In the minds of ESL exam candidates, e ssay writing is one of the most daunting tasks they are required to complete, regardless of the level of the exam, the administering body or the ease with which they themselves use the language. The same applies to students who are asked to write an essay by their teachers at school. In the previous sample essays posted on the blog, the main point I stress is the need to become acquainted with this form of writing (as opposed to writing a letter, review or report, for instance), to get a feel of what authorial voice is and how to organize and progressively express the arguments you wish to make in a coherent manner. Unfortunately, the best way to prepare for exam writing or learn how to write good essays for school is to read as many essays from as many sources as possible, then write as
Note that even at B1 level (for the Preliminary for Schools exam) such topics can be very effective.
Remember to pay attention to the various elements a short story should have as you read it: dialogue, use of adjectives and adverbs to create atmosphere, use of the senses, organization of paragraphs, conflicts that heighten the action, narrator, and the like.
For further information, read my post Writing Stories: Where to Start. It should help you tackle a story from the ground up and make you aware of the
different things that should be included so that the story is worth reading.The assignment or rubric is the following:
You have decided to enter a short story competition. You should write a story ending with the words: “It was only then that I realized they had mistaken me for someone else.”
If you are interested in reading The Haunted House as well, click on the image below.
Famous for a Moment
“Can we have your autograph? Please? Please? It’ll only take a minute.” I turned around, surprised by the light hand that had grabbed my arm to stop me from entering the music store that mild Friday afternoon. Two schoolgirls, no older that eight or nine, were eagerly offering up small notebooks and a pen that I could use, eyes sparkling with excitement.
“Ah … I suppose so,” I replied hesitantly, just wanting to be left alone so I could go in and buy the latest album from that hard rock band I so admired. The pen flew quickly over both notebooks in an indescribable scribble not a single soul would be able to decipher, and the girls, giggling and flushed red with joy, bolted down the street towards their waiting friends. Holding up the notebooks and pointing towards me, they all exchanged a few words. The other girls’ eyes opened wide all of a sudden and their jaws dropped as they stared at me from afar.
They must be making fun of me or just crazy I thought as Ι stepped into the shop. Oh well, let’s get a hold of that album and head for the checkout. My eyes wandered round the neatly organized shelves full of CDs and vinyl records but instead of landing on the album I was searching for, they fell on a magazine cover near the pop music section of the store. I picked up the March issue of “Teen Pop Idols” and read the main headline: “New Superstar Amanda Tells All” and the subheading beneath it that spoke of Nickelodeon’s new singer-actress Amanda and her rise to fame.
I stood there staring at the main image above the headline. It was like looking into a mirror. The resemblance was uncanny and I thought back to the girls who had asked for my autograph. It was only then that I realized they had mistaken me for someone else.
Want to read another story?
Click on the image below.
