Good introductions from SA1 2006 paper

From Kerthana:

"Great! Just what I need when I need to buy a load of things for my mother!" I thought irritably looking at the kitten which caused this. Then something else caught my eye. I saw a huge sack protruding out of the dustbin. Curiosity got the better of me. I pinched my nose and tried to pull out the sack.

Adapted from Kevin:

"Argh! What is pulling me?" John thought. He could hear his parents screaming and shouting as he struggled to get free. As he turned around to take a good look of what caught hold of him, his heart almost leapt out.

From Zeng Cong:

The zoo was crowded with many people. Tom and his family were at the zoo. He felt both excited and overjoyed. He could hear the happy voices and laughter from people around him. But as soon as he walked past the monkey enclosure, he felt a chill going down his spine and fear creapt through his heart. That was when he remembered the awful incident that had happened to him last year. He remembered clearly what had happened.

From Surya:

"I will never go to the zoo again!" cried Jack. He was in the hospital. His parents tried to comfort him but he kept on crying. The more he thought about the incident, the more he wanted to cry.

Some good samples

By Melissa
"Hello, is that Mrs Tan? I am June's principal. She had been bullied and is now crying very badly." Suddenly, a voice boomed into the phone. "Mum, the big bully Jason pushed me!" shouted June.

By Haema
"I did not do it! I did not do it! cried Ashley who was wailing bitterly. "It was Mike, not me," but nobody believed her. Her teacher, Ms. S. Lin was fuming. She fiercely glared at Ashley who was wiping her tears with a handkerchief. The principal was calling Ashley's mother and she knew that she would get scolding for something she did not do.

By Kerthana
"Hello! Is this the police? Can you please come over to Raffles Girls Primary? We have an urgent matter here?" Mrs B.Lee, the principal said into the phone. June sobbed even louder. She knew that there was no time for apology.

By Sherine
"Hello, are you Mrs Ng? I am sorry to tell you that your daughter, Caterine has been in big trouble lately," said Mrs B.Lee, the principal. When Caterine heard that, she cried even louder. She was so scared that she could not control herself from crying. Her teacher, Mrs Tan stared at her angrily as if she would scream at her anytime.

By Meng Ting
"It is so unpardonable of her to steal money from her classmates and you, as a parent, should be responsible for this." Mrs Lee, my principal told my mother seriously. I sat remorsefully beside her. Beads of tears flowed down my cheeks like a river. Mr Lim stood beside me, with a file held in her hand tightly. Miss Lim was red with anger, but tried to control her temper as she did not want to interrupt Mrs Lee.

By Surya
"A good name is sooner lost than won" seems true to Rachel. She was a very good, obedient girl and teachers have very good impression of her. Unknowingly to others, she had the habit of stealing. She was at it again and this time, she was caught red-handed by Miss Lim. She was ushered to the principal's office and a call was made to Rachel's parents.

By Luo Yang
Each step was taking Jane nearer and nearer to the principal's room. She used her weak little hands which was still shaking with fear to open the door. The door gave a little creak and she was ushered into the room. The principal was using the phone. She felt like a sitting duck waiting to be shot. Each minute passed slowly and she felt very nervous. Soon, she bursted into tears.

An interesting beginning will make a great difference to your composition. Practice writing the suggested beginnings and you will find writing good compositions easier the next time you do it.

Dramatic Sound/Action

~~~Try this~~~
Jacky whizzed past Henry, ran a few steps with the ball and gave a hard kick towards Peter.





~~~Your task~~~
1) Plan out a series of events for your composition.
2) Type out the first paragraph of your composition.

Conversation that arouses curiosity

You can also begin your story with an interesting piece of conversation.

~~~Try this~~~
"Have you seen Benjamin lately? I have not seen him for a week."

~~~Your task~~~
1) Plan out a series of events for your composition.
2) Type out the first paragraph of your composition.

Vividly Described Scenery or Atmosphere

You can start the composition with a graphic description of the scenery or atmosphere. Make sure the mood you create supports your theme.

~~~Try this~~~
The moment I stepped into Pagoda Street, I realised that I had made a terrible mistake turning into this lane.



~~~Your task~~~
1) Plan out a series of events for your composition.
2) Type out the first paragraph of your composition.

Main or Interesting Character

Bring on the main or interesting character and lead directly into the story.

~~~Try this~~~
Francis dragged his feet towards the river, knelt down and threw the empty pail into the water.


~~~Your task~~~
1) Plan out a series of events for your composition.
2) Type out the first paragraph of your composition.

Quotation or an interesting observation

Use a quotation or an interesting, wise, old saying.

~~~Try this~~~
A good name is sooner lost than won.

~~~Your task~~~
1) Plan out a series of events for your composition.
2) Type out the first paragraph of your composition.

Ending or Flashback

Beginning a story with a flashback or an ending requires you to cleverly rearrange the sequence of events. Having achieved this, the story can make interesting reading.

~~~Try this~~~
Mary watched as the letter curled in the flames and slowly disintegrated into ashes. She had burnt his letter without even opening it.

~~~Your task~~~
1) Plan out a series of events for your composition.
2) Type out the first paragraph of your composition.