Techniques on How to Write English Imaginative Compositions and Essays

  

WRITING IMAGINATIVE COMPOSITION TECHNIQUES

An imaginative composition is:

• It is a story that we make up
• Pillars of good imaginative composition are; the plot, setting, characters and language
• to be used.
• A good story has a good setting which includes the places, time, weather and general
• atmosphere of the story
• You need to describe the setting in such a way that the reader gets a vivid picture of the
• surroundings in which the story takes place
• An important aspect of the plot is change as the story unfolds.

You should sketch the plot of your story before you start writing. This ensures that ;

a] You don’t run out of ideas in the middle of your writing
b] You don’t write a very predictable story
c] You don’t end your story in a very unrealistic way

WHAT TO AVOID WHEN WRITING IMAGINATIVE

COMPOSITION

• Avoid repetition e.g He entered into the room, return back, come back here etc

• Avoid misusing capital letters;e.g. personal pronoun must be capital “I”

• Avoid joining two separate words –make sure there is space.

• Avoid splitting one word.

• Avoid writing in contracted forms e.g. cant instead write can not.

• Avoid using obscene language …composition must be morally upright [create a solution to your problems in your story.]

• Avoid spelling mistakes …use your dictionaries for the correct spelling. 
• Avoid writing violent compositions 
• Avoid using clichés e.g. as fast as, happy as a king, run helter skelter etc.
• Omission of words in a given sentence
• Avoiding simplicity e.g. I woke up very early in the morning, prepared myself, it was on a
  Sunday….etc. 
•  Maturity – go out of the school setting e.g. being out of the country, a minister, in
  employment etc.
• Avoid using ridiculous use of idiomatic expressions and vocabularies….avoid using
  those that don’t make sense.
• Avoid writing titles unless you are told; write a story entitled………………………e.g.
  write a story beginning with:
  …..I wished I had another chance, I would have been wiser.
  Write a story ending with:
  …then I realized that it is good and noble to have and keep friends.
• Avoid being over-ambitious… 
•  Avoid verbosity- write short and quality essays
• Avoid the error of elementary vocabulary e.g. dining…
• Avoid overcrowding words e.g.iam instead of I am…..
• Avoid vulgar vocabularies 

 WHAT TO DO WHEN WRITING IMAGINATIVE
  COMPOSITION

•  Ensure you write good handwriting 
•  Write on contemporary issues e.g. corruption, environmental protection, HIV/AIDS,
  CORONA VIRUS etc.
• Good paragraphing
• Clear and correct sentences
• Avoid writing longer essays-you easily make mistakes
• Avoid writing using slang
• Use a variety of sentences e.g. long and short sentences to communicate various
  emotions. 
• Ensure you use the right tense….use present continuous tense
• Use vivid descriptions to describe events……use adjectives to describe mental images in
  your mind as you describe….check the correct order of adjectives
• Sustain suspense ……avoid revealing all the details e.g. if you lose your sister, avoid
  finding her in paragraph 2 or 3
• Use rhetorical questions….to provoke the mind of the readers
• Proper use of sounds of animals and things e.g. chattering of monkeys, trumpeting of
  elephants.
• Write in non-fiction not in fiction[you will be penalized]
• The candidate should uphold good moral standards.
• Spelling and punctuation should be followed to the letter.
• Contraction form not allowed
• Correct use of phrasal verbs
• The economy of language – write only one and a half to one three quarter pages.
• Proper use of idiomatic expressions and wise sayings
• Use inverted sentences …sentences must have been ordered.e.g. subject +predicate=S+V+O
• Use of direct speech _have opening and closing inverted commas (“ “” Begin a direct
  speech on a fresh line. 
•  Use of flashback _To reveal what you didn’t say (Start your story in the middle or at
  the end of your flashback .)
• Use dialogue( Makes your composition lively-write in a fresh paragraph]
• Use indented dialogue. (Written at the middle of a sentence…..
• Use of ellipsis[…]….it can be used to create suspense or to avoid saying the obvious…..
• Use of twists and turns….avoid getting contradictory or irrelevant.
• Planning-make a skeleton of your composition or make your storyline in your mind…
• Use of youth and culture-lesson or message learned from a composition….a
  composition should have a moral lesson …

EMERGING TRENDS IN ENGLISH PAPER 3

• Ability to communicate in English through writing.
• Ability to communicate effectively in a variety of sentence structures.
• Linguistic competence.
• Level of intelligence, correctness, accuracy, fluency, pleasantness and originality…
• How to write creatively or imaginatively.
• What is required of them in set books i.e. thinking critically.
• Skills tested in paper 3; evaluation ,synthesis ,analysis ……..critical thinking skills… 
•  Promote critical thinking
• The correct interpretation of questions even with the challenging words
• Move away from cognitive to analysis and synthesis
• Learners ability to combine and connect similar episodes
• Read on dialogue , discussion and flashback in the set book and underline using a pencil
  all the important parts/areas…
• Teachers need to focus on an episodic approach; find a sub-story within the main story,
  focus on situations and how characters react to them , break the story into little
  complete stories
  

  WHAT IS REQUIRED OF STUDENTS

  • Fluency-by using basic grammar. 
  • Handwriting
  • The plot[clever plot]. 
  •  Relevancy
  •  Felicity [pleasantness, total command of English language…has a spark ,memorable and
    brings emotions].
  • Economy e.g. driver of the matatu becomes matatu driver.
  • Knowledgeability[expository]
  • Originality
  • Creativity
  • Apt use of words
  • Maturity of ideas 
  •  Natural and effortless-do do not struggle to impress.
  • Good use of style[ flashback, foreshadowing,dialogue,suspense etc. ]
  • Length 2pages maximum-more than this is -2
  • Moral /ethics- candidate should be aware of good values in the society
  • Spellings –the maximum you can score with spelling errors is 8 out of 20
    
  • Twists and turns …avoid linear plot –composition must have obstacles that build
    climax
    N/B-focus on quality, not quantity
    1 . The candidate must have specific purpose, come up with meaningful situations that will
    captivate and impress the reader.
    2. In situations where the candidate is instructed to write a story beginning or ending with a
    given statement, the instructions must be followed to the letter. Failure to attracts
    automatic deduction of up to 2 marks …
    3. The events in the story must tie with the given statement. Failure attracts AD up to 4 marks..
    Title does not attract marks, once its written marking starts at that instance..if the title doesn’t
    marry with the body , there is a penalty. It is, therefore, better to leave it…
    4. A student who narrates shows inability to use language…graded in C category. Marks scored
    between 6 and 1 0..
    5. A twist should be introduced to sustain the suspense. A good essay should have twists and turns...
             6. Positive values to be appreciated and negative values are punished…as we teach, guide
                  learners to identify moral lessons in the story..           
• 7. Encourage candidates to ; read and analyze the text , think creatively and appreciate human
  values..
  

GROSS ERRORS

• Sentence construction-can does not score beyond 7 out of 20 
• Mother tongue –direct translation –maximum score is 5 out of 20
  
• Tintinnabulating /bombastic language-maximum 8 out of 20
• Spelling errors of elementary words- double-underlined
• Wrong words
• Confusing words e.g. there, their ….maximum is 8 out of 20
• Clichés e.g.as happy as a king 
•  Faulty paragraphing 
•  Vulgar language [minus 4]
• Punctuation errors
• Repetition
• Ridiculous expressions e.g. I went to the frog's kingdom, shaking like a chameleon on a
  fig tree….
• Illogicalities e.g. my heart was beating like the west African tum tum drums….
  

MARKING CATEGORIES

D class

• Chaotic
• The flow of thought is impossible
  

C class

• Strained communication
• Flow is jerky 
•  Repetition

B class

• Ease of expression
• Creates fluency
• Natural and effortless
• Clean and unassuming 
•  Some items of merit
  

A class

• Effective and efficient
• Emotionally involving
• The composition creates a permanent impression
• Morals /values in the society
• Has a spark
• Memorable

English Paper 3 Compositions and Essays from Set Texts 

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