Prompt types you should expect
1- Letters
- Formal persuasive letter (complaint/objection): Write to the town council explaining why a playing field shouldn’t become a supermarket (under 250 words).
- Informal letter (recount to a friend/penfriend): Tell a penfriend about a recent visit (who/where/best & worst).
2- Diary entries (recount + writing “in role”)
- Recount your first day of primary school as a diary entry (200 words).
- In role: civil war has broken out; you’re a teacher in hiding; write a diary entry before fleeing.
3- Stories / creative narrative (Fictional narrative prompts)
- Creative title: “A week in the life of an orange”.
- Short story: “The Day I Met the Queen” (250 words).
4- Story starters + continuations (Text continuation prompts)
- Start a story from a given opening sentence (train leaving / what you’ve left behind / feelings).
- Continue an extract in the same style as the original author.
5- Description + “writing to describe”
- Describe your perfect day (300 words, with bullet points).
- Write about your favourite person from history (300 words).
6- Visual stimulus prompts (photo-based)
- Respond to a photograph: what it makes you think/feel + where/why it was taken (250 words).
- Creative writing using an opening paragraph + photograph (350 words).
7- Playscripts (dialogue format)
- Write a playscript: Sophie persuades her mum to go to a friend’s house.
- Continue a given dialogue scene (up to 2 sides of A4).
8- Given-text tasks (reading → writing)
- Rewrite events from a thief’s point of view (after reading a letter).
- Write a detailed portrait of one character using a passage for evidence (250–350 words).
9- Reports/recount statements
- Report: “Tourism and my region”.
- Personal statement: witness to a traffic accident (first-person, 250 words).
10- Reviews
- Newspaper-style review/opinion of a favourite book/poem/play (300 words).
- Review of a relationship between characters in a text you’ve read (250 words).
11- Debates / discursive writing
- Should children only study subjects they like? (350 words).
- Discuss selling half the playground to expand a supermarket car park to fund an IT suite (400 words).
Adopt Right Style
Think about whether the aim of your writing should be to:
1- Inform
Goal: give clear facts and helpful details.
Typical tasks: leaflet, report, information page, article giving facts, instructions.
What to include
- Key facts: who/what/where/when
- Clear paragraphs (often headings/bullets)
- Specific details/examples
Tone & language
- Neutral, clear, factual
- Short, precise sentences where needed
Starter phrases
- “This leaflet explains…”
- “The main features are…”
- “Visitors can…”
2- Explain
Goal: make the reader understand how or why something happens/works.
Typical tasks: explain a process, explain reasons, explain how to improve something.
What to include
- A clear opening sentence: what you’re explaining
- Steps or reasons in a logical order
- Cause-and-effect links
Tone & language
- Clear, logical, calm
- Use connectives: because, so, therefore, as a result
Starter phrases
- “This happens because…”
- “First… then…”
- “As a result…”
3- Describe
Goal: create a vivid picture in the reader’s mind.
Typical tasks: describe a place/person/scene, describe feelings, describe an event.
What to include
- Senses (sight/sound/smell/touch/taste)
- Strong verbs and adjectives
- Mood/atmosphere + small details
Tone & language
- More imaginative and expressive
- Varied sentences for effect
Starter phrases
- “At first glance…”
- “The air felt…”
- “In the distance…”
4- Argue
Goal: present both sides and reach a reasoned conclusion.
Typical tasks: “Should we…?”, “Discuss whether…”, advantages/disadvantages.
What to include
- Your view + why it matters
- Arguments for + evidence/examples
- Arguments against + evidence/examples
- A clear conclusion (your final judgement)
Tone & language
- Balanced, logical, fair
- Use: however, although, on the other hand, therefore
Starter phrases
- “Some people believe…”
- “On the other hand…”
- “Overall, I think…”
5- Persuade
Goal: convince the reader to agree or take action.
Typical tasks: persuasive letter/speech/article, “Convince…”, “Write to the council…”
What to include
- Strong opening + clear viewpoint
- 2–4 strong reasons (with examples)
- Persuasive techniques (rhetorical questions, emotive language, triples)
- A punchy ending + call to action
Tone & language
- Confident and energetic
- Direct address: you, we, our
Starter phrases
- “Imagine if…”
- “We cannot allow…”
- “Therefore, we must…”
6- Advise
Goal: help someone make a good choice with practical guidance.
Typical tasks: “Give advice to…”, “What should X do?”, help/guide/recommend.
What to include
- The situation/problem (briefly)
- Clear suggestions (often 3–5)
- Reasons + consequences (“If you…, then…”)
- A reassuring closing
Tone & language
- Helpful, friendly, sensible
- Modals: should, could, try, avoid
Starter phrases
- “A good first step is…”
- “You might find it helpful to…”
- “Try not to…”
7- Review
Goal: judge something’s quality and help the reader decide.
Typical tasks: review a book/film/show/game/place/event.
What to include
- What it is + quick context
- Short summary (no long retell)
- What worked well (with examples)
- What didn’t (with examples)
- Overall verdict + rating/recommendation
Tone & language
- Opinion + evidence
- Lively but clear
Starter phrases
- “The best thing about…”
- “One weakness is…”
- “I would recommend this to…”
8- Analyse
Goal: explain how and why something works by breaking it into parts.
Typical tasks: analyse a character, setting, mood, writer’s techniques, an extract.
What to include
- A clear point
- Evidence (quote/detail)
- Explain effect on reader
- Link back to the question
Tone & language
- More formal and precise
- Use: suggests, implies, creates, shows
Starter phrases
- “The writer uses… to…”
- “This implies that…”
- “This makes the reader feel…”
9- Comment
Goal: give your thoughts/observations with reasons (often shorter than analyse).
Typical tasks: “Comment on…”, “What do you think about… and why?”, “Comment on the ending.”
What to include
- Your viewpoint/observation
- Reasons supported by details from the text/prompt
- Brief conclusion
Tone & language
- Clear and thoughtful
- Can be slightly less formal than analyse, but still evidence-based
Starter phrases
- “It seems to me that…”
- “This is effective because…”
- “In my opinion… however…”
Story starter: “The moment the lights went out, everyone stopped breathing.”
Story starter: “I found my name on a list I was never meant to see.”
Story starter: “The map was blank—until I touched it.”
Story starter: “I shouldn’t have picked it up, but it was warm.”
Story starter: “The new student knew all my secrets.”
Story ending: End with: “That’s when I realised the warning was for me.”
Story ending: End with: “And then the clock started ticking again.”
Story ending: End with: “I never looked at that place the same way.”
Story ending: End with: “We laughed—because it was finally over.”
Story ending: End with: “In my pocket was the answer.”
Title-based story: The Wrong Key
Title-based story: A Door in the Wall
Title-based story: The Last Seat
Title-based story: The Day the Rules Changed
Title-based story: The Secret in the Suitcase
Picture prompt (describe then story): A single glove on a wet pavement under a streetlamp.
Picture prompt (describe then story): A boat tied up in thick fog, with no one around.
Picture prompt (describe then story): A birthday cake left on a doorstep, candles still lit.
Picture prompt (describe then story): A library where one shelf is completely empty.
Picture prompt (describe then story): A playground at night with one swing moving.
In role (first person): You are a new pupil on your first day. Something goes wrong at lunch.
In role (first person): You are a lost tourist who ends up in a place that isn’t on any map.
In role (first person): You are the younger sibling who accidentally overhears a big secret.
In role (first person): You are the coach/teacher watching someone finally succeed.
In role (first person): You are the pet in the house on the day everything changes.
Diary entry: Write a diary entry about the day you moved house and found something hidden.
Letter: Write a letter to your future self about what you hope you’ll be brave enough to do.
Speech: Write a short speech to persuade your class to support an unusual idea for charity day.
Playscript: Write a scene where two characters argue over a “rule” one of them made up.
Recount with a twist: Write about a normal journey home… but include one moment when time feels wrong.