Writing question
Use the picture provided as inspiration for a short piece of writing.
This can be imaginative or descriptive. Please write no more than three paragraphs. You will be marked on your choice of vocabulary, your ability to use punctuation and correct spelling and the overall quality of your writing. Answers which are not linked to this picture will be penalised. [30]
Before you begin
You will need the separate picture that goes with this question. Look at it closely before writing and use the details you can actually see.
Practise this exact question with personalised feedback on your writing.
Understand the task
Interpret the reflective sphere as the visual centre of the response. Tie details directly to the picture and choose a coherent perspective within the tight paragraph limit.
- image observation
- concise structure
- vocabulary
- punctuation
Requirements to keep in mind
No more than three paragraphs; response must link to picture; 30 marks.
Plan your response
- Base your writing on the actual hand, sphere and reflected room.
- Keep within three paragraphs.
- Describe how the reflection bends the objects around it.
- Build an imaginative idea from a visible detail.
- Use accurate spelling and varied sentence lengths.
Check your response against the task requirements. Leave time to review sentence clarity, punctuation and spelling.
Original atoply example response
Written by atoply, not an official school answer or mark scheme. Other successful responses are possible.
Reveal example and teaching notes
The silver globe rested in an enormous hand, holding an entire room inside its shining skin. I leaned closer. Books curved around the walls, chairs twisted at impossible angles and a narrow window bent like a smile. In the centre of this upside-down world sat a serious-looking man. His eyes seemed to follow me, although I knew he was nothing more than a reflection.
I raised one finger towards the sphere. Another finger appeared inside it, gigantic and strangely curved, reaching back towards me. For a moment I could not decide which hand was real. The little room looked perfectly ordinary, with its shelves and furniture, yet the round glass made every familiar thing seem mysterious. Even the straight edges of the ceiling had become sweeping arches.
I imagined stepping through the polished surface. Would I find myself standing on a curved floor, surrounded by books that rose like a frozen wave? Or would I see another silver globe, containing another hand, and another room beyond that? I withdrew my finger. The man inside the sphere remained perfectly still, as though he were waiting for me to return.
Learn from the example
- Concrete details build an impression of the subject. Notice how those choices work together rather than reading as a list of general adjectives.
- The viewpoint controls what the reader notices. Choose details and an order that sustain the task's requested perspective and atmosphere.