R E V I S I O N G U I D E

D O s a n d D O N ’ Ts | FA Q s | P o i n t s t o Re m e m b e r

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A GUIDE TO THIS GUIDE

• This guide is organized according to the various paper components. Some sections are shorter than others – presumably, you’re more comfortable with narratives than with expository; the slides reflect that.

• At the end of each section is

– a checklist of all the main elements to focus on in this component. You might find it helpful to compile and print these checklists.

– a list of FAQs (if applicable) – take a look before you ask me a doubt that’s already addressed here!

• I will go over these slides in class, so if you’re unsure about something written here, don’t worry – just remember to check with me in Term 4 if I don’t mention it in class.

P A P E R 1

A . E S S A Y : N A R R A T I V E

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1. EXPECTATIONS AND GUIDELINES

Your narrative needs to be

• WELL-STRUCTURED WITH A CLEAR PLOT, CLIMAX, AND CONCLUSION

– Over-long narratives are a bad idea – focus on quality, not quantity!

– Your plot needs to be logical – don’t try to do too much and risk creating unexplained plot-holes!

• WELL-WRITTEN WITH CLEAN GRAMMAR AND VIVID DESCRIPTION

– You need to write with attention to grammar – SVA; commas and full stops where they need to be; consistent tenses.

– You need, ideally, to show off a bit – use vivid vocabulary to ‘show, not tell’; vary your sentence structure.

2. COMMON MISTAKES

1. Straying from the question. From an exam point of view, your task is to show the marker that you’ve understood the topic. However creative your narrative is, it will be marked down if it’s not relevant.

2. Overambition. Unfortunately, writing a long, complicated narrative might work against you – you’re more likely to lapse into ‘telling’ and to run out of time, so that your climax/conclusion is often rushed.

CHECKLIST: NARRATIVE

Is my narrative

• COMPLETE, with a logical and realistic plot structure?

• CLEAR in terms of grammar, tense consistency, and appropriateness of tone?

• CREATIVE in terms of plotline and vivid vocabulary?

• CHECKED and proofread to make sure there are no grammar/plot inconsistencies?

P A P E R 1

B . E S S A Y : E X P O S I T O R Y

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1. EXPECTATIONS AND GUIDELINES

Your expository essay needs to be

• WELL-STRUCTURED WITH A LOGICAL ARGUMENT AND PEEL FORMAT

– A clear thesis statement is essential (more details on following slides).

– You MUST follow PEEL, and have a clear topic sentence (Point) to begin each paragraph

• WELL-WRITTEN WITH CLEAN GRAMMAR AND APPROPRIATE TONE

– You need to write with attention to grammar – SVA; commas and full stops where they need to be; consistent tenses.

– You must keep in mind that this kind of essay requires a formal, academic tone; lapses into casual tone will affect your language marks!

3. CONTENTA. INTRO & THESIS STATEMENT

• Your introduction must be a single paragraph with an opening sentence/sentences to contextualize the topic, followed by a thesis statement.

• The ideal thesis statement follows the format ‘this essay argues that…’

• If you’re pressed for time in an exam context, the following slide contains some alternate formats for your thesis statement.

3. CONTENTA. THESIS STATEMENT

• For questions that ask whether you agree/disagree/“discuss”/“what

are your views”, your thesis statement can simply be “I agree [to a certain extent] that … because …”

• For advantages/disadvantages questions, you may simply say in

your thesis statement “In my opinion, the advantages of … are … while the disadvantages are …”. However, somewhere in the body of the essay (e.g. the conclusion), you must give your opinion about whether you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages or vice versa.

TIP: THESIS STATEMENT

Here’s a tip to ensure that your thesis statement is specific and focused: use AS MANY WORDS FROM

THE QUESTION AS POSSIBLE when formulating your thesis statement. This way, you’ll ensure that your

essay doesn’t stray off-topic.

3. CONTENTB. POINT

• Each point must start with a clear topic statement that sums up the main point of your paragraph. If I read the first sentence of each of your main paragraphs, I should see your arguments/ideas clearly!

• Each of your points must clearly and explicitly link back to, and reinforce/support, your thesis statement

3. CONTENTC. EVIDENCE

– Evidence includes: facts; statistics; real-life examples from current affairs/history

– Evidence does not include general anecdotes (“families do not talk to each other because they prefer to be on their phones”) or vague pseudo-statistics (“A study has shown…” / “Research conducted in America…” / “It has been proven…”)

3. CONTENTD. EXPLANATION

– All your evidence must be explained. Your explanation must explain how your evidence fits your point.

– PEEL is especially interlinked in an expository essay – your explanation must connect your evidence to your point, which in turn should connect to your larger argument/thesis.

– Your paragraph must end with a clear linking statement that links your paragraph to your larger thesis.

3. CONTENTE. COUNTER-ARGUMENT

Your essay is strong if it includes potential counter-arguments. However, you must frame these clearly so that your own argument/opinion is still supported.

• While there are potential drawbacks to the usage of cellphones as educational tools, such as the possibility of distraction, I argue that…

• Some might argue that tuition is necessary in today’s world as a way to keep students on track. However, studies show that the opposite might be true…

3. CONTENTF. GENERALIZATIONS

• You need to work on this if: you have a comment on your paper that says ‘generalization’, ‘assumption’, or ‘sweeping statement’

• You can fix this by: avoiding making any statement that talks about a large collective of people, such as

– All rich men would be unhappy because they have no true friends

– We would definitely fall prey to social media addiction as this is human nature (NEVER USE HUMAN NATURE AS YOUR PROOF!)

– Parents will send their children to tuition as they are competitive

3. CONTENTF. GENERALIZATIONS

• We can look at evidence of how people behave, but we can’t always know why

• There could be other factors that affect behaviour– Rich people are depressed because they have no friends (all

rich people? Really?)

– Students don’t pay attention in class because they know they can rely on tuition instead (Could there be other causes?)

TIP:AVOIDING GENERALIZATIONS

Here’s a tip to ensure that your essay is free of generalizations: MAKE SURE EVERY CLAIM YOU MAKE IS SUPPORTED BY EVIDENCE. If you can’t

prove/support it, don’t say it!

4. LANGUAGEA. TONE

• Your essay needs to be formal, in the style of a newspaper report – NOT a speech!

– Avoid: ‘moving on to my next point’, ‘would you […]? Of course not!’ etc.

– Avoid directly addressing the reader

– Remember your audience. Your marker is not a student (so “We all use our phones in class” doesn’t work!); nor is he/she a five-year-old (so “have you heard of Facebook?” doesn’t work!)

4. LANGUAGEA. TONE

Words/phrases/things to avoid:

1. ‘etc.’ – just say ‘and so on’, or end your sentence!

2. acronyms – however obvious it might seem, you have to spell out things like PSLE the first time; you can use the acronym subsequently

3. “way more”, “stuff”, “guys”

4. LANGUAGEB. SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

• A startling number of you made the same mistake in your essays:

• Cellphones are not educational tools as it is distracting

Keep track of your subject! If you’re using the singular or plural form, stay consistent!

CHECKLIST: EXPOSITORY

Is my expository essay

• COMPLETE, with at least 3 body paragraphs covering all aspects of the question?

• CLEAR in terms of grammar, tense consistency, and appropriateness of tone?

• CONSISTENT in argument and in the PEEL structure?

• CHECKED and proofread to make sure there are no grammar inconsistencies and each paragraph is explicitly linked to my argument?

F A Q S

1. What’s the difference between the various expository question types?

This is more straightforward than you realise, so don’t worry!

In an ‘advantages and disadvantages’ question, you must mention both sides.

In a ‘what are your views’ or ‘discuss’ question, you can simply agree/disagree with the statement (e.g., ‘I agree that social media is making people antisocial’). However, even in these answers you would have to include a counterargument -- e.g. one point on how social media could make people more social.

2. What if I really cannot think of evidence? What counts as evidence? Is it only facts and statistics?

Evidence is not just statistics/research – it can also be examples/incidents you’ve seen in the news. For example, for the social media question that you wrote on for the test, you could have used the Amy Cheong incident as an example.

Evidence can also refer to your own knowledge about systems/institutions – e.g. the way that schools in Singapore make CIP compulsory. Again, this is acceptable evidence because is an undisputable fact.

If you really cannot think of real-world evidence, it might be a good idea to choose a different point, one that you can support.

P A P E R 1

C . L I T E R A R Y A N A LY S I S

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1. EXPECTATIONS AND GUIDELINES

Your literary analysis needs to be

• WELL-STRUCTURED WITH RELEVANT POINTS AND AND PEEL FORMAT

– Your points must be well-chosen, focusing on the most relevant aspects

– Adherence to PEEL is essential

• WELL-SUPPORTED BY SPECIFIC, DETAILED EVIDENCE & EXPLANATION

– Both part a) and part b) questions must be supported by quotes – since your paraphrasing tends to be vague and ‘narrative’ in nature

– Explanation must clearly link evidence to point

2. COMMON MISTAKES

1. Vagueness in language and explanation. You need to be very careful to fully explain your ideas. To use a mathematical metaphor, show us your working, not just the solution!

2. Time management. If you spend too long on part a), part b) is rushed/narrative/incomplete. The surest way to avoid this is to know your text well!

3. Following PEEL for part b). Most of you, for some reason, abandon PEEL in your part b) and lapse into narrative. Remember that even if part b) is a ‘big picture’ question, you still need to provide evidence and explanation for it!

3. WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR

• Fully explain any concepts or themes. If a question asks you to look for incidents that demonstrate compromise, then your explanation must show why/how the example that you’ve picked is an example of compromise. In other words, your marker needs to see that you know what compromise means, and you’re not just guessing!

• Keep track of the question. Don’t just narrate examples from the text; use short quotes to ensure that your evidence is focused, and follow this up with a detailed explanation that links your evidence to the point/question.

3. WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR

• Wherever possible, link your points to larger themes/ideas in the text by using the following phrasing prompts:

– Through this [incident/event/conversation],

– Harper Lee

• highlights [the theme of]

• evokes [a sense of…]

• emphasizes [the importance of…]

4. HOW DO I IMPROVE MY LIT ANALYSIS SKILLS?

o Practice! This doesn’t just have to be the assignments we work on in class; you can pick any passage in the novel and try to write an analysis of the character/incident it describes. If you’d like me to look at your practices, hand them in to me.

o Knowing the text – you can’t analyse unless you understand. Look up bits of the text you don’t understand. Ask questions in class. Don’t rely on websites that can be edited by just about anyone!

o Precision. Use words to mean exactly what you want them to mean. Remember, for example, that ‘clever’, ‘sneaky’ and ‘cunning’ don’t mean the same thing.

5. RECAP

5. RECAPWHAT NOT TO DO: PEEL

• What’s wrong with these examples?

• The aunt is very impatient. The evidence is that she speaks to Nicholas “impatiently”. This implies that she uses a very impatient tone when talking to the child. Thus I can tell that she is not a patient individual.

• In this essay I discuss the main characteristics of Nicholas. In my opinion Nicholas is a smart, intelligent and quick-witted character.

5. RECAPWHAT NOT TO DO: PEEL

What’s wrong with this example?

• I can infer that the aunt is a liar. The evidence is that she first told Nicholas not to enter the gooseberry garden but then later told him that he should enter. This means that she was lying in her original instruction and actually wanted him to enter the garden to rescue her. From this I can infer that she lies to Nicholas.

5. RECAPWHAT NOT TO DO: PEEL

What’s wrong with this example?

• One example of irony in the text is the fact that the children do not have fun at Jagborough Sands. The aunt sends them on the expedition to have fun but Bobby’s boots are too tight and the tide is in. I can tell that this is situational irony.

5. RECAPSO…WHAT DO I DO?

5. RECAPPEEL: ANALYSE/EXPLAIN

• While you might be able to pick good points, you must also be able to explain them in a way that shows you’re analysing the text, not just reproducing evidence.

PART A: Character

• 1. Why does the character behave this way? (Motivation)2. Does the character change over time? Can you structure your answer to show this character development?3.Does the character’s outward behaviour reflect something about their personality/thoughts/desires?

PART B: WRITER’S CRAFT

• How does [event] evoke [emotion] in reader? Personal response is always good for a sympathy question, but avoid generalisations (e.g. “we will feel sad because we have been through the same thing”)

• How does [literary device] make the story effective?

• Is the event/incident significant in the context of the text? Is it a central example of foreshadowing or irony? Does it evoke sympathy for particular character[s]? Is it an important metaphor for a main theme in the text?

• Can you draw connections to other parts of the text? Can you see a pattern of repeated behaviour/events in the text?

CHECKLIST: LIT ANALYSIS

Is my lit analysis

• COMPLETE, with at least 3 points covering all aspects of the question?

• CLEARLY SUPPORTED by sufficient evidence and explanation?

• CONSISTENT in following the PEEL structure?

• CHECKED and proofread to make sure that it is linked to the question, and that all evidence is clearly explained?

F A Q S

1. How am I supposed to remember relevant quotes?

• Your holiday homework should hopefully help with this – it’s not that difficult to remember words and phrases associated with key events/themes!

• Making a personal ‘quotation bank’, as some of your classmates have done, might help you keep track of relevant quote to use.

2. How do I know if my explanation is sufficient?

Make sure to check the following:

-Your explanation should, as a general rule, be longer than your evidence. That’s because every piece of evidence should be clearly explained.

-Your explanation must not simply repeat or paraphrase your point or evidence.

-Your explanation should show how your evidence fits your point.

P A P E R 2

C O M P R E H E N S I O N

1. COMMON MISTAKES

1. Answering questions before you read the passage fully – this hugely increases the risk of misinterpretation!

2. Not reading the questions carefully. Make sure your answer is from the specified paragraph and that you paraphrase where necessary!

3. Answering the summary before you mark out points. If you don’t annotate your question paper, you will miss out key points.

2. KEYWORDS IN QUESTION

• “Cite”, “quote” – answer is found directly in passage

• “Explain”, “infer” – your answer must go beyond the passage. These answers will never be a paraphrase of the passage!

• “Paraphrase”, “use own words” – mark out the section to paraphrase and underline keywords to make sure you don’t use them in your answer

E N D O F G U I D E !

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