Narrative writing

IGCSE First Language English Narrative Composition Essay Bank

Victor Tan
 

Welcome to the best Narrative Composition Bank for the IGCSE First Language English exam on the internet.

Some of the essays were written by students who are working with me or have worked with me in the past, students who would like to contribute their essays for grading, and each essay is graded by a teacher and moderated as well 🙂

Generally, a site membership (free or premium) is required for you to view this Composition essay bank. Still, please feel free to view the samples below!

Note that although links are live, not all essays have been published and will only go live per the release schedule announced via the main site, once per week by Wednesday of each week.

2025

May/June

March

2024

October/November

May/June

2023

October/November

May/June

2022

October/November

May/June

2021 and beyond:

October/November

May/June

Variant 2

  • Write a story with the title, ‘The invitation’.
  • Write a story which includes the words, ‘… nothing seemed to go right …’.

Variant 3

  • Write a narrative which includes the words, ‘… I thought I had the solution …’.
  • Write a narrative which involves having to follow a map.

Samples

2020

Prompt: Write a story with the title, ‘An unexpected meeting’

Essay:

The sun was setting, casting a golden hue upon the quiet forest. Emily, a young photographer, was engrossed in capturing the fleeting moment on her camera. As she moved deeper into the woods, searching for that perfect angle, she stumbled upon an ancient oak tree, its bark weathered with time.

Suddenly, an unexpected gust of wind blew through the trees, sending a shiver down Emily’s spine. The forest seemed to whisper a secret, one that felt almost tangible. Following her instincts, she pressed her ear against the oak and listened carefully.

To her surprise, the oak revealed a hidden door. It creaked open, revealing a dimly lit chamber within. As Emily stepped inside, she felt a strange sense of nostalgia, as if she had been here before. The walls were adorned with portraits of faces she recognized – her ancestors.

In that moment, time seemed to bend around them, and Emily found herself transported to a sunlit meadow, her great-grandfather by her side. He shared stories of their family history, tales filled with love, loss, and adventure. Emily felt a profound connection with the man who had been lost to her, but who now felt closer than ever.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, William’s voice softened, and he shared one final tale – a warning about a family curse that had brought tragedy to each generation. He entrusted Emily with the task of breaking the curse, arming her with the knowledge she would need to face it.

As they said their goodbyes, Emily felt a surge of determination. She would honor her great-grandfather’s memory and protect her family. With newfound purpose, she stepped back through the hidden door, ready to confront her destiny.

Comment:

This essay demonstrates excellence in content and structure (W1 and W2) by presenting a complex, engaging, and effective narrative with a strong plot that includes elements of fiction writing such as description, character development, and a climax. The descriptions, such as “a golden hue upon the quiet forest” and “the oak revealed a hidden door,” create vivid imagery that invests readers in the story.

The style and accuracy (W3, W4, and W5) are also strong, with precise, well-chosen vocabulary like “weathered,” “tangible,” and “nostalgia.” Varied sentence structures are chosen for effect, and the register is consistent and suitable for the context. The grammar, spelling, and punctuation are almost always accurate.

One phrase that could be improved is “his eyes piercing the darkness with their intensity.” A possible revision might be “his eyes cutting through the darkness, radiating intensity.” This change strengthens the imagery and enhances the overall emotional impact.

The structure of the essay is effective, with a gradual buildup of suspense leading to the climax and resolution. To further improve, the writer could study the works of renowned authors like Neil Gaiman, whose ability to create immersive worlds and engaging characters could inspire the writer to add depth to their own storytelling.

Mark awarded for content and structure = 15/16

Mark awarded for style and accuracy = 23/24

Total mark = 38/40

Prompt: Write a story with the title, ‘An unexpected meeting’

Essay:

The drizzling rain created an ethereal mist that enveloped the city like a forgotten dream. As Sarah strolled through the dimly lit streets, her thoughts wandered to the recent events that had left her heart heavy with sorrow. The air was damp, and the scent of petrichor hung heavily in the air, reflecting her melancholic mood. The once familiar town seemed alien to her now, as if it were a distant memory she could no longer grasp.

She found herself standing in front of an old, decrepit bookstore, its sagging shelves barely supporting the weight of the dusty tomes that lined them. The welcoming aroma of old paper and ink beckoned her inside, and she obliged, seeking refuge from the relentless drizzle outside. A solitary light illuminated the store, casting shadows that danced in the dark corners like wayward spirits.

As she meandered through the narrow aisles, her fingers trailed along the worn spines of the books, each one whispering a story that yearned to be told. Suddenly, her hand stopped on a particular volume, its frayed leather binding standing out from the rest. A sense of déjà vu washed over her, and she felt inexplicably drawn to it.

She pulled it from the shelf, and as she did, an old photograph slipped out from between its pages. It was a picture of her and a man she had once loved, now faded and yellowed with age. The sight of it brought back memories that had long been buried beneath the sands of time, and her heart ached with longing.

Just then, she felt a presence behind her. She turned around and found herself face-to-face with the very man from the photograph, his eyes filled with warmth and recognition. The years had etched new lines on his face, but the essence of him remained unchanged.

Their eyes locked, and for a moment, time stood still. The weight of the past dissolved, leaving only the tender resonance of shared memories. In that unexpected meeting, amidst the hallowed sanctuary of the forgotten bookstore, they found solace in one another’s presence, the tides of fate having brought them together once more.

Comment:

The essay effectively utilizes vivid descriptions and a well-defined plot (W1) to create a story that is emotionally impactful. The narrative builds up to an effective climax (W2) with the unexpected meeting between Sarah and the man from her past. The language employed is complex and engaging, with phrases such as “ethereal mist” and “yearned to be told” capturing the reader’s attention and contributing to the emotional impact (W3).

The essay demonstrates a consistent register suitable for the context (W4) and maintains accurate spelling, punctuation, and grammar throughout (W5). One area for improvement is the transition between the introduction and the setting of the bookstore, which could be made smoother to enhance the story’s structure.

The writer might consider studying the works of Haruki Murakami, who expertly employs vivid imagery and emotional depth in his narratives, providing valuable inspiration for refining the writer’s own storytelling abilities.

Mark awarded for content and structure = 16/16

Mark awarded for style and accuracy = 24/24

Total marks awarded = 40/40

The Magic of Examiner Reports

Victor Tan
 

Examiner Reports are released by Cambridge International after each examination session. These reports summarize the general performance of students, highlight common strengths and weaknesses, and provide constructive feedback for both students and teachers.

Put simply?

They’re awesome, and if you want to do well on the IGCSE, you should read them.

In this blog post, we will discuss the immense value of reading Examiner Reports for the IGCSE First Language English 0500 examination and how they provide invaluable insights into what examiners are looking for.

At the same time, they reflect the overall judgement of examiners for the essays of students for particular examination sessions and therefore provide key insights into the way that Cambridge as an organisation evaluates different scripts, which in turn can help you to better contextualise the marking criteria that has been provided in the mark scheme documents that you have no doubt seen so far.

“But Victor!!!” you might be saying…“I don’t want to spend my time reading dumb stuff like that!!!!”

Well hold on, hold on.

What if I told you that this ‘dumb stuff’… Was actually one of the master keys towards unlocking excellence on the IGCSE First Language English exam?

Unlocking the Marking Criteria

One of the difficulties of understanding how to do well in a language-based exam for students is that there are various ways to operationalize excellence in language. While it’s true that for other exams such as mathematics and science exams some degree of creativity and insight can lead to novel approaches and answers, it remains true that the possible sample space of excellent responses for First Language English and other exams is much wider, and it also remains true that it is more difficult for students to understand how to operationalize excellence through their work just from reading the marking criteria.

Here is where the \magic/ 🪄 of examiner reports comes in!

Examiner reports are absolutely invaluable in helping you to unlock the marking criteria for the IGCSE First Language English exam, because they offer comprehensive and actionable steps for you if you’re practicing for the exam, and they serve as a wonderful practice aid for you to check whether you are able to do well in particular practice exams.

Let’s look at the first part of the examiner report for the June 2022 IGCSE.

Observe here that there are key messages for each paper, and also general comments about what constituted excellence for the paper. We won’t discuss the entire thing, but there are also specific analyses on a question-by-question basis.

I won’t go into everything here today (more resources will be provided to our Premium members soon).

Here’s one sample:

…And here’s the next:

Wow.

As you can see, the report specifically breaks down these questions.

Think about that and the value that it’s offering – in the first case, it is telling you exactly how the best candidates did question 2d) and how they came to deliver responses on Writer’s Effect.

In the second example, it is literally breaking down Question 3 for you by telling you the ways in which the candidates approached the question and the way that people thought about the question, which you can in turn reference as you write your own exam responses; you could implement a routine of practicing a past paper, following that up by having your essay graded (submissions for essays to our essay bank(s) are open!)

To sum up, why are examiner reports valuable to you?

(sorry to be annoying, but you’ll have to sign up for a free or premium membership to read the next bit c: – reminder that purchasing the book gains you access to premium member privileges… For now!)

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Conclusion

I hope I’ve shown you that Examiner Reports for the IGCSE First Language English 0500 examination are a powerful tool for students seeking to understand what examiners are looking for in the context of the marking criteria, and also that they are something valuable to look at in your quest for mastery or for convergence towards writing stellar essays that fit the marking criteria while at the same time helping you to excel.

By analyzing these reports, students can gain invaluable insights into the expectations of examiners, avoid common pitfalls, learn from real examples, and fine-tune their writing techniques to achieve the highest possible marks.

As the saying goes, knowledge is power, and in the case of the IGCSE First Language English 0500 examination, Examiner Reports are a key to unlocking that power – they are not the only key, but are definitely something that you should consider as part of your repertoire!

Free Book! (For underprivileged students)

Victor Tan
 

Recently, some of you asked me about the method of distribution that I’ve chosen for my first book. Expressing your concern, you have come up to me and said:

“Do you control your work from being accessed?”

The answer is no.

“Aren’t you worried that people will pirate it?”

The answer is no.

“People have been sharing your book around recently… Aren’t you afraid?”

…Well, maybe I would be, if you forwarded the book itself to the entire universe! 😂

In fact, if you need the book because you’re underprivileged or poor or unable to pay for the book…

Just fill in this form 🙂

Please fill in this form and I will send the book to you.

Some people proceeded to ask… Aren’t you afraid that people will just pirate the book and send it out to the world?

Honestly, this has been a year of firsts and I never imagined that I would ever be in this position…

But no, I’m not afraid.

Here’s why.

I think that people have a natural instinct to share good things, and that piracy is inevitable. As a creator, it is my first time facing this prospect, yet at the same time though, I think that good works will be rewarded eventually.

…Does that sound naive?

I think that sounds a bit naive, so let me explain my thought process.

If someone pirated the book, I guess that there are three reasons why this could have happened.

The way I see it, if you did choose to pirate the book, there are then three possibilities as to why you might have chosen to do so.

  1. Somebody sent the book to you because they thought that it was just that good.

You may have been thinking: Is this resource for real? Is this person legitimate and can we trust him? Can so much value really be offered in a single webpage? Why are there are hundreds of people visiting it simply within two weeks of its creation and why are people discussing it all over my groups?

Can the book be that good? I need to check I need to check I need to check!!!

See:

See: Artist visualization, lol.

Upon realising its value, you may then have chosen to utilise it on a day-to-day basis, perhaps unconsciously, choosing to use it while forgetting where it has come from.

If that is the case, then I am incredibly satisfied as it looks like I delivered something great! That is exactly the outcome that I intended to achieve, and I am tremendously happy that I have been successful in achieving it.

If you are financially able and you see value in supporting my mission, all I ask is that you will decide to procure it for yourself if you identify with the basic message that I am communicating across and you see it as valuable for me to be able to deliver that message in days ahead. You will be contributing to wards the advancement of this subject and the understanding of many students in the days ahead, and I look forward to meeting you!

If you identify with the basic message and would like to support me as a creator, consider buying the book and fueling the journey forward!

That now brings us to the second possible reason as to why it is that you might choose to pirate:

2. You are in a situation of financial need.

I acknowledge that this is a possibility – there are many people around the world who are both incredibly deserving, while at the same time lacking in the opportunities that put so to elevate them to the next level, and I am always conscious of that because I was one of those people as well.

It’s difficult, isn’t it? You find yourself in a situation where you wish to do the right thing, but somehow or another circumstances, do not allow you to do that, and no amount of reasoning or thinking, is going to resolve that problem immediately.

If that is you and you are poor and incapable of paying, then I want to tell you this: once againyou are in the right place, and if you deeply believe in the transformative power of education, and are looking for the evidence that it may change your life, then all you need to do is think about the person who is saying these words to you now (more on this later!)

If you are indeed in a situation of financial need and you find yourself unable or incapable of purchasing the book without a dire sacrifice to yourself because of familial circumstances or otherwise, you have no need to pirate: simply go up to me and speak with me, and I will send you the book myself. There is no need for you to sacrifice your conscience for some thing as petty as this, and I am happy to send you the book if you feel that it is going to meaningfully benefit you.

If somehow still you are unable to reach me or you feel embarrassed, knows that I do not feel any anger towards you for that and I understand why you did what you did in the situation that you did it: please do what you need to do and go in peace, though I hope you will remember me when you grow older or have a better situation for yourself.

3. You are not in a situation of financial need, but you think “that is a good resource, and I would like to use it without paying for it”.

I think that that is possible.

Whether we like it or not, there are people in this world who sense of ethics does not necessarily accord with those that reflect our own personal sensibilities – is the solution then to simply assume that the entire world is evil? I guess not.

Yet, I think it is also rather unlikely.

While certainly it is possible, that is not what the evidence has told me so far.

The evidence has shown you that those of you who have made the purchase are conscientious, willing to step up, and unwilling to do wrong – even if there are some amongst you who have made the conscious choice to use the book without actually paying for it, the support that I have received from the community at large has been extensive to the point that I have yet to notice, and that even if there are bad elements in our community who have chosen to use this be sauce without paying for it, I can confidently and comfortably ignore that sort of behaviour and instead choose to cherish the abundant good that all of you have chosen to show me in your choices to engage and also to make use of the knowledge that is contained within it.

Thank you!

Thank you for your overwhelming support and your voices of concern.

Thank you for caring about me and for the message that I am sending out – that it is valuable for people to learn how to use English in the best of ways, and to make use of it.

For your concern, I am thankful.

For the ways that you reached out and tell me about the things that you have seen fit to point out, I am abundantly grateful.

It is for this reason and for many more that I have no particular of your of piracy and instead repost in a deep confidence that if you are going to use this resource that you will pay for it fairly and in turn will meet me upon the ground where we are supposed to meet and can therefore engage in the most meaningful of ways as we move on a journey to work is your highest fulfilment.

At the end of the day, the reason that I do this is not primarily for the money. Rather, it is for the sake of trying to create something that is actually beneficial to society because I know that at an earlier time of my life, I would have appreciated something like this as well.

Once again, thank you, and I look forward to seeing you in the members’ section!