Paper 3 IGCSE
To understand how to write a piece of
effective descriptive writing.
Showing, NOT telling!
•What can be seen?
"His ashen face
looked like he
had seen the
horror of
horrors.“
•What can
be heard?
"A sound like a
thousand
crashing
cymbals
assaulted our
ears“
•What can be felt?
"The soft gooey
mass clung to
my by now
shivering flesh"
•What can
be tasted?
"The taste was
heavenly - like
something
you'd looked
forward to all
your life.“
•What can
be smelt?
"The smell was
indescribable;
nothing this
side of Hell's
gates could
come close."
• You need to include:
• An interesting choice of adjectives (don’t over do
it)
• Vivid verbs and adverbs
• Figurative Language – similes, metaphors,
personification.
• Varied sentence structures and punctuation for
effect
Structure
• Here is a good way to tackle this kind of writing:
Imagine yourself to be a kind of 'human video camera'! With
your searching zoom lens you are going to 'record' what was
in the particular scene or situation the question asks you to
describe:
– a selection of the 'stills' from your video will provide the
substance for what you describe;
– a good structure is crucial to a high grade. This can be achieved
in several ways, for example, by describing each of the 'stills'
from your 'video' location by location: 'In the corner...'; 'By the
hot dog stall...'; 'In the sky...'; 'Over there...';
– other structures that work are: from inside to outside..., from
then to now..., from the 'general' to the 'particular'... Structure
provides 'shape' to your writing and can gain many marks.
Description of a fun fair
It was a scorching hot summer’s day: perfect for a day at the fair. The sky was dotted with a few fluffy
clouds that looked like candy floss.
The entrance to the fair could be seen in the distance and the long queues edged forward slowly.
Customers were becoming increasingly excited and impatient as they took a few steps forward every so
often. Faint music could be heard from beyond the tall gates with the occasional happy scream suddenly
piercing the air. Closer to the entrance and the massive structures of the rides could be seen: a
rollercoaster, a big wheel, a helter skelter. They were steel giants reaching for the sun.
Once inside, the braver kids ran towards the first rollercoaster. It zipped back and forth across the queue
as fast as a bullet. Those sat at the front screamed the loudest, their eyes bulging like frogs, as the wind
howled into their faces. Hands gripped the safety bars like a vice as the shuttle suddenly flipped upside
down. One formerly cocky boy, immediately felt nauseous, his confidence knocked and his turned face a
sickly green colour.
Below, younger children stood watching, eating their sweets and snacks. Ice creams wobbled perilously
over the cones and dripped down their small fingers as they melted. Some munched on brightly coloured
balls of candy floss. The strands dissolved on the tongue and the sweet sugar stuck to the teeth like glue.
A few ate too much and complained to their mummies and daddies.
Across from the queues for the rides, were the picnic tables, a refuge from the madness. Families, young
couples and groups of friends sipped on drinks, applied sun cream or kept a vigilant watch on their
children. One harassed mum, struggled as a pack of young wolves yelped and cried around her for a
drink, a snack, to go on the tea cups, to go on the big ride, to go to the toilet, to go home.
Assess – Table A ( Content and
Structure)
Band (11-13)
• There are many well-defined, well developed ideas and images,
describing complex atmospheres with a range of details
• Overall structure is provided through devices such as the movements o
the persona, the creation of a short time span, or the creation of
atmosphere or tension. There is no confusion with writing a story.
Repetition is avoided and the sequences of sentences makes the picture
clear to the reader
Band 2 (9-10)
• There is a good range of images with interesting details which contribute
to a sense of atmosphere.
• These are formed into an overall picture of some clarity, largely consistent
and effective. There maybe occasional repetition, and opportunities for
development or the provision of detail may be missed. Sentences are
often well sequenced.
Assess Table B (Style and Accuracy)
Band 1 (11-12)
• Writing is consistent, stylistically fluent,
linguistically strong and accurate; has a sense
of audience.
Look for:
Appropriately used ambitious words
Complex sentence structure where appropriate
Try and use a range of punctuation
Colon ( : )
To introduce a list. E.g Jake had a good time at the party. He ate: thirty six jelly babies, a
tangerine jelly and a jellied eel.
Semi Colon ( ; )
To associate two sentences when they are closely related. E.g Technology at The Langley
Academy is a real success; the equipment is top quality.
To separate items in a list when the items are described or have many adjectives
together. E.g. The dog had soft brown eyes; big, hairy paws; long, floppy ears and a
short, wagging tail.
Sentence structures.
Short simple sentences
I was quite certain that I heard it. The sound
was unmistakable. It was a baby crying. Not a
cat, not a dog. They are quite different, you
know. What I heard from some distant room on
the ground floor was the cry of a newborn baby.
I hesitated. Stopped. But it was over at once
and it did not come again..
Complex sentences
• Complex sentences communicate more than one idea –
they have a main clause and a subordinate clause.
Identify the main and subordinate clauses for the following
sentences:
Our hamster, which had been my pet for two years, died on
the weekend.
Although the weather was warm, I still had to wear a jumper.
While I was having breakfast, the postman brought some
letters.
Common pointers to subordinate clauses
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who
whom
whose
which
that
when
where
as
since
until
before
because
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how
than
as much as
so that
that
in case
if
unless
though
although
even though
Descriptive writing
Describe a party in full swing, and then what the place is like when all
the visitors have gone.
Describe a walk through a shady wood
Describe a place that is vibrant and happy
Describe the time when you mastered a skill such as uni-cycling,
skateboarding, skiing, cooking or even plate spinning. Describe what
you were trying to do, and your thoughts and feelings at the final
moment of success.
Describe the last moments before you leave a place for ever