English Primary Checkpoint Complete Resources>Notes & Practice Tests

Overview

• To score well in Section A(Reading) of the Paper 1 and Paper 2 it is important to be able to critically read the passage and recognize the purpose, tone, language, structure, and effect of it.
• When you are answering comprehension questions remember:
  • Some questions require answers in your own words.
  • Some questions need you to support your answer with evidence/quotes from the text.
  • Some questions want you to use both.
  • Use full sentences where necessary.
• Don’t spend more than 30 minutes on this section!
• The three common purposes of a text are:
  • To Inform-Provide information about a topic(Usually in Paper 1)
  • To Persuade-To convince the reader to agree with the author’s views on a subject(Usually in Paper 1)
  • To Entertain-To amuse and fascinate the readers(Usually in Paper 2)
• Understanding an outline, which is made up of a primary idea followed by a numbered list of supporting details, makes it easier to understand the purpose of the text. An outline can be found out by looking for list words and addition words like:
  • Several kinds of
  • Various causes
  • One
  • First of all
  • Also
• A writer’s tone displays his or her view towards a subject, which is often expressed through his or her choice of words.
• Identifying the genre of the text can make it easier to understand the tone.
• Here are a few genres:
  • Adventure
  • Comedy
  • Fantasy
  • Horror
  • Mystery
  • Science Fiction
• Informal Style
  • Addresses the reader directly
  • Simple sentences
• Formal Style
  • Third person
  • Complex sentences
  • Here are a few possible tones:
    • Admiring
    • Amused
    • Angry
    • Bitter
    • Confused
    • Concerned
    • Cruel
    • Excited
    • Frustrated
    • Pessimistic
    • Urgent
    • Worried
• Understanding the explicit meanings
  • Explicit meanings are obvious meanings.
  • Techniques such as Skimming (briefly reading) and Scanning (closely reading) can help identify the main ideas of the text, useful for the summary.
• Understanding the implicit meanings
• Implicit meanings are underlying or indirect meanings.
• Writers use various stylistic features of language

Punctuation and Structures

• Brackets – Used to give additional information that stands out.
• Capital Letters (The whole word) – Are used to lay emphasis.
• Colon – Is used to make the reader pause or start a list. It is also used for relating to or expanding on information before it.
• Commas – They are used in lists; they are used to mark clause divisions.
• Dash – It is to insert additional information.
• Ellipsis – Are used to make the reader continue reading; the intentional omission of words; a pause in speech; an unfinished thought; a sentence that trails into silence.
• Exclamation Mark – Used to excite the senses and show something is surprising or forceful.
• Semicolon – It can join two clauses to substitute a conjunction and to separate information in a sentence.
• Speech marks – Used to show dialogue.
• Long sentences- To create a feel of relaxation or reaching a climax.
• Short sentences- To quicken the pace.
• Connectives- to sequence events and to show the order of occurrence.
• Passive form- It describes the process, highlighting it than the character
• Active form- To describe the subject in detail.
• Sub-headings- To draw attention to or highlight specific information in a text and make it easier to follow.
• Sentence types- Simple, Compound and Complex
  • Simple- Create tension and quicken pace.
  • Compound- It joined by a conjunction such as ‘and’ or ‘but’, providing more information or give an extra viewpoint.
  • Complex- Provides extra detail and information.
• Poetry
  • Stanza is a sequence of poetic lines grouped together.
  • Rhyme is the repetition of similar sounds.
  • Rhythm in the poetry is made by the arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line.
  • Meter is the simple rhythmic structure of lines in a verse.
  • Couplet is a two line stanza.
  • Tercet is a three line stanza.
  • Quatrain is a four line stanza.
  • Cinquain is a five line stanza. o Sestet is a six line stanza.
  • Octave is an eight line stanza.
  • Types of poems:
    • Narrative- Tells a story and has a plot.
    • Lyric- Portrays powerful emotions.
    • Descriptive- Describes the atmosphere and society the poet is living in.
  • Types of poem structures:
    • Free verse- Does not have definite structure and rhyme scheme.
    • Sonnet- Consists of 14 lines and has a specific rhyme scheme.
    • Elegy- Poem lamenting the dead.
    • Ballad- Story narrated in form of a lyrical poem.
    • Villanelle- It has fixed form has 2 rhymes and 19 lines.
    • Ode- Praises a specific person, thing or event.

Overview

• To score well in the Section B (Writing) of the Paper 1 and Paper 2 it is important to express yourself clearly by presenting a well-structured piece, adhering to the required format.
• Adhere to the word limit.

Summary Writing

• Summary Writing
  • Read the question and the title to know what the passage is about.
  • Underline or circle points which you feel are important or relevant.
  • Try grouping points which are similar.
  • Use connectives to form complex sentences.
  • Include statistical data if relevant.
  • Do not give opinions.
  • Do not use direct speech.
  • Do not use first person.
  • Do not give a conclusion.

Formats-Paper 1-Non-Fiction

• Magazine Article
  • Use a catchy title.
  • Use subheadings for better organization and presentation.
  • Make use of rhetorical questions (questions which do not require an answer).
• Diary
  • Write the date in the corner or on the first line. o Open with “Dear Diary” or “Dear [Insert Name]”
  • Use informal language but avoid using colloquial words and abbreviations.
  • Sign off with your name/name of the character if based on the extract of Section A.
• News Paper Report
  • Begin with a catchy headline.
  • Make use of a lead line (small line after headline summarizing the report) and by-line (line mentioning name of the writer).
  • First Paragraph: ▪ Who? ▪ When? ▪ Where? ▪ What?
  • Narrate the events in a chronological order.
  • Do not include opinions, unless mentioning eyewitnesses’ quote.
  • Use time connectives (after, before, later that day, at the same time).
  • End with a prediction of the future.
• Speech
  • It does not have a specific layout as it is meant to be spoken rather than written, so it is more of a script.
  • Introduce yourself.
  • Make an impressive opening statement using either of these:
    • A rhetorical question
    • A surprising statement
    • A famous quote
  • To enhance your work, include:
    • Literary devices
    • Facts
    • Opinions
    • Emotive language
    • Use a variety of sentence structures.
    • Use the list of three.
  • Use personal details and anecdotes
• Informal letter
  • Format:
    • Salutation (Dear/Dearest)
    • Introduction
    • Body
    • Conclusion
  • Sign off with your name/name of the character if based on the extract of Section A.
  • Avoid using abbreviations and slang terms.
  • Keep the tone very friendly.
  • Try using time phrases (shortly after that/later/that afternoon/after dinner)
• Formal letter
  • Format:
    • Salutations and Signatures
    • Introduction
    • Body
    • Conclusion
  • Use formal language.
  • Do not use contractions.
  • Keep the tone respectful and serious.
  • Dive right into the point.
• Autobiography
  • Write it in 1st person.
  • Do not start your essay with a quote, unless it is important for your story.
  • After explaining the background, come straight to the point and state your reason.
  • Finish with a clear, engaging, and memorable conclusion.

Formats-Paper 2-Fiction

• Narrative/Story Writing
  • First or third person depending on the question.
  • Must have a conflict and resolution.
  • Conflicts could be:
    • Man vs Man.
    • Man vs Self.
    • Man vs Supernatural.
    • Man, vs Nature.
    • Man vs Society.
  • Setting must have potential for adventure – perhaps terror or danger. o Use long sentences to create a feel of relaxation or reaching a climax.
  • Use short sentences to quicken the pace.
  • Use varied vocabulary to amplify the effect and enrich the piece.
  • Alter paragraph length according to the importance of the content in that paragraph.
  • Format:
    • Paragraph 1 – Setting
    • Paragraph 2 – Character development
    • Paragraph 3 – Conflict
    • Paragraph 4 – Resolution
    • Paragraph 5 – Ending

Extra Tips

• Before the paper:
  • Regularly read books and stories to enhance your writing.
  • Understand all the formats clearly and practice them.
  • Build up your vocabulary by exposing yourself to an array of genres.
• During the paper:
  • Read the question carefully.
  • Spend up to 5 minutes to organize your thoughts and plot a rough draft, to make sure the story will flow and not be an unorganized mess.
  • Avoid making grammar mistakes, use correct punctuation and spelling to not distract the examiner from the content.

Overview

• To score well in the listening component, it is important to be attentive and careful while attempting.
• This skill can be overall improved by exposing yourself to varied films, podcasts, radio stations (online) or anything, including non-interactive listening, that you enjoy in English!
• Dedicate few minutes of a day to practice listening skills and keep a record of new words and phrases you pick out – this will aid your reading, listening, speaking and writing.
• Practice regularly to fine tune your skills and to avoid losing marks.

Before the paper

• Read and listen to instructions – this will give you information such as the number of questions and content of the section.
• Use the preparation time before each recording is played to go through the questions and think about the content.
• Do not use a pen, use a pencil.
• Underline key words in the questions, usually nouns and verbs.
• Try predicting any answers- however, resort to them only if you miss the answer when the recording is playing.

During the paper

• Do not worry if you cannot comprehend everything; understanding the central idea is generally enough.
• You hear the recordings twice, so do not worry if you miss it.
• When you move to the next question, forget the previous ones and come back to that one later.
• Make sure you have followed the numbering correctly.
• Avoid making spelling mistakes, as your marks might be deducted for them.

During the paper

• Do not leave a blank space on the sheet, if you do not know the answer, guess it.
• Check everything on your answer sheet