A SAMPLE STORY-LINE

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CLIMAX
* Suddenly, friend saw dark figure behind an old
tombstone
- DESCRIBE DARK FIGURE
- DESCRIBE ACTIVITY/ACTIVITIES
* tall, one-eyed monster, bulging
* I quickened steps to reach
red eye
home faster
* smelled awful and nauseating
* friend calling me names accusing
- USE DIRECT SPEECH (DIALOGUE)
* (friend) : Oooh! Stop being ridiculous
* (I) : Im serious. There seem to be
strange voices
calling our names

- SHARE FEELINGS AND REACTIONS

OF FEELINGS
* (feeling) both us us scared to death
* (reactions) screamed for help, cried ,
- DESCRIBE ACTIVITY/ACTIVITIES
* we ran helter-skelter for our lives
* my boastful friend wet her pants

- DESCRIBE ACTIVITY/ACTIVITIES
* I started imagining weird things
heard scary
voices
* friend laughed - thought I
obsessed - movie
- SHARE FEELINGS AND REACTIONS
OF FEELINGS
* (feeling) I frightened
* (reactions) sweating , heart beat
faster,

- INTRODUCE & DESCRIBE

THE SETTING
* short cut passed graveyard
* graveyard in moonlight - calm windy
- DESCRIBE
ACTIVITY/ACTIVITIES
INTRODUCTION
* my friend and I watched midnight movie at
the cinema
* 2.00a.m movie ended - missed the last bus

- USE DIRECT SPEECH

(DIALOGUE)
* (friend) : Rinie, wait for me
* (I) : Come on Zura! Run faster

TITLE :
AN
UNFORGETTABLE
ENCOUNTER

R
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T
I
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N

- DESCRIBE CHARACTERS
* I - took off my sandals - to
speed up
* friend panting for breath
- INTRODUCE & DESCRIBE
NEW SETTING
* we reached main road
* bright streetlights cars on
- DESCRIBE
ACTIVITY/ACTIVITIES
* we turned around to look
behind us
ENDING
* we looked at each other - puzzled
* What was it? Was there really a
ghost?
* we will never know .....

PLANNING A STORY-LINE USING A PLOT GRAPH

QUESTION :
Begin your story with :
It was a sunny
afternoon ........

A SAMPLE STORY-LINE
CLIMAX

* Yeay! I won the lucky draw for SAKAN

BONANZA

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- DESCRIBE ACTIVITY/ACTIVITIES
* I searched high and low for the
homemade
fresh coffee beans in the wooden
cabinet
* I almost dropped the coffee beans jar
when

- USE DIRECT SPEECH (DIALOGUE)

* (mother) : Niza, get the dry clothes
in before
it rains
* (I) : In a minute mum, Im preparing
hot coffee
- SHARE FEELINGS AND REACTIONS
OF FEELINGS
* (feeling) I calm and serene
* (reactions) took a deep breath,
closed my
- DESCRIBE THE SETTING
* Kampung Tua beautiful village, lush green
paddy fields
*a flock of sparrows flying across the sky of the
vast
Begin
paddy fields
*undulating mountains a magnificent backdrop
- DESCRIBE ACTIVITY/ACTIVITIES
* my grandfather and father relaxing
at the
verandah rolling cigarette leaves
* my mother and I - busy washing
dishes
INTRODUCTION
* It was a sunny afternoon in my village Kampung
Tua
*My family and I had just enjoyed a delicious lunch
prepared

- SHARE FEELINGS AND REACTIONS OF

FEELINGS
* (feeling) I - exuberant
* (reactions) running to the verandah while
screming crazily,
hugging and kissing both grandfather and father
repeatedly
* (feeling) grandfather and father puzzled
- DESCRIBE ACTIVITY/ACTIVITIES
* I explained I just won a Grand Prize for SAKAN
BONANZA
lucky draw
* I shouted out of joy RM 10,000.00 and a
Perodua Kembara
will be mine soon
*I imagined myself cruising in the car and flaunting

QUESTION
TITLE : :
your story
AN with :

UNFORGETTABLE
It was
a sunny
ENCOUNTER
afternoon
........

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- USE DIRECT SPEECH (DIALOGUE)

* (grandmother) : Wow!Congrats! Opah
wants to
be the first person to go on a ride on
that
automobile with you
* (mother) : Whats going on here. Do I
- DESCRIBE ACTIVITY/ACTIVITIES
* father informed mother about my
windfall
- SHARE FEELINGS AND REACTIONS OF
FEELINGS
* (feeling)mother shocked and elated
* (reactions) jaw dropped, eyes bulged and
carved a big smile from ear to ear while
ENDING
* couldnt wait for the big day next day - to receive
the prize
* lying on bed couldnt sleep eyes blinking till

A SAMPLE STORY-LINE
CLIMAX

D
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INTRODUC
DESCRIBE
E
CHARACTE
R

R
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S
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T
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O
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QUESTION :

Begin your story with :

It was a sunny
afternoon ........

INTRODUCTION

ENDING
* we looked at each other - puzzled
* What was it? Was there really a
ghost?
* we will never know .....

INTRODUC
DESCRIBE
ESETTING
SETTING

USE
DESCRIBE
DIRECT
ACTIVITIES
SPEECH

INTRODUC
SHARE
FEELINGS &
E OBJECT
REACTIONS OF
(S)
FEELINGS

DESCRIBE
OBJECT (S)

SMK RAJA PEREMPUAN KELSOM, KUALA KANGSAR

MY PROCESS WRITING PROJECT 2014

FOCUS : NARRATIVE WRITING PORTFOLIO

NAME :__________________________________
CLASS : __________________________________
ENGLISH TEACHER : PN NUR HATIAH BT ABDUL HAMID

Rearrange the events to form a logical plot of the story. Cut and paste the boxes
on the task template/story-line graph.
INTRODUCTION
- DESCRIBE DARK FIGURE
* my friend and I watched* midnight
moviemonster,
at
tall, one-eyed
bulging
the cinema
red eye
* 2.00a.m movie ended *- smelled
missed the
lastand
busnauseating
awful
- DESCRIBE ACTIVITY/ACTIVITIES
* I started imagining weird things
heard scary
voices
* friend laughed - thought I
obsessed - movie
- DESCRIBE
ACTIVITY/ACTIVITIES

- SHARE FEELINGS AND REACTIONS

OF FEELINGS
* (feeling) I frightened
* (reactions) sweating , heart beat
faster,

- INTRODUCE & DESCRIBE

THE SETTING
* short cut passed graveyard
* graveyard in moonlight - calm windy

- USE DIRECT SPEECH

(DIALOGUE)
* (friend) : Rinie, wait for me
* (I) : Come on Zura! Run faster
- DESCRIBE ACTIVITY/ACTIVITIES
* we ran helter-skelter for our lives
* my boastful friend wet her pants

CLIMAX
* Suddenly, friend saw dark figure behind an old
tombstone

- SHARE FEELINGS AND REACTIONS

OF FEELINGS
* (feeling) both us us scared to death
* (reactions) screamed for help, cried ,
- INTRODUCE & DESCRIBE
NEW SETTING
* we reached main road
* bright streetlights cars on

- DESCRIBE
ACTIVITY/ACTIVITIES
ENDING
* we turned around to look
* we looked at each other - puzzled
behind us
* What was it? Was there really a
ghost?
* we will never know .....

- DESCRIBE CHARACTERS
* I - took off my sandals - to
speed up
* friend panting for breath

- DESCRIBE ACTIVITY/ACTIVITIES
* I quickened steps to reach
home faster
* friend calling me names accusing

- USE DIRECT SPEECH (DIALOGUE)

* (friend) : Oooh! Stop being ridiculous
* (I) : Im serious. There seem to be
strange voices
THEcalling
LIVING
ourPHOTOGRAPH
names

Answer the questions based on your understanding of the poem.

1- How are the people in the photograph related?

2- What kind of person was the grandmother?

3- What happened to the grandmothers physical appearance as sheaged?
4- What does the phrase the awful place refer to?5.
5- How old was the persona when the photograph was taken?
1- They are family / They are grandmother and grandchild.
2- She was prim and proper / She was well-dressed.
3- She became smaller and hunched.
4- The afterlife / The life after death / The grave.
5- Three
6- Which line in the poem tells us the grandmother has become forgetful?
7- How do you think of the persona feels towards her grandmother? Support your answer with
evidence from the poem.
8- A picture speaks a thousand words is a common proverb. How would you relate this to the
poem, The Living Photograph.
9- Sometimes an elderly member of the family is sent to a nursery home. Do you agree with this
practice? Provide your reason.
10- If you were to take care of your grandmother for a day, what would you do to make her
experience an unforgettable one ?
11- Give 2 moral values that are found in the poem.
12-List 2 items grandmother wears in the photo.
a- pleated skirt
b- flat shoes/white broderie anglaise shirt
13- What do you think the writer is referring to in the phrase the awful place grandmothers go?
-

The writer is referring to death

14- Which line in the poem tells us the grandmother has become forgetful ?
-

her soup forgot to boil

15- Which line tells you that the writer and her grandmother come from different ethnic
background ?
-

White hand in black hand

16- Why do you think the writer says that her grandmother is tall in the photo but later become
small ?
-

I think it is probably because the photo was taken when the writers grandmother was
younger. Her back was straight therefore she seemed taller. It could also be because the
writer was very young at the time (only 3 years old). As her grandmother grew older her
back become round and hunched. So she appeared small. The writer also have grown
bigger and taller too. Therefore her grandmother no longer appears tall to her.

17-Quote evidence from the line 14 to line 16 that the photograph was taken a long time ago ?

The persona says that the photo was taken when she was three years old

18- Explained the meaning of the word crinkled

-

wrinkled

19-How do these lines make you feel about photographs of people you love?

20- In the first stanza, what does the word there refer to?

THE LIVING PHOTOGRAPH

Stanza 1
Line
1 My small grandmother is tall there,
2 straight-back, white broderie anglaise shirt ,
3 pleated skirt, flat shoes, grey bun,
4 a kind, old smile round her eyes.
5 Her big hand holds mine,
6 white hand in black hand.
7 Her sharp blue eyes look her death in the eye.

Meaning
The personas grandmother looks tall in the
photograph.
She is standing with good posture, wearing an
embroidered lace blouse.
She wears the blouse with a pleated skirt, non-heeled
shoes and her hair in a bun.
She is smiling kindly.
Her big hand is holding the personas hand.
The contrast of their skin colours can clearly be seen
in their linked hands.
Her grandmothers blue eyes suggests that her death
is near.

Stanza 2
Line
8 It was true after all; that look.
9 My tall grandmother became small.
10 Her back round and hunched.
11 Her soup forgot to boil.
12 She went to the awful place grandmothers go.
13 Somewhere unknown, unthinkable.

Meaning
The personas reference of death came true.
The grandmother became thinner and more fragile.
Her back became hunched.
She became forgetful.
Soon, she passed away.
Upon her death, she went to a place that no one
knows.

Stanza 3
Line
14 But there she is still,
15 in the photo with me at three,
16 the crinkled smile is still living, breathing.

Meaning
However, in the photograph, her grandmother will
always be alive.
The persona was there years old in the photograph
with her grandmother.
Her grandmothers smile is still so alive and real.

Moral Value
1 We must treasure our loved ones when they are alive.

We must spend as much time as we can with our loved ones while they are still living

When they pass away, all that will be left are the memories, as is illustrated in the poem.
2 It is difficult to lose a family member.

It is always difficult to deal with the death of a loved one.

The persona loses her grandmother when she was younger but she will always remember her.
3 We must never forget the importance of family relationship.

We should not forget to love and care for our family, especially our grandparents who are the pillars of

a family.
When they are old and sick, we must continue to take care of them.

Summary of Stanza 1
The persona is looking at an old photograph of her grandmother and herself. She describes the photograph
her grandmother is standing tall and straight, dressed in a white embroidered lace blouse with a pleated skirt,
and flat shoes. Her grey hair is pulled neatly into a bun. She is smiling kindly while holding the personas hand
in hers, giving her the security and comfort. As the persona describes their linked hands white hand in black
hand it is clear that they come from a mixed race family. The last line seems to suggest that the persona
knows that her grandmothers death will come soon.
Summary of Stanza 2
While the first describes the photograph, in the second stanza, the persona is remembering her grandmother
later, when she is older and has become ill. The persona recalls how her grandmother soon grows thinner and
more fragile. Her back is hunched and she becomes forgetful as is illustrated in the line, Her soup forgot to
boil. Eventually, she passes away and upon her death, she goes to an unimaginable place.
Summary of Stanza 3
However, in the photograph, the personas grandmother will forever be alive. She is still there, holding the hand
of her three-year-old granddaughter, with her smile looking so alive and real.

Themes
1 The everlasting quality of a photograph

A photograph immortalizes a person or a moment. What is captured in a photograph will remain alive

forever.
In the poem, the personas grandmother has already passed away. However, in the photograph, she

will always be healthy and alive.

A photograph also allows us grandmother passes away to reflect on what happened in the past and

relive our memories.

2 Death

Death is a definite outcome for all of us.

In the poem, the persona recalls how her grandmother was once strong and healthy but soon grows

older and becomes ill.

In the end, the grandmother passes away and the persona is only able to relive her memories with
her grandmother through a photograph.

1. Where is the setting of the poem?

The battlefield
2. Which line in the poem tells us that the soldiers obeyed the order without question?
"theirs not to reason why"
3. Why do you think the line "Rode the six hundred" is repeated many times in the poems?
to emphasise that the 600 soldiers sacrificed their life on that day in the battlefield
4. Give one quality that you admire about the soldiers. Give a reason for your response.
Loyal as they follow orders.
5. What is the command given to the soldiers?
to charge forward and fight the enemies
6. Give an example of a metaphor used in the poem.
the valley of death
7. Which line in the poem tells the reader that the command was a mistakes?
someone had blundered
8. What do you think is the outcome of the battle? Support your response with evidence from the poem.
Many soldiers die. The phrase into the jaw of death shows that many of them will die in the battle.
9. In stanza 1, who is speaking to the soldiers?
the leader/captain
10. In stanza 2, what does the line, "theirs but to do and die" tell us about?
the soldiers are loyal and courageous
11. What happened to the soldiers in stanza 3?
they were attacked by the enemies
12. What emotions does the poem evoke? What do you feel as you read it? Support your response with evidence
from the poem.
Sympathetic. full of sympathy as many soldiers die in the battlefield.
13. In stanza 2, which phrase in the poem means to go forward over a set distance?
"Forward the Light Brigade"
14. What were the soldiers told to do when they rode into the valley of death?
"Charge for the gun"
15. Why do you think the soldiers followed the order even is it would cause their death?
They are loyal
16. Despite being attacked from all sides, the soldiers continued on. What consequences would the soldiers have
to face if they decided to retreat? Provide reason for your answer.
Death.The soldiers should never go against the leader and always follow orders
17. Why do yo think the persona asked whether there was " a man dismayed"?

some of the soldiers are not courageous and have weak heart/ will/spirit
18. There are many jobs today that require people to be brave. Give another example of a job that requires
bravery. Provide reason for your answer.
Policeman. They need to fight for justice.
19. In stanza 2, which word in the poem means 'made a mistake'?
" blundered"
20. What is the theme of the poem?
courage
21. What is the Light Brigade?
a division in the army
22. Give one example of personification used in the poem?
"the jaw of death"
23. How do you feel about war? Provide a reason to support your response.
I dislike war. Many people die in the war.