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.
Showing posts with label Writer's Craft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Writer's Craft. Show all posts
Saturday, 31 October 2015
Sunday, 20 September 2015
Topics for New 2015 PSLE English Composition Format
Some parents have commented on the lack of available resources on the new PSLE English Composition format at the bookshops. I have compiled a few composition topics.
(1) A Mistake
What was the mistake?
What was the outcome?
(2) A Well-deserved Reward
What was the reward?
Why was the reward well-deserved?
(3) A Dream Come True
What was the dream?
How did the person realise the dream?
(4) A Surprise
What was the surprise?
What happened in the end?
(5) A Disappointing Experience
What was the disappointing experience?
Why was it disappointing?
As educators or parents, you can create your own composition questions based on these topics to better prepare your pupils or children for the new composition format for the PSLE. You can think of three random pictures that can be linked to the topic and include them in the question for your pupils or child to attempt.
For example, for the topic, "A Mistake", the pictures can be the following:
- an ajar door
- a man whose hands are handcuffed
- a pedestrian crossing
Brainstorm with your pupils or child some possible plots. Include a conflict in the story (if possible). Then discuss the merits and shortcomings of each plot and how each plot can be improved on.
Remember, a story with a creative plot will have a higher score.
Friday, 18 September 2015
Writer's Craft: Types of Conflict in Narratives
Many parents and pupils are jittery about the new 2015 PSLE English syllabus. For example, many have expressed concern about the new format for English Paper 1.
We believe that it is important to teach pupils the craft of writing explicitly and to show them models of good writing. We will be blogging about some of these writing skills.For instance, pupils attending our Writer's Craft classes are introduced to the elements of a narrative. One of the elements of a narrative is a conflict/ problem. In this post, we'll be sharing more about what a conflict is.
What is a conflict / problem in a narrative?
A conflict/ problem arises when the main character wants something but something else stands in his or her way.
Why is a conflict important?
Most of the action centres around the main character trying to find a solution to solve the conflict. A conflict drives the plot. It makes the story more interesting.
How do we identify a conflict?
The easiest way to identify a conflict is to write a conflict statement. A conflict statement is a statement that briefly tells us what the main character wants and what is preventing him from getting what he wants.
Example:
Cinderella wants to go to the ball but her evil stepmother does not allow her to do so.
Types of conflict
There are five main types of conflict.
(1) Person versus Self
The main character has trouble deciding what action he should take.
Example:
Tim saw his friend stealing. He was in a dilemma. Should he tell his teacher about his friend's misdeed or should he just feign ignorance?
(2) Person versus Person
The main character has a problem with one or more characters.
Example:
Ben and his best friend saw a gang abusing an animal. Ben did not want to get into trouble and suggested walking away. However, his friend wanted to stop the gang. As a result, Ben and his friend argued.
(3) Person versus Society
The main character does something that he wants to do but it is against the law or the school rule or is an unaccepted behaviour.
Example:
Ben's parents were very busy and neglected him. Ben decided to use a spray can to spray graffiti to get his parents' attention but this action was against the law.
(4)Person versus Nature
The main character struggles with the elements of nature such as a thunderstorm, an earthquake, a wild animal etc
Example:
Pete was hiking in the forest when he encountered a wild bear.
(5) Person versus Fate
The main character comes face to face with a situation that is beyond his control.
Example:
Mary was involved in a serious accident and the doctors did not think she would pull through. Miraculously, she survived.
Once pupils know what the different conflicts are, they can decide for themselves the type of conflict that they will include in their own narrative. This will lead to a more interesting story plot.
We hope you have a good understanding of what a conflict is in a narrative and what some types of conflicts are. Tune in to our next post. We'll be writing a post on how parents can help their child to be better prepared for the new PSLE Oral format.
We believe that it is important to teach pupils the craft of writing explicitly and to show them models of good writing. We will be blogging about some of these writing skills.For instance, pupils attending our Writer's Craft classes are introduced to the elements of a narrative. One of the elements of a narrative is a conflict/ problem. In this post, we'll be sharing more about what a conflict is.
What is a conflict / problem in a narrative?
A conflict/ problem arises when the main character wants something but something else stands in his or her way.
Why is a conflict important?
Most of the action centres around the main character trying to find a solution to solve the conflict. A conflict drives the plot. It makes the story more interesting.
How do we identify a conflict?
The easiest way to identify a conflict is to write a conflict statement. A conflict statement is a statement that briefly tells us what the main character wants and what is preventing him from getting what he wants.
Example:
Cinderella wants to go to the ball but her evil stepmother does not allow her to do so.
Types of conflict
There are five main types of conflict.
(1) Person versus Self
The main character has trouble deciding what action he should take.
Example:
Tim saw his friend stealing. He was in a dilemma. Should he tell his teacher about his friend's misdeed or should he just feign ignorance?
(2) Person versus Person
The main character has a problem with one or more characters.
Example:
Ben and his best friend saw a gang abusing an animal. Ben did not want to get into trouble and suggested walking away. However, his friend wanted to stop the gang. As a result, Ben and his friend argued.
(3) Person versus Society
The main character does something that he wants to do but it is against the law or the school rule or is an unaccepted behaviour.
Example:
Ben's parents were very busy and neglected him. Ben decided to use a spray can to spray graffiti to get his parents' attention but this action was against the law.
(4)Person versus Nature
The main character struggles with the elements of nature such as a thunderstorm, an earthquake, a wild animal etc
Example:
Pete was hiking in the forest when he encountered a wild bear.
(5) Person versus Fate
The main character comes face to face with a situation that is beyond his control.
Example:
Mary was involved in a serious accident and the doctors did not think she would pull through. Miraculously, she survived.
Once pupils know what the different conflicts are, they can decide for themselves the type of conflict that they will include in their own narrative. This will lead to a more interesting story plot.
We hope you have a good understanding of what a conflict is in a narrative and what some types of conflicts are. Tune in to our next post. We'll be writing a post on how parents can help their child to be better prepared for the new PSLE Oral format.
Wednesday, 29 April 2015
Writer's Craft : Using Characterisation to create memorable characters
My sister-in-law was reading an extract from the book, "James and the Giant Peach", to my nephew who is in Primary 2. She was sharing with my nephew how Roald Dahl used characterisation effectively to create memorable characters. The following extract is on Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker, two characters in "James and the Giant Peach".
"Aunt Sponge was enormously fat and very short. She had small piggy eyes, a sunken mouth and one of those white flabby faces that looked exactly as though it had been boiled. She was like a great white soggy overboiled cabbage. Aunt Spiker, on the other hand, was lean and tall and bony, and she wore steel-rimmed spectacles that fixed on to the end of her nose with a clip. She had a screeching voice and long wet narrow lips, and whenever she got angry or excited, little flecks of spit would come shooting out of her mouth as she talked. And there they sat, these two ghastly hags, sipping their drinks, and every now and again screaming at James to chop faster and faster. They also talked about themselves, each one saying how beautiful she thought she was. "
It is never too early to expose the kiddos to good writing. It is also never too early to expose the kiddos to effective writing techniques. Roald Dahl often creates very memorable characters in his stories. Hence his stories are good mentor texts for teaching kiddos characterisation.
"Aunt Sponge was enormously fat and very short. She had small piggy eyes, a sunken mouth and one of those white flabby faces that looked exactly as though it had been boiled. She was like a great white soggy overboiled cabbage. Aunt Spiker, on the other hand, was lean and tall and bony, and she wore steel-rimmed spectacles that fixed on to the end of her nose with a clip. She had a screeching voice and long wet narrow lips, and whenever she got angry or excited, little flecks of spit would come shooting out of her mouth as she talked. And there they sat, these two ghastly hags, sipping their drinks, and every now and again screaming at James to chop faster and faster. They also talked about themselves, each one saying how beautiful she thought she was. "
It is never too early to expose the kiddos to good writing. It is also never too early to expose the kiddos to effective writing techniques. Roald Dahl often creates very memorable characters in his stories. Hence his stories are good mentor texts for teaching kiddos characterisation.
Saturday, 14 March 2015
Writer's Craft: Slowing Down the Motion (Part 2)
Watch this TED video which describes how and why Hollywood movie makers use slowing down the motion to create suspense. The video also shows how the same convention can be used to slow down the motion in narrative writing. There is a very good example in the video on how to slow down the motion when we write about a basketball player shooting the ball into the hoop.
Thursday, 12 March 2015
Writer's Craft - Slowing down the motion (Part 1)
During my Writer's Craft lessons, I believe that it is important to show pupils samples of good writing and discuss with them why certain phrases or writing techniques are used.
During one of the lessons, I was sharing with the P5 kiddos how authors slow down the motion to create suspense or tension. Firstly, I shared with them how films slow down the motion to create tension. The kiddos nodded their heads and agreed that they had watch such movie scenes before.
Then I shared with the class an excerpt from "January (Conspiracy 365)" to show them how the technique is used.
Telling:
A shark bumped the boat a few times. Then it turned away. I thought it left but it returned.
Showing using expanding the moment technique:
"Then something bumped into the boat hard. I hoped we'd collided with something submerged, drifting in the water. I looked around. The sky was much lighter but I could't see anything but the chopping waves.
Another bump, this time so hard I almost lost my grip on the rope. I still couldn't see anything but I knew something was out there. I was freezing cold but broke out in a sweat.
A third bump, so hard that it knocked me completely into the water. I splashed and slipped, scrambling back to the top of the upturned boat, hauling myself up by the ridge. In the grey light, I spotted a three-metre shark rolling over, exposing its pale belly before disappearing again.
I waited, sick with fear, praying that it had gone away. I searched around for a weapon - anything to try and defend myself.
Tossing on the waves and just out of my reach, was the jag-hook of the boat.
Yet another powerful bump and the upturned boat and I, clinging desperately above, started to move over the water. The shark was under the boat, powering us along! Any minute now, it would bash through the hull and grab me. Then, just as suddenly as it began the motion stopped. I watched the dorsal fin speed away.
Was it leaving?
The shark had pushed me and the boat closer to the floating debris. I saw, again, the long wooden handle of the jag-hook floating nearby And then, in the background, I saw the vanishing fin slow, turn and flick around. The shark was coming back - and straight for me!"
During one of the lessons, I was sharing with the P5 kiddos how authors slow down the motion to create suspense or tension. Firstly, I shared with them how films slow down the motion to create tension. The kiddos nodded their heads and agreed that they had watch such movie scenes before.
Then I shared with the class an excerpt from "January (Conspiracy 365)" to show them how the technique is used.
Telling:
A shark bumped the boat a few times. Then it turned away. I thought it left but it returned.
Showing using expanding the moment technique:
"Then something bumped into the boat hard. I hoped we'd collided with something submerged, drifting in the water. I looked around. The sky was much lighter but I could't see anything but the chopping waves.
Another bump, this time so hard I almost lost my grip on the rope. I still couldn't see anything but I knew something was out there. I was freezing cold but broke out in a sweat.
A third bump, so hard that it knocked me completely into the water. I splashed and slipped, scrambling back to the top of the upturned boat, hauling myself up by the ridge. In the grey light, I spotted a three-metre shark rolling over, exposing its pale belly before disappearing again.
I waited, sick with fear, praying that it had gone away. I searched around for a weapon - anything to try and defend myself.
Tossing on the waves and just out of my reach, was the jag-hook of the boat.
Yet another powerful bump and the upturned boat and I, clinging desperately above, started to move over the water. The shark was under the boat, powering us along! Any minute now, it would bash through the hull and grab me. Then, just as suddenly as it began the motion stopped. I watched the dorsal fin speed away.
Was it leaving?
The shark had pushed me and the boat closer to the floating debris. I saw, again, the long wooden handle of the jag-hook floating nearby And then, in the background, I saw the vanishing fin slow, turn and flick around. The shark was coming back - and straight for me!"
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