This pack is a fourth block of entirely fresh material for the ISEB Common Entrance Composition paper, spanning narrative, descriptive, discursive/persuasive and personal writing. Short questions on vocabulary, sentence craft, punctuation and planning come first, followed by two short levels-marked writing tasks (one narrative, one descriptive) and a plan for a personal piece, and finally two full composition tasks (a discursive essay and a personal reflective piece) marked using the grids provided. Spend a few minutes planning each composition before you begin, and leave time at the end to check your work.
1
For each sentence, select the option containing the most powerful and precise word for a piece of composition writing.
(a)The kettle ___ on the stove for several minutes before anyone noticed.(1)
A) whistled
B) made noise
C) sounded
D) was there
(b)The cyclists ___ down the hill, weaving between the potholes.(1)
A) went
B) came
C) careered
D) moved
(c)Thunder ___ overhead as the first drops of rain fell.(1)
A) was
B) rumbled
C) happened
D) came
(d)The kitten ___ under the sofa the moment the vacuum started.(1)
A) went
B) moved
C) bolted
D) was
(Total for Question 1 is 4 marks)
2
State two ways a writer can build tension in a narrative, other than simply telling the reader that a character feels frightened.
(Total for Question 2 is 2 marks)
3
Identify whether each sentence is simple, compound or complex.
(i)'The lights flickered.'(1)
(ii)'The lights flickered, and the room fell silent.'(1)
(iii)'Because the lights flickered, everyone stopped talking.'(1)
(Total for Question 3 is 3 marks)
4
Punctuate this line of speech correctly, adding inverted commas and any other punctuation needed. Do not change the words.
watch your step warned the ranger the path is icy
(Total for Question 4 is 4 marks)
5
Each sentence below has an error in verb tense. Rewrite each sentence correctly, keeping it consistently in the past tense.
(a)'Last week, Priya swim across the lake and forgets her towel on the bank.'(2)
(b)'By the time the alarm sounds, the firefighters already leaves the station.'(2)
(Total for Question 5 is 4 marks)
6
Write an expanded noun phrase (using at least two well-chosen describing words or phrases) for each of the following.
(a)the staircase in the old lighthouse(1)
(b)the meadow beside the stream(1)
(Total for Question 6 is 2 marks)
7
Write one original sentence for each task below. Do not copy any example used elsewhere in this pack.
(a)Write one original simile describing a school corridor at the end of the last lesson.(2)
(b)Write one original metaphor describing the silence in an empty exam hall before the papers are given out.(2)
(Total for Question 7 is 4 marks)
8
Write one original sentence that uses personification to describe smoke rising from a bonfire.
(Total for Question 8 is 2 marks)
9
Rewrite this sentence so that it shows Tomasz's feelings through his actions, senses or physical details, without using the words 'excited', 'thrilled' or similar feeling words.
Tomasz was very excited before the school trip to the theme park.
(Total for Question 9 is 3 marks)
10
Below are four plan notes for a story titled 'The Storm Shelter', labelled W, X, Y and Z, but they are not in the correct order.
W: Freya quickens her pace across the field, hearing the first crack of thunder rolling in from the hills. X: Freya bolts the door shut behind her, breathing hard as the storm rages harmlessly outside. Y: Freya notices dark clouds gathering as she walks home from the allotment, the wind tugging at her coat. Z: A gust rips the shelter door from her hands just as she reaches it, and rain lashes sideways into her face.
Write the letters in the correct order to show the Opening, Build-up, Climax and Resolution of the story.
(Total for Question 10 is 4 marks)
11
Add the missing capital letters, apostrophes and punctuation to this paragraph.
jamals bike had a flat tyre he wheeled it to the garage but they were closed dont worry said his neighbour ill lend you a pump
(Total for Question 11 is 5 marks)
12
Write three different sentence openers to begin a description of a crowded high street on market day, each using a different technique.
(a)Begin with an -ing (participle) opener.(1)
(b)Begin with an adverb.(1)
(c)Begin with a preposition or prepositional phrase.(1)
(Total for Question 12 is 3 marks)
13
Write an opening paragraph (about 60 to 90 words) for a story titled 'The Last Bus Home'. Your paragraph should create a sense of tension and make the reader want to read on.
(Total for Question 13 is 6 marks)
14
Write an opening paragraph (about 60 to 90 words) for a description titled 'The Abandoned Fairground'. Your paragraph should create a strong sense of atmosphere and make the reader want to read on.
(Total for Question 14 is 6 marks)
15
Before writing a personal composition titled 'An Object That Means a Lot to Me', jot down a brief plan using bullet points. Your plan should include: a brief description of the object and how you came to own it; a specific memory connected to it; a moment when it was nearly lost or damaged; and a reflection on why it still matters to you.
(Total for Question 15 is 4 marks)
16
Each sentence below uses an overused, vague word. Replace the underlined word with a more precise and effective alternative, keeping the sentence's meaning.
(a)The garden looked NICE after they had spent the whole weekend tidying it.(1)
(b)'Get down here NOW!' he SAID angrily.(1)
(c)She WENT across the room to close the window before the rain came in.(1)
(d)It was a BIG wave that crashed over the sea wall.(1)
(e)The soup at the cafe was really BAD.(1)
(Total for Question 16 is 5 marks)
17
Proofread this paragraph and correct the five spelling errors. Write out the corrected paragraph.
She felt embarassed about the mistake and hoped nobody would mention it again. The meeting would not start untill everyone had taken thier seats, and by the begining of the second half the hall was already restless. Ali promised he would finish the report by tommorow morning.
(Total for Question 17 is 5 marks)
18
Discursive writing task. You are advised to spend about 30 minutes on this question. Plan before you begin and leave time to check your work. (14 marks for content, organisation and style; 6 marks for technical accuracy.)
Some people believe that all secondary school pupils should be required to take part in at least one hour of physical exercise every school day. Write a discursive piece exploring both sides of this argument before reaching your own conclusion.
(Total for Question 18 is 20 marks)
19
Personal writing task. You are advised to spend about 30 minutes on this question. Plan before you begin and leave time to check your work. (14 marks for content, organisation and style; 6 marks for technical accuracy.)
Write about a time when you had to keep a promise, even though it turned out to be difficult. This can be a real experience or one you invent, but explain how it changed you.
(Total for Question 19 is 20 marks)
Mark scheme · CE.E17 Writing: Composition Set 4
Question 1
(a) B1 A only, cao
(a) Answer: A) whistled
(b) B1 C only, cao
(b) Answer: C) careered
(c) B1 B only, cao
(c) Answer: B) rumbled
(d) B1 C only, cao
(d) Answer: C) bolted
Question 2
B1 one valid technique, e.g. using short, clipped sentences to quicken the pace (oe)
B1 a second valid technique, e.g. withholding information from the reader, using foreshadowing, or describing physical signs of danger rather than naming the emotion (oe)
Answer: Any two of: using short, clipped sentences to quicken the pace; withholding key information from the reader; using foreshadowing or ominous detail; describing physical signs of danger rather than naming the emotion; using a ticking clock or approaching deadline; varying sentence length to control the reader's breathing and pace.
Question 3
(i) B1 simple (cao)
(i) Answer: Simple sentence
(ii) B1 compound (cao)
(ii) Answer: Compound sentence
(iii) B1 complex (cao)
(iii) Answer: Complex sentence
Question 4
B1 opening inverted commas before capital 'Watch' (cso)
B1 comma after 'step' and closing inverted commas before 'warned the ranger' (cso)
B1 comma after 'ranger', then reopening inverted commas before lower-case 'the' (cso)
B1 closing full stop placed inside the final inverted commas (cso)
Answer: 'Watch your step,' warned the ranger, 'the path is icy.'
Question 5
(a) B1 corrects 'swim' to 'swam' (cso)
(a) B1 corrects 'forgets' to 'forgot' (cso)
(a) Answer: Last week, Priya swam across the lake and forgot her towel on the bank.
(b) B1 corrects 'sounds' to 'sounded' (cso)
(b) B1 corrects 'already leaves' to 'had already left', using the past perfect for the earlier action (cso)
(b) Answer: By the time the alarm sounded, the firefighters had already left the station.
Question 6
(a) B1 a noun phrase headed by 'staircase' with at least two effective modifiers (oe)
(a) Answer: e.g. 'the narrow, spiralling staircase in the old lighthouse'
(b) B1 a noun phrase headed by 'meadow' with at least two effective modifiers (oe)
(b) Answer: e.g. 'the sun-drenched, wildflower-strewn meadow beside the stream'
Question 7
(a) B1 a grammatically complete simile using 'like' or 'as' (oe)
(a) B1 an apt, effective image suited to a busy, noisy end-of-day corridor, e.g. crowding or noise (oe)
(a) Answer: e.g. 'The corridor burst into noise like a hive disturbed by a stick, bags and voices spilling in every direction.'
(b) B1 a grammatically complete metaphor stating that the silence is/becomes something else, with no use of 'like' or 'as' (oe)
(b) B1 an apt, effective image suited to tense, expectant silence before an exam (oe)
(b) Answer: e.g. 'A thick blanket of silence pressed down on the hall, muffling even the scratch of a pencil being sharpened.'
Question 8
B1 gives the smoke a human action, feeling or intention (oe)
B1 an effective, apt choice of verb or feeling suited to smoke rising from a bonfire (oe)
Answer: e.g. 'The smoke curled lazily into the evening sky, stretching its grey fingers towards the first stars.'
Question 9
B1 no direct emotion words used (cao)
B1 includes at least one physical, sensory or behavioural detail that implies the feeling (oe)
B1 the rewrite is coherent and clearly implies the same emotion (oe)
Answer: e.g. 'Tomasz was up before his alarm, bag already packed by the door, checking the clock every few minutes until it was finally time to leave.'
Question 10
B1 Y identified as the Opening (cao)
B1 W identified as the Build-up (cao)
B1 Z identified as the Climax (cao)
B1 X identified as the Resolution (cao)
Answer: Correct order: Y, W, Z, X (Opening, Build-up, Climax, Resolution).
Question 11
B1 capital 'Jamal's' at the start, with the apostrophe showing possession (cso)
B1 full stop after 'tyre' and capital 'He' to start the next sentence (cso)
B1 comma before 'but' and full stop after 'closed' (cso)
B1 apostrophe in "don't" (cso)
B1 inverted commas around 'Don't worry,' with capital 'D', comma before 'said his neighbour', and apostrophe in "I'll" (cso)
Answer: Jamal's bike had a flat tyre. He wheeled it to the garage, but they were closed. 'Don't worry,' said his neighbour, 'I'll lend you a pump.'
Question 12
(a) B1 sentence begins with a present participle phrase, grammatically correct (oe)
(a) Answer: e.g. 'Weaving between the stalls, a young boy clutched a bag of warm chestnuts.'
(b) B1 sentence begins with a single adverb followed by a comma, grammatically correct (oe)
(b) Answer: e.g. 'Loudly, a trader called out the price of his ripest tomatoes.'
(c) B1 sentence begins with a prepositional phrase, grammatically correct (oe)
(c) Answer: e.g. 'Beneath the striped awnings, shoppers haggled over boxes of fresh fruit.'
Question 13
Level 1 (1-2): A simple, largely generic opening with little sense of tension; limited or repetitive vocabulary; the situation is barely described.
Level 2 (3-4): A clear attempt to create tension, for example through the empty street, the driver's hesitation, or a character's reason for urgency; some appropriate vocabulary and sentence variety.
Level 3 (5-6): An effective, engaging opening that creates a strong sense of tension through carefully chosen detail and precise vocabulary; deliberately withholds information; uses varied sentence structures; clearly makes the reader want to read on.
Indicative content:
establishes time pressure, e.g. the last bus of the night about to pull away, or a closing door
uses sensory or atmospheric detail about the setting (empty streets, flickering streetlamps, a driver checking his watch) to build unease
deliberately withholds information, e.g. why this particular bus matters so much
uses a short, impactful sentence or a rhetorical question to hook the reader
varies sentence length or structure for effect rather than using a flat, uniform style
avoids simply announcing that the situation is tense or dangerous
Question 14
Level 1 (1-2): A simple, largely generic description with little sense of atmosphere; limited or repetitive vocabulary; the fairground is barely described.
Level 2 (3-4): A clear attempt to create atmosphere, for example through the stillness of the rides or the rust on the machinery; some appropriate vocabulary and sentence variety.
Level 3 (5-6): An effective, engaging description that creates a strong sense of atmosphere through carefully chosen detail and precise vocabulary; suggests decay or eeriness through specific detail; uses varied sentence structures; clearly makes the reader want to read on.
uses sensory or atmospheric detail (silence, creaking metal, overgrown weeds) to build mood
notes a specific abandoned or unexpected detail, such as a lone carousel horse or a flickering sign, to suggest scale
uses a short, impactful sentence or vivid image to hook the reader
varies sentence length or structure for effect rather than using a flat, uniform style
avoids simply announcing that the fairground is creepy or unusual
Question 15
B1 a suitable description of the object and a plausible account of how it was acquired (oe)
B1 a suitable specific memory connected to the object (oe)
B1 a suitable moment when the object was nearly lost or damaged (oe)
B1 a suitable reflection on why the object still matters to the writer (oe)
Answer: e.g. Object: a chipped wooden chess set given by a grandfather; Memory: the long rainy afternoon he taught me to play; Near loss: leaving it on a train and only just retrieving it before the doors closed; Reflection: learning that the value of an object often lies in the people connected to it rather than the object itself.
Question 16
(a) B1 a precise, more vivid alternative to 'nice', e.g. immaculate, pristine, transformed (oe)
(a) Answer: e.g. 'immaculate'
(b) B1 a precise alternative to 'said' that conveys anger, e.g. bellowed, roared, barked (oe)
(b) Answer: e.g. 'bellowed'
(c) B1 a precise alternative to 'went' that conveys manner of movement, e.g. darted, hurried, dashed (oe)
(c) Answer: e.g. 'darted'
(d) B1 a precise alternative to 'big' suited to a wave, e.g. towering, monstrous, colossal (oe)
(d) Answer: e.g. 'towering'
(e) B1 a precise alternative to 'bad' that conveys the quality of the soup, e.g. inedible, revolting, tasteless (oe)
(e) Answer: e.g. 'inedible'
Question 17
B1 'embarassed' corrected to 'embarrassed' (cso)
B1 'untill' corrected to 'until' (cso)
B1 'thier' corrected to 'their' (cso)
B1 'begining' corrected to 'beginning' (cso)
B1 'tommorow' corrected to 'tomorrow' (cso)
Answer: She felt embarrassed about the mistake and hoped nobody would mention it again. The meeting would not start until everyone had taken their seats, and by the beginning of the second half the hall was already restless. Ali promised he would finish the report by tomorrow morning.
Question 18
Content, organisation and style (AO5, 14 marks)
Level 4 (12-14): A balanced, well-developed discussion that presents genuinely persuasive, well-evidenced points on both sides of the argument; sophisticated connectives of contrast and addition are used precisely; a considered, independent conclusion weighs the arguments rather than simply repeating them; paragraphing and structure guide the reader confidently through the debate.
Level 3 (8-11): A clear discussion that presents reasonably developed points on both sides; connectives of contrast and addition are used accurately to link ideas; a conclusion reaches a clear view; logical paragraphing structures the debate.
Level 2 (4-7): Some attempt to present both sides, though development may be thin or one-sided; simple connectives are used; a brief or unclear conclusion; basic paragraphing gives some sense of structure.
Level 1 (1-3): A largely one-sided statement of opinion with little genuine discussion of the other side; connectives rarely used to link ideas; little evidence of a considered conclusion or planning.
Technical accuracy (AO6, 6 marks)
Level 3 (5-6): A wide range of sentence forms, including complex sentences that weigh alternatives, used accurately and for deliberate effect; spelling and punctuation almost always accurate, including accurate use of connectives of contrast.
Level 2 (3-4): Some variety of sentence forms; generally accurate spelling and punctuation, with occasional errors that do not obscure meaning.
Level 1 (1-2): A limited range of sentence forms; frequent errors in spelling and/or punctuation, though meaning generally remains clear.
Question 19
Content, organisation and style (AO5, 14 marks)
Level 4 (12-14): A compelling, genuinely reflective account that captures both the difficulty of keeping the promise and what it revealed about the writer with real honesty and insight; ambitious vocabulary and precise, sensory detail bring the moment vividly to life; sophisticated structure, for example contrasting the temptation to break the promise with the decision to keep it, gives the piece a clear shape and a resonant conclusion.
Level 3 (8-11): A clear, thoughtful account that conveys the difficulty of keeping the promise and what was learned from it; increasingly ambitious vocabulary and specific detail support the reflection; deliberate structural choices, such as a logical sequence and a considered ending, give the piece coherence.
Level 2 (4-7): Some genuine reflection on the experience; an attempt at specific detail, though the account may lean towards the general; simple structure with some sense of coherence.
Level 1 (1-3): A largely literal account with little genuine reflection; limited or repetitive vocabulary; feelings are named rather than conveyed through detail; little evidence of planning.
Technical accuracy (AO6, 6 marks)
Level 3 (5-6): A wide range of sentence forms used accurately and for deliberate effect, including shifts of pace to mark the moment of decision and its aftermath; spelling and punctuation almost always accurate.
Level 2 (3-4): Some variety of sentence forms; generally accurate spelling and punctuation, with occasional errors that do not obscure meaning.
Level 1 (1-2): A limited range of sentence forms; frequent errors in spelling and/or punctuation, though meaning generally remains clear.