ENGLISH PAPER 1 COMPOSITION

clairey__Ox

Hey lads hope study is going well and everyone is taking it easy, don't worry!

Just a quick question about the essay on P1 on Wednesday, I have a range of very good ideas that I've got 95+/100 on, except on of them (my favourite one, typical!) is based around flash forwards. It worked exceedingly well with a certain title, from last year I think, in which I was able to repeat the line "The waiting was magical..." at the beginning of each new paragraph and flashforward in time.
Am I allowed to repeat a line, if it's not given in the question, but relates to the overall point? Or can I just skip 2 lines, maybe put a "..." in the centre to show a gap in time?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, I'm a bit at a loss here!:o

Canard

I put ***** in to show a gap or change in time/setting - e.g. "I turned around and left."

*****

I lay in bed[...]

cant see why you wouldnt be allowed to do it!

You can repeat lines too, theres a term for it, I meant to learn the name but I forget already :pac: It'd be best if that line was the question though.

Eathrin

What are the key elements of a great short story??
I know, I know, two days before the exam and I'm asking this:o

ChemHickey

Patchy~ wrote: »

I put ***** in to show a gap or change in time/setting - e.g. "I turned around and left.




*****

I lay in bed[...]

cant see why you wouldnt be allowed to do it!

You can repeat lines too, theres a term for it, I meant to learn the name but I forget already :pac: It'd be best if that line was the question though.

If it's at the start of a sentence, it's called Anaphora.

Mysteriouschic

What happens if the title is something ridiculous like last year a modern fairytale. I'd don't think that title will be up again this year.
Or if you have to write the story based on a image and it doesn't fit the story you have prepared. I looked through the titles of all the years my story could fit most of them apart from ones based on images and a few random titles.
Do you just force your story to fit it somehow? or just make a new one up on the spot.

Mysteriouschic

Eathrin wrote: »

What are the key elements of a great short story??
I know, I know, two days before the exam and I'm asking this:o

My notes that my teacher gave us for the elements were:

Credible characters
Credible situation
Location

1. Introduce character
2. Create setting - atmosphere
3. The story must move a long.
Obstacles - can have a climax or a series of obstacles.
4. Characters must change
5. Resolution

clairey__Ox

Mysteriouschic wrote: »

What happens if the title is something ridiculous like last year a modern fairytale. I'd don't think that title will be up again this year.
Or if you have to write the story based on a image and it doesn't fit the story you have prepared. I looked through the titles of all the years my story could fit most of them apart from ones based on images and a few random titles.
Do you just force your story to fit it somehow? or just make a new one up on the spot.

Well last years fairytale is the one I actually wrote it on, I just made greater use of the line provided "The waiting had been magical"!
I have about 5/6 stories that are completely contrasting that have fit every title so far, Im just unsure if I'm technically allowed use the style I use in some of them, which is the flashforward or repeated sentence.
I dont think I'd be able to get such high marks with one I made completely in the spot, I'd be grand for a while but my resolution would probably just end in mid air :pac:
You could probably fit one of your stories into the image Q if you're REALLY imaginative :P Friend of mine did one on a picture of a man on a phone, really business like and in an office setting, and managed to turn it into a man receiving a call on the day of 9/11.


And thanks Patchy for the help!

Mysteriouschic

clairey__Ox wrote: »

Well last years fairytale is the one I actually wrote it on, I just made greater use of the line provided "The waiting had been magical"!
I have about 5/6 stories that are completely contrasting that have fit every title so far, Im just unsure if I'm technically allowed use the style I use in some of them, which is the flashforward or repeated sentence.
I dont think I'd be able to get such high marks with one I made completely in the spot, I'd be grand for a while but my resolution would probably just end in mid air :pac:
You could probably fit one of your stories into the image Q if you're REALLY imaginative :P Friend of mine did one on a picture of a man on a phone, really business like and in an office setting, and managed to turn it into a man receiving a call on the day of 9/11.


And thanks Patchy for the help!

I guess I could sort of fit it into the title. It might not fit the purpose I was intending for with the story. I didn't add romance into my story.

Canard

No problem

Image prompts always confuse me. I did one once on an old man and a little girl playing chess or something and just wrote about a girl's day at her grandparents house and got 91/100, despite the purpose they wanted being a little unclear...and another time it was inspired by the picture captioned "make-believe" with a little boy in a fireman costume and I wrote about a futuristic virtual reality game (94/100 ) but I dont see how that fits a purpose. It seems to basically be free reign? :pac:

Wanchor

Eathrin wrote: »

What are the key elements of a great short story??
I know, I know, two days before the exam and I'm asking this:o

As my English teacher always said:

Put a man up a tree, throw rocks at him and then take him back down.

lucasleiva

would you loose marks for copying the plot of a movie?

finality

lucasleiva wrote: »

would you loose marks for copying the plot of a movie?

Depends how well known the movie is. You write Harry Potter, and you probably will lose marks.

ChemHickey

finality wrote: »

lucasleiva wrote: »

would you loose marks for copying the plot of a movie?

Depends how well known the movie is. You write Harry Potter, and you probably will lose marks.

Just rewrite hamlet...

Works every time B-)

reznov

ChemHickey wrote: »

Just rewrite hamlet...

Works every time B-)

Rewrite the Twilight series.

Gain marks instantly.

Cruel Sun

lucasleiva wrote: »

would you loose marks for copying the plot of a movie?

I have a good movie in mind, hopefully they won't have heard of it.

ChemHickey

reznov wrote: »

ChemHickey wrote: »

Just rewrite hamlet...

Works every time B-)

Rewrite the Twilight series.

Gain marks instantly.

Nice psychology- people will write them now, lose marks for utter hatred on part of correctors and we'd walk away with the a1s. smooth.

Astrozombies

I'd just like to say a big thank you to my English teacher for never getting us to write short stories in class or at home.... now I have no idea what to do for the compostion! yikes!
I've a grand imagination though, but Ill plan on tomorrow for it.
Mostly likely will take the plot of an unknown movie, that can be twisted and moulded to fit whatever, find a decent resolution and shtick in an inspiring quote if I can!
feck.

Dapics

I once wrote a short story thats a cross between the matrix and pulp fiction.... anyone here planning on making a short story up on the day? I aint got the patience to learn off 4 pages of a short story word for word

deathbythelc

Can we use song quotes to put at the beginning? 'Cause they're the only quotes I know that'd fit a short story. :rolleyes:

Dapics

deathbythelc wrote: »

Can we use song quotes to put at the beginning? 'Cause they're the only quotes I know that'd fit a short story. :rolleyes:

You could make up any qoute and just give a random persons name... the examiner isn't going to check.

Togepi

Are the short stories marked easier than the other essays? I was always sure they were, but then people were saying they were marked harder.

Dapics

Togepi wrote: »

Are the short stories marked easier than the other essays? I was always sure they were, but then people were saying they were marked harder.

It's all down to luck mate... i would think they would be marked harder as most of the time people who do them have already learnt them off before the exam so they will be pretty much perfect....i dunno, thats the way i look at it. For me it depends on the batch of exam papers the examiner will recieve.... some will have hardly any short stories, others batches will have a lot.... just my opinion

ChemHickey

Dapics wrote: »

I once wrote a short story thats a cross between the matrix and pulp fiction.... anyone here planning on making a short story up on the day? I aint got the patience to learn off 4 pages of a short story word for word

I'm making it up too! unless there is a light hearted article, I like those!

silversky

Togepi wrote: »

Are the short stories marked easier than the other essays? I was always sure they were, but then people were saying they were marked harder.

They're marked harder because they're the most popular choice. It also depends on how much your short story stands out from the others.

Dapics

ChemHickey wrote: »

I'm making it up too! unless there is a light hearted article, I like those!

Aye something to do with music, literature or creativity would suit me perfect.

Im generally very good at speeches... it depends on what ones come up, i usually just make up qoutes and attribute them to random generated names :cool:

Togepi

They're the most popular choice?

WHHAAAAAATT?!?!

*Explodes*

Seriously I thought they were the least popular, maybe after the article. Although they come up more often than any other, so I suppose it kind of makes sense. :cool:

Mysteriouschic

Wasn't the personal essay the most popular?

silversky

According to the Edco exam papers the short story is the most popular followed by the personal essay.