Last Updated on November 5, 2026 by sanjjeett
What this composition helps you practise
This descriptive composition shows how an ordinary place can become interesting through careful observation. The model combines the physical setting of the waiting room with different people, brief conversations, smells, sounds and small incidents, allowing human behaviour to emerge naturally from the scene.
Composition Prompt
The waiting room at a railway station presents a wonderful opportunity to observe human behaviour. Describe an experience when you were early for a train and had to spend some time in the waiting room with different kinds of people.
Composition at a Glance
Essay Outline
Model Essay
“Train number 2229 from Lucknow to New Delhi is late by an hour and half and shall now be coming at 11.30 pm.” This loud and crisp announcement greeted me, as I entered the railway station with my strolley in tow. I shrugged my shoulders in despair and proceeded to the first class waiting room. My wish of having a good night’s sleep, to be fresh for the interview the next day, lay in shreds.
I walked into the waiting room, which was the size of a small auditorium, with steel armchairs lined up on all the sides. In the centre were two large tables, on which four young men lay fast asleep, with their bags and briefcases tucked under their head. On one side of the room at shoulder height was a TV monitor, displaying the status of trains.
Looking for a place to park myself, I noticed a chair vacant in the extreme corner of the room. No sooner had I seated myself, a man wearing a dark blue shirt, limped towards me with crutches in his hand. He held out a small register. Chewing tobacco he murmured, “Please write your name and ticket number in the register.” The strong smell of tobacco nauseated me. I quickly did his bidding, sparing myself the agony of putting up with him for long. Putting the strolley under my seat, I thankfully stretched out on the steel armchair preparing for the long wait.
Glancing around, I saw a middle-aged couple seated next to me. The man with a receding hairline and bushy moustache smiled, as I looked his way.
“Going to Delhi?”
“Yes” I replied.
“Same here.”
The ice being broken, he gave vent to his feelings on the working for the Indian Railways and their pathetic record of punctuality. Being weary I just nodded in approval. His wife seated beside him, nudged him to silence, pointing to the passengers sleeping around us.
Relieved, I shut my eyes to take a small nap. I had hardly fallen asleep when a loud thud woke me. I opened my eyes to see a man who had been sleeping on the table before me, lying on the floor. His briefcase lay open, with its contents spilling out on the floor. His face was contorted with pain as he tried to stand up. I rushed to help him and made him sit on my chair. He thanked me profusely, as I packed his belongings in his briefcase.
A little later the Public Address system cackled to life, announcing the arrival of Lucknow Mail on platform number one. I pulled the strolley from under the seat and waving to the couple, who had also scrambled to catch the train, walked out of the waiting room.
Understanding This Composition
The delay creates a reason to observe
The opening announcement immediately explains why the narrator must spend time in the waiting room. This gives the descriptive scene a natural beginning rather than dropping the reader into a static room without context.
The room is described through a few structural details
Steel armchairs, large tables, sleeping passengers and the train-status monitor quickly establish the physical layout. The model does not describe every wall or object because the people are the real focus.
Sensory detail gives personality to minor characters
The attendant’s limp, crutches, chewing tobacco and strong smell make him memorable in only a few lines. Carefully chosen details can distinguish one person from another without lengthy character descriptions.
Dialogue reveals behaviour naturally
The middle-aged man immediately starts complaining about railway punctuality, while his wife quietly asks him to stop disturbing the sleeping passengers. Their behaviour emerges through interaction rather than explanation.
A small incident prevents the scene from becoming static
The sleeping passenger falling from the table creates sudden movement and gives the narrator a chance to act. The final train announcement then provides a natural ending to the period of observation.
Useful Vocabulary and Expressions
Try It Yourself
Practice Prompt
Your bus has been delayed and you have to spend an hour in a crowded bus-station waiting room. Describe the place, the different people around you, and one or two incidents that reveal their behaviour.
Write approximately 300–350 words.
Before You Submit
ICSE Composition Guidelines
For ICSE Examination Year 2027, the composition should be approximately 300–350 words. Question 1 carries 20 marks, and the specimen paper recommends spending no more than 30 minutes on it.
For an observational descriptive composition, organise the description around what you notice and how the scene changes over time. Use individual people and small incidents to reveal human behaviour rather than writing a general catalogue of passengers.
Official ICSE 2027 English Syllabus
Official ICSE 2027 English Language Specimen and Draft Marking Scheme