Building Vocabulary and Word Choice
Powerful writing uses precise nouns and vivid verbs, not just lots of adjectives.
Learning objectives
- Choose precise nouns and vivid verbs to improve clarity.
- Build and use a personal word bank from reading and discussion.
- Try synonyms and understand subtle differences between similar words.
Success criteria
- Pupils can replace three weak words in a short paragraph with stronger choices.
- Use at least two new words from their word bank in independent writing.
Choose Stronger Words
Vivid Verbs
walk → stroll, march, creep, dash
Precise Nouns
dog → puppy, husky, terrier; food → pasta, curry, soup
Build a Word Bank
- Collect words from reading; sort by theme (weather, feelings, movement).
- Create synonym ladders (cold → chilly → freezing → glacial).
- Use a child-safe thesaurus with adult guidance.
Practice
- Replace three weak verbs in a paragraph with stronger ones.
- Write a five-sentence description using your word bank.
- Sort ten words into nouns, verbs, and adjectives.
Quick Checks
- ✓Are my words precise and specific?
- ✓Did I avoid overusing very, really, and lots of adjectives?
- ✓Did I check meanings in context?
Word Choice Examples
Compare weak and stronger choices with pupils and ask which creates a clearer picture.
Weak → Stronger
- walk → stroll / march / tiptoe
- said → whispered / shouted / replied
- big → enormous / huge / gigantic
Activity
Give a short paragraph with weak words and ask pupils to replace three weak words with stronger choices from a word bank.
Word Bank Template
Use this simple template for a class word bank.
- Theme: Weather
- Nouns: rain, drizzle, downpour
- Verbs: drizzle, pour, flood
- Adjectives: wet, soggy, torrential
Extension Ideas
- Write a short character description using at least five precise nouns and verbs.
- Create a 'sensory box' and list words for what you can see, hear, smell, touch and taste.
- Play synonym swap in pairs — one pupil reads a sentence and the partner suggests a better word.