Say Goodbye to Cliche Introductions in Composition Writing – Part 2

Welcome back, everyone! It’s me, Teacher Wen Hee from Lil’ but Mighty (Marine Parade). Well, in the second part of this video series on composition writing, I’m here to share with you another way so that you can bid farewell to those boring introductions! If you are ready, let’s get into it.

Have you managed to pick up a thing or two from the previous video on the first method to enhance your introductions? By applying Feelings/Emotions, you can draw your readers in right from the start of your compositions! If you have not done so, you can click on the link below to watch it. Let us now look at Method 2!

Watch the video below!

Method 2: Visualising the scene by giving Place descriptions (Using 5 Senses)

Another way to tackle the introduction is actually through something as simple as giving proper Place/Setting descriptions. I’m sure many of you are not foreign to the concept of using 5 senses in your descriptions. However, do you know that if a student just indicates a place without descriptions, for instance, “I was at home” or “I was in school”, they have wasted a golden opportunity to provide more details on how the Place/Setting may have an important relevance to the story?

Before you even whine and grumble about how it is difficult to do so, be rest assured that describing a Place/Setting is just as simple as providing 2 to 3 sensory descriptions using our 5 senses: the common three being sight, hearing, touch, and occasionally smell and taste.

Let me now show you how this can be done in 3 simple steps:

1. Think of the location for your story. Keep in mind that this is where the main events should occur. For example, if the story involves the main character winning in a race, then the appropriate setting would be at a running track or sports stadium.
2. Brainstorm the people and things that would normally be found as well as activities that would usually occur at this location.
3. Use your 5-senses to describe these people, things and activities. For instance, you can describe how the spectators broke out in loud cheers when the main character crossed the finish line. In this situation, you are using the sense of hearing to describe what is happening at the setting.

Now, I will share with you some common locations with the relevant Place/Setting descriptions that you can apply to your own stories.