Directed Writing - Star Sunday Oc 3, 2010

Sunday October 3, 2010
Scoring high in directed writing
SPM ENGLISH: By JUGDEEP KAUR

We will begin this year’s SPM 1119 English series by focusing on writing skills, tested in Paper 1. Candidates are required to write two essays — one on Directed Writing and the other on Continuous Writing.

In the Directed Writing section, candidates are given only one question. This means that there is no choice and candidates must be familiar with the various text types that are tested in this section.

However, candidates should not worry unnecessarily as the question on Directed Writing is quite manageable.

Given appropriate guidance, even candidates who are linguistically weak should be able to handle this question.

What makes this question manageable? Firstly, candidates do not have to worry about what to write as they are given help with content.

The content is provided in the form of several points and candidates need to rewrite the points in the form of sentences without distorting the meaning.

Candidates can score full marks for content if they are able to use the information given in grammatically sound sentences, irrespective of the sentence type or length.

Likewise, it is also easy to obtain marks for format if candidates have been exposed to the formats of the different text types which are usually tested.

Secondly, this question does not demand much linguistically unlike the questions in the continuous writing section.

Thirdly, the question is usually set around the experiences of students. Hence, there is no reason for candidates not to attempt this question.

The allocation of marks for this question is as follows — 15 marks for content and 20 marks for language, bringing it to a total of 35 marks.

The marks for format, which can vary between one and three marks depending on the text type, are included in the 15 marks allocated for content.

Below is an analysis of the questions which have appeared over the past few years:

General guidelines for Directed Writing

·Read the question carefully.

Identify what you are required to do. Also, be clear about your role and your audience — who is going to listen or read your piece of writing.

·Use the 45 minutes allocated for this question wisely.

You need to plan your essay and organise your thoughts. This means thinking about what to write, how to elaborate on the points given and producing a neat piece of writing.

Remember, not to spend more than the allocated time for this question.

Some candidates make the mistake of spending more than 45 minutes on this question and they end up having little time for the second essay.

Bear in mind, no matter how much you write, you can only score a maximum of 15 marks for content, so there is no point in devoting more than 45 minutes.

·Include an introduction and a conclusion and make sure your paragraphs are well-organised.

·Use all content points given. It is advisable to cross out the points you have used, so that no point is left out.

·Use the points in the order in which they are given.

This is to avoid leaving out a point. Sometimes linguistically proficient candidates, rearrange the given points in a manner which suits their organisation of thoughts. There is no harm in doing this except that you may inadvertently leave out a point or two.

·Avoid paraphrasing the points given. This may result in distortion of meaning.

·Convey one point at a time.

·Include points of your own only if you are asked to. Otherwise, do not waste precious time doing so because you will not get any extra marks.

·You should elaborate on the points given.

Write two to three sentences to elaborate on each point. I usually advise my weak students to write at least one sentence for elaboration purposes.

This is because language is a crucial aspect of this paper and your ability to write can only be tested if you provide sufficient language for the examiner to gauge your linguistic ability.

·Your elaborations can be in the form of examples, facts and figures or any extra information.

·Use a variety of sentence structures so that your essay is not dull and monotonous.

·Pay attention to the usage of effective vocabulary. Use appropriate words and expressions to convey meaning.

·You may include suitable idiomatic expressions or quotations to enhance your writing.

·Always read through what you have written.

Correct grammatical, spelling and punctuation errors. Remember, in any language paper, grammatical correctness is crucial. Carelessness with the use of tenses, subject-verb agreement, pronouns etc. can result in unnecessary loss of marks.

·Always submit a neatly written piece of work.

Some candidates hand in messy work with lots of cancellations or work that is heavily marked with correction fluid (liquid paper). This makes it very difficult for the examiner to make sense of what you have written.

Common pitfalls

·Poor time management.

As mentioned above, do not spend more than the allocated 45 minutes on this question. Otherwise you will not have enough time for the second question. Remember the second question carries more marks.

·Lengthy essays.

Do not write too much. As mentioned earlier, this question does not make many demands on a candidate. Directed writing is a succinct piece of writing. All you have to do is use the given points and provide a sentence or two (maybe three) to elaborate on them.

A response of 1 ½ - 2 pages is more than sufficient. After all, the more you write the more mistakes you are likley to make. Some candidates make the mistake of writing one paragraph for each point. If you do this, your essay is going to be very lengthy. Save the time and energy for Continuous Writing.

·Usage of Informal language.

This paper tests your written English. Do not use spoken language. Avoid using slang words (such as guys, dudes, bligetty, breaky, toastie), contractions (can’t, mustn’t etc) and informal language (such as informal idiomatic expressions or informal phrasal verbs).

·Too many idiomatic expressions.

Some candidates tend to use as many idiomatic expressions as they can in their piece of writing. I understand this is a required practice for the Bahasa Melayu paper.

It may work to your advantage for the Bahasa Melayu paper but not in an English paper. Reading a piece of writing littered with such expressions devalues the merits the piece of writing may have.

·Poor punctuation.

Some candidates do not punctuate their sentences correctly. Make sure you end your sentence with a full stop and not a comma. Also, make sure that the pronoun (I) is written in upper case and not lower case (i) as is the practice among some candidates.

How to write a Speech

Here are some guidelines you should follow when giving a speech or a talk.

Let’s look at a sample question.

You recently won the ‘Best Student Award’ in your school. You have been asked to give a talk during assembly to share tips with the other students on what they need to do so that they too can become successful students.

Use the following notes to write your speech.

Suggestions

·set goals

·be motivated

·pay attention

·ask questions

·be organised

·complete homework on time

·prepare well for exams

·take part in co-curricular activities

·obey school rules

·respect everyone

Avoid

·wasting time

·skipping school

When writing out your speech, you should remember to:

·address your audience

·state the purpose of the speech

·use all the points given

·end your speech appropriately

Here is a sample answer.

A very good morning to our beloved principal, Pn Laila Mohd Noor, senior assistants, teachers and friends. On this glorious morning, I, Gary Tan the recipient of this year’s “Best Student Award” am going to give a talk on “How to Become a Successful Student”. In my speech, I am going to share with you some tips on how you can be a successful student.

If you want to be successful, you must set goals. Research shows that people who set goals accomplish more than those who do not. In deciding your goals, ask yourself “What do I want to be?” and “What do I do to get there?” Besides, you must be motivated. When you are motivated you will have a strong desire to do well and to achieve your goals. In addition, you must pay attention in class. Listen actively and focus on what the teacher is teaching. If you have disruptive classmates, sit in front of the classroom, away from them. Always ask questions if you do not understand. Seek clarifications from your teachers or your friends if you are shy to approach the former.

Another important tip to being a successful student is to be organised. You can use a planner or notebook to write down all your assignments when they are given. This way you will not forget your homework, dates of tests or projects. Remember, if you are organised you will be well- prepared and you will have less stress. Moreover, you must complete your homework on time. Homework helps reinforce what you have learnt. It helps you understand and remember the information. You must prepare well for exams. A successful student is one who prepares for exams well in advance, and not at the eleventh hour. If you study consistently, you will have ample time for revision.

Friends, to be a successful student you must have diverse interests. You should take part in co-curricular activities in order to become a well-rounded person. These activities help develop leadership skills and teamwork besides instilling values like cooperation and tolerance. Discipline is an important aspect of our lives. No matter where you go or what you do, you will be subjected to rules and regulations. Hence, it is crucial that you obey the school rules.

Dear friends,

What is success if you lack the common courtesies in life? Remember, you must respect everyone. You must respect your parents, your teachers, the school staff and also your friends. You must respect other people’s feelings and opinions.

There are also several things you must avoid if you want to be a successful student. You must avoid wasting time. These days many teenagers spend hours on social networks such as Facebook or playing computer games. These are a waste of time and will not benefit you in any way. Remember, ‘Time and tide wait for no man’. Also, avoid skipping school. Some students feel that school is a waste of time as they can learn better from their tuition teachers. This is not true. The teachers in our school are experienced and well qualified. They are also experienced examiners and they know how to impart knowledge effectively.

I have to stop here. I hope you have found my talk helpful. Thank you for listening attentively.

The Pearl - Write about a lesson you have learned from the novel you have studied. Support your answer with details from the text.

Write about a lesson you have learned from the novel you have studied. Support your answer with details from the text.

The novel The Pearl by John Steinbeck conveys several lessons to the readers. One lesson which I have learnt is that we should not be greedy. This is because greed is a destructive force.

Initially, Kino is a happy and contented man although he is poor. He is not bothered by the lack of material comfort in his life. His only material possessions are a canoe and his brush house.

However, when he finds the pearl he becomes ambitious. He desires things which he has never considered before. He wants new clothes for himself, Juana and Coyotito. He also wants to marry Juana in a church. He wants a harpoon and a rifle. Most importantly he wants an education for his son, Coyotito.

However, his desire for these things soon becomes an obsession. When he is attacked the first time, Juana advises him to get rid of the pearl because she believes that the attack was triggered by the pearl. He refuses to listen to Juana and is adamant on keeping the pearl. When he is attacked a second time, Juana again tells him to throw the pearl away but he refuses to listen. He is intent on getting a better life for himself and his family.

Unfortunately, after these attacks, he becomes suspicious of everyone. When Juana quietly creeps out of the house to throw the pearl away, he follows her and is able to stop her before she flings the pearl out into the sea. Angry, he lashes out at her and beats her viciously, punching her in the face and kicking her in the stomach. His determination to keep the pearl makes him lose his senses. He beats up the one person who has been very supportive of him.

Things become worse for him when he accidentally kills a man in the third attack.

The people who are after the pearl are also driven by greed. They too become destructive. They destroy his canoe and burn his brush house. Kino, knowing that his life and that of his family’s are at stake, has no choice but to flee. He heads towards the mountains and he is pursued by three trackers who will stop at nothing to get hold of the pearl. The pursuit ends with Kino killing all three trackers.

Unfortunately, his son Coyotito is also killed by a stray bullet.