Parents’ Seminar English Language Sharing Primary 6 2 February 2018 Tackling English Language Paper 1 Springdale Primary School
English Language Paper 1 Total duration of paper: 1 hour 10 min WRITING COMPONENTS MARKS Situational Writing 15 marks Continuous Writing 40 marks Total 55 marks Springdale Primary School
English Paper 1 Situational Writing Springdale Primary School
Paper 1: Situational Writing Situational Writing is marked for: • Task Fulfilment (6 marks) • Language & Organisation (9 marks) Students would need to show awareness of purpose, audience and context while supplying key information. Springdale Primary School
Paper 1: Situational Writing • P urpose: Why you are writing to the person • A udience: Who you are writing to • C ontext: Formal/Informal Springdale Primary School
Paper 1: Situational Writing Possible Situations : • Email • Letter • Note • Report Springdale Primary School
Sample Question Your Task You are a member of the school’s Green Club. You have been given this pamphlet about an Art competition and would like all members to participate in it. Your friend, Paul, was sick that day and he missed the session. Write an email to Paul to tell him about the competition. In your email, include the following key information: • who organised the competition • theme of the competition • how to participate • why you think both of you should participate You may reorder the points. Write in complete sentences. Springdale Primary School
Informal email/letter Task Fulfilment (6m) - who organised the competition - theme of the competition - how to participate - why you think both of you should participate * Students should fill in the answers on the question paper before they start writing the email. Springdale Primary School
Informal email/letter (Audience) Dear Paul, I hope you are feeling better. Informal tone (Context) There is an art competition organised by The Green Society of Singapore and I thought I would share some of the information with you (Purpose) since you missed the school’s Green Club session that day. The theme of the competition is Save The Earth and participants are required to create a picture using recycled materials . I was wondering if you would like to participate in the competition with me. There is only one Earth and we should take good care of it . Let’s do our part to spread this message of recycling! What do you say? Casual sign off (Context) Regards, Sam Springdale Primary School
An example of a formal writing task Task: Imagine you are Kumar, a Primary 5 student. Write a letter to your principal, Mr Ong Kim Chong, to inform him why you cannot attend the enrichment classes for the whole of Term 3. Springdale Primary School
Formal email/letter Formal salutation Dear Mr Ong, I would like to inform you that I will not be able to attend the Polite tone enrichment classes for the whole of Term 3 as I have band practice. The Singapore Band Competition will be held on 31 st August 2017 and extra practice sessions have been scheduled on Fridays. As a result , I will not be able to attend the enrichment classes which fall on the same day too. Formal connector I have spoken with my form teacher, Mrs Pearly Sim, and she has given me permission to attend the band practice sessions. She will conduct make-up lessons for me once the competition is over. Thank you for your kind attention. Polite conclusion Yours sincerely, Formal sign off State your full name Kumar s/o Ravi Primary 5 Honesty Springdale Primary School
Paper 1: Situational Writing Salutation • Always use uppercase for addressee: Dear Ben, Dear Sir/Madam, (when the question does not provide any name or any particular person you are writing to) Dear Grandmother, Dear Residents, Dear Principal, • Use a comma after the salutation. Springdale Primary School
Paper 1: Situational Writing Keep to the points • Students should keep their writing as simple as possible and not add in irrelevant details, especially if they are not from the stimulus or task box. • Writing more does not mean more marks. • Straightforward vocabulary is encouraged. • To add fluency and connectedness to their points, use phrases or connectors such as: In addition Eventually As a result At the end of our discussion Springdale Primary School
Paper 1: Situational Writing Complete sentences • Although in an informal email or letter, students can assume a friendly tone, they should always use complete sentences and no slangs : “What’s up?” vs “How are you?” “Chill!” vs “Do take time to relax and I hope to hear from you soon.” And no SMS language – WRU? LOL! How R U? Springdale Primary School
Paper 1: Situational Writing Check the prompts • For each prompt that the students have answered, they should put a tick to check it off. This is to make sure that they do not miss out any prompts. Springdale Primary School
Paper 1: Situational Writing Very important: Read through At the end of your writing, it is important to ensure: a) All the prompts have been addressed b) The tone and sign-off are correct. c) The language is accurate and expression is clear. Springdale Primary School
Paper 1: Situational Writing Marks will be deducted if the student does not address the PAC part accurately. Example: • the tone of the email is not reflected as formal/informal as required • reason for writing is not clearly stated • email is written to the wrong person Springdale Primary School
English Paper 1 Continuous Writing Springdale Primary School
Paper 1: Continuous Writing Continuous Writing is marked for • Content (20 marks) • Language & Organisation (20 marks) Minimum number of words: 150 words Springdale Primary School
Paper 1: Continuous Writing Springdale Primary School
Paper 1: Continuous Writing In the PSLE, your child will be given three unrelated pictures and a topic. They should choose to write only about one picture. • Remember to pay attention to the topic ( the words in bold ) • The topic leads to the essential ideas (also present in the question paper) that should be present in their composition - What was the experience? - Why was it unforgettable? Springdale Primary School
Paper 1: Continuous Writing • They should spend time planning their composition. • This is essential as it ensures that the topic and the essential ideas are dealt with in the composition. • Failure to plan often results in a composition that does not deal with either topic or picture which affects the final marks. Springdale Primary School
Paper 1: Continuous Writing • When writing, remember to pay attention to the perspective given in the question. • Sometimes, they may be required to write their composition in the 3 rd person while at other times, they may be required to write in the 1 st person. • The perspective they are required to write in is important! Springdale Primary School
Paper 1: Continuous Writing 3 rd Person Narrative • In 3 rd person narrative, they are able to know to know the minds and feelings of all the characters. Tom was on his way home when he saw Grandma Lim. Being a kind and considerate boy, he offered his assistance. Springdale Primary School
Paper 1: Continuous Writing 1st person narrative – See what the character sees; Feel what the character feels • In 1 st person narrative, they are the character and they can only know the thoughts and emotions of other characters only if they share them. “I am Tom and I am on my way home. You look like you need some help.” Springdale Primary School
Sample Question Write a composition of at least 150 words about a pet. The pictures are provided to help you think about this topic. Your composition should be based on one or more of these pictures. Consider the following points when you plan your composition: What is involved in looking after a pet? What are the benefits of having a pet? You may include other relevant points as well. Springdale Primary School
Sample Question • For the example given, they can write in the 1 st or 3 rd person because the topic is a pet. They can even write as the pet if they have the language ability. • But if the topic was an embarrassing incident that you witnessed, then the composition must be written in the 1 st person. Failure to do so would affect the language marks. Springdale Primary School
In Summary • The compo must be balanced. The bulk of their word count should come from the events leading to the problem, the problem and the resolution. • The conclusion is as important as all the other parts. They can end with an advice on how the problem could have been prevented or a proverb. Alternatively, they can include an afterthought about the incident. Springdale Primary School
In Summary • Remember to include the topic in their conclusion for e.g. Mary was happy that she had overcome her fear and need not feel scared anymore. Springdale Primary School
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