P3 Composition : Three techniques to ace your composition

Writing a good composition at the Primary 3 level is not only about having an interesting story. Students should also demonstrate clear organisation, simple but effective language, and believable characters. Below is a composition of a P3 student whose composition was chosen as a model for his level in Term 1. He was very excited when it happened, and so we are happy to share it on the blog! Well-done L!

Three Ways Why This Composition is a Good Model

1. Planning
The composition follows a clear and logical sequence of events, making it easy for readers to follow the storyline. L planned out his composition following Introduction – Rising Action – Falling Action – Ending

2. Characterisation
John is clearly developed as the main character in the story. At the beginning, he is portrayed as lazy and irresponsible, choosing to watch television and play video games instead of doing his homework. However, after being caught and reprimanded, he feels ashamed and decides to change his behaviour. This character development makes the story more meaningful as readers can see how John grows and learns from his mistakes.

3. Language
The composition uses simple and clear language that is suitable for a Primary 3 student. Short sentences and familiar vocabulary make the story easy to understand. The use of dialogue, such as “Alright, I will do it later,” adds variety to the writing. L also used some WOW words such as ‘Once bitten twice shy’ and ‘heart pounding like a drum.’

P3 Composition model on the theme of ‘A bad decision’

              Lazy. That was what John used to be. Every day after school, he would not do even one piece of homework. He felt that it was too boring. He would head to his bedroom after school to watch television or play video games.

His mother would always remind him, “John, go and do the test papers that I bought for you.”

John would always reply, ”Alright, I will do it later.”

But he never did. He just kept watching television until one day, when John learnt an important lesson.

              One day in class, John’s teacher was telling them that they would have a Paper 2 test the next day and reminded them on what to revise from their files. John was not listening as he was thinking about the latest game model. He wanted to buy it as he could afford it. It was sold at just $18 for one. He did not hear a single word that his teacher was saying about the test. The next day, his teacher gave out the tests. John did not know how to do many questions.

When he arrived home, his mother asked him,” How was the test? I heard from a friend of yours that there was a test today.”

John did not dare to tell his mum the truth so he said, “Oh, it was easy.”

              The next day when the teacher returned the test papers, John saw a huge, red ‘F’ on the front of the paper. He had failed the test! He wanted to burst into tears as he knew that his mother would not forgive him. He held the paper tightly in his hands as he placed it in his bag, his heart pounding like a drum. When he reached home, his mother was taking an afternoon nap. He decided to do something very naughty in order not to get scolded by his mum. Since his teacher told him to get his parent to sign the test paper, John took out a document with his mother’s signature from her bag. He took out his test paper and copied step by step his mother’s signature. He then placed his mum’s document back in the right place and put his test paper back in his bag.

              The next day, he handed up the test paper to his teacher. His teacher found him acting suspiciously. After school, his teacher called his mother. Shocked, his mother said that she did not sign the test paper. They found out that he had forged his mother’s signature. When he arrived home, his mother was standing at the door angrily, waiting for him to come home from school. When he stepped through the door, she pulled John and scolded him harshly for forging her signature and failing his test. Ashamed, John apologised to his mother. She agreed to forgive him but under one condition. He could not watch television or play any video games after school. He had to complete all his homework and study when he arrived home from school. John agreed and from then on, he worked hard.

              Once bitten twice shy. This incident taught John a valuable lesson. He regretted his bad decisions and changed his behaviour. From his mistakes, he learnt to be hardworking and honest.