The Facts

Worth: 40 marks

AO Tested: AO5 (24 marks) and AO6 (16 marks)

Suggested Time: 45 minutes

What will you need to do?

Choose one of the two possible tasks, both requiring you to write an engaging and imaginative fiction piece. This could be based on real experiences or entirely fictional. Your response should match the specified purpose, audience, and form in the task. One task will include two images, which you can use as inspiration, but using them is optional.

Top Tips:

• Plan Your Structure: Take two minutes to outline your piece to ensure it's well-organised.
• Showcase Your Writing Skills: Use a variety of vocabulary, sentence structures, and literary devices to make your writing engaging.
• Read the Question Carefully: Make sure your response aligns with the requirements of the task.
• Focus on Technical Accuracy: Pay close attention to spelling, punctuation, and grammar, as 16 marks are dedicated to technical accuracy.

In this question, you're asked to write a piece that brings a scene to life using descriptive techniques. This is your chance to be creative and show your skills in imagery, word choice, and structure. Your goal is to make the reader feel as if they are experiencing the scene through your writing.

"The sky hung heavy with dark, brooding clouds, their edges lit briefly by distant flashes of lightning. The roar of the waves echoed across the deserted beach, blending with the angry rumble of thunder."

"Each wave crashed onto the shore with a violent hiss, scattering droplets into the frigid air. A lone, twisted piece of driftwood lay half-buried in the sand, its smooth surface glistening under the faint, silvery light filtering through the clouds."

"The wind clawed at everything in its path, whipping through the tangled seaweed strewn across the beach and whistling sharply through the empty lifeguard stand. There was a bitter, salty tang in the air, thick and heavy, clinging to the back of the throat."

"As the storm drew closer, a sudden, piercing bolt of lightning split the sky, illuminating the beach for one fleeting second, before darkness settled back, as silent and unyielding as the tide."

The forest lay still under a blanket of mist, as dawn's first light crept through the tangle of trees. Soft beams of sunlight filtered through the canopy, casting patches of gold on the damp, earthy floor below. A faint, sweet smell of pine mingled with the sharper scent of dew-covered leaves, filling the air with a freshness that whispered of new beginnings.

Somewhere, a lone bird called out, its song echoing softly through the quiet woods, while tiny drops of dew glistened on each blade of grass, like scattered diamonds in the early light. The moss underfoot felt cool and spongy, a soft carpet that muffled each step. The branches above formed a delicate lattice, their leaves stirring gently with the morning breeze, as if nature itself were slowly awakening.

In the centre of a clearing, an ancient oak stood, its gnarled branches stretching outward like welcoming arms, rough bark scarred by the passage of time. A squirrel darted up its trunk, a brief flurry of movement before it disappeared into the branches. For a moment, everything seemed to pause – the quiet hush of the forest, the cool kiss of the dawn air – and time itself felt as still and eternal as the ancient trees.