STORY WRITING

DEVELOPING COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Anger:

1)   I felt an over-whelming sense of grief and anger

2)   He gritted his teeth/ he was boiling with rage/burst into tears of frenzy

3)   'That's not so!' she snapped (uttered sharp or cutting words), angrily and bitterly

4)   His anger poured out upon me like a volcano

5)   Staring with an expression of mingled flurry and alarm

Cry:

1)   Tears rolled down his cheeks/ I began sobbing in hysterical despair

2)   Tears glittering in his deep blue eyes /tears welled up in her eyes again

3)   He buried his face in his hands and wept/ her eyes were brimming with tears.

4)   He scrubbed away some tears that had got into his eyes

Happiness:

1)   gave a cry of pleasure

2)   He walked back with a tremendous feeling of elation

3)   thrilled with deep delight/ laughing wildly shrieking with pleasure

4)   A twinkle came into his eyes/ He muffled

 ( barely audible) a chuckle

5)   He nodded merrily/ tingling(shivering) with excitement

Smile/ Laugh:

1)   A smile creased his face

2)   Her face beamed with astonishment and mirth.

3)   She giggled with hands to her helpless mouths (laugh in an affected, silly, or nervous manner)

4)   He gave a chortle of pleasure and satisfaction. (a loud gleeful chuckle)

5)   Jenny could not help a little snigger of amusement (give a half-suppressed or secretive laugh)

6)   He gave a hearty guffaw. (laugh coarsely or boisterously)

7)   You can wipe that self-satisfied smirk off. (sneer, simper, grin)

8)   A grin split across his face/ a hideous/detested grin slowly split his face

Fear/ Shock/ Anxiety (nervousness)/ Surprise:

 1)    he clapped a hand to her mouth/ she clapped a hand to her forehead

2)    it made my heart pound/ thump or his heart raced/ pulse racing, my breath coming in short gasps

3)    frozen with fright, my heart stopped beating

4)    the words seemed to have frozen solid inside his mouth/ I could not believe my eyes/ ears

5)    the breath caught in her throat/ a chill ran down my bones

6)    he was sitting with his mouth hanging open/ dropped open

7)    she sat down feeling goose bumps rising up his arms/ butterflies in her stomach

8)    I was wet/ drenched/ soaked with perspiration

9)   A blush ( embarrassment) crept over her face/ She added with a rueful (apologetic) smile

10)  wiping the sweat from his red throat/ sweating down his face

11)  To her utter dismay, no sound came from her throat

12)  she was fraught and worn out, biting her lower lip to

 keep from crying

13)  a lump rose in Clare’s throat/ he could hear his heart pounding

14)  my heart beating so fast that I could feel it shaking my whole body

15)   terrified as I was, I could not bring myself to regret the decision

16)  for an instance, I felt a thrill of genuine fear, raising the hair on my arms

Guidelines for O' Level English Language Paper 1 (Writing)

Common Errors in English Language Paper 1 (Writing)

Section 1 (Directed Writing)

· The questions are not read properly and answered inappropriately.

· Improper formats are used.

· Improper beginning. (In letter despite the given instructions to start from ‘ Dear

      Principal’, the address is given.)

· Improper beginning or ending. (Despite the given instructions to end properly, the directed

      writing is not ending with the sign, full name and date.)

· Subject or Headline is not written.

· Introduction is missing and composition has started directly from description of content  

    points. Though the given situation should be reiterated in the introduction.

· Yours faithfully is used to end a letter to Principal. Though it is used for the recipient who    

         is not known.

· Use of informal tone in formal essay.

· Content points are not justified

· Only one or two content points are focused and elaborated properly.

· Pronoun ‘I’ is used when the whole class was to be represented.

· The given options are misunderstood and missed out in elaboration. For instance, barbeque   

         and movie was a single option yet in some cases, one of it was discussed only.

Section 2 (Creative Writing)

· Rubrics are not followed and question has not been started from a fresh page.

· Topic number is not mentioned or wrongly written.

· Plan is not made or is too brief.

· Rough work or plan is not cross out.

· Topics are not addressed properly. Relevance to the theme is not maintained.

· Coherence is missing.

· The given sentence/ dialogue is not used in the story.

· The given beginning is not used or used in the middle or end.

· In some of the cases own titles are given for the essays.

· Selection of lexis is inappropriate for the topic.

· Ambitious vocabulary is aimed with out understanding its correct usage or are spelt   

    wrongly.

· Weak plot is crafted, with no action or adventure.

· Lack of imagery or expressions in descriptive and narrative essay.

· Lack of supportive arguments in argumentative essay.

· Facts and figures missing to justify the given case in argumentative essay.

· Beginning and Endings are quite stereotype and in some cases irrelevant. For instance, most

    of the narratives start from description of morning scene.

· Traces of copied material in the composition or plots of movies or famous novels are used.

· Illegible Writing or untidy presentation.

· No paragraphs are made.

· Less use of linking words.

· Dialogues are not written separately or in inverted commas.

· Tenses consistency is not maintained. For instance: Narrative essay should be written in 

      past tense.

· Word limit has been exceeded, resulting in monotony and recurrent grammatical and          

    spelling errors.

· The difference between ‘there’ and ‘their’ is not understood.

· There is no expression like ‘according to me’. As far as I am concerned can be used.

· With the expression “one of the” plural noun should be used. One of my

      friends/ family members.

· Object is used in place of subject. For instance: Me entered the room in hurry. Here ‘I’   

    should be written.

· Preference should be given to others. For Instance: Instead of writing, ‘I and my class’  

      mates, ‘My classmates and I’ should be used. 

Common Errors in English Language Paper 2

Section 1 (Reading for Ideas)

Note Making:

· Notes are not précised. Details and examples are mentioned.

· Some points are not extracted from the specified paragraphs.

· Points are written out of the given space.

· Points are illegible.

· Own points/ opinions are included.

· Two given points are also added to complete 15 points.

Summary:

·         Own words are not used

·         Linking Words are missing.

·         Word count is either not mentioned or wrongly written.

·         Word Count is exceeded. (More than 160 words.)

·         All the points of notes are not included.

  

Short Question/ Answers:

· Facts and opinions are not taken from the specified paragraphs.

· No conclusion is drawn in conclusion question.

· In personal experience or opinion question, information or examples from the given   

      passage are taken.

Section 2 (Reading for Meanings)

·  Types of questions are not identified so answered inaccurately.

·  In own words questions, mere keywords are written than mentioning synonyms.

·  In quotation question, sentences are written instead of a word or phrase.

·  In vocabulary question, more than one meaning is given or more than seven words are

      used for description.

·  In vocabulary question, literal meaning is written instead of contextual meaning.

·  Conclusion is not drawn for inferential questions.