Checkpoint 6 · Paper 1 writing (non-fiction)

Recount Writing

How to retell real events for Paper 1: what a recount is, features, the five-paragraph structure, phrases for every part, vocabulary, a strong sample and practice.

British & IGCSE › Checkpoint 6 English (Cambridge Primary 0058)

1. What is a recount?

A recount retells real events that have already happened, usually in the order they happened (chronological order). Most recounts in the exam are personal recounts: you write about something that happened to you, in the first person and the past tense, with your thoughts, feelings and a reflection at the end. A recount can also be factual (for example, a report of a school trip for the newsletter), but it still follows time order.

Question	Answer
Purpose	To retell events so the reader understands what happened, and often to entertain them and share how you felt.
Audience	Classmates, teachers, parents, readers of a school blog, magazine or display.
Voice	Usually first person (I, we) for a personal recount. Third person for a factual recount of an event.
Tense	Past tense: I walked, we were waiting, it had started.
Where in the exam	Paper 1 (Non-fiction), Section B Writing, 25 marks, about 30 minutes. Recount tasks often do not use the word 'recount'. Look for: 'write about a time when…', 'describe what happened', 'tell the reader about a day…', 'write an account of…'. Recount skills are also used inside diaries, letters to friends, blogs and news reports.

	Recount	Diary	Story (Paper 2)
True or invented?	True (real events)	True (your own day)	Invented
Focus	One event, in order, with a reflection	Your day, feelings, private thoughts	A plot with a problem and a resolution
Layout	Title + paragraphs	Date, Dear Diary, sign-off	Title + paragraphs
Tone	Personal or factual	Personal, informal	Depends on genre

What earns marks in a recount

Criterion	Marks	What a top answer looks like in a recount
Creation of texts	5	Every bullet covered. The setting is clear, the events are interesting and detailed, feelings are shown, and the ending reflects on what the day meant.
Vocabulary and language	3	Vivid verbs (wandered, dashed, spotted), strong feeling words (relieved, terrified, elated) and some sensory detail.
Structure of texts	7	Orientation → events in order → reflective conclusion. Time connectives at the start of paragraphs. Paragraphs change with time or place.
Grammar and punctuation	7	Past tenses used correctly (including 'was walking' and 'had left'). Varied sentence openings and lengths. Direct speech punctuated correctly.
Word structure (spelling)	3	Past-tense spellings correct (stopped, carried, realised) and ambitious words spelt correctly.

2. Features of a recount

Feature	Example
A title	Lost at the Book Fair
Orientation: who, where, when, what	Last winter, my family and I went to the Cairo International Book Fair.
Chronological order	First… → When I turned round… → Ten minutes later… → Looking back…
Time connectives	First, · After that, · Suddenly, · Then, · Later, · In the end,
Past tense	I spotted a stall and wandered over to it.
First-person perspective	I, my, we, our
Descriptive language (the senses)	The huge halls were packed with families.
Thoughts and feelings	My heart was racing, and every voice sounded like a stranger's.
Factual details	I had saved my pocket money for three months.
Dialogue (optional, short)	'If you get lost, find someone in a uniform.'
Personal reflection at the end	Looking back, I realise that the day taught me two lessons.

3. How to structure a recount

The teacher uses the five-paragraph recount: one orientation paragraph, three paragraphs of events in time order, and one conclusion. Start each event paragraph with a time connective, and make the middle event (the most exciting or important moment) your most detailed paragraph.

Paragraph	What to write	Tips
Title	A short title that hints at what happened	'The Day the Bus Broke Down', 'Lost at the Book Fair'
P1: Orientation	Who, where, when and why you were there. Set the scene with one or two details.	Hook the reader: 'It all started on a cold Friday morning…'
P2: Event 1 (the beginning)	What happened first. How you felt.	Start with 'First,' or 'When we arrived,'.
P3: Event 2 (the main moment)	The most important, surprising or exciting part	Slow it down: senses, feelings, a short sentence for drama.
P4: Event 3 (what happened next)	How the situation developed or was solved	A short line of speech can bring it to life.
P5: Conclusion and reflection	How it ended + what you think or feel about it now, what you learned	Use 'Looking back, …' or 'That day taught me…'. Link back to the title.

Do not just list events

Weak: "We went to the museum. Then we saw a mummy. Then we had lunch. Then we went home." Strong: "As soon as we entered the dark hall, the room fell silent. In a glass case lay a mummy, wrapped in yellowing cloth, and I could hardly believe it was more than three thousand years old." Choose fewer events and give each one detail and feeling.

4. Useful phrases and sentence starters

How to start (orientation)

It all started when…
The day began like any other, but things soon took an unexpected turn.
I remember clearly that it was a [day/time] when…
Last [summer/winter], my family and I…
I could never have imagined what was about to happen.

Events (body)

First, we…
When we arrived, …
As I was [doing something], I noticed…
Suddenly, …
To my surprise, …
At that moment, I thought to myself…
After that, I felt [emotion] because…
Things took a dramatic turn when…
Before long, …
Ten minutes later, …

Showing feelings

My heart was racing.
My hands were shaking.
I could not stop smiling.
A wave of relief washed over me.
I felt my face turn bright red.

How to end (conclusion and reflection)

In the end, …
Looking back, I realise that…
That day taught me an important lesson about…
I will never forget how I felt when…
What I took away from that day was…
Although it was frightening at the time, I am glad it happened, because…

Word / phrase	Meaning / use
unforgettable (adj.)	impossible to forget
eventful (adj.)	full of interesting happenings: an eventful journey
thrilling (adj.)	very exciting
chaotic (adj.)	noisy and disorganised
astonished (adj.)	very surprised
relieved (adj.)	no longer worried
elated (adj.)	extremely happy
anticipation (n.)	the excited feeling of waiting for something
commotion (n.)	sudden noise and confusion
excursion (n.)	a short trip for pleasure or learning
glimpse (v./n.)	to see something for a very short time
wander (v.)	to walk slowly without a plan
dash (v.)	to run somewhere very quickly
stumble (v.)	to trip or almost fall
recall (v.)	to remember

5. Strong sample

Sample: 'Lost at the Book Fair'287 words · Strong answer: Creation 5/5 · Vocabulary 3/3 · Structure 7/7 · Grammar & punctuation 7/7 · Spelling 3/3

Task: Your class is making a display called 'A Day I Will Never Forget'. Write about a day when something did not go as planned. Think about: • where you were and who you were with • what happened, in order • how you felt • what you learned.

Lost at the Book Fair

Last winter, my family and I went to the Cairo International Book Fair. It was a cold, sunny Friday, and the huge halls were packed with families, school groups and endless tables of books. I had saved my pocket money for three months, and I was determined to buy the whole adventure series I had been dreaming about.

First, we visited the children's hall, where colourful posters covered every wall. My dad told me to stay close, but I was too excited to listen. While he was paying for my sister's colouring books, I spotted a stall with the series I wanted. Without thinking, I wandered over to look at it.

When I turned round, my family had disappeared. Suddenly, the crowd felt enormous. My heart was racing, my hands were sweating and every voice sounded like a stranger's. I walked up and down the rows, but each one looked exactly the same. For one terrible moment, I wanted to cry.

Then I remembered what my mum always says: 'If you get lost, find someone in a uniform.' I took a deep breath and walked to a security guard near the entrance. He smiled kindly, asked for my name and spoke into his radio. Ten minutes later, which felt like ten hours, my dad came running towards me. He hugged me so tightly that I could hardly breathe.

Looking back, I realise that the day taught me two important lessons. Firstly, it is easy to forget the rules when you are excited. Secondly, staying calm is the fastest way out of trouble. I did buy my books in the end, but I read the first one sitting very close to my dad!

Why this gets the marks

Format decision: the task did not name a format (no 'diary', no 'letter'), so this is a normal recount: a title and five paragraphs, with no date line and no greeting.
Creation of texts 5/5: all four bullets are covered: where and who (P1), what happened in order (P2–P4), feelings all the way through (excited, racing heart, wanting to cry, relief in the hug), what I learned (P5). The reader is kept interested by a clear problem (getting lost) and a satisfying solution.
Recount features: orientation with who/where/when/why (P1), strict time order, time connectives at the start of paragraphs ('Last winter', 'First', 'When I turned round', 'Then', 'Looking back') and inside them ('Without thinking', 'Ten minutes later'), past tense, first person, factual details (three months of pocket money), one line of remembered speech and a reflective ending.
Vocabulary and language 3/3: vivid verbs ('spotted', 'wandered', 'hugged'), feeling words ('determined', 'terrible'), sensory detail ('colourful posters', 'packed with families') and exaggeration for effect ('felt like ten hours').
Structure of texts 7/7: the teacher's five-paragraph recount: orientation → event 1 (getting separated) → event 2, the main moment, slowed down (lost) → event 3 (the solution) → reflection. The final sentence links back to the books from P1 and ends with a light, humorous touch.
Grammar and punctuation 7/7: a range of past tenses ('went', 'was paying', 'had disappeared', 'had been dreaming') · varied sentences (the short 'Suddenly, the crowd felt enormous.' after a calm paragraph) · a colon to introduce the mother's words · a pair of commas for extra information ('Ten minutes later, which felt like ten hours,') · commas after fronted adverbials · a list of three with commas · apostrophes for possession ('children's', 'sister's', 'stranger's').
Word structure (spelling) 3/3: 'colourful' (British spelling), 'determined', 'security', 'entrance', 'realise', 'Secondly' all correct.

6. Common mistakes

Listing events with 'and then… and then…' and no detail or feeling.
Telling every small thing (waking up, brushing teeth, breakfast) and running out of time before the important moment.
No orientation: the reader does not know where or when it happened.
Slipping into the present tense ('I walk to the stall and I see…').
Writing a long conversation. Use one or two short lines of speech only.
Ending with 'And then I went home and went to sleep.' instead of a reflection.
Adding 'Dear Diary' or a date when the task did not ask for a diary.
Forgetting a bullet point, usually 'what you learned'.

Recount checklist

Title that hints at what happened.
P1 orientation: who, where, when, why.
Three event paragraphs in time order, each starting with a time connective.
The main moment is slowed down with senses and feelings.
Past tense all the way through (present only in the reflection, for what is true now).
One or two short lines of speech, correctly punctuated (optional).
P5: how it ended + what I learned, linked back to the title.
Checked: full stops, commas after time connectives, spelling of past-tense verbs.

كيف تكتب Recount ممتازاً

الـ Recount هو حكاية أحداث حقيقية حدثت بالفعل، بالترتيب، وبصيغة الماضي. استخدم خمس فقرات: (1) مقدمة: مَن، أين، متى، ولماذا (2) و(3) و(4) الأحداث بالترتيب، وكل فقرة تبدأ بكلمة زمنية مثل First أو Suddenly أو Later (5) خاتمة: كيف انتهى اليوم وماذا تعلمت. لا تكتب كل التفاصيل الصغيرة، بل اختر لحظة مهمة واحكها ببطء مع مشاعرك.

Timing (30 minutes)	Task
5 min	G.A.A.P. + plan: title, five boxes, a feeling and a detail for each event
3 min	P1 orientation
13 min	P2–P4 events (spend longest on the main moment)
4 min	P5 reflection
5 min	Check tenses, time connectives, punctuation of speech, spelling

Practice task

Practice: "Write an account of a school trip or a family outing that you enjoyed, for your class blog. Consider: • where you went and why • the most interesting part • something that surprised you • what you will remember most." Write a short plan.
Show answer
G.A.A.P.: recount for a blog (title, past tense, time order, first person, friendly tone) · audience = classmates and parents → friendly but correct · 'Consider' → at least 3 bullets, use all 4 · purpose = recount + entertain. Title: 'A Morning with the Pharaohs'. P1 Orientation: Year 6 trip to the Grand Egyptian Museum, why (our history topic), the early bus, excitement. P2 Arrival: the giant statue in the entrance hall, how small I felt. P3 Most interesting part (slowed down): the hall of treasures, gold shining, guide's facts, my notes. P4 Surprise: the guide let us try writing our names in hieroglyphs · mine had a bird and a lion. P5 What I will remember: the feeling of standing in front of something 3,000 years old · lesson: history is not just in books. Link back to the title.
Improve this recount opening: "I went to the beach. It was good."
Show answer
"Last August, my cousins and I spent a whole day at Ain Sokhna beach. The sea was a bright, glittering blue, and the sand was so hot that we had to run to the water. None of us knew that, by the end of the day, we would be heroes." (who/where/when + description + a hook)
Put these time connectives in a sensible order for a recount: Finally · First · Suddenly · After that · Looking back
Show answer
First → After that → Suddenly → Finally → Looking back (the last one starts the reflection).

All pages in this course

Start here: the exam

Reading: grammar & punctuation

Reading: understanding texts

Paper 1 writing: non-fiction

Paper 2 writing: fiction