June 2005

 Writer’s main point is that the islands of the Caribbean have

evolved the history of rum and are instrumental in the
development of the rum making process.

 Writer’s purpose is to educate the readers about the origin of

rum making in the Caribbean and to show what developments
have been made to the process of making the rum

 Strategies
1. Use of expert advice
2. Expository piece to give information
3. Sequence of historical events

 Language Techniques
1. Personification
Example: “the Caribbean exhales rum culture”
It shows the Caribbean as a person breathing out the culture
of rum. The breathing shows how important rum is to the
Caribbean and also what a major role it has to play in the
Caribbean’s traditions
2. Hyperbole
Example: “following centuries of rumbullion exposure”
It emphasizes or exaggerates just how long the development
of rum has been ongoing. It evokes the feeling of appreciation
in the reader.
3. Imagery
Example: “two stone windmills… one still house”
This provides vivid description so the reader can relate to the
story.

 Reliability of Information
1. The information is taken from the Caribbean Beat which is a
magazine. Therefore the information is of a secondary source.
The information recorded in this article is adapted from Dylan
Kerrigan’s “Rum Tales.” The purpose of this article is to
educate the public about the historical development of rum in
the Caribbean: the birthplace of rum. The author’s conclusion
of proving that the Caribbean “exhales rum culture” is proven
by the use of expert advice and the use of a historical
timeline. Therefore, the source is reliable.
June 2006

 Writer’s main point is that young adults in the workplace are

illiterate and innumerate since they abandoned their learning
opportunities in education.

 Writer’s purpose is to draw public attention to the illiteracy

and innumeracy of primary and secondary school graduates in
the workplace in hope, perhaps, of motivating corrective
action

 Strategies
1. First person narration
Used in order to relate the story to the audience. It is a report
of a personal experience of a person. There are two
encounters of the person in the passage: one with an illiterate
young man and one with an illiterate young lady.
2. Use of contrast (appearance vs. illiteracy)
3. Indication that the problems affect both genders
4. Humor in the names given to the illiterate man and woman
(Mr. Illiteracy & Miss Innumeracy)

 Language Techniques
1. Sarcasm
To emphasise his disgust
2. Rhetorical Questions
To provoke thought and engage the reader
3. Repetition
To emphasise the illusion of their appearance
4. General-reference statement
You can spot them everyday, everywhere
5. Choice of names to emphasise the characteristics focused on
6. Emotive Language (the language of frustration and distress)

 Tone
The tone is one of frustration and distress. Illiteracy is a major
issue affecting most of school drop outs presently.
June 2007

 Writer’s main point is that there is nothing credible to prove

that bad luck exists in a leap year

 Writer’s main purpose is to prove that there is no scientific

reasoning behind the myth that there exists bad luck in a leap
year in hope

 Strategies
1. Use of experts/statistics/references
To provide reliable and valid facts to convince the reader
2. Use of Creole Dialect
To provide humor/realism; it is more likely to hear these types
of superstitions within a society; creates a setting
3. Use of first person narration
To give a personal account of the reader’s experience; to
provide a perspective in order for the reader to relate; direct
emotional appeal; it engages the reader directly and therefore
convinces the reader that bad luck does not exist
4. Change in tone
Provides contrast; to keep the author’s purpose
5. Humor
To get the reader’s attention into listening what he has to say
in order for you to be convinced in what he has to say

 Language Techniques
1. Rhetorical Questions
To invoke thought in the reader to think about the question
being posed; to engage the reader (specify in which the
situation was based on); to encourage people to think about
the situation in order to come to the conclusion of there’s no
such thing as a bad leap year; the author is trying to disprove
the comment her friend made; by her suggesting she is
discrediting that leap years are bad luck since she has never
hear it)
2. Alliteration
Too many tall tales; to create a rhythm for creating enjoyment
to engage the reader in order to convince the reader that
there is no such thing as bad luck in a leap year; the writer
uses this to become amusing to convince the readers that this
situation is highly unlikely
June 2009

 Writer’s main idea is that the problems in society as well as

personal problems are to blame for the high illiteracy rate of
women leading to the stereotyping of females

 Writer’s purpose is to educate the entire population, both

male and female, about the causes and effects and possible
suggestions as to why the illiteracy rate of women is higher
than that of men. His purpose is also to show how important
education is in determining a woman’s future.

 Strategies
1. Use of examples: Indonesia and Ghana
2. Use of statistics (provided by the UNESCO)

 Language Techniques

 Reliability of Information
1. The passage is taken from “Women’s Supplement.” It
encompasses of statistics from a reliable organization,
UNESCO, as well as examples of how education plays a crucial
role in countries around the world. The purpose of the sources
used is used to highlight the writer’s purpose.
June 2010

 Writer’s main idea is that together with the fact that there is
more commercials than news, there is an imbalance of the
topics being discussed in the newscast

 Writer’s main purpose is to invoke a need for change in people

to realize that within a program less than half of it contains
news and that within the newscast itself, there is a major
imbalance in the news being discussed by the anchors

 Strategies
1. Use of statistics
2. Use of examples
3. Reference to a study
4. Logical sequence of listing the most portrayed news first

 Language Techniques
1. Rhetorical Questions
2. Alliteration
3. Comparisons
June 2011

 Writer’s main idea is that a tsunami which can result from

different natural disasters represents a vast volume of
seawater in motion which is the source of its destructive
power

 Writer’s purpose is to educate the public on the severe

destructive powers of a tsunami and the process by which it
occurs

 Organisational Strategies
1. Use of examples (Chile earthquake)
2. Logical Sequence as to how a tsunami occurs
3. Expositional piece in which it is informative

 Language Strategies
1. Simile (or metaphor?)
Example: Thought it’s true that tsunamis are ocean waves,
calling them by the same name as the ordinary wind-driven
variety is a bit like referring to firecrackers and atomic
warheads both as “explosives”
2. Metaphor
Example: almost fast enough to keep pace with a jetliner
3. Use of punctuation
Example: Impelled by the mass of water behind them, the
waves bulldoze onto the shore and overwhelm the coast,
snapping trees like twigs, toppling stone walls and
lighthouses, and smashing houses and buildings into kindling.
4. Repetition of the “s” sound
Example is shown above
5. Assonance
Example: building into kindling (A kindling is a small twig used
for starting a fire)
6. Repetition
Example: tighter and tighter
June 2012

 Writer’s main point is that although hybrid cars come with the
advantage of being fuel efficient, there are also other ways in
which we can reduce emissions

 Writer’s main purpose is to educate the population about how

hybrid cars work and from this, understand that one doesn’t
necessarily have to purchase a hybrid car to reduce emissions
in order to have a clean environment
June 2014

 Writer’s main idea is that time has passed and as a result, his
perspective on school life has changed and he is reflecting

 Writer’s purpose is to highlight the change in his life from

school days to current times. He shares his experiences with
us in order to show how life has changed for him

 Strategies
1. Compare and contrast
Example: “Faces that laughed young and innocent, now cry,
worn and haggard”; “at one time”
The writer’s use of compare and contrast when he talks about
the past and present it to relate to us how much his view on
school life as changed
2. First Person Narrative
3. The piece is descriptive; reflective; narrative. Its narrative
while encompassing reflective thoughts.
4. Chronological Sequence

 Language Techniques
1. Simile
2. Alliteration
Example: friendly faces
To show contrast how it has changed
3. Metaphors
Example: galloped
To reminisce of being a young boy. It is comparing him now;
energetic vs. old
4. Imagery
5. Repetition
6. Emotive language
7. Allusion
Example: had forked no lightning
8. Hyperbole
 Example: ancient desks

 Tone: nostalgic and reflective