Writing task
CREATIVE WRITING (40 minutes)
It is the year 3023. All animal and vegetable life have ceased to exist. You are an alien landing on Earth for the first time in the hope of finding a new home planet.
Describe the scene in front of you, as well as your plans on how you will settle on this planet.
[25]
Up to five of the 25 marks available will be awarded for accurate spelling, punctuation, and grammar; as well as originality, and flair of expression.
Practise this exact question with personalised feedback on your writing.
Understand the task
An Alien Arrives on an Empty Earth is a science-fiction description task that tests world-building, precise sensory language, atmosphere. An outsider’s observations can make ordinary human objects mysterious; connect setting with survival plans.
- world-building
- precise sensory language
- atmosphere
- consistent viewpoint
Requirements to keep in mind
Recommended writing time: approximately 40 minutes (as indicated in the paper/section); Writing marks: 25 (subject to separately awarded SPaG marks)
Plan your response
- An outsider’s observations can make ordinary human objects mysterious; connect setting with survival plans.
- Plan a clear beginning, development and ending within the time available.
- Use precise vocabulary and vary sentence lengths where appropriate.
- Proofread spelling, punctuation and paragraphing before finishing.
Check your response against the task requirements. Leave time to review sentence clarity, punctuation and spelling.
Short atoply teaching example
Written by atoply, not an official school answer or mark scheme. This short illustration shows selected techniques. It does not set a target length or expected mark for the timed task.
Reveal example and teaching notes
The alien descended towards Earth through a sky the colour of old metal. Below lay cities without voices, plains without grass and oceans untouched by a single living creature. Empty windows stared out across roads cracked by centuries of heat. Nothing stirred. The visitor checked the air, collected a vial of soil and entered the results into its log. The planet was barren, but it still had water beneath its surface and sunlight above. The landing craft carried sealed biological samples from the alien's own world. First it would build a shelter; then, cautiously, it would discover whether life could begin here again.
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.