Comprehension :10 marks

Summary : 15 marks

1. Read the whole passage through once to

get a general idea of what the passage is
about. Do not worry if you come across
unfamiliar words. Sometimes, it is not
necessary to understand every word.
2. Do read the passage a second time, if
necessary. The second reading helps you
take in the details and improve your
understanding.

3. Read the questions carefully. Use cue

words in the questions to help you answer
the questions. These can be the wh words
(what, when, where, why, who, whose, how)
and action verbs (identify, find, list). 4.
Questions sometimes contain words found
in the passage. Use these words to help you
identify the part of the passage where the
answer can be found.

5. For questions on vocabulary, if you are

asked for a word, then give only ONE word
and nothing else. Make sure you spell the
word correctly. If you are asked for a phrase,
then give the relevant phrase. If you copy
the sentence where the word or phrase are
found, you must indicate the chosen word
or phrase by underlining it or putting it
within quotation marks.

1.
2.
3.

Readthe question carefully. Ask yourself: What am I

required to summarise?
Markthe first and last lines of the passage you are
asked to refer to.
Selectinformation that is relevant to your answer.
Underline the relevant lines or ideas as you read the text.
Always ask yourself: Is this... (Example: Is this a reason
tigers have become extinct? or Is this a measure that should
be implemented?

4.

Look throughthe lines/ideas you have underlined.

Sometimes an idea is repeated (paraphrasing)
Ask yourself, is this a repetition?

5.

Summarise these ideas.

combine ideas - combining phrases or sentences,

paraphrase ideas/sentences.
make sure complete sentences
cannot paraphrase replace the words (without affecting
meaning)
Example: pronoun to replace a noun.
6. Weak

student

copy the complete sentence.

not lose marks (content /language)
7.

Begin

with the 10 words given

Remember! three dots after the tenth word - complete the
sentence with some relevant information from the text.

5.

6.

Organisethe ideas/points as in the text. Do

not waste time trying to rearrange
ideas.
Stick toto the word limit.

more - no marks.
Less - lack content.
7.
8.

Pay attention to the tense (and sometimes

pronoun) used in the given 10 words.
One paragraph.

Narrative
Descriptive
Factual
Argumentative
Reflective

Tips on Writing Narrative Compositions

1.Suitable

2.Introduce

introduction.

your characters.
3.Provide a setting and start the story.
4.lively and interesting characters.(3-4 only)- main
character and the minor characters.
5.Plot (exposition, rising action, conflict, climax,
falling action, resolution)
6.Make your story realistic. You can do this by one
of the following methods:
Give actual names of places, roads, etc
Use dialogues
Give your story a time frame.
Bring in actual events, for example, Merdeka Day, the SEA
Games, etc

ACTION PLAN: (1 hour)

A. Planning = 15 minutes
B. Writing = 35 minutes
C. Checking = 10 minutes

(This plan is for those who are quite weak in English. For those who
are proficient, you may only need 10 minutes for planning)

Lets say you have chosen topic - Write a story ending with, I shall
never forget this day for the rest of my life.
1.Read

the question carefully and underline important phrases. Pay

particular attention to the ending.
2.Brainstorm for ideas and jot down notes. For exam purposes, the
simplest way is to divide it into three parts:
i. ii. iii.

Linkers and phrases - link the

events to move your story
(chronological order.)
It was very dark.
I will never forget ..
A few minutes later.
Suddenly,
When the disaster happened,
..

Sensory details - to reveal the events

and involved the reader
Example:
a.I went into the restaurant.
b.I walked into the restaurant
c.I sauntered into the restaurant.
a - merely states that I went into the
restaurant
b- little more information-how I went
into the restaurant
c - more specific word (clearly) the
idea of how I went into the restaurant
Sentence c. allows the reader to see
what I am doing.
sauntered = to stroll - image of a
person walking slowly into the
restaurant.
Thus, sentence c. is more effective in
narrative and descriptive writing.

Read your essay once through and check for the following things:
Is the spelling accurate?
Is the punctuation appropriate? Did you use too many commas in a
sentence?
Did you vary the sentence structure? Are your sentences too long?
Does one thought follow the next in a logical order?
Did you stick to the topic? Did you use words so that your reader
could experience the incident?
Did you use the appropriate tense of the verb throughout?
Make any corrections neatly.

Describing People
select only the significant
details.
Example: Write about a person
you admire
Introduction - who the person is how you know the person
Body - physical description character/personality - habits important incidents - relationship
with you and others - why you
admire him/her
Conclusion - what the person
stands for - what the person means
to you

Describing Place
Pay attention to the following
aspects :
Type of place
Location Distance
Attractions
Facilities/Amenities
Accommodation
When you describe scenes, pay
attention to sensory
description.
5 senses (Sounds, Smell, Touch,
Taste, Sight)

Main purpose - to inform.

You must have accurate information about the topic being
discussed.
Some examples of factual topics:
Pollution causes and effects
Tuition reasons for its popularity
Tourism how to promote it
Deforestation causes and effects
E-learning benefits
Dental care importance
Smoking health effects
Mobile phones health hazards

requires you to develop or justify a given argument or to put

forward a particular point of view
An argumentative composition requires you to do one of the
following :
take one side of an argument and present your stand clearly
put forward your argument for and against and then make a stand

express your personal thoughts, opinions feelings

you need to have a good command of the language which will
enable you to express yourself clearly
Examples of Reflective essays:
My dream house
Things I treasure
My ideal husband of wife
Memories
The qualities I would look for in a friend
My greatest problem

A paragraph can be divided into three different sections:

Topic Sentence - beginning of the

paragraph,
Body
Closing

Body

Topic Sentence
tells you what the paragraph is
going to be about
how it relates to the subject of
the essay and the previous
paragraph.

support the topic of the

paragraph
Supporting details
Elaboration

Closing
completes the idea
expressed in the
paragraph.
It should also set up a
connection to the next
paragraph.

Example:
First and foremost, I would buy a house for my parents, preferably a
bungalow, in a quiet town. I would equip the house with the latest
technology so that it would be a smart home. My mother would have
a state-of-the-art kitchen as she loves cooking. There would also be a
robot to clean and vacuum the house. I will certainly make sure that
my family is comfortably settled in this house.

To support a topic sentence, consider some of these possible ways:

Add examples
Supply further details or explanation
Tell a story that illustrates the point you're making
Discuss a process
Compare and contrast

Example:

Most word processing software gives you

several options for printing. You can print a copy
or several copies of the same document with
different fonts. Besides that, you can also print a
range of pages. What is more, you can even preview
a document before printing it out. You can finally
say goodbye to the good old typewriter

Topic sentence: word processing software

several options for printing.
Body sentences (Supporting details): print a
copy, several copies, different fonts, a range of
pages, preview.
Note that I have given examples and explanation to
support my main idea.
Closing sentence: I end the paragraph by
implying that now that you have the software, you
can say goodbye to the typewriter.

Donts

Dos

tired words like beautiful or nice

Use: magnificent, breathtaking,

inspiring, fantastic, and so on.

Ever since Mr. Tan came into my class,

Mr. Tan transformed my class.
he transformed it, changing it so that it
(Here, give examples of how he
was altogether different from what it has did it.)
been like before.
unheard of or too bombastic
Example:
Chin Yit, a student from Pahang wrote to
ask whether using beatiful words will
gain her more marks. She had taken
these words from a thesaurus. Her
teacher is right. She will not gain more
marks as she is testing the examiner
and boring her readers.
(propitious, bullient, affray, edacious)

(Favourable , cheerful, scuffle,

fight, voracious)