CONTENTS

Overview of the types of essays……………………………………………………………….…….5

Changes to Continuous Writing from PSLE 2015…………………………………………............6

Strategy for writing a narrative or personal recount………………………………………………..7

Strategy for writing a descriptive essay…………………………………………………………….9

Sample descriptive essay…………………………………………………………………………..12

Sentence Variety………………………………………………………………………………..…..14

Alternative vocabulary……………………………………………………………………………....21

Great Beginnings…………………………………………………………………….……………...25

Feelings phrases / sentences……………………………………………………...............26 to 32

1. Anger…………………………………………………………………………….….…….26

2. Boredom…………………………………………………………………………….……26

3. Curiosity………………………………………………………………………................26

4. Depression / Disappointment……………………………………………….................27

5. Disgust…………………………………………………………………………………....27

6. Embarrassment…………………………………………………………….…………....27

7. Excitement…..........................................................................................................28

8. Expectation…………………………………………………………………………........28

9. Fear……………………………………………………………………………………….28

10. Gratitude………………………………………………………………………………...29

11. Happiness / Laughter…………………………………………………….…………….29

12. Illness…………………………………………………………………………...............29

13. Irritation………………………………………………………………………………….30

14. Pride……………………………………………………………………………………..30

15. Relief………………………………………………………………………………….....30

16. Sadness…………………………………………………………………………………31

17. Surprised / Shocked / Wonder…………………………………….…………………..31

18. Tiredness……………………………………………………………….……………….32

19. Worry…………………………………………………………………………………….32

Endings – Proverbs & statements………………………………………………………………….33

Model Compositions…………………………………………………………………………..35 to 94

1. Facing something new…………………………………………………………...…….35

2. An inconsiderate act or irresponsible behaviour……………………...………..……38

3. A sea of disappointment………………………………………………………….……41

4. Patience…………………………………………………...…………………………….44

5. The cat is out of the bag……………………………………………….……………….47

6. A friend in need is a friend indeed……………………………………………………50

7. An act of kindness……………………………………………………………………..53

8. All alone………………………………………………..…………………………..……56

9. Opportunity doesn’t knock twice………………………………………………………59

10. Anger…………………………………………………………………………………….62

11. A hilarious episode …………………………………………………………...............65

12. A challenge ………………………….………………………………………………….68

13. A costly prank……………..…………………………………………………………….71

14. A threat………...………………………………………………………………………..74

15. A forgetful person………………………………………………………………………77

16. A proud moment………………………………………………………………………..80

17. One thing I want to achieve before I finish primary school………….………………83

18. The best party ever – Descriptive essay…………………………………………….86

19. A memorable vacation – Descriptive essay…………………………………………89

20. School events …….…………………………………………………………………….92

Strategy for writing a narrative or personal recount (explained)…………………………………95

Strategy for writing a narrative or a personal recount

Step 1: Think of a story as ‘one line’ for each of the following categories and put it in a ‘story table’:- ALWAYS PLAN THE STORY

1. Introduction – ‘Who – try to introduce all characters in the story, ‘Where – the place or

setting of the story’ & ‘When’

2. Problem – What happened? / ‘What went wrong’? / How did it happen? / Why did it

happen?

3. Solution – How did the problem get solved? / Why did the problem not get solved?

4. Ending - What were the final actions of the characters?

5. Reflection – What did the main character learn / decide / find out / resolve from the whole

episode?

Do not write long sentences. Be very brief.

Story Table

Introduction Who – Where - When –

Problem What? How? Why?

Solution How did the problem get solved?

Ending Final actions

Reflection Proverb or ending statement

Important pointer: Try your best to start and end the story in the same time and in the same place.

Contd…….

SAMPLE MODEL PERSONAL RECOUNT / NARRATIVE - FACING SOMETHING NEW

Story idea 1 – Picture use - 1

Category Plot Feelings

Introduction I, other students, Mrs. Ng, new CCA-drama class in my school, Term 1- P5 year

Worry

Problem Trying a drama class for the first time; asked to dance a little on the stage in front of other students on the stage. Other students did ok.

Fear

Solution Ms. Ng allowed me to read some dialogues from a play I had brought along. I put on a ‘not-bad’ show

Relief

Ending Ms. Ng applauded; admitted that I showed promise. Asked me to be more confident the next time.

Excitement

Reflection Believe in yourself; be confident; Do not fear the unknown.

Write a composition of 150 words or more about a time when you faced something or someone new.

Q1.What were the things that worried you the most about the new experience?

Q2. How did you overcome the worries?

Q3. Did you learn anything from the whole experience?

Have you ever had the feeling of butterflies in your stomach? Listen to this story of my first

day of drama class. I am sure you will identify with it.

In Term 1 of my P5 year, I had opted for a new CCA – Drama. My main purpose for joining

the class was to meet the popular TV actress, Ms. Jade Seah who was scheduled to visit two or

three of our sessions and give talks on acting. However, that day, there was no sign of Ms. Seah,

only my drama teacher, a stern-faced Ms. Ng. She stood imposingly at the entrance of the school

hall to welcome us. Dressed in my PE attire, I was beginning to feel a little edgy as I brooded over

what Ms. Ng would ask me to do on that first day. The school hall was largely empty accept for

the small group of drama students huddled in a corner. I observed that some of the other pupils

were fretting with tension too.

Striding purposefully over, Mrs. Ng announced in a booming voice, “Students! First, I want

to give you a simple task. Each of you has to go up on the stage, introduce yourself and do a

small dance…..something uncomplicated….no need to become Justin Bieber”.

I could see all sorts of reactions from our group, from downright ecstatic to pure terror. The shy

ones, including me, were doing our best to hide. It was a new class, a new term, and new students

around, why dance on the first day? I groaned inwardly.

Soon, the mini performances were underway. Although I endeavoured to calm myself, I

was gradually slipping into terror territory. Many students danced with gay abandon (well) on

stage. They were a delight to watch. I was perspiring, blood was freezing in my veins, my stomach

was churning and my face was turning white. Nevertheless, what could I do? Running away was

hardly an option. I braced myself for what was to come.

I was to be the last one on stage. Feeling certain that I would make become the laughing

stock of the whole school, I looked pleadingly at Ms. Ng.

I was going to launch a last minute appeal.

“Ms. Ng, I have brought along a script, can I read this instead of dancing? I promise I will

do it with full emotion”, I blurted out and somehow, managed to look self-assured.

Ms. Ng looked me over from top to bottom before nodding her assent (giving her

permission). Thank goodness! I muttered a prayer of thanks. I felt infinitely better because I was

great at reading aloud. The knots in my stomach resolved a bit. I stopped twitching with

nervousness and finally, felt comfortable. My reading went well. There was a short round of

applause too.

Getting down from the stage, I noticed Ms. Ng calling me to her side. She applauded my

reading in front of all other students and declared that I showed a lot of promise. With trembling

hands and a feverish smile, I accepted her compliments. In a minute’s time, she also brought up

the issue of my confidence. She extracted a promise from me to be more daring the next time

round. I nodded enthusiastically.

That episode taught me that I should not fear everything new. Ms. Ng’s encouragement

helped me believe in myself more.

Story idea 2 – Picture used - 2 Category Plot Feelings

Introduction I, my two cousins, LEGOLAND Dragon roller coaster, June holidays.

Expectation

Curiosity

Problem To try the new roller coaster; Cousins were brave; I was the only one scared.

Shock

Fear

Solution My cousins encouraged me; I sat in the middle seat between them; closed my eyes for the first one minute of the ride.

Fear

Worry

Ending The ride turned out to be more fun and not so scary. Happiness

Excitement

Reflection Try new things; do not fear the unknown.

Strategy for writing a descriptive essay

The prerequisite for a descriptive essay is a diverse and lavish vocabulary. It is primarily a play

of words. If the child’s vocabulary is not that great, I would advise him/her to stick to narratives.

Step1

Good idea to keep the story very simple. No major rising actions, climaxes and falling actions.

SCHOOL EVENTS

Step 2

Sight Hear Smell Feel / Touch Taste

Write a composition of 150 words or more about a school event that you participated in or helped to organise.

Q1. What was the highlight of the event?

Q2. Did you or the organisers face any challenges?

Q3. What could have been done better? OR What kind of feedback did you receive?

Step 3

Categorise all the people, places and things in your story plan under the 5 senses.

Contd…….

Sample / Model descriptive essay

To say that the Sports Carnivals is fun is an understatement. It is by far the best day in

the whole school year.

Tring!

The welcome sound of the school bell announced the beginning of the Sports Carnival.

My friend, Joel and I typhooned down the school steps like strong winds. Reaching the vast open

school grounds I observed all the students dressed in our brightly coloured - red, blue, green and

yellow PE attires. From a distance, the grounds resembled the canvas of a painter who had gone

mad with his paints. The colourfully decorated stalls were in the stark contrast to the soothing

green of the trees surrounding the grounds.

First on the task list that day was the ‘Loud cheer’ competition. Put simply, it was a test of

which class could shout the loudest. A skill that all children were naturally good at.

Sight Hear Smell Feel / Touch Taste

I, Joel, other

students,

teachers

School

grounds,

Plant, grass,

soil

Sports

equipment

Cheering

students,

School bell,

Microphone

Sweat,

100 Plus

Sports

equipment

Heat

Teachers’

actions

100 Plus

Noble 6 went first. They were a little embarrassed. Their cheer was like a bass guitar but

out of tune. Spotty and uncoordinated. Second, the cheer of Steadfast 6 rumbled like distant

thunder. Not bad, I thought. Third, Loyalty 6’s cheer began low and then, hit a crescendo in 10

seconds, like an orchestra playing a symphony.

Bravo! Boomed Mrs. Loh, the Principal’s voice from the microphone.

Finally, it was the turn of Charity 6. My class.

My classmate, Natasha’s index finger came down as a cue and our throats exploded. Oh

my God! It felt like a volcano had erupted. The lava of sound flowed into the school grounds. It

permeated into every nook, crevice and corner.

The din was huge. I noticed some students covering their ears. A few teachers looked like

a Tsunami had hit them. Mouths were hanging open everywhere. A good sign.

Unanimously, Charity 6 was declared the winner.

Our class stomped the soft grass under our feet as we raced towards our form teacher,

Mr. Poon. With outstretched hands, he welcomed us and patted our heads and backs. He was

glowing like a light bulb with pride.

The rest of the day passed like a dream. We raced from one sport activity to the other. As

the sun majestically climbed into the sky, all the sports equipment gleamed and reflected his light.

The metallic equipment was absorbing heat like a sponge absorbs water. Our hands felt dry and

hot. The sun was draining moisture from our skin leaving our exposed limbs brown and a little

cracked.

The pupils’ faces were also flushed red with energy and glistened with sweat. Perspiration

had soaked our uniforms but we we couldn’t care less about the temperature. The smell of sweat

was everywhere intermingling with the dry aromas of the soil. Some children poured water on

their faces like mini waterfalls.

Soon, it was the 100-PLUS drink break. Gulping down the tangerine flavoured drink, I felt

the much needed respite from the heat. The citrusy, effervescent flavour tingled my tongue.

Turning around, I watched Joel as he thrust his nose into his lemon 100 PLUS to capture its

scents. Then, he swallowed the whole drink without a break. I guffawed at his behaviour.

Before we even realised it, the day was drawing to a close. The tempo in the school

grounds was winding down. Stalls were being gradually deserted. Sports equipment stood lonely

too. Students were sprawled out here and there on the grass wearing exhausted but content

expressions on their faces. The adults looked sapped as well.

All the events had been a huge success.

“A job well done”, Mrs. Loh’s voice resonated in my ears as I made my way back to my

classroom.

It is true what they say – Time flies when you are having fun.

SENTENCE VARIETY

1. Start with the ‘ing’ form of the verb (present participle phrase) – This idea is especially easy to use whenever we have 2 actions.

Students write the following sentences often:-

These sentences can be easily changed to :-

I was elated (happy). I ran to tell mother.

Feeling elated, I ran to tell mother.

3. Start with the ‘ly’ adverb – Adverbs are the words which describe the verb (the

action word) in the sentence. Students write the following sentences often:-

These sentences can be easily changed to :-

I ran to the classroom quickly. Quickly, I ran to the classroom.

5. Write SOUNDS (Onomatopoeia) – Following the ‘Show, not tell’ technique, we write sounds. Write these sounds as a separate paragraph for maximum effect.

The important thing to remember is that it is wrong to say, “Crash! A sound came”. Category Written

sound Examples

Rain Pitter-patter Drip-drip

Pitter-patter! The rain was relentless on that day. Drip! Drip! It was still drizzling when we came out.

Contd…….

6. DIALOGUES Many students use dialogues in their composition. The problem seems to be that they go overboard with them. The essay starts looking like a drama or a play. DO NOT WRITE MORE THAN 2 or 3 DIALOGUES. Another pitfall is that as soon as the students write a dialogue, the plain vanilla ‘said’ would appear -. Over the internet, you can find plenty of lists showing you alternative words for ‘said’. I am listing out the ones more common in students’ compositions.

How It's Said

Word to Substitute

How It's Said

Word to Substitute

in a happy way

x laughed x rejoiced x giggled x joked x Chuckled x Lilted x sang out

as a question x Enquired x Asked

Contd…….

ALTERNATIVE VOCABULARY FOR COMMON WORDS USED IN COMPOSITIONS

Common word Alternative

Then Later (subsequently)

Before long

Soon

Meanwhile (at the same time)

After ten minutes / After an hour

In a few minutes’ time

Immediately

Gradually

Finally / Eventually

Suddenly All of a sudden

Without warning

At that moment

Out of nowhere

Contd…….

GREAT BEGINNINGS

1. I would never forget the day when I got stuck in the rain.

2. Have you ever ….

a. had a tiff with your parents? Listen to my story; I am sure you will identify with it.

Contd…….

FEELINGS PHRASES AND SENTENCES

ANGER

1. Driven up the wall by my actions, the teacher handed me a stern reprimand. 10. Mother hissed in a low voice and I realised that I was in trouble.

BOREDOM

1. Feeling spiritless, I wondered how to alleviate my boredom. 9. Fatigued by the unstimulating environment, I struggled to keep myself awake.

SURPRISE / SHOCK / WONDER

1. Feeling completely at a loss for words, I fumbled around to organise my thoughts and say something.

9. To my bewilderment (amazement /astonishment), the boys continued with their pranks.

WORRY

1. Being quite concerned about my mother’s health, I hastened to make her comfortable in the doctor’s clinic.

7. Fretting with tension, I squirmed in my seat. I was unsure of how long I could manage to retain my composure.

Contd…….

Endings

Statement Meaning

1. Who listens to the voice of the elder / teacher is like a strong tree; who turns a deaf ear is like a twig in the wind.

Listen to elders / teachers

2. Be prepared but take things in your stride.

Be prepared but do not be too bothered by unexpected events.

3. Be a gracious neighbour / citizen / student.

Be polite and accommodating.

4. If you respect others, then others will respect you.

Respect people’s feelings and emotions.

Contd…….

14. MODEL COMPOSITION - A THREAT

Write a composition of 150 words or more about a threat that you (or someone else) have (has) faced.

Q1. What was the threat?

Q2. What was the reaction of the people facing the threat?

Q3. How did the threat get resolved or did it not get resolved?

Story idea 1 Category Plot Feelings

Introduction I (Annie), my classmates, some school bullies, from my room – Facebook & school, Thursday.

Irritated

Problem School bullies created a ‘Hate Annie’ page. Shock

Fear

Solution I complained to my school counsellor, Mr. Alif; He showed me videos and online articles of other children who had experienced the same.

Worry

Ending Mr Alif promised to speak to the culprits and advise them also. Praised me.

Relief

Reflection Be brave – threats are everywhere, be alert

Something happened last month which has exposed the darker side of social media to

me.

On a Thursday last month, having finished my homework, I was lounging in my bed and

playing with my handphone. At that moment, it beeped. It was a ‘Whatsapp’ message from Nicole,

my classmate. ‘Check your Facebook page’ it said with a ‘scared face emoticon’ at the end. Irked

a little and puzzled by her short message, I launched my Facebook app.

Immediately, an ominous message glared back at me from the screen. ’50 notifications

pending’. What?

A never-ending, snake-like list unwound in front of me.

They were all ‘comments’ on two photos of mine. Nasty, disgusting, abominable

comments. Dumbfounded that I was, I remained immobile for two minutes in total shock.

Frantically, I began deleting the comments but more kept getting added to the list. Next, I

endeavoured to ‘unfriend’ the people but there were so many. It was overwhelming.

Moreover, there was a link at the end of every alternate comment leading to another

Facebook page. With trembling fingers and great apprehension, I clicked on the link.

The ‘Hate Annie’ page filled every inch of my laptop screen.

In the middle was my picture, photoshopped and instagrammed to portray me as a witch

in a background of the ‘Two Towers with the evil eye’ from the Lord of the Rings. Feeling

flabbergasted, I struggled to regain my composure. To say that I was frightened would be an

understatement, I was quivering like a dry leaf in mighty winds. Stop shaking like a leaf! I

admonished myself sternly. Brave, be brave, I encouraged myself inwardly.

“Firstly, call mother. She will know what to do”, I muttered aloud to myself.

Mother asked me to bring the matter to the attention of my school counsellor, Mr. Alif the

next day. In the meanwhile, I called up my close pals. They speculated that the gang of school

bullies was the most likely to blame. Later, I lodged a complaint with Facebook to delete the ‘Hate

Annie’ page.

The next day, feeling anxious and edgy, I spent a whole hour in Mr. Alif’s room recounting

the events. To my amazement, mine was not the first story he had heard. Fretting with tension, I

watched online videos and articles of other students having experienced the same.

Later, cautiously, I named the students whom I suspected to be the culprits. Mr. Alif

promised to have a chat with the likely offenders. He also warned me against randomly accepting

people as ‘friends’ or making my photos ‘public’.

Generally, Mr. Alif opined that if I showed very less reaction to the provocations, the

miscreants would soon lose interest. In the background, I should follow-up with Facebook to help

me delete the offensive page. He praised me for exhibiting courage and lodging the complaint.

After the chat with him, I felt a little lighter and the knots in my stomach resolved a bit.

That experience was an eye-opener for me. It made me realise that threats are

everywhere, real world and cyber-world, we should always be alert.

Story idea 2- Pictures used – 1&3 Category Plot Feelings

Introduction Gabriel, neighbours – Tan family, our HDB block, early night

worry

Problem Miscreants (Ah long) splashed red paint on the grilles of the Tan’s apartment

Fear – children Anger - adults

Solutions Called the police; luckily, the overheard camera had recorded everything

Relief

Ending My parents comforted and advised the Tan family. Their children slept in our home.

Gratitude

Reflection Threats are everywhere; we must stay together and support each other