“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.”
Planning Hints
4 tips to help you plan your response
Maintain the eerie, atmospheric tone.
The fog should feel like a character — alive, watching, changing things.
What happens when your character walks home through the fog?
Use sound (or the muffling of sound) to build tension.
Starter Sentences
Suggested opening lines to get you started
“Everyone walked out together, but within moments, the fog had separated us.”
“Sounds changed in the fog. Footsteps arrived before people did.”
“I knew the route home by heart. That should have been enough.”
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
atmosphere
vocabulary
sentence variety
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