Galore Park Parent Catalogue 2018

13+ revision & practice

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English for Common Entrance 13+ Revision Guide – Chapter 5: Creative writing

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Look at an example of a professionalwriter using sentences of different lengths:

5 Creativewriting

5 Creative writing

13+ English Workbooks

Herbeautysilencedus.DespiteKenji’senthusiasmearlier, Iwasquiteunprepared for it. I thought then that IunderstoodLadyMaruyana’ssuffering:at leastpartof ithad to be jealousy.Howcouldanyman refuse thepossessionofsuchbeauty?

(From Across theNightingaleFloor by LianHearn,2002)

In one paragraph LianHearn has a sequence of sentenceswhich have – in order – 4, 10, 18 and 10words. Read it aloud. Youwill notice that varied sentence andword length creates rhythm,whichmatters asmuch in prose as in poetry. The stresses in thewords rise and fall in an irregularway but the writing sounds complete and elegant because of its prose rhythm. One technique is to build a paragraph of three sentences, each one shorter than the one before. It is quite dramatic andmakes your readerwant to hurry on to the next paragraph.Here is an example of a professionalwriter using this technique:

Engl ish for Common Entrance 13+ Revision Guide

These skills based write-in workbooks (with pull-out answers) develop the writing and vocabulary skills needed to do well in all 13+ exams including ISEB Common Entrance at 13+.

Paper 2 invites you towrite in an original, fictional, imaginativeway. This chapter therefore looks at some of the general skills that are required forwritingwell and then goes on to focus on the skills you need forwriting stories and descriptions, including how to create convincing characters and dialogue. Paper 2will give you a choice of subjects towrite about. The paper usually includes options such as: ● a story ● an imaginative description ● a quotation, statement or titlewhich you can respond to in any imaginativeway youwish. Examtip Remember thatwith the thirdoption aboveyou are free towrite in any wayyouwishbutyouruseof languageneeds tobe appropriate and accurate. The examinerwants you to be as free as possible to show howwell you can use language imaginatively towrite descriptively and to tell stories. That iswhy the suggestions you are given to choose from are quite vague and open ended. It is important that you: ● write in an appropriateway for the task you have chosen ● spell correctly Youmust choose one of these. The same options forwriting are offered at both levels.

Beckyknewher tiradehadgone too far,thatshe’dspoiled theday,that itwouldmake hermothercry,and thatshe’dhateherself later formakingherunhappyagain.But to hersurprise,hermotherdidn’tcry this time. Insteadshewentveryquiet.

(From BestMates byMichaelMorpurgo,2007)

■ Consolidates all the key information required for Common Entrance at 13+

Exam tips

Sentenceshape Make sure that you vary the shapes of your sentences too. If you arewriting a story about Josh don’t start the first five sentenceswith ‘Josh’ or ‘he’ followed by a verb. Instead: ● Start sometimeswith a fronted clause or phrase, for example: Knowing that hewas already late, Josh… Desperate and angry, Josh…

■ Provides practical guidance on improving written answers and exam technique

● Write an occasional ‘inside out’ sentence. So, instead of: Josh ran as fast as he could becauseMiawas in terrible danger. write:

■ Includes advice on creative writing and how to write for practical purposes

● punctuate and use grammar properly ● use exciting vocabulary accurately.

Because he knewMiawas in terrible danger, Josh ran as fast as he could. ● If you’rewriting conversation, vary the position of thewordswhich explain who is speaking (the speech tags). They can go at the beginning, in the middle or at the end of spokenwords. Change the order of them too.Use ‘Martha said’ aswell as ‘saidMartha’: Freddy said, ‘I don’t believe aword of it. It just can’t be true.’ ‘I don’t believe aword of it. It just can’t be true,’ said Freddy. ‘I don’t believe aword of it,’ said Freddy. ‘It just can’t be true.’ ● Stir some indirect speech into themix of conversation too: Freddy said he didn’t believe aword of it because it just couldn’t be true.

£16.99 9781471874314

5.1 Writing well

Here are some practical ideas to help you improve the quality of yourwriting.

Revision tips

Revisiontip As you revise, trywritingparagraphswith sentencesofdifferent lengths. Lookout for sentencesofdifferent lengthswhileyou’re reading too. Sentencelength Vary the length of your sentences. A piece ofwriting inwhich all the sentences are roughly the same length is usually dull and flat.

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£10.99

■ Build exam confidence with a wealth of comprehensive exercises for both reading and writing sections of the exams

Writing for 13+ Entrance Exams Workbook Covers the skills required to generate written pieces in the specified range of non-fiction text types and provides the tools needed to make creative writing original and interesting.

Levelled questions

Levels 1 & 2

5 ‘The Caged Bird in Springtime’ by James Kirkup What can itbe This curious anxiety? It is as if Iwanted Tofly away fromhere. Buthow absurd! Ihaveneverflown inmy life, And Idonotknow Whatflyingmeans, though Ihaveheard, Of course, something about it. Whydo Ipeck thewiresof this little cage? It is theonlynest Ihave everknown. But Iwant tobuildmyown, High in the secretbranchesof the air. I cannotquite rememberhow 5 10

■ Features rigorous and realistic exam-style questions in the style of the ISEB Common Entrance exam at Levels 1 and 2

Sample answers

Answer guidance

£15.99 9781471868962

■ Use with English for Common Entrance 13+ Exam Practice Answers to identify areas requiring further attention

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It isdone,but Iknow Thatwhat Iwant todo Cannotbedonehere. Ihave all Ineed– Seed andwater, air and light.

5 ‘TheCagedBird in Springtime’

Q Answer

Mark Additionalguidance

b) agree: ● birds should alwaysbe in theirnaturalhabitatdespite inherentdangers ● it isnot forhumans todecidewherebirds live ● it is cruel to restrict/preventbirds’flight andneed tonest disagree: ● theremaybe timeswhen it isadvisable tokeepbirds incaptivity, e.g.topreventextinction,veterinarycare,research,education,bird sanctuary

up to3marks for a well-reasoned and sensible answer

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Why, then,do Iweepwith anguish, Andbeatmyhead andmywings

Engl ish for Common Entrance 13+ Exam Practice Answers

Against these sharpwires,while the children Smile at eachother, saying: ‘Harkhowhe sings’?

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5 ‘TheCaged Bird in Springtime’by James Kirkup

Level 2 Q Answer

■ Clear layout for easy marking

Mark Additionalguidance

1mark for each

● unable tofly ● unable tobuild anest ● instinct is trying toprevail ● itwants tobehave as itwould if free/in thewild ● instinct especially strong in springtime

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up to2marks for answerswhich reflectunderstanding of instinct up to2marks for responsewhich showsunderstanding of ‘question and answer’ structure up to2marks for responsewhich showsunderstanding of thebird candidates should commenton the generalmoodof the word choices in each case comment indetail on at leastone word/phrase for each understandingof contrastnecessary for fullmarks

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■ Highlights requirements for each level

● thequestions engage the reader/draw the reader in ● eachnewquestion allows the reader to think from thebird’s pointof view ● thebird’s attempt to answer itsownquestions creates a pattern ● thebird isworried/anxious/confused ● it tries to answer itsownquestionswhich emphasises its helplessness bird negative,emotive, sadwords: ● ‘weep’– thebird is sorrowfully crying indistress/crying bitterly ● ‘anguish’–hiscry isoneof suffering/pain/torment ● ‘beat’– frustration/desperation to escape/agonyofbeing trapped ● ‘sharp’– feelspain children positive,happywords/phrases: ● ‘Smile’– cheerful/entertained/oblivious ● ‘Harkhowhe sings’–amused/showingenjoyment/unawareof the real reason forhis song ● deliberate vocabulary choices to show contrast inmood betweenbird and children ● children’smisunderstandingofbird’s situation shows irony

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■ Provides guidance to help your child achieve top marks

Vocabulary for 13+ Entrance Exams Workbook Vocabulary is the foundation for good reading comprehension and writing. This workbook covers ways of using words appropriately, in a range of text types, through engaging activities that will enrich students’ vocabulary.

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Paper2Section A:Reading–Poetry

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£13.99 9781471868993

English for Common Entrance 13+ Exam Practice Questions – Chapter 5: ‘The Caged Bird in Springtime’ 9781471868962.indd 48 30/09/16 11:14AM 3

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■ Identifies areas requiring further attention

reward candidates who identify irony

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21/06/16 12:56PM English for Common Entrance 13+ Exam Practice Answers – Chapter 5: ‘The Caged Bird in Springtime’

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