As expected, students were tasked with writing a composition of at least 150 words based on a given topic. They were presented with three picture prompts, each offering a unique angle for storytelling.
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?
How STORYBANKING® Helped W@W Students Ace Today’s PSLE Composition
At WRITERS AT WORK, our students didn’t freeze up when they saw today’s composition prompts. Why?
Because they were trained to use our proven method STORYBANKING® – a strategic approach to narrative writing that allows students to adapt confidently to any PSLE Composition picture prompt.
Here’s how STORYBANKING® sets our students apart:
Theme-Driven Preparation
Every student builds a personal bank of stories tied to key PSLE Composition themes like honesty, responsibility, resilience, and kindness. Our students master adaptable plots, vivid phrases, versatile scenarios, and writing mechanics. On exam day, they bring this toolkit with them, ready to tailor their stories to fit the question.
Brain-Training for PSLE
Each week, students expand their bank by:
• Learning to unpack different types of composition questions
• Learn and write a new AL1-calibre W@W story that is packed with descriptive phrases
• Building the stamina needed for a timed writing exam
This ensures that when they face an unfamiliar picture prompt, they can still craft a confident and well-structured response.
Writing With Impact
Our students practise writing reflections, vivid scenes, and tight story structures. That’s how they produce emotionally compelling PSLE Compositions that meet the examiners’ expectations for quality and creativity.
Want your child to write like this next year? Learn more about our Pure Composition Writing Programs here.
Model PSLE Composition Based on Picture 1
“This is so lame.” Archie slouched against the wall, watching his classmates shriek over a game of musical chairs.The paper streamers hung crooked from the ceiling fan, and someone had already knocked over half the decorations. The class party was in full swing. Across the room, Brayden shoved half a curry puff into his mouth, grease shining on his chin. Archie glanced at the foil trays on the teacher’s desk: cold curry puffs, some sad-looking kueh, and orange Fanta in paper cups that left circular stains on the desks. The whole affair was nothing more than a long yawn dressed in crepe paper. He picked at a loose thread on his sleeve, counting down the minutes until they could finally leave.
His classmates revelled in the noise, their laughter rising and falling like waves. Archie eased his chair back, craving a breath of silence, and his shoulder brushed the corner of a tall, unsteady bookshelf.
The shelf swayed dangerously. A stack of hardcover files tipped, then cascaded downwards. A forgotten, dusty biscuit tin that had been wedged behind them clattered to the floor, its lid popping open with a sharp ping. Yellowed papers fanned across the tiles like scattered leaves. Archie sighed, bending down to clean up the mess. Dust particles danced in the afternoon sunlight, and the musty smell made his nose itch.
He was about to close the lid when a line in neat purple ink drew his eye: “the beautiful sound of my friends laughing.” The paper crackled as he eased it free. It was a letter. He frowned and reached for another. This one spoke of plastic screens dividing the desks. A third described the joy of passing biscuits around after months of eating in silence.
His confusion deepened. Why be grateful for such ordinary things? He brushed the dust from the tin’s lid and uncovered faded marker: 6B Hopes and Wishes, 2021. The date landed with a sudden weight. It was the year classrooms fell silent and the world held its breath. The pandemic years.
He sifted through the pile until his fingers found a small, crinkled note at the bottom. The pencil writing was smudged and faint, as if written by shaking hands. He smoothed it out on his knee, the paper crackling softly. “I hope you never have to measure one meter between you and your friend. I hope you can share your snacks without thinking twice. I hope your parties are loud and messy. I even hope you complain about them being boring, because even complaining would mean you are all together, safe.”
The words struck Archie like lightning splitting a tree. He was that person, the complainer, the ungrateful fool who dismissed the very thing these students had ached for. Shame washed over him in waves, spreading like poison through his veins.
He looked up, looking at the party in a different light. It was no longer chaos. It was life itself, breathing, laughing, beautifully and messily alive.
Brayden leaned against the wall, laughing with Hazel, their shoulders touching casually in a way that would have been impossible in 2021. Chloe grabbed crackers from an open packet, her fingers diving into the same bag others had touched without fear or hesitation. Normal. All of it was completely, blessedly normal in ways the letter writers could only have dreamed about.
Archie stood slowly. He picked up a curry puff. It was still cold, the pastry slightly soggy, but when he bit into it, the taste filled his senses completely. Each bite carried weight he had never noticed before, the weight of students who had eaten alone, six feet apart, masks pulled down between careful spoonfuls.
The restless negativity that had plagued him all afternoon dissolved. He found an empty box and grabbed some paper. His hands trembled slightly as he sat on the floor and began to write, not about the party he wanted, but about the blessings he already had. “I’m thankful for the sound of my friends chewing loudly. I am thankful for cleaning up messes we made together. If you think your day is boring, please remember that your boring day was once someone else’s impossible dream.” He folded the page carefully and placed it in the box.
Brayden wandered over first, curiosity sparkling in his eyes as he peered at the shoebox. Archie told him he was starting a thankfulness capsule and that they could each write something they were thankful about. Brayden broke into a grin and pulled a sheet of paper from the stack. Soon, others gathered around them. Madeline approached with careful steps, genuine interest replacing her usual reserve. Hazel trailed behind, still catching her breath from charades. One by one, classmates crouched around the box, their earlier noise softening into a deep murmur. Pens scratched against paper as they wrote about being thankful for the smell of pandan lingering in the air, the sticky floor that caught their shoes, the comfort of having their friends close.
For the rest of the party, Archie no longer wished to be anywhere else. He joined the charades game and laughed until his stomach ached. He wiped up spills alongside his friends and passed a packet of crackers to Brayden. Each small act carried its own quiet meaning, and he felt grateful for every one.
By the time he packed his bag, the classroom was silent again, but the lesson from the dusty biscuit tin remained. Being thankful was not a feeling saved for special occasions. It was a choice that lived in ordinary moments, in shared laughter, sticky floors, and friends close enough to touch. It was a choice that changed everything, including the person making it. Tomorrow would bring new ordinary moments, and he intended to be thankful for every one of them.
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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 WRITERS AT WORK prepare students for PSLE Composition?
Through our STORYBANKING® method, weekly writing drills, and in-depth feedback sessions, students learn to write confidently and adapt to any prompt.
3. When should I start preparing my child for PSLE Composition?
Many students join us from as early as Primary 1, while others begin in Upper Primary. We encourage parents to give their children a long enough runway to build strong English and writing skills, so there’s no need for last-minute stress or exam cramming.
