English Optional Tasks

Below you will find a series of tasks linked to what the class have been taught the week before. Each week, you will first practise the grammar skill associated with the writing focus, then use that skill in a short piece of writing — no more than a paragraph or two!

Try to think carefully about how your grammar choices make your writing clear, interesting, and engaging.

Week 1 – W/B 10th November

Focus: Diary Writing – Past Tense and First Person

Fluency (Grammar Practice)

1. Rewrite these verbs in the past tense:
   walk → ___  decide → ___  go → ___  write → ___

2. Circle the sentence written in first person:
   a) He looked at the clock and sighed.
   b) I looked at the clock and sighed.

Application (Writing)
Write 3–4 sentences for a diary entry about a day that went wrong, using first person and past tense.

Reasoning
Why is the first-person viewpoint effective in diary writing?

⭐ CHALLENGE 
Write one diary paragraph that shows emotion without using the words sad, angry, or happy. Show how the writer feels through actions and thoughts.

Week 2 – W/B 17th November

Focus: Diary Writing – Fronted Adverbials and Expanded Noun Phrases

Fluency (Grammar Practice)

1. Add a comma to these fronted adverbials:

   • In the middle of the night ___ I heard a noise.

   • With trembling hands ___ I opened the door.

2. Expand these noun phrases:

   • The forest → ___

   • The house → ___

Application (Writing)
Write a diary entry paragraph that begins with a fronted adverbial and includes at least two expanded noun phrases.

Reasoning
Why do writers use fronted adverbials in diary entries?

⭐ CHALLENGE 
Rewrite a simple diary paragraph to make it more descriptive, using adverbials of time, place, and manner.

Week 3 – W/B 24th November

Focus: Diary Writing – Show, Don’t Tell (Feelings and Emotions)

Fluency (Grammar Practice)

1. Match each feeling to an action that shows it:

   • Nervous → ( )

   • Angry → ( )

   • Excited → ( )

   • Lonely → ( )
     (a) stomped his foot (b) bit her nails (c) smiled wildly (d) stared out of the window)

2. Replace “I was sad” with a sentence that shows sadness instead of telling it.

Application (Writing)
Write a short diary paragraph about a memorable moment. Include clues to the character’s feelings through what they do or think, not what they say directly.

Reasoning
How can body language and thoughts make a diary feel more realistic?

⭐ CHALLENGE
Rewrite a dull diary sentence (“I was scared in the cave.”) so the fear is shown through physical reactions and inner thoughts.

Week 4 – W/B 1st December

Focus: Information Text – Formal Language and Technical Vocabulary

Fluency (Grammar Practice)

1. Change these informal phrases to formal:

   • “lots of” → ___

   • “kids” → ___

   • “really big” → ___

2. Add one technical word to match each topic:

   • Volcanoes → ___

   • Electricity → ___

   • Rivers → ___

Application (Writing)
Write a short paragraph explaining how volcanoes erupt (or another science topic). Use formal language and at least two technical terms.

Reasoning
Why should an information text sound formal rather than chatty?

⭐ CHALLENGE 
Rewrite an informal explanation (“Volcanoes are kind of cool and they blow up sometimes.”) in a formal style suitable for a science magazine.

Week 5 – W/B 8th December

Focus: Information Text – Relative Clauses and Parenthesis

Fluency (Grammar Practice)

1. Add a relative clause using who, which or that:

   • The cheetah ___ ran faster than any other animal.

   • The volcano ___ erupted in 1883 destroyed the island.

2. Add brackets or commas for extra information:

   • Mount Etna one of the world’s most active volcanoes erupted again.

Application (Writing)
Write a short information paragraph about an animal or invention, using at least one relative clause and one example of parenthesis.

Reasoning
Why is adding extra information helpful in an information text?

⭐ CHALLENGE 
Write two sentences that combine using relative clauses and parenthesis.
Example: The cheetah (which is the fastest land animal) can reach 70mph.

Week 6 – W/B 15th December

Focus: Narrative – Villain Reveal Scene (Characterisation & Atmosphere)**

Fluency (Grammar Practice)

1. Replace the underlined verbs with stronger, more powerful choices:

   • The villain walked into the room.

   • The door opened slowly.

   • The hero looked at him in shock.

2. Write one sentence using a simile to describe a villain’s appearance.

Application (Writing)
Write a short paragraph revealing a villain entering a room. Use powerful verbs, precise adjectives, and at least one simile or metaphor to build tension.

Reasoning
Why do writers choose to “reveal” villains gradually rather than describe them all at once?

⭐ CHALLENGE 
Rewrite your villain paragraph using a shift in atmosphere — begin calmly and end with tension. Use language and punctuation to show this change.