Section B: Creative or Descriptive Writing

SECTION B: CREATIVE OR DESCRIPTIVE WRITING
Section B of paper 1 contains two questions; you must answer one of the two. You
will often, but not always, be given a photograph to use as a stimulus for the first
question.
You will be asked to write a creative piece that could be either descriptive or
narrative. Sometimes both questions will be narrative, sometimes both will be
descriptive, and sometimes there will be one of each type.
The question is marked out of 40, with 16 marks being awarded for spelling,
punctuation and grammar. You are advised to spend 45 minutes on the question,
with the final 5 minutes allotted for checking over your answer.
WARNING: The exam board want you to be creative and original in this question. If
you are confident enough in your writing, you should not follow a formulaic approach.
What follows is my advice for those of you who feel that you need help with this
question.
Descriptive Writing
Imagine that you are asked to write a descriptive passage based on this picture:
(24 marks for content and organisation

16 marks for technical accuracy) [40 marks]
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There are two opening tips when it comes to descriptive writing:
1. Use figurative language

2. Use vocabulary to create tone
1. USE FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

Descriptive writing is so much more impressive when it encompasses some of the
figurative language covered earlier on. Let’s look at two examples:
Simile example: The sea was like a rollercoaster.

In this sentence, we can see the comparative idea—that the sea is tumultuous.
Personification example: The antique chair was tired.
A chair cannot get tired, but we can see that the sentence implies it is worn out,
rather than physically tired.
Imagine you are asked to describe your classroom. A basic description might look
like this:
The classroom was filled with students. Each was sitting on an expensive padded
chair that looked like it would be more appropriate in an office. At the front of the
room was an interactive whiteboard, connected to a computer. The students sat,
eagerly watching the teacher, soaking up his wisdom.
Although grammatically correct, this is a boring piece of writing. Now let’s add some
figurative language:
The room was as silent as a graveyard, save for the gentle hum of the ancient
computer, which sat proudly at the front of the room. The cold chill of the metal door
handle jolted up my arm like a lightning bolt.
By using a range of figurative language techniques, your writing massively improves.

2. USE VOCABULARY TO CREATE TONE
To improve your writing in this question, you need to create the correct tone. Often
confused with mood or atmosphere, tone refers to the writer’s attitude towards what
they are writing about and their implied audience. If you’re writing about the above
picture, the tone is likely to be positive. Another picture might show a stormy
seafront, and your writing might be negative in tone. There are two fairly simple ways
to create the right tone in your writing:
a. Choose appropriate vocabulary
Positive language will create a positive tone. Compare the following:
The warm sea gently lapped against the hot sand.

The boiling sea smashed against the molten sand.
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Both are basically saying the same thing, but the use of ‘boiling’, ‘smashed’ and
‘molten’ are too aggressive and negative for such a picture. We might think of this as
‘emotive language’ – words used to create a positive or negative emotion.
b. Vary sentence types

Varying sentence types can create tone. Use lots of short simple sentences to create
a fast paced, tense atmosphere. Use long complex or compound-complex sentences
to create a more relaxed feel. Essentially, we are using the same writing skills that
we analysed in Section A of this exam. Compare:
a. It was hot. The sun shone. Birds cried.

b. Although the waves gently lapped at my feet, they were no match for the
powerful sun that enveloped every atom of my being. The sand, which only
that morning had been cool to the touch, had warmed into a shore side
oven, baking all who lay upon it.
You’ll see in the above examples that sentence length creates atmosphere. Long
sentences slow you down when you read, creating a sense of calmness and
relaxation. Short sentences make you speed up, creating tension and action.
OK, put all those three together: poetic language, emotive language and sentence
length. Now we’re ready to write a descriptive piece!
PART OF A SAMPLE ANSWER
Peaceful and inviting, the quiet village sits idly on the edge of the golden beach. The
huts proudly bask in the nourishing warmth of the ever-shining sun. Beside them,
palm trees lean towards the ocean, knowing that only its waters can satisfy their
longing thirst. They stand, hypnotised by the never-ending gentle lapping of the
crystal waves upon the shore. For thousands of years, it has been so.
Somewhere, a child’s laughter rings in the air. It is the sound of the carefree in a
village where there is no stress or strain. No internet. No phone signals. No social
media. Only the ever-present gentle hum of the ocean and the promise of its plentiful
bounty, caught each day by the fishermen.
Sensing that the midday heat may be too much for some, a generous tree offers
sanctuary in the shade beneath its heavy boughs. The sand, dappled with the
footsteps of now departed visitors, adorns the scene like a red carpet adorns a film
premiere.
Now let’s look at a full sample answer. This answer was written by Izzy Liddamore,
who described a picture of a young queen. Izzy’s use of emotive language
(underlined) is particularly impressive:
She was barely twenty when the crown was forced upon her head, and there it
sat now, crammed onto her pillow of cascading red curls. Those curls: curls
that were once beautifully untamed, but now were so ferociously glued to her
scalp that barely a wisp escaped the iron grip of her hair net. A vigorously
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carved parting separated her fringe, adorning her face like a hideous scar; it
was ruthlessly slashed in a straight line across the top of her head. And on top
of it all, a collection of insipid jewels that dimmed in elegance in comparison to
the spiralling river of her crimson hair which spoke so strongly of her past
freedom. Freedom now lost. Forever.
Concealed behind the empty pallor of her foundation lay hundreds of freckles -
freckles that swirled and adorned her face like stars, stunning constellations
that glowed with sheer happiness and joy. Happiness that was gone now.
Clumsily, the alluring sharpness of her chin had been softened by hastily
applied rouge that only emphasised her obvious fatigue, caused by the money
that had transformed her into a very prosperous slave.
Her past was a distant memory.
Her face. The beautiful, uplifting melodies of her face tainted with the
dissonance of royalty. For the soft and sweet hue of her cheeks had been
poisoned with blood-red; the perfect cadence of her hazel eyes diminished in
pools of suffering; the harmonies of her nose and lips distorted by unwanted
wealth. The pearls wound so tightly around her slender neck seemed to
strangle her in a discord of sheer misery. The tear-drops that hung limply from
her ear lobes only served to express the cacophony of sadness that the strings
of her heart played on a daily basis. Because it seemed like she would be held a
prisoner on the throne she hated.
Forever.
As you can see, this answer is very impressive. Izzy’s use of negative emotive
language, underlined, effectively creates the impression that the young queen sees
her situation in negative terms.
Look too at the varied sentence length and paragraph length. It’s fantastic!
Narrative Writing
Narrative writing means to write a story. Here is a typical question:
Write the opening part of a story based on a tropical island.
It is fair to say that narrative writing should cover all the skills from descriptive writing:
poetic language, emotive language and varied sentence length. However, with
narrative writing it is important to be aware of the elements that create narrative.
IMPORTANT: If you are asked to write the opening of a story, it should not contain
much action. You should be introducing the characters and setting, with perhaps one
event that ties it all together. The examiner does not want to read a complete story
with plot twists and action. When young children write, their stories are always filled
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Section B: Creative or Descriptive Writing

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SECTION B: CREATIVE OR DESCRIPTIVE WRITING

(24 marks for content and organisation

1. Use figurative language

1. USE FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

Simile example: The sea was like a rollercoaster.

By using a range of figurative language techniques, your writing massively improves.

The warm sea gently lapped against the hot sand.

b. Vary sentence types

a. It was hot. The sun shone. Birds cried.

PART OF A SAMPLE ANSWER

Write the opening part of a story based on a tropical island.

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