ENGLISH LANGUAGE CENTRE

ENGLISH – II (SPRING 2020)

ASSIGNMENT #2 - TOTAL MARKS: 20

Student Name. Mirza Hadi ul Hassan Baig

Student Reg. L1F18BSCE0015
Section. CA
Date. 3rd May 2020

Instructions:
The content should not be plagiarised
Assignment submission must be within the given time (2 days)
10% marks will be deducted on late submissions
Read the given rubrics before starting your work

Write a 5 – paragraph essay on any ONE of the following

Question 1: Sensory details can create imagery which makes a writing more realistic. Focussing
on rich detailing, describe in 300-350 words “Your Heaven on Earth”

Question 2: A strong narration always unfolds events of a plot in a sequence that engages the
reader’s interest. Emphasizing on characters and settings narrate in 300-350 words “A
Childhood Memory that Still Haunts You”
 ENGLISH LANGUAGE CENTRE
ENGLISH – II (SPRING 2020)
ASSIGNMENT #2 - TOTAL MARKS: 20

Q2

Thinking about anything that would haunt me till day would be no other than the most tragic
event that happened in my life and life of many others. It was the earthquake that hit the northern
areas of Pakistan on 8th October 2005 at 8:50:39 in the morning. The event has engraved imprints
of incidental memory on my mind that comes with flash backs that would haunt anyone out of
their sleep. For someone who has not even seen a drop of blood dripping from a human body,
corpses lying on the roads with blood all over the place was a lot to absorb. I was of age 5 at that
time and trembling of earth with so much shear force was beyond my comprehension. Since
earthquakes happen in fractions of a second, I was left disturbed without any explanation which
added to my panic. With so much happening in a single moment there is nothing fiercer that has
or ever could happen in my life I believe.

The summers were on the verge of ending and Ramazan had started, I was in Prep 1 in Rehmat
Memorial School in my hometown Muzaffarabad. My mom readied me and my sister Hurria for
school just like another day. In my perception I always have been a Clairsentient (some who can
pick emotions/feelings) hence something was off about this day that I knew in my gut. We got to
school and the assembly started , I would say it to be the quietest assemblies or maybe I could
not hear anything except a deep sensation of time being held steady or slowed down to the point
where it almost feels like being shackled into that very moment for eternity. Anyhow the
assembly ended of which I don’t remember much since it was a frozen moment of nothingness.
We got into our respective classes and that is when the feeling of nothingness was about to turn
into chaos.

It was the period of Urdu language and I had opened my book, maybe second or third chapter but
what I remember is that it was concerning mangoes somehow, as it had a basket of mangoes on
the front page. I looked at the mangoes, then inquisitively at my teacher when out of nowhere an
earth quake of a 7.8 magnitude (on Richter scale) started which shattered my memory rendering
it to just flashes and images. The first thing I saw was one corner of my class was so high above
that it was touching the roof and roof on the other end was touching the ground. Ironically our
teacher miss Shamim was the first to run out of the class without caring for the children.
However, when I tried to make an escape after getting myself together and seeing that my miss
has already ran off and everyone is for themselves, I stumbled upon my desk and fell meanwhile
everyone ran over me while I laid on ground. I was the last one to leave class and fortunately for
me our school stood its ground.

After getting out everyone moved into open ground of the school where there was no danger of
getting hit by anything. We were asked to sit on the ground and to hold onto something while the
earthquake passed. Throughout the event my ears could not hear anything but a ringing tune
(some say you hear before death) with mumbled cries in the back ground. I lost the track of time
 ENGLISH LANGUAGE CENTRE
ENGLISH – II (SPRING 2020)
ASSIGNMENT #2 - TOTAL MARKS: 20

and the next thing I remember was my father, there at school to take me and my sister back home
which was within walking distance. While doing so I saw corpses laying dead with blood on the
roads and people crying. I did not know of how I should react so I imitated them and started
crying too. The infrastructure, shops primarily were damaged and some people were using this
opportunity to loot. As I walked past, the shops were already emptied hence a total chaos. My
father was silent since neither he could explain so much to just a five-year-old. Finally, we
reached home which thankfully had not shattered but was so weakened that it was too dangerous
to go inside. There was a garden of considerable size beside our house which is now a graveyard.
It was an open space hence people started gathering there. Meanwhile the aftershocks were no
less than the earthquake its self, we spent three nights in the garden with corpses folded in
blankets lying beside us. In these days, relief was sent from surrounding areas on which we fed
ourselves. On fourth day since the corpses started decaying and there was foul scent all over the
place, we decided to leave and move to Kotli where we had relatives to support us in that time of
trial and devastation.

Thousands of people died, thousands got critically injured, some lost their limbs while millions
lost their homes. This was not just an everyday tragedy that would happen to anyone at such an
age. For me It was a start to a new era of my life, my life which had just started and fell so early
into the darkness of such a incident. While having its adverse emotional affects, I believe it
shaped me as a person and I matured at an age much younger than most people do, which adds to
the story of my life that is yet to be uncovered.

Rubric for Descriptive Essay

CATEGORY 16-20 11-15 6-10 1-5

Introduction and Thesis Introductory paragraph Introductory Introductory No attempt is

clearly states subject of paragraph states paragraph made to state the
essay and captures subject of essay attempts to state subject of the
reader's attention. Thesis but is not subject of essay essay in an
statement is effectively particularly but does not introductory
crafted. engaging. contain a clear paragraph.
 ENGLISH LANGUAGE CENTRE
ENGLISH – II (SPRING 2020)
ASSIGNMENT #2 - TOTAL MARKS: 20

thesis.

Sensory Details Essay includes engaging Includes some Includes only a Includes no
details that appeal to the details that few details that details that
five senses (taste, touch, appeal to the five appeal to the appeal to the
sound, sight, smell). senses. senses. senses.

Word Choice Writer uses vivid words Writer uses vivid Writer uses Writer uses a
and phrases that linger words and words that limited
or draw pictures in the phrases that communicate vocabulary that
reader's mind, and the linger or draw clearly, but the does not
choice and placement of pictures in the writing lacks communicate
the words seems reader's mind, variety, strongly or
accurate, natural and not but occasionally sophistication, or capture the
forced. the words are flair. reader's interest.
used inaccurately Jargon or clichés
or seem may detract from
overdone. the meaning.

Figurative Language Writer effectively uses Writer uses one Writer may try to Writer does not
simile, metaphor, and example of use simile, include simile,
Simile/Metaphor/
personification to simile, metaphor, metaphor, and metaphor, or
Personification, etc. describe the subject. or personification personification personification in
to describe the but does so essay.
subject. incorrectly.

Organization and Writer organizes the Writer organizes Writer organizes Writer does not
Development essay in multiple, fully- the essay in the essay in organize the
developed paragraphs multiple paragraphs that essay in
with transitions and links paragraphs with need further paragraphs.
that connect the body some transitions development. There are no
paragraphs back to the and links that Transitions and transitions or
thesis. connect the body links to the thesis links back to the
paragraphs back are inadequate. thesis.
to the thesis.
 ENGLISH LANGUAGE CENTRE
ENGLISH – II (SPRING 2020)
ASSIGNMENT #2 - TOTAL MARKS: 20

All sentences are well- Most sentences Most sentences Sentences lack
constructed with varied are well- are well-
Sentence Structure structure and
structure. constructed with constructed but
appear
(Variety, Clarity, Fluency) varied structure. have a similar
incomplete or
structure.
rambling.

Grammar and Mechanics There are no errors in There are some There are errors There are serious
grammar or punctuation. errors; however, that distract the errors that
these errors do reader. interfere with the
not distract the reader's
reader. understanding of
the essay.

Rubric for Narrative Essay

CATEGORY 16-20 11-15 6-10 1-5

INTRODUCTION and There is a well- Introduction Introduction Background

CONCLUSION developed creates interest. adequately details are a
introduction with Thesis states the explains the random, unclear
(Background
an attention position. background, but collection of
History/Thesis
grabber that grabs Conclusion may lack detail. information.
Statement)
the reader’s effectively Thesis states the Thesis is vague
interest and summarizes the topic, but key and unclear.
continues to topic. elements are Conclusion is not
engage the reader missing effective and
up until the thesis does not
statement. The summarize main
 ENGLISH LANGUAGE CENTRE
ENGLISH – II (SPRING 2020)
ASSIGNMENT #2 - TOTAL MARKS: 20

thesis statement points.

should clearly
state the
experience or
event that will be
described as well
as the effect on
the writer.
Conclusion should
effectively wraps
up and re stresses
the importance of
the thesis.

MAIN POINTS Well-developed Three or more Three or more Less than three
main points/topic main points main points are ideas/main
(Body Paragraphs)
sentences that relate to the present, but lack points are
relate directly to thesis, but some details in explained and/or
the thesis. may lack details. describing the they are poorly
Supporting The narrative event. Little developed. The
examples are shows events descriptive story tells; it
concrete and from the language is used. doesn’t show
detailed. The author’s point of
narrative is view, but could
developed with an use more
effective point of descriptive
view. language.
ORGANIZATION Logical Logical Organization is Writing is not
Progression of progression of clear. Transitions organized. The
(Structure and
ideas with a clear ideas. Transitions are present at transitions
Transitions)
structure that are present times, but there between ideas
enhances the throughout the is very little are unclear or
thesis. Transitions essay, but lacks variety. non-existent.
are effective and variety.
vary throughout
the paragraph,
not just in the
topic sentences.

STYLE Writing is smooth, Writing is clear Writing is clear, Writing is

skillful, and and sentences but could use a confusing and
(Sentence Flow,
coherent. have varied little more hard to follow.
 ENGLISH LANGUAGE CENTRE
ENGLISH – II (SPRING 2020)
ASSIGNMENT #2 - TOTAL MARKS: 20

Variety, Diction) Sentences are structure, Diction sentence variety Contains

strong and is consistent. to make the fragments and/or
expressive with writing more run-on
varied structure. interesting. sentences.
Diction is
consistent and
words are well
chosen.

MECHANICS Punctuation, There are only a Distracting errors

spelling, and few (3-4) errors in punctuation,
(Spelling, Punctuation,
capitalization are in punctuation, spelling, and
Punctuation, spelling, and
generally correct spelling, and capitalization.
Capitalization) capitalization are
with few errors capitalization.
all correct. No
(1-2)
errors.