How to Answer Section B: Writing (WJEC Eduqas GCSE English Language)
Revision Note
How to Answer Section B: Writing
Section B of Component 1 is called “Creative Prose Writing”. You are required to write one piece of creative prose, and you will be offered a choice of four titles. The titles are designed to give you the opportunity to write a well constructed, coherent and concise story of between 450–600 words, which is approximately 2–3 sides of A4.
This task is worth 40 marks, so you need to be well prepared for it. You should allow 45 minutes to complete your creative prose writing, including planning and checking time.
The following guide includes:
Choosing a creative writing title
Characteristics of a successful piece of creative prose writing
Choosing a creative writing title
Eduqas does not give you a picture prompt for your creative writing piece. However, the four titles you will be offered on the exam paper are deliberately quite broad and are designed to ensure that there will be something you can construct a story around.
For example:
Write a story which begins: “Everyone said you should never go back, but I could not resist...” | Write a story which begins: “I wish I had never agreed to this, but it was too late to go back now.” | Write a story which begins: “He hoped he would have the strength to do what was right.” |
Write a story which ends: “...and that was the worst job of my life.” | Write a story which ends: “...and on that day, I learned my lesson.” | Write a story which ends: “...and I knew then that I had no choice.” |
Write about a time when you broke the rules | Write about a time when you had to make a choice | Write about a time when you felt ashamed of yourself |
The Wedding | The Choice | A New Beginning |
You should try to write about something you are familiar with, or that you can base on personal experience. What is important is that you keep the timeline of your story, the number of characters and the number of “events” manageable. This means:
Stick to one setting:
Begin your story in the “action”
Too long spent on a long, rambling build up will not get you high marks and suggests to the examiner that you have not thought out the structure of your story
Stick to no more than two characters:
It is generally easier to put yourself as the main character, so write in the first person using “I”
Stick to one main event:
The main event does not have to be dramatic, or involve explosions or natural disasters
The best stories are relatable and come from personal experience
Exam Tip
Do not be tempted to use the plot of a film as the basis for your story. You cannot successfully recreate this in 2–3 sides of A4. Likewise, avoid fantastical tales featuring dragons or clichés such as ghost stories. Simple and believable is best. You can then concentrate on the details, making the language you use ambitious and imaginative. This will get you higher marks.
Your story has to link clearly to one of the four titles, and you should write which title you have chosen at the top of your answer booklet. In general, the title which asks you to end your story with a specific phrase is the hardest to control; if you choose this option, it is important that you have a clear sense of the overall structure of your story before you start writing so that the ending does not feel disjointed.
Exam Tip
You can prepare and practise a story in advance of the exam. This gives you the opportunity to work on crafting a really tightly structured, accurate and coherent piece of writing, based on a single setting, event and no more than two characters. You can then “learn” your story and reproduce it in the exam. However, if you decide to take this approach, it is crucial that you give careful consideration to how you adapt your practised story to fit one of the titles before you start writing. The examiners will not reward obviously pre-prepared stories which have no relevance to your chosen title.
Characteristics of a successful piece of creative prose writing
In Section B, you are assessed on the following two assessment objectives:
Assessment objective | What this means to get the highest marks |
|---|---|
AO5 (24 marks): 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 |
|
AO6 (16 marks): Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation |
|
A successful piece of creative prose writing therefore should:
Have a clear and sustained link to the chosen title
Have enough detail and development to give the story a feeling of authenticity
Have a clear sense of purpose and direction
Engage the reader throughout
Develop and sustain effective characterisation
Be convincing
Use effective vocabulary choices
Have accurate spelling and punctuation (the basics should be consistently accurate)
Have a plot that is easy to follow
Have a clear and satisfying ending
Only use dialogue when it moves the plot forward and has a clear purpose (and it has been correctly punctuated)
For further guidance on how to write an effective story, see our guide to Creative Prose Writing: How to Get Full Marks.
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