Good writers spice up their sentences by using personification. What is personification? Personification is a literary device whereby non-living things are given human characteristics or quality.
Let's look at how personification can make sentences more interesting.
Examples:
(1) The light shone into the room.
The light squeezed through the curtains and tickled my eyes.
(2) The wind blew very strongly.
The wind howled and screamed, ripping Ben's hat off his head.
(3) The car engine was noisy when it was started.
The car engine sputtered and coughed before roaring to life.
(4) The sunflowers grew towards the sun.
The sunflowers stretched their necks towards the beaming sun.
(5) The rain fell to the ground.
The rain pelted the ground, attacking it from every angle.
(6) The class was quiet.
Silence crept into the classroom.
(7) The mountain seemed difficult to climb.
The mountain taunted me, daring me to conquer it.
Saturday 31 October 2015
Wednesday 7 October 2015
2015 PSLE New English Composition Format - A Different Ball Game
In 2015, the P6 pupils were the first batch that had to write a story based on one. two or three random pictures given. The topic for the 2015 PSLE composition was "Being Considerate" and the pictures given were: reserved seating, tray return point and adjusting the volume of the television to the maximum.
Some pupils lamented that there was "nothing much to write about". However, when I asked some of my tutees, they told me that they were able to apply the writing skills that I had taught them. For example, many chose to write on the picture of "reserved seating". One wrote that a girl saw an elderly woman board a crowded MRT train. Nobody gave up their seat to the old lady. The girl had an internal conflict at first. In the end, she decided not to give up her seat. Just then, a younger child gave up the seat to the old lady and the girl was ashamed of her own actions. It took someone who was younger to teach her how to be considerate.
My tutee went on the tell me that she applied the technique of characterisation and elaborated on the elderly woman's physical appearance using vivid descriptions and similes. She also slowed down the moment when she described how the old lady was struggling to balance and steady herself while carrying a heavy grocery bag.
Another tutee wrote on the picture of the tray return point and managed to include an unexpected twist in the end. One more tutee managed to use two pictures, the one on someone adjusting the volume of the television to the maximum and reserved seating, appropriately.
In conclusion, for the new 2015 PSLE English Composition format, it is important that pupils be taught writing skills explicitly. The ball game had changed. It is no longer about memorising whole stories in the hope that they can use the whole story for the PSLE. It is about thinking on their feet and applying the writing techniques that they have learnt.
Some pupils lamented that there was "nothing much to write about". However, when I asked some of my tutees, they told me that they were able to apply the writing skills that I had taught them. For example, many chose to write on the picture of "reserved seating". One wrote that a girl saw an elderly woman board a crowded MRT train. Nobody gave up their seat to the old lady. The girl had an internal conflict at first. In the end, she decided not to give up her seat. Just then, a younger child gave up the seat to the old lady and the girl was ashamed of her own actions. It took someone who was younger to teach her how to be considerate.
My tutee went on the tell me that she applied the technique of characterisation and elaborated on the elderly woman's physical appearance using vivid descriptions and similes. She also slowed down the moment when she described how the old lady was struggling to balance and steady herself while carrying a heavy grocery bag.
Another tutee wrote on the picture of the tray return point and managed to include an unexpected twist in the end. One more tutee managed to use two pictures, the one on someone adjusting the volume of the television to the maximum and reserved seating, appropriately.
In conclusion, for the new 2015 PSLE English Composition format, it is important that pupils be taught writing skills explicitly. The ball game had changed. It is no longer about memorising whole stories in the hope that they can use the whole story for the PSLE. It is about thinking on their feet and applying the writing techniques that they have learnt.
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