All About English Creative Writing

[The Alternative Story]

Hi parents,


Since there are a number of parents at KSP who are really interested to help their children write better, we at TAS also want to help you to help your child:)

So we will from time to time post some common mistakes children make or write about some tips to help your children. If you have any questions about certain misconceptions or problems that you encounter with your child’s writing, you can post your questions here and we will try our best to answer:)

Here is one common mistake:

- I chased after him. (wrong)

A person cannot chase AFTER another person as in the act of chasing he is always behind the person and will have to run after the person. So chase already means run after so if someone writes ‘chase after’, in essence, he is writing ‘run after after’

It should be:

- I chased him (correct)

- I ran after him (correct)

TAS

[Lynn2]

Hello TAS


Good pointers…u are indeed fantastic.No one is able to point that out, even her teachers thr the years, just say very good.

My girl never failed to impress with the guidance that you gave.we will fine tune her writing with the advice that you gave in mind and worked from there.Thanks again…

cheers
Lynn2

[The Alternative Story]

Hi Lynn2,


No problem, hope those pointers can help her:)

TAS

[Michteach]

HyperKiasu:

Michteach:

Hi pokemon,


I find getting the children to pick out writing styles and phrases from storybooks really helped my students in school, I sometimes go to this website, lovereading.co.uk to source out what are the good books, they allow you to download extracts from their books and if I find it good, I get it from bookstores or book suppliers who bring in books not found in stores and use the books to teach the children to write from there.

I found using phrases from storybooks very effective as I am feeding the kids continuously with good vocab and effective writing styles from a wide range of authors.

I could let you know what books are especially good for this if you are interested

Hi, Michteach,
would you please share with us those good books? especially for lower level...

thanks

Hi Hyperkiasu,

I am mostly an upper primary teacher so I am not too familiar with lower pri stuff but you can check out 39 clues, spiderwick, tremors (only available at borders and I got mine from TAS), charlie small series and of course my fav for the slow or reluctant readers for pri 3s will be the usbourne series that I mentioned earlier:)

You can get the usbourne series for very cheap prices at MPH bookfairs. You can get 39 clues at Popular bookfairs, charlie small is also available at MPH I think. And you can get creative writing phrases extracted from the books from TAS.

[HyperKiasu]

Hi, Michteach,


thanks.

btw, are you the teacher with TAS?

[Michteach]

Hi Hyperkiasu,


Haha..no I am not, sigh sometimes I think teaching at centres like that are not as stressful as being a teacher in schools

I am a teacher in a primary school, TAS did workshops in my school and later they brought books with the creative writing phrases thing and I do know many of their teachers now, so while I am not at TAS, I feel like I know them very well haha..

[The Alternative Story]

Hi parents,


We want to clarify the use of metaphors, similes and personification that a parent had asked us through pm. Thought we would share what the difference is as many students are unsure how to use them effectively.

Metaphors: It is a strong comparison between 2 things. It is more forceful than an analogy. It makes the 2 things it is comparing seem the same.

Example:

1) He was a pig (comparison to a pig)

2) My friends were my prison. My hopes and dreams all crushed because of them. I could never dare to dream again because of that one incident. Till today, I am in chains. (comparing a hurtful incident to an imprisonment or being chained up)

Similes: It is comparing 2 things but this time using 'like' and 'as'

Example:

1) He was as stubborn as a mule

2) The silence in the room was like a suffocating wall of pressure. Any moment now and I was ready to burst out the truth

Personification: Making a non-living object like a living object

Example:

1) Fear tightened its dreadful hands around me, choking and squeezing. Breathe! I forcefully pulled hot humid air in, trying desperately to keep the fear at bay (making fear seem like a person)

2) Boom! The door crashed to the ground as the flames invaded the room. (making the flames seem like an invading army)

TAS

[tianzhu]

Hi TAS


Thank you for your help.

1)I recall that he _____[fell / had fallen]______ into the drain.
2) I recalled that he _____ [fell / had fallen]______ into the drain.
Do we use the Past Perfect Tense had fallen in both cases?

3)Much to Mrs Ong's annoyance, her son ________ broken another antique vase.
Could the answer be has or had depending on the time of happening?

Best wishes

[tianzhu]

The Alternative Story:

tianzhu:

Hi TAS


How about this question?

We _________ that it was unnecessary for them to react so violently.

1) felt
2) feel
3) have felt
4) had felt

Could the answer be felt or feel as well?

Best wishes

Hi Tianzhu,

The answer should be felt. This is because the action of it being unnecessary took place in the past. However, I understand why you think 'feel' can also be the answer. The person can be talking in the present tense about a past action and say 'He feels that it was unnecessary...'

However, if there are both options 'feel' and 'felt' provided, then 'felt' is a better answer or rather a safer and more clearcut answer.

TAS

Hi

Could this question be considered flawed as there are two possible answers?

Best wishes

[ctct61t]

My points:


1)I recall that he __fell___[fell / had fallen]______ into the drain. --- recall is in present tence.

2) I recalled that he _had fallen____ [fell / had fallen]______ into the drain.]--- recalled is in past tense.

3)Much to Mrs Ong's annoyance, her son _____has___ broken another antique vase. ---no other past tense presented in the sentence.