What this page helps you practise
- narrative and persuasive text structure
- creative ideas and audience awareness
- sentence variety, vocabulary, and paragraphing
- spelling, punctuation, and editing under time pressure
EdutestYear 4Written Expression
Edutest Year 4 Written Expression Practice
Year 4 Edutest written expression requires students to produce polished, creative, or persuasive writing under timed conditions. Practising planning, structure, and editing is essential.
Year 4 Written Expression sample prompts with worked plans
Each prompt comes with a worked plan, a model opening and what markers look for, so students can see how a strong response is built.
Prompt 1Narrative
Write a story called 'The Day My Shadow Ran Away'.
Worked plan
- Start on a normal sunny morning and show the moment you notice your shadow is missing.
- Describe where you search and the clues you find.
- Show the shadow causing a funny problem somewhere in town.
- Explain how you finally catch it or convince it to come back.
- End with a fun final line about your shadow.
Model opening
On Tuesday morning I walked out into the sunshine and something felt wrong. I looked down at the path and gasped. My shadow was gone! The letterbox had a shadow and so did the lemon tree, but where mine should have been, there was nothing except warm, empty concrete. Then I heard a giggle coming from behind the garage.
What markers look for
- Imagination: a creative idea that is fun to read.
- Structure: a clear beginning, problem and ending.
- Language: describing words and interesting verbs.
- Mechanics: capital letters, full stops and correct spelling of common words.
Prompt 2Descriptive
Describe your perfect playground.
Worked plan
- Introduce the playground and where it is.
- Describe the biggest, most exciting piece of equipment.
- Use your senses: what you can hear, see, smell and feel there.
- Describe a quieter part of the playground for resting or reading.
- Finish by explaining why it would be the best playground ever.
Model opening
My perfect playground sits on top of a grassy hill where you can see the whole town. In the middle stands a giant wooden pirate ship with a slide that twists all the way down to a sandpit shaped like an island. When the wind blows, the ship's sails flap and creak, and you can hear the bells on the crow's nest jingling.
What markers look for
- Description: using the five senses to help the reader picture the place.
- Organisation: describing one area at a time in an order that makes sense.
- Vocabulary: precise adjectives and verbs rather than 'nice' or 'good'.
- Sentences: a mix of short and longer sentences.
Prompt 3Persuasive
Should every classroom have a class pet? Give your opinion and reasons.
Worked plan
- Say clearly whether you agree or disagree.
- Reason 1, with an example: pets teach responsibility.
- Reason 2, with an example: pets help students feel calm and happy.
- Mention one problem, such as holidays, and how it could be solved.
- Finish by repeating your opinion in a strong sentence.
Model opening
I believe every classroom should have a class pet. Looking after an animal teaches students to be responsible, because someone has to feed it, give it water and clean its home every day. In my class last year, we had a guinea pig called Pickles, and everyone took turns caring for her, even the students who usually forgot their homework.
What markers look for
- Opinion: a clear point of view stated at the start.
- Reasons: each reason explained with an example.
- Structure: an introduction, body paragraphs and conclusion.
- Persuasive language: words such as 'should', 'believe' and 'important'.
Preparation strategy
1
Practise five-minute planning before writing full responses.
2
Alternate between narrative and persuasive prompts.
3
Leave time at the end for editing spelling and punctuation.
Frequently asked questions
What does Year 4 Edutest written expression involve?
Students write a response (narrative or persuasive) to a prompt and are assessed on ideas, structure, vocabulary, and conventions.
How can students improve their writing score?
Better planning, stronger paragraphing, varied sentence structures, and consistent proofreading produce the fastest gains.