Communicate clearly, effectively and imaginatively, selecting and adapting tone, style and register for different forms, purposes and audiences
Organise information and ideas, using structural and grammatical features to support coherence and cohesion of texts
Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation
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It is important to remember that writers plan their texts deliberately to make the reader respond in certain ways, and think and feel certain things. This task in Question 5 asks you to think about how you can effectively engage your reader and produce a cohesive piece of creative writing.
When you reach Question 5, you will already have read an example of creative writing. You can use the ideas and structure to inform your answer. You should spend some time thinking about the question: not only the content, but also the order of your ideas. An effective piece of creative writing considers plot, setting and characterisation .
In your answer you must:
Question 5 tests your ability to create a text which is constructed in an appropriate manner.
The creative writing question assesses your skill in crafting a convincing piece of creative writing or short story. The question will be worded according to a specific task, for example:
It is worth remembering that you will be given a choice of two tasks in the exam: one will be a creative writing task, and the other will be a descriptive writing task. One will also give you a picture as a prompt for your piece of writing, but this could be to write a story or a description, so it is important that you read both options carefully.
Below are some points on how you might approach the task “Write a story with the title ‘Abandoned’”. It is divided into plot, setting and characterisation.
This task asks you to write a short story. This means you are required to plan your response carefully as you have limited time to create a cohesive plot. It is best to plan how your story will end before you begin writing so that you are in control of your story. Writing a response which has not been planned is likely to have an abrupt ending, or no ending at all, which does not satisfy readers or get you high marks. Your character development will lead the plot; you should decide if your story ends with a clear resolution or with a cliffhanger. Your resolution could be happy, or you can create a tragic ending.
There are lots of different narrative structures or arcs you could use to plan your story. Bearing in mind you only have 45 minutes, including planning time, your story needs to be controlled and concise. One of the easiest ways to achieve this is to consider Freytag’s Pyramid:
| Stick to one main setting and start at the location: |
Hook your reader: | |
Decide which narrative perspective and tense you are going to write your story in: | |
Employ the five senses to create an atmosphere: | |
This paragraph could end with an “inciting incident”, which prompts the rising action and moves the story forward | |
| This paragraph should build tension, drama or interest: |
This paragraph should also develop your character(s): | |
This is the turning point of your story: | |
Your protagonist could face an external problem, or an internal choice or dilemma: | |
You should vary your sentence structure, length and language here for dramatic effect | |
What happens in this paragraph should be as a direct result of the climax paragraph: | |
It also should focus on your characters’ thoughts and feelings as a result of the climax of the story: | |
You can choose to resolve your story, or end on a cliff-hanger: | |
Your setting and atmosphere could reflect a change from the setting or atmosphere you established in your opening paragraph: |
As this task assesses the ability to communicate clearly, effectively and imaginatively, it is important to consider how to use language constructively in a short story to convey an atmosphere or mood. Building an effective setting is key as it contributes to atmosphere and mood.
Remember, Question 5 requires an extended written response. Therefore, the most effective stories will demonstrate a well-planned response which has considered what information is relevant to the reader and the most effective way to order and structure the narrative.
This question asks you to create a short story and therefore you will need to build some elements of detailed characterisation. This means you need to consider what your character(s) represent. They may represent an idea, such as being the victim of abandonment, or as a villain to represent injustice or evil. It is best to limit yourself to two characters in the time you have.
Well-rounded characters are taken on a journey in which a character undergoes some form of development or change. The mark scheme rewards answers which clearly and effectively convey ideas, meaning that you need to consider the most effective ways of building a character in a short piece of writing. Ideally, you should focus more on indirect characterisation than direct characterisation:
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Here, we will consider how to effectively plan your character(s) to engage your reader. This is what the examiner is looking for in your answer:
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| Your character’s appearance may not always be relevant: , remember that it is rare we describe our own appearance perspective can describe appearance more effectively |
| One of the most effective ways to describe a character is through their movements: and can be used to effectively build characterisation |
| If you use the perspective, a monologue helps readers engage with the character: will help your reader understand your character better |
| Dialogue can convey the relationships between your characters and provide insights into what other characters think about each other: |
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Sam is a graduate in English Language and Literature, specialising in journalism and the history and varieties of English. Before teaching, Sam had a career in tourism in South Africa and Europe. After training to become a teacher, Sam taught English Language and Literature and Communication and Culture in three outstanding secondary schools across England. Her teaching experience began in nursery schools, where she achieved a qualification in Early Years Foundation education. Sam went on to train in the SEN department of a secondary school, working closely with visually impaired students. From there, she went on to manage KS3 and GCSE English language and literature, as well as leading the Sixth Form curriculum. During this time, Sam trained as an examiner in AQA and iGCSE and has marked GCSE English examinations across a range of specifications. She went on to tutor Business English, English as a Second Language and international GCSE English to students around the world, as well as tutoring A level, GCSE and KS3 students for educational provisions in England. Sam freelances as a ghostwriter on novels, business articles and reports, academic resources and non-fiction books.
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Resource type: Assessment and revision
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A set of twenty practice exam questions designed for Creative Writing Question 5, AQA 2015 Specification for English Language GCSE (Paper 1, Section B). Each question is an either/or, containing one picture based prompt, and one regular prompt. All questions are formatted similarly to the AQA specimen papers. Licensing for images provided by Unsplash.
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Below, you’ll find a list of narrative and descriptive questions for AQA GCSE English Language, Paper 1 Section B. These questions can also be used more generally as narrative and descriptive prompts for those exploring the craft of creative writing, or studying an alternate GCSE or IGCSE exam board.
Thanks for reading! For all English Language and Literature courses, click here .
AQA GCSE English Language Paper 1
AQA GCSE English Language Paper 2
Write a description of a mysterious place, as suggested by this picture:(2020)
Write a story about an event that cannot be explained. (2020)
Write a story about a magical world as suggested by this picture:
Different Types of Essay Questions
The picture shows a young child in pyjamas, who is standing beside a window, holding a snow globe. The snow globe is lighting up the child’s face. (2019)
Describe a place you think is beautiful. (2019)
Write a story about a time when things turned out unexpectedly. (2018)
Write a description of an old person as suggested by this picture: (2018)
Write a story with the title ‘Discovery’. (2017)
Write a story, set in a mountainous area, as suggested by this picture: (2017)
Write a story about two people from very different backgrounds. (2016)
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Getting a good GCSE creative writing plot going can be difficult, here are some ideas to help you out.
Ahead of your exams, here are a selection of GCSE creative writing ideas and prompts to hopefully provide some inspiration.
Prompt: In an old, dusty attic, a teenager discovers a mysterious pocket watch that doesn’t seem to tell the correct time.
Potential Story Directions:
Prompt: Behind the overgrown ivy in the school's garden, a student finds a door that wasn't there before.
Prompt: A character receives a mysterious message in a bottle on the beach, written in a cryptic language.
Prompt: A night guard at a museum notices that the exhibits come to life after midnight.
Prompt: A pianist discovers an old, unplayed piano in a neglected music room that plays a melody no one seems to recognize.
Each of these prompts offers a starting point for creative exploration, allowing students to develop their storytelling skills in imaginative and engaging ways.
Prompt: Astronauts on a mission to a distant planet encounter a bizarre, otherworldly storm.
Prompt: A teenager suddenly discovers they have a supernatural ability.
Prompt: A story that mirrors a significant real-life experience involving friendship or a pet.
Prompt: A character discovers a way to travel through time.
Prompt: A natural disaster of unprecedented scale threatens humanity.
Prompt: A detective starts investigating a complex and mysterious murder.
Prompt: Modernize a classic fable or story, such as the Boy Who Cried Wolf, in a contemporary setting.
Prompt: Two characters from vastly different worlds fall in love, against all odds.
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Here are our top tips for acing any creative writing exam!
1. HAVE A BANK OF STORY PLOT LINES READY
One of our top tips for any creative writing exam, is to have a bank of easily adapted plot ideas up your sleeve. Time is precious in an exam and you need to spend minimal time thinking, leaving you with the maximum amount of time to crack on with your writing!
2. DON'T MAKE YOUR PLOT LINES COMPLICATED
Don’t make your plot too complicated- only one thing needs to happen- just DESCRIBE ONE TEN MINUTE MOMENT. If your story was turned into a film, it would be a 10 minute scene, not a 2 hour film! Keep it simple!
3. DESCRIBE DON'T EXPLAIN
This point carries on from point 2. When you have a complicated plot then you end up explaining and summarising. What any teacher or examiner wants to see in a story is description. One moment described very slowly, in lots of detail.
4. DON'T BE AFRAID TO 'MAGPIE' IDEAS
'Magpieing' is a phrase that teachers use to describe using other people's ideas for story writing. Authors do it all the time! Nothing needs to be original! If you hear a great phrase in a book that you are reading, use it in a story!
5. SHOW DON'T TELL
'Show don't tell' is phrase that teachers use all the time, when teaching creative writing. It means, don't TELL me that the character is nervous; SHOW me that they are nervous by describing their sweaty palms and butterflies flutterin g in their tummy.
6. PAINT A PICTURE IN THE READER'S MIND
If you write a simple sentence such as, 'The man walked down the road', you will conjure up different images in different reader's minds! Is it a tall man or a short man? Is he walking angrily or happily? Add description to paint the same picture in the reader's mind, as you have in your own!
7. USE POWERFUL VERBS
The difference between an ok story and a great story, usually comes down to verb choices. Every sentence must contain a verb, so why not use powerful verb choices! For example, 'said' is a boring verb. Swap it for a verb such as 'mumbled' or 'screeched' to add more description!
8. PERSONIFICATION
Personification is a writing technique, where an object is described like a person. The effect is that it tells you the mood of the story- how the characters are feeling. In a happy story, the sun might be smiling but if the mood of the story is angry, the sun might be scowling!
9. SIMILES AND METAPHORS
Similes and metaphors are both types of comparisons. We use these comparisons to exaggerate a quality. Similes use the word LIKE or AS- ' He ran as fast as a racing car' or 'He zoomed like a racing car'. A metaphor does not contain like or as- 'He was a racing car zooming.'
10. ALLITERATION
Alliteration is when words near or next to each other start with the same sound. An alliterative phrase like, 'flickering, firey flames' is effective because the repetition of the F sound emphasises the sound of the fire. This is a great way to add marks in an exam!
11. ONOMATOPOEIA
We always want to describe using our senses, and onomatopoeic words describe sounds. Using sounds as verbs in a sentence, for example, BANGING, CRASHED, RUSTLING, SCREECHED, is a great way to add extra marks in a creative writing exam.
12. AVOID REPETITION
Avoid repetition! Make sure that you vary the first word in every sentence- sometimes start with a verb, sometimes start with a preposition, sometimes sart with an adverb... Do NOT always start with He/ She/ The! Also, vary your sentence length- some short, some medium, some long.
13. GREAT WAYS TO START A STORY
Think carefully about the first sentence in your story, and more importantly the first WORD! Do not start with ‘Once upon a time’ or ‘One day’. Starting with a subordinating conjunction like ‘As’ or ‘While’, is a great way to open a story as you are instantly giving the reader additional information to paint a picture of the scene in their minds.
14. PREPOSITIONS
Use prepositions in your sto ry- particularly at the start of sentences. Prepositions are words that tell us WHEN or WHERE. Prepositions that show where, are particularly good when describing a setting. It allows you to be precise and to paint a picture in the reader's mind.
15. AVOID DIRECT SPEECH
Do not overuse direct speech- it tends to explain rather than describe. Direct speech can be a great way to start a story and it is effective in establishing relationships between the characters- but use it no more than twice. You will get a mark for correct punctuation but don’t waste dozens of lines on one mark!
16. USE THE ACRONYM MAPSO
Use the acronym MAPSO as a checklist to ensure that you have used a variety of techniques in your story. There are lots of acronyms out there, but I like MAPSO the best- it’s short, easy to remember and covers the 5 most important techniques- Metaphor, Alliteration, Personification, Simile, Onomatopoeia.
17. DESCRIBE ACTIONS NOT FEELINGS
Avoid using these phrases in a story- they FELT, they THOUGHT, they WONDERED, they REALISED, they DECIDED… all of these phrases TELL the reader and what we want to do is SHOW. The reader is able to work out for themselves what the character is thinking and feeling from the description of their ACTIONS.
18. WHO/ WHERE/ WHEN/ WHAT/ WHY/ HOW
By the end of the first paragraph, make sure that the reader has an idea of WHO your character is, WHERE they are, WHEN it is (time of day/ season), WHAT they are doing when the story begins, HOW they are doing it (the mood) and WHY (it does not matter what order you put this information in).
19. PLANNING
The key thing is to keep your plan short- spend no more than 2 minutes- it doesn’t matter if your plan is messy and you shouldn’t write in full sentences. A five part plan is ideal (just a few words for each section) as 5 paragraphs is about the right length for a story written in a half hour exam.
20. CHECK SPELLING AND PUNCTUATION
Always leave yourself a few minutes at the end of the exam to check for silly mistakes!
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In Paper 1 Question 5 you will be presented with a choice of two writing tasks and a stimulus image. One task will ask you to write descriptively, most likely based on the image, and the other question will ask you to write a story, based on a statement or title. The task requires you to write for a specific purpose and in a specific form.
Unit 2 Reading and Writing: Description, Narration and Exposition gives two prompts to choose between, for an account and an essay perhaps, and Unit 3: Reading and Writing: Argumentation, Persuasion and Instructional sets up a letter, or similar. Jump ahead to WJEC Eduqas non-fiction writing prompts from past GCSE papers.
Overview of Paper 1 Question 5. Paper 1 Question 5 is the writing question. It asks you to apply what you know about imaginative and creative fiction writing, such as in the text you read in Section A, and use these same techniques in your own writing. AO5 rewards you for your ideas, as well as the style and the fluency of your writing.
Section A: Reading. Answer all questions in this section. You are advised to spend about 45 minutes on this section. 0 1. Read again the first part of the source, from lines 1 to 4. List four things about Rosie from this part of the source. [4 marks] 0 2. Look in detail at this extract, from lines 14 to 23 of the source:
Question Format. For Question 5 in the AQA GCSE English Language exam, you have a choice of two questions to answer. You can either write a description based on an image, or you can write a story with a title relevant to the theme of the paper. On the right is an example question in the same format that you will find in your exam.
The marks for questions are shown in brackets. The maximum mark for this paper is 80. There are 40 marks for Section A and 40 marks for Section B. You are reminded of the need for good English and clear presentation in your answers. You will be assessed on the quality of your reading in Section A. You will be assessed on the quality of your ...
This resource is a PDF file containing 50 original prompts and questions for teaching/practising creative writing.Each page is one 'AQA Language Paper 1, Question 5'-style question, with a choice of a descriptive or narrative response.. There are a range of images, some more abstract and challenging than others, to suit students of all abilities.
Choosing an unusual narrator can make your writing more original, but just as important is the tone or the voice you adopt. Read this opening to the novel High Fidelity by Nick Hornby. My desert-island, all time, top five most memorable split-ups, in chronological order: 1) Alison Ashworth 2) Penny Hardwick 3) Jackie Allen 4) Charlie Nicholson
Don't just stick to full stops and commas in your writing. As long as you use it correctly, get creative with the types of punctuation you use in your answer for a higher AO6 mark. For example, exclamation marks and question marks to create a more conversational tone between the author and the reader. Hyphens, brackets and colons are just a ...
Practise GCSE Creative Writing Questions with our Whole Unit Pack, featuring all eight of our Creative Writing lessons designed for GCSE English Language students. With each lesson pack included and relevant supplementary resources, this resource contains absolutely everything you need to develop your students' creative writing skills. Show more.
Written By Lottie Ingham. Creative writing can be fun but it can also seem daunting in an assessment setting. Have a go at a Question 5 Paper 1 question using the planning sheet below to help build your ideas. Download Worksheet. Want to submit your full creative writing piece for marking?
A set of twenty practice exam questions designed for Creative Writing Question 5, AQA 2015 Specification for English Language GCSE (Paper 1, Section B). Each question is an either/or, containing one picture based prompt, and one regular prompt. All questions are formatted similarly to the AQA specimen papers.
How to answer AQA Language Paper 1 Question 5.It's time for creative writing! In this episode, I'll give you all the ingredients theexaminer is looking for i...
Write a story about a time when things turned out unexpectedly. (2018) Write a description of an old person as suggested by this picture: (2018) Write a story with the title 'Discovery'. (2017) Write a story, set in a mountainous area, as suggested by this picture: (2017) Write a story about two people from very different backgrounds. (2016)
Lastly, it's important to stay calm and confident during your exam. Stress and anxiety can hinder your creativity and writing ability. Practice relaxation techniques and believe in your preparation to help you stay focused and composed during the exam. Remember, creative writing is an opportunity to express yourself and let your imagination run ...
Example Questions: Paper 1. Let's take a look at some sample questions …. "Describe a mysterious event.". (includes 16 marks for the range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate use of spelling and punctuation) (40 marks) "Write a description based on this image.".
Retold Fable. Prompt: Modernize a classic fable or story, such as the Boy Who Cried Wolf, in a contemporary setting. Potential Story Directions: The story could be set in a modern city, exploring current social issues. It might be told from a different perspective, offering a fresh take on the moral of the story.
GCSE Creative Writing Tip 3: Ambitious Adjectives. Now, add some ambitious adjectives to add. further detail and information. e.g. Deafeningly, the large, boisterous crowd screamed Beyoncé's name. Why? This builds upon the image, adding extra information to help the reader imagine what is happening.
1. HAVE A BANK OF STORY PLOT LINES READY. One of our top tips for any creative writing exam, is to have a bank of easily adapted plot ideas up your sleeve. Time is precious in an exam and you need to spend minimal time thinking, leaving you with the maximum amount of time to crack on with your writing! 2.
To enhance your children's GCSE creative writing skills, allocate time for practice. Plan a structure for creative writing to guide children in organising their thoughts and managing time during the GCSE exam. Apply this structure to various exam questions, such as short stories or describing events.