1 Read about the story in Part 2 of the Writing paper.
In Part 2 of the Writing paper, you choose a task from three possible ones. One of the tasks might be a story. The task will give you the first sentence of the story, and two ideas that you must include. It will also tell you who the story is for, e.g. a school magazine or an English-language website for young people.
You should make sure you use the first sentence correctly and include the two ideas you are given. You should organise your story into paragraphs, and make sure your story has a clear beginning, middle and end. You should use a range of past tenses, and a range of words and expressions to show when the different events of the story happened. You should write 140–190 words.
2 Read the exam task and answer the questions.
1 What should the first sentence of your story be?
2 What two ideas do you need to include?
3 Where will people read your story?
You see this notice on an English-language website for young people.
We are looking for stories for our English-language website for young people.
Your story must begin with this sentence:
Feeling slightly nervous, Emma walked up the steps and onto the plane.
Your story must include:
– bad weather
– a surprise
Write your story.
3 Study the model answer and answer the questions.
1 Does the story start with the first sentence in the task?
2 Does it include the two ideas from the task?
3 Does it have a clear beginning, middle and ending?
4 What past tenses does it use?
5 Does it include descriptions as well as actions?
MODEL ANSWER
1 Feeling slightly nervous, Emma walked up the steps and onto the plane. She 4 ’d never been to America before, but now 2 she was on her way for a one-month exchange visit to an American school.
3 As she 4 was waiting for the plane to take off, questions 4 went through her mind. Would she get on with the other students? Would they accept her? Would it be difficult? Emma sighed. It was too late to change her mind now!
3 An hour later, Emma was looking out at the 6 clear blue sky as they flew over the ocean. Then, 5 all of a sudden, the sky darkened. There was a roar of thunder and the pilot told passengers to put on their seat belts. 5 Two minutes later, the plane was in the middle of 8 a fierce storm. Lightning flashed, and the plane bumped and shook 6 violently. Terrified, Emma closed her eyes.
After what felt like hours, the plane landed. As she walked out into the terminal building, Emma saw a big colourful sign: Welcome Emma! 9 What an amazing surprise! Her host family were there, smiling and waving, and Emma knew immediately that 7 everything would be fine!
1 starts with the first sentence from the task
2 includes some background to the events
3 is organised into paragraphs
4 uses past simple, past continuous and past perfect verb forms
5 uses a range of time expressions to say when the actions happened and what order they happened in
6 uses descriptive adjectives and adverbs to make the story interesting
7 includes a clear ending
8 includes the idea of bad weather, specified in the task
9 includes the idea of a surprise, specified in the task
4 Read the tips.
Remember, to get a good mark for your story:
• you must use the first sentence and the two ideas in the input
• your story should be organised into paragraphs, and it should have a clear beginning, middle and end
• you should use a range of past tenses for the events in the story
• you should use a range of words and expressions to show when the different events happened
• you should include descriptions as well as actions
• you should use descriptive adjectives and adverbs to make your story interesting
• you should think of an interesting ending.
5 Read two beginnings of students’ stories. Which one is better? Give three reasons why.
A When Laura sat down on the train, she noticed a bag on the seat opposite her. She waved goodbye to her mum, and the train started moving. Laura started reading her book, then the phone in the bag rang.
B When Laura sat down on the train, she noticed a bag on the seat opposite her. There was no one else in her part of the train, so she guessed someone had probably left it there by mistake. It was a very modern, fashionable bag, and looked expensive. Laura opened her book to start reading, when she heard a phone ringing. It wasn’t hers – it was coming from inside the bag.
6 Choose the best ending for the story in Exercise 5. Why is it better than the other one?
A Laura stepped down from the train, holding the bag. A woman immediately ran towards her. ‘I’m Kirsty,’ she said, ‘the owner of the bag. Thank you so much for all you did for me today!’ Laura handed her the bag. ‘No problem,’ she said, smiling. ‘It certainly made my journey a lot more interesting!’
B When Laura reached her station, she picked up the bag. She wasn’t sure what to do with it, so she decided she would take it to the lost property office. Then, all of a sudden, a woman came running onto the train. ‘That’s my bag!’ she said, and grabbed it out of Laura’s hands.
7 We often use words and expressions in stories to make it clear when the different actions happened. Choose the correct option in italics.
1 Sam was watching TV when eventually / suddenly the door burst open.
2 By the time / Until they got home, it was completely dark.
3 While / As soon as the letter arrived, Max picked it up and opened it.
4 No one spoke during / meanwhile the journey.
5 At first / In the end, everything turned out to be OK.
6 Before long / Just then, they were chatting as if they had known each other all their lives.
8 Study the words and expressions in the Key language box.
KEY LANGUAGE FOR STORIES
Past simple verbs for the main events:
went, found, saw, decided, helped
Past continuous verbs for longer actions or descriptions:
was waiting, were sitting, was raining, was feeling
Past perfect verbs for earlier actions:
had forgotten, hadn’t told her, hadn’t noticed
Time expressions:
after, as soon as, at first, before, by the time, during, eventually, in the end, finally, gradually, meanwhile, just then, later, suddenly, while, when
Descriptive adjectives for feelings:
determined, enthusiastic, nervous, optimistic, puzzled, relieved
Descriptive adjectives for the weather:
bitter, damp, frosty, mild, misty, stormy
Descriptive adjectives for places:
busy, crowded, peaceful, picturesque, stunning
Descriptive adverbs:
angrily, fiercely, gently, quietly
Adverbs to comment on what happened:
fortunately, luckily, sadly, unfortunately
Direct speech:
‘Hi,’ she said. ‘Where are you going?’ he asked.
‘Go away!’ she shouted.
9 Add the correct punctuation to the direct speech.
1 Will you come with me he asked.
2 Don’t worry he said.
3 Get out she cried.
4 It doesn’t matter she said.
10 Read the exam task and plan your story.
Your teacher has asked you to write a story in English for a school magazine for teenagers.
Stories wanted
We are looking for stories in English for our new school magazine for teenagers.
Your story must begin with this sentence:
When he saw the postman coming up to his door, Matt ran to open it.
Your story must include:
– a mobile phone
– a new friend
Write your story.
11 Write your story in 140–190 words. Use the checklist below.
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STORY CHECKLIST
• Have you included the two ideas in the task?
• Have you organised your story into paragraphs?
• Have you given some background to the story?
• Have you finished with a clear ending?
• Have you used a range of different past tenses?
• Have you used time words and expressions to say when the actions happened?
• Have you used descriptive language?
• Have you used between 140 and 190 words?
Answer
2
1 Feeling slightly nervous, Emma walked up the steps and onto the plane.
2 bad weather and a surprise
3 on an English-language website for young people
3
1 yes 2 yes 3 yes
4 past simple, past continuous and past perfect
5 yes
5
B is better. It gives some background information (there was no one else on the train, someone had le‑ the bag), it includes a description which helps the reader have a picture in their mind (a modern, fashionable bag) and it includes some suspense (it doesn’t say immediately that it was a phone in the bag that was ringing). It also uses a wider range of verb forms, and a wider range of vocabulary.
6
A is best because it gives a clear ending to the story. Laura had obviously spoken to the woman and they had arranged to meet. There are no more questions to answer. Answer B doesn’t give a clear ending. We don’t know why the woman suddenly appeared, and we don’t know that it is definitely her bag. It doesn’t feel like an ending because it feels as if something else is going to happen, e.g. the woman will call the police.
7
1 suddenly 2 By the time 3 As soon as 4 during
5 In the end 6 Before long
9
1 ‘Will you come with me?’ he asked.
2 ‘Don’t worry,’ he said.
3 ‘Get out!’ she cried.
4 ‘It doesn’t matter,’ she said.
11
The wrong number
When he saw the postman coming up to his door, Matt ran to open it. His phone had broken the week before, and he was expecting a new one. He and his parents had recently moved to a small village, and he was missing his old friends in London. There didn’t seem to be any young people here! Matt unpacked the phone, quickly tapped in his friend Oli’s number, then waited excitedly. ‘Hello,’ a voice said, but it wasn’t Oli’s. ‘Who are you?’ Matt asked. ‘And where’s Oli?’ ‘I don’t know anyone called Oli,’ the boy replied. ‘I live in a little village called Norton, and there’s definitely no one called Oli here.’
‘You live in Norton?’ Matt said, amazed. ‘So do I!’ ‘Hooray!’ the boy replied. ‘You must be the new boy at number 42. I live at number 37. Look out of your window!’ Matt walked to the window and saw a boy in the house opposite, waving to him.
‘How amazing!’ said Matt. ‘I didn’t think there were any young people here! Maybe I’ll make some friends a‑ er all!’