when comparing two things, not three or more.

How do we make Comparative Adverbs?

Depending on the adverb, there are three ways to form a comparative adverb.

One-syllable adverbs

Forming a comparative adverb from a one-syllable adverb is simple. First, you add ‘er’ to the end of the adverb.

Adverb	Comparative Adverb
fast	Faster
quick	Quicker
slow	Slower
long	longer
wide	wider
wide	wider
low	lower

Most one-syllable adverbs have the same form as their adjective, which can sometimes be confusing for those learning adverbs and adjectives.

Positive	Comparative
Adjective	He took a slow walk.	He took a slower walk.
Adverb	He strolled.	He walked slower.

Two-syllable adverbs

For adverbs with two or more syllables, we can make them comparative by putting ‘more’ or ‘less’ in front of the adverb.

Adverb	Comparative Adverb
slowly	more slowly / less slowly
thoughtfully	more thoughtfully / less thoughtfully
carefully	more carefully / less carefully
happily	more happily / less happily
courageously	more courageously / less courageously
bravely	more bravely / less bravely
cowardly	more cowardly / less cowardly
horribly	more horribly / less horribly
recently	more recently / less recently
strangely	more strangely / less strangely
sadly	more sadly / less sadly

We can also use ‘more’ or ‘less’ with time adverbs to show an increase or decrease in a particular action.

Adding the comparative adverb	Possible meaning
She plays tennis often.	Once a week.
Now, she plays tennis more often.	Twice or three times a week.
Now, she plays tennis less often.	Once every two weeks.

We can also use ‘more’ or ‘less’ with time adverbs for a simple comparison, just like the adverbs of manner.

She plays tennis more often than him.

She plays tennis less often than him.

Irregular Comparative Adverbs

Some adverbs don’t conform to these rules when we change them into comparative adverbs. Some don’t follow a particular pattern, so memorizing the individual words is the only way to learn them.

Adverb	Comparative Adverb	Example
badly	worse	They performed badly. / They performed worse on the night than they did in practice.
well	better	She understood the topic well. / She understood the topic better after some tutoring.
far	further/farther	The sun is far away. / The sun is further away than the moon.
little	less	There’s only a little time left. / There’s less time than before.
much	more	She appreciated it very much. / She appreciated it more than they knew.

Informal Comparative Adverbs

Some adverbs and comparative adverbs have a ‘formal’ version with the ‘ly’ and an informal version without it. They’re usually used in speech rather than in writing. Here are some examples:

Adverb	Formal Comparative Adverb	Informal Comparative Adverb
cheap/cheaply	more cheaply	cheaper
quick/quickly	more quickly	quicker
slow/slowly	more slowly	slower
loud/loudly	more loudly	louder
wide/widely	more widely	wider
happy/happily	more happily	happier

How do we use Comparative Adverbs?

We use comparative adverbs to compare two verb actions with one another. They usually show an increase or decrease in the action or that one thing is ‘better’ or ‘worse’ than the other at the verb action. The comparative adverb is often followed by ‘than.’

Lions run fast, but cheetahs run faster.

Cheetahs fun faster than lions.

Lions don’t run faster than cheetahs.

Lions run more slowly than cheetahs.

He was better at playing chess.

He was better at playing chess than his opponent.

Plants grow more quickly when you water them in the right amount.

She laid out the plan more thoughtfully than anyone expected.

He took on the challenge more willingly than his teammates.

The teacher asked the class to speak more quietly.

The teacher asked the class if they could speak less loudly.

What are Superlative Adverbs?

Like superlative adjectives, superlative adverbs describe differences among three or more people, places, or things. Despite their similarities, there is a difference between superlative adjectives and superlative adverbs. Superlative adjectives are used to describe something as the highest or lowest degree. However, superlative adverbs are used to describe a person or thing’s action compared to several others.

It is common for superlative adverbs to be preceded by ‘the,’ but it is not a requirement.

Examples of superlative adverbs:

• Mary is the best singer in the class.
• James is the fastest runner in his age group.
• Lily is the tallest girl out of all her friends.
• Out of everyone in the office, Paul was most likely to call in sick.

Comparative and Superlative Adverbs

In the case of adverbs that end in -ly, you have to use more to form the comparative and most to form the superlative. For example:

Adverb	Comparative Adverb	Superlative Adverb
evenly	more evenly	most evenly
angrily	more angrily	most angrily
effortlessly	more effortlessly	most effortlessly
promptly	more promptly	most promptly
highly	more highly	most highly
smoothly	more smoothly	most smoothly

Here are some examples of these comparative and superlative adverbs in sentences:

The young girl sang more effortlessly than the rest of her class.

The young girl sang the most effortlessly of all her classmates.

The teacher arrived more promptly than usual.

The teacher arrived the most promptly out of the whole staff team.

The boy was praised more highly than his friend for his swimming.

The boy was praised most highly out of all his teammates.

 

Adverb	Comparative Adverb	Superlative Adverb
fast	faster	fastest
big	bigger	biggest
tall	taller	tallest
late	later	latest
soft	softer	softest
cool	cooler	coolest

Here are examples of these comparative and superlative adjectives in sentences:

Johnny was the fastest runner in his family.

Amber was taller than all of her classmates.

Amber was the tallest person in the class.

The boy thought he was cooler than all his friends.

The boy thought he was the coolest person in his friend group.

It’s important to note that if the adverb ends in e, it must be removed before adding the ending.

Adverb	Comparative Adverb	Superlative Adverb
large	larger	largest
wise	wiser	wisest

Similarly, adverbs ending in –y must be changed to I before adding the ending.

Adverb	Comparative Adverb	Superlative Adverb
pretty	prettier	prettiest
happy	happier	happiest
busy	busier	busiest
angry	angrier	angriest
clingy	clingier	clingiest
crazy	crazier	craziest

While these rules can apply to most adverbs, some adverbs have irregular comparative and superlative forms. Here are some examples of irregular comparative and superlative adverbs:

Adverb	Comparative Adverb	Superlative Adverb
badly	worse	worst
little	less	least
far	farther/further	farthest/furthest
good	better	best
many	more	most

What is a prefix?

A prefix is a group or string of letters that can be attached to the start of a root word. Each prefix has its embedded meaning. Once a prefix is added to a root word, the newly-formed word will mean ‘prefix meaning + root word.’

What does the prefix pre mean?

Aprefixis used at the beginning of a word to adjust its meaning. For example, the prefix ‘pre-‘ means ‘before’ and is typically used to signify ‘before’ or ‘prior to.’ So, for example, when you try to prevent something, you come ‘before’ it to put a halt to it, thereby keeping it from happening. Read the below for more examples of the pre-prefix in a sentence.

• Prevent: come ‘before’ – for example, ‘They tried to prevent an accident by taking the appropriate safety measures.’
• Preheat: heat ‘before’ – for example, ‘Before you make a cake, don’t forget to preheat the oven.’
• Prejudice: judge ‘before’ – for example, ‘You shouldn’t have prejudice about anything before you try it.’
• Preview: see ‘before’ – for example, ‘At the cinema, before the film, they showed the previews.’
• Predict: say ‘before’ – for example, ‘My gran always said you can’t predict what the weather will be.’

What are words with the prefix pre?

A simple way to learn and become comfortable with prefixes is to learn words with the prefix pre. Use this word list to find valuable and clear examples of words with the prefix pre.

7-letter words with the prefix pre

• Present
• Prepare
• preface
• pre-teen

6-letter words with the prefix pre

• Prefer
• Precut
• Premix
• Preset
• Pre-war

15-letter words with the prefix pre

• Preregistration
• Prepublication
• Prehistorically
• Prearrangement

13-letter words with the prefix pre

• Premeditation
• Predetermined
• Preproduction
• Pre-enrollment

The pattern of the words that make poems fun to say and easy to remember is not there by accident. Poets arrange their words in a certain way to create these patterns. Depending on the poet and the poem, it might be simple or more complex.

How is rhythm created?

Using syllables

Rhythm is often created through the use of syllables. When we speak, we naturally emphasize some syllables over others. Longer syllables are “stressed,” and shorter ones are “unstressed.”

For example, the word “review” can be split into “re” and “view.” However, when we speak, we emphasize the second syllable, the “view” part. This means “view” is stressed.

Poets use these natural stresses to help form this rhythm, almost like a beat in music. For example, if you put a word in a sentence and read it aloud, you can easily see which words are stressed.

Creating a meter with a pattern of syllables

The pattern of stressed and unstressed parts of words is known as the meter. It is the arrangement of words in regularly measured, patterned, or rhythmic lines or verses.

This can even be measured in metrical feet. A metrical foot tends to be formed with one stressed syllable and two unstressed syllables. In some types of poetry, such as Haiku, the writer counts the number of syllables in each line. Yet, in rhythmical poetry, poets count the number of feet instead. Poems can have any number of feet in their lines, but you would stick to the pattern when writing poetry.

Poets tend to use different meters for different effects. A frequently used meter is Iambic pentameter, especially common in Shakespeare’s sonnets. There are five metrical feet in the lines of Iambic Pentameter, which is thought to follow the sound of natural conversation. Poets using this metric usually try to create a conversational or natural feel to the poem.

This doesn’t mean poets can only use this metric style, though. There are lots of different rhythms poets can use. A diameter contains two metrical feet; a trimeter contains three, and a tetrameter includes four. Poets and authors may switch between different styles to emphasize certain people’s words. Shakespeare does this in Macbeth, where the witches use trochaic tetrameter.

Why is rhythm important in poetry?

Rhythm plays a role in creating emotions and a sense of balance in writing. However, it is what makes it unique when read aloud.

It can strengthen the meanings and ideas in a poem. Different rhythms can create moods and tones that might reflect the ideas and thoughts expressed in the poem.

How to teach rhythm in poetry

Teaching rhythm in poetry can sometimes feel challenging as it is hard to define. Yet if you teach rhythm hands-on, your children will likely understand it quickly and have lots of fun while learning.

Let the music play

Most children love music. It is something they will come across pretty much every day, so it should be easy for them to understand. Play different genres of music and get children to tap into the beat. For example, explain to them how heavy rock music tends to have a very different rhythm than pop. Then read some poems and see if they can also tap the rhythm.

Show them a video

Showing children videos can also help them understand how poems sound out loud and the role rhythm has to play.

Learn about the stages of a flowering plant life cycle. Everything you need to know to teach your children the facts.

A life cycle is an organism’s chain of events until the next generation starts the cycle again. Throughout a life cycle, there will be several different stages in development and reproduction.

Every living organism goes through a cycle during its life, plants included. However, these life cycles differ significantly, particularly in flowering and non-flowering plants.

For this page, we will be focusing on a flowering plant life cycle. So remember, the stages will not apply to all plants.

What is a flowering plant?

First, let’s define what a flowering plant is. Ok, so it’s not that difficult.

A flowering plant is a plant that produces flowers, and these flowers turn into fruits. Because of this, you might also hear them referred to as fruit-bearing plants. Or, if you want to get serious, their scientific name is angiosperms.

Stages of a flowering plant life cycle

A flowering plant life cycle can be broken down into several stages. When teaching, how much detail you need to cover during each stage will depend on the age of your children.

For most primary students, it is enough to say that there are five critical stages in a flower plant life cycle. These are listed below, and we will explain in more detail what happens during these events.

1. Germination
2. Growth
3. Flowering
4. Seed formation
5. Seed dispersal

1. Germination

Seeds come in all different shapes and sizes. But every seed contains an embryo. This embryo is what will go on to become a fully-grown plant.

So when a seed finds itself in the right conditions, it will start to grow; this is called germination.

Most seeds need moisture, oxygen, and warmth to germinate. The amounts of each thing can differ depending on the type of plant and how it has adapted to its environment.

Fun fact: Some seeds are very fussy and need special conditions to germinate. For example, some seeds cannot germinate unless passed through an animal’s digestive tract (yuk!). Or seeds that spring to life after being exposed to really high temperatures during bushfires (ouch!).

2. Growth

During this phase, a seedling develops into a mature plant. Depending on the plant species, this can take days to weeks to even years.

Throughout this phase, the plant’s roots grow below ground to allow it to absorb the water and nutrients it needs. The roots also provide the plant stability and support, anchoring it into the soil.

Also, the stem will get taller and more robust, and the leaves will develop. The development of the leaves is an essential part of this stage. The plant will begin to photosynthesize and make its food in the leaves. This food is required for its continued growth.

The plant will grow flower buds in a flowering plant life cycle. This is a sign that the plant has reached maturity and is ready for the next step in the process.

3. Flowering

Once the plant has reached maturity, the flower buds will develop into flowers. These flowers are essential in a plant’s life cycle as this is where the new seeds are made. In other words, the flower is where reproduction happens.

Two critical events are involved in this stage: pollination and fertilization.

Within the flower, you will find a stamen, the male part of the flower, and a carpel, the female part.

The male part of the flower produces small grains of pollen; for a plant to become fertilized, this pollen must reach part of the carpel called the stigma. For this to happen, pollination must occur.

Interestingly, some plants can self-pollinate while others must be pollinated with pollen from a different plant.

The act of pollination can happen in different ways too. For example, plants can be pollinated by insects, birds, animals, or even the wind.

Flowers are good at attracting birds and insects with their brightly colored petals and their sweet-smelling scent. When these creatures come to feed or collect nectar from the flowers, they become covered in pollen. So then, when they move from flower to flower, they pollinate. Similarly, pollen can be carried on their bodies and fur when animals pass by and transfer to different flowers. Or, on a breezy day, pollen can be transported in the air.

Once pollen is transferred from the male part of a flower to the female part of a flower, fertilization begins.

If you want more details on plant reproduction, follow the link or look at some of our resources.

4. Seed formation

Once fertilization has occurred, seeds will form, and inside these seeds will be a viable plant embryo.

At this point in a flowering plant life cycle, the flower will die, and the fruit will develop. The fruit protects the seeds from damage and helps them in the final stages of the life cycle.

Interesting fact: Obviously, fruits take on various shapes and sizes, and you might only think of fruits as the typical things you see in supermarkets. But even the fluffy part of a dandelion seed is considered a fruit.

5. Seed dispersal

The final stage in a flowering plant life cycle is seed dispersal. Seed dispersal can happen in many different ways, depending on how seeds and fruits have been adapted.

Typical fruits like berries, apples, and tomatoes are eaten by animals and birds and then excreted, eventually finding their way back to the ground.

Some seeds are blown in the wind, and others have adapted to float in water. Some have even developed hooks that help them attach to passers-by. But ultimately, a seed’s primary goal is to find a suitable place on the ground where it can germinate and start the cycle again.