Demo Answer: Descriptive Writing | English Language for GCSE/IGCSE - Year 11 PDF Download

Introduction

Assignment 2 of your coursework portfolio is the descriptive writing assignment. The following guide will provide you with a descriptive writing model answer and is divided into:

• Planning your descriptive writing
• Descriptive writing model answer
• Unannotated model answer
• Summary

Planning your descriptive writing

Let's consider the following descriptive writing task as an illustration for your coursework:
"Describe the experience of attempting to sleep before a significant day."

We can employ the "panoramic, zoom, single line, shift, shift, panoramic" six-step strategy to organize our response:

Descriptive writing model answer

The following model answer demonstrates how to structure, and what to include in, a top-mark response to the above task:

Unannotated model answer

Commentary:

• The first paragraph skillfully uses contrast and literary techniques to set up a mysterious nighttime ambiance.
• In the second paragraph, there is a focus on intricate details and the incorporation of movement to enhance the narrative.
• A single impactful sentence is used for contrast and emphasis within the response.
• Throughout the writing, the motif of the clock is consistently integrated.
• Sensory language is employed when shifting the focus to something 'off camera', adding depth to the description.
• The final paragraph indicates a change in both time and mood, juxtaposing stillness with activity for effect.

Summary

• When describing a scene, imagine viewing it through a camera lens.
• Use sensory language, varying perspectives, figurative language, and contrasts to enhance your writing.
• Avoid including dialogue in your descriptive passages.
• Keep your writing engaging by varying your sentence and paragraph lengths.
• Add movement to your descriptions to make them more vivid and dynamic.