Extended Response – IGCSE English 0990 (Paper 1)

For Paper 1 Extended Response in IGCSE English 0990, you're expected to write a longer, developed answer (about 250–300 words), usually for Question 3. This is a 25-mark question that tests how well you can understand, interpret, and reimagine information from a passage.

📌 What is the Extended Response Question?

It will say something like:

"You are [a character]... Write a journal entry/article/letter/speech..."

You’ll have to write in a specific format, using information from the passage, showing:

  • Understanding of the text

  • Ability to infer

  • Use of the correct voice/tone/format

  • Own words (mostly—not copying large chunks)

🧭 Step-by-Step Technique

1. Read the Question Carefully

✅ Identify:

  • Your role (Who are you writing as?)

  • The purpose (What are you trying to express?)

  • The format (Is it a journal? A report? A letter?)

  • The audience (Are you speaking formally or informally?)

2. Annotate the Extract for Key Details

🖊 Highlight:

  • Facts: Actions, events, settings

  • Feelings: How characters feel or react

  • Thoughts/Motives: Implied or suggested

  • Descriptions: Useful for vivid re-telling

💡 Tip: Look beyond what’s said. Ask: What is the character thinking, feeling, fearing, hoping?

3. Plan Your Response

Organise into 3–4 clear paragraphs.

Example Plan (Journal Entry):

  1. Opening line: Reflective tone, mention the main event.

  2. What happened: Retell key events in order.

  3. Thoughts and feelings: Add personal reactions.

  4. Reflection or hopes: End with a thought, lesson, or decision.

4. Write in the Right Style

Use the tone and voice that suits the task:

  • Journal: Personal, emotional, informal

  • Letter: Address someone, formal/informal as needed

  • Report: Factual, neutral, structured

  • Speech: Persuasive, emotive

🧠 Character Voice: Stay in character throughout!

5. Use Own Words — But Base It on the Text

You must show:

  • You understood the original extract

  • You can rephrase it naturally

  • You can extend it with reasonable imagination

🚫 Don’t copy the text.
✅ Do paraphrase, infer, and expand.

6. Add Emotive Language & Descriptive Detail

Make it engaging! Use:

  • Emotions (fear, excitement, guilt)

  • Descriptive verbs/adjectives

  • Metaphors/similes (optional, for creative tasks)

✍️ Model Question and Sample Response

📘 Text Summary:

A girl gets lost in a forest at night after arguing with her parents and hearing mysterious sounds around her.

📝 Question:

You are the girl. Write a journal after you have returned home. Describe what happened, how you felt, and what you learned from the experience.

✅ Sample Journal (Extended Response)

Dear Journal,

I don’t even know where to begin. Tonight was terrifying. It all started when I stormed off into the woods, too angry to think straight after the argument with Mum and Dad. I thought I knew the trail. I didn’t.

At first, it was just cold and quiet. But then the silence turned sinister. The wind seemed to whisper things I couldn’t quite hear, and every crack of a branch made my heart leap. I called out, but no one answered. I was completely alone, and that’s when the panic hit.

For what felt like hours, I wandered, heart pounding, legs trembling, every shadow twisting into something worse. At one point, I thought I saw eyes watching me. Maybe it was just my imagination, but it felt so real.

When I finally saw the glow of a flashlight, I almost cried. Dad had come looking for me. No shouting, no lectures, just a hug that lasted forever. I don’t think I’ll forget that moment.

I’ve realised how stupid I was to run off. No argument is worth putting myself in danger like that. Tonight, I learned how quickly safety can vanish, and how much my family truly means to me.

✅ Final Checklist


Have you...

  • Used the correct format and voice?

  • Covered all bullet points or aspects of the question?

  • Paraphrased and inferred from the text (not copied)?

  • Included feelings, reactions, and reflections?

  • Written about 250–300 words?

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