Writing task
Describe a time when you felt very embarrassed or self-conscious, such as a first day at school or an awkward event. You may make it moving or amusing, but describe people’s feelings.
Time: 30 minutes (as indicated for this published task).
Marks: 50.
Practise this exact question with personalised feedback on your writing.
Understand the task
Describe a time when you felt deeply embarrassed or self-conscious, showing the feelings of the people involved.
- accurate expression
- imaginative control
- structure
- audience awareness
Requirements to keep in mind
Choose ONE option in the writing section; option 2; 50 marks; 30 minutes advised.
Plan your response
- Follow the exact instruction, form and viewpoint in the source PDF.
- Plan a clear beginning and a focused development.
- Use distinctive details rather than general adjectives.
- Allow a few minutes to check accuracy before finishing.
Check your response against the task requirements. Leave time to review sentence clarity, punctuation and spelling.
Original atoply example opening
Written by atoply, not an official school answer or mark scheme. This is an opening only; develop the rest of the response to meet the task requirements.
Reveal example and teaching notes
My name sounded enormous through the school hall speakers. I walked towards the stage with a speech I had rehearsed a hundred times. At the first sentence, my notes slipped from my hands and scattered across the floor. Someone in the front row smiled kindly. I knelt to pick them up, then stood and began again without the paper.
Learn from the example
- The voice connects experience with thoughts or feelings, making the response personal rather than a detached report.
- Develop the link between a particular detail and the narrator's reflection. Keep the requested diary, recount or monologue form in your own answer.