1

JC1 GP
TERM 3
Ms Sarizah P2: Introducing the AQ
 Overview
2

 What is the AQ?

 How is the AQ marked?
 How to answer the AQ?
 Format

 Strategies
3 What is the AQ?
 What is the AQ?
4

 Last question in P2
 Carries 10 marks
 Personal Response to the issues
surfaced in the passage
 Requires Critical Literacy Skills
 How is the AQ marked?
5

Requirements relevance to the requirements of

the question as well as balance
Explanation quality of the explanation given

Evaluation* soundness of the evaluation

together with apt illustration
Coherence good paragraph organisation and
cogency of arguments
6 How to Answer the AQ?

AQ Essay Format
 How to answer the AQ?
7

1. Analyse the Question

 Identify the different parts of the question
 Identify the different requirements of the
question

2. Evaluate and Present your Response

 Introduction
 4-Step BP
 Conclusion
 Step 1
8

Analyse the Question

Identify the different parts:
A. Lead-in to the question
 Indicate which points are relevant
B. Requirements
 Fulfil all the parts stated
 Example 1 (Cambridge 2012)
9

In this article, Michael Gordon writes about

some of the roles and functions music plays
in modern life.
To what extent do you agree or disagree
with his views? Ilustrate your answer by
referring to the ways you and your society
regard music.
 Example 2 (Cambridge 2009)
10

How far do you agree with the author’s view

on work and leisure?
Illustrate your answer / own views by referring
to the ways in which you and your society
regard work and leisure.
 Step 2
11

Evaluate & Present Response

Recommended Format
Introduction: Opening Line
Stand + Reason
Body Paragraph
Body Paragraph
Body Paragraph
Body Paragraph
Body Paragraph
Body Paragraph
Conclusion:
Closing Line
Stand + Reason
A B
12 How to Answer the AQ?

AQ BP Format
 4-Step AQ BP
13

Step 1 P Identify a Relevant

* Differs
from P1
POINT/argument from the text

Step 2 E Evaluate and Justify

Step 3 E Provide Evidence

Step 4 L Link
 Step 1: Identify a Relevant Pt
14

 Select a Relevant Point/argument from the passage,

based on the Q, using either a:
 paraphrase

 a brief quote

 Ensure that you state the para or line reference

 Ensure that you state clearly which author or
passage you are referring to if there is more
than 1
 Step 2: Evaluate & Justify
15

 Evaluate : apply the P/argument(s) to the

given context to decide whether it is
valid or invalid

 Justify : give good reasons why the

argument is valid or invalid based on the
relevant features of the given context
 CONTEXT is important
16

How is the writer’s view / argument relevant or

applicable to your society / world at large?

 Context is given in the question

 Highlight distinct characteristics of the stated
context
 Should be present in the Introduction
 and Evaluation & Evidence for the Point
chosen in the BP
 Size
The Geography
Resources
Singapore Physical
Environment
Design

Context

Political model
Institutions
Laws & Policies Politics Singapore Culture

Racial composition
Religious composition
Traditions
Model & Policies:
The Arts
Capitalist
Open Economy Economy Values & Norms
Industries
Employment / Wages
 Step 2: Evaluate and Justify
18

Tip:
Use the language of evaluation (LOE)
to show that you
are commenting on
the quality of arguments.
 Language of Evaluation (LOE) / evaluative terms
Good quality arguments Poor quality arguments
Balanced Skewed in favour of… / biased
moderate extreme / over-generalisation /
hasty generalisation

Valid Invalid
Logical Illogical
Accurate Inaccurate
Reasonable / Sensible Unreasonable / irrational
/ridiculous
Realistic / well-grounded in reality Unrealistic
Practical Impractical
Adequate Inadequate
Effective Ineffective
Well-argued Poorly argued / Weak / Flawed
19
 Step 3: Provide Evidence
20

 Substantiate with your own Examples

 Do NOT use the ones from the text
 Compulsory: use of societal examples
 Optional: use of personal examples
 Provide Evidence

 Determine if the context is global or local

 Recommended to give 2 examples in each BP

How far would you agree with the

observations, relating your arguments to your
own experience and that of your society?
 Provide Evidence

 Personal examples should lead to societal

illustration

Personal Societal

 Examples must be specific to context & apt

 Step 4: Link
23

 Link the point you have evaluated back to the

question or your stand

 Avoid being mechanistic in doing so

24 AQ Sample

How to Write the Introduction, BP &

Conclusion
 Example (Cambridge 2009)
25

How far do you agree with the author’s views

on work and leisure?
Illustrate your answer / own views by referring
to the ways in which you and your society
regard work and leisure.
 Example: Introduction (Format A)
26

Jameson highlights the main functions of

work as well as tensions between work and
play which are largely valid and applicable
to Singapore, given that many people in our
fast-paced and competitive society are trying
rather hard to achieve a work-life balance.
 Example: Introduction (Format B)
27

Jameson highlights the main functions of

work as well as tensions between work and
play which are issues that matter in Singapore
given the importance of work-life balance in a
competitive and fast-paced society.
 Example: AQ PEEL BP
28

In paragraph 6, Jameson draws our attention to how

P ‘as we live longer’, ‘we shall enjoy an extended
retirement altogether from work’.
Ev
While it is true that we indeed have longer life +
expectancies in Singapore with the current average
Ev being 83.1 years, it is rather difficult to enjoy long years -
of idle retirement, given our high cost of living. In fact, in
view of Singaporeans living longer, the government has
been raising the retirement age over the last few
decades from 55 to 60 and presently at 62. This could
be partly to protect senior citizens who need to work
because they have to, rather than they want to due to
financial reasons…
So while his claim sounds good in theory, it is not so
L easy to be achieved in a society that has an ageing
population and is expensive to live in.
 Example: Conclusion (Format A)
29

Thus, the author has made claims about

work and play that are largely valid and
applicable to Singapore. The question left to
us is how do we strike that balance between
work and play?
 Example: Conclusion (Format B)
30

Thus, the main functions of work as well as

tensions between work and play highlighted by
Jameson are largely valid and applicable to
Singapore, given that many people in our
fast-paced and competitive society are trying
rather hard to achieve a work-life balance.
AQ Strategies
Full Paper 2
SAQ, SQ & AQ: 50 marks
Section Marks
SAQ 17
SQ 8
AQ 10
Content 35
Language 15
Time Management
P2 Full Duration: 1h 30m
Activity Marks Time
Reading 7m
SAQ 17 35m
SQ 8 20-25m
AQ 10 25-28m
Total 35 90m
The PEEL Format
 Evaluate: to judge the validity of the author’s
argument in the given context
 How should you tackle Ev?

Reasons/
Claim Evidence Argument
 Evaluative Strategies
35

1. Context of Time & Space 9. Benefit vs Cost

2. 5W1H Qs 10. Practical vs Ideal
3. IFCNG Model 11. Majority vs Minority

4. SPERM Model 12. Short-term vs Long-term

5. 6 Players Model 13. Effectiveness vs Limitations

6. Part-Whole Additional Strategies Specific to

7. Context-specific the AQ
Characteristics  Evidence provided by the author
8. Ethics & Morality  Assumptions made by the author

These P1 strategies can be used for the AQ as well

Apply only the relevant strategies to the chosen Point from the passage
 Point + Evaluation
36

 P: provide a point from the text

 Ev: Based on the distinct features of the given context
Agree: Do not simply repeat what is in the text
 Explain how & why the features allow the P to be
valid
 Extend or modify in the given context  show
how it has unique local elements
Disagree:
 Explain how & why the features disallow the P to
be valid
 Show how it is different in the given context
Balance
 Your response must consider both the merits and
demerits of the author’s points
 Stand must include extent of agreement and BPs
must support this balance

Balance in AQ Option in 1 BP
BP1 + - +>-
BP2 + - +<-
BP3 - + +=-
Stand MUST reflect the
balance across the BPs
Question Prompts
YOUR Life:
 Where / When does X take place? Why?

 Which types of X? Why? To What effect?

 Who are involved with X? How & Why?

 Link all of these to the Points in the text!

 In Summary
39

 What is the AQ?

A critique of the text
 How is the AQ marked?
R Ex Ev C
 How to answer the AQ?
 Introduction
 PEEL BP
 Conclusion
 Other Strategies