We all are story weavers, we all possess the talent of ‘cooking stories in our minds,’ isn’t it? But when it comes to expressing these notions on paper, not all can write them with flair.
English Exam Class 10: Story writing is also a part of the syllabus of English Class 10 and therefore it is very important to understand its concepts, essentials, and techniques. We have mastered story making in our own ways pertaining to our own circumstances and situations be it making excuses for submitting incomplete homework or evading project work or assignments. Yet, when it comes to penning our thoughts down in a structured format with all the given rules of grammar, we need to learn the correct art to score well.
Overview- English Exam Class 10
A story is a set of thoughts, situations or circumstances in a proper structured format. It has a central character, a theme, an antagonist that may be a person or a situation and a central theme as well as a message.
When weaving a story we need to keep the above points in mind. The length of the story may vary, depending upon its types- a story exceeding the 12000-word limit can take the form of a novel or a novella.
However, in-class 10 board examination you are asked to attempt a short story with the clues given in your question paper. The question carries 10 marks, 6 marks are allotted for reading skills, 2 marks for accuracy, and 2 marks for accuracy. Therefore, it is important to attempt questions with utmost care.
Format of writing story
When attempting a story you may adhere to the following format for your ease:
- Start with a phrase: For example, once upon a time, once there lived, keeping the context in mind.
- Introduce your characters: Write how your character looked, what qualities did it/ he/ she posses— you can do it using conversations or dialogues.
- Plot: Circumstance, situation, event or any happening.
- The climax of the story: The story’s heightened crises, and the end.
Tips for writing a story creatively
- Plotting : Note down the points and ideas that come up to your mind on a rough sheet. Arrange them accordingly or in a serial order.
- Include these three situations:
Situation – What is the event that a protagonist or a central character is going through?
Crises- What problem is the character stuck into?
Solution-
How does a character find the solution.
- Include more dialogues: Inclusion of dialogues or conversation makes the story what it is different from an essay or an article as well as a debate. Include catchy dialogues.
- Mind your vocabulary: Since you get very little word limit to spin a tale, you need to learn some good words to impress the reader. However, avoid using grandiloquent language.
- Express through words: Story isn’t limited to telling, it is rather based on a concept – ‘show don’t tell .’ Write exactly how you feel, write in a way a reader is able to visualize. For instance-
Instead of writing, ‘Ron was scared to death when he saw himself in the mirror,’ you can rephrase it this way, ‘Ron hair at the back stood, his face turned white and teeth jittered as he saw his reflection in the mirror! ‘
- Include a message : Not all stories carry a message. Some are just for the purpose of entertainment. However, when you are writing a story for your exam, it must carry some meaningful message. Try figuring out what the clues say or may lead to. Figure out what moral lesson the story brings home.
- Read : Another important thing that you must for almost daily is to read short stories regularly. It will give you an idea of what to write and how to develop the plot of the story. The more you read, the more learned you become.
- Practice : Practice makes a man perfect, and it ain’t a joke! If not daily, pen your thoughts down and weave them into meaningful stories at least thrice a week. This will help you get a good grasp of the genre. Also, you would enjoy spinning a tale on your own, once you have mastered it.
Frequently Asked Questions on English Exam Class 10
- What are the key elements of a story?
Answer. A story has these basic elements:
- Plot
- Protagonist/hero/central character
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Antagonist – villain (a person or a situation)
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Theme
- Message
2. Are there any reference books for writing stories?
Answer. You can go for Xam Idea Complete Course English for CBSE by VK Global Publication. It covers all the grammatical portions of class X syllabus.
3. How many marks does a story writing question carry?
Answer. Story writing comes under section B. It carries 10 marks and therefore is an important topic.
