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The New Neighbour

Story Continuation

Foundation

20 minutes

CSSE

Independent

The Prompt

“Continue the following story: "The removal van had been parked outside number 14 since early morning. We watched from the upstairs window as furniture was carried in: a desk piled with books, an enormous fish tank (no fish), and what looked like a telescope. 'Interesting,' said Dad, in the voice he uses when he actually means 'weird.'" Write what happens next.”

Planning Hints

4 tips to help you plan your response

Who is the new neighbour? Eccentric, friendly, mysterious?

Keep the humorous, observational tone of the opening.

Show the meeting — what happens when the narrator actually meets them?

Use the objects (books, fish tank, telescope) as clues to the neighbour's personality.

Starter Sentences

Suggested opening lines to get you started

“By lunchtime, our curiosity had outgrown the window.”

“Mum made a cake. She always makes a cake when someone new moves in.”

“We didn't have to wait long. The doorbell rang at exactly 3:17.”

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

Mum made a cake. She always makes a cake when someone new moves in — a Victoria sponge, slightly lopsided, dusted with enough icing sugar to coat a small car. "It's neighbourly," she said, handing me the plate. "Go and introduce yourself." I walked up the path of number 14. The front garden, which had been a neat rectangle of grass under the Hendersons, was already changing. A wind chime made of old keys hung from the porch, turning slowly and tinkling in the breeze. A pair of wellies stood by the door — one red, one green, as though they had come from different planets and decided to live together. I knocked. Footsteps. Then the door opened and I was looking at a woman with wild grey hair, paint on her cheek, and the brightest yellow cardigan I had ever seen. She looked at me. She looked at the cake. She looked at me again. "Victoria sponge!" she said, as though I had just presented her with a diamond. "I haven't had Victoria sponge since 1987. Come in, come in — mind the telescope." The telescope was in the hallway, angled through an open window towards the sky. The fish tank — still fishless — sat on the kitchen counter, filled instead with tiny plants and what appeared to be a miniature forest, complete with moss, pebbles, and a ceramic fox no bigger than my thumbnail. "It's a terrarium," she explained, catching my stare. "The fox is called Gerald. Don't ask why. Even I don't know." Her name was Professor Kapoor. She had taught astronomy at the university and had retired because, she said, "the stars are much easier to study when you don't have to mark essays about them." She poured me juice in a mug that said "I Need Space" — with a picture of a planet underneath — and asked me if I knew that the nearest star was 4.24 light years away. I did not know that. By the time I left, I knew that and seventeen other things I hadn't known before. "She seems nice," I told Mum. Mum raised an eyebrow. "Nice?" "Interesting," I said. And this time, I meant it.

Hover or tap the highlighted phrases to see the technique and explanation

Techniques Used in This Answer

Hyperbole

Simile (x2)

Dialogue

Humour (x2)

Callback

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.

5 steps|3-5 minutes

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.

4 steps|2-3 minutes

Marking Focus Areas

imagination

vocabulary

grammar

More Story Continuation Prompts

Continue practising with similar prompts

Story Continuation

intermediate

The Train Journey

“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.”

20 min

Story Continuation

intermediate

The Door in the Wall

“Continue the following story: "I had walked past the wall a hundred times before. It ran along the edge of the park, covered in ivy and graffiti, unremarkable in every way. But today, something was different. Today, there was a door. A small, arched door, painted green, with a brass handle that gleamed as though it had just been polished." Write what happens next.”

20 min

Story Continuation

advanced

The Fog

“Continue the following story: "The fog rolled in just after three o'clock. It came from the sea, slow and silent, swallowing the harbour, the high street, and the school playground in a thick, grey blanket. By the time the bell rang at half past three, you couldn't see ten steps ahead." Write what happens next.”

20 min