PSLE English Composition: 5 Mistakes That Quietly Cost Marks (and How to Fix Them)

Has your child ever written a composition that sounds good but still comes back with a middling mark? It is one of the most common frustrations in PSLE English. The good news: most lost marks come from a small handful of habits — and every one of them is fixable. Here are five mistakes that quietly cost marks, with a simple fix for each.

1. Rushing in with no plan

When pupils start writing before they think, the plot wanders and the ending feels rushed. Markers notice.

The fix: Spend two minutes planning. Beginning, problem, climax, ending — four boxes, four quick notes. A plan keeps the story tight and the time well spent.

2. Telling the reader everything instead of showing

“She was very scared” tells us nothing we can picture. Showing is what earns marks.

The fix: Show the feeling through action. “Her hands trembled as she reached for the door” lets the marker see the fear. One strong showing sentence beats three flat ones.

3. Reaching for the same tired words

“Then”, “suddenly”, “very”, “nice” — these words fill space but add nothing. A composition packed with them reads flat.

The fix: Build a small word bank before the exam. Swap “very sad” for “heartbroken”, “ran fast” for “sprinted”. Ten strong words, used well, lift the whole piece.

4. Drifting away from the picture prompts

A lovely story that has nothing to do with the prompts will lose marks for relevance, no matter how well written.

The fix: Link clearly to at least one prompt early in the story, and keep coming back to it. Relevance is half the battle.

5. Never checking the writing

Tense slips, missing full stops, a name that changes halfway through — small errors that add up.

The fix: Leave five minutes at the end to read it back slowly. Reading under your breath helps you hear the mistakes your eyes skip over.

The quick checklist

• Plan for two minutes before writing.
• Show feelings through action, not labels.
• Use a few strong words instead of many weak ones.
• Stay tied to the picture prompts.
• Check the writing for five minutes at the end.