First Language English
Narrative and descriptive writing — Paper 2
- 1.
Write the opening paragraph of a descriptive composition about a busy market at the end of the day, after most stalls have closed.
[3 marks] · no calculator - 2.
Write a short paragraph introducing a character through their actions and speech, without directly stating their personality traits.
[3 marks] · no calculator - 3.
Write an opening sentence for a narrative that immediately creates a strong hook, making the reader want to continue.
[2 marks] · no calculator - 4.
Write a short passage building tension as a character waits alone for important news, without revealing what the news will be.
[3 marks] · no calculator - 5.
Write a short, satisfying ending to a narrative in which a character finally succeeds after several earlier failed attempts, without explicitly stating the moral of the story.
[3 marks] · no calculator - 6.
Write a short descriptive paragraph about a thunderstorm, using at least two different senses (for example sight and sound) to create atmosphere.
[3 marks] · no calculator - 7.
Write a short passage in which a recurring image or object (such as a clock, a photograph, or a key) is used to suggest a controlling idea about memory or time.
[2 marks] · no calculator - 8.
Rewrite the following flat description using varied sentence structure for effect: ‘The room was dark. It was cold. Nobody was there. It was silent.’
[3 marks] · no calculator - 9.
Write a short descriptive passage about a forest at night, using sound as well as sight to build an unsettling atmosphere.
[3 marks] · no calculator - 10.
Write a short dialogue exchange between two characters that reveals a growing conflict between them, without the narrator directly stating that they are arguing.
[2 marks] · no calculator - 11.
Write a short passage that smoothly transitions from a character's present moment into a flashback of a relevant memory, then back to the present.
[2 marks] · no calculator - 12.
Write a short narrative ending that includes a genuine, believable twist, without it feeling random or unconnected to the rest of the story.
[2 marks] · no calculator - 13.
Write a short passage using first-person internal monologue to show a character silently talking themselves out of a decision they actually want to make.
[2 marks] · no calculator - 14.
Write a short descriptive passage about a garden, using pathetic fallacy (where the weather or setting reflects a character's emotional state) to suggest the character feels hopeful.
[2 marks] · no calculator - 15.
Write a short descriptive passage capturing the chaotic energy of a crowded marketplace.
[2 marks] · no calculator - 16.
Write the opening of a story narrated by a character whose account the reader should gradually come to doubt, without the narrator ever admitting they might be wrong.
[2 marks] · no calculator - 17.
Write a short narrative in which the final line deliberately echoes the opening line, giving the piece a sense of closure. State both lines clearly.
[2 marks] · no calculator - 18.
Write a short descriptive passage capturing complete stillness and silence in an abandoned building, without simply stating ‘it was silent’.
[2 marks] · no calculator - 19.
Write a short passage showing a character's internal conflict between loyalty to a friend and telling the truth, without the narrator stating the conflict directly.
[2 marks] · no calculator - 20.
Write a short passage in which a recurring image of a closing door is used as a controlling metaphor for a character's sense of missed opportunity.
[2 marks] · no calculator - 21.
Write a short passage building suspense using sound alone, as a character listens to footsteps approaching from somewhere unseen.
[2 marks] · no calculator - 22.
Write a short descriptive passage about an autumn forest, using colour imagery as the main descriptive technique.
[2 marks] · no calculator - 23.
Write a short passage that smoothly transitions a narrative forward in time by several years within a single paragraph.
[2 marks] · no calculator - 24.
Write a short narrative ending that resolves ambiguously, leaving the reader genuinely uncertain about what happens next, without the ending feeling unfinished or unsatisfying.
[2 marks] · no calculator