PSLE 2017 English Paper: An Analysis
Paper 1
ESSAY WRITING: A Special Gift
The theme is not a difficult one, especially since our students have had ample practise on the themes of gifting, benevolence and kindness through the course of our programmes. In fact, the last essay practice for the Primary 6 students was An Unexpected Gift, with one of the pictures being a gift box.
As a narrative topic, not only must students showcase what the gift was, but they must also explain why the gift was special. Proper planning was required, so that these important elements were adequately covered. Failure to mention or develop either aspect will reduce content marks considerably.
A top-grade essay would include characterisation of the protagonist; a well-explained and appropriate response to the special gift [for instance, if it was a pleasant present from a distant aunt, or an uncomfortable declaration of friendship from an acquaintance]; and a reinforcement of the theme in the resolution. At Creative Campus, our teachers emphasise the importance of having a strong personal voice -- this is key if students want to stand out from the competition.
Treated as an expository, students can score well if they can link the pictures coherently to the theme. For instance, a possible take for one of the body paragraphs might expound on how a special gift is a not only a physical present, but is also symbolic of a friendship.
SITUATIONAL WRITING: An email to a cousin about an art competition
The subject matter is a relatively easy one. Throughout the year, our students have to be exposed to writing emails to various recipients. At Creative Campus, we also guide our students to approach situational writing systematically.
Examiners will look out for key elements in the following areas:
Content Analysis
While the format of an email is straightforward, students must ensure that all the points are covered. This is important for maximising content marks. Additionally, the reference to a ‘cousin’ must be clearly stated in the email, whether in the salutation [“Dear Cousin John”] or at the signing off [“Your cousin, Jane”]. This signals to the examiner that the student has met a key question requirement.
Language Analysis
Holistic points may be awarded for the overall tone and personal voice of the writer. An awareness of the tone, audience and purpose of the email contributes to the language section of the paper. To minimise marks lost, students must edit their email for lapses in grammar, spelling and punctuation.
Paper 2
On the whole, Paper 2 was an average paper. As it was not particularly tricky, students tend to be penalised for any careless mistake(s).
There were common question types e.g. sensory verbs with infinitives, possessive pronouns, phrasal verbs, and idiomatic phrases. We provide some of the trickier questions below:
Multiple Choice Questions
(1) The huge wave after another crashed against the rocks in succession.
The options were tricky; students who are unaware of the phrasal verb ‘in succession’ or careless in ignoring 'in' could have chosen ‘repetition’.
(2) Sarah saw her friend approach so she waved excitedly at her.
Sensory verbs are usually followed by an infinitive, so the sensory clue ‘saw’ should be identified.
Synthesis and Transformation
(1) Q: Amur had never washed clothes before. He made a mess of it.
A: Not having washed clothes before, Amur made a mess of it.
The gerund ‘not having” is necessary.
(2) Q: Mr Hamid invited the author to give a talk. Her book won an award.
A: Mr Hamid invited the author, whose book won an award, to give a talk. OR
The author, whose book won an award, was invited by Mr Hamid to give a talk.
The possessive pronoun ‘whose’ is followed by the object ‘book’. For this question, students might erroneously substitute ‘whose’ for ‘who’ (Mr Hamid whose invited the author…) or ‘whom’ (The author whose Hamid invited…). Constant practice and an awareness of grammar rules are essential for perfect scores in this section.
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