Search Here ….

Tags

0500 best books for storytelling Bird by Bird Anne Lamott books for aspiring writers books for writers Cambridge clarity in writing Cognitive science creative writing books Descriptive Writing Essay bank Exam Tips fiction writing tips First Language English Grammar grammar for writers how to write better IGCSE IGCSE 0500 IGCSE English IGCSE English First Language IGCSE First Language English improve your writing International General Certificate of Secondary Education Learning Narrative writing nonfiction writing tips Paper 1 Reading Sample essays Sin and Syntax Constance Hale Steven Pinker The Sense of Style storytelling craft storytelling techniques Strunk and White The Elements of Style Woe Is I Patricia O’Conner Writer's Effect Writer’s Effect Writing writing advice for students writing craft writing guides writing inspiration writing tips Writing Tools Roy Peter Clark

First Language English

Descriptive Composition Exam tips Narrative Composition Sample Essays

FirstLanguageEnglish.com – 56 Descriptive and Narrative Essays

victortanws
 

Dear All,

Welcome to the very first publication on this site! 

This book offers excellent narrative and descriptive compositions based on the 2021 and 2022 IGCSE First Language English exams.

Why does it exist?
It exists because the key challenge students often face isn’t that they don’t understand the criteria for excellence: It is not knowing what top-quality work looks like. This book demonstrates work that is concordant with the highest possible achievement levels for Descriptive and Narrative compositions for the IGCSE (Paper 2, Section B). It encompasses the most current and updated understanding of the Cambridge IGCSE mark scheme criteria for Paper 2 into 56 incredible compositions that we hope will be a joy to read.

Have a look at a preview here and enjoy some of the sample essays within!

First-Language-English-56-Excellent-Narrative-and-Descriptive-Compositions-SAMPLEDownload

The book takes account of the entire history of examiner reports from Cambridge International Examinations. It designed to be used and read alongside markschemes, not to replace them. Do also read it in alongside our guides for descriptive composition as well as narrative composition as well!

As a final note, this book would not have been possible without the kind support of many different people. 

In particular, I thank Cambridge IGCSE examiners and teachers from schools such as Garden International School and Premfield International School. I also thank collaborators from Sri Kuala Lumpur International School, Sri KDU International School, Eagles International School and many others. This has been a labor of love, a product of deep and extensive reflection, and deep and intense learning. Thank you for discussing this work and the content of the website with me! 

We hope these essays will serve you well throughout the process of preparing for the IGCSE and we hope it will be a joy to read 🙂

If you want one of the best possible resources to guide your preparation the IGCSE 0500 First Language English examinations, pick up a copy today! 

Feel free to pick the book up here.

To purchase, simply click “Add to cart”, and you can check out via Stripe.

The book is a digital download, and once you’ve made payment, you’ll receive the book directly; please check your spam folder to ensure that you’ve received an email, and do note that no physical book will be delivered to you.

Thank you for the support, and as always, here is to your success in days ahead!
Victor.


P.S. Special, limited time promotion! 

If you are one of the first 200 people to purchase this book, you will receive one year of access to the premium memberships section of EnglishFirstLanguage.net!

P.P.S. On a side note, this book’s publication took place prior to the closure of Book Depository, and the book recommendation links within the book (which were directed to Book Depository) are no longer functional; this will be updated in a subsequent edition of the book. Apologies for that!

Continue Reading....
IGCSE English Writing tips

Writer’s Effect for IGCSE First Language English: A Guide

victortanws
 

In today’s post, I thought to write about something that many of you been requesting for: A guide on Writer’s Effect.

I started to think about doing this ever since I had performed a poll on the IGCSE Malaysia Facebook group, and this happened:

A rather dramatic result, at that!

All right, I hear you!

Let’s get into it!

Writer’s Effect questions appear in Paper 1 of the IGCSE first language English exam. Here’s an example from Variant 1 of Summer 2021. You may seek out the paper (look for 0500_s21_qp_11 and 0500_s21_in_11 and look for text B on pastpapers.co and follow along if you wish) 🙂

Generally, these questions are often phrased in the same way.

They ask you to highlight three key words or phrases that can be found in the texts that you will be reading for the exam, and to point out how the writer uses those words or phrases achieve specific effects upon the reader.

The key word here is how. More on this later.

Sounds easy? 

Well, many students struggle with this.

As they write, they overemphasise the content of the pieces that they are generating and prefer to write about the content inside the passages that they are reading rather than doing what they are supposed to actually do, which is actually to talk about language.

Let me give you an example from a recent student essay that I marked. 

“In paragraph 18, the writer begins with the phrase “wails” to create a sense of drama and exaggeration, which highlights Vivian’s discomfort with her surroundings. The writer then continues with the phrase “plucked out of her comfort zone.” This metaphor is used to emphasise Vivian’s transition of city life to cycle touring. The phrase also suggests that Vivian was unprepared for the challenges of the trip.”

In this case, as with many other cases of student work, the student focused not on language but instead made a relatively weak statement about the content of the passage that is pretty obvious to anyone who reads it.

Here’s my feedback and improvement on this:

Now, here’s my commentary:

(Oh, but before that, I’m sorry to burst your bubble if you’re a non-member, but to read this you’re going to have to sign up for a free membership – don’t worry, it will only take a minute!)

This content is for Annual Membership (50% off!) and Free members only.
Please Log In to your members’ account to access this resource. If you haven’t signed up yet, make sure to Join Now!

We hope that you found this incredibly useful, and that it will help you on your journey to being able to break down Writer’s Effect, and to consistently do well in this section of the exam – good luck, make sure to keep practicing, and here is to your success!

V.

Continue Reading....
Assessment Exam tips IGCSE English Motivation Writing tips

The Power of Intelligent Practice

victortanws
 

Embarking on a journey of self-improvement can be daunting, especially when it comes to enhancing one’s writing skills.

The natural resistance to change and the inertia that accompanies the start of any significant personal endeavor can pose formidable obstacles.

However, overcoming these challenges is not only possible but essential in the pursuit of becoming a proficient writer.

And the biggest of these challenges?

Practice.

We live in a world of easy gratification, where many people will tell you that the easiest way to do certain things is almost always the best way – as a society we have a notion of instant gratification and a habit of justifying our inability to do things on grounds of impossibility.

Is it surprising then that people often talk about how you can’t learn how to write well and just give up all the way?


Sorry, but that’s lame. It’s the easy thing to do, and it is an excuse. Don’t be the fox that complained about the sour grapes. If you must be a fox, be one that succeeded, and can hand grapes down to the next generation 🙂

So seat up, and buckle down – because you know what’s cooler than spinning your wheels about “impossibilities” that were only impossible because you didn’t try?

Succeeding.

Therefore, in this blog post, we will delve into the importance of practice and intelligent strategies to help you break through these barriers and elevate your writing abilities.

Ready? Let’s go!

This content is for Free and Annual Membership (50% off!) members only.
Please Log In to your members’ account to access this resource. If you haven’t signed up yet, make sure to Join Now!

As you embark on this transformative journey, take solace in the fact that countless individuals before you have faced similar challenges and emerged as more confident and capable writers.

By dedicating yourself to the strategies outlined in this blog post, you too can unlock your full potential and experience the incredible power of practice and perseverance in your writing and beyond.

Continue Reading....