my Composition guide Planning Failing to plan is palanning to fail Use the following acronym to check S olution to the P roblem E xperience A dhere to the theme and picture R ealistic - Introduction 1. There are five ways to start an introduction 1. 5 senses description 2. Dialogue 3. Flashback 4. Middle-of-Action 5. Character snapshot 2. Describe the 5Ws1H (who, what, when, where, and why + how) E.g. It was a mundane Tuesday morning at school. My classmates and I were thumbing through our textbooks, busy revising for our upcoming mathematics examination later. My stomach churned uneasily as I was up playing video games all night. 3. Describe the scene Scene Setting Party - spent a long time putting up the decorations - every corner of the room was filled with cheerful balloons - adding the finishing touches to the decorations - a banner with ‘Happy birthday’ emblazoned on it - colourful streamers adorned the house - erupted in a rousing rendition of the birthday song - a deafening cheer from the gathered guests - a spectacular room was festooned with various celebratory decorations - pinata swung merrily from the ceiling Street - the early morning sun glowed orange - cars and buses zoomed past, producing clouds of exhaust fumes - pavements packed wth pedestrians - harsh honking from car horns filled the air - verdant trees lining the road Beach - a clear, cerulean sky with clouds scudding overhead - peals of laughter filled the air - beach-goers lounging on the day beds - azure water glistened under the scorching sun - blistering sun hung overhead, beating down on our backs mercilessly Home - the silence of the house greeted me - the blaring of the television filled the house - plopped down on the cosy sofa - aroma of food wafted to my nose - the piquant aroma of food lingered in the air Park - lush green foliage as far as the eyes could see - bushes covered with colourful blooms - gentle Breeze rustled the leaves - gleeful shouts of children rang in the air - perspiring joggers ran along the footpath - hardly a cloud in the sky - birds were chirping - a gentle breeze blowing across my face - trees swayed gently in the evening breeze - lush greenery surrounded me - the air was fresh - fragrance from the flowers filled my lungs - cyclists zipped by on the pathway, wind tousling their hair School Auditorium -Tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife - Bright gleam of stage lights shining straight into my eyes - Sea of audience sitting expectantly in the auditorium - Erupted into a standing ovation Rainy Day - heavy, dark clouds blanketed the sky - bolts of lightning streaked through the sky - loud cracks of thunder could be heard intermittently - glistening wet roads - thunderous drumming of raindrops on the roof - ‘Pitter... patter’ the seemingly endless raindrops hurled themselves onto the windows of my cosy house School Bus stop / MRT station - students rushing headlong into the school - streams of commuters clambered on/off - passengers were fully engrossed in their compound - enjoying a rambunctious game of soccer devices, oblivious to what was around - students clad in pristine school shoes and them - shoppers laden with heavy bags scanned the immaculate uniforms - Aromatic smells from the canteen wafted roads impatiently - an electronic display showed the time through the air intervals between buses / trains - The discordant ringing of the school bell - commuters were packed tightly, shoulder to echoed through the compound shoulder - sound of teacher droning on - the train doors slid open with a loud - students bowing their heads over their work beeping sound - boisterous students running amok along the corridor - l leaned against the metal pole - fragrant aroma of food and their stomachs - greeted by snaking queues of commuters at growled the platform - neat lines began to form at the various food - loud rumbling of the bus pulling up at the stalls bus stop just ahead of me - joined the snaking queue - students flooded the canteen - the gruelling morning of lessons was over - shrill ring of the school bell pierced the air - students pushed their chairs under their desk with a loud screech - students hunched over their books - the classroom was devoid of students - the tables stood silently like sentinels on the ground Warm day - a hot and humid day - the blazing afternoon sun beating down on my back - the sweltering sun shone down on me mercilessly like a thousand needles - perspiration streamed down my back while the afternoon sun scorched the ground Mall - the air conditioning brought some brief respite from the sweltering heat outside - hordes of shoppers window shopping - animated chatters filled the air Examination Hall - the examination hall was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop - students hunched over their desks, scribbling furiously - stern invigilator eyes the candidates like a hawk - the vigorous flipping of pages and scribbling of pens could be heard in the silence that followed Hospital - the suffocating smell of antiseptic filled my lungs - the blinding brightness of the egg-shell white room Amusement park - screams reverberating around us as the rollercoaster jerked forward - deafening roars of rollercoasters overhead - delighted shrieks of passengers - saccharine smell of popcorn wafted past our noses - park entertainers dressed up as various characters filled the ground, interacting with little children Track Meet - Crouched Low in my starting position, with muscles tense - The starting horn blared deafeningly, signalling the start of the race - I shot forward with a tremendous surge of energy - I sprinted with all my might - Gleaming gold trophy in sight - thunderous applause resounded in the stadium - the stands were packed to the brim - cheers erupted loudly as the athletes took off - school banners hung proudly from the railings all around the stadium - the podium took the pride of place in front of the grandstand Show-Not-Tell To describe a feeling vividly. You may describe the character’s: Facial expression Action Reaction Speech Show-Not-Tell Shock/surprise - gasp of astonishment - my eyes widened - jaw dropped - gawked at my friends when they ignored me - Like a deer caught in headlights - my mouth hung agape as I was struck speechless - found myself unable to speak - I froze - clutched (smth) gingerly - groaned/moaned in pain - blood trickling down (smth) - His eyes were squeeze shut in pain - his face contorted in anguish - an anguished wail escaped his throat - grimaced as he tried to struggle to his feet - bawled in agony - face grew as pale as sheet - a searing pain shot through my body - gaped in dismay - stared at us with their mouths agape - struck speechless - loss for words - my heart skipped a beat - stifled a gasp - with a loud yelp - I jolted upright - I was frozen/riveted/nailed to the spot - drew a sharp intake of breath Pain - Blood oozed from his/her wound Fear/anxiety Felt like cat on hot bricks Tried to suppress the butterflies in my stomach I froze Stood rooted to the spot Blood ran cold Broke out in cold sweat I felt the blood drain from my face My heart skipped a beat My stomach shifted uneasily Face turned pale Filled with apprehension Heart pounded in trepidation Face streaked with tears Trembling like leaves - I gulped when ... - voice quivered in fright - my hands turned clammy - my mouth went dry - i stood paralysed / i froze - a tight knot in my stomach - a look of fear crossed (someone’s) face - his breath caught in his throat - fear engulfed me - My mind went blank - my heart palpitated furiously against my ribcage / in my chest Show-Not-Tell Excitement - could barely contain my excitement - screamed hysterically - pumped our fists into the air - excitedly anticipating the plans - heart pounded wildly in my chest - adrenaline coursed through my veins Sadness - my heart sank - sulked and snapped at my friends - tears welled up in my eyes - tears streamed down my cheeks - a lump formed in my throat -Burst into tears - Wailed/ bawled - tears blurred / marred my vision Boredom/Tired - let out a huge yawn - rubbed (one’s) eyes blearily - gazing into space - stifling a yawn - bored to tears - racked their brains for something to do - gazing out the window - idly doodling on my textbook - stared forlornly out of the window Anger - Clenched my fists so tightly that my knuckles turned white - Saw red - Blood boiled - Seething in fury - Indignation welled up in me - Glared daggers at (someone) - Raised my voice - Flew into a rage - Anger blurring my vision - gritted my teeth - Rage bubbled within me - balling my hands into fists - Much to (someone’s) chagrin - arms akimbo - arms folded / crossed E÷÷ the # Disappointment weighed heavily on my heart Broad smile of anticipation faded away My heart sank in my chest Disappointment/regret at my actions was a bitter pill to swallow - lowered her head Disappointment / Guilt - Guilt gnawing at my conscience - Left a sour taste in (one’s) mouth - Guilt overwhelmed me instantly - Disappointment etched on his face - face burned with shame - Face turned red in embarrassment - Heads hung Low in shame - Averting everyone’s gaze - Refusing to meeting anyone’s eyes Embarrassment Cheeks flushed red in embarrassment Face felt hot - hot tears of shame stung my eyes - felt the blood rush to my face - wanted the earth to open up and swallow me whole - could not bear to meet anyone’s gaze - overcome with mortification - turned as red as tomato / beetroot Arrogance / Proud - as proud as a peacock - with my nose in the air - looked down his nose at us - glowed with pride - puffed out my chest and strode confidently - - my heart swelled with pride Show-Not-Tell Shame Face turned red in embarrassment Heads hung Low in shame Averting everyone’s gaze Refusing to meeting anyone’s eyes Relief Heaving a big sigh of relief Like a huge weight lifted off my shoulders Happiness - beamed at me - face lit up - chuckling - skipping - with a spring in my step - the delight written on (one’s) face - Grinning from ear to ear - Cheeks flushes with joy - Punched the air in triumph - Felt like I was on cloud nine/in seventh heaven/as happy as a lark - In a state of euphoria - Roaring with laughter - Eyes twinkling with delight - Blinked back tears of gratitude - My heart did a somersault - Ruffled my hair fondly - Enveloped me in a tight embrace - grinned like a Cheshire Cat - whistled a happy tune - tears of joy filled her eyes - laughing gleefully - wiping away tears of joy - her eyes sparkling Happiness - stifled a giggle - whooped - her eyes sparkling - beamed like a Cheshire Cat - a spring in my step - a smile creeping up my face Exhaustion - drenched from head to toe with sweat - my breathing became laboured - huffing and puffing - beads of perspiration trickled down my forehead Change of emotions - her expression morphed from a scowl into a wistful smile Calm - took deep breaths - regaining my composure/senses - smile faded from her face Conclusion - Honesty is the best policy - Never let my integrity be compromised again Instead of Saying.... Walk - strutted - strode - hobbled / staggered / limped - sauntered / strolled - darted - scampered - scurried - bolted /dashed / sprinted - trudged - made a beeline for - stumbled - dragged our feet - shuffled - approached - snuck - stormed - plodded Scolded - hauled me over the coals - admonished severely - meted out punishment - berated harshly - given a tongue lashing Ate - devoured / gobbled - wolfed down the food ravenously - tucked into - relished in Phrases to describe passage of time - in a blink of an eye - At that instant / moment - After what seemed like an eternity - Just then - Before long - Out of the blue - All of a sudden - In the nick of time - Minutes ticked by - Like a bolt from the blue - in the end Thoughts - mind raced - millions of thoughts raced through my mind - a devious scheme instantly crossed my mind Daydreaming - lost in my thoughts - jolted me from my thoughts / reverie Saw / looked - spotted / noticed - (something) caught my attention - espied - eyed - peered - glanced - peeked - casting a glare in (someone’s) direction - scrutinised / examined / surveyed - gawk - peruse - caught sight of - Angry Bellowed Hollered Chastised Screamed Reprimanded Lectured Preached Screeched Shrieked Thundered Boomed Admonished Rebuked Fumed Snapped Snarled Spat Glowered Seethed Roared Talking in length Babbled Chattered rattled on Yapped Comforting Consoled Comforted Apologised Silently Thought Wondered Pondered Fumed Reasoned inwardly Despaired inwardly Asking something Appealed Beseeched Begged Inquired Implored Prayed Questioned Requested Pleaded Asked Wondered Excitement Exclaimed Squealed Boasted Bragged Chuckled Chortled Marveled Quipped Snorted Laughed Guffawed Gushed Cheered Giggled Beamed Hummed Whistled Neutral Added Answered Replied Acknowledged Interjected Responded Started Stated Interrupted Remarked Commented Greeted Suggested Agreed Reminded Advised Revealing information Confessed Announced Declared Confided Avowed Explained Elaborated Shared Swore Emphasised Blurted Said Sadness Wailed Bawled Cried Sobbed Choked Whimpered Whined Moaned Groaned Speaking quietly Whispered Muttered Mumbled Stammered Mouthed Squeaked Uttered Murmured Antagonising someone Accused Baited Bickered Bugged Challenged Mocked Scoffed Sneered Sniggered Provoked Ridiculed Taunted Threatened Teased Argued Retorted Drawled Trying to make someone do something Beckoned Coaxed Demanded Goaded Persuaded Invited Recommended Urged Tempted Instructed Cooed
