The wait is over! PSLE 2025 English Paper 1 has just been completed across Singapore.
As always, students were tasked with writing a composition of at least 150 words based on one of three picture prompts. Each picture offered a different angle for storytelling, and students had to choose at least one picture to include in their composition.
The question was:
being thankful
Here were the three picture options:
Picture 1: Class party / students preparing for a party
Picture 2: Sunflower
Picture 3: Give way to elderly sign
Unpacking the PSLE Composition Question
🔹 Being
➡️The main character must show/demonstrate gratitude in the story.
🔹Thankful
➡️Recognising and expressing gratitude for help, kindness, or opportunities received.
➡️Expressed through dialogue, actions, emotions.
Important to Cover:
✔️ What good deed/kindness/opportunity was done/given?
✔️ Why was it important to the main character?
✔️ How did the character show thankfulness?
Why Planning Your PSLE Composition Is the Secret to Success
One of the biggest mistakes students make in PSLE Composition writing is diving straight into the story without a proper plan. At WRITERS AT WORK, we train our students to spend a few minutes planning before they begin because strong planning means stronger writing.
Here’s why planning is crucial and what it should cover:
Organise Actions and Feelings per Paragraph
A good plan breaks down the main actions and emotions in each paragraph. This prevents the story from being a messy retelling and ensures that every section builds towards a meaningful climax and conclusion.
Stay Anchored to the Question
Planning gives students a bird’s eye view of their plot before they write. This allows them to check:
• Does my storyline answer the composition question directly? How many paragraphs connect clearly to the question or theme?
• Can I weave the keywords from the question into sentences at least three times across the composition?
• Does my story stay relevant from start to finish?
By checking these early, students avoid the dreaded mid-composition panic when they realise they’ve drifted off-topic.
Place the Picture(s) Purposefully
Planning also helps students decide where to weave in the chosen picture(s) naturally into the plot. Instead of force-fitting the picture at the last minute, they know exactly which paragraph to place it in.
Write With Confidence, Not Panic
With a clear plan, students know how many paragraphs they’ll be writing and what each will cover. This eliminates the stress of wondering midway, “Have I used the picture? Am I still on topic? How many paragraphs more do I need?”
Instead, they write calmly, knowing their structure and flow are already mapped out.
👉 That’s why planning isn’t wasted time. It’s the key to writing a focused, confident, and exam-ready PSLE Composition.
Model PSLE Composition Based on Picture 2
The day had started like any other, but for me, it felt like the end of the world. I rubbed my eyes and stared hard at the B grade written in red at the top of my test paper. I could not believe what I was seeing. I had never scored below an A grade before. My chest tightened as disappointment weighed heavily on me. “How could I fare so poorly this time?” I muttered under my breath. Negative thoughts began flooding my mind, taunting me relentlessly that I was a failure and that I would never live up to expectations again.
After school, I reluctantly dragged my feet and trudged home at a snail’s pace. Each step felt heavier than the last. My mind kept replaying gloomy scenes of my mother’s disappointed look and reaction. I had always been the top student in class, yet somehow it had never crossed my mind to be thankful for my achievements. Today, it felt as though all my hard-earned achievements had been reduced to dust in a single moment.
The neighbourhood park loomed ahead, with its playground already bustling with cheery, excited young children. Their shrieks of laughter pierced the air, but instead of cheering me up, they only deepened my sense of misery. Usually, I would avoid the park at all costs, but that day, my feet felt so heavy, as if there were weights tied around them. Almost against my will, I slowed to a halt.
Sitting on a familiar wooden bench was an old lady. I had seen her countless times before. She always sat in the same spot, greeting people who walked by with a radiant smile that seemed to light up her wrinkled face. But there was something else that caught my attention that day. Resting gently on her lap was a sunflower, its vibrant yellow petals glowing like a patch of sunshine. It stood out vividly against the dull colours of the park, almost as if it carried its own light. Somehow, the old lady’s calm presence made me stop in my tracks.
The old lady’s gaze met mine and she gestured warmly for me to take a seat beside her. I hesitated, but before I knew it, I had slumped down on the bench, burying my face in my hands. “Bad day?” she asked in a voice as gentle as the rustle of leaves. I nodded, reluctant to speak. She chuckled softly, then added, “When life feels heavy, it helps to think about all the little things we can be thankful for.” I lifted my head slightly, one eyebrow raised in puzzlement. Thankful? How could I possibly be thankful when I had just ruined my perfect streak of As?
The old lady seemed to read my mind. She pointed to the sunflower on her lap, “Look at this sunflower. Even though it faces storms and rain, it still turns toward the sun. It chooses to find the light.” I gazed at the sunflower, noticing how bright and cheerful it looked. A strange warmth spread in my chest as I pondered over her words. Could I really choose to see the brighter side, even now? She continued, “Being thankful is not about ignoring your problems. It’s about remembering and being thankful for what you still have — your health, your family, your friends, and the chance to try again. Being thankful is like the sunlight, it can chase away even the darkest clouds.”
Her kind encouraging words sank in. I thought about Mother waiting at home with a comforting meal, my friends who often studied with me, and the supportive teachers who taught me patiently every day. Slowly, the suffocating weight of failure began to lift from my chest. Perhaps my test score today was not the end of the world after all. The old lady smiled, her eyes twinkling brightly. She pressed the sunflower gently into my hands. “Take this. Whenever you feel lost, let it remind you to keep turning toward the light, and to keep being thankful.” My fingers clutched tightly around the stalk, and for the first time that day, I smiled back at her. It was amazing how a simple flower could hold such a powerful meaning.
As the evening sun dipped low in the sky, I stood up, sunflower in hand, feeling lighter than ever before. “Thank you,” I whispered. She nodded, her warm smile glowing brighter than the fading sunlight. Walking home, I realised that being thankful was not something reserved for perfect moments. It was a choice, a way to face the world even when things went wrong. That meeting in the park had turned what had seemed like a hopeless day into one of the most heartwarming and encouraging memories of my life.
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FAQs – PSLE 2025 Composition
1. What was the composition question for PSLE English Paper 1 in 2025?
The PSLE 2025 Continuous Writing question was on the theme “Being Thankful.” Students were asked to write a composition of at least 150 words based on this theme and to use at least one of the three given pictures:
Picture 1: A class party with students preparing for the celebration
Picture 2: A sunflower
Picture 3: A “Give Way to the Elderly” sign
Students could choose to base their story on one picture, two pictures, or even all three, but their composition had to clearly connect to the theme of being thankful.
2. How does planning help in PSLE Composition writing?
Planning ensures that the plot stays on-topic, integrates the chosen picture(s) naturally, and uses composition question keywords throughout. It gives students a clear roadmap and prevents mid-exam panic.
3. How much time should my child spend planning their PSLE Composition?
We recommend spending about 2-5 minutes planning before writing. This short investment saves time later because students write with a clear structure, know exactly where to include their chosen picture(s), and avoid going off-topic. With practice and a bank of stories that they’ve already mastered, planning becomes second nature and a huge confidence booster during the exam.
