VCE English as an Additional Language (EAL) (Year 11) · Unit 1 — Crafting Texts · 13m read

Crafting Texts — Learning From Mentor Texts to Write Your Own

Unit 1 Crafting Texts is your writing workshop. You read model texts closely, then use their techniques in your own writing — the same skill you will build on in Unit 3 Creating Texts.

Learning objective: Study mentor texts to learn writing techniques, then craft your own texts for a chosen purpose and audience.

By the end of this lesson you can:

I can identify a writing technique in a mentor text and its effect.
I can use that technique in my own writing.
I can choose a form and tone that suit my purpose and audience.

Learn a song, then write your own. Musicians learn by playing other people’s songs first. Writers learn by studying other people’s sentences.

Techniques to borrow

SENSORY DETAIL — what you see, hear, smell, taste and touch: "The kitchen smelled of cardamom and burnt toast."
SHOW, DON'T TELL — instead of "She was nervous", write "She checked her phone for the tenth time."
DIALOGUE — short lines of speech that reveal character.
VARIED SENTENCE LENGTH — a short sentence after long ones creates impact. "Then silence."
A STRONG ENDING — an image or line that leaves the reader thinking.

PURPOSE AND AUDIENCE decide your FORM (story, personal essay, letter, speech, blog) and TONE (serious, funny, hopeful).

Worked example (Easy)

Rewrite using "show, don’t tell": "I was very happy when I saw my grandmother at the airport."

Find actions and senses. What did you do, see and hear?
Write the moment. Let the reader feel the happiness without the word "happy".

Answer: "When I saw my grandmother’s green scarf through the crowd, I dropped my bag and ran, laughing, into her arms."

Common mistakes

Telling the reader every emotion It makes writing flat. Fix: Show feelings through actions, senses and dialogue.
Using translation tools for whole sentences They often produce unnatural or wrong English. Fix: Write in your own words; use a dictionary for single words and check with a teacher.

Practice questions

Which sentence uses "show, don’t tell"?
1. He was angry.
2. He slammed the door so hard the window rattled.
3. He felt bad.
4. It was a sad day.
(1 marks)
Write a 100-word description of a place that matters to you, using at least three senses.
(3 marks)

Summary

Learn techniques from mentor texts.
Use sensory detail, show-don’t-tell, dialogue and varied sentences.
Choose form and tone for purpose and audience.
Write in your own words.