Help on English Language

Hiya
I'm in Yr10 and I just did a p1 Lang mock. On the last question i did really badly answering the question. Planning did help but it was awful.
Tips on descriptive writing please and how not to deviate into narrative.

Reply 1

TheScreamingLama

Hi! I'd be happy to help you with descriptive writing and provide some tips to avoid deviating into narrative. Descriptive writing involves painting a vivid picture with words, using sensory details and figurative language to engage the reader's senses. Here are some tips to improve your descriptive writing skills and stay focused on the task at hand:

Understand the Purpose: Before you begin writing, make sure you understand the purpose of the task. Are you describing a place, an object, or an event? Knowing the purpose will help you stay focused on describing rather than narrating.

Create a Clear Plan: Planning is crucial for organizing your thoughts and ensuring you stay on track. Outline the key points or aspects you want to describe, and arrange them logically in your plan. This will help you avoid straying into narrative territory.

Use Sensory Details: Engage the reader's senses by incorporating sensory details. Describe how things look, sound, smell, taste, and feel. By appealing to the senses, you can create a more immersive experience for the reader and keep your writing descriptive.

Show, Don't Tell: Instead of simply stating that something is beautiful or interesting, show it through descriptive language. Use vivid and specific adjectives, similes, metaphors, and other literary devices to create a strong visual image in the reader's mind.

Use Active Verbs: Active verbs help bring your descriptions to life. Instead of relying on generic verbs like "was" or "were," choose action verbs that convey specific movements or qualities. This adds energy and clarity to your writing.

Maintain Focus: While it's important to provide context and background information, make sure you don't deviate into unnecessary storytelling. Stay focused on describing the key elements and avoid adding irrelevant details that may shift the focus to a narrative mode.

Revise and Edit: After writing your initial draft, take the time to revise and edit your work. Check for any instances where you may have slipped into narrative mode and correct them. Ensure that each sentence contributes to the overall descriptive purpose.

Read Descriptive Writing Examples: Reading well-written descriptive pieces can provide inspiration and help you understand the techniques employed by skilled writers. Look for descriptive essays or passages in literature that captivate your attention and study how they achieve their effects.

Remember, practice makes perfect. Keep practicing your descriptive writing skills, and with time and dedication, you'll improve. Good luck with your future writing endeavors!

Reply 2

Trickia

Much appreciated!
Could you list some examples of active verbs please
What subjects did you take for gcse? Ur tips are rlly helpful so if you have taken one that I have I would like to hear more if you don't mind.
I took English lit and lang, fine art, history, maths, triple science, music

Reply 3

charves14

Original post by Trickia

Think of descriptive as a Live Photo. So although you can have a little movement it’ll all be in one short moment. For planning some find it useful to split the image into boxes, then write about each of those boxes. I

Reply 4

Trickia

Thank you I just got the paper back and my question 4 was the worst and question 5 was better than expected icl. Do you have any tips on how to improve 4? Bc my issue was not analysing in detail enough
Much appreciated
- Tricia

Reply 5

charves14

Original post by Trickia

for any big essay question it’s useful to try and develop a line of argument, so with the statement whether you agree/ disagree and stick to it mentioning it each time, this will show that the paragraphs are linked and help with your tone too. separate your points and try and notice semantic fields / patterns where relevant, also try to link it to the impact on the reader when you can rather than just quoting and saying techniques. i’m doing a level Lang atm so if any of this is completely irrelevant/ too difficult don’t panic haha I’m just trying to remember what helped me in year 11.
also since you’re only year 10 remember you’ve still got a whole year to improve and better yourself, so give yourself a few grades wiggle room for where you want to be, try not to stress too much

trying to understand mark schemes + their corresponding examiners reports can be a really good way to understand the goals of the questions and AOs, so I’d definitely recommend looking at them if you can.