Zenith O-Level Examination Revision Notes (Paper 1)

ZenithEducationStudio Name: _____________________________ Date: __________________ O-Level ExaminationRevisionNotes–Paper 1 Overview TheO-LevelPaper1isworthatotalof 70marksandcomprises3keysegments: SectionA:Editing(10m)Identifyandcorrectgrammaticalerrorsinashorttext. SectionB:SituationalWriting(30m)Write250-350wordsonagivensituation,involvingviewingavisualtext.Youwouldberequiredtowriteatextthatsuitsthepurpose,audienceandcontextofthegivensituation. SectionC:ContinuousWriting(30m)Write350-500wordsononeoffouressayquestions.Theessayquestionscouldrequireyoutowriteapersonalrecount,descriptiveorexpositoryessay.Itmayalsobeahybridoftwodifferentquestions. Studentsaregiven1hr 50minstocompletetheentirepaper. General Tipsfor Paper 1 1. Efficient Time Management:Planyourtimewiselybyallocatingspecificdurationstoeachsection.Arecommendedtimingbreakdownisasfollows:10minutes Editing 10minutes AnalyseandPlanSituationalWriting 30minutes WriteSituationalWritingResponse 10minutes AnalyseandPlanContinuousWriting 40minutes WriteContinuousWritingResponse 10minutes Reviewbothwritingsegments2. Carefully Read Questions:Takethetimetothoroughlyunderstandthequestionsbeforeplanningyourresponse.3. Develop Ideas Fully: Ensure that each idea in your writing is well-developed andarticulated.4. Prioritise language accuracy: Focus on grammatical correctness and clarity inyourwriting. 1

ZenithEducationStudio SectionA: Editing Intheeditingsegmentofthepaper,thereare8typesof errorstolookoutfor. No. Typeof Error IdentificationTips 1 Articles Articles(the, a, an)indicatespecificity. Use “the”forspecificnounsand“a/an”fornon-specificnouns.Use“an”beforevowelsounds. 2 Subject-VerbAgreement Ensurethesubjectandverbagreeinnumber(singular/plural).Identifythemainsubjectandverifythecorrespondingverb. 3 Singular/Plural Recognise determiners indicating singular or plural nouns (e.g.this/thatforsingular;these/thoseforplural) 4 Pronouns Usepronouns(I,you,he,she,it,they)appropriatelytoreplacenouns.Bemindfulofpersonalandrelativepronouns. 5 Tenses Tense should be consistent throughout the passage(past/present/future),unlessreferringtootherevents. 6 Connectors Checkthattheappropriateconnectors(and,but,because)areusedtolinkideaswithinandbetweensentences. 7 Prepositions Identify relationships between words (e.g., in, on, at) to indicatedirection,timeandlocation. 8 WordForms Determinethecorrectformofawordbasedonitscontext(noun,verb,adjectiveandadverb). Note: ThereareNOspellingor punctuationerrorsintheeditingtask. 2

ZenithEducationStudio SectionB: Situational Writing Forthesituationalwritingtask,youmayberequiredtoproduceoneofthefollowingtexttypes:● Informalemail/letter● Formalemail/letter● Speech● Article Regardlessoftheformat,alwaysbemindfulofPurpose,Audience,andContext(PAC)ofthesituation,andensureyourwritingreflectsthisawareness. Assessment CriteriaTherearetwoassessmentcriteriaforsituationalwriting: TaskFulfilment [10marks] Language[20marks] ● Addressingtherequiredpoints○ Addressrequiredpointsexplicitly○ Developallideasindetail ● Showingawarenessof thepurpose,audienceandcontext○ Purpose:theaimandintendedoutcomeofthetext○ Audience:audience’sexpectations○ Context:informationthathelpsyouunderstandthesituation○ ReflectawarenessofPACthroughoutyourwriting ● Usingthegiveninformation○ Usegiveninformationstrategicallytosupportallideas○ Paraphraseandelaborateonasmuchgiveninformationaspossible ● Organisationof ideas○ Makeuseofsignpoststocreatetheflowinyouressayandshowtheconnectionbetweenyourideas ● Clarityof expression○ Usepreciselanguagetoexpressyourideas,avoidingvaguewords ● Accuracyof language○ CheckforSVA,singular/plural,tenseandsentencestructureerrors 3

ZenithEducationStudio General Structure Paragraph1 ● Greetyouraudience○ e.g. I hopethisemail findsyouwell, I hopeyouarehavingapleasant week, I hopeyouarehavingagreat day, etc.● Introduceyourself○ Provideinformationonyourname,class,school,year,ordesignationdependingonthecontext● Establishpurpose○ Stateyourpurposeinadirectandconcisemannersoyouraudiencehasaclearideaofwhatyouremailwillbeabout Paragraphs2-4 ● Addresseachbulletpointexplicitlyinseparateparagraphs● Linkbetweenallideasusingsignposts○ Addinginformation■ Furthermore, Additionally, Inaddition, Moreover○ Highlightingkeypoints:■ I wouldliketoemphasisethat…○ Sequencingideas:■ Firstly, Secondly, Lastly○ Providefurtherexplanation:■ For example…/ Asaresult…/ Thisisbecause…○ Contrastingideas:■ Onthecontrary, However, Incontrast, Ontheother hand○ Summarisingideas:■ Inconclusion,Insummary,● Trytoconnecteachideathemainpurposeofthetask Paragraph5 ● Concludebysummingupallideas○ e.g. Inconclusion…● Statethefollow-upactionforyouraudience○ e.g. I hopeyouwouldtakethetimetoconsider myproposal…/ (ifareplyisneeded) I lookforwardtohearingfromyousoon…● Thankyouraudiencefortheirtime○ e.g. Thankyoufor takingthetimetoreadthroughmyemail /letter…/ Thankyoufor your attentiontothismatter. 4

ZenithEducationStudio Situational WritingStructures InformalLetter Structureof Format ExampleNameofwriter JohnAddressofwriter Block123WoodlandsAve1#09-107Singapore123456 Dateofletter 3October2024 Salutation DearTom Contentofletter XXX Valediction LoveJohn FormalLetter Structureof Format ExampleFullnameofwriter JohnTanDesignationofwriter HeadPrefectAddressoforganisationwriterbelongsto ABCSecondarySchool1BishanRoadSingapore123456 Dateofletter 3October2024 Nameofrecipient Mr.EdwinLauDesignationofrecipient PrincipalAddressoforganisationrecipientbelongsto ABCSecondarySchool1BishanRoadSingapore123456 Salutation DearMr.Lau TitleofLetter SuggestionsforRecreationalAreainSchool Contentofletter XXX Valediction YourssincerelySignature JohFullnameofwriter JohnTan 5

ZenithEducationStudio Email Structureof Format ExampleEmailaddressofrecipient To:<edwinlau@gmail.com>Emailaddressofsender From:<john.tan@gmail.com>Subject Subject:SuggestionsforRecreationalAreainSchool Date 3October2024 Salutation DearMrLau Contentofletter XXX Valediction Yourssincerely,JohnTan Speech Structureof Format ExampleIntroduction Goodmorning… Contentofspeech XXX Closing Thankyoufor your kindattention.Statecalltoaction. Article Structureof Format ExampleTitleofArticle VisitingACareerFair Contentofarticle XXX 6

ZenithEducationStudio ContinuousWriting Forthecontinuouswritingtask,youwillwriteoneofthefollowingtypesofessays,orahybridformcombiningtwo:● PersonalRecount● DescriptiveEssay● ExpositoryEssay Eachofthemhavetheirowndistinctivefeaturesthatmustbereflectedinyouressay. Assessment CriteriaTherearetwoassessmentcriteriaforcontinuouswriting: Content [10marks] Language[20marks] ● Addressingthetask○ Allpointsofthetaskareskilfullyaddressedthroughcloseattentiontothekeywordsofthequestion○ Ideasarefullydevelopedtosupportthetask ● Organisationof ideas○ Makeuseofsignpoststocreatetheflowinyouressayandshowtheconnectionbetweenyourideas ● Clarityof expression○ Usearangeofvocabularyandpreciselanguagetoexpressyourideas,avoidingvaguewords ● Accuracyof language○ CheckforSVA,singular/plural,tenseandsentencestructureerrors Tipsfor ContinuousWriting1. Analysethekeywordsofeachquestiontofullyunderstandthetaskrequirements. 2. Planyouressaybeforebeginningtowrite.Thiswillensurethatyouressayisfocusedonthetaskrequirements. 3. Avoidoverlycomplexplotsandideas. Rememberthatyouareonlyrequiredtowrite350-500wordswithinashortamountoftime. 4. Prioritiseclarityandaccuracy.Leaveenoughtimeattheendofyouressaytocheckyourwork. 7

ZenithEducationStudio Personal RecountApersonalrecountisadescriptionofaneventorexperiencethatthewriterhaspreviouslygonethrough,andistoldfromthefirst-personperspective. CharacteristicsofPersonalRecount:● Narratesaneventorexperiencethewriterwasdirectlyinvolvedin● Usesfirst-personpronouns“I”,“me”,my”,etc.● Includespersonalthoughtsandfeelingswithinthenarrative● Writteninpasttense StructureofPersonalRecount: 1. Orientation○ Introducesthemaincharacters,setsthescenewithdetailsabouttimeandplaceandpresentstheinitial situationor conflict. 2. RisingAction○ Describetheeventsthatleadtotheclimax.○ Includeanychallengesorobst