From reading into writing: ambitious vocabulary that works
New words are only learned when you use them accurately. This lesson turns your reading into a working vocabulary rather than a list.
Part of your national curriculum
- Grammar and vocabulary: Extend and apply the grammatical knowledge set out in English Appendix 2 to analyse more challenging texts
- Grammar and vocabulary: Draw on new vocabulary and grammatical constructions from their reading and listening, and use these consciously in their writing and speech
Lesson overview
What you'll learn in this lesson
Draw on new vocabulary and grammatical constructions from their reading and listening, and use these consciously in their writing and speech
Key learning points
- • Collect words in context
- • Precision beats grandeur
- • Borrow constructions, not just words
- • Use it three times
This lesson at a glance
- 28 minutes
- 21 parts to scroll through
- 4 quick checks
- Marked quiz at the end
- Gentle pace: short sittings with pauses
Words to know
Scroll down — the lesson carries on below
Watch & discover
Part 1 of 21
Visual introductionPicture this
From reading into writing: ambitious vocabulary that works
New words are only learned when you use them accurately. This lesson turns your reading into a working vocabulary rather than a list.
In a nutshell
Draw on new vocabulary and grammatical constructions from their reading and listening, and use these consciously in their writing and speech
Learning cycle
Part 2 of 21
Learning cycle 1 of 2
Part 1 · Collect words in context
A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.
Explore the idea
Part 3 of 21
Learn
Collect words in context
Record a new word inside the sentence you met it in, plus one note about the company it keeps: ‘mitigate — the sea wall mitigates flooding; used of harm, risk, damage, not of good things.’ Collocation matters as much as definition.
Reset break
Part 4 of 21
Pause
That's sitting 1 of 5 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Explore the idea
Part 5 of 21
Learn
Precision beats grandeur
‘Utilise’ is not an upgrade on ‘use’. Choose a word because it means something narrower: ‘alleged’, ‘provisional’, ‘systematic’ each add information. If a longer word adds nothing, the shorter one is the ambitious choice.
Quick check
Part 6 of 21
Quick check
Part 7 of 21
Reset break
Part 8 of 21
Pause
That's sitting 2 of 5 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Learning cycle
Part 9 of 21
Learning cycle 2 of 2
Part 2 · Borrow constructions, not just words
A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.
Explore the idea
Part 10 of 21
Learn
Borrow constructions, not just words
Reading also supplies grammar: a fronted participle clause (‘Weighing the evidence, the writer concedes…’), a colon that opens an explanation, a semi-colon that balances two claims. Steal three constructions from any text you admire and try each once.
Explore the idea
Part 11 of 21
Learn
Use it three times
A word joins your vocabulary at about the third accurate use: once in a spoken answer, once in a paragraph, once in an essay. Track those three uses and it stays.
Reset break
Part 12 of 21
Pause
That's sitting 3 of 5 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Quick check
Part 13 of 21
Quick check
Part 14 of 21
Explore the idea
Part 15 of 21
Worked example
Model sentence
Weighing the evidence, the council conceded that the barrier would mitigate, not prevent, flooding: the distinction matters, because residents had been promised safety rather than reduction of risk.
Reset break
Part 16 of 21
Pause
That's sitting 4 of 5 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Challenge round
Part 17 of 21
Game · Sort it
Which of these are true?
Drag each card into the right column. Tap a card first if dragging is fiddly.
True
Not true
Challenge round
Part 18 of 21
Game · Fill the gaps
Finish the sentences
Choose the word that belongs in each gap.
____ also supplies grammar: a fronted participle clause (‘Weighing the evidence, the writer concedes…’), a colon that opens an explanation, a semi-colon that balances two claims.
Steal three ____ from any text you admire and try each once.
A word joins your ____ at about the third accurate use: once in a spoken answer, once in a paragraph, once in an essay.
Challenge round
Part 19 of 21
Game · Recall cards
Which record is most useful for a new word?
Card 1 of 4
Mastery quiz
Part 20 of 21
Marked quiz
End of lesson quiz: From reading into writing: ambitious vocabulary that works
4 questions, marked with the reasoning shown. No timer.
1. Which record is most useful for a new word?
2. Why is ‘utilise’ often a weak substitute for ‘use’?
3. Which is a construction borrowed from reading?
4. Roughly when does a new word become part of your active vocabulary?
Lesson round-up
Part 21 of 21
Lesson round-up
Ready when you are
Quiz score
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Games
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Points this lesson
0
Best run
0 in a row
Luna: 0 out of 4 on the practice checks. Only if you feel up to it — one more?
Ask LunaPart 1 of 21 · Watch & discover
How this is going
- Not looked at yet
Extend and apply the grammatical knowledge set out in English Appendix 2 to analyse more challenging texts
- Not looked at yet
Draw on new vocabulary and grammatical constructions from their reading and listening, and use these consciously in their writing and speech