Writing to Explore, Imagine Entertain GCSE Examination

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Writing to Explore, Imagine Entertain GCSE
Examination
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Checklist for what you can show the Examiner

• I can write clearly and imaginatively
• I can use a wide and expressive vocabulary
• I can appeal to and interest my audience
• I can organise my writing into sentences and
  paragraphs
• I can use different kinds of sentences to achieve
  particular effects
• I can spell and punctuate my work accurately

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Some tips

• Spend time planning,thinking and making notes
  before writing out your answer- spend at least
  5-10 minutes on this
• You do not have to write a complete story-so
  dont try to
• Try to use all your senses in your writing-sight,
  sound, smell, touch, taste

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More Tips

• Write about something you are interested in. If
  you do this, your story will be more realistic
  and it will be easier to give lots of detail
• Write about something that has happened to you-it
  will be easier, and your story will be more life
  like and genuine to the reader

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More tips

• Read the question very carefully- What exactly
  are you being asked to do?
• Ask yourself- how exactly does a writer create a
  mood of tension, unease, mystery, happiness,
  etc.
• Practise writing descriptions
• Revise the use of adjectives and adverbs

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What do I need to get a C?

• Situation fairly convincing
• Narrative makes sense / quite interesting
• Genre clear genre with appropriate vocab
• The opening establishes fairly good
  mood/setting/situation
• The development makes good sense
• The ending offers some closure (climax or
  cliffhanger)
• Paragraphing flows clearly through story, well
  structured
• Sentence structure variety of sentence types for
  effect
• Spelling mostly correct except for complex words
• Punctuation good range, some used for effect

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What do I need to get a A/B?

• Situation inventive and entirely convincing
• Narrative good pace, flows, exciting
• Genre convincing, with wide, appropriate
  vocabulary
• The opening establishes very effective
  mood/setting/situation
• The development clear and sophisticated
• The ending is effective and satisfying
• Paragraphing is skilful / purposeful/ varied
• Sentence structure varied, elaborate, controlled
• Spelling virtually all correct, including
  unusual words
• Punctuation wide range used to create deliberate
  effects

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Use the following sentence in your own story

• As the man went up the staircase, a door slammed
  and the light went off
• Concentrate on setting and atmosphere

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Checklist for planning your Imaginative writing

• An introduction that grips the reader
• Create a suitable atmosphere
• Choose First or third person narrative
• Use a variety of sentence types- including
  questions
• Use imagery- metaphors and similes
• All five senses Sight/Sound/Touch/Taste/Smell/
• Conclusion--- unexpected/cliffhanger/ happy /sad

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• The streets were completely deserted even though
  it was Saturday in the middle of August
• Include this sentence in a story of your own
• Do not forget to plan