🚨 FREEBIE ALERT 🚨: Free model answer (Paper 1, Q5)

Phew.. what a week it’s been! We had GCSE Results Day.. it’s almost the end of summer – where has the time gone?!

If you’re heading into Year 10 or Year 11, or you’re the parent of a child that’s heading into the critical “GCSE years” in school – now’s a good time to slowly ease back in.

It can be hard to know where to start – so here’s a free model answer to get going! It’s a DESCRIPTIVE WRITING piece that teachers will love: it’s original, lots of ambitious words AND it’s a perfect response students can use for the new GCSE Exam format! Save it somewhere. Come back to it time and again. It’ll be super handy when mock exams season kicks in during October (and also for resit exams in November)!

PS: Don’t forget that I’ll be resuming GCSE English Masterclasses from 14 September – sign up here for just £8: https://www.firstratetutors.com/masterclass

Here's the descriptive writing question and image:

Question 5: Write a description of a beach from your imagination. You may wish to use the picture provided for ideas:

 

GCSE MODEL ANSWER:

1) PARAGRAPH 1: Setting and weather

Clusters of pearly white clouds drifted across the azure sky. The clouds, which looked like pieces of cotton candy leisurely drifted across the vast expanse of the sea. Slivers of dark, greyish edges lined the serene clouds, threatening brief spells of rain. Yet the threats were unrealised. The sky smiled down on the busy, bustling beach as tourists, locals and visitors frolicked in the ocean – enjoying the final days of summer. Low-lying mountains surrounded the town like a citadel, dormant soldiers seemingly ready to protect any unwelcome intruder. Emerald and juniper grass carpeted the mountain ranges – as if they were military fatigues worn by this town’s natural protective barrier. This day would remain a perfect summer’s day. This balmy day would not be tinged by any unwelcome intrusions – not least, any looming, rainy weather.

2) PARAGRAPH 2: Atmosphere and mood

The sun hid its gleaming, glowing face behind the clouds, yet its warmth still fell on the freckled skin of the beachgoers. Air, thick with the salty scent of the sea, wafted across the beach. The balmy heat soaked deep into the wet land beneath the bare feet of people who stood at the edge of the sea, looking onwards distractedly. The ocean was a myriad of colours: umber, mahogany, turquoise. Gentle waves languidly, leisurely and lazily stretched inland to the shore, bringing soft, white foam that crashed against the shore as well as the backs of children who sat still, letting the salty water lap over their backs and elbows and hair. The water rippled onto the placid, oak-coloured sand. It slid across the sand, coiling around the ankles of men and women who stood gazing out at the ocean and into the distance.

3) PARAGRAPH 3: Central focus of the image

Bodies filled the ocean. Endless bodies ran, jumped, kicked and walked across the shore of the sea, in the sea and by the buildings that lined the ocean. The edge of the sandy shore was mottled with several holes dug by a young, gleeful child. Donning a navy, cobalt pair of shorts, he energetically dug and dug, making holes across the edge of the shore as if he were on an urgent, secret mission. His mother, in a coral sleeveless top and a patterned, flowery skirt, stood close by. Her wheat-coloured hair flapped in the breeze as she kept an eye on her energetic son, lest he goes missing in the throng of people by the sea. A man in a lime t-shirt and juniper shorts walked steadily into the ocean, clutching a turquoise bucket. His young son obediently strode along him, his coal-coloured hat pulled low over his face and ears, casting long shadows on his azure shirt and his black shorts. A young, jubilant girl in a matching lavender hat and costume screamed as she gleefully ran from the edge of the sea. She giggled as she tried to swerve and miss the waves which lapped and lolled their way past her bony feet.

4) PARAGRAPH 4: Feelings

Screams of jubilation, exuberance and cheer filled the air. The innocent cries of children intermingled with the chatty, gossiping voices of adults as the crowds by the beach enjoyed the last days of summer. The gentle breeze carried snippets of conversation from one person to the other. Piercing shrieks, stifled snorts and loud, raucous laughter filled the languid afternoon air. Young boys and girls shivered with eagerness as they swam in the ocean. A lady, donning a scarlet top and a white pair of shorts, squinted and smiled as she crossed this crowd of people by the shore. She clutched her newspaper and her shoes in her hands as she squinted, looking far across the ocean.

5) PARAGRAPH 5: Slight change to setting or main focus

A row of buildings, some terraced, others free-standing, circled the outer edges of the beach. A row of tall, terraced Victorian houses looked across at the frolicking beach-goers broodingly as the afternoon shade cast a light shadow across them. Next to the terraced Victorian houses, a large, imperial hotel stood gazing across. It appeared to gaze kindly on the sea’s guests, willing the summer to continue – even if years spent standing idly by the beach proved the inevitable would happen: summer was about to end. Autumn was on its way in. A large, whitewashed house rubbed its shoulders with the hotel. It glowed on one side as the sun’s rays fell on it. Yet on its other side, a light shadow cast a pall on it. The imposing, slate spire stood tall above all the buildings. It waited, biding its time, before it chimed, pealed and rung its bell.

I hope you like it!

PS: Don’t forget that I’ll be resuming GCSE English Masterclasses from 14 September – sign up here for just £8: https://www.firstratetutors.com/masterclass

All the best,