Quick 10-minute writing skills task - unlikely combinations

Week 2 – 'On The Go' 11+ writing skill challenge

Before we get started on our Week 2 'On The Go' challenge, did anyone come up with a story synopsis for 'walnuts + chair' from last week's task?

Here's one idea:
In a forgotten attic, an ancient chair sits, guarding its secrets. Some children find the door to this attic and wander around, looking at all the objects. One of them lifts the seat of the creaky-framed chair to find a hidden compartment filled with … walnuts! Each walnut holds a peculiar marking, revealing a clue to a long-lost treasure in the house and the children set off in search of their fortune. Ultimately, the true treasure isn't gold or jewels but the cherished memories and connections they forge.

Over the next few weeks, I will post a weekly 'writing' task that can be used with your child while you're on a journey, waiting for the bus, or while away in a waiting room somewhere. You can access them via this post on Facebook. They will mainly be oral tasks, but some may require your child to jot down a few words. Using the 'Notes' on a phone is suitable for this. The tasks have been chosen to stretch your child's skills in key areas.

So, let's get started on Week 2.

This is another good task for loosening the mind and getting words flowing. The task builds knowledge of unusual adjectives and verbs and gets your child to use personification. Again, it's one I have used in school with all age groups as a quick warm-up and is inspired by the literacy guru Pie Corbett.


Week 2 – Unlikely combinations
Step 1: Think of a noun, e.g., tree.
Step 2: Pick one adjective and one verb from the list below.
Step 3: Create a sentence with the noun + adjective + verb. Example: tree + bellicose (adjective) + scrutinised (verb).

Example sentence 1 (a simple sentence): The bellicose tree scrutinised the forest floor.
Example 2 (a complex sentence): Scrutinising the vast forest before him, the bellicose tree was frustrated; how would he ever escape?


Adjective list x 10
1. Bellicose: quarrelsome
2. Cerulean: sky blue
3. Caustic: corrosive, sarcastic
4. Feckless: weak, irresponsible
5. Friable: brittle
6. Garrulous: wordy, talkative
7. Jocular: jesting, playful
8. Loquacious: talkative
9. Petulant: rude, ill-humoured
10. Sagacious: wise, discerning


Verb list x 10 (in the past tense)
1. Scrutinised: to examine or inspect it very carefully
2. Marvelled: to be amazed or surprised by something
3. Insinuated: to express something in an indirect way
4. Fled: to run away, usually from danger
5. Reminisced: To actively think about / talk about good past experiences
6. Clasped: to hold something tightly in your hands or arms
7. Ignited: to start to burn or to make something start to burn / or to cause a dangerous, excited or angry situation to begin
8. Frolicked: to play and move around in a lively, happy way
9. Embraced: to put your arms around somebody as a sign of love or friendship
10. Dwelt: inhabited, settled, resided


I hope you enjoy the task (and it makes waiting in the dentist's waiting room more fun).
Anna Donovan