Narrative (Year 6 - Checklist with examples)
Author’s Purpose: To entertain, amuse​ ​or instruct the audience.
Ideas
Plot
▢ I have included all five
elements of a plot;
complication, rising action,
climax, falling action, and
resolution.
Conflict / Resolution
▢ I have ensured that my
conflict and resolution are
directly linked.
Genre
▢ I have chosen a specific
genre and stuck to the
genre rules through the
whole text.
E.g.
● Fantasy
● Historical fiction
● Mystery
● Science fiction
● Realistic fiction
● Horror / Thriller
● Humour
● Adventure / Action
● Romance
● Super Hero
Organisation
Title
▢ I have used a title that
draws in the audience.
Orientation
▢ I have clearly described
the setting (where?),
explained the background
(when?) and introduced the
characters (who?).
Complication
▢ I have introduced a
conflict that the character
faces, either;
• ​Character vs. Self​ -
Struggles with own soul,
physical limitations, choices
• ​Character vs. Character ​-
Struggles against other
people.
• ​Character vs. Nature​ -
Struggles against animals,
weather, environment, etc.
• ​Character vs. Society​ -
Struggles against ideas,
practices, or customs of
others
Series of Events
▢ I have used a logical
sequence of events that
describes the struggles that
the main character faces.
Resolution
Voice
Person / Tense
▢ I have used either first or
third person narrative.
Visualisation
▢ I have described the
character, setting and plot
using the five senses.
Evaluative language
▢ I have used a wide range
of verbs, adjectives and
adverbs to convey
emotional response or
reaction
▢ I have used a wide range
of verbs, adjectives and
adverbs to show judgement
of a character’s behaviour
▢ I have used a wide range
of verbs, adjectives and
adverbs to evaluate the
quality of characters, places
and things
e.g.
● I saw a ​kind-hearted soul
in the shape of a lonely
old man​ ​leaning on the
window.
● … But the only thing that
arrived was a ​massive,​
ugly​, ​distorted​ face.
Referring words
▢ I have replaced recurring
nouns with pronouns to
build internal connections.
Word Choice
Verbs & verb groups
▢ I have used a wide
repertoire of verb groups
and tenses,
e.g.
● I’​m​ ​trying to get​ some
sleep
● I ​struggled to escape
▢ I have used more precise
verb choices to establish
characters, their actions,
thoughts & feelings and
dialogue
e.g.
● Toby ​winced​ as he
crouched​ in the shadows​.
Nouns & noun groups
▢ I have used more complex
and elaborated noun groups
to portray character, mood,
setting ….
e.g.
● Mr and Mrs Mouse were
travelling within the
sewerage system to find ​a
place that was just as
comfortable as their
previous place​. Mr Mouse
had ​enough of all the
searching.
Adverbs & Adverbial
phrases
▢ I have a variety of adverbs
and adverbial phrases to
Sentence Fluency Conventions
Sentences and combining Punctuation
ideas ▢ I have used capital letters
▢ I have used a range of at the start of sentences,
different sentence types and for proper nouns.
(simple, compound, ▢ I have used commas to
complex). separate lists, phrases and
▢ I have used a range of ideas.
dependent clauses to create ▢ I have used a variety of
complex sentences. sentence endings (full stops,
e.g. question marks and
● Even though he was exclamation marks).
scared, ​he entered the
house. Paragraphs
▢ I have used paragraphs to
▢ I have elaborated on ideas separate different elements
through simple restatement of the text.
or exemplification
e.g.
● I was stunned,
overwhelmed, unable to
move.
Clause/sentence beginnings
▢ I have included a wider
range and variety of
dependent clauses and
prepositional phrases used
at the beginning of
sentences to create
particular narrative effect
e.g.
● In the enchanted forest on
a magical land far, far
away, three pixies were
sleeping under a tree
Connective/Conjunctions
▢ I have explained how the
characters have solved the
conflict outlined in the
complication.
Coda
▢ I have explained the moral
of the story or what the
character has learnt from
their experience.
Dialogue
▢ I have included dialogue
that contributes to the
building of the narrative and
provides insights into
characters and relationships
through characters’ words.
elaborate on events &
actions as they occur -
place, time, manner, cause
& accompaniment
e.g.
● “Where am I?” I asked
again in annoyance​.
Figurative Language
▢ I have used a variety of
figurative language, to
improve the rhythm and
flow of the narrative.
E.g.
• personification, hyperbole,
simile, metaphor, idiom,
onomatopoeia, alliteration
▢ I have used a variety of
sequencing words to
sequence events
chronologically.
E.g.
● after that, after a while,
then ….
▢ I have joined clauses using
coordinating conjunctions
e.g. FANBOYS (for, as, nor,
but, or, yet, so)
▢ I have joined clauses using
subordinating conjunctions
e.g. when, as, while