Standard Grade Revision Writing Exam

Looking at the Criteria Any piece of writing is marked on the following areas: Expression and Style. Content/Ideas and Relevance. Structure, Paragraphing and technical accuracy. Intelligibility!

Important Advice Always write the task number in the margin. Only choose and attempt one task. Relevance – make sure that your piece of writing is closely linked to the question you have chosen. Aim to plan – bullet point or mind-map. Spend at least 5 minutes at the end proof reading – check your punctuation and spelling.

So what does this mean? Plan your writing: brainstorm  bullet point. Proof reading is VITAL! Not sure about spelling? Use a synonym. Avoid repeating the same word/phrase too often. Is it good? Great? Fantastic? Or maybe phenomenal? Remember you can use // to mark a new paragraph. Top tip – Tipex!

Important Reminders The next few slides are aimed at revising key features of writing. You should copy each note into your jotter. Even if you think you won’t attempt an imaginative piece with dialogue – you should still copy the note!

Dialogue Direct speech and reported thought must be placed within ‘speech marks.’ Each time the speaker changes, you should take a new line. Capital letters must always be used at the start of speech. Before the closing speech mark, you must use some form of punctuation. If the sentence continues after the speech, you must use a comma; ‘He seems nervous,’ whispered Jane. ‘Perhaps we should help?’

Sentence Variation A simple sentence has at least a subject and a verb e.g. ‘He died.’ You should try to use sentences of different lengths through your writing. Long sentences can be created using conjunctions such as ‘and’ or ‘but’. Different types of sentence can suggest different attitudes/emotions e.g. command versus exclamation. You can alter the order of information in your sentence for effect. Compare ‘Hugh entered the room slowly’ and ‘Slowly, Hugh entered the room.’

Show not Tell In creative and personal writing, aim to describe places, people and events rather than simply stating. Rather than saying, ‘Hannah seemed angry,’ you could say, ‘ Hannah shoved her way into the room. Her face was verging on purple, a piercing look in her eye.’ The verbs and adjectives you use can suggest a lot more and can create mood/atmosphere; ‘The room was filled with abandoned toys; rusted tin soldiers, dolls with fading dresses and teddies revealing their stuffing. Underfoot, the floor creaked and groaned…’

Senses When describing a setting, make sure that you take into account each sense. You should try to include enough sense detail to give an impression of the place.