What is extended writing?

The third test that you will need to sit as part of the Kent & Medway 11+ exam, is an extended writing exercise. The extended writing exercise will require the candidate to produce a piece of factual or fiction-based writing, which demonstrates skills such as:

• Sentence fluency.
• Grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
• Creativity.
• The ability to follow a structure when writing.

The final point on the above list is arguably the most important of all. While different examination boards will place varying importance on different things, all of them will expect a piece of writing which has a clear beginning, middle, and end. Likewise, the format will vary between years. In some years you’ll be given 20 minutes to write, in other years you will be given 50 minutes to write. That being said – don’t sacrifice quality for quantity. A shorter piece, with a beginning, middle, and end, will score higher than a longer piece that follows no structure at all.

11 Plus Extended Writing
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11 PLus extended writing topics

The format of the writing element can differ between years. Sometimes, you might be asked to write a fictional story. At another time, you might be asked to write a story about an experience you’ve had. Below are two different titles, to illustrate what we mean:

Write a story about sailing the seas as a pirate.

If you received the above title, then you know that you’ll need to think creatively and use your imagination. Alternatively, you might get a title that looks like this:

Write a story about the last time you went abroad.

Naturally, writing this extract might require you to use your memory, rather than your imagination. However, the examiners will still want to see you be creative. Being creative doesn’t mean that you have to make things up – it’s about using language to describe things and make them sound poetic.

pLANNING YOUR STORY

In the vast majority of examination years, you will be given at least 5 minutes planning time before you start writing. Planning your story will make a huge difference – it will mean that you can use your notes as a reminders of plot points, characters, and for ideas.

Using a separate piece of paper, think about the following:

Characters. Of course, this is a major part in any story or extract. You need to get your characters in place, because they are the ones who will drive the story forward.

The Plot. Plotting is a complex and difficult process, and for actual writers it can sometimes take years to get a plot fully realised! However, you don’t need to be scared, because you aren’t publishing a full-length novel! In this case, you just need to plan out a basic story, with a beginning, middle, and end.

Narrative Point of View. When writing a creative extract, you should ideally aim to write in either first person, or third person. There are different quirks and advantages to the different narrative points of view, and neither third person nor first person are considered ‘better’ than the other. In some cases, it might come down to the title of the essay.

11 Plus CREATIVE Writing Tips

Preparing for the 11+ creative writing exercise doesn’t have to be stressful. Ultimately, writing should be an enjoyable experience, and it’s a great way to express yourself. The key to getting good marks, of course, is in expressing yourself ‘the right way’. Here are some tips on things to keep in mind, and things to avoid.

Use adjectives sensibly. Often, one of the first things that you are taught as a young writer is to be creative and use as many adjectives as possible. This is great for getting your brain thinking imaginatively and assigning qualities to objects, but doesn’t necessarily translate so well to a good, final piece of writing.

Real people, real behaviour. One of the things which often causes writers to lose marks on exercises such as this, is that the characters’ behaviour doesn’t exactly match either what they would do in real life, or the rest of their characterisation. Random acts that aren’t consistent with characterisation can break the immersion of a piece, and make it hard to read. The intrigue of writing, even writing fantasy, is placing realistic people with human characteristics and traits, in circumstances or situations where they need to react – and seeing how they react.

Structure. As we’ve mentioned, having a beginning, middle, and an end is really important. It makes it easier for the reader to understand where they are in the story, and makes it easier for the reader to follow the work.

HERE’S WHAT OUR ELEVEN PLUS EXTENDED WRITING FEEDBACK INCLUDES:

Practice your extended writing skills, prior to your exam.
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  • Your child’s writing assessed and critiqued by a Masters Degree qualified writer!
  • In-depth tips on narrative, description, and more!
  • Ideas and advice on how to improve your child’s written dialogue!
  • Essential ideas on characterisation, plot consistency, and more!
  • Grammar, punctuation and spelling tips, as well as advice, to ensure that your child maxes their scores – learning in the process!
  • A guaranteed 48-hour turnaround, ensuring fast, accurate, feedback!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Your child’s exercise will be personally reviewed by How2Become’s Masters qualified Creative Writing Expert. For every submission, we guarantee personalised feedback, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the content. Our aim isn’t just to point out where things are good or bad – we’ll help your child learn and develop into a stronger, better writer.

Your evaluation will be sent to you in an editable Microsoft Word document within 48 hours (Monday-Friday during office hours).

As soon as your payment is made you will immediately receive an email from How2Become, requesting the Extended Writing topic and your child’s answer. We will then get to work on providing feedback on the piece of creative writing and send an evaluation within 48 hours (Monday-Friday during office hours).

DEAR PARENT,

Thank you very much for your interest in our Extended Writing feedback service. We want to provide you with reassurance that the feedback we’ll share with you will be top class! Our Creative Writing expert has marked and reviewed many hundreds of creative writing pieces over the course of his career, and has also led and participated in various writing workshops. Here at How2Become, we know exactly what the assessors are looking for, and promise that your child’s extended writing skills will receive a great boost from our guidance.

If you have any questions about the service please feel free to contact us directly at [email protected]

Practice your extended writing skills, prior to your exam.

Medway 11+ Revision Guide

If you haven’t purchased a copy of our fantastic Medway 11+ Revision Guide, then you’re missing out! This book is jam packed with tips on extended writing, maths, and verbal reasoning. It’s the ultimate practice and revision resource for any child taking the Medway Eleven Plus. So, don’t hang around. Pick up your copy today! 

11+ Medway Test Revision Guide Workbook

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11+ Extended Writing Service
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11 Plus Extended Writing

Includes:
✓ Essential tips and strategies to help improve your child’s writing style, and structure!
✓ In-depth advice from a Masters Degree qualified writer!
✓ Grammar, punctuation and spelling advice, ensuring your child understands the ins and outs of good writing.
✓ A fast, guaranteed, 48-hour turnaround – receive your feedback within just two days!
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Includes:
✓ COMPLETE revision preparation for your child’s Medway 11+ examination, including the question types they will face, how to answer the questions, the scoring criteria, and over 180 practice questions;
✓ NINETY practice Medway 11+ maths questions – enhance your child’s numerical ability, and score high in their exam!
✓ NINETY practice Medway 11+ verbal reasoning questions – from word puzzles to comprehension and reading, this is the most comprehensive practice resource available; A FULL guide on how to approach the Medway 11+ extended writing assessment. With tips on language, dialogue, and more, this is the best possible resource to help your child improve their writing skills;
✓ Detailed explanations and answers to EVERY SINGLE question. We’ve gone all out to provide your child with the most detailed answers possible – to help them understand where they can improve.
Plus 30-days FREE ACCESS to the 11 Plus online testing suite. Thereafter, just £5.95 +vat per month. No minimum term. You may cancel anytime. Cancel before the 30-days are up and you will not be charged.?
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11 Plus Extended Writing

11+ Extended Writing Service

Includes:
[bullet_item text="Essential tips and strategies to help improve your child’s writing style, and structure!"] [bullet_item text="In-depth advice from a Masters Degree qualified writer!"] [bullet_item text="Grammar, punctuation and spelling advice, ensuring your child understands the ins and outs of good writing."] [bullet_item text="A fast, guaranteed, 48-hour turnaround – receive your feedback within just two days! "]
Add to cart More info [/ux_price_table] [/col] [col span="6" span__md="12"] [ux_price_table title="" price="$11.99" featured="true" color="light" depth="2" depth_hover="4"]
11+ Medway Test Revision Guide Workbook

Medway 11+ Revision Guide Workbook

Plus 30-days FREE ACCESS to the exclusive 11+ online testing suite thereafter, just £5.95+vat per month. No minimum term. You may cancel at anytime. Contact [email protected] to adjust your membership.
Includes:
[bullet_item text="COMPLETE revision preparation for your child’s Medway 11+ examination, including the question types they will face, how to answer the questions, the scoring criteria, and over 180 practice questions;"] [bullet_item text="NINETY practice Medway 11+ maths questions – enhance your child’s numerical ability, and score high in their exam!"] [bullet_item text="NINETY practice Medway 11+ verbal reasoning questions – from word puzzles to comprehension and reading, this is the most comprehensive practice resource available;"] [bullet_item text="A FULL guide on how to approach the Medway 11+ extended writing assessment. With tips on language, dialogue, and more, this is the best possible resource to help your child improve their writing skills;"] [bullet_item text="Detailed explanations and answers to EVERY SINGLE question. We’ve gone all out to provide your child with the most detailed answers possible – to help them understand where they can improve."]
Add to cart More info [/ux_price_table] [/col]