Personal Recount Essays
REVISION NOTES
Source: English Compositions: Writing Guide for O-Level Prepared by: Ms Tan MH
A Personal Recount Essay…
•relates an event or experience which is meaningful
or memorable to you
•It contains the elements of a story – setting,
character, rising action and resolution.
•It usually includes a complication (e.g. something you
regret).
Tips for Writing Personal Recounts (1/2)
•Write believably. The topics are often about things
teenagers experience, so adapt from your own experiences.
You can write a fictitious piece, but make sure your writing
rings true.
•Organise your ideas in chronological order. If you use
flashbacks, remember to use transitional words to clearly
indicate shifts of time.
•Include details for the 5W1H. A convincing personal recount
gives concrete details on setting and characters.
Tips for Writing Personal Recounts (2/2)
•Reflect on the incident. Do not just narrate, but reflect on how it
has impacted you.
•Do not exaggerate. Do not weave over-exaggerated plots which
cannot be realistically resolved in the space of a composition.
•Be emotive, not melodramatic. An incident may seem trivial,
but if you narrate it convincingly and tell readers why it is
significant to you, you will engage your readers.
•Write as YOURSELF. Be AUTHENTIC – write as a student in
Singapore, with the emotions and experiences of a teenager.
To write a stronger personal recount
•Give specific details. Provide concrete and vivid details to
SHOW readers instead of telling them. Some examples are:
Ordinary She was greatly grieved.
Imaginative A wall of grief cascaded upon her, dashing all hope.
Ordinary He had white hair.
Imaginative A shock of silver-white hair greeted me when he removed his cap.
Ordinary Slowly, I recalled what had happened that day.
Imaginative Fragments of the day resurfaced like pieces of a puzzle, until finally, I was able to piece them
together into a meaningful whole.
