Writing task
SECTION B: EXTENDED WRITING
You should spend 30 minutes on this section.
You are reminded of the importance of clear and accurate written English and of careful presentation in your answer. All questions carry equal marks.
Question 1: Describe a place which you think your reader will find interesting. Write in a way that creates a clear picture of what this place looks like and how your reader would feel if they were there. [25 marks]
Practise this exact question with personalised feedback on your writing.
Understand the task
Describe a Place Worth Discovering is a place description task that tests spatial description, sensory detail, reader engagement. Use selective details and a consistent emotional viewpoint; this is description, not a travel guide.
- spatial description
- sensory detail
- reader engagement
- precision
Requirements to keep in mind
Recommended writing time: approximately 30 minutes (as indicated in the paper/section); Writing marks: 25 (subject to separately awarded SPaG marks); Published task/option: 1 (where the source offers alternatives, pupils answer the paper's specified number, not all)
Plan your response
- Use selective details and a consistent emotional viewpoint; this is description, not a travel guide.
- 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 abandoned observatory stood on the crest of the hill, its white dome streaked with green moss. Inside, dust lay thick on the wooden floorboards, and the great telescope pointed through a gap in the roof. Wind moved the torn pages of an old star chart. I climbed the narrow staircase and found a circular room with windows facing every direction. Below me the town was small and bright; above, the first stars appeared in the fading sky. The building was ruined, yet it still seemed to be waiting for someone to look upwards.
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.