Common Keywords in Essay Questions and their Associated Strategies Part 2 [for ASR]

Common Keywords in Essay Questions and their Associated Strategies (Part 2) 5. ‘Significance’/ ‘Importance’ ‘Practical ability is just as important as intellectual skills.' How far is this true in your society? (2017) How important is it for citizens to know about the history of their country? (EJC 2020) ‘To be a good leader, character is more important than intelligence.’ What is your view? (NJC 2020) How important is it for young people to be involved in political activism? (ACJC 2020) In a world dominated by superpowers, can small countries play a significant role on the global stage? (CJC 2019) ‘Mental health is more important than physical health.’ How far do you agree with this statement? (EJC 2019) Given the competitiveness of international firms, how important is it to support local businesses in your country? (NJC 2019) Results are more important than processes in scientific research. To what extent do you agree? (NYJC 2019) Do you agree that it is important to know a foreign language today? (NYJC 2019) How important is it for young people in your society to retain a sense of tradition? (SAJC 2019) How far is it important for people to be aware of epidemics in today’s world? (YIJC TA1 2020) Common Mistakes: Students tend to provide the benefits of the action (e.g. knowing a foreign language) or subject-matter (results, character, etc.) and argue that these benefits make the action/subject-matter important. However, they do not have clear reasons for why these benefits are significant/important. How to show that a policy/measure is ‘significant’ or ‘important’? After stating the benefits of the action or subject-matter, please include one of the following in your elaboration: 1. Consider the speed and scale of the benefit to elaborate on its impact (social. economic, political, etc.) 2. Use context (of world, society, human condition/nature) to emphasise the impact – The psychological stress that arises from competition will only rear its ugly head repeatedly, given that the need for social recognition, according to psychologist Abraham Maslow, is an essential human need. Example: How far is it important for people to be aware of epidemics in today’s world? It is important for people to be aware of epidemics in today’s world as such an awareness enables them to better understand extreme measures taken by authorities (benefit) to contain the situation . Public buy-in and cooperation are essential for effective epidemic management (impact). Example: The Hong Kong government took extreme measures to contain the H1N1 outbreak in 2009. This includes the complete shut down and quarantine of an entire hotel. Schools were also closed early. The cooperation of the people in coping with these extreme measures made the efforts effective. It was reported in the 2010 National Center for Biotechnology Information that these efforts helped to delay local transmission by 40 days.

6. ‘Relevance’/ ‘Place’ ‘F