IGCSEEnglish LanguageEdexcelEnglish Language APaper 2: Poetry and Prose Texts and Imaginative WritingRevision NotesPaper 2: FictionPaper 2: Section B WritingDescriptive Writing Model Answer

Descriptive Writing Model Answer (Edexcel IGCSE English Language A): Revision Note

Exam code: 4EA1

Deb Orrock

Written by: Deb Orrock

Reviewed by: Kate Lee

Updated on

Descriptive Writing Model Answer

In Section B of Paper 2, you will be given the choice of three titles or tasks. Question 2 will always ask you to “write about a time when you, or someone you know…” This is the task that most lends itself to a piece of descriptive writing. While descriptive writing will contain elements of narration, and vice versa, it is important to be aware that there is a distinction between the two styles of writing and you must shape your responses accordingly. You should therefore consider all three choices before selecting the one you feel will best allow you to demonstrate your skills as a writer.

The following guide will provide you with a descriptive writing model answer. It is divided into:

  • Planning your descriptive writing

  • Descriptive writing model answer

  • Top tips for descriptive writing

Planning your descriptive writing

Once you have decided on your choice of task from the options, you should spend 5–10 minutes planning your writing.

Let’s take this writing task as an example:

“Write about a time when you, or someone you know, tried to sleep before an important day.”

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

Stage

Suggested techniques and details

Step 1

Panoramic

  • Introduce motif of clock

  • Dark outside, contrasting with light and stillness

  • Describe what I can hear and feel

Step 2

Zoom

  • Focus on a fly — add movement and sound

Step 3

Single line

  • Turn over/re-adjust bedding

Step 4

Shift

  • Focus on what is going on in my mind

  • Use imagery to convey inner thoughts

Step 5

Shift

  • Describe what can be heard outside in the street

Step 6

Panoramic

  • Wake up — must have fallen asleep

  • Describe changes in light and atmosphere

  • Return to motif of clock — late

Descriptive writing model answer

Descriptive writing model answer

The following model answer demonstrates a top-mark response to the above task:

The soft glow from the digital display flickered as the minutes sluggishly passed. The pale green cast an eerie shadow across my bed, while outside was as dark as a raven’s pupil. The streetlight outside of the window had blown its bulb and towered, redundantly, over the pavement. Nothing moved, apart from me, anxiously turning and fidgeting my blankets into a tangle. I heard a faint hum from downstairs; the sound of the dishwasher automatically starting, churning and rumbling the plates from dinner until they sparkled. My mind churned like the machine, impossible to turn off now it had started. I checked the clock again. The night felt endless. [Marking comment]


I shuffled over to turn on the light. Silhouetted against the inside of a shade, a fly lazily crept to the top, balancing on the rim like a tiny tightrope walker. I watched as it fluttered its wings slightly, before it took off in a frenzy of buzzing around the top of my bed, going nowhere in particular. I wondered what its purpose was. Why was it here? It hummed close to my face and I swatted it away gruffly. It landed back on the rim, satisfied with its little flurry of activity, as I reached over to turn off the light again. [Marking comment]

I straightened out my blankets and turned again. [Marking comment]


The clock’s mechanical glow informed me that only a few minutes had passed. [Marking comment] I sighed and attempted to still my mind. I had numbers, facts and figures spiralling down a rabbit hole in my mind, becoming jumbled and muddled. I could see the dim outlines of my post-it notes, meticulously written and ordered, with all of the information I could ever need neatly written in my careful handwriting. But now all of that order had turned to chaos, as I struggled to remember even the simplest of equations. I needed to get some sleep, but my brain point-blank refused to let me.


Outside, I heard the sudden honking of a horn and a dog’s incessant barking. Voices muffled by wall and curtain were just about audible, sounding like they were being spoken through a thick soup of fog. A car door slammed; the dog’s barking became increasingly urgent. Voices raised again, before another slam and the roar of an engine increased and then faded out as the car disappeared down the street. [Marking comment] The dog stopped barking and all was still once again. I stared at my curtains, considering whether to go downstairs to make myself a drink.


The light was different now. The glow from the clock was less lurid, more muted, and the darkness of the room less extreme. [Marking comment] I lazily looked up at my curtains once again, and my mind registered that the soft light of day had altered the atmosphere in the room from one of suspended animation to one of action. I turned over and saw the time. Like a jack-in-the-box, I jumped wildly out of bed. What was, just a few seconds ago, stillness and peace, was now urgency and panic. I was late. [Marking comment]

Top tips for descriptive writing

  • Think of describing a scene as though from behind the lens of a camera

  • Spend 5–10 minutes planning your writing, using the suggested six-step structure above

  • Allow five minutes to re-read and check your writing for any obvious mistakes with spelling, grammar or punctuation

  • Employ sensory language, shifts in perspective, figurative language and contrasts to add interest and detail to your writing

  • Do not include dialogue, or limit its use

  • Vary your sentence and paragraph lengths

  • Make sure you add movement to your description

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    Author
    Reviewer
    Deb Orrock

    Author: Deb Orrock

    Expertise: English Content Creator

    Deb is a graduate of Lancaster University and The University of Wolverhampton. After some time travelling and a successful career in the travel industry, she re-trained in education, specialising in literacy. She has over 16 years’ experience of working in education, teaching English Literature, English Language, Functional Skills English, ESOL and on Access to HE courses. She has also held curriculum and quality manager roles, and worked with organisations on embedding literacy and numeracy into vocational curriculums. She most recently managed a post-16 English curriculum as well as writing educational content and resources.

    Kate Lee

    Reviewer: Kate Lee

    Expertise: English Content Creator

    Kate has over 12 years of teaching experience as a Head of English and as a private tutor. Having also worked at the exam board AQA and in educational publishing, she's been writing educational resources to support learners in their exams throughout her career. She's passionate about helping students achieve their potential by developing their literacy and exam skills.