We Analysed 30 Examiner

Reports for 200 Exams!

Here's what we learned about

O Level English!

(Shocked)
Table of Content:

[Case Study]: Analysing Examiner

Reports for O Level English (1123).

Chapter 1:

Why you cannot ignore examiner reports?

Chapter 2:

Key Findings:

Chapter 3:

The takeaway from this Case Study.

 WG Blogs Analysis:

The goal of this study was to study

examiner reports for O Level
English (1123).

This study allowed us to find

out the most common student
mistakes (and how you can
avoid them).

We hope that this data helps

students to secure better grades
in their exams. Therefore if you
want to appreciate this hectic
effort, do consider sharing it.

page 3
Chapter 1:

Why you cannot ignore examiner reports?

The examiner reports are an initiative by

Cambridge to highlight common student
mistakes. This is because they want students
and teachers to better understand the
requirements of the exam.

In simple words, this resource is written by

the examiner after all the exams have been
checked and graded. This is an essential
study resource because it will help you with
the following:

Get insights on the marking process

Knowledge about common student mistakes

page 4
 Detailed question walk-throughs

Performance feedback on questions

If this is confusing you, do not worry! We will

explain everything to you in the easiest
manner. And yes, we will share a lot of
interesting facts we learned during this
analysis.

Keep reading!

page 5
Chapter 2:

Key Findings:

Some candidates failed to realise to put a valediction

(ending) and signature in directed writing (when
applicable).

How to solve it?

You should know that some topics in directed writing (such

as report writing and formal letter) require a proper ending.

This means there is a proper format that you should follow.

For example, if you are writing a report, you can end it as:

Your full name

Signature
Date

But, do not worry. We will help you solve this problem. We

have done the hectic task of compiling detailed notes on
directed writing.

page 6
 So if you want to know about the format (of directed
writing), you can use the links below.

Here, you will find detailed notes on the "proper format"

(and some samples).

Report Writing: https://blogswithwg.com/o-level-report-

writing-sample-directed-writing/

Formal letter: https://blogswithwg.com/o-level-formal-

letter-sample-directed-writing/

informal letter: https://blogswithwg.com/informal-letter-

sample-1123-gce-o-level-best-notes/

Account writing: https://blogswithwg.com/account-

writing-sample-gce-o-level-english/

The shortage of ideas led to repetition and

incoherence (in writing).

How to solve it?

First of all, let me explain that repetition is

writing something you have already written.
Moreover, incoherence is being unclear and
illogical.

page 7
If you want to avoid both of these problems,
follow the steps below. In fact, I personally
used them, and the results surprised me!

Before writing, make a plan (rough draft).

Then check the plan before writing your final
draft. Finally, cross out the points that convey
the same message.

When you are done writing, read your script

aloud. It will help you find out (the repetition
of ideas). You can cross out the unwanted
sentences.

Try to think of new ideas. Look, many students

run short of ideas in their English exam. As a
result, they repeat their ideas.

Therefore, express your (new) ideas

differently. For that, I advise you to use a
variety of transition words.

To improve your coherence, try to stay

consistent (with your ideas and point of
view). Remember that coherence is achieved
when ideas are linked together.

For that, use pronouns (words that take place

of a noun), connectives and transition
expressions.

page 8
 Candidates struggled with verb forms, tense
sequence and punctuation.

How to solve it?

There are different forms of a verb. But let me

explain them to you in simple words. For
example, the word "sing" can be written as:
sang, sung and singing etc.

Simple?

Note that a verb changes depending on the

subject. For example, take a look at the
sentences below.

You are tall.

She is tall.

Verb changes from "are" to "is" when the

subject changes from "you" to "she".

This (change) is what verb forms are!

If you want further in-depth knowledge about

forms of the verb, you can check out the
article below.

page 9
https://www.grammarly.com/blog/verb-forms/

Moving on to tense sequence, the verb tense

you are using should be consistent
throughout your work. For instance, the
sentence “We had eaten (past perfect tense)
dinner, and then we talked (simple past
tense)” should be written as “We ate (simple
past tense) dinner, and then we talked
(simple past tense)”.

Moving on to punctuation, remember that:

Use a comma to separate ideas in a sentence

(and for a break).

Use a full stop to end a sentence.

Use a semi-colon to join two independent

clauses that are being linked by a
coordinating conjunction (such as but, nor
and for etc).

Use a colon to separate two independent

clauses and the second explains first.

Note: A clause is a group of words that has a

verb and a subject. For example, "I graduated
this year" is a clause. Here, "I" is the subject
and "graduated" is the verb.

page 10
 There was an overuse of commas to
separate sentences.

How to solve it?

You should use commas to seperate

items (in a list).

For example, "Emma likes to eat

cookies, chocolates, and fruits.

Below are some uses of commas

that will help you solve this problem.

A comma should not be used to

separate a subject from its verb.

For example, "My friend John, is an

amazing footballer" is incorrect.

The sentence "My friend John is an

amazing footballer" is correct.

Do not seperate two nouns (appearing

together) with a comma.

Example: "Adam, and Anna will be

competing next Friday" is incorrect.

Adam and Anna will be competing

next Friday" is correct.

page 11
 Use a comma before any coordinating
conjunction (but, and, or, for, so, nor,
yet) that links two independent
clauses.

Example: I was eating food, and I

watching television.

There are other rules on the use of

commas as well. However, the above-
mentioned are some commonly
mistaken ones.

Therefore, I recommend you learn the

use of commas.

And to be honest, I was surprised to

see that almost all the examiner
reports talked about this error!

Candidates found it difficult to

distinguish between simple past and
pluperfect.

How to solve it?

You should know that the simple past

tense is talking about something that
had already happened.

Example: I went to the garden.

page 12
You should also know that pluperfect
(also called past perfect) is also used
to talk about actions (from the past).

But what is the difference?

The past perfect (pluperfect) is used

to convey the sequence of events.

However, we use a simple past if we

do not want to convey the sequence of
events.

Example: "Joe ate the chocolate".

(Simple past).

"Joe ate the chocolate before Adam

arrived". (Pluperfect).

It is important to know the difference

between these two tenses because:

It will help you secure "language"

marks in directed writing and creative
writing.

These tenses can help you create

different meanings (from the same
verb). And it will let your readers
understand the meaning behind your
story.

page 13
 Many students misplaced the
prepositions.

How to solve it?

Prepositions are words that are

used to connect (link) a noun or
a phrase to another part of a
sentence.

The highlighted prepositions

below will help you learn how to
use them.

She placed the bat on the table.

She was hiding under the chair.

Adam drove the bus over the bridge.

Misplaced prepositions make a

sentence grammatically incorrect.
The examples below will help you
solve this problem.

Example: "In the refrigerator, Adam

found the juice" is incorrect.

"Adam found the juice in the

refrigerator" is correct.

page 14
 Here is another example of a
misplaced preposition.

"At the bottom of the pool, Billy saw

the starfish" is incorrect.

"Billy saw the starfish at the bottom of

the pool" is correct.

I hope these examples will help you

prevent the error of "misplaced
prepositions".

It was surprising to see high-flown

vocabulary (where the candidates
were unaware of the meaning).

How to solve it?

You are advised to keep your writing

style natural.

Remember that simple words that

make sense are much better than
"fancy words" that make little to no
sense.

page 15
Therefore instead of impressing the
examiner, try to write "relevant"
content.

But here is a tip. You can improve

your writing style by doing this simple
thing as well.

Try to replace words such as "very"

with "extremely". Remember that the
use of mature language will help you
a lot if you want to secure good
grades.

Here are some tips I used to improve

my vocabulary:

Read newspapers

Try to use new words in conversation

(so you use them in a natural way).

Keep a dictionary with you. Find out

the meaning of new words. Then read
sentences related to them to know
how to use them.

Candidates should know that the

descriptive task requires a "vivid
description". And it should not be
turned into a story.

page 16
Below are some tips that you can use
to write a "vivid description".

Use sensory details. For that, use

sight, smell, taste, touch and sound.

Note that vivid adjectives and verbs

use that use these five senses will
make your description more
engaging.

Use active voice (a sentence that has

a subject that acts upon its verb).

This technique is to add a strong,

clear tone to your description.

Use literary devices such as imagery,

simile and metaphor.

Using simile and metaphor improves

your description by comparing two
unlike things to each other.

Moreover, the techniques such as

hyperbole and personification add
further depth and graphicness to
your writing.

To know more about literary devices, I

advise you to read the below article:

45+ Literary Devices and Terms Every

Writer Should Know
page 17
 In directed writing, it is advised to
deal with one bullet point per
paragraph.

How to solve it?

From this information, we can say

that we have to make 5 paragraphs.

Let me show you how.

Introduction 1 Paragraph

First content point 2 Paragraph

Second content point 3 Paragraph

Third content point 4 Paragraph

Conclusion 5 Paragraph

page 18
 Candidates should avoid clichéd
essay opening (showing a lack of
originality).

How to solve it?

Below are some cliched essay

openings that you should avoid.

Weather

The "It was a dark and windy night"

openings should be avoided (unless
you are writing about the weather).

Alarm clock

Try to avoid openings such as"Beep

Beep. A hand hits the alarm clock
until it goes off."

Try to be unique with your work!

Dream sequence

Unless a dream plays a major part in

your story, try to prevent them. This is
because when a dream is finished,
nothing changes.

Your audience may think that their

time is wasted!

page 19
 And another thing is that a dream is
not a direct action (that your
character has chosen).

Note that cliched essay openings are

not "bad". The only thing I want to say
is that, look for a better opening.

Sometimes, cliched openings are not

seen as "unique".

So what you can do (to make your

work unique) is that, add a twist to
the cliched opening.

The less successful responses

contained stereotypical
characters in their response.

How to solve it?

Characters can make your

story good. But at the same
time, they can make your
response "bad".

Let me tell you how.

A stereotypical character is a
known character (who
identifies a particular group).

page 20
Note that stereotypical
characters are not seen as
"unique" and "original".

To solve this problem, you

should add unique and
realistic personalities.

This will make your content

more engaging because it will
add to the curiosity of your
readers.

Below are some guidelines that

you can follow to develop
great characters.

Give the reason for your

characters existence (by
identifying their goals).

Add strengths and flaws (for

showing the personality of your
characters).

Make your main character go

through a conflict (problem). It
will help in character and plot
development.

page 21
 Use dialogues to develop your
characters.

Even minor details such as

their appearance and
communication style matter a
lot!

If you want to know more

about characters, I
recommend you read the
article below.

https://blogswithwg.com/narrative-writing-
sample-gce-o-level-english-notes/

Candidates should learn about

definite and indefinite articles.

How to solve it?

The word "the" is our only

definite article!

We use "the" before a noun to

indicate that the identity of the
noun is known to the reader.

Take a look at the examples

below.

page 22
 Usage of the definite article
(the) in sentences:

Example 1: Please give me the ball.

Please give me the blue

Example 2: hammer; the yellow one is
small.

The indefinite article is the

word "a" or "an."

Note that it is used before a

non-specific or general noun.

The sentences below show

what I mean.

Please hand me a pen;

Example 1:
any pen is fine.

Please give me an
Example 2: autobiography; any
autobiography will work.

When talking about indefinite

articles, one question is: How
do I know when to use "a" or
"an"?

page 23
 You should use "an" before a
word that begins with a vowel
sound.

If it does not begin with a

vowel sound, write "a." For
example:

An elephant. Starts with a vowel.

A man. Starts without a vowel.

It should be realised that

"register" needs consideration
in directed writing.

How to solve it?

In English, a register is the use

of language (depending on
the circumstances).

(You may have noticed that)

In directed writing, the
examiner asks you to keep
your tone "polite" or
"informative" etc.

page 24
 Some types of register are:

Formal:

For academic, professional, or legal

settings where communication is
expected to be respectful.

Polite:

For addressing an event or a situation

in a kind and friendly manner.

Informative:

To provide details (about an event)

that may require immediate attention.

Consultative:

It is used in conversation with someone

who has specialized knowledge
(usually offering advice).

The takeaway from all this is that use

your words accordingly. If you are
writing to the Principal, be polite and
informative.

page 25
 However, if you are talking to your
friend, you may be a bit casual (but
remember that slangs are not allowed).

So keep this in mind because

"language" has 15 marks in directed
writing.

The use of possessive pronouns is

"strongly recommended".

ssive pr
se o
Pos

no
uns!

How to solve it?

Possessive pronouns are used to show

that something belongs to someone.

Some of the possessive pronouns are:

my, your, our, her, his, its, and their.

page 26
 The sentences. below show how these
pronouns are used:

I knocked on their door, but I left

without saying anything.

Your breakfast is prepared.

My flight is delayed.

Here is an important thing to note. We

do not use apostrophes to show
possessions.

Incorrect: You cannot judge a book by it's cover.

Correct: You cannot judge a book by its cover.

I hope you know the correct usage of

possessive pronouns now.

page 27
 In the comprehension, it is "most
unlikely" that the same answer would
be required in two questions.

How to solve it?

From this, here is what you can learn.

If you are getting the same answer for

two questions, re-read the passage.
Then, try to solve them again.

Remember that it is "most unlikely" to

get the same answer. But if after every
effort you get the same answer, then go
with them.

Because the examiner report does not

say that it is "impossible" to get the
same answer!

However, the chances are very low.

Candidates should learn about the use

of capital letters.

page 28
How to solve it?

To solve this problem, below are some

capitalization rules that you should
follow:

Capitalize the first word of a sentence.

Capitalize names and proper nouns.

Example: How is your cat, Boomer?

Capitalize events and time periods

(Sometimes).

Example: During most of the World War | ...

Capitalize the first word of a quote (but

not always).

James asked, “What is everyone doing

Example:
this Monday?”

page 29
 Capitalize the pronoun “I.”

Candidates should work on the

Subject-Verb agreement.

How to solve it?

The subject and verb must agree with

each other (singular or plural).

If the subject is singular, its verb must

be singular as well!

Example 1: The cat chases the mouse.

singular

The cats chase the mouse.

plural

Example 2: The dog loves people.

singular

page 30
 The dogs love people.

Plural

I hope that the above examples will

help you solve this problem.

Candidates frequently used

connectives and adverbs with little
understanding of their meaning
(and use).

How to solve it?

Connectives are the words that join

one part of a text with the other.

Connectives can be adverbs,

prepositions or conjunctions.

Let's talk about adverbs first.

page 31
An adverb is a word that describes
a verb, another adverb or an
adjective.

Take a look at the example below

(and focus on the adverbs).

Adam is very tall.

The debate finished too quickly.

Simple, isn't it?

But the purpose of all this was to

teach you the placement of
adverbs.

Try to place adverbs as close as

possible to those words you want
to modify (describe).

The tip is to avoid unnecessary

adverbs.

When your adjective or verb

doesn’t seem useful or precise
enough, instead of using an adverb
to add more colour, try using a
stronger verb or adjective instead.

One more thing to note over here is

that learn the usage of transition
words.

page 32
 You should know when to use
words such as "moreover" and
"similarly".

Remember that words such as

"moreover" are used to add
information to the previous
statement.

You use "similarly" to mention that

something is similar to what you
have mentioned previously.

There are other words as well but

these are the most commonly used
ones.

Candidates also need to practise

recognizing imagery and decoding
simile and metaphor.

How to solve it?

page 33
Imagery is the language that
appeals to human senses: sight,
taste, touch, hearing and smell.

This technique is particularly

important if you are attempting the
descriptive writing task.

Moving on, Simile (a figure of

speech) is the comparison of two
different things.

Some examples of simile are:

As sweet as sugar

As cold as ice

As light as a feather

etc...

But why use simile?

Remember that Similes add depth

to your writing.

Plus, they make our language more

enjoyable and descriptive.

page 34
Metaphor (a figure of speech) is
also to make a comparison.

However, the things compared are

not the same, but they have
something in common.

Here is the difference between

Similes and Metaphors:

According to Grammarly, "A

metaphor makes a comparison by
stating that one thing is something
else, but a simile states that one
thing is like something else".

Below are some examples of

Metaphors for you:

He is a shining star.

I am drowning in a sea of grief.

He is the apple of my eye.

etc...

But, why use metaphors?

Metaphors allow you to convey

vivid imagery. And it creates
images that are easier to
understand than literal (exact)
language.

page 35
 Moreover, the writer conveys
emotions and impressions through
this technique.

So if you use Simile, Metaphor and

Imagery in your work, your writing
will improve.

The techniques like "flashback" and

"cliffhanger" make stories
successful.

How to solve it?

Flashback is a very effective

narrative tool.

They add tension to the story and

help the plot advance. But what
exactly is a flashback?

Flashback is a device that moves

readers from the present moment
to a scene in the past.

page 36
Here is an example of flashback for
you:

A man is about to give a speech to

a large audience on biology.
Suddenly, he remembers playing
with frogs and toads in his
backyard as a curious child. He
smiles at the memory and then
begins to speak to the audience
about a new, groundbreaking
finding of frogs.

But why use flashbacks?

It adds depth and

complication to your story.

You can surprise your

readers with amazing
secretes (from the past).

It plays a key role in

character development.

Moving on, let's talk about

cliffhangers.

page 37
A cliffhanger is a device in
which a component (part)
of the story is not resolved.

In simple words, you leave

the decision to the reader.

Below are some examples

of a cliffhanger for you:

A book ending with the

protagonist (main
character) safe and sound
but the villain still on the
run (to harm the
protagonist).

A chapter ending with the

protagonist taking a
difficult decision about
whether or not to forgive a
friend.

Now you might be

wondering, why use a
cliffhanger?

To prolong suspense
(and get people "to
keep reading").

page 38
 To retain the interest
and focus of the
reader.

Leaving some
questions unanswered
is a great way of
keeping your reader
"hooked".

Quick question: Can

you use flashback as a
cliffhanger?

Yes! But, try to

introduce new
information to create
suspense.

Chapter 3:

The takeaway from this Case Study:

page 39
In this ebook, I shared
some data we found
out while analysing
examiner reports.

Now the real question

is, how to use this
data?

Here is what you have

to do:

Read all the key

finding. You just need
to skim through them
(Do not go into
details).

Note down the points

you think are the
"most important".

Read the details on

"how to solve them".

Finally, practise.

page 40
Thank you very much
for reading.

Now I turn it over to you.

Which part of this Case

Study shocked you the
most?

In the end, if you want to

appreciate this hectic
effort, do consider
sharing it.

And if you want

amazing study
resources for O Levels,

Click Here!