“Continue the following story: "The train pulled away from the platform and I pressed my face to the window, watching the station shrink behind me. I was travelling alone for the first time. My ticket said London, but the journey felt like it was heading somewhere much further than that." Write what happens next.”
Planning Hints
4 tips to help you plan your response
Match the tone — reflective, slightly nervous, observational.
Keep the first-person voice consistent.
Something should happen on the train — a conversation, a discovery, a change in plan.
Use the moving scenery outside as a backdrop for internal thoughts.
Starter Sentences
Suggested opening lines to get you started
“The carriage was almost empty.”
“I unfolded my sandwich and stared at it without eating.”
“A woman in the seat opposite smiled at me over the top of her newspaper.”
Key Techniques to Demonstrate
Techniques the examiner will be looking for in your response
Annotated Model Answer
A high-quality example response with techniques highlighted
Hover or tap the highlighted phrases to see the technique and explanation
Techniques Used in This Answer
Ready to Write?
Practice this prompt under timed conditions, just like the real exam. You have 20 minutes.
Planning Templates
Suitable for story continuation
Story Mountain
The classic 5-part narrative structure. Perfect for story writing prompts where you need a clear beginning, middle, and end.
4-Paragraph Plan (CSSE Style)
A focused structure for shorter writing tasks (15-20 minutes). Ideal for CSSE where you only write 2 compulsory paragraphs, but this plan gives you 4 strong ones if time allows.
Marking Focus Areas
organisation
vocabulary
sentence variety
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