Good writing is the right text in the right shape

The Writing sections of Paper 1 (Q5: descriptive/narrative, 40 marks) and Paper 2 (Q5: transactional/persuasive, 40 marks) reward writing that does something — paints a scene, tells a story, makes a case. The split is consistent:

• AO5 (24 marks) — Content and organisation: ideas, structure, register, vocabulary range, paragraphing, ambition.
• AO6 (16 marks) — SPaG: spelling, punctuation, grammar, sentence variety.

You can't neglect either. A piece full of imaginative ideas with shaky punctuation will plateau; tidy SPaG with no ideas will too.

Three habits of writing that scores

1. Show, don't tell — at sentence level

Compare:

"I was scared." (telling) "I felt the cold latch click and my hand stayed frozen on the door handle." (showing)

The second sentence is the same length, but it gives the reader evidence of the feeling rather than asserting it. Showing happens through:

• Specific physical detail (the latch, the hand).
• Sensory language (cold, frozen).
• Implied causation (we infer fear from the body's response).

Train yourself: every time you reach for an emotion word ("scared", "happy", "angry"), replace it with a body or sensory detail.

2. Structure the piece deliberately

The reader should sense an arc, not a paragraph drift. Useful structural moves:

• Open in medias res — drop us into the middle of action.
• Zoom from wide to close (or close to wide) — directs attention.
• Time markers — "an hour later", "by morning" — pace the piece.
• Sentence-length pattern — long, long, short, very short — punctuates emotional weight.
• Cyclical close — return to the opening image, slightly changed.

A 40-mark piece needs at least one of these. Examiners reward deliberate shape over drifting paragraphs.

3. Vary your sentence types — every paragraph

A run of long sentences puts the reader to sleep. A run of short ones reads like a stutter. Vary:

"Long, layered sentence with subordinate clauses describing the scene. Another sustained sentence with a small twist of detail. Then the short one. Silence."

That paragraph mimics the sound of a held breath. The pattern itself is the meaning.

Vocabulary — precision over showiness

Two myths to kill:

• "Use big words to score high." False. Examiners reward precision, not thesaurus-mining. "Walked" precisely beats "perambulated" pretentiously.
• "Use as many similes and metaphors as possible." False. One good simile beats six average ones. The test is always: does this image earn its place?

Useful vocabulary moves:

• Precise verbs — trudged, padded, stalked, tiptoed are all "walked". Pick the right one.
• Concrete nouns — terraced cottage beats house; Saturday afternoon beats time.
• Modifiers that earn their keep — every adjective should add information; cut decorative ones.

Register — match the form

A speech sounds different from an email; a broadsheet article differs from a blog post. The form (Paper 2 Q5 prompt) tells you the register. Get it wrong and you'll lose AO5 marks even with strong content.

A speech opens with direct address ("Friends, parents, neighbours…") and uses rhetorical questions. A formal letter opens with "Dear [Name]" and ends "Yours sincerely". A broadsheet article uses serious vocabulary and longer sentences; a blog uses shorter, more conversational ones.

Time management

You have 45 minutes for each Q5. Spend roughly:

• 5 mins planning (mini outline, opening line, closing image).
• 35 mins writing.
• 5 mins checking SPaG and rewriting any clumsy sentence.

Skip the plan and your writing will drift. Skip the check and AO6 marks evaporate.