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Composition Guide for Lower Secondary and Integrated Programme
Annotated students' essays from various schools in
Singapore to demonstrate exemplary writing
,.
Clear guidelines on identifying different genres of writing
Different text types creatively illustrated through series of stories
Composition Guide for Lower Secondary and Integrated Programme
Aletheia Chan
� Marshall Cavendish
UA::'.IEducation
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 ...... Text Types .................................................................. .............................. 1 - 10
Chapter 2 ...... The Sentence ............................................................... .. . .. ................ . 11 - 29
Chapter 3 ...... The Introduction - Hook and Thesis Statement........... ...................... 30-40
Chapter 4 ...... The Bod y - Support and Coherence ......... ... ................................ 41-48
Chapter 5 ...... The Conclusion .......... ................................................................ 49-54
Chapter 6 ...... Description - People, Scenes and Places . ............................... ............ 55 - 65
Chapter 7 ...... Narration - Six Elements ...................................................................... 66-78
Chapter 8 ...... Personal Narrative .................................................................................. 79- 87
Chapter 9 ...... Exposition I - The Skills ......................................................................... 88- 99
Chapter 10 .... Exposition II - Applying the Skills ..................................................... 100-109
Chapter 11 .... Mixed Genre ...................................................................................... 110- 115
Chapter 12 .... Argumentative Writing ...................................................................... 116 - 129
Answers
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Text Types
What Are The Different Text Types?
Writing is purposeful and helps to serve one or a combination of the three main purposes:
1) To inform
2) To persuade
3) To entertain
When you write to inform, you are writing an exposition to explain something. Newspapers or
magazines are examples of expositions.
In persuasion, your primary goal is to win your audience over to your point of view. You do so
by explaining, stating facts, putting forward logical arguments and appealing to expert opinions.
A persuasive piece of writing is called an argument.
In entertaining your audience, you aim to amuse them, perhaps by using interesting or humo_rous
descriptions.
To achieve the above purposes, there are five main text types:
1) Description
4) Argumentation
I.
2) Narration and Recount
5) Mixed Genres
3) Exposition
Description
Purpose: To describe a thing, a person or a place in detail.
Following below are two composition titles of descriptive texts. Descriptive titles usually begin
with the word "Describe" which indicates that you have to write descriptively by appealing to
the readers' senses.
Describe two people whom you admire.
Describe how a local festival is celebrated in your country.
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The table below shows the structure and language features of a descriptive text.
--------------
Structure
Language Features
Identify main features
Present I Past tenses
djectives: charming, intricate, towering
Description of details to build
main impression
Action verbs: parted, cascading
Adverbs: completely
Quiz Time !
Identify what the following description are for :
Thing
Person
You will revel in this thing of
beauty, measuring 11.5 inches
diagonally. You can literally
find the world iri it - Angry
Birds, fearful T-Rex, zillions
of photos and videos, recipes
of the most tantalising food,
adrenaline-pumping games
etc. All these are at the
command of your fi[lgers.­
just press, point�n9 swipe.
Her short dark wavy hair frnmed
a slim, beautiful face with deep0
set eyes that lield a steady and
earnest gaze. Her thin red lips
parted in a charming smile
against the whiteness of her
skin. She was young and happy,
but events that would unfold
soon charred her ast and
ure.
ext
·
, she
Answer:
Place
. the
of a
Answer:
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· Crashing water from a height of
42 metres greets you and you
are enveloped by refreshing eool
mist in the tropical mountain
region. The towering in'trtcat:�
structure is completely clad in
greenery such as peacocl<. ferns,
cacti, moss, lichens and atgae.
It has water cascading from
different heights t:hat wows
visitors
(Guess a place in Sin�apore)
Answer:
2
2.
Narration and Recount
Purpose: To entertain and retell a series of past events.
Narrative titles may consist of single-word questions such as "Fear", "Friendship", "Discipline".
The essay question may also begin with "Write an original story about ... "
[ii Story Time # I
"It's a curious place," Kody mumbled to himself as he swept
off the cobweb from the antique rose wood furniture up in
the attic. Then, his eyes rested on a huge red trunk with a
gold clasp. There were intricate carvings of peonies on it.
Curiously, he unlocked the gold clasp and gingerly lifted the
cover. "Eeeeeeek," the hinges at the back creaked. His heart
was thumping. What if I .find a skeleton in it? he thought. To
his surprise and disappointment, there was ... nothing.
Looking at the big empty space in front of him, Kody had a
brainwave.
While a narrative has a definite story plot with conflicts to be resolved, a recount mainly retells
the events that have happened.
The following are two titles of recount texts:
Write about an occasion when you had to eat humble pie (admit that you are in the wrong
and apologise).
Write about a humorous turn of event at a family gathering.
Climax (Peak)
Sa�in1f rr
Adjectives: huge, red
Remember:
Description and recount texts have to do with real-world events while· narratives are mainly
fictLon.-al such as in nove_-ls or fairy tale.
s.
.
In contrast, expository and argumentative texts mainly deal with ideas and thought processes.
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3.
Exposition
Purpose: To give information on a topic and may involve the use of
e����JQn.
For expository titles we need to discuss the topic, explain concepts, inform readers of facts,
compare and contrast ideas or things, and analyse causes and effects.
Use a formal tone by not using contractions (use "do not" and not "don't) and choosing words
with a more serious feel (use "attractive" instead of "cool").
The following are three titles of expository texts:
Choosing the right secondary school.
What effect does air pollution have on daily life in your country? What steps should be taken,
or are being taken, to deal with it?
What can young people do to combat crime 7
Examples of expository texts:
Why We Need a Healthy Diet
First, cook two cups of rice (serves four
people).
We are what we eat. If we eat unhealthily or
excessively, our health will be ruined.
Next, prepare the ingredients: smash two
pieces of garlic, cut five pre-soaked black
mushroom pieces into strips and dice three
pieces of Chinese sausage.
In contrast, a healthy diet is one that helps
maintain or improve general health. It helps
to lower risks such as obesity, heart disease,
type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cancer.
Heat up the wok and add two tablespoons
of oil. Add in the garlic pieces and fry till
fragrant before adding in the rest of the
ingredients. Saute (toss) the ingredients.
A healthy diet entails increased consumption
of plant foods, particularly fruits, vegetables,
legumes, whole grains and nuts, while
limiting intake of salt, sugar and fats.·
Next, add in the rice, two tablespoons of
black sauce and a pinch of salt. Serve hot.
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share the life lessons
persuade
refuting
opposing arguments.
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Honesty is being truthful in words, actions and attitude. It is an approach to life stemming
from a love for what is right and good and a strong aversion to mislead others even in the
smallest of ways. We may feel daunted by such a strict definition of honesty. One may ask,
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reassured
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foetal
8
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The Eight Parts of Speech
NOUNS
PRONOUNS
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ADJECTIVES
VERBS
ADVERBS
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PREPOSITIONS
CONJUNCTIONS
INTERJECTIONS
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avail.
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just as ... so
hardly ... when
either ... or
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if ... then
what with ... and
whether ... or
not only ... but also
rather ... than
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Most of us were dismayed at the haze. My brother, however, was pleased that
he had the rest of the recruits could rest in their bunks.
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anecdotes
apt
ethnicities
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eerie
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primitive.
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Admittedly
Undoubtly
Likewise
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ringlets
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plastered
scalp
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As soon as I alight from the school bus, I wander around the sprawling
school compound. Outside the general office, a couple of my classmates sit
on the smooth metal benches, whip out their smart phones and pay games
such as "Battlecats" or "Head Soccer". "Bam! Wham! Twang!" Electronic
sounds emit from their devices, and my, how absorbed they are - eyes glues
to the tiny screens, backs erect and thumbs deftly controlling the devices
with their bodies occasionally making corresponding jerking movements. In
contrast some just stand and stare, wearing that "I-wish-I-were-back-in-bed"
look.
Next, I head for the school canteen, a favourite haunt for all hungry
stomachs. The aroma of fried bee hoon, chicken nuggets and hot dogsgreets visitors, tempting us into buying some food to munch on. Seated
murmur of chatter and an occasional clang of utensils. My rumbling stomach
eggs me on to buy a piece of hash brown. The crispy. golden hash brown is
irresistibly delicious although it causes me to feel thirsty. Felling bored, I
head for the parade square.
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Over at the parade square, I breathe in the fresh morning air that
invigorates with a luxuriant growth of trees and grass, the parade square
is like a garden. Here, one can hear the happy chirpings of sparrows and
hornbills. Wriggly worms alternately arch and stretch their bodies up the
rough tree bark just behind a metal bench. Some even dangle like fruits
from the trees and that is really freaky! The worst are the wicked fire ants
which crawl on the concrete, forcing us to "evacuate" to other areas of
the parade square.
By 7.15a.m. most of the students have arrived and the chatter at the
back of the parade square has grown much louder. The earlier quietness
is now completely overtaken by a cacophony of noises. However, with
the hep of the Student Councilors, we manage to settle down. After
assembly, we make our way to the respective classrooms for our
lessons.
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strode
precocious
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Exposition - The Skills
In this chapter, you will learn expository skills: explain, define, give examples, link cause and effect,
classify as well as compare and contrast. We start with an expository essay - "Life".
Life
Cho Ming En
Hwa Chong Institution, Year 1
Life is full of mystery. No one knows what life has in store for us. I feel that life is not just about
living and dying but about enjoying it, adapting to changes and making it meaningful.
First of all, life is the state of existence as a living thing. Thus, all living things, including bacteria,
fungi, animals and plants, have life or are a form of life. For survival, life on Earth has to depend
on food, water and oxygen.
Although food, water and oxygen are essential for life, hope is equally important. With hope,
living things have the will to continue living and working. Many believe that tomorrow will be
a better day and this is considered hope. Some prisoners-of-war in Germany during World War
II managed to survive because they remained hopeful. They believed that they had a chance to
be freed. This is an example of how miraculous hope is. People who are bereft of hqpe may
do silly things like committing suicide to escape from the gruelling reality of life. Tf:ius, hope
sustains life.
Life is also stubborn. The good side of life's stubbornness is life's determination. Life persists to
the end. An example is Aung San Suu Kyi. In 1990 her political party, National teague for
Democaracy, won the election, but she was detained and placed under house arrest for fifteen
years by the Burmese military. She is pro-democracy and is determined to help MyanmatJtA order
to live in Myanmar, she gave up the chance of seeing her late husband who had suffered from
cancer.
It is also in the nature of life to do things that may benefit or harm others. Things
life include pollution, terrorism, poaching, destruction of natural habitats and glob
One of the things that benefit life - especially humans :...._ is science and technolo
has made many things much easier for humans. However, most beneficial things
side. Sadly, technology uses electricity which requires the burning o.f fossil fuels to
This causes the air to become polluted .and fossil fuels to be depleted.
Lastly, many people have goals which they wish to fulfill. These goals are the drivin'.g force of
life. Without them, life would be meaningless. In the case of other living things, we do not know
if they have goals but I think that they live just to grow, reproduce and die.
My hopes are that life would not face any severe threat and that people would treasure their
predous lives. Then the world would become a beautiful and vibrant place filled with life.
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� Story Time #10
Adjusting his belt, the tall man named Guan emerged from the cubicle with nary a look
in Kody's direction.
He went back to the table and sat down beside the shorter man.
"Tomorrow when Kee Guan Import & Export delivers the gold bars, we'll STRIKE," Guan
announced resolutely as he pulled out a piece of paper and scrawled some words on it.
Heng took a look and then nodded. "No worries. I'll tell the men to meet there tomorrow
night at 6 p.m."
"Make sure they are prepared. I want a clean job," Guan looked past Heng, as if into the
future and his lips lifted to give a ghost of a smile.
"Sure, Ko* trust me to organise them," Heng lowered his voice as he leaned towards Guan,
"Tomorrow night, WE shall become the proud owners of 120 gold bars."
Both men broke into a guffaw and slapped each other's back.
Guan then folded the paper and shallowly stuffed it into his pants' pocket.
They stood up and walked towards the staircase landing.
Heaving a sigh of relief, Kody emerged from his hideout.
What have I gotten mysel im ? I travelled back 89 years to stumble upon some crooks!
They seem to be planni
m to? Kody thought in exasperation.
Just then, he spied so
p_icked it up from the
r.
a piece of paper. Kody stooped and
ll man m
lice will not sa
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Should I organise these problems by
types such as physical, emotional,
relationships and studies? Or by age
(early teens and late teens)?
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[i}j Story Time # I I
Kody looked around to make sure that the crooks were gone before he made his way to
the stairs landing. It was a curious wooden building. To the left of the landing was
another living quarter with a balcony and some big pots of flowers. The living quarters
on the second level was a lot dimmer with lots of wooden structures. But there was no
time for Kody to linger. I must find the_local police fast, Kody thought. Quietly, he made
his way down the wooden steps. He poked his head out to check if there was any sight
of the two men. Thankfully, there was none. Finally, he made his way down to the ground
level. Just as his right foot touched the ground, he heard a booming voice behind him.
"WHO ARE YOU?"
Kody jumped in fright.
He turned and came face to face with a fat man wearing a white singlet that barely
covered his round belly protruding above a pair of black shorts. Beside him stood a girl
with two pig tails of about ele.ven years old.
"I - I am just visiting," Kody finally found his voice to reply the fat man.
"Xiao Lan, did you see this boy go up the stairs? We were here the whole afternoon
watching the charcoal stove."
"No ... Pa I don't remember seeing him," the girl blinked her bright byes and looked at
Kody curiously.
'"COME HERE!" ordered the fat man gruffly. "Let me check to see if you have stolen
anything."
Kody had no choice but to move towards the fta man.
"Raise your hands!" instructed the fat man. Kody noticed that his bushy eyebrows
twitched noticeably whenever he spoke loudly.
The fat man patted Kody down and pulled out the Com-Glass' from his pocket.
"WHAT'S THIS?" asked the fat man.
"It's my Com-Glass," Kody tried to answer in a friendly voice:
"It looks like a pair of glasses but it has a few buttons." Xiao Lan mo
the Com-Glass that her father was holdip.g in his hands.
·n e-
As spe pressed the first button,
" an image of a lady appeared on
spoke.
and_
"Ahhl" Xiao Lan let out a frightened ccy and 1et go of the Com-' Glass<
Kody swiftly reached out and caught itjust in time, (Not.that hewasJ1.fraid thatit;,would
br�ak because it was unbreakable.)
in awe.
''Wh.ere are you from?" asked the pot-bellied rnan, looking at Kody if�
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Move on to 2nd part of
question
Expound qualities:
1. Has vision
However, leadership is not limited to world leaders who have achieved celebrity
status. One leader who has a great influence in my life is my cross-country
captain. Zesty and petite, Shalini rallies the team to set our sight on becoming
the best cross-country team in Singapore. She reads up on training programmes
and even gives suggestions to our coach. Being clearly purpose-driven, Shalini is
an inspiration to all the team members. Hence, no matter how hard the training
is, the goal motivates us to keep on persevering. I feel this is a lesson that I can
apply in my studies as well as future endeavours.
2.
Lead by example
A good leader leads by example. Shalini is always early for training and she
pushes herself hard during training. From what we know, she has to work part­
time to supplement her parents' income on top of studying and training hard.
Therefore, whenever we feel the strain of juggling our studies with the training,
the thought of Shalini stops us from giving excuses for putting in mediocre
efforts.
3.
Cares for team
members
Shalini cares for her team members. Those who are absent from training will,
without fail, receive a phone call from her. During training, she looks out for our
safety and welfare. Hence, the whole team is truly united. As the leader, she
makes us feel that each of us is significant.
4.
Strategises
Shal1ni organises team games and she analyses our performance together with
the coach during practice runs and friendly races. I feel she is a strategist who
knows how to win a battle.
Conclusion
She has taught me what effective leadership is all about. I feel that all of us are
leaders in some ways since we often find ourselves in some areas of influence in
other people's lives. I hope to be able to emulate her example of being purpose­
driven, empathetic and strategic in achieving life's goals.
Let us now consider a sample essay of a title that involves a narration of events and an exposition.
Describe an annual event which you enjoy and explain why it is so
important to you [Description and Exposition]
State annual event
The Chinese New Year celebration is an annual event which I enjoy and it is very
important to me.
Narration with
descriptive details
"Gongxi gongxi gongxi ni ... " Strains of familiar Lunar New Year songs can be
heard in most public places and on TV each year around mid-January. Hearing
them reminds me of the arrival of the new year. Even though we do not get to
enjoy the four seasons in equatorial Singapore, the oft-mentioned "spring" in
Chinese New Year songs conjures images of blossoming flowers with an excited
air of anticipation.
Women will usually step up their buying spree during this time - new clothes,
home decor and accessories. There is a sense of renewal and hope that a new
year heralds. My mum and aunts will also be exchanging recipes on the baking
of New Year goodies. As children, we are willing and even happy to try out their
1
experimental products, even if they were somewhat burnt!
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dilated
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The essay below is a student's view on the pros and cons of entrepreneurship. It is fluent and
well-reasoned with appropriate examples.
"Entrepreneurship is living ten years of your life like most people
won't, so that you can spend the rest of your life like most people
can't." Do yol,! agree?
See Yu Yan
CHU St Nicholas Girls' School, Sec 3
Good definition to clarify
key term
Thesis statement
Entrepreneurship is the application of an individual's talent to the resources.
which she has and increasing these resources in the future so that she can
attain success. Entrepreneurship may sound easy; it took a few months for
the custom-made sweet shop, Made In Candy, to become recognised as one
of the n;iost innovative stores in Asia. However, the process is not as easy as
one thinks. Some may have succeeded, but many have failed. That is why
most people prefer to work for others and perhaps, earn a lower pay
and spend the rest of their life in a manner that is not as fascinating
as successful entrepreneurs.
1 st argument The huge
investment of time and
money.
Entrepreneurship requires out-of-pocket money, which might be a lot in order
to carry out market research and business plan developments. Greenhorns
often need professional/corporate advice and tend to approach ma1:1agement
consultants at a fee. An entrepreneur must also be prepared to give up the
luxury of leisure time and the freedom from stress. Business owners are usually
the busiest of all among working people, especially at the beginning of their
business. Most entrepre.neurs agree that the first few years were the hgrdest.
Data collected from numerous interviews have exposed the urban myth of
entrepreneurship and instead revealed the grueling journey behind the alluring
fa�ade. Creativity also decides how well you come up with new ideas and
whether people would want to spend money on it. An innovative idea
increases the chances of one succeeding.
2 nd argument: High
failure rate
Not all entrepreneurs are successful. Many have tried and failed. According
to'Harvard researchers, first-time entrepreneurs have only a 18 percent chance
of succeeding, whfle entrepreneurs who have previously failed have a
20 percent chance of succeeding. The time an_d effort spent will be wasted
and the money spent on promotions goes down 'the drain.
A high profile example
Opposing argument
If one does not have ,:1 backup plan, and his business fails, he would ha11e to
work for someone else and spend the rest of his life just like most other
people. For fnstance, David Murray, a former Google employee with an
appealing six-figure salary, left his job to become an entrepreneur to work
on a smartphone application. However, he failed rn his venture and became
buried in debt. Hence, entrepreneurship might not ?!ways be that easy and
not everyone is able to succeed and lead a different life.
However, many feel that entrepreneurship is able to let one lead a life different
from others. If -an entrepreneur's innovations are unique and customers are
willing to spend their time and money on the products or services, the
entrepreneur becomes famous and earns a lot of money. For example, due
to his successful creation of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg has a net worth of
$9-4 billion. With such an enormous sum of money, he will be able to do
many things that most people cannot aHord to do.
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abruptly.
raid."
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brandishing
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2014 Marshall Cavendish Education Pte Ltd
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2014 Marshall Cavendish Education Pte Ltd
140
JUSIWrite is a handy guide to writing great expository, argumentative,
descriptive and narrative essays. With numerous examples of successful
writing by students from various schools, this guide inspires and equips
students to meet the rigour of the latest English syllabus.
It teaches you how to
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Differentiate different text types and write interesting sentences.
Analyse questions by identifying key words.
Write a gripping introduction using hook, transition and thesis statement.
Organise ideas coherently in the body of the essay.
End the essay with maximum impact.
About the Author
Aletheia Chan, a former school teacher, holds a Master in Educational
Studies and founded Distinction Tutorial School in December 1993. She
also conducts writing workshops.
Most essays are contributed by current and former students of Distinction
Tutorial School. The author's royalties are donated to Ellel Ministries
Singapore, a non-profit Christian healing and counselling centre.
ISBN 978-981-01-9721-6
� Marshall Cavendish
IIA:'IEducation
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