DEPARTMENT FOR CURRICULUM, RESEARCH,

INNOVATION AND LIFELONG LEARNING

Directorate for Learning and Assessment Programmes
Educational Assessment Unit

Alternative Annual Examinations for Primary Schools 2018

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Paper 1 ENGLISH Marking Scheme

(Reading Comprehension, Language, and Writing)

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Total: 60 marks
A. Reading Comprehension
A.1.1 (5 X 1 = 5 marks)
rope
skateboard

rollerskates
seesaw
ball

rollerskates

A.1.2 (3 X 1 = 3 marks)
a) Lelluxa; b) three; c) five

A.2.1 (2 X 1 = 2 marks)
a) Ella; b) Tom.

Annual Examinations – Alternative Paper 1 - Marking Scheme - 2018 Page 1 of 3

A.2.2 (3 X 1 = 3 marks)
True False
a) Tom learns karate at school. 
b) Ella plays in a team. 
c) The volleyball team won a gold medal. 

A.3 (3 X 1 = 3 marks)
a) rugby; b) bowling; c) swimming

A. 4 (4 X 1 = 4 marks)

B. Language
B.1. (4 x 1 = 4 marks)
Deduct 1 mark overall for any spelling mistakes.

a) I like badminton.
b) I do not like water polo.
c) I do not like ice hockey.
d) I like basketball.

B.2. Deduct 1 mark overall for any spelling mistakes. (6 X 1 = 6 marks)

a) She has; b) They have; c) She has; d) He has; e) They have; f) He has.

C. Writing
C.1. Deduct 1 mark overall for any spelling mistakes. (8 X 1 = 8 marks)
ball; football shoes/boots; socks/football socks; (swimming) cap; blocks; bike; net; gloves.

C.2. Write. (5 X 2 = 10 marks)

Deduct 1 mark overall for any spelling mistakes.
yard (accept any other valid answer), tennis, accept any weekday, one o’clock/1:00pm/13:00, accept
any weekday.

C.3. Write about 30 and 50 words on one of the titles. (12 marks)

0 marks
No use of sentence forms
The writing is characterized by
strings of letters and
memorized words; or words
and phrases copied from the
title and given prompts.
No punctuation is used.
SENTENCE FLUENCY
1 mark 2 marks
Only a few basic sentence Some basic sentence
structures used structures are used
The writing has a few simple appropriately
sentences. The writing has some simple
Only a few of the sentences are sentences. Some sentences are
demarcated by capital letters and / or demarcated by capital letters
full stops. and / or full stops.

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 SENTENCE ACCURACY
Grammatical Structures
0 marks 1 mark 2 marks
Inaccurate structures Only a few accurate structures Some accurate structures
Mistakes in grammar prevail Only a few grammatically correct The writing has some
and distort the meaning. sentences are evident. grammatically correct sentences
Mistakes in grammar and syntax but mistakes in grammar and
generally cause difficulty for the syntax may cause some
reader. difficulty for the reader.
SENTENCE ACCURACY (continued)
Punctuation
0 marks 1 mark 2 marks
Inaccurate punctuation Some accurate punctuation Generally accurate
Mistakes / omissions in The writing has some correctly punctuation
punctuation prevail and distort punctuated sentences, but some The writing mostly has
the meaning. punctuation mistakes and omissions correctly punctuated sentences
reduce communication. with few omissions.
(more than 9 mistakes) (between 7 and 9 mistakes) (up to 6 mistakes)
Spelling
0 marks 1 mark 2 marks
Inaccurate spelling Some accurate spelling Generally accurate spelling
Spelling mistakes prevail and Some frequently used words are The writing of frequently used
distort the meaning. written correctly. words is mostly correct.
Several spelling mistakes are There are few spelling mistakes.
evident.
(more than 9 different mistakes) (between 7 and 9 different mistakes) (up to 6 different mistakes)
CHOICE AND RANGE OF VOCABULARY
0 marks 1 mark 2 marks
Very limited vocabulary Very basic range of vocabulary Basic range of vocabulary
that fails to render the generally conveys the intended conveying the intended
intended meaning meaning meaning
A few words are used Very simple words and phrases are Simple words and phrases are
repetitively often used to convey meaning / produce used to convey meaning /
inappropriately for the task. ideas. produce ideas.
The writing is replete with Meaning is often not adequately Meaning is sometimes not
Maltesisms in expression. conveyed. adequately conveyed.
TASK ACHIEVEMENT
0 marks 1 mark 2 marks
Task not achieved Task partly achieved Task completely / almost
The writing does not follow the The writing partially satisfies the completely achieved
given instructions. requirements of the task (one to four The writing satisfies the
short sentences – around 20 words requirements of the task
about one of the given pictures). (more than four short sentences
– 30 or more words about one
of the given pictures).

Mark the writing out of the total and then deduct 4 marks for totally irrelevant writing and
2 marks for partially irrelevant writing.

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