Courseversity

Lesson

Literary devices

Primary EducationGrade 6English & Language ArtsCV-PRI-G06-ELA-U09-L0445–60 min

You will learn

  • Name the device.
  • Quote it.
  • Explain the effect.
  • Use it in writing.

Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.

Student lesson

The lesson in 60 seconds

  1. Find the device.
  2. Name it.
  3. Quote it.
  4. Explain its effect.

Words to know

alliteration
repeated consonant sounds at the start of words
repetition
repeating a word or phrase for effect
onomatopoeia
a word that imitates a sound
irony
the opposite of what is expected

1. Discover: Sounds and sense

Original lines. “The drums drummed, deep and distant. Boom, boom, boom! The thunder rolled, rolled, rolled across the plain. How lucky we were to be soaked on our wedding day.”

Alliteration: drums drummed, deep and distant repeats the d sound. Onomatopoeia: boom. Repetition: rolled, rolled, rolled builds rhythm. Irony: “how lucky” about a soaking on a wedding day.

Think: What effect does each device have?

2. Understand: Tools of the writer’s craft

Idea 1: Sound devices

Alliteration, onomatopoeia and repetition create rhythm and sound effects.

Idea 2: Irony

Irony says or shows the opposite of what is expected.

Idea 3: Effect

Always explain the effect of a device, not only name it.

Remember: Name each device, quote it and explain its effect.

3. Worked examples

Example 1 (I show you): Alliteration

Quote alliteration.

  1. Drums drummed.

Answer: drums drummed, deep and distant

Example 2 (We do it together): Onomatopoeia

Quote onomatopoeia.

  1. Boom.

Answer: boom

Example 3 (You try): Irony

What is the irony?

Show the steps and answer
  1. Lucky to be soaked.

Answer: calling a soaking on a wedding day lucky

Did you know?

Onomatopoeia words differ in each language, such as woof, wan wan and ouaf.

Why this matters

Knowing devices lets you analyse and write with more power.

4. Explore: Device hunt

Find devices.

  1. Choose a passage.
  2. Underline devices.
  3. Name each.
  4. Explain the effect.
Think about it: what did you notice?

You can analyse devices.

5. Practise

Say it in a sentence

Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.

  • The device is ___.
  • The quotation is ___.
  • The effect is ___.
  • It makes the reader ___.

Guided practice

Question 1. Repeated starting consonant sounds are ___.

alliteration

Question 2. Repeating a word for effect is ___.

repetition

Question 3. A word imitating a sound is ___.

onomatopoeia

Independent practice

Level 1: Start

  1. Repeated starting consonant sounds are ___.
  2. Repeating a word for effect is ___.
  3. A word imitating a sound is ___.
  4. The opposite of what is expected is ___.
  5. Boom is an example of ___.

Level 2: Grow

  1. What sound repeats in drums drummed?
  2. What rolled across the plain?
  3. What is ironic?

Level 3: Stretch

  1. Does repetition build rhythm?
  2. Is irony the expected?
  3. Should we explain the effect?

Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.

6. Apply: English in everyday life

Write four lines using alliteration, onomatopoeia and repetition.

Show a sample answer

four lines

Another one. Find a literary device in a song or story with a family member and explain its effect.

Show a sample answer

a completed task

7. Common mistakes

Mistake: Rushing without checking.
Fix: Slow down and check your work.
Another mistake: Skipping the worked example.
Fix: Study the example first, then try.

8. Lesson summary and revision card

I can…

  • I can name the device.
  • I can quote it.
  • I can explain the effect.
  • I can use it in writing.

9. Check and master

Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.

1. Alliteration repeats ___ sounds.

2. Repetition repeats a word for ___.

3. Onomatopoeia imitates a ___.

4. Irony is the ___ of what is expected.

5. Drums drummed, deep and distant is ___.

6. Boom is ___.

7. Rolled, rolled, rolled is ___.

8. How lucky to be soaked is ___.

9. Repetition builds ___.

10. Alliteration creates ___.

11. What must you do after naming a device?

12. Why know devices?

Challenge 1. Which has alliteration?

Challenge 2. Which is ironic?

Your result appears here after you answer every question.

10. Key takeaways

  • Find the device.
  • Name it.
  • Quote it.
  • Explain its effect.

11. Next lesson

Next lesson: Drama scripts. Keep going with the next idea in this course.

Exam practice

These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.

  1. Define alliteration and onomatopoeia. [2 marks]
  2. Quote repetition from the passage and explain its effect. [2 marks]
  3. What is irony? [1 mark]
  4. Identify the irony in the wedding line. [1 mark]
  5. Explain how to analyse a device. [3 marks]

Total: 9 marks.

Marking guide and model answers
  1. alliteration is repeated consonant sounds [1]; onomatopoeia is a word imitating a sound [1]
  2. rolled, rolled, rolled [1]; builds rhythm [1]
  3. the opposite of what is expected [1]
  4. calling a soaking lucky [1]
  5. name it [1]; quote it [1]; explain its effect [1]

Score guide: 8 to 9 = secure. 6 to 7 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.

Printable worksheet

  1. Repeated starting consonant sounds are ___.
  2. Repeating a word for effect is ___.
  3. A word imitating a sound is ___.
  4. The opposite of what is expected is ___.
  5. Boom is an example of ___.
  6. What sound repeats in drums drummed?
  7. What rolled across the plain?
  8. What is ironic?
  9. Does repetition build rhythm?
  10. Is irony the expected?

Homework

Find a literary device in a song or story with a family member and explain its effect.

Answer key and marking scheme

Question Expected response Marks
1. Repeated starting consonant sounds are ___. alliteration 1
2. Repeating a word for effect is ___. repetition 1
3. A word imitating a sound is ___. onomatopoeia 1
4. The opposite of what is expected is ___. irony 1
5. Boom is an example of ___. onomatopoeia 1
6. What sound repeats in drums drummed? d 1
7. What rolled across the plain? thunder 1
8. What is ironic? calling the soaking lucky 1
9. Does repetition build rhythm? yes 1
10. Is irony the expected? no 1
Total 10

Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 alliteration; 2 repetition; 3 onomatopoeia; 4 irony; 5 onomatopoeia. Level 2: 1 d; 2 thunder; 3 calling the soaking lucky. Level 3: 1 yes; 2 no; 3 yes.

Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.

Mastery and remediation

Objective Bronze (Developing) Silver (Proficient) Gold (Advanced)
O1 Name the device Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O2 Quote it Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O3 Explain the effect Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O4 Use it in writing Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation

Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.

If a learner struggles

  1. Find the misconception: Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.
  2. Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
  3. Show a simpler example: Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames.
  4. Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
  5. Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
  6. Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.

For parents and guardians

In this lesson your child practises a key Grade 3 English skill with clear examples and a quiz. You do not need to be an expert to help.

  • Listen while your child explains the idea.
  • Ask for one new example.
  • Praise effort and careful work.
  • Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
  • Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
  • Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.

Teacher package

1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration

Lesson objectives. Learners will: name the device; quote it; explain the effect; use it in writing.

Prerequisite knowledge. Poetry interpretation.

Materials. Chart paper or board, pencils, picture or word cards, a reading book if available. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.

Preparation. Write the key words and examples on the board or on cards before the lesson.

Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.

6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities

Introduction (5 min). Introduce the idea with the opening example.

Explanation (10 min). Teach the key words.

Guided activity (10 min). Practise together.

Independent activity (10 min). Check understanding with the quiz.

Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.

Key questions. What is the key idea? Can I give my own example?

Teacher explanation notes. Move from the spoken word to pictures and then to print. Read aloud often, point to the words, and let learners hear and say before they read and write.

10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions

Support. Use the sentence frames and work with a partner. Extension. Create a harder example of your own.

Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.

Misconceptions. Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.

13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme

Use the quiz, the 9-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.

16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection

Remediation. Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames. Enrichment. Make up your own example and teach it to someone at home. Homework. See above.

Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.

Sources and standards

This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Cambridge Primary and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.

Official standards for this topic area. Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (official site): Grade 6 » Reading: Literature. These pages list the standards that cover this topic area; read them alongside the lesson.

Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core RL.6.4 and L.6.5 (figurative language, word relationships); Cambridge Primary English Stage 6 (language devices). These sources informed the lesson.

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