Language Booklet 2012 Santa Maria 5th Year - Krause - Rigo

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5th Year
IGCSE FIRST LANGUAGE ENGLISH
2012
TEACHERS: Erika Krause- Laura Rigo
STUDENT’S NAME: ____________________________

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Syllabus/ Contents
 UNIT 1
Reading Comprehension
 Past Papers and Reading passages from booklet
Skimming and scanning, note taking, paraphrasing, selecting and organising material, expanding notes, sentence
structure, vocabulary building, summary style, collating texts, punctuation, linking words and paragraphing, analyzing
how writers achieve effects.
Directed Writing and Composition

o News Reports
o Formal and Informal Letter Writing
o Interviews (three questions)
o Narrative Writing: Types of beginnings and endings
Use of English
Vocabulary connected to selected passages
 UNIT 2
Skimming and scanning, note taking, paraphrasing, selecting and organising material, expanding notes, sentence

o Revision:
 Magazine Article
 Persuasive Speech
 Formal Report
 Argumentative and Discursive Composition
Use of English
 UNIT 3
Skimming and scanning, note taking, paraphrasing, selecting and organizing material, expanding notes, sentence

o Descriptive Writing (Focus mainly on descriptive vocabulary to be used in narrative compositions)
o Leaflet
Revision:
 Script
 Diary Entry
Use of English
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IGCSE First Language English
at Extended Level
 What does the examination consist of?

The examination tests both reading and writing skills.
PAPER 2: This paper lasts 2 hours. You will have to read two passages, each of
600-700 words in length; there will be a common theme to the passages but they
may be different types of writing.
Question 1 may be sub-divided and will test your understanding of Passage 1 only.
Question 1 is worth a total of 20 marks; 15 marks will be awarded for reading skills
and 5 marks for writing.
Question 2, which is worth 10 marks, will also be based on Passage 1 only and will
test your understanding of how writers achieve their effects.
Question 3 may also be sub-divided and will require you to write a summary of
some of the points included in both passages. This is worth a total of 20 marks (15
for reading and 5 for writing).
PAPER 3: This paper lasts 2 hours. It tests both directed writing and composition
skills. It is divided into two sections.
Section 1 is worth 25 marks (15 for writing and 10 for reading) and consists of a
directed writing task based on one or more short texts printed on the question
paper. You will be required to use and develop the given information in another
form.
Section 2 is the composition task. You will be offered a choice of essay titles
covering a range of different writing genres. You must write on only one of them and
you are advised to write 350-450 words. The composition will be marked out of a
total of 25. This comprises two different marks: a maximum of 12 marks will be
available for style and accuracy and a maximum of 13 marks for content and
structure.
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PAPER 2 – QUESTION 2- WORDS FOR EFFECT

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Understanding how writers achieve effects
The effect created by an author’s words could be to stimulate our sense of sight, touch,
hearing or even smell. It could be to convey a scene, idea or emotion.
 After reading a passage you need to work out what effect the writer has created.
- An experience has been described

- An atmosphere has been created
- A statement of fact has been made
- An opinion / emotion has been conveyed
- A reaction has been provoked
 Next you need to work out what impression has been made on your mind or senses.
- You can see the scene that has been described

- You can hear the sounds that have been described
- You can almost smell or taste something that was described
- You can almost physically or emotionally feel something described
 Finally you need to understand what caused this effect on you.
- The specific meaning of a word / The association created by a word

- The positioning of words, phrases and sentences
- The rhythm and pace of words and sentence structures
Some students think that understanding a writer’s effect means quoting some words
which have an effect on you and copying them out. Using quotations is only one
part of the process; explaining how and why it affects you is the main part.
STEPS
 Be as precise as possible when identifying effects
If a negative atmosphere has been created, you could describe it as tense, hostile,
unpleasant, aggressive, volatile.
If you have to describe the writer`s opinion or attitude towards the topic (s)he is describing
you could use words or phrases such as: supportive, dubious about, opposed to, broadly in
favour of, horrified by, cautiously optimistic about, distressed by, etc.
 Quote selectively from the passage

You will only ever be quoting single words or brief phrases.
 Explain how the writer creates the effect

a) Use the precise meaning of a word to explain how it creates the effect. Writers choose
words carefully to create a specific meaning. This in turn will often create a specific effect.
b) Use the strength of a word to explain how it creates the effect. (dislike, despise,
detest, loathe, etc)
c) Use the associations of a word to explain how it creates the effect. For example, if
someone is described as a sloth we envisage someone who is sleepy and slow moving
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and so we may think that the person described is lazy.
 Look out for more than one effect
A good writer will choose words and phrases that do lots of things at the same time. For
example, imagine that a writer is describing a character:
“Xavier burst through the door, a rhinoceros of a man”
The word rhinoceros produces a variety of ideas:
RHINOCEROS
aggressive solitary fearless thick-skinned large should be feared

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Paper 2 (extended) - Question 3- SUMMARY WRITING

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Summary Writing Process
1. Skim reading
Read (new) passage for gist of time, place, genre and topic, identifying unknown words to be
worked out using one of the 4 methods: syllabic break down; recognition of similarity to another
English word; recognition of similarity to a word in another language; guessing from context.
2. Scan reading
After reading summary question and underlining key words in the instruction, return to passage
and highlight (possibly in two colours for two different aspects) the relevant material. Identify and
highlight only the key word or phrase. Too many examples, repetitions, direct speech,
figurative language and trivial details should be excluded.
3. Transfer to plan
Transfer the highlighted material to a list, changing the words and phrases into own words at the
same time (use synonyms) Some technical words cannot be changed and some individual
words from the passage can be used, but long phrases should not be lifted. All the relevant
points should be used, not just the minimum of 15
4. Structuring the plan
The points in the plan should be grouped logically and reordered - to make it possible to combine
more than one point per sentence - using brackets and arrows. The summary should be divided
into two separate parts.
5. Writing the summary
The summary should be written:
* in informative style,
* using complex sentences (avoiding and),
* using the same tense and person as the question (third person).
There should be clarity, concision and no repetition. It must not be longer than one page in
total.
The summary must be purely objective and without comment, introduction or conclusion.
REMEMBER!!!! Do not include:
quotations- figurative language- long descriptions/strings of adjectives.

Extra information or details - examples- explanations-repetitions- your own comments or opinions
BE CONCISE!!
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Sample summary
Read the following article about young people and television.
TELEVISION – A BIG TURN-OFF?

We have been told that too much television is bad for young people and now it looks as if it
might be true. A recent survey has suggested hat the amount of television children watch
should be considered a major health issue because it has a really bad effect on the
development of the brain.
In addition, television is thought to be a cause of depression. Children spend so long

sitting and watching TV, it has also been blamed for other health issues such as being
overweight.
If very young children watch an excess of television, this appears to set a pattern for life.
There is a feeling amongst certain researchers that children should not watch any
television until they are at least three years of age. If they watch too much, they may well
grow up finding it difficult to concentrate on things that require sustained attention – such
as books.
Television provides unnatural levels of excitement and sensory stimulation. Nothing in real
life is comparable. One result of this is that children expect their teachers, for example, to
be singing and dancing in the classroom to constantly entertain them.
Many researchers say that some children have lost the ability to entertain themselves. But
as one expert said: “The advice is quite simple. There is no need for teachers or parents to
turn themselves into clowns. They do not always have to become actors to keep the young
ones amused. It is fine for children to experience some boredom from time to time.”
Without experiencing boredom, it is believed that children lose the ability to use their
imagination and find things to do.
So what is the best way to approach the difficult problem of television watching? It might
be too extreme to ban TV programmes completely since this may cause real problems in
families that have become dependent on television. A better approach would be the
gradual reduction of viewing time and a pattern of no more than one hour of television a
day.
There is an argument that many programmes are educational and therefore helpful to
children’s understanding of the world. This is possibly true, but even the best wildlife
documentary is a poor substitute for real-life experience and talking to other children and
adults.
In the end, it is a matter of compromise. The worst situation is when parents sit their
children down in front of the television for hours at a time or fail to restrict their children’s
viewing because they don’t want to upset them.
Source: UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL EXAMINATIONS. International General

Certificate of Secondary Education. ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE. Paper 2 Reading and Writing
(Extended) May/June 2009.
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Write a summary on the opposite page of the negative effects on children who watch
too much television.
Sample summary
Children, who watch an excessive amount of television, are causing harm to themselves. Health matters,
such as hindering the growth of the brain and depression, are common effects. Not only that, but by
remaining inactive, a child will probably end up becoming obese, which is not only harmful to them
physically, but also mentally. Furthermore, concentration becomes difficult since a child is not used to
sustaining attention on any particular activity, such as reading a book. In the same way, they can lose their
ability to entertain themselves, which means they are totally unaware of what real entertainment is. Finally,
indulging in television causes youngsters to displace their imaginative ability.
Research has shown that too much television can have negative effects on adolescents. Such effects
include growth of the brain, which a serious health concern and depression, because youngsters sit in front
of the television for extended periods. Being inactive also causes people to become overweight. Young
children should not watch TV until they are three years old since it sets a bad example for their future
lifestyle. This can result in them finding it difficult to focus on activities which require attention, such as
reading. Furthermore, the TV offers programs which are unreal as far as excitement and stimulation is
concerned. This makes real life appear boring to them.
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PAPER 2- QUESTION 1- RESPONDING TO THE READING PASSAGE

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PAPER 3 QUESTION 1 (DIRECTED WRITING)
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News report
DIRECTED WRITING- WRITING TASK - A NEWSPAPER REPORT
Read the following transcript and then do the writing task.
This is a transcript of an interview recorded the day alter Joy Wambugu rescued a little boy from
drowning in a deep pool near her home.
Reporter: Everyone's saying how brave you were.

Joy: Er, it wasn't anything to do with being brave, He was there by the pool-everyone knows how
dangerous it is – then he leans over to look at something, a fish perhaps, and he falls in, just like
that. That pool doesn't have no beach – you go in deep. My Mum's always telling me.
Reporter: But you dived in after him.
Joy: Well, to tell the truth, I didn't think. That's why it wasn't being brave. He splashed about a
minute, then went straight under. There was no-one else about, so I went in too.
Reporter: You might have drowned!
Joy: No way! I'm the best swimmer in Tanga. I can lifesave too. Mrs Njoba taught me. She says,
"Joy, you learn lifesaving, you never know when you might need it." She taught me first aid and
what to do if 1 fish a drowning person out of the lake. I did it automatic.
Reporter: How old are you, Joy?
Joy: Twelve; I’ll be thirteen next week.
Reporter: What did your mum say when she found out?
Joy: She went on and on at me. She was like, "What have I told you about going down there on
your own? You might be dead by now and then what should I do?" and all that. And then she burst
into tears and told me how much she loves me and how proud she is. You never know with
mothers.
Reporter: What happened next when you were in the water?
Joy: I was lucky 'cos I sort of bumped into rum straightaway as 1 dived in. But he was struggling
about and it was hard to grip him properly. First we both carne up to the top of the water and he
thrashed about all panicky even more so. Then I gripped him and swam hard to the edge, just like
Mrs Njoba told me. Lucky there was an old tree with roots in the water else it would’ve been hard
getting him out. I didn't tell Mum that.
Reporter: You gave him first aid ...
Joy: Yeah. I had a bit of fun getting the water out of him.
Reporter: Not many people could have done what you did.
Joy: Maybe. That's why we all need a teacher like Mrs Njoba to help us with important things.
Maybe it's as important as spelling and counting – well, sort of. But I knew it would be all right and
I couldn't leave him. He would have drowned for certain.
Reporter: Did you recognise him?
Joy: Sort of. He lives in the village. He's seven. They call him Samuel.
Reporter: What happened then?
Joy: Lucky again. Mr Kivuti came for his afternoon walk – it was three o'clock - I know because I
looked at my watch to see whether it was working and it was – and he carne running across, saw
Samuel was OK and carried him to the village where they looked after him.
Reporter: What a marvellous story!
Joy: I think everyone's making a lot of fuss. They'll all laugh at me on Saturday when they see that
horrid photo in your newspaper. I think it's embarrassing!
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TASK
You are the newspaper reporter. Invent a suitable headline and write your report of the incident for
Saturday's newspaper.
You may quote some of Joy's words, but the report should be in your own words and in written, not spoken,
English. You must also decide on the order of the material you use from the transcript.
Your editor believes in young people and wants his newspaper to note the good things that they do. You
should therefore include some comments about Joy’s actions.
You should write between 1 and 1 ½ sides, allowing for the size of your handwriting.
Up to 10 marks are available for the content of your answer, up to 15 marks for the quality of your writing.
[25]
NEWSPAPER REPORT- WRITING HELP
Exam tip!
News reports have several typical stylistic features:

 short sentences
 simple or compound (i.e. using and, but, so)
 short paragraphs - often consisting of only one sentence
 direct speech - to give authenticity and immediacy
 reported speech - introduced by a variety of verbs
Comments made by witnesses, victims, the police, etc may be given in direct or reported
speech:
“We won’t give in,” commented a workers’ spokesman.
The two boys later admitted that what they had done was wrong.
 Passive voice and appropriate reporting verbs (e.g. confessed, protested, etc) are widely
used in news reports, together with a range of linking words and time expressions.
 strings of adjectives - in front of nouns to qualify them
 sensational vocabulary - to give a sense of drama
LAY-OUT
Introduction
Paragraph 1
Summary of the event – time, place, people involved
Main Body
Paragraphs 2, 3, 4
Description of the main events and people involved – give detailed
facts
Conclusion
Final Paragraph
Comments, reference to future developments
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Have a look at this other example of NEWS REPORT and the comments on the side.
Exam tip!
A sub-heading in the middle of a news report is a one-word or short-phrase summary - often a quotation- of the next section of the
report. It signals a change of direction, prepares the reader for what will follow and entices the reader into reading on. It also
breaks up the text to make it seem more accessible.
REMEMBER!
Unlike other accounts of events, which are usually chronological, news reports generally follow this
order:
1) Summary of recent event: fact about what happened.
2) Background to event: expansion and details of the story

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3) Return to immediate situation and response of those involved: comments by participants or
witnesses / official statements
4) Look ahead to near future: speculation about future developments
The first few sentences answer the questions Who? What? When? Where? and How?
Reporting does not include the emotional response or the reporter, or any direct address to
the reader.
Newspaper headlines
Look at the following examples of newspaper headlines. With your partner, discuss and list
the common characteristics of headlines.
 Dingo kills child on beach

 Riot halts match - 23 injured
 Scandal rocks paradise island
 Blind mountaineer conquers Everest
 Time runs out for watchmaker
 Stock market plunges after shame shock
 Talented Tarrant to tout for trade
Exam tip!
Headlines are a kind of summary in note form, leaving out unnecessary words. Their aim is to attract reader
interest in the minimum amount of space. Headlines tend to:
 consist of a maximum of six words
 contain sensational vocabulary (e.g. crash, tragic)
 use short words (usually no longer than two syllables)
 use the shortest synonym (e.g. weds for marries)
 use the present tense for recent past
 leave out definite and indefinite articles
Headlines are sometimes difficult to understand, because their grammar is so reduced. With your
partner, answer these two questions for each of the following (real) headlines:
a) What does it mean?

b) How can you make the meaning clearer? Use more words if necessary, or change word order
or punctuation.
i. 17 aliens held
ii. 500-year-old child found
iii. Squad helps dog bite victim
iv. Miners refuse to work after death
v. Wage rise bid defies ban
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Popular newspapers like to use the following devices in their headlines:
puns Japanese yen for success

assonance Hit list twist
alliteration Fears of free fall
quotations For richer, for poorer
misquotations To buy or not to buy?
With your partner, make up or find examples in newspapers of each kind of word play.
Activities to become better news reporters!
Read the news reports below, and identify the topic of each paragraph. Then, underline all examples of
passive voice, and say which tenses have been used in each report. Finally, choose the best headline for
each report.
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USEFUL VOCABULARY
Replace each of the underlined words/phrases in the sentences below with synonymous ones from
the Iist.
led to a public outcry, far-reaching repercussions, widespread fear,
make a bid, fruitless, gave his seal of approval, wary, put paid to
1 The Education Minister agreed to the new government proposals to reduce subsidies to universities.
2 A Royal Air Force officer is planning to try to break the world land-speed record.
3 A fire at Weston nuclear power station has caused a lot of worry among local
residents.
4 Attempts to promote non-biodegradable detergents have made a lot of people angry due to the threat such
products pose to the environment.
5 Residents were advised to be cautious of anyone acting suspiciously.
6 Accusations of embezzlement ruined the senator’s hopes of running for president next year.
7 The Prime Minister’s decision to raise taxes will have a serious effect on the lives of many Britons.
8 The police have appealed to the government following their unsuccessful attempts to stamp out crime among
Street gangs.
USEFUL GRAMMAR: PASSIVE VOICE

Read the following opening paragraphs from news reports, and rewrite them by putting the verbs into
the passive.
1 Children discovered a suspicious-looking package in a city-centre shop yesterday. The shop owner called the
police, who sent a bomb-disposal team which successfully defused the package.
2 The council closed down a well-known restaurant in Laycock last week after they found a mouse in the
kitchen. Health officials warned the owner that he could not reopen the restaurant until it met the required
standards of cleanliness.
3 A man held passengers on a Manchester bus captive for an hour on Monday afternoon. Police later removed
the kidnapper, who was unarmed. They believe the man was making a protest about public transport services iii
the area.
4 An amateur has broken the world record for windsurfing across the Channel. The mayor of Longbridge
congratulated 25-year-o!d Dean Travers upon his return home on Thursday. Dean had completed his record-
breaking trip in near-perfect conditions two days previously.
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REPORTED SPEECH & REPORTING VERBS

Rewrite the following sentences iii reported speech, using the reporting verbs from the list below.
Each verb should only be used once.
announced, commented, denied, objected, refused
1 The Prime Minister said yesterday, “A new tax will be introduced from 1st January.”
e.g. The Prime Minister announced yesterday that a new tax would be introduced from 1st January.
2 “That is not a matter I am prepared to discuss,” the witness said to reporters.
3 “I don’t like the fact that known criminals are released on bail while awaiting trial,” said the judge.
4 Mr Bingley said, “I have never seen this woman before in my life, let alone tried to assault her.”
5 The spokesman said, “It’s worth noting that this is the largest crowd ever to have attended a Cup Final.”
Read the following article and replace the words in bold with adjectives from the list below. What
headline would you suggest for the article? What techniques have been used?
confident - depressing - dramatic - enormous - enthusiastic - gleaming –

inadequate - inspiring - magnificent - wonderful
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INTERVIEW (THREE QUESTIONS)
Adventuring in Belize
Galloping along Central American mountain trails, accompanied only by the thrum of
hooves and the occasional flash of a toucan among the trees, might just be one of the
world’s top ways to start your morning. But incredibly, in lovely, lush Belize, where eco-
slanted adventure travel is king, the day gets even better from here.
This diminutive country of just 330,000 people and 8,800sq miles, sandwiched between
Mexico to the north and Guatemala to the south and west, proves true the old adage that
“the best things come in small packages”. And a sojourn at Mountain Equestrian Trails,
with its hardy steeds, welcoming hosts and collection of cosy, kerosene-lit cabins tucked
tight into the stunning rainforest of Belize’s mountainous western Cayo district, provides
the perfect base from which to experience this little country’s manifold adventures.
Several hours southwest from the lodge, along heavily rutted roads and past remote
Mennonite villages and tumbling waterfalls, are the lofty palaces and plazas of the ancient
Mayan city of Caracol, close to the Guatemalan border. Perched high on the Vaca Plateau
in the thick of the Chiquibul Forest Reserve, this 3,000 year old, 80-sq-mile city is far less
frequented than the famous Guatemalan ruins at Tikal. Once a huge city home to more
than 100,000 people, Caracol now lies in spectacular mountain solitude, host to just a
handful of hardy visitors every day. It is the perfect wish fulfilment for any budding Indiana
Jones.
If going underground is more your style, strike out by kayak into the eerie, stalactite-filled
caverns of the western Cayo’s Barton Creek river cave, an easy half-day’s journey from
Mountain Equestrian Trails. Silent, dripping, illuminated only by flashlight, it is not hard to
see why the ancient Mayans believed the cave to be a portal to the underworld, wherein
resided Ah Puch, God of Death, a figure whom it was thought wise to appease. The
immense cave still holds traces of such appeasement; the remains of at least 28 bodies
have been found here and evidence of human sacrifice still exists in the form of the
occasional skull tucked on a ledge high overhead.
For a thoroughly modern approach to this grizzly ancient history, however, head to the
Caves Branch cave in the Nohoch Che’en Archeological Reserve, around 12 miles south
of Belmopan, Belize’s tiny capital city, to sample the burgeoning sport of cave tubing.
Here, float for seven miles through shady, relic-filled caverns wondering at the five million
year-old crystal formations, or don a hard hat and harness and rappel into the inky depths
of the reserve’s Actun Loch Tunich sink hole – both expeditions can be undertaken with
the local Caves Branch Adventure Company.
Alternatively, hike, swim and spelunk your way into the heart of the four-mile-long, bat-
filled Actun Tunichil Muknal cave, hidden deep within the stunning Tapir Mountain Nature
Reserve, near the pretty mountain town of San Ignacio. Also known as the “Cave of the
Stone Sepulcher”, a journey into Actun Tunichil Muknal will eventually lead to “the
Cathedral”, an immense subterranean cavern home to yet more Mayan sacrificial remains,
including the “Crystal Maiden”, the skeleton of a teenage Mayan girl whose bones have
calcified over the millennia to a crystalline gleam.
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Next, head down the gorgeous, green Hummingbird Highway, to explore vast tracts of
untouched rainforest. With more than 40% of the country designated as protected land, it
is not hard to find a deserted forest trail just ripe for the hiking. Trek out to remote
waterfalls at the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary and Jaguar Preserve (whose shy
four-legged inhabitants themselves stay well out of sight), watch for storks and kingfishers
in the depths of the beautiful Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary further north, or take a boat
trip past dozing crocodiles, to Mayan remains dating as far back as the 16th Century BC at
Lamanai in the Orange Walk District.
Finally, go by boat from Belize City, the country’s largest city with a population of around
70,000, to the laid-back, ramshackle charms of Caye Caulker island. From here it is a
short ride out to a plethora of pristine reefs, including the Hol Chan Marine Reserve and
the iconic, Unesco-rated Great Blue Hole underwater sinkhole. Here you can scuba or
snorkel the day away in the company of stingrays, nurse sharks, grouper and technicolour
tropical fish, before kicking back on deck with a local Belikin beer, as the sun sets on
another perfect, adventurous Belizean day.
Adapted from Lonely Planet Travel
Imagine you are the author and you are being interviewed by a reporter.
Your interviewer asks the following questions.
 Tell us about the innumerable adventure opportunities in Belize.

 Could you please tell us about 2 things which you liked the most there?
 What kinds of travellers may find Belize attractive? Why?
Here is a model answer

 Tell us about the innumerable adventure opportunities in Belize.
Being in Belize is like sitting in the lap of adventure. Opportunities are plenty for tourists
who have a flair for taking up challenges. Mountains, forests and caves form the
adventurous kaleidoscope of natural Belize. Horse riding is one of the activities which can
attract those sturdy and strong men at Mountain Equestrian Trails. The Mayan city of
Caracol evokes the budding Indiana Jones. Somewhere deeper underground lay ancient
caves with their stalactite-adorned darkness ready to explored. Imagine getting interior
with just a torch flash! Scuba and snorkelling are also common here. The dense forests
with cataracts can attract people who seek thrill in the lap of nature. Great Blue Hole is a
sinkhole where you can go diving in the company of stingrays, sharks and innumerable
other fish.
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 Could you please tell us about 2 things which you liked the most there?
The Barton Creek river experience is something unforgettable. It not only offers the
challenge of adventure but keeps you in suspense until you reach your destiny. The whole
journey is filled with mystery. There is a kind of discovery related to it as the Mayans’ belief
that it is the door to the underworld. God of Death, as they called Ah Puch creates a sense
of phantasmagoria in your mind. It becomes even more frightening when we learn that
bodies had been recovered in this area. We rewind our thoughts to those ages of human
sacrifice. The sinkhole near Belize City is another place I cherish (also fear). Scuba diving
and snorkelling are common but diving into the chasm of a sinkhole is a different game
altogether. Added to it are the formidable swimming rivals in the depth – sharks and
stingrays. You feel proud once you come out of those mysterious depths and have a sight
of the blue sky above.
 What kinds of travellers may find Belize attractive? Why?
Belize is made for the adventure-savvy. It’s terrains and the features of the landscape
invite you to explore it in many ways. These are areas where you may not reach in the
comfort of a luxury coach. You need to get out of it, walk, trek, trudge (sometimes even
barefoot), swim, dive. It is nature unspoilt and so we have to adopt natural ways to enjoy
its beauty. At the same time, Belize does not disappoint historians. There are plenty of
places as I mentioned before to be learnt in details. It once used to be the cradle of Mayan
culture. What better way to learn about them than by being in the very places where the
members of the ancient civilization did their rituals and sacrifices? Belize can also be
enjoyed by nature lovers who would just like to enjoy a bus journey or caravan to spot
several species of birds and other flora and fauna.
Tips:
1. Do not repeat the points in the same style and words of the passage.
At the same time you need to stick to information received from the
text.
2. No additional question(s) should be written. All three questions can
be provided extensive answers.
3. Pick up vocabulary to express ideas from the passage in a different
way.
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Try this now!
Past Paper: Interview

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FORMAL LETTER WRITING
Differences between business/formal and friendly letters
 Informal letters contain:
-Informal greetings and endings
Dear Sue,/Hi there!

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Yours/Cheers/Love
-Idioms, phrasal verbs, colloquial English

-Omission of pronouns
-Abbreviated forms
 Formal letters contain:
-Formal greetings and endings
Dear Sir/ Sirs/ Madam, Dear Mr Jones,

Yours faithfully Yours sincerely
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-Non-colloquial English
-Frequent use of the Passive
-No abbreviated forms
-The sender’s and the recipient’s address
Transactional letters are letters responding to a particular situation, which is presented by means
of written prompts (letters, leaflets, advertisements, news reports, etc) and/or visual prompts
(diagrams, maps, etc). They may be formal, semi-formal or informal depending on who you are
writing to.
 All the relevant information given in the rubric and prompts must be included in
your letter.
 You should use your own words as much as possible
a. Letters of Complaint
-Typical problems: faulty merchandise/rude staff/inaccurate information

-Common request: refund/compensation
-Useful Language: I am writing to complain about…
I am writing to express my extreme dissatisfaction with…
I regret to inform you how appalled I was…
I hope/trust this matter will be dealt with as soon as possible
I am entitled to compensation/a refund/ a replacement
Unless this matter is resolved…, I will have no choice but to
take legal action
b. Letters of Apology
-Require a dignified and polite tone

-Useful Language: I am writing to apologise for…
Please accept our sincere apologies for (the unavoidable
delay, etc)
As regards…, /As far as … is concerned,…
c. Letters of Request
-Written to ask for permission, help, information, advice, etc.

-May also provide information, explain a situation, make suggestions, etc.
-Useful Language: I am writing to ask if you would be so kind as to…
I wonder if you could possibly…
I am writing to request your permission (for me) to…
I wonder if I might request your valuable advice concerning
I must apologise for troubling you with this matter
I hope that you will forgive me for taking your valuable time
I look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible
d. Letters giving information
-Useful Language: I am writing to let you know that…

I am writing with reference to your letter of (February 10)
I regret to inform you …
I am delighted to inform you…
I am writing in response to your letter requesting information
about…
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I am writing in reply to your enquiry about…
I am writing (to you) on behalf of…
I hope that this information will be of some assistance
I would be pleased to provide you with any additional
information
Please do not hesitate to contact me should you require
further information
TASK 1: Directed Writing

This article is written by a young man looking back on his own school life. In it he explains how he
has mixed feelings about friends, classes and teachers.
Memorable moments of school life
Just like the hapless man who watched his in-law drive over a cliff in his brand new car, I was
tormented by ambivalent feelings on my last day in school.
While I was happy to find myself on the threshold of a new life, with countless opportunities
waiting en the horizon (so I then thought), I was at the same time rather sad to part company with
friends and foes of so many years.
It does not require an elephant’s memory for a person to remember the highlights in his school
life. So, disregarding chronology, I shall describe some memorable moments in my 13 years of school
life.
I was in Form One when I first heard the term ‘free period’. This meant that there was a cessation
of knowledge acquisition and we were required to indulge in an ostensible self-recapitulation. For
instance, we were asked to go through what we were taught about parallelograms, rhombuses and
triangles the previous week. Some of us smarter ones figured that the teacher was not in a proper
frame of mind to teach.
I can remember those exciting football matches which we played when the term exams were over.
There was one match that was particularly exciting for me: it ended in a 1-1 draw — and 1 scored
both the goals.
And there was the usual exam fever which made its presence felt, both in school and at home. My
nervous disposition on one occasion caused me to break a few dishes in our dining room. It didn’t take
a sledgehammer blow over the head for my mother to realise that I wasn’t sufficiently prepared for the
big test.
A classmate once confessed to me: ‘I like to look cool to impress the invigilators, although my
feelings belie my outward expression.’ And one kind teacher told the class: ‘Stay calm, or you’d have
fear written on your face, and rubbish o your answer sheets.’
Whenever I did badly in a subject paper and my friends asked me the reason for my peer
performance, I always told them that I was an animal lover: I did not put up my hand to request for
more blank answer sheets because I couldn’t find it in my heart to give an unnecessary fright to those
poor lizards on the ceiling of the exam hall. This extraordinary explanation never failed to put the
matter at rest.
One of my favourite subjects was chemistry. I especially liked studying about gases such as
hydrogen and helium. These may be light gases, but I did not treat the study of them lightly.
Where biology was concerned, my favourite topics were those that dealt with organisms like the
amoeba. I enjoyed drawing an amoeba: I would first darken a spot to represent the nucleus and then
make innumerable dots around it so that the whole thing resembled some measly mass. The interest
thing about an amoeba is that it by dividing.
I was a failure at physics. It had never been my forte. Come to think of it, I did not even know
where the strongest point of such and such a thing was.
My attitude towards most of the other subjects was perfunctory, but 1 did have a special liking for
English Literature.
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One of our literature texts for Form Five was Great Expectations. I enjoyed seeing the movie
version of this Dickens work more than reading the book, and was enormously impressed by the
performance of John Mills in the black-and-white film.
My father had great expectation where I was concerned, and took a great interest in my academic
progress. Without fail, he would ask for my report card every fortnight. He was not impressed by my
performance, and sometimes just couldn’t believe what he saw. I didn’t have the heart to tell him: ‘I
don’t get the highest marks in my class. Do you get the highest salary at your office?’
Still, I was not such a bad student. There was one pint-sized boy — with the potential to make
Dennis the Menace look like a Cub Scout — who wanted to drop out of school: the only thing he ever
took up in school was space.
A story went around the school for some three weeks that the headmaster said to him: ‘It’s very
generous of you, but I don’t think your leaving would solve the population crisis in the school,’
I didn’t believe the headmaster said that: there were many rumour-mongers in my school.
One of the most memorable events was the revenge I inflicted on a teacher. When I was in
Standard Six, I fought with the teacher’s blue-eyed boy and made him cry. The vindictive teacher
made me write, ‘I am a naughty boy’ 500 times.
After I had executed the Herculean task, she screwed the papers up into a furious ball and — with
a gleam of satisfaction in her eyes — tossed it into the wastebasket.
But, ha ha ha, I got even with her when I reached home. In the quiet of my room I said ‘Teacher is
a naughty woman’ 500 times.
This cathartic chore left me in a curious state of euphoria and thirst.
OH TEIK THEAM
LETTER WRITING
Imagine you are the principal of the school Oh Teik Theam attends. Write a letter to his parents
where you comment on their son’s performance and behaviour and ask for a meeting.
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TASK 2: LETTER WRITING- Paper 2

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TASK: WRITING A LEAFLET
Write a leaflet for the charity Crisis, asking for help for the homeless over Christmas.
You are hoping for donations or practical help. The leaflet is to be delivered to people’s
homes. Use the information in the article as a basis for your writing.
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LEAFLET- WRITING HELP
When you are writing a leaflet, you must remember those leaflets in doctors’ waiting
rooms, travel agencies, railway and bus stations, and so on. You will find that they have a
clear lay-out, so that your eye is taken straight to the important information. They are also
written in simple, straightforward language, so that the information is easy to understand.
Writing Help
1. Remember that this is a leaflet, not a composition.
2. Use headlines in CAPITAL LETTERS.
3. Use sub-headings, either in capitals or underlined. Include bullet points.
4. Use question-marks (? or even ???), exclamation marks (! or if necessary !!!) to

emphasise the points you are making.
5. Use numbers, (brackets) — and dashes, if appropriate.
6. Keep the paragraphs fairly short.
7. It’s a good idea to use contractions and question tags, isn’t it?
8. You should address the reader directly — as you.
9. Consider the use of rhetorical questions (i.e. questions that you ask and then
answer).
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10. Consider carefully the order of your points. Start with something that attracts the
reader’s attention.
11. You may finish by saying: ‘For further guidance/information contact ….’
SAMPLE LEAFLET
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PERSUASIVE SPEECH- REVISION

TASK 1:
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WRITING A SPEECH- WRITING HELP
Step 1: Preparing Your Speech

The contents of your speech, and how you deliver it, are based on three important factors:
The Occasion: The occasion will dictate not only the content of your speech, but also the
duration, the tone, and the expectations of your audience.
The Audience: your speech must always be targeted at your audience. Is the audience familiar
or unfamiliar with your topic?
The Purpose of Your Speech: set out a few clear goals before you start writing your speech
Therefore, before you begin, think about: V.A.R.P:
 Voice: Who is delivering the speech?

 Audience: age, gender, social background, etc
 Register: formal-semi-formal- informal
 Purpose
Step 2: Writing Your Speech

Most good writing must have structure. A good speech provides a beginning, middle, and end to
your topic.
1. The Opening: The first 30 seconds of your speech are probably the most important. In that
period of time you must grab the attention of the audience, and engage their interest in what
you have to say in your speech. This can be achieved in several ways. For example raise a
thought-provoking question, make an interesting or controversial statement, recite a relevant
quotation or even a joke.
2. The Body of your speech will always be the largest part of your speech. Formulate a series
of points that you would like to raise. The points should be organized so that related points follow
one another so that each point builds upon the previous one. This will also give your speech a
more logical progression, and make the job of the listener a far easier one. Don't try to
overwhelm your audience with countless points. It is better to have fewer points that you
make well than to have too many points.
3. The Closing: the Closing of your speech must contain some of your strongest material. The
ending of a speech is your last opportunity to get your audience on your side.
o Summarize the main points of your speech
o Provide some further food for thought for your listeners
o Be direct with your audience. Give them orders using the imperative form of the verb-for
example: ‘Join with me in…’, and ‘Do not listen to those who say..’
o Finish with a clear reminder of the issue you are campaigning for: ‘Students everywhere
must unite to demand longer holidays’
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USEFUL DEVICES:
 Rhetorical devices
 Emotive language
 Semantic choices: vocabulary & imagery
 Structural techniques: patterning (patters of three), repetition, lists, questions, opposites
 Phonological features: alliteration and assonance, consonance, rhyme, intonation and
stress, volume and speed.
SAMPLE TEXT -SPEECH
Dr Martin Luther King Jr addresses a crowd of 200,000 in Washington DC in 1963
… I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of slaves and the sons of
former slaveowners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream
that one day even the state of Mississippi, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be
transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a Nation where they will not be
judged by the colour of their skins, but by their conduct and their character.
I have a dream that one day in Alabama, little black boys and little black girls will be able to join
hands with little white boys and little white girls as brothers and sisters.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made
low, the rough places will be made plane, the crooked places will be made straight.
This is our hope. This is our faith that I go back to the south with. With this faith, we will be able
to hew out the mountains of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform
the jangling discord of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will
be able to work together; to go to jail together; to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we
will be free some day. …
Complete the chart below. Re read the Obama’s Speech to find an example to match each of the
rhetorical devices listed.
FEATURE EXAMPLE EFFECT ON THE

AUDIENCE
Asking a rhetorical question
Patterns of three
Opposites
Repetition
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Exaggeration=hyperbole/metaphors/
similes/ figurative language
Using pronouns “we” and “us”
Appealing directly to the reader
Using language emotively to appeal

to your readers’ feelings
Short sentence to sum up final

message
WRITING A FORMAL REPORT- REVISION
TASK 1: DIRECTED WRITING- FORMAL REPORT

Feddi’s work experience
Feddi has just completed a week at Elswith Insurance, a busy company with an office in the main
street of his town. The point of this unpaid 'work experience' is to give students some idea of the
skills and the conditions of the world of work. Many customers visit the office each day to insure
their cars and their homes, and their records are kept on the computer and in paper files.
Feddi's supervisor at the office has kept a diary in order to write a report on Feddi's progress
during the week. Read the diary, which is printed below.
Monday
Feddi arrived five minutes late. Said traffic was bad. Appeared keen when shown round office. Asked
intelligent questions and grasped procedures well. Spent day with Isobel watching and listening. Did some
filing efficiently.
Tuesday
He arrived five minutes early, but was obviously hurried and took time before he was ready for work. Used
computer and discovered shortcut that will save us a lot of money. Commended for this. Very able -
perhaps too able for the sort of work we do. Isobel concerned at appropriateness of his dress for working
with customers - she hopes to let him work at the counter tomorrow.
Wednesday
Feddi was ten minutes late. ‘Overslept’. Talked to him firmly about his standard of dress. He didn't seem to
understand why this was important; quite aggressive. Work with customers put off until tomorrow. Spent
day tidying files.
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Made some errors through lack of care and patience. Isobel reported that he was grumpy and bored with
mundane work.
Thursday
On time and apologised voluntarily to Isobel. Neat and tidy. Was allowed to welcome and deal with some
customers. Showed excellent grasp of procedures and some details. A lot learnt in three days! Style with
customers friendly, smiling and good for business, though rather too familiar with some. Quick to
understand what they wanted and spoke clearly.
Friday
Very late: quarrel with girlfriend upset him. Hardly our concern. I explained need for high standards at all
times. Worked for rest of day without commitment. A pity. However at the end-of-week de-briefing he was
well-mannered and grateful and admitted he had learned a lot.
You are Feddi's supervisor. Write a formal report on his work experience. Although it is
addressed to his teacher, vou know that Feddi will be given a copy.
In your report
 assess Feddi's value as a potential employee
 explain the good points that Feddi could develop
 show how Feddi could overcome his weaknesses.
Write about 1 - 2 sides, allowing for the size of your handwriting.

Up to 10 marks are available for the content of your answer, up to 15 marks for the quality of your
writing. [25]
FORMAL REPORT- WRITING HELP

An informative report is a formal piece of writing, usually to one’s superiors, colleagues or
members of a committee, the style must reflect this. It presents information concerning the
progress which has been made on a project, a meeting that has taken place or decisions which
have been made concerning future action. It can also assess the good and bad points of an event,
a project, a candidate.
LAY- OUT
To: __________________
From: __________________
Subject: __________________
Date: ___________________
 Introduction: Paragraph 1
State the purpose and content of your report. Give some indication of what you are reporting on
and what the circumstances are.
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 Main Body: Paragraphs 2-3-4 (the exact number and division of paragraphs will depend on
the specific instructions for each report task)
Present each aspect of the subject under suitable subheadings. Reports of an event, such as a
school trip, have a chronological structure; others look in turn at several aspects of a proposition
or several candidates for a job or award.
 Conclusion: Final Paragraph
General evaluation /summary of points. E.g. ‘Although there have been many school trips over
the last few years, it was unanimously agreed that this was the best because of the attractiveness
of the destination and the remarkable team spirit amongst the group.’
USEFUL LANGUAGE
To begin reports:
 The purpose/aim/intention of this report is to outline/present/ discuss the meeting held

on…/ the progress of …./ the decision of the ….
 This report contains the information/details of /concerning ….which you requested…
 The information below summarizes the events which took place….
To end reports:
 On the whole, it would be fair to conclude that…

 To conclude, the current state of affairs is that…
TIPS TO CONSIDER BEFORE WRITING A REPORT
o Report should be written in a FORMAL style: complex sentences (e.g. Having spoken to the
employee in person, it is convenient to …), non-colloquial English, frequent use of the
passive, advanced vocabulary and linking words.
o DO NOT use phrasal verbs, idioms and short forms.
o Before you write your report is being written by and who the report is addressed to.
SAMPLE TEXT
You have been asked to visit a place with a view to using it for receptions, and to write a report
about it. Read the model report and answer the following questions:
a) What information is given about the location, services and security?
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b) Is Oakley Hall recommended or not?
c) What tenses have been used?
d) Finally, list the good and bad points in the table below.
GOOD POINTS BAD POINTS
USEFUL LANGUAGE: LINKING WORDS
Join the sentences with appropriate linking words.
1 The amusement park has several exciting rides which are included in the entrance fee. Some are not
suitable for young children or the elderly.
2 There is a wide variety of shops in the airport terminal. They tend to charge extremely high prices.
3 The food served at the restaurant healthy and reasonably priced. It can taste rather bland at times.
4 Classes at the language school are small and well taught. Many students feel that they are not given
enough individual attention.
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MAGAZINE ARTICLE-REVISION
An article is a piece of deliberately structured writing for publication ... which aims to inform, comment,
persuade or entertain. It might aim to inspire or to stimulate the reader to think, or to provoke to action. An
article often includes the author’s point of view, and sometimes develops an argument.
AN ARTICLE- WRITING HELP
1. Read the article. Match these

headings with the paragraphs
(A-E). Space: The Big Frontier
 Life on Mars 'What's beyond that hill?' 'What's on the other side of that river?'
 The Space Race Curiosity and the desire to explore have been with us since our
 The Last Frontier ancestors left Africa (1) to spread out over the world. By the
 Globetrotters beginning of the 21st century, virtually all of Planet Earth has been
 Into Deep Space visited, photographed, described, mapped. We have left our mark
(and our rubbish) in the four corners of the globe. Now only one
2. Find sentences in the text that frontier remains to explore : space.
mean the same as these
colloquial sentences. The age of space exploration began in 1957, when Sputnik 1 was
Paragraph letters are in launched by the Soviet Union. The first successful manned flight took
brackets. place in 1961, when Yuri Gagarin was shot into space. This triggered
the 'space race' between the USA and the USSR, culminating in the
1 )The space age kicked off when moon landing in 1969. After this, there was something of an
they sent up Sputnik 1. (B) anticlimax and the number of manned missions dropped off, largely
(2) due to the end of the space race. Nevertheless, space probes like
2) But they carried on sending out Pioneer and Voyager continued to be sent out (3) in order to explore
robot ships to have a look round. the neighboring planets such as Mars and Venus. The American
(B) shuttle and the Russian Mir Space Station were also ground-
breaking, (4) as they developed the practicalities of space travel.
3) Space exploration is in again
because of that new telescope. Recently, there has been another burst of interest in space (5) as a
(C) result of the Hubble Telescope. lt was launched in 1990 (6) so that
astronomers could observe space without interference from the
4) U's so good that it's found Earth's atmosphere. The Hubble has provided views of such
loads of new planets. (C) phenomena as distant galaxies, dying stars and black holes. (7)
5) They're going to launch robot Because of its precision, over fifty new planets have been located
ships to find places like Earth. (D) beyond our solar system. Other exciting developments have been
the Prospector and Pathfinder probes (8) for exploring our solar
3. Classify the linking words system, looking for water on the Moon and primitive life on Mars.
underlined in the text
a) reason (explains the cause of The International Space Station is now being built in the Earth's orbit
an action and soon will be working as a permanently manned scientific base,
b) purpose (shows the aim of an (9) so as to research life in space and provide a stepping stone (10)
action) in case future manned missions are sent out. Further space probes,
such as Deep Space, will be sent out (11) in order that they might
detect small Earth-like planets where there might be life. A
permanent base will probably be established on the Moon in the next
twenty years and a manned mission to Mars might take place some
time after. Later in the century, some scientists believe we may
develop the technology (12) so as to be able to begin interstellar
exploration, starting with our nearest star, Proxima Centauri, four
light years away.
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Space exploration is still in its possibilities are incredible. While humankind's innate curiosity
infancy and is restricted by many remains, we will keep exploring. The sky is no longer the limit.
technical problems but the
LAY-OUT
EYE CATCHING HEADLINE
Paragraph 1: Introduction
Introduce the topic. Say why it is important or interesting.
Since earliest times, people have always enjoyed dancing.

Dancing has formed an important part of social and religious events.
Paragraph 2: Background or history

Provide some background about when it started and major developments up to
now. What has led to the events today?
The folk dances of the middle ages developed into classical ballet in the
eighteenth century.
Paragraph 3: Now
Say what is happening at the moment? The article is likely to return to the
present-day situation at this point, discussing and giving different viewpoints of
the person or event, with details and examples and quotations. Though the
writer’s own viewpoint may be inferred, alternative views must be given equal
weight and other voices heard.
Paragraph 4: The future

Say how things will develop in the future.
In my opinion, there will be a return to more traditional ballet.

The suggestion that one day robots will dance is ridiculous.
They could never ...
Paragraph 5: Conclusion
Summarise the main points and say again why you think your subject will
continue to be important.
To sum up, ballet has its roots in ...

As long as people feel the need to dance, there will be a place for ballet.
Useful Vocabulary
Writing about origins:

Since earliest times, ... / Ballet has its roots back in ... / The age of ballet began in ... /
The history of ballet goes back to ... / The first performance of modern ballet took place
in ... / Over ... years ago,
Writing about the present:

Recent/y, there has been renewed interest in ... / Recent developments in the field
include ... / Other exciting developments have been ... / One of the most ground-
breaking ... / State of the art technology has been used ... / Cutting edge techniques
have been introduced ...
Writing about the future:

The outlook is bright. / The outlook is gloomy. / The future looks rosy. / The future looks
grim. / Who knows what will happen in the future, but ... / Many experts predict that ... /
Some forecasts predict ... / The field of ... has enormous potential / The sky's the limit
TIPS to keep in mind before writing an article!
 Unlike a news report, which is informative, a magazine article

comments on a topical situation and is discursive or
argumentative.
 Paragraphs are longer in an article than in a report and the
facts are expressed in a less condensed way. E.g. in a news
report you might say 36-year-old ex-schoolteacher and mother
of two, Margaret Smith, says… whereas in an article, it might
be Margaret Smith, who is in her mid-thirties, has two
children, and used to be a teacher in a junior school,
believes that..
 Before hand, decide on what the purpose of the writing is (e.g. to
describe, to inform, to advise, etc) and who the intended readers
are (e.g. general public, fellow students, colleagues) these factors
will determine the style and language.
SAMPLE MAGAZINE ARTICLE
Here you have got another model article. Read it and pay close attention to its
structure and to the circled areas. What is the writer trying to do in those parts? How
are these parts important to the structure?
SAMPLE: PERSUASIVE MAGAZINE ARTICLE
Some articles are more persuasive than others. Have a look at this example below and
compare it with the one you read before. Mark on the text those differences that you notice.
EXAM TIP!
Persuasive writing is intended to convince someone to do something which is for their benefit or
that of the writer. To be effective it must be focused clearly on the purpose, on the audience being
targeted, and on the choice of vocabulary to evoke the required emotional response (e.g. guilt,
sympathy, fear). Be firm but polite to be persuasive, extreme language can defeat your objective.
TASK 1- WRITING A MAGAZINE ARTICLE
With the passing of time we all have changing expectations of ourselves and of other people. Spend
some time with this amusing article by Jonathan Miller in which he writes about his children, in
particular his teenage daughter. You will notice that at times he writes with heavy irony, using, you
might think, rather pompous language, for instance ‘or take upon herself the exhausting imposition of
transporting an empty crisp packet to a bin’. Probably a large number of you will find yourselves
identified with this teenager.
Heaven preserve the family from teenage girls
D
ID anyone notice that last year was, courtesy of the United Nations, the Year of the Family? One clue might
have been that every newspaper writer to have had a baby promptly regaled the rest of us with a string of
articles about baby’s first nappy change, the difficulty of reconciling the interior decorating scheme with
baby’s first high chair and the angst of hiring baby’s first nanny.
Babies are, in fact, fundamentally uninteresting except to their swooning parents. Today’s
teenagers, on the other hand, turn out to be extremely interesting, as there is no precedent for them.
I am at present the keeper of one fully fledged teenager, a 1981 model, who celebrates her l4th
birthday later this month. In September I shall add a male teenager to my collection. He is only 12 but
already showing many symptoms.
As my teenager is abroad on the school ski trip
today and has in any case pronounced this column ‘boring’, it is safe to share a few observations, which,
having consulted other parents of similarly aged daughters, I believe to be not untypical.
The modern female teenager is a vegetarian. This diet does not actually encompass the
consumption of many vegetables, merely the refusal to eat meat. Neither, in any conventional sense, are
meals taken. Feeding behaviour is instead akin to that of a ruminant, with more or less continual grazing on
sweets, Coca- Cola and chips, with an occasional McDonald’s filet-o-fish.
She is extremely clean. Baths and showers are taken at least twice daily. These are not quick dunk-
and-scrub affairs, but pro longed aquatic manoeuvres, involving the employment of vast quantities of hot
water spiced with overpriced unguents, lotions and potions. It does not matter how many of these are held
in stock in the bathroom — more are always required.
Despite this obsession with bodily hygiene, her bedroom is a nesting ground for vermin of all types,
as clothes, shoes, sheet music, incomplete homework, empty bottles of Body Shop preparations and copies
of Just Seventeen magazine are piled into tumuli on the floor.
Susceptibility to squalor is perhaps not unique to this generation of adolescents; what is novel is the
sheer qua of material possessions with which they are capable of demonstrating their indifference to
conventional standards of domestic order.
Notwithstanding her technical facility with satellite receiver, video recorder and computer
equipment of all types, she has yet to work out the basic operation of the washing machine or vacuum
cleaner.
She has achieved a sophisticated understanding of finance, knowing that money does not grow on
trees, but comes through a hole in the wall, accessed by means of her father’s cash card. Although she has
hundreds and hundreds of pounds a year passing through her bank account, receiving a lavish monthly
allowance, with cash top-ups from grandparents at birthdays and at Christmas, she expects that all
significant costs will be met by her parents.
She is fit for postgraduate employment in the civil service, having maintained an obsessional
secrecy over all information concerning her social life.
She is embarrassed to be seen in public with her parents, who are, variously, ‘sad’ and ‘tragic’.
Although not so sad and tragic as to be above delivering, on her l7th birthday, a white
Volkswagen Beetle convertible (she hopes).
Despite the vast sums that are expended and the bulging closet of garments available, her clothing
is always inappropriate to the season; she will happily go out in the middle of winter wearing only a T-shirt.
When she is not being completely charming — a transient condition invariably related to her need
to be driven to a distant shopping precinct to resupply herself with unguents or compact discs she employs
to her parents and sibling manner of address interspersed with frequent contemptuous groans and grunts.
These sound effects are triggered whenever a suggestion is made that she might tidy her bedroom, or lake
upon herself the exhausting imposition of transporting an empty crisp packet to the bin.
You might ask why I continue to finance this creature, and the answer, of course, is that in
approximately 10 or 15 years she will, I trust, provide me with the material to write a column on the joys of
2lst century grandparenting, allowing me in my dotage to coo at children who go home after tea.
JONATHAN MILLER
ORAL QUESTIONS
1. Paragraph one mentions three problems parents have to face when a baby arrives at the family.
Explain in your own words.
2. Explain what the writer means when he says ‘ Babies are, in fact, fundamentally uninteresting
except to their swooning parents.’
3. Why does Jonathan Miller feel ‘free’ to write this article. Give two reasons.
SUMMARY WRITING (CORE)

By using details from the whole passage, write a summary of what you have learnt about the
behaviour of a typical modern female teenager.
WRITING
Write an article in response to Jonathan Miller’s. In your article you should examine adults /
parents’ behaviour from a teenager’s point of view. You should use a similar style to the one used
in Miller’s article.
TASK 2: MAGAZINE ARTICLE/REVISION
SCRIPT/DIALOGUE/CONVERSATION- REVISION
If you are asked to write a dialogue or conversation, you are likely to be given a clear indication of how to set it out.
You will almost certainly be instructed to set it out as a play script with the names of the speakers on the left-hand
side of the page and the word they speak on the right. If you want to give a ‘direction’ about how the person
speaks, put it very briefly in brackets after his/her name.
TASK: SCRIPT
Imagine that you are working in a research laboratory investigating the harmful effects of noise. You have some
neighbours who are worried that their children enjoy playing music very loudly. They come to you for advice.
Write between 25 and 35 lines of your conversation.

Up to 10 marks are available for the content of your answer, up to 15 marks for the quality of your writing. [25]
WRITING HELP
DIRECT SPEECH
Look at the use of direct speech in the PLAY SCRIPTS
epilogue(end piece) of Bernard Ashley's novel, If the epilogue to Janey (see opposite) were to
Janey. be written as a play script for actors, it could be
set out like this:
She bumped into Mary on her way home,
rushing all important in her blazer for a (A row of suburban houses. As MAY rushes
seventy-five bus. “How’s it goin’, Mare?” she importantly for a no. 75 bus, her friend
asked. JANEY bumps into her.)
“All right, Janey. Got me gold! It’s bein’
engraved. How you going yourself?” JANEY: How’s it goin’. Mare?
“Mustn’t grumble. Worse troubles at sea.”
She saw the old smile in Mary’s eyes, MARY: Al! right, Janey. Got me gold. It's bein'
the mates they’d used to be. engraved. How you going yourself?
“Here, Mare, couldn’t lend us two tens
till tomorrow, could you?” It was on the spur JANEY: Mustn't grumble. Worse troubles at
of the moment, but somehow thought out all sea. (JANEY notices MARY'S friendly
the same. expression. Then, quickly but deliberately.)
“I dunno,” Mary frowned, made a Here, Mare, couldn't lend us two tens until
show of feeling in her pockets. Then she tomorrow, could you?
suddenly proved the smile had been genuine.
“Here y’ave Janey, till tomorrow…” But she MARY: (at first frowns and makes a show of
didn’t hand the coins over till Janey had told feeling in her pocket, then suddenly proves the
her some more. “You ain’t robbin’ a bank smile is genuine.) Here y'are, Janey, till
tonight, then? That makes a change, don’t it?” tomorrow. ..
“Yeah – given it up!” Janey said, (MARY still doesn’t hand over the coins as if
straight. “Ringing the police instead. waiting for JANEY to tell her some more.)
“Stroll on!” Mary laughed, no neared You ain’t robbing a bank tonight, then?
to understanding the girl. That makes a change, don't it?
She ran off to her gymnastics: while
Janey went on where she’d just left off, JANEY: (straight.) Yeah - given it up!
forgetting he bruises for the leaps and springs Ringing the police instead.
of her mind,, away up the street towards the
twin telephone boxes, the pair that were never MARY: (laughing but looking perplexed.)
Stroll on!
out of order. She didn’t know what food it
(MARY runs off to her gymnastics:
would do, or even if anyone would listen to
while JANEY carries on as she left off, walking
some kid’s voice putting the finger on the
with determination towards twin telephone
Catholic Club job. But of one thing she was
certain: from now on Janey Pearce wasn’t boxes.)
going to be fighting her battles on her own.
1. Print in CAPITAL LETTERS: the names of
1. Use double "___" or single '____' inverted speakers and of any characters named in
commas around each speaker's words. the stage directions.
2. If you put she said, (or similar), before the
speech, put a comma before the inverted 2. Set out the names of speakers directly
commas: underneath each other.
She said, "All___" Then start the speech with a 3. Do not put quotation marks around
capital letter. speeches.
3. If you put she said in the middle of a speech, 4. Leave a blank line between each new
follow these words with a comma or a ful1stop:
“All___,” she said, “you___ .”
speaker.
“All ___,” she said. “You___ .” 5. Setting descriptions appear at the
Use a small letter after she said, and a capital beginning of each scene and describe
letter after she said. location, time and mood.
4. Every time there is a new speaker, start a new Put these in brackets.
line/paragraph. 6. Stage directions describe actions and
behaviour, such as entrances and exits,
body language and style of speech. Put
these in brackets. Setting and stage
directions are usually printed in italic type.
WRITING A DIARY ENTRY- REVISION
We are going to explore the relationships between young and old. Sometimes there is a conflict
between generations; perhaps more often there is understanding and mutual caring. When a
situation is looked at from a child’s point of view, we sometimes see fascinating, even baffling
attitudes shown — baffling for adults that is!
In the short story The Man by the Fountain the different ways in which an old man and a little
boy think are very important.
The Man by the Fountain

As always, John Deweck sat by the fountain.
The spring sun loomed up out of the seething foam. The children honoured the memories
of
heroic admirals. Their galleons and cutters backed to and fro across the wide pond. Nursemaids
and grandmothers glanced anxiously at frocks and trousers. Over the wide world the fountain
sang, thrusting a quivering plume of’ water at the scudding clouds. Liquid patttered noisily
into bowls of marble.
John Deweck sat on his usual bench, speaking to no one. There were a few rules he
stubbornly clung to. People spoke so much ill of each other. He no longer listened lo their
chatter. He had eyes now only for students and soldiers, for young girls and children. Young
people fascinated his old carcass. He knew a great deal and had forgotten even more. He craved
for youth and approached death’s kingdom with reluctant steps.
One by one the frequenters of the fountain left the park. It was time for lunch. John smiled
without quite knowing why. Now that he was alone it seemed to him that he was the head park
keeper. It was Thursday. The day on which his wife always used to serve his veal-steak with a
delicious sour sauce and potatoes as round as marbles. She had been able to work miracles with
a potato. Since her death he had fallen into irregular eating habits. Three slices of bread and
jam in the morning. At midday, often not even a bite. Round about five, some lumpy porridge
with rusks and some fruit. Usually a sour apple. Sour apples, he believed, kept the mental
juices clean and preserved the understanding.
He sat now alone with the violence of the fountain.
Perhaps some little boy would turn up? He longed for a serious conversation. Eyes that
were still keen swept the avenue that led to the outskirts of the town. Far off in the distance, as
in a dream, the little boy came into view. The youngster came tearing up to him, flopped down
on the bench and gazed spellbound at the rippling surface of the pond and at the dragons letting
the water flow over their green breasts.
‘Hello, young man,’ said John Deweck solemnly.
The child stared at him but said nothing.
‘Isn’t it your dinner time?’
‘I’m not hungry,’ said the boy. ‘I eat once a day. Raw buffalo-meat, as I roam the prairie on
my bronco
‘Well, now,’ said John Deweck, ‘Well now... who might you be then?’
The boy looked up at him full of pride.
‘I am the last of the Mohicans. I lost my friend - the paleface. He was caught in an ambush.
But I scented danger. Now I wander alone through the wood and valley...’
‘Where are your feathers?’ asked old John sternly.
The child gazed at him with lively interest. Tiny flames flickered in the golden eyes. He
flushed with excitement.
‘I don’t wear feathers in enemy country,’ he said in a whisper. ‘But still, I’m on the
warpath. I’ve no warpaint on but I’ve dug up the hatchet. I am the last of my tribe. Are you my
friend or foe?’
‘What a thing to ask! My name is John. I have always been the foe of the buffaloes and the
friend of the Indians. I made a block-pact with Winnetou. Now I am too old for the hunt.
Against whom have you dug up the hatchet?’
‘Against the tribe of grown-ups,’ answered the boy. ‘They threaten my hunting-grounds
and my freedom. They don’t understand a thing. How can an Indian live in stuffy school-
buildings?’
‘Of course he can’t,’ said John. ‘Though a paleface myself, I’m all for freedom, toe. But
still, I think school is necessary....’
The youngster threw him a piercing look.
‘Perhaps you’re a spy,’ he said thoughtfully. ‘The enemy is cunning.’
John Deweck gave a high-pitched laugh.
‘Nonsense. Take a look around. We’re quite alone here. No, I’m not a member of the tribe
of grown-ups.’
‘How strange. So old, yet still a good Indian.’
The old man gave a loud sniff. He held his hand out to the young brave.
‘Peace,’ he said, ‘and many scalps.’
‘I’ll tell you my adventure,’ said the boy, ‘provided you can keep a secret.’
‘Even if I was bound to the torture-post I wouldn’t breathe a word.’
‘This morning I had to hunt for buffalo. As you know, the time has come. Besides, I’m
looking for a squaw for my new wigwam. I was creeping out of the kitchen when Dad caught
me by the hair. He walloped me for not being ready for school, I didn’t make a sound. Only
cunning could save me. Meekly I let myself be led to Hook Nose.’
‘Who is Hook Nose?’
‘The school chief,’ replied the boy. ‘He’s not strong but he’s terribly cunning. He laughed
like a wild horse and spoke of giving me lines. At ten o’clock, during break, I sneaked out at
the gate. I ran as fast as I could.... I don’t want to go home again. My homeland is the prairie.
Tonight I’m looking for a boat and tomorrow I’ll be sailing across the seas.’
John Deweck looked at the fountain. Impetuously as life itself it leapt up towards the light
of the boundless sky. Cherubs spattered with water, blew on their conches as if to warn of
impending danger.
A wrinkle creased the aged forehead.
‘It’s not going to be an easy plan,’ sighed John Deweck.
‘I must get a boat,’ said the boy stubbornly. ‘You’ve got to help me.’
Heavy clouds drifted towards the spring sun. The birds were silent in the pruned trees.
‘First come and eat in my wigwam,’ faltered John Deweck.
‘I’m lot hungry.’
‘You can’t refuse bread and salt....’
The boy thought this over.
‘Your mouth speaks the truth,’ he said. ‘I must set out on my long journey free from
hunger. But I shan’t eat meat.’
‘Bread and salt, O Warrior…’
The boy trotted at the old man’s side, looking neither left nor right. He thought of the wild
scents of the prairie. He had met an old buffalo hunter who gave him invaluable tips.
They stepped into the police station. The door closed behind them with a bang. The boy
looked about him and understood.
He sat down on a bench and freely volunteered information to a fat man with a ruddy
complexion. His head sank on his chest. He did not even glance at John Deweck.
The car arrived shortly afterwards. The father stepped out and thanked the old man. The
boy took his place in the car. Suddenly, he turned to the buffalo hunter.
‘You belong to the tribe of grown-ups,’ he said. ‘You have betrayed my confidence. I will
pay for it at the torture-post. I despise you.’
He spat on the ground.
‘What did he say?’ asked the father.
‘That you ought to make him happy,’ said John Deweck.
Father and son vanished in a cloud of dust.
‘The youth of today,’ grunted the inspector.
Slowly the old man paced through the streets of the little town.
He was never seen again at the fountain.
GEORGE
HEBBELINCK
READING - DISCUSSION
1. What were the children doing by the fountain? Explain in your own words.
2. Re-read from ‘Their galleons…’ to ‘… bowls of marble.’ Identify the following figures of
speech and explain in your own words:
a) a kinesthetic image
b) a visual image
c) an auditory image
d) a personification
3. Explain in your own words, John Deweck’s attitude towards:
a) adults
b) young people
c) life & death
4. How does the little boy feel about adults?
5. Explain, using your own words, what happened at home and at school.
6. Explain in your own words: ‘Tiny flames flickered in the golden eyes.’ What does the
writer imply about the little boy?
WORDS FOR EFFECT

7. Re-read from ‘The youngster came..’ to ‘..to the surface of the pond…’ Which words
does the writer use to convey the little boy’s mood? Explain their meaning and effect.
DIRECTED WRITING
In a piece of your own writing place yourself in the old man’s position. Imagine he keeps a
diary in which he writes about events and his personal feelings. Write his diary entry for the
day of the story. Remember his mood and feelings at the end of the story. This will affect your
choice of words in trying to capture the way in which the old man expresses himself.
Remember this man’s background!!!
DIARY ENTRY -WRITING HELP-REVISION
DIRECTED WRITING – DIARY ENTRIES – SAMPLE TEXTS
The diary entry below was written by a girl called Zlata in Sarajevo, former Yugoslavia, in
1992. She calls her diary 'Mimmy'.
Read it and mark on the text the common characteristics of the style of writing used in diaries.
Diaries are obviously written in the first person – using I or We – but what can you say about
the following?
• tense
• tone
• type of language
• sentence length/type
• structure
This diary entry below sounds a bit narrative at times. How can this diary be improved?
Where would you include more of the writer’s feelings? How would you rephrase some
lines?
Dear Mimmy,
Today was truly, absolutely the worst day ever in Sarajevo. The shooting started around noon.
Mummy and I moved into the hall. Daddy was in his office, under our flat, at the time. We told him on
the interphone to run quickly to the downstairs lobby where we’d meet him. We brought Cicko
[Zlata’s canary] with us. The gunfire was getting worse, and we couldn’t get over the wall to the
Bobars, se we ran down to our own cellar.
The cellar is ugly, dark, smelly. Mummy, who’s terrified of mice, had two fears to cope with. The
three of us were in the same corner as the other day. We listened to the pounding shells, the shooting,
the thundering noise overhead. We even heard planes. At one moment I realised that this awful cellar
was the only place that could save our lives. Suddenly, it started to look almost warm and nice. It was
the only way we could defend ourselves against all this terrible shooting. We heard glass shattering in
our street. Horrible. I put my fingers in my ears to block out the terrible sounds. I was worried about
Cicko. We had left him behind in the lobby. Would he catch cold there? Would something hit him? I
was terribly hungry and thirsty. We had left our half-cooked lunch in the kitchen.
When the shooting died down a bit, Daddy ran over to our flat and brought us back some sandwiches.
He said he could smell something burning and that the phones weren’t working. He brought our TV
set down to the cellar. That’s when we learnt that the main post office (near us) was on fire and that
they had kidnapped our president. At around 20.00 we went back up to our flat. Almost every window
in our street was broken. The place is knee-deep in glass. We’re worried about Grandma and
Granddad. Tomorrow, if we can go out, we’ll se how they are. A terrible day. This has been the worst,
most awful day in my eleven-year-old life. I hope it will be the only one.
Mummy and Daddy are very edgy. I have to go to bed.

Cia
Source: Adapted from Zlata's Diary: a child's life in Sarajevo, Viking, 1994
Scott's Diary
17th Jan: Great God! This is an awful place and terrible enough for us to have laboured to it without
the reward of priority. Well, it is something to have got here, and the wind may be our friend
tomorrow.
18th Jan: Well, we have turned our back now on the goal of our ambition with sore feelings and must
face 800 miles of solid dragging - and goodbye to the daydreams!
23rd Jan: I don't like the look of it. Is the weather breaking up? If so God help us, with the
tremendous summit journey and scant food.
18th Feb: Pray God we get better travelling as we are not so fit as we were and the season advances
apace.
5th Mar: God help us, we can't keep up this pulling, that is certain. Among ourselves we are
unendingly cheerful, but what each man feels in his heart 1 can only guess.
29th Mar: It seems a pity, but 1 do not think 1 can write more. R. Scott. For God's sake look after our
people.
Summarizing…
o Informal language (short forms – incomplete sentences) and exclamations
o Variety of tenses
EXTRA PRACTICE- NEWS REPORT
Write a newspaper report for the local paper in which you describe the little boy’s
disappearance. you should:
 Explain what happened

 Describe the role played by the school authorities, the police officers as well as that of
John Deweck
Base what you write on the passage you have read.

You should write between 1 ½ and 2 sides, allowing for the size of your handwriting. Up to 10 marks are
available for the content of your answer, and up to 15 marks for the quality of your writing.
PAPER 3- QUESTION 2- COMPOSITION
(ARGUMENTATIVE/DISCURSIVE-NARRATIVE- DESCRIPTIVE)
TASK 1
REVISION: SUMMARY WRITING AND DISCURSIVE COMPOSITION
Below is part of an article from the Geographical magazine about London and some of the problems
of this large city. It is quite a detailed article and you will have to read it carefully.
SUMMARY WRITING
In your own words carefully summarise the negative aspects of the city of London.
DISCURSIVE COMPOSITION
Waste incinerators project in London: a threat or a solution? Discuss all views shown in the
article.
Discursive essays
This type of writing discusses. It presents an argument in a more balanced way than
argumentative and persuasive writing and does not argue for or against a point
throughout the essay. Instead, it assesses and evaluates all arguments and all aspects of
the topic in turn. Therefore, these essays do not aim to persuade the reader that the
writer’s opinion is the only valid one, but to make him consider a current issue from
various angles.
Note: In this type of essay writing, you must not include opinion words (I believe, I think, etc.) in the
introduction or the main body. Opinion words can only be used in the final paragraph, where you may state
your opinion on the topic.
Points to consider
A discursive writing should have:
• The introduction merely presents the controversy, without indicating what conclusion the writer will
come to (in a very balanced way). This is a typical way of ending an introduction: "In order to come to a
considered conclusion about ..., we must take a number of factors into account".
• The essay is written in an objective, impersonal style, without the personal opinion of the writer
intruding. Passive use may be used in impersonal constructions, e.g. It is argued that…; It is a common
belief that…)
• Begin each paragraph with a topic sentence which summarizes what the paragraph is about which
should be followed by supporting sentences (examples, explanations, details)
• Do not use informal language (e.g. short forms, colloquial language, phrasal verbs)
• Use quotations identifying the source, e.g. Neil Armstrong once said, “One small step for a man,
one giant leap for mankind”
• In discursive compositions, you should end on the side you are arguing for, so structure your essay
so that you deal with the other side first.
• In the conclusion, the writer often comes to a BALANCED conclusion and gives his/her opinion
more or less tentatively (indirectly). Do not use strong language (e.g. I believe, I know, I am sure).
Conclusion expressing balanced considerations/opinion indirectly:
All things considered, clear/apparent/ evidence

To conclude, it is obvious/ from the points
To sum up, evident above arguments
On balance,
Taking everything into account, it can be said/claimed that…
In the light of this evidence, the obvious conclusion to be drawn is that..
You will be asked to discuss a topic, to discuss views or to discuss advantages and
disadvantages. There are different possible ways of approaching this type of writing. See
below the two suggested models.
Model 1
LAY-OUT
*Introduction
Paragraph 1
State topic (summary of the topic without giving your opinion)
*Main Body
Paragraph 2
Arguments for
Paragraph 3
Arguments against
*Conclusion
Final Paragraph
Balanced consideration / opinion (not so openly)
* If you feel that there are more arguments for than against a topic, give
them before the final paragraph to lead the reader to this conclusion.
TECHNIQUES FOR BEGINNINGS & ENDINGS
The first paragraph may:
 make reference to a strange scene or situation, e.g. Some scientists believe that in the future everyone
will be genetically perfect.
 address the reader directly, e.g. Are you aware of any characteristics which you may have inherited from
your parents? or ask a rhetorical question (question to which no answer is expected), e.g. Isn't it amazing
how some children look so much like their parents?
 start with a quotation, e.g. "Genetics holds the key to the future.”
The last paragraph may:
 state a personal opinion but not openly, e.g. In my opinion, I believe, In my view, it seems to me, The
way I see it, I think, etc.
 give the reader something to consider, e.g. Perhaps the world would be a safer and more efficient place
if everyone was genetically perfect
 end with a quotation, e.g. "Genetics holds the key to the future", or a rhetorical question, e.g. What will
they think of next?
Have a look at this sample text below

"Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of being your own boss."
Have you ever considered becoming your own boss? In recent years the number of
people choosing to start their own business has risen significantly. Many claim that this is
because more and more people are no longer content to work for someone else.
One of the main advantages of being self-employed is the fact that you are completely
self-reliant and can make decisions on your own. This can give you a great sense al freedom and
allows you to do exactly what you want without interference from anyone else. What is more, your
working day can be planned for your convenience, allowing you to work when you want rather
than when you have to. Finally, if your business is successful, people will know that you alone
should be given the credit.
However, there are disadvantages to being your own boss. Many sell-employed people
have said that to build a successful business, you have to be prepared to work long hours and
sacrifice your personal life. As B. C. Forbes once said, “lf you don’t drive your business, you will
be driven out of business.” Moreover, a 1996 government study found that over a quarter of the
businesses run by newly self-employed people failed within the first two years.
All things considered, it seems to me that self-employment can be a very gratifying
experience, although not one without difficulties. But when success is achieved, the greatest
reward of all is the knowledge that you have done it on your own.
Model 2
Introduction
Paragraph 1
State the topic.
Main Body
Paragraph 2
First viewpoint & opposing argument
Paragraph 3
Second viewpoint & opposing argument
Conclusion
Final paragraph
Summarise topic, making general comments, and / or giving your
opinion.
*the main body can consist of more than two paragraphs depending on
the number of viewpoints you want to talk about.
Depending on the topic you are asked to write about, you may choose to structure your
essay in this other way.
Model 2
“The Role of Marriage in Today's Society”

Discuss
If there is one thing that virtually all the world's various cultures have in common, it
is marriage. Beliefs, diet and languages vary greatly, but the desire people have to share
their lives with another seems universal. Why then, is marriage so popular?
Psychologists have said that people have a deep need for emotional security
which marriage provides. Knowing that one has a partner in life makes it easier to cope
with the problems of daily life. On the other hand, the fact that many single people are
content to live alone suggests that the "emotional need" theory is incomplete.
British novelist Fay Weldon once stated , "Marriage has nothing to do with emotion
and everything to do with property." According to the supporters of this view, people
marry in order to increase their wealth, either by marrying a rich partner or because, as
the saying goes, “two can live as cheaply as one.” It is true that financial considerations
are often the primary reason that people marry. Yet there are countless examples of
people “marrying for love” regardless of their mate's lack of money.
All in all, marriage continues to be extremely popular in many societies. Most of us
have a need for support and want to have children at some point in our lives. Fully
understanding the reasons why people marry, though, may be as difficult as
understanding the human mind itself.
The Discursive Clock
• When considering a topic you may refer to the discussion clock, which will help you think of ideas when
planning your essay.
• Referring to the discussion clock is a useful “brainstorming” technique, as it helps you examine a topic
from various viewpoints and decide on ideas/points to include in your essay.
• Keep in mind that a topic may not relate to all the aspects presented in the discussion clock.
• Remember that for each viewpoint you have thought of, there is usually an
opposing argument. Think of the opposing arguments when planning your essay.
LINKING WORDS & PHRASES
To introduce points: one major advantage /

disadvantage of, a further advantage, one point of view
in favour of/against
To list points: in the first place, first of all, to start

with, secondly, thirdly, finally, last but not least
To add more points to the same topic: what is

more, furthermore, also, in addition to this/that,
besides, apart from this/that, not to mention the
fact that
To make contrasting points: on the other hand, however, in spite of, while, nevertheless, despite, even
though, although, it can be argued that
To introduce examples: for example, for instance, like, especially, such as, in particular To conclude: to
sum up, all in all, all things considered, in conclusion, on the whole, taking everything into account, as was
previously stated.
ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING
 You have to commit yourself to a line of argument. You are either against or in favour.
 A strong argument includes refutation of the other point of view so counter-arguments

should be mentioned at the beginning to show that you are not being purely ignorant or
prejudiced in your response.
 If you are having difficulty finding enough points to support your stance you should
consider arguing the opposite view.
Sample argumentative (written by a former candidate)
Do you think that it is right for English, in all its forms, to become the most important world
language?
Position not? In my opinion, it is absolutely selfish to have to force anyone to

speak English. I do not think that English should become the most
Therefore, there are many reasons to justify why English should not
become the most important world language.
STEPS TO FOLLOW
1. Introduction
State the issue and explain its importance and topical relevance.
2. Alternative View
Show awareness that there is an alternative viewpoint and give its main arguments.
3. Demolish the alternative viewpoint by exposing its weaknesses.
4. Your View
Give all the reasons you can think of why your position is the sensible one, supporting each point
with evidence in the form of example, detail, quotation and personal experience.
5. Conclusion
Conclude with a summary of your position on the issue and/or what you think future
developments might be.
-Conclusion expressing opinion directly/openly:
On balance, I am convinced that …

All things considered, It is my belief/opinion that…
Taking everything into account consideration, I am inclined to believe that…
To conclude, I agree/do not agree that/with
To sum up,
Remember:
 Your writing should be carefully planned.

 A clear introduction and a forceful conclusion will help to convince the examiner to agree with
your ideas.
 Before you start to write, decide on the stance your argument will take:
-Are you going to agree fully with the question / statement provided?
-Are you going to disagree completely with it?
-Or will you consider reasons for thinking it could be true, reasons for thinking
that it is not true and try to reach a balanced conclusion?
 Examiners will not have any “right” or “wrong” answers in their minds but they will expect you to
produce a logically structured argument.
 You should use formal, impersonal style (It is argued that …; It is a common belief that …)
 You shouldn’t use personal examples or express personal opinions too strongly (use mild
expressions –It seems to me that…)
Tips to remember when writing argumentative and discursive

compositions
• Be clear about the difference between an argumentative and a discursive essay. When asked directly to
give your own opinion you should commit yourself to a line of argument (argumentative). When asked to
give a range of possible views then you are being discursive and may or may not choose to say what you
personally believe.
• Aim for effective introduction which captures attention and makes the topic and context clear
• It is irritating to the examiner for you to use questions throughout your essay. One rhetorical question at
the beginning or end is quite enough.
• Do not start each paragraph with a numerical referent, i.e. firstly, secondly, thirdly and so on, as this is
tedious for the reader.
Useful expressions and linking words/phrases
-To add more points to the same topic: in addition to this, furthermore, besides, apart from, what is more, as well as, not
only…but also.
-To make contrasting points: on the other hand, however, still, nevertheless, it may be said/argued/claimed that…
Others/ many people oppose this viewpoint…
disagree…
claim that this argument is incorrect/misguided.
Opponents of…argue/believe/claim that…
-To introduce examples: for example, for instance, such as, in particular, particularly, especially, this is clearly
shown/illustrated by the fact that…, one/a clear/striking/typical example of this…
-To emphasize a point: clearly obviously, it is obvious, naturally, of course, needless to say.
-To make partially correct statements: to a certain extent/degree, in some cases, up to a point.
-To clarify/explain a point: in other words, that is to say, this may mean that.
More useful expressions:
- It may be said/argued/claimed that…

- Many people strongly disagree with…
- While it is true to say that…, in fact…
- Although…, it cannot be denied that…
- Measures/Steps must/should/could be taken in order to solve/overcome/deal with…
- One possible way to overcome the problem of… would be…
- People/Governments should focus their attention on ways to improve the situation of
- If attempts were made to address the problem, the result would be…
- It is my belief that…
- It appears to me… / To my mind…
- In conclusion,… / On balance…/All points considered…/To conclude…
ARGUMENTATIVE / DISCURSIVE WRITING
Write about 350-450 words.
GO OVER THESE TITLES AND DECIDE WHAT TYPE OF ESSAYS THESE COULD BE
‘All teenagers need to rebel in order to grow up.’ What do you think?
‘Advertising aimed at children and young teenagers under 16 should be banned.’

Do you agree?
‘Competitive sports should be a compulsory part of the school curriculum because they teach
lessons about life which all children need to learn.’ What do you think?
“If ‘we are what we eat’ then teenagers are sure to become unhealthy, overweight, junk food
addicts.” What do you think of young people’s eating habits today?
‘The donation of healthy body parts or organs after death should be compulsory.’ Do you agree?
Peer pressure makes teenagers feel they have to buy the latest technology and fashionable
clothes.’ What are your views on this statement?
Your city or region is being considered as a place to host an international sporting or musical
event. Outline the advantages and disadvantages of staging such an event in your area.
‘Travel broadens the mind.’ Is this statement still true in the era of the Internet, which can tell
us everything about any country and its people at the tap of a key?
‘The school curriculum provides everything that the average teenager needs to know for
adult life.’ What are your views on this statement?
‘The world is changed by the small actions of ordinary people, not by the big actions of
important people’. Discuss this claim.
NARRATIVE COMPOSITIONS
There are different types of story openings:
 Setting the scene/atmosphere

 Starting in the middle (readers have to figure what has happened before):
o in the middle of sequence of events
o in the middle of a dialogue
 Shocking statement: “I did what I had to do: I killed her”
 Intriguing statement (it arouses curiosity) – “Everyone thought he was dead”/ “I had always
wanted to do it so I finally plucked up courage to carry out my plan”
 Flashback: “The last time he was chased by the police, he had broken into a house”
 Flash-forward: “She finally married the man oh her dream. How she ended up married to
that man is a funny story”
 Introducing the main character.
ACTIVITY:
STORY OPENINGS: What types of opening sentences are these ones?
• It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking twelve.
• Robert Cohn was once middleweight boxing champion of Princeton.
• As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed
in his bed into a gigantic insect.
• So, the dreadful old woman was dead at last.
• There was nothing special about door number Forty-Seven.
• Last night I dreamed I was at Kansas again.
• An arbitrary choice then, a definitive moment: October 23rd, 1990
• “Attention,” a voice began to be heard in the distance.
• When Bill Simpson woke up on Monday morning, he found he was a girl.
• “Lizzy!” she exclaimed, flinging open the door. “Are you okay?”
• It wasn’t human.
• The Iron Man came to the top of the hill.
• “How did that alligator get in the bath?” demanded my father one morning at breakfast.
• The house shook, the windows rattled, a framed photograph slipped off the shelf and fell
down to the floor.
POSSIBLE ENDINGS FOR YOUR STORY:
o A short piece of humorous, dramatic or ironic direct speech - e.g. There is something I
didn’t tell you: the cat can talk!
o An unexpected twist
o A return to the beginning: either repeating the first sentence or referring to the event
which began the story.
o Happily-ever-after
o A “gloomy” conclusion- e.g. And that was the last time I saw my friend.
o A cliff-hanger – e.g. Nobody knows if they ever learned the truth
What do I need to remember when writing a narrative composition?
• Decide on a tense and then stick to it; do not jump between present and past.
• Know what your last sentence is going to be before you write your first. A narrative has to build
up to a climax and lead towards a conclusion which is planned before it starts or it will end lamely
or incomprehensibly.
• Do not try to include too many characters (three are enough) or to give them all speech.
• Use dialogue by all means (if you can punctuate and set it out correctly) but don’t overdo it. You
shouldn’t turn your story into a play.
• If you do use dialogue, find synonyms for ‘he said/she said’ or it becomes tedious and
predictable.
• Even narrative needs description. The characters and places need details to bring them alive
and to allow the reader to be able to imagine them.
• Choose first or third person and stick with your choice; and do not switch narrative viewpoint, as
this is confusing for the readers
 Avoid beginning each sentence with its subject.
• Do not end your story with ‘And then I woke up in hospital’, or ‘It was all a dream’. Try to avoid
clichés of any kind, including stereotyped characters and predictable outcomes.
• Use similes, but avoid obvious ones such as ‘as red as a rose’. Make comparisons unusual.
• Stories need a conclusion, where things are either resolved or left unresolved as a cliff-hanger
(Though on the whole readers prefer to know how a story ended.). You must not give the
impression that you stopped writing because you ran out of time, ink or ideas.
Rules for setting out a dialogue in a narrative
 Start a new line or paragraph of a change of speaker

 Use double inverted commas at the beginning and end of the speech.
 Use a full stop, comma, question mark or exclamation mark at the end of every
speech (and inside the final inverted comma)
 Use a capital letter to begin a speech, even in the middle of a sentence
Enrich your writing!!!
Narrative techniques (use of direct speech, weather description, use of dramatic language to create
mystery, suspense, reference to feelings, moods, etc.) can be used when describing people. This will make
your composition more interesting to the reader.
See how an ordinary beginning can be made more exciting:
Instead of saying: I first met Steven, the secretary of the manager of Sunningtan Ltd, last Monday.
You could say:
A cold wind was blowing down the street last Monday morning as I pushed open the heavy glass door of
Sunnington Ltd. Chilled and nervous, I walked up to Mr Tibbs' secretary. A pair of friendly dark eyes met
mine. So this was Steven! (weather description, your feelings, suspense).
“Mr Tibbs is at a meeting. Would you like to wait? He’ll be about ten minutes.” He had a sharp clear voice,
and a narrow intelligent face. I could see why Mr Tibbs, the manager of Sunningtan Ltd, spoke so highly of
Steven. (direct speech, mystery)
Compare the following pieces of writing:
A
The teacher came into the room. She sat down on her chair and spoke to the class. They listened to
what she said and then did the work she gave them. At the end of the lesson the teacher dismissed
the class. They left the room.
The teacher strode briskly into the room. She perched fiercely on her chair and sternly addressed
the class. They paid close attention to what she instructed them to do and then fearfully attempted
the work which she had dictated to them. At the end of the lesson the teacher ordered the class to
dismiss. They crept silently from the room.
Try this! Rewrite the original paragraph above by using different verbs, adverbs and adjectives
to create a more pleasant and welcoming atmosphere.
Continuous Writing
Make sure that the continuation of your story is consistent with the tenses, the tone and the register
in the text given.
At the end of the corridor, the closed door was waiting. The clock that sat in the middle of
the narrow passageway counted down the minutes, before the interrogation would begin.
“Heena Patel!” came a cold voice from behind the headmaster’s office door. Heena stood up,
leaving only Sally in the corridor. She dragged her guilty feet along the freshly varnished
floor of the menacing corridor. She turned to see Sally hiding behind the long blonde hair
that covered her face.Just for a second, Heena caught a glimpse of her face, as a grey tear
camouflaged itself in the miserable expression that now inhabited her face.
There were no lights in the corridor and as the afternoon became evening, a casting shadow
gradually made its way the length of the corridor. Sally sat slouched, terrified that Mr Shah,
the Headmaster, would find out their terrible deed.
Try this! Write your own continuation of the story. Think carefully about how you will structure
your narrative.
 How will you develop the characters already introduced?

 How many more episodes should you include? What will they be?
 Should you finish your story with a clear-cut resolution which ties up all the issues or should
you leave your readers in mid-air, wondering what will happen next?
Here are some suggestions as to how the story could be continued.
- Decide why Heena and Sally are in trouble. Perhaps they’ve been accused of theft or
bullying. Are they guilty? Were they both involved in the episode? You don’t have to give
away the ending at this point but you must decide what it will be.
-You could continue by following Heena into the Headmaster’s office and describing the
interview. What is the Headmaster’s attitude towards Heena? What are her thoughts and
feelings as she listens to what he has to say? What is she accused of? There’s a good
opportunity here to show you can handle direct speech.
-You could prolong the suspense of your story by switching back to describe what Sally is
thinking as she waits outside and can see the silhouettes of Heena and the Headmaster
through the door, but can’t hear what is being said.
-Perhaps Sally is guilty of the crime and Heena is being bullied by her to take the blame.
You could continue the story by describing how thw Headmaster discovers the truth and
what happens.
Sample:
Writing your own story
Write a story about a memorable journey
What are the key words in this question?
Write a story – in other words, write a narrative account about a journey, real or imagined
Memorable – the journey you describe must be memorable, so you will have to think of a setting, a
character or an event which makes it so
 The beginning
How were we to know what would happen that dreadful night? Could anyone have known? I think not.
After all, it had been a normal day when we set out, a happy family then, to visit the house that was to
become our new home in a few weeks’time.
 Extract from the middle
So here we were, marooned in the middle of the murky countryside which was unfamiliar to us all.
“Don’t worry,” said my father. “Worse things happen at sea.”
“We’re not at sea,” said my delightful little brother in his delightfully bright and cheerful way.
“Might just as well be in all this rain, the bloo…”
“Language, dear!” chipped in my mother, concerned as ever about appearances and social niceties even
though there was no other living soul within a radius of about two thousand miles.
 The end
So there we sat, huddled in the car as the waters rose round us, sloshing and slurping their way through the
gaps beneath the doors.
“I can see a blue light,” sang out my brother.
“Shut up, idiot!” I snapped at him. “We’re not going to get out of here, not even with the help of little blue
men from outer space.”
“No, you be quiet!” commanded my father. “You’re not helping much with comments like that.”
As my mother was about to do heroh-dear-what-would-anyone-think-to-hear-us-arguing-like-that act it
happened: a door was wrenched open and there was the most welcome, most handsome fireman I had ever
seen.
“Welcome to Yorkshire,” he said.
GOOD POINTS
 An air of mystery has been created at the beginning; the reader wants to know
what has happened.
 Varied sentence length and structure.
 Tension has been successfully created in the middle extract as well as
characterization through the use of dialogue.
 Excellent choice and use of vocabulary
 The use of humour and exaggeration makes an effective contrast with the
potential seriousness of the family’s situation.
 Faultless use of punctuation
GOOD POINTS OF THIS STORY
Task
Below are nine narrative composition titles/tasks. Write about 350-450 words on any of
them.
a. I had to think quickly if I was to stay out of trouble. Continue this opening sentence to
a story.
b. The box
c. No Regrets
d. An Incredible Journey
e. Write a story which involves a cat, a shop, a ticket and a robbery.
f. Look before you leap
g. A Stitch in Time Saves Nine
VOCABULARY SECTION
Task 1
Avoid using simplistic adjectives or adverbs (e.g. good, bad, nice, well, etc)
as these will make your composition sound uninteresting. Try to use more
sophisticated adjectives or adverbs (e.g. luxurious, extravagant, threateningly, etc.)
which will make your composition more exciting to read. A variety of verbs
(e.g. murmur, whisper, mutter instead of ‘say”) will make your story more lively.
e.g. “Hide it,” he murmured and put a small box into my hand. (instead of ‘said’)
She was wandering the streets aimlessly, trying to make a decision. (instead of
‘walking’)
The following adjectives or adverbs can be used instead of other simplistic ones. Put
them into the correct box. Can you think of any more words?
absolutely, delightful, enormous, entirely, horrible, massive, miniature,

microscopic, superb, terrific, thoroughly, horrifying, extremely, gigantic, tiny,
nasty, disgusting, huge, terrible, wonderful, unpleasant, fabulous
Now replace the words in bold in the following paragraphs with suitable words from the boxes
above.
A) The 1) big old castle stood at the top of a(n) 2) big mountain in the middle of a(n) 3) big
forest. I was 4) very terrified as I approached and jumped fright when I heard a(n) 5) bad scream
from the direction of the castle.
My heart was in my mouth as I knocked on the 6) big front door, and the sound of 7) small
scurrying feet behind the door made me imagine 8) big, 9) bad rats running away to hide. I
wanted to run away, too, but I was 10) very exhausted, and had to find somewhere to sleep for
the night.
B) It was a(n) 1) nice evening, and after a(n) 2) nice sunset the stars were a million 3) small
points of light in the sky. “A(n) 4) nice end to a(n) 5) very 6) nice day,” Brian thought to himself
and after the 7) bad week which had just passed, he was 8) very pleased to breathe a(n) 9) big
sigh of relief and put the 10) bad memories behind him.
Task 2
The adverbs below describe the way a person might speak or act. Explain what each adverb means, then
choose suitable words from the list to complete the sentences.
sarcastically, angrily, threateningly, frantically, hurriedly, miserably,

confidently, suddenly, urgently, nervously, patiently, calmly
1 The woman on the third-floor balcony of the burning building waved her arms ………………to attract the
fireman’s attention.
2 “Get out of here!” Bill shouted …………………….. , his face turning red.
3 “My dog has run away!” the little girl sobbed ………………………….
4 ……………………, without any warning, her guide spun round and held a knife to her throat.
5 The detective looked at him in disbelief. “Oh, yes, of course a criminal like you wouldn’t want £5
million,” he said ……………………..
6 She gathered her papers together …………………….. and rushed off to the meeting, which had already
begun.
7 “If you tell anyone, you’ll be sorry,” said the kidnapper …………………………
8 “Don’t worry, I’ll kill the dragon,” the knight said ……………………. to the king.
TASK 3: WAYS OF
HOW MUCH DO YOU REMEMBER FROM LAST YEAR?
Put the following verbs into the correct boxes. Try to think of further words to add to each box. Now use
suitable words from the boxes to complete the following sentences.
gaze - dash - giggle - hiss - murmur - peer - stroll - wander - yell - sigh
- chuckle - mutter - peep - moan - shriek - grin - whisper - exclaim - rush
WALK/RUN
1 We ……………………… lazily along the waterfront, enjoying the warm sunshine as we watched the
fishermen mending their nets.
2 At the sound of the doorbell she …………………eagerly to the front door, excited to be meeting him again
after so many years.
SAY
3 “Stupid old fool!” he ……………………..angrily to himself, pushing rudely past the elderly man limping
down the steps.
4 “Oh, well,” Jill ………………………“perhaps it doesn’t really matter — but I wish you’d asked me first
before telling everyone about it.
5 “Don’t look round now, but I’m sure that man sitting behind us is the escaped prisoner I was reading about
in the paper,” I ……………………… nervously to John.
6 “Help!” Karen ………………………….. hysterically. “Somebody help me!”
LOOK
7 The couple ……………….. lovingly into each other’s eyes, completely unaware of the people hurrying
past.
8 Kevin ……………………. through the windscreen, hardly able to see where he was going in the pouring
rain.
SMILE / LAUGH
9 David …………………. cheerfully as he waved to the crowd, accepting their applause for the magnificent
race he had run.
10 Sally and Lynne ………………… with embarrassment when the two boys crossed the room and asked
them to dance.
TASK 4: VERBS CONNNECTED TO THE SENSES
Use of the senses (sight, smell, touch, hearing, taste) to set the scene or describe people, places,
events or objects involved in your story helps to increase the reader’s interest.
Look at the following list of verbs, all of which refer to sounds and light, and fill in the correct verbs in the
gaps below. Some verbs may be used more than once. Which of these could be used in a story entitled “A
Haunted House”?
bang, crackle, creak, flash, flicker, hoot, howl, pound, rattle, rumble, roar, rustle, twinkle, wail
1 leaves / paper
2 wind / wolves
3 chains
4 stars
5 lions / crowd / fire
6 thunder / lorries
7 waves / rock music / heart
8 sirens / cats
9 staircase / floorboards
10 flames
11 doors / guns / explosion
12 owls / cars
13 candies
14 lightning
DESCRIPTIVE COMPOSITIONS
A temporal or spatial framework will give structure and progression to your description
e.g. moving towards or through something, such as a street market, or going through a
period of time, an hour or a day for instance, and recording the changes.
STRUCTURE- STEPS TO FOLLOW
Step 1: Setting
Step 2: Positioning
Step 3: Approaching
Step 4: Arriving
Step 5: Farewell
SAMPLE TASK
Imagine you are bungee jumping. Describe what you see below and how the experience makes
you feel. (25 marks)
Summarising useful tips for an effective description
• Description must rely on use of imagery (metaphors/similes) to engage reader interest. Remember that
imagery is meant to help the reader to imagine something by comparing it to something else. E.g. The
hillside bloomed with scarlet men marching/ The sea is like a giant, grey, hungry dog/ The baby’s skin was
as soft as…
• Use exotic and unusual vocabulary, and a variety of sentence structures. All forms of repetition should
be avoided.
• Use all five senses to create an environment and atmosphere, as well as details of size, shape and
colour.
• Avoid common, overused, vague, short and childish vocabulary, such as ‘nice’, ‘big’, ‘little’, ‘a lot of’,
‘good’, and ‘bad’.
• Each noun needs one or more adjectives in front of it to give sufficient detail.
• Descriptive compositions must not become a narrative, which means character and event should not be
dominant.
VOCABULARY: POINTS TO CONSIDER
Each paragraph starts with a topic sentence which introduces the subject of the paragraph. A variety of
linking words should be used lo connect ideas.
 To describe physical appearance, details should be given as follows: height/build, age, facial
features, hair, clothes, moving from the most general aspects to the more specific details.
e.g. John is a tall, slim man in his mid forties. He has a thin face, blue eyes and a large nose. His short
hair is greying at the temples. He is usually casually dressed.
 To describe character and behaviour you can support your description with examples . e.g. Sally
is very sociable. She loves going to parties and dances. If you want to mention any negative qualities,
use mild language (tends to, seems to, is rather, can occasionally be, etc.).
e.g. Instead of saying Sally is arrogant, it is better to say Sally tends to be rather arrogant.
 Variety in the use of adjectives will make your description more interesting. e.g.: good-natured,
well-behaved, gorgeous, etc.
Vocabulary Practice
TASK 1
 Fill in the table with words from the list below. Using words from the completed chart describe your
partner’s physical appearance, then write a short paragraph describing the appearance of a relative of
yours.
round, oval slanted, ginger, of medium height, middle-aged, mole, teenaged, curly, blond, tall,
wrinkled, thick, balding, just over six foot, tanned, slim, scar, elderly, muscular, in his teens,
well-built, in his mid-forties, overweight, curved, wavy, pale, crooked, freckled, dimples,
straight, skinny, beard, shoulder-length, almond-shaped, short, moustache, long-legged, round-
shouldered, in his late forties, full, height cheekbones
HEIGHT:
BUILD:
AGE:
COMPLEXION:
FACE:
HAIR:
EYES:
NOSE:
LIPS:
SPECIAL FEATURES
TASK 2
 Decide which adjectives describe positive or negative qualities. Choose any five of them and write
sentences justify each quality, then write a short paragraph describing the character of one of your
relatives.
patient, boring, pessimistic, mean, ambitious, generous, mature, interesting, hostile, immature,
friendly, impatient, tactful, good-natured, short-tempered, thick-skinned,
easy-going, hard-working, deceitful, fair, shy, helpful, aggressive, reserved,
outgoing, polite, cheerful
LINKING SENTENCES
Sentences can be linked together in a variety of ways. Read the examples and say which words are used to
link descriptions of similar qualities and which to join descriptions of opposing qualities.
Similar qualities (both positive or both negative)
e.g. She is kind-hearted. She is cooperative.

She is kind-hearted and a/so cooperative.
She is kind-hearted and cooperative as well.
She is kind-hearted, as well as (being) cooperative.
In addition to being kind-hearted, she is also cooperative.
She is both kind-hearted and cooperative.
Opposing qualities (one positive and one negative)
e.g. He is usually well-behaved. He can be naughty at times. He is usual/y well-behaved but can be
naughty at times. He is usual/y well-behaved; ¡n spite of this / nevertheless /however, he can be naughty at
times. Although / In spite of the fact that he is usual/y well-behaved, he can be naughty at times.
Manner and Mannerism
Instead of only using adjectives to describe a person’s character, you can also include examples of the way
they speak/look/smile, etc. in order to give a clearer picture and to make the description more lively . e.g.
His blue eyes light up whenever he sees his grandchild. Although the adjectives kind and affectionate
could be used to describe the person, giving examples of mannerism makes the description more vivid.
USEFUL VOCABULARY
Character adjectives, when used in moderation, can be helpful to bring a description of a person into
focus. Using a dictionary if necessary, group these words according to their meaning. Try making
associations. E.g. gregarious = sociable or sociable shy
callous
placid
sullen
vivacious
listless
irksome
boorish
self-effacing
frivolous
condescending
gregarious
petulant
frank
lacking energy
irritating
loutish
unfeeling
moody
calm
lively
arrogant
honest
sociable
bad-tempered
modest
superficial
shy
Personality adjectives
Oral work: Infer the meaning of these adjectives from the examples
Positive
adventurous: an adventurous traveller.
ambitious: She's an ambitious girl and will go far.
careful: He's careful and thinks before doing anything.
cheerful: She's cheerful - even on Monday mornings!
communicative A communicative person gives opinions and talks a lot.
competitive: He's competitive and does his best.
considerate: She's considera te - she thinks about other people's feelings.
co-operative: They're co-operative and willing to help.
creative: He's a creative student - full of ideas.
decisive: A decisive boss makes decisions quickly.
easy-going: She's easy-going and everybody likes her.
hard-working: He's hard-working and gives 100%.
helpful: She's helpful and willing to lend a hand.
imaginative: She's a very imaginative pupil and writes fantastic stories.
independent: Independent people prefer to make their own decisions.
inventive: an inventive writer.
kind: He's kind and friendly to others.
liberal: Liberal people respect other people's ideas and behaviour, especially new ideas.
likeable: She's likeable - people find her friendly.
logical: He's logical and makes careful decisions.
natural: He's a natural athlete and doesn't need to try hard.
outgoing: She's outgoing and makes friends easily.
polite: She's polite and always says Thanks'.
practical: He's practical and makes sensible decisions.
realistic: She's realistic - not trying the impossible.
reasonable: A reasonable parent is fair and sensible.
relaxed: She's relaxed and doesn't get angry easily.
reliable: I like reliable people who do what they say they're going to do.
sensible: She's sensible and never does anything silly.
sensitive: A sensitive person shows sympathy towards people who have difficulties.
sociable: He's sociable and enjoys being with others.
sympathetic: She was sympathetic when I told her my dog had died - she listened and said she was sorry.
tolerant: Their behaviour was terrible but he was tolerant and didn't complain.
unselfish: He's unselfish and puts other people first.
DESCRIPTIVE WRITING
a) Describe a time and place, real or imaginary, when you felt trapped. Concentrate on your
surroundings and your feelings at the time.
(b) You come across a group of people eating and speaking together around a table. Describe
how they reveal their personalities, relationships and emotions.
c) Describe a time when you were waiting for something unpleasant or fearful to happen.
Describe the place where you were at the time and your feelings as you waited…and waited.
c) The sounds of laughter and loud voices attract your attention to a room in your house. The
door is closed. Describe what you can hear, as well as what you can see, as you gently open
the door.
Choose one picture and write a description of the person shown in it.
Write about 350-450 words.

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1

IGCSE FIRST LANGUAGE ENGLISH

TEACHERS: Erika Krause- Laura Rigo

STUDENT’S NAME: ____________________________

Directed Writing and Composition

Directed Writing and Composition

Directed Writing and Composition

 What does the examination consist of?

PAPER 2 – QUESTION 2- WORDS FOR EFFECT

Understanding how writers achieve effects

- An experience has been described

- You can see the scene that has been described

 Finally you need to understand what caused this effect on you.

- The specific meaning of a word / The association created by a word

 Quote selectively from the passage

 Explain how the writer creates the effect

“Xavier burst through the door, a rhinoceros of a man”

The word rhinoceros produces a variety of ideas:

aggressive solitary fearless thick-skinned large should be feared

Paper 2 (extended) - Question 3- SUMMARY WRITING

4. Structuring the plan

5. Writing the summary

The summary should be written:

REMEMBER!!!! Do not include:

quotations- figurative language- long descriptions/strings of adjectives.

Read the following article about young people and television.

TELEVISION – A BIG TURN-OFF?

In addition, television is thought to be a cause of depression. Children spend so long

Source: UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL EXAMINATIONS. International General

PAPER 2- QUESTION 1- RESPONDING TO THE READING PASSAGE

DIRECTED WRITING- WRITING TASK - A NEWSPAPER REPORT

Read the following transcript and then do the writing task.

Reporter: Everyone's saying how brave you were.

NEWSPAPER REPORT- WRITING HELP

News reports have several typical stylistic features:

1) Summary of recent event: fact about what happened.

2) Background to event: expansion and details of the story

4) Look ahead to near future: speculation about future developments

 Dingo kills child on beach

a) What does it mean?

Popular newspapers like to use the following devices in their headlines:

puns Japanese yen for success

Activities to become better news reporters!

USEFUL GRAMMAR: PASSIVE VOICE

REPORTED SPEECH & REPORTING VERBS

confident - depressing - dramatic - enormous - enthusiastic - gleaming –

INTERVIEW (THREE QUESTIONS)

Adapted from Lonely Planet Travel

Your interviewer asks the following questions.

 Tell us about the innumerable adventure opportunities in Belize.

Here is a model answer

 What kinds of travellers may find Belize attractive? Why?

Try this now!

Past Paper: Interview

FORMAL LETTER WRITING

Differences between business/formal and friendly letters

 Informal letters contain:

-Informal greetings and endings

Dear Sue,/Hi there!

-Idioms, phrasal verbs, colloquial English

 Formal letters contain:

-Formal greetings and endings