By English Powerhouse SPM Past- Year Essay Topics (Narrative/Story) 1. 1997 – Write a story with the following title, “A Narrow Escape” 2. 1998 – Write a story beginning with: “I could tell by his face that he was angry….” 3. 1999 – The day I lost my temper. 4. 2000 – My Hero 5. 2001 – Write a story of an old man returning to his home he left many years ago. 6. 2002 – Write a story beginning with: “Is that really you? Where have you been all these years?” 7. 2003 – Write a story that ends with: “If only I had listened to his/her advice.” 8. 2004 – Write a story ending with: “We had never laughed so much in our live.” 9. 2005 – Write a story with the title, “An unexpected Visitor” 10 2006 – Write a story ending with: “If only I had been more careful, that wouldn’t have happened.” 11. 2007 – Write a story beginning with: “Kim was nervous when the door opened.” 12 2008 – Write a story ending with: “……..Now I realize the value of a true friend.” 13. 2009 – Write a story ending with: “……we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways.” 14. 2010 - Write a story beginning with “It’s a rainy day………” 15. 2011 – Write a story ending with: “They looked at each other and smiled meaningfully” ___________________________________________________________________________________ 1. Tense Used In almost all cases, past tense is the most suitable tense for story writing as it tells about a past event. Hence, stick to past tense. But, mind that for dialogues, present tense is used often to describe the feeling of the moment. 2. Give Details Give enough information for reader to have a clearer picture of what you are trying to describe. Or one word, be “descriptive” 1. It was a beardy man in his 40s with a beer belly. 2. He wore a battered jacket in rusty brown. 3. Be Expressive (share your feeling, opinion, mood, and thoughts) 1. I heaved a sigh of relief, thanking gods that he survived the accident. 2. She felt confused and lost after making that decision. She crossed the fingers hoping that everything would turn out as desired. 4. Insert Dialogue/Direct Speech Dialogue and Direct Speech reflects real-life emotions and reactions so as to add vividness to your story. 1. “Ouch, It hurts!” 2. “Thanks god!” I muttered to myself 5. Use a variety of sentences Use a mix of short, middle length and long sentences. How you join those short sentences to form a long one. 1. Arrange your ideas. 2. Use connectors such as and, owing to, and relative pronouns like which, who, whom, etc. Last weekend I watched a science fiction film. Three friends went with me. The film focused on the experiments of a mad doctor. He altered his patients lives by manipulating their dreams. Last weekend three friends and I watched a science fiction film in which a mad doctor altered his patients lives by manipulating their dreams. 6.Diversify your vocabulary Try to avoid repetitions or sticking to the same words. For example, students tend to use said, said and still said. Use a The Saurus to widen your vocabulary of those you use often in a story. Other suggestion for said are such as, snapped back, muttered, requested, etc. Rome is not built over night, so is your word bank. Action for speech Types of Movement Description of appearance Quality of Person State of Emotion Yell, shout, scream, holler, growl, harangue, ramble, rail, screech, bawl, babble, jabber, snap, retort, Storm, barge, charge into, rush, dart, roam, wander aimlessly, amble around, saunter, Gorgeous, attractive, enchanting, charming, gaunt, haggard, wrinkled, crumpled, frowned, Kind, generous, benevolent, amiable, chummy, irritating, annoying, despicable, unscrupulous, Despair, upset, dismay, distress, terror, horror, fear, trepidation, distress, spooky, dreadful, creepy, spine-chilling 7.Figurative Language Use idioms, metaphors, similes, analogy etc to enrich your writing. For example, common expressions such as falling in love, racking our brains, hitting a sales target, and climbing the ladder of success are all metaphors--the most pervasive figure of all. Likewise, we rely on similes when making explicit comparisons (light as a feather) and hyperbole to emphasize a point (Im starving!). 8.Plot Your Story Of course you are not required to be another J.K. Rowling, but nobody would reject an interesting and arresting story. So, be original and creative to a limit that doesn’t ridicule. You can use pieces of stories that you have seen or read from magazine, fiction, or even movie. Copying is not illegal here. Do give your readers some unexpected surprises by adding twist and turns to your story. A typical storyline planning goes like this: QUESTION: Write a story with the ending, If only I had been more careful, that wouldnt have happened. Your story should not be less than 350 words. Tonight was a cold and stormy night. The doors slammed shut as the rustling sound of the leaves could be heard. The storm had been like this for the past three days. I sat on my bed thinking if I had upset the Gods in heaven. As I lay my head down softly and gently on my comfy pillow, I wondered if mom and dad were ok. They had gone for a vacation in Bahamas and I had to stay home due to the exams. I wasnt worried about it as I had been “home alone” for many times. Suddenly, the lights went out. My heart raced with anxiety as the storm got worse. I could see lightning lashing on my gate and the roaring sound of thunder that came along. I pulled myself together and realized that I needed to light some candles. So I headed downstairs with my trusty torchlight and worked my way to the storage room. I found the candles and begun to light them all over the house. I couldnt stand the fact that the darkness was playing games with my mind. An hour had passed till I realised something wasnt right. I felt as if something else besides me was in the house. I panicked. My mind was filled with fear but I had to be sure I was right. So I searched all the rooms on the same floor and found nothing. I carefully walked down the staircase. As I was walking, I was shocked to see all the candles that I had lit were put out. that there could be someone else in the house. My mind pondered as to how i was going to sneak around without alerting the possibly dangerous stranger. Then, it happened. As I hid behind one of the rooms doors, I saw someone walk by me. He was a huge muscular guy who wore a beard and had hair that was so curly that a fly could get stuck if it went through it. I was puzzled. “Why would someone want to break into my house?” I asked myself. I noticed the man had a huge revolver on his belt. The same one the cops used. I didnt want to stick around and ask questions. I had to call the cops. So I crept towards the phone and thank God it was still working. I made a distressed call and the cops said they would be at my house in five minutes. As I crept back upstairs, I accidently knocked over a small lamp and it broke. By this time I knew the stranger had been alerted. I was scared and feared for my life. My fears turned into my worst nightmare as I heard a loud noise. I was shot in the chest. I could feel blood oozing all over my shirt. The stranger walked towards me while mumbling words I just couldnt understand. I thought I was a dead man. Then a miracle happened just as the stranger was about to finish me off. I heard a second gunshot and the stranger was down. It was from the cops who had arrived. I was rushed to the hospital and the doctors immediately performed an emergency surgery to remove the bullet. I was then transferred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) as the bullet had hit my lungs and I was unable to breathe properly. My parents rushed back as soon as they got the news. I was lucky to be alive. The doctor explained that if the bullet had hit me a bit more to the left, it would have hit my heart and I would be a dead man now. Nobody knew who the stranger was or what he wanted. If only I had been more careful, that wouldnt have happened. By Daenesh Kumar(edited by Andrew) THE END
Posted on: Tue, 02 Sep 2014 09:16:55 +0000
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