Key Preparation Notes for Exam

Exam Structure

  • Total Marks: 25 marks

  • Duration: 15 minutes (plus 12.5 minutes if extra time is granted)

Section 1: Point Evidence Analysis

  • Format: 5 mark question format (Point, Evidence, Analysis, Think)

  • Content: Requires you to make a statement and support it with evidence from the text, followed by your analysis.

Section 2: Descriptive Writing

  • Task: Write one descriptive paragraph

    • Example topics:

    • Describing the outside of a prison

    • Stormy night at sea

    • Abandoned castle

  • Evaluation Criteria:

    • Structure: Is the paragraph well-structured?

    • Figurative Language: Use of personification, metaphor, simile, etc.

    • Vocabulary: Level of creativity and vocabulary richness

    • SPAG (Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar): Proper use of grammar and punctuation is critical.

    • Creativity: Engage the reader with imaginative language, rather than simply stating facts.

Types of Descriptive Approaches

  • Setting: Offers a broad perspective (bird's eye view).

  • Positioning: Provides an internal perspective in the scene.

  • Exam Instruction: You'll be instructed whether to write about setting or positioning in the exam prompt.

Preparation Strategies

  • Practice Identifying Quotes: Review past exercises where quotations were identified from texts.

  • Understand Techniques: Familiarize with narrative techniques and their effects in writing.

  • Descriptive Practice: Focus on enhancing descriptive sentences and the use of conjunctions for complex sentences.

Assignment

  • Write descriptive sentences where you add punctuation and conjunctions as practice for cohesive writing.

  • Example sentences to work on:

    • "The sky was painted with streaks of amber and magenta."

    • "The chatter of her excited shoppers filled the air."

    • "The wind howled like a thousand wolves."

    • "The sea churned beneath the boat, dark waves rising and falling with violent force."

Comprehension Questions

  • Command Words: Understand what various command words such as "identify" mean in terms of reading tasks.

  • Example Task: Identify four attributes regarding a character (like the knife described).

  • Response Format: Write answers in a list form; use quotation marks for evidence from the text as necessary.

Tips for Writing Responses

  • Use varied sentence structures and avoid repetitiveness in conjunctions.

  • Vary your sentence starters to avoid monotony in writing.

  • Clarify main ideas by critically analyzing words and descriptions provided in the text.