P3 Composition Writing – What to look out for in Language & Content & How Parents Can Help their children at Home

As we embark on Term 2, our P3 teachers are very happy to share that our P3 students have made steady progress in their composition writing. They are now able to express their ideas in complete sentences, organise their compositions into clear paragraphs, and most importantly, write with greater ease and speed.

That said, there are still a few areas that we will continue to work on in the coming term — particularly linking ideas, punctuation, and tenses.

Many students still rely heavily on writing “And then…” to continue their story. While this is not wrong, overusing it makes the story sound repetitive and childish. Students need to learn how to use linking words and phrases to make their writing flow more smoothly.

So, what can parents look out for when correcting their child’s composition at home? Here are the main things we personally focus on when marking P3 compositions.

1. Language

Sentence Structure

First and most importantly, your child must be able to write a complete sentence with the correct structure (Subject, Verb, Adjective, etc.). Without proper sentence structure, it becomes very difficult for a child to express ideas clearly — even if they have very creative ideas.

Parents can check:

• Does every sentence have a subject? (e.g. The boy, She, My mother)
• Does every sentence have a verb? (e.g. ran, shouted, was, is)
• Does the sentence make sense when you read it?

Punctuation

Surprisingly, punctuation is one of the biggest problems at P3 and if it is not corrected when young, punctuation can be a ‘mark stealer’ in Primary 6.

Some very common mistakes:

• Using commas to end sentences
• Joining many sentences together using only commas
• No capital letters at the start of sentences
• Forgetting full stops
• Not using quotation marks for speech

This is something that makes a big difference to their marks but is often overlooked.

Tenses

At P3, students should be comfortable using:

• Simple Past (e.g. I walked to the shop.)
• Simple Present (e.g. I walk to the shop every day.)
• Present or Past Continuous (e.g. I am walking to the shop.)

One common mistake is changing tense halfway through the story, for example:

“I walked to the park and I see a man shouting.”

This should be:

“I walked to the park and I saw a man shouting.”

Parents should check that the story stays in the same tense throughout.

High Frequency Linking Words

1. To Add Ideas (Instead of ‘And Then’)

• and
• also
• then
• next
• after that
• later
• soon
• finally
• in the end

2. To Show Cause (Why Something Happened)

• because
• so
• therefore
• as a result

3. To Show Contrast (When Something Goes Wrong)

• but
• however
• although
• unfortunately

4. To Show Time

• One day
• Suddenly
• A few minutes later
• After a while
• At that moment
• Just then
• Without warning
• In the end
• Finally

5. Good Phrases to Replace ‘And Then’

• Suddenly
• Just then
• At that moment
• Without warning
• To my surprise
• To my horror
• A few minutes later
• After a while
• Before I knew it

2. Content

Generating Ideas

Students should be able to come up with their own ideas based on a theme or title, without heavy prompting.

For example, one of the themes that we work on in Term 3 with our P3 students yearly is A Crime. Students can decide to write on any of the following:

• A Pickpocket
• A Burglary
• A Thief

They will learn how to think about:

• What the person looked like
• Why they were suspicious
• Where the incident took place
• How the main character reacted
• How to start and end the story

Organisation of Ideas

Students must be able to organise their story into at least 4 clear paragraphs:

1. Introduction
2. Problem / Main Event/ Rising Action
3. Solution/ Falling Action
4. Ending

This shows that they can sequence their ideas logically, even without picture prompts.

Description & Characterisation

Students should include descriptions in their story, such as:

• Describing a person (e.g. a burglar)
• Describing a place (e.g. a dark alley, a quiet park)
• Describing an action (e.g. how someone ran, shouted, fell, grabbed)

They should also use idioms or simple proverbs to make their writing more interesting. At TF, we provide our students with lists of WOW words to help them jazz up their compositions.

Introduction and Ending

Students should learn that a good composition must have:

• An interesting introduction
• A proper ending (reflection, lesson learnt, or feeling)

We encourage students to write endings that show feelings or lessons learnt instead.

Writing Speed

By the end of Term 2, P3 students should be able to complete a composition within 40–50 minutes, as this is important for exam conditions. At TF we guide our P3 students to plan quickly, write confidently, and check their work at the end.

Final Advice for Parents

When checking your child’s composition, you do not need to correct everything.
Instead, focus on these 5 things:

Parent Checklist:

1. Are the sentences complete?
2. Are there capital letters and full stops?
3. Are the tenses consistent?
4. Are there linking words (not just “and then”)?
5. Is there a clear introduction, problem, and ending?