CCHY 2022 EL-1128 Essay-Cheat-Sheet

1 ENGLISH LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT Paper 1: Essay Writing Cheat Sheet Secondary 4 Express / Secondary 5 Normal (Academic) NAME: ______________________( ) DATE: ______________ CLASS: _______ From the O Level English Syllabus Document (www.seab.gov.sg) Question Types: In general, O Level essays fall into these broad categories: 1. Personal Recount / Narrative 2. Descriptive-Reflective 3. Personal-Reflective 4. Discursive / Expository 5. Argumentative *Note: Increasingly, hybrid/unusual questions are being tested. For these novel question types, analyse the question extra carefully to understand what you are being asked to do and plan your essay before writing. Rubrics:  Highly accurate, apart from very occasional slips  Sentence structures varied for particular effects  Verbs forms largely correct and appropriate tenses consistently used  Vocabulary wide and precise  Punctuation accurate and helpful  Spelling accurate, apart from very occasional slips  Paragraphs have unity, are linked, and show evidence of planning  Consistently relevant; interest aroused and sustained  Tone and register entirely appropriate

2 Past-Year Essay Questions 1. Personal Recount / Narrative 1. Write about a time when you caused great disappointment to another person. What did you do about the situation? (2017) 2. ‘I had never seen my friend laugh so much!’ Write about a time when this happened. (2018) 3. ‘It was my proudest moment.’ Write about a time when you felt like this. (2019) 4. Write about a time when you did something just to impress someone which you later regretted. (2020) 2. Descriptive/ Reflective 1. Describe some of your experiences in food courts and hawker centres. How important are these places in your life as a teenager in Singapore? (2013) 2. Describe how you celebrated an important family occasion. Why will this event always remain in your memory? (2014) 3. Describe the possession that matters most to you and explain why you would never be prepared to part with it. (2015) 4. Describe a toy, or a game you played, which still means a great deal to you. Why is it so important? (2016) 5. Describe a place which means a great deal to you. Why is it so important? (2017) 6. Describe an event that you looked forward to which turned out to be disappointing. Explain why you were excited about it and why it didn’t live up to your expectations. (2018) 7. Which person has had the most impact on your life? Describe this individual’s personality and in what ways he or she has influenced you. (2019) 8. Describe the things that you do to relax after you have been very busy. Explain why you find them enjoyable. (2020) 3. Personal Reflective 1. What do you consider to be your greatest achievement? Why does it mean so much to you? (2013) 2. Which person has the greatest influence on your life at this present time, and why? (2014) 3. ‘The best things in life are free.’ Write about some of the occasions when you have found this to be true. (2014) 4. What are your ambitions for the future? Explain how you plan to achieve them, including any possible difficulties. (2016) 5. ‘People should always tell the truth.’ Do you think there are any situations in which this might not be the best thing to do? Explain your views. (2017) 6. Some people like to stand out from the crowd; other just want to be part of it. Which do you prefer and why? (2018) 7. Which modern invention is essential for you and your family and which one could you and your family live without? Explain your views. (2018) 8. ‘There is no place like home.” How true is this for you? (2020) 4. Discursive/ Expository 1. What features of Singapore and its citizens make it a major tourist attraction for people from all over the world? (2014) 2. ‘Shoppers have too much choice, from chocolate bars to jeans.’ What, in your opinion are the advantages and disadvantages of having many things to choose from? (2015) 5. Argumentative 1. ‘The way we dress reveals who we are.’ What are your views? (2013) 2. Parents often believe that it is better to be safe than sorry. Do you consider young people to be too protected? (2013) 3. ‘The world would be a dull place without music.’ What are your views? (2015) 4. Do electronic devices, such as tablets or smart phones, help or hinder students in their studies? (2015) 5. Do you agree that we can learn from the mistakes of others or do we need to learn from our own experiences? (2016) 6. To what extent do you agree with the idea that some teenagers lead an unhealthy lifestyle? Give reasons for your views. (2016) 7. It is often said that people are too concerned with getting things and spending money. What is your opinion? (2017) 8. ‘Most young people today are obsessed with fame and imitating celebrities.’ What are your views? (2019) 9. ‘People can only be happy if they feel they are treated fairly.’ Do you agree? (2019) 10. ‘Learning how to respond to making mistakes is an essential part of becoming successful.’ What is your opinion? (2020)

3 Common Language Errors Incorrect Correct Tense (past vs present) Once, when I am in Primary Five, I make a mistake. People think school was all about studying. Once, when I was in Primary Five, I made a mistake. People think school is all about studying. Contractions (Don’t use them except in dialogue!) I didn’t want to look bad in front of her. Students won’t feel so stressed when they learn in the comfort of their home. I did not want to look bad in front of her. Students will not feel so stressed when they learn in the comfort of their home. Singular/ Plural If student learn this values, they will become better people in societies. One of the reason people do this is peer pressure. If students learn these values, they will become better people in society. One of the reason people do this is peer pressure. Subject-Verb Agreement (Use the ‘one-S’ tip to check) Saving the environment and endangered animals are extremely important. Young people who love fashion often buys branded goods. Saving the environment and endangered animals is extremely important. Young people who love fashion often buy branded goods. Inaccurate sentences (Don’t begin sentences with And/But/So) And, CCE lessons are helpful. So, online learning is beneficial. Some people do not like K-pop. But K-pop is still my favourite genre. CCE lessons are helpful. Online learning is beneficial. Some people do not like K-pop, but it is still my favourite genre. Incomplete sentences (Each sentence should have a subject – person or thing) Running as fast as she could. To buy the tickets for the concert, queueing for a long time. As we laughed and talked about our childhood. For example, learning new skills. She ran as fast as she could. To buy the tickets for the concert, he queued for a long time. We laughed and talked about our childhood. For example, learning new skills is beneficial for students. Run-on sentences (Use full stops and linking words) Learning at home is beneficial, students can start at any time of the day, they will not feel sleepy like in school. Learning at home is beneficial because students can start at any time of the day. They will not feel sleepy like in school. Uncountable Nouns • advices • equipments • staffs • elderlies • litters • pieces of advice • equipment • staff • elderly people • pieces of litter Two words • hardwork • infront • alot • hard work • in front • a lot

4 Varying Sentence Structure After you have finished writing, check your work for the accuracy and complexity of your sentence structures. Notes Examples Complex Connectors Sentences must have two parts. To check: you should be able to switch the two part