In the GCSE exam you will have 20 minutes to complete a task. That means, to plan it and to write it.

Here is an example that I completed as my students completed theirs in class. It took me 20 minutes and hopefully, gives you a clue as to what you could do….or even do better than this mere teacher. I did not put my name to it as such, so changed the name in the title.

All About David

20 minutes of writing [331 words]

NB. No planning! Eek!

I am what some folk would call unconventional in that I do not necessarily do things the way other people expect me to.

I hail from Doncaster you see, where men are men; real and absolute, different in every conceivable fashion. I was born there and raised there by a dominant father and a subservient mother and it has caused me to be the person that I am now, along with all my learnt behaviour in the meantime.

I like to describe myself as an optimist, but in truth, there is so much of me that is pessimistic; my glass is more or less half empty for most of the time. I love to meet new people. I love their sense of individuality and freedom, but I also get extremely nervous when meeting someone new for the first time. You would think that a grown man of my ability and size would not worry too much about what people would think, but I do worry immensely. This fear of rejection, or failure, is a major part of my life.

In truth, this is one of the things that define me. It shapes my thinking. It colours my attitude and at times, colours my language when someone decides to throw insult and ingratitude before my path. I suppose you could say, and it has been said of me by my wife and others, that I do not suffer fools gladly. When insulted or offended, my classic defence mechanism is usually a verbal tirade of classic four letter words, especially when behind the wheel of my car!

But the true David, the one I believe in, the one I want to aspire to, is the one that stands up on a Sunday and leads worship in church. Then, I can be kind, caring and considerate of others. My aim in the future is therefore for that David to be more prevalent in my life. With God’s help, I will get there, I hope!