Scéal a Scríobh

Scéal a Scríobh

Writing a story

Tús maith, leath na hoibre

• Make sure you use the title given in your essay.

• Make the beginning intiguing and use descriptive language.

• Learn plenty of adjectives for the scéal.

• Plan before you begin!

Tús samplach - set the atmosphere!

• Oíche dhubh, dhorcha a bhí ann. Bhí sé chomh dubh le píc. Bhí mé ag tabhairt aire do mo dheartháir óg. Bhíos ag féachaint ar sraith teilifíse...(it was a dark, pitch black night. I was minding my little brother, watching the TV series....)

• Gnáthlá a bhí ann, i ndáiríre. Bheul, sin mar a cheap mé - ach ní fhéadfainn a bheith níos faide ón bhfírinne. (It was an ordinary day, really. Well, that's what I thought - but I couldn't have been further from the truth...)

• Dhúsaigh mé de phreab. Bhí mé ag cur allais. Bhí tromluí uafásach agam. Go tobann, thuig mé nach tromluí a bhí ann, ach fíorscéal uafásach...(I woke with a fright. I was sweating. I'd had a terrible nightmare. Suddenly, I realised that it wasn't a nightmare, but a terrible reality...)

• Bhí mé ag súil go mór leis an lá sin, gan aon dabht. Lá tábhachtach i saol an duine óg - lá nach ndéanfainn dearmad air go deo. Ach, ní raibh a fhios agam ag an am sin, cé chomh tábhachtach is a bheadh sé i mo shaol.(I was really looking forward to that day, no doubt about it. An important day in a young persons life - A day I'd never forget. But I didn't know at the time just how significant it would be in my life...)

Frásaí úsáideach

• Make sure to use terminology that pushes the story forward:

• Níorbh fhada go raibh mé/muid...(It wasn't long before...)

• Tar éis tamaill beag...(after a little while...)

• Ina dhiadh sin (after that)

• ...áfach (however)

• is ansin a thuig mé....(it was then I understood)

• Ar an drochuair (unfortunately)

connecting words/phrases...

• nuair a... (when...)

• agus mé ag... (when I was...-ing)

• is ansin a...(it was then...)

• ach (but)

• faraor / ar an drochuair (unfortunately)

• go tubaisteach (tragically...)

• chomh maith le sin (as well as that)

Foclóir

• Use a range of adjectives and emotions.

• Show off the language and verbs that you have learned over the years! This is definitely the time to dig deep and show off everything - if you think it's too much, do more!

• Make sure you're writing in the correct tense - this is where people lose a lot of marks.

• For the story, you'll usually be writing in the past tense.

Have an arsenal of adjectives/adverbs

• unbelievable - dochreidte

• harsh/strict - dian

• angrily - go feargach

• quickly - go tapa / go gasta

• terribly/awfully - go huafásach

• slowly - go mall

• quietly - go ciúin ....

Have some descriptive phrases

• I ran like the wind (rith mé ar nós na gaoithe)

• It was as black as coal (dark night) - (bhí sé chome dhubh le píc)

• I screamed at the top of my lungs (Scread mé in ard mo chinn)

• I was extremely lucky (Bhí an t-ádh dearg orm)

• He hadn't any repect for... (Ní raibh meas madra aige ar...)

• I was over the moon (delighted) - (Bhí mé ar muin na muice)

Throw in a proverb

• ·       Is ait an mac an saol

  life is odd

  ·       is maith an scéalaí an aimsir

  time will tell

  ·       ní lia duine ná tuairim

  opinions are as plentiful as people

  ·       de réir a chéile thógtar na caisleaín

  by degrees the castle is built

  ·       mol an óige agus tiocfaidh siad

  praise the youth and they will prosper

• ·       Ní bhíonn saoi gan locht

  Nobody's perfect

  ·       ní mar a shíltear a bhítear

  things aren't always as they seem

  ·       filleann an feall ar an bhfeallaire

  what goes around comes around

  ·       ní bhíonn bua gan dua

  there's no winning without work

  ·       is fearr an tsláinte ná na táinte

  health is better than wealth

  ·   aigne shlán i gcorp folláin

  healthy mind in healthy body

Have a definitive ending

• Bhíomar go léir slán sábháilte agus cinnte, ní dhéanfaidh mé dearmad ar an lá/oíche sin riamh.(We were all safe and well - I'll never forget that day/night)

• Mairfidh an cuimhne sin i mo mheon go deo.(that memory will stay in my mind forever)

• Dfhoghlaim mé ceacht iontach tábhachtach an lá /oíche sin.(I learned an important lesson that night)