Model Answer: Descriptive Writing (Cambridge International IGCSE English Language)

Assignment 2 of your coursework portfolio is the descriptive writing assignment. The following guide will provide you with a descriptive writing model answer.

Planning your descriptive writing

Let’s take this descriptive writing task as an example of what you could respond to for your coursework:

“Describe trying to sleep before an important day.”

We can use the “panoramic, zoom, single line, shift, shift, panoramic” six-step structure to plan our response:

Descriptive writing model answer

The following model answer demonstrates how to structure, and what to include in, a top-mark response to the above task:

Commentary

• The first paragraph employs contrast and literary techniques to establish an eerie atmosphere of the middle of the night
• The second paragraph zooms in on detail and incorporates movement
• A single sentence is used for contrast and effect
• The motif of the clock is woven throughout the response
• The focus shifts to something “off camera”, using sensory language
• The final paragraph indicates a shift in time and mood
• It contrasts stillness with activity

Summary

• Remember, you are not writing a story, so think of describing a scene as though from behind the lens of a camera
• Employ sensory language, shifts in perspective, figurative language and contrasts to add interest and detail to your writing
• Do not include dialogue
• Vary your sentence and paragraph lengths
• Make sure you add movement to your description