As is my routine, I went to the bus stop opposite our apartment block to catch the bus at seven. The bus arrived punctually and as I climbed on board, it seemed it was going to be just another normal day. But it was not to be. On the way to my school, the bus encountered an engine problem and could not be restarted. The bus driver told the passengers to alight and wait for the next bus.
The next bus came but not soon enough for me to reach the school on time. The school assembly was already under way and I had to stand outside the school gate until it was over. The experience was the most embarrassing I had ever had. I felt everyone's eyes were on me when I was finally allowed to go to my class.
And that was not all. At then end of the English lesson that morning, we were told to hand in our weekend homework. To my horror, I could not find it in my schoolbag. I must have forgotten to put it in the bag the night before. The teacher was furious as there were three others who failed to hand in the work. She kept us in during recess to do the exercise.
Despite the setbacks, I had something to look forward to in the evening. My father had promised to take the family out for dinner. But when dinnertime came, there were still no sighs of my father. Instead we received a call from him to say that he could not make it as he was still at a meeting. I was terribly disappointed. I had fervently hoped to end the day well.
Essay Structure
The essay is all about a day when things went wrong. It starts with the writer setting out for school as usual.
Paragraph 2 marks the beginning of the body of the essay, describing the first problem the writer came across.
The next two paragraphs give an account of how more things went wrong. Paragraph 3 shows the result of the first problem: the writer was late for school and had to wait outside the gate for the school assembly to be over. Paragraph 4 describes the problem with his homework and the resulting punishment.
The essay ends with a description of yet another unhappy experience, this time at home.
Q & A
1. Why did the writer not expect a bad day when he set out for school last Monday?
It began like any other school day. The writer set out for school as usual. It was only when he was on the bus that something unusual happened.
2. The passage lists a number of disappointing incidents. Which two are related?
The incidents described in paragraphs 2 and 3 are related. The writer was made to stand outside the school gate because he was late and this was the result of the breakdown of the bus on the way to school. They show the cause and effect sequence of events.
3. Which of the incidents was of the writer's own making?
The writer's inability to hand in his English homework was of his own making. He failed to make sure that the homework was in his bag before he left home for school.
4. How would you react if you went through similar experiences?
Most of the disappointing incidents experienced by the writer were not caused by him. So if I had similar experiences, I would take them in my stride and hope for the best.
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