Section D

Picture Composition
A picture composition involves writing
sentences based on a given picture or a
set of pictures.
A picture composition requires the writer to
carefully observe the given picture and
describe it in the form of a story or
composition having meaningful sentences.

Marking Scheme
Compositions will be assessed based on:

Reading skills - understanding the question and

fulfilling the requirements of the writing task
Thinking skills - ability to reflect in depth and show
maturity of thinking by giving ideas, reasons and
supporting them with appropriate elaborations
Language skills - language used is appropriate to
provide correct tone, form and content as required
by the task. Accuracy of the language is also being
assessed.

Reminder before writing

Carefully observe the picture.
Ask questions and note down the answers or
observations to these questions.
Arrange the observations as points in logical order.
Write meaningful sentences to form the composition.
Begin the paragraph away from the margin.

Composition Plan / Draft

Students should write the composition in 4
paragraphs.
1st paragraph - Introduction
2nd paragraph - 1st point + evidence
3nd paragraph - 2nd point + evidence
4th paragraph - Conclusion

Steps to develop your story

1. Start with an interesting opening.

Students usually begin their story by talking about the weather or time. Their story
typically begins with sentences such as,

Last Sunday,

Yesterday, after dinner.

It was a hot day,.

One fine day,

Depending on the pictures given, you can start by describing the character, the
setting, an action, or begin with a dialogue.

Try to brainstorm a few openings and choose the best and most suitable opening for
that particular picture composition.

2. Put yourself in the characters shoes.

Ask yourself What would you do if you are the
character in the story?, How would you feel?, What
would you say?
You will begin to realise that there are many things
which you can write about the character, once you
start to imagine yourself as the character.

3. Study the picture. Look at the background and surrounding.

Is there anything worth mentioning that can contribute to your
story?
For example, if it is a picture of a beach, is there anything at the
background that you notice and can describe it in your story?
Try to imagine being in the picture, what could you hear? What
could you see? Describe the sounds, smell and sight.

4. Vary your sentence structure.

Students tend to write in short sentences.
Try to combine the short sentences using conjunctions
and form a complex sentence.
Example of simple, short sentences:
Sean heard a sound. He was scared. (2 short and
simple sentences.)
If we transform them into a complex sentence by
joining them with the word when, we get:
Sean was scared when he heard a sound.
5. Have a good conclusion.
Give the composition a sense of completeness
Leave a final impression for the reader