Continuous Writing For SPM 4 Cekal
Continuous Writing For SPM 4 Cekal
Continuous Writing For SPM 4 Cekal
Example:
Introduction
Who - main character, first person narrator (I) and cousin from Cambodia
When - holidays, one Sunday
Body
What
Why
Problem 1
Problem 2
Who
What
How
Why
Problem 3
- main character
- nearly had an accident
- stumbled
- tried to escape from cousin
Climax
Conclusion
What lesson learnt gratitude
Detail 2
Detail 3
- General Appearance
Neat
Height short
Age 50
The way she walked - limps
- Non-physical features
Manners of speaking gentle, low voice
Habit smiled a lot
- Why she is unforgettable
Kind - art lesson
- the way she treated a bully
Keenness to learn the way she read newspapers
even though she was illiterate
Conclusion
Give an opinion not a person to sit back and let things go by
B. WRITING THE ESSAY
1. Use details Focus on the five senses (sight, sound, smell, taste and touch). Details
are very important and when properly used, enable descriptions to come to life. Use
nouns, adjectives and verbs to evoke these senses. Nouns and adjectives help the
reader see; verbs help the reader feel.
2. Use a lively tone Show your own feelings, responses and reactions as these make
your description more vivid and lively.
3. Describe different aspects If you are describing a person, do not limit your
description to the persons physical appearance. Include a detailed description of the
persons character and personality and how other people react to him. Include a
detailed paragraph of an incident which highlights one of these aspects.
Lets look at the two extracts below on the topic An Unforgettable Aunt.
Sample 1
Aunt Eleanor had a sharp nose and a pair of black eyes. She was thin, and had a
thin, long face, an aquiline nose and sunken cheeks. Her hair was always tied in a
knot and her clothes were only of one colour grey. My cousins and I were afraid of
her and always found an excuse to disappear whenever she was around.
Sample 2
Aunt Eleanor was thin and scrawny and her protruding bones almost made her look
like a walking skeleton. Her aquiline nose and sunken cheeks added to her witch-like
looks and her dark eyes, when they flashed in anger, were capable of sending
tremors of fear down ones spine. The dreary grey tones of her clothes and her
sparse dark hair, which was always tied in a knot, further emphasised her sternness.
My cousins and I cringed with fear and were reduced to silence when she glared at
us with her smouldering dark eyes. Her serious demeanour and scrooge-like
appearance did nothing to endear her to us.
Sample 1 is a plain description of the narrators aunt. Although there are several verbs
and adjectives, the description is somewhat dull. Sample 2, on the other hand, is a vivid
and interesting description which brings the character to life. We can almost see her in
our minds eye and this effect is achieved through the description of the persons features
that are prominent and striking.
Some writers like to merge descriptive writing with narrative writing. There is nothing
wrong with this as the description enriches the narration.
C. CHECKING
Read your essay once through and check for the following things:
Is the spelling accurate?
Is the punctuation appropriate? Did you use too many commas in a sentence?
Did you vary the sentence structure? Are your sentences too long?
Does one thought follow the next in a logical order?
Did you stick to the topic?
Did you use the appropriate tense of the verb throughout? Make any corrections
neatly.