The balloon that stayed on the ground
Text: an original contemporary event-feature-style practice extract.
At first, the hot-air balloon looked like a collapsed theatre curtain spread across the field. A strip of orange fabric lifted, dropped and lifted again as the fan began its work. People who had arrived expecting height found themselves staring down at ropes, boots and wet grass.
Then the envelope began to gather the air. Its colours rose in sections: red, yellow, blue, each widening until the field seemed too small to contain them. The crew moved from peg to peg, calling short instructions, while two helpers held the open mouth wide. Beyond them, the crowd disappeared behind the swelling fabric; the balloon had not left the ground, yet it had already changed the horizon.
The burner fired once, turning the open mouth gold. The balloon stood upright and the basket gave a small scrape across the grass. Then a flag at the edge of the field snapped hard. The pilot watched it, lowered a hand and switched off the flame. No announcement was needed at first. The great shape softened, folded at the middle and came down slowly. The crew, scattered a moment earlier, ran towards the centre and received the sinking fabric across their raised arms.
Ten minutes later, the sky was empty and the balloon was becoming a bundle again. Nobody had travelled anywhere. Still, bootprints crossed the field in every direction, and people talked about the few seconds when a wall of sky had stood among them.
Analyse how the writer uses language and structure to interest and engage the reader.
In your answer, consider:
Support your views with detailed reference to the extract.