Here is a CXC past paper type summary writing question. This is the type of summary writing question that has been on CXC English A past papers
NB: CXC suggests spending no more than 3 NB: CXC than 3 minutes to minutes to answer the summary writing question in Section one, paper 2 of t he English A exam. !ea" #arefully the following #on$ersation between !oss an" %usan an" then answer the question below it.
!oss:
Susan Charles, a fine secretary you are! ont you "now that the students from #uadeloupe arri$e on Septem%er & 'th(
%usan: )oth the %oys and the girls. So what else is new( *one of your wisecrac"s. +hats only a month away and we ha$ent !oss: found accommodation for them as yet. +he hotel says there wont %e any room at that time. As secretary of the clu%, its your responsi%ility... responsi%ility... "now, "now. ll arrange for them to stay in pri$ate homes. m sure %usan: the $illagers wont mind ta"ing them in for a small charge. ts only for two wee"s. -ur $isitors are %oo"ed to lea$e on the /th. *ot a %ad idea. 0hy dont you write to all the $illagers as"ing them to !oss: write to us if they are interested in putting up these students( wonder how much theyll charge. ll as" them to gi$e their rates. 0ell 0ell ha$e to insist, though, that the %usan: $illagers who are interested must %e a%le to spea" 1rench. +he #uadeloupans spea" no English. !oss: At least not the six who are coming. Should the $illagers pro$ide meals( %usan:
)rea"fast and dinner, except on Sundays when they must include lunch as well.
thin" we should let the t he $illagers "now that two clu% mem%ers will want !oss: to inspect homes and chat with the applicants %efore ma"ing the selection. %usan:
Agreed. etters from those who are interested should reach us %y August 23th. +hen our mem%ers can $isit on the 24th.
!oss: After six p.m., suppose( Should the $illagers write to you as secretary(
%usan:
5ight on %oth counts6 ll tell them to write to7 +he Secretary en%y Sports Clu% 8.-. )ox 3 Arroyo 9illage.
!oss: )ut suppose a $illager can put up more than one student( %usan: All the %etter, my friend, all the %etter. magine that you are Susan. &n not more than '( wor"s, wor"s , write the letter to the $illagers. :ar"s will %e gi$en for (1) content, (2) organisation and organisation and (3) expression 3( mar)s
Here are CXC past paper type rea"ing #omprehension questions +hese questions do not ha$e any suggested answers. ;ou should attempt to answer them to gi$e yourself practice on CXC type reading comprension questions. +hese are the types of questions that will appear in section 2, paper 2 of the English A exam. '. !ea" the following e*tra#t #arefully an" then answer all the questions set on it. 8ita panic"ed. +here was nothing he could do. then a cry of ?oy.
Suggested answer a@
Suggested answer %@ +he writer is trying to create suspensetensionfast>mo$ing suspensetensionfast>mo$ing action. +uestion c@ State -*E word which could descri%e 8itas feelings when he realised, +here were millions of holes ... %ut none large enough. (2 marks) c@ Alarmanxietyfrustrationdesper Alarmanxietyfrustrationdesperation. ation. +uestion d@ 0hy does the author repeat squee=ed in line 3( (3 marks)
Suggested answer d@ +he word is repeated to show the tremendous effort the fish is ma"ing in its %id to escape. +uestion e@ 0ho or what does the monster refer to( (2 marks)
Suggested answer e@ +he monster is the net +uestion f@ 0hy does the writer use fateful to descri%e the shore( (2 marks)
Suggested answer f@ +he word is used %ecause that is where the fate of the fish was decidedwhere death too" place. +uestion g@ 0hy does 8ita utter a cry of ?oy( (1 mark)
Suggested answer g@ 8ita utters a cry of ?oy as he was now free. +uestion h@ 0hy was the sound of the %rea"ers a %itter memory( (2 memory( (2 marks)
Suggested answer h@ t was the sound of the place where he would ha$e died.
Here are CXC past paper type short story questions. +hese are the types of short story questions that ha$e %een on CXC English A past papers
NB CXC suggests spending no more than , NB CXC than , minutes to minutes to answer the short story question on 8aper 2 of the English A exam. +hey also suggest ,(( - ,( wor"sas wor"sas the short story length &.
0rite a story entitled,B+he entitled,B+h e decision that sa$ed my life.B
2.
Bamila turned and wal"ed away. "new then that had lost a friend.B 0rite a story in which this sentence plays an important part. important part.
.
0rite either a story ! a a description entitled, B+he $illage where no%ody li$es anymoreB.
D.
0rite a story which leads up to the following ending7 B+o this day, people passing through Coconut #ro$e still stop to as" for 0aspie.B
'.
0rite a story entitled7 B+he ream +hat Came +rue.B
Here are CXC past paper type persuasi$e essay questions. These are the types of persuasi$e essay questions that ha$e been on CXC English A past papers NB: CXC suggests spending no more than 3( NB: CXC than 3( minutes to minutes to answer the persuasi$e essay question on 8aper 2 of the English A exam. +hey also suggest /( - 3(( wor"s as wor"s as the length of the persuasi$e essay. essay.
&. 0rite an article article to the local newspaper newspaper expressing your your concern a%out a%out the high rate of traffic accidents in your country. Suggest three measures which would help to reduce this high rate of accidents.
2.
0rite an article for your school maga=ine a%out three ma?or pro%lems in your school and state how you would sol$e
each one.
. ;ou ;ou are on a committee planning the cele%rations cele%rations to mar" the anni$ersary of your school. ;ou ha$e heard that some of your classmates plan to %oycott the cele%rations, and you ha$e neen as"ed as"ed to ma"e a speech to persuade them to ta"e part. 0rite out your speech.
D.
'.
;our school council has as"ed for nominations for the B+eacher of the ;ear award. 0rite a letter to the council in which you suggest someone from your school, gi$ing strong arguments to support your choice.
0rite an article for a school maga=ine in which you present strong arguments either for or against the topic7 BSchool should %e a%olished.B
The Passage Comprehension passages are centred on a variety of topics, including the arts, social sciences, sciences, politics, literature etc. However, there is no need to have a specific knowledge of the topic on which the passage is centred. What is needed is the ability to understand the intended message of the passage by identifying and noting the following when reading:
Purpose – Purpose – Is the given piece describing, eplaining or informing the reader about a topic or an event! or is it seeking to persuade the reader" What is the underlying theme" Is it violence" Is the piece stating facts or opinions" Is the literature literature describing the aftermath of a natural disaster" #r, #r, is it of a political speech" $ll these %uestions and more can be answered once a reader can identify the purpose of a piece.
Tone – Tone – &his is the epression of a mood or emotion that the writer shows toward the material in the piece and'or to the readers. read ers. &he tone of a passage may be happy, playful, angry, serious, ironic, outraged, displeasure etc.
Figures of Speech – Speech – &his is defined as a word or o r phrase that departs from everyday literal language for the sake of comparison, co mparison, emphasis, clarity, or freshness. &he ability to identify and eplain the significance of figures of speech is an asset to readers especially if the piece is a poem. (amples of figures of speech are similes, metaphors, euphemism and irony. irony.
Context Clues – Clues – )egardless of how wide one*s vocabulary is, the probability of encou ntering an unfamiliar word in a passage'etract is rather high. It is therefore important that you know how to use contet clues to figure out the meaning of unfamiliar words. &his involves noting how the word is used, including the part of speech and its relationship to other words'ideas in the contet in which it is used.
Signal Words and Phrases – Phrases – &hese words and phrases help readers to understand the relationship between ideas in a passage. +elow is a list of signal words and phrases.
$ddition words:
also, in addition
Cause and effect words:
as a result, therefore
Contrast words:
conversely, in contrast
(mphasis words:
more importantly, importantly, remember, note
&ime words:
before, meanwhile
Punctuations – Punctuations – When reading any piece of work, it is important to note the punctuation p unctuation marks used as these marks often have significance and thus must be taken into consideration co nsideration in order to make sense of the piece.
Setting – – &his is the surroundings or environment in which a story is set. If the piece is narrating a story or describing an event, clues c lues to the setting will be provided in the piece.
Question Types &he ability to identify the maor reading comprehension %uestion types and thus, being able to recogni-e what a given %uestion is asking for, is a maor asset when doing comprehension passages. +elow is a list of the most fre%uent fre%uent %uestion types.
Main Idea – Idea – &hese %uestions re%uire readers to find the c entral message of a passage, and are often phrased in the forms below:
Which of the following best epresses the main idea o f the passage"
&he author*s primary purpose is to/
&he main point of the passage is to/
Specific Details – Details – &hese %uestions re%uire readers to be able to identify what the author'passage states.
Which of the following is best supported by the p assage"
$ccording to the passage/
&he passage states all the following ecept/
Tone – Tone – &hese are %uestions that re%uire readers to identify the authors, or characters in the passage mood or emotion.
&he author*s tone is one of/
&he author regards that idea with/
0ane is revealed as a person who is/
Drawing Inferences – Inferences – &hese %uestions re%uire readers to note wh at the passage eplicitly states, and use these facts to identify implications.
&he passage suggests that/
It can be inferred from the passage that/
&he author implies all the following ecept/
Applications to Situations – Situations – &hese %uestions re%uire readers to be able to identify from the positions stated in the passage, what the author*s stance stance would be on other matters.
With With which of the following would the author of the passage most likely agree"
Figures of Speech Alliteration Alliter ation And Anaphora Anaphora Alliteration
&his is the repetition of the same initial consonant sound in close succession.
(amples:
&he d aily aily d iary iary of the $merican d ream. ream. 1Wall 1Wall 2treet 0ournal – 2logan3
4ou*ll never put a better bit of butter on your knife. 1Country 5ife +utter – $dvertising 2logan3
Anaphora
&his is the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of consecutive sentences or verses.
(amples:
6We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in in 7rance, we shall fight on on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island,
whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on on the beaches, we shall fight on on the landing grounds, we shall fight in in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in in the hills! we shall never surrender.8 surrender.8 1Winston 1Winston Churchill, speech to the House House of Commons, 0une 9, ;9<3
6/ I have a dream that one day on the red hills of =eorgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of >ississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of inustice,
sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and ustice. I have a dream that my four little children will one day da y live in a nation where they will not be udged by b y the colour of their skin but by the content of their character/8 1>artin 5uther ?ing, 0r. I Have a @ream speech, $ugust AB, ;D3
Antithesis
&his literary device is one in which an opposition or contrast of ideas'words'phrases are epressed.
(amples:
I*ll be damned if I do it, damned if I don*t.
When there is need for silence, you speak, and when there is need for speech, you are silent.
Apostrophe
&his figure of speech is one in which wh ich an absent or noneistent person or thing is personified, and addressed as if present and capable of understanding.
(amples:
6+lue >oon, you saw me standing alone, without a dream in my heart, without a love of my own.8 1 5oren- Hart and )ichard )odgers, 6+lue >oon83
&he clouds became angry, angr y, and started crying. What are you crying for" I asked.
Assonance
&his is the similarity in sound of internal vowels in neighbouring words.
(amples:
6It beats as it swee ps as it cleans.8 1Hoover Eacuum Eacuum Cleaners 2logan3
6I must conf ess that in my %u est I f elt depr essed and r estless.8 1 &hin 5i--y, 5i-- y, 6With 6With 5ove83
Euphemism
&he use of a mild or less direct word in place of one that is harsh h arsh 1aka Fsugarcoating*3.
(amples:
@id you see 4endi 4endi and 7rankenstein*s sister come out of #ld Gavy"
Her father went to be with the angels last month.
Hyperbole
&his is the use of an eaggeration eagg eration for emphasis.
(amples:
#n visiting &ivoli =ardens in ?ingston 0amaica, after the onslaught between criminal elements and security forces, the state of the infrastructure far eceeded video clips of images in Ira%.
#n reading the candidate*s speech, it was so well written! w ritten! it reminded me of @r. >artin >artin 5uther ?ing*s, I Have I Have a Drea! 2peech. Drea! 2peech.
Irony
&he two most used types of irony are verbal and situational.
Verbal Ve rbal Irony
&his case eists when the meaning of a word in a given contet, is opposite to the literal meaning.
(amples:
64et 64et +rutus says he was ambitious! $nd +rutus is an honourable man.8 1 0ulius Caesar, by William William 2hakespeare3 2hake speare3
2arah and 0essie were sitting under an apple tree having brunch, when they the y realised 2arah was sitting in an ants* nest. 0essie while helping 2arah to brush off the insects remarked, 6$ren*t you the lucky one8
Situational Irony
&his occurs, when the actual outcome, is contrary to the epected outcome.
(amples:
&he fire station is on fire.
2omeone choked to death on a Flife saver*.
Metaphor
&his is a comparison made between two things, without the use of the words Fas* or Flike*.
(amples:
&hat 0essie 0ames is a snake.
2he is a rainbow.
!ymoron
&his eists when contradicting words are used together 1one is used to modify the other3.
(amples:
(pressions like: original copy! found missing! terribly pleased! small crowd! clearly misunderstood! pretty ugly! great depression dep ression
6@id you respond to >arie*s %uestion"8 0ohn asked. 64es,8 0oe replied. 6I told her it was a definite a"#e.8 a"#e.8
Parado!
&his is a selfcontradicting statement or position.
(amples:
6War 6War is peace.8 67reedom is slavery.8 6Ignorance is strength.8 1=eorge #rwell, ;B 93
4ou 4ou can save money by spending it.
Personification
&his is the giving of human %ualities and or abilities to inanimate obects.
(amples:
7ear knocked on the door.
&his caera hates e! e! every time I use it, it acts up.
Pun
&his is a play on words, particularly words that have more than one meaning in the contet used.
(amples:
&he police reportedly found a peep hole in one of the rooms! we contacted the local office, and they said they were loo$ing into it .
$n archaeologist is a person whose career lies in ruins.
Simile
&his is a comparison made between people'things peo ple'things using Fas* or Flike*.
(amples:
&he character in the movie is as agile as a monkey.
0ohn is the student representative! he is as bright as the sun.
"rammar • • • • • •
Period and #omma Question Mar$ #olon and Semi%colon &ash and Parenthesis Quotation Mar$s E!clamation Mar$
Period
$ period .J is used at the end of complete sentences that:
Ma$es a stateent – – He is the heart of their defensive line.
%ives a coand – – $ll assignments are to be handed in no later than noon on &hursday.
Ma$es a re&uest – – Klease open your tetbooks and turn to page ten.
As$s an indirect &uestion &uestion – – &he principal asked me why wh y my undershirt was showing.
It is also used with abbreviations that are not written in all capital letters:
(amples:
(., >r., yr., p.m., i.e.
Gote, if a sentence ends with the use of a %uote, the period should be placed inside the %uotation marks.
>r. Goble insisted on calling 0ohn 6little one.8
#omma
Commas are used for the following reasons:
To separate words in a series – series – &he guy threw the stone, umped the wall, and ran away as %uickly as he could.
To set off inforation which when reoved does not alter the intention'eaning o f the sentence – sentence – &he Causeway, which connects Kortmore and ?ingston, was replaced with the Ko rtmore leg of the toll road.
To separate ad(ectives – ad(ectives – 2he is tall, fair, beautiful, elo%uent, and sassy. sassy.
To separate words'phrases of contrast – – Koliticians represent the people, yet they eploit them.
To introduce a &uote – &uote – &he defendant addressed the media today. He said, 6&he truth must come to light, and I will be found innocent.8
To connect independent phrases – phrases – >iss Gew 4ork 4ork was the best model, but not no t the best speaker.
To avoid confusion – confusion – Interestingly, the most interesting interesting thing about (dward 2eaga 2e aga is the interest he shows in &ivoli =ardens.
To set off introductor" phrases'clauses – phrases'clauses – #n the arrival of each celebrity to the theatre, the papara--i flocked the vehicles.
Question Mar$
$ %uestion mark is used to end a %uestion and in most cases, it immediately follows the %uestion.
What is the verdict"
We all agreed that she was wrong, but, why didn*t you inform her"
However, when a %uestion is followed by a clause that modifies it, the %uestion mark is placed at the end of the statement.
How could they hold him accountable for the theft, considering he had an alibi which was substantiated"
$s it relates to %uestion marks being used with %uotation marks, if the information being %uoted is a direct %uestion, the %uestion mark should be placed inside the %uotation marks.
6Who won the match"8 5aura asked.
If the information being %uoted is not a %uestion, the %uestion mark should be placed outside the %uotation marks.
Whose words are these 6I are the one8"
#olon
&he main purpose of the colon is to:
Introduce a list
&his is the instance in which colons are most fre%uently used.
&he reporter asked the >inister the following %uestions: When are you leaving to attend the international conference" What is your government*s stance on the topic to be discussed"
&he recipe for granny*s tasty sauce includes: garlic, tomato sauce, erk sauce, browning, black pepper and Chinese sauce.
Gote: capital letters are used after colons if it precedes complete sentence1s3.
Introduce a &uotation or explanation
5ionel >essi said at the postgame interview: 6Inter >ilan played a patient game! they moved well without the ball and made it very difficult for us.8
&his watch is the better buy: it is made of stainless steel, has rubber strap, it*s water resistant and has date display.
Gote: colons are always placed outside %uotation marks.
Introduce a stateent
)ecall we had to say sa y this every morning: 5abour for learning before you grow old, for learning is better than silver or gold, silver and gold will vanish away, but a good education will never decay.
Semicolon
&his punctuation mark is used for two main purposes: to separate items in a long list, that itself contains the use of commas 1this is a prime eample3! ea mple3! and to replace periods and commas co mmas in oining two independent sentences'clauses, to show their connection.
Separating ites
2emicolons should be used if items to be listed are long, and contains commas.
&he basketball players shortlisted for the award include ?obe +ryant, a ft guard of the )os the )os Angeles )a$ers! )a$ers! 5e+ron 0ames, a ft B forward of the Miai the Miai Heats! Heats! ?evin @urant, a ft ; forward of the *$lahoa Cit" Thunder ! and @wyane Wade, a ft 9 =uard of the Miai the Miai Heats. Heats.
+oining Sentences
2emicolons are used in oining sentences, to show'emphasi-e their relation.
&he lawyer defended his client the best he could! he even found himself in contempt of court on two occasions while feverishly cross eamining two of the prosecution*s witnesses.
Gote: semicolons are always placed outside %uotation marks.
&ash and Parenthesis
&hese punctuation marks are used when a sentence is Finterrupted* to state a fact, share an opinion and or to give an eplanation. 2ince they are used for the same purposes, deciding which of the two to use is usually left to the preference of the writer.
&he >iss 0amaica World World winner is beautiful beau tiful – she is the most beautiful winner I have ever seen. r World winner is beautiful 1she is the most beautiful winner I have r'' &he >iss 0amaica World ever seen3.
4ao 4ao >ing was in the room – the tallest man in the G+$ at Lft – talking to his r'' 4ao teammates. r 4ao >ing was in the room 1the tallest man in the G+$ at Lft 3 talking to his
teammates
He attacked the man – eager to avenge deeds he had done to him. r, He attacked the the man 1eager to avenge deeds he had done to him3.
Quotation Mar$s
&he main use of %uotation marks is to set off information which is a direct %uote.
64ou 64ou have no right to take my pen without my permission,8 0ohn said.
&he author in her first piece wrote, 62uccess is ne ver ending, failure is never final.8
#ther uses include:
Indicating an ironic word word – – &he women in the mess hall at the prison, shared 6food8 to the inmates.
To specif" nic$naes'alias – nic$naes'alias – (rwin 6>agic8 0ohnson
To indicate the title of artistic wor$ – – 67orever 4oung,8 is one of 0ayM*s singles from his latest album.
&he use of other punctuation marks with Nuotation Nu otation >arks
Nuestion marks, eclamation marks and dashes should be placed inside %uotation marks if they are a part of the %uotation, otherwise they should be placed outside ou tside the %uotation marks.
Colons and semicolons should be placed outside %uotation marks.
E!clamation Mar$
$n eclamation mark is used at the end of a command, interection and or a declaration.
&hat is utter rubbish
64es8 64es8 he replied, 6I want it now8
(clamation marks are placed inside %uotation marks if the information being %uoted is an eclamation. #therwise, the eclamation mark is placed outside the %uotation marks.
&he dog barked 6woof8 at the man.
2top referring to me as 6#reo8
Gote, commas and periods are not used after eclamation marks.
6I have been doing this for years8 he said. (T 6I have been doing this for years8 ' he said.
&he disaster is finally over (T &he disaster is finally over)
The Broad Outline The Broad Outline: When faced with an essay topic, one must start thinking thinking along these these lines:
The Breakdown Let’s break down these terms: THEME:: This is essentially what your story is about . It is the main message or story line. THEME (! "our main message or story line must be strong as the de#elopment of your characters$ conflict, clima% etc will also fail to de#elop properly and thus lose the attention of your readers. (&! The theme stems from the title of the essay. The title and theme are always interlinked as this guides your mind to the de#elopment of a strong message which leads to the plot, i.e. how the reader sees and understands the de#elopment de#elopment of your message through characters, description and other elements like the conflicts, twists etc. 'ome e%amples of themes include: ) *arrow +scape "ou can’t udge a book by its co#er -+#eryone who has passed through Indian illage has heard Waspie’s story/ (This is an e.g. of a statement which the e%aminer might gi#e to you and it must be included in your story.!
PLOT:: This is the sequence of cohesive events which take place within the story PLOT story as as a means of fulfilling or bringing to life or materialising your theme. It usually happens in this form: (1) Conflict Conflict 0 0 means a problem or some trouble or mishap. +#ery story must ha#e this in order to make it interesting. This conflict must increase to a 1lima%, until it is finally worked out or resol#ed at the end of the story. The 1onflict must ha#e the following elements: (i! 2ust be strong. strong . It must be engaging and always capture the reader’s attention. If not, y our story will be weak, weak, disinteresting. disinteresting. (ii! 2ust be credile (true credile (true to life!. It should not be farfetched i.e. #ery difficult to belie#e. 3owe#er, 3owe#er, a science fiction story can be incredible or fantastic. If you are gi#en a picture as the stimulus
material, then you must use of all its details. (iii! 2ust be ased be ased on the to!ic co"!letel# co"!letel# , otherwise it will be irrele#ant. ($) Conse%uent &ctions 0 &ctions 0 these are all the e#ents which come as a result of the 1onflict4problem. This helps to further build the story, the suspense. This also includes the de#elopment of your characters and also shows the importance of your characters to your plot. (') Cli"a Cli"a 0 0 is the highest point4peak of interest in your story. () *esolution *esolution 0 0 is the sol#ing of the pu55ling conflict. When the 1onflict reaches its highest point, i.e. 1lima%, it should then be worked out in the resolution. Things to note with the *esolution *esolution:: (i! If the resolution is too !redictale or easy or can be guessed, you story will be dull. (ii! 'tri#e for a sur!rise ending or a sudden twist in the plot of the story. +se ,+,PE-,E. i.e. ,+,PE-,E. i.e. do not e%plain e#erything. 6se an ironical ending. "our story does not ha#e to ha#e a happy ending. (iii! The use of short sentences is sentences is more dramatic and effecti#e than longer ones. 'o it is better to use shorter sentences at dramatic points in the story7
/escri!tion
(a) "ou (a) "ou must be able to e"!lo# all senses in #our descri!tion 7 "ou want your reader4audience reader4audience to #isualise what you are saying and e%perience the emotions behind the imagery. () "ou () "ou can describe by using: figures of s!eech like s!eech like similes, metaphors, onomatopoeia, alliteration 8 personification as much as possible to make your writing #i#id and original7
(c) 9escribe the setting setting,, i.e. the physical en#ironment, the place where the action of the story is taking place, and the time it is happening, if appropriate. "ou can let the setting change later in the story if the mood of the character changes. 0f the character eco"es des!ondent. #ou "a# choose to let the rain fall This is known as !athetic fallac# i.e. i.e. allowing the weather to take on human ;ualities and emotions to emulate what the present present situation is.
(f) 2Once u!on a ti"e.3 is a oring wa# to start. ) more interesting way would be to start by describing the setting or a character or with a ;uotation, pro#erb etc.
Characters 9ecide how many characters are necessary for your story to de#elop the way you want it to, keeping in mind that the fewer characters you use, the easier the ob of de#eloping the story properly. Therefore, identify your M&0- character M&0- character and his4her role 8 your ,+B CH&*&CTE*4, and CH&*&CTE*4, and his4her4their roles. 1haracterisation is also important. This includes: the appearance (the way the character looks!,
personality (the way the character thinks or feels! and beha#iour (the way the character acts or feels! of the characters.
/ialogue This has its ad#antages and disad#antages. =nly use once needed 8 ensure that your essay is not too swamped with it, that your story line is lost4 becomes disinteresting. >+2+2?+>: >+2+2?+>: It is a 1aribbean e%amination 8 patois is acceptable in dialogue4;uotations =*L". 2ake your dialogue as comprehensi#e as possible.
,t#le There are #arying styles of writing your essay. >emember that the purpose of a descripti#e piece is to bring your story, story, make the imagination imagination flow and make make the reader belie#e, enoy enoy and understand understand your thoughts. 5irst Person: Person : i.e. use of yourself as the main person telling the story. In these types of stories, the author will refer to himself in the first person, i.e. -I/ or -we/ or -our./ This is really used when the person has decided to use himself as the #ictim4author4narrator of a situation or story or e#ent that has happened. Third Person: Person: i.e. writing the story through the eyes or e%periences of another person as the main character. The writer will refer to the character as -he/ and use words like -they/ or -them or -theirs./ *eflecti6e: *eflecti6e: i.e. use of main character being in the present but is thinking about a situation that happened to him4her in the past. This can be ideal for picture essays.
Other Techni%ues 'ome techni;ues that make a story interesting: ) surprise ending ending
'uspense ) sudden twist twist in the plot Irony 'trong emotional appeal 0 touching the reader’s emotions deeply 3umour a light touch that is, making the reader smile or laugh The use of short sentences for dramatic effect. )#oid o#erdoing this though. The use of a sentenceparagraph sentenceparagraph for dramatic effect. )#oid o#erdoing this we all. 9ialogue that fleshes out characteri5ation realistically 0characters and their relationships. The use of apt, e%cellent description, especially the use of figurati#e language that adds originality and freshness, e.g. similes metaphors etc. )ppeal to all @ senses senses 3igh ;uality language of language, including acti#e #erbs. >efer to the table abo#e.
,a"!le Essa# 2Better Late Than -e6er3 # 7olanda Paul There he was again, peeping through the window with worn, yellow eyes. 3is coat was motheaten and ;uite shabby. 3is skin was dirty as though it had not been scrubbed and cleaned thoroughly in ;uite some time. 3is shoes had many holes allowing too much #entilation and they appeared to ha#e no soles. The old man shuffled into the coffee shop and ordered his normal cup of coffee without sugar and many times, I would see him looking longingly at the delicious pastries which adorned the shel#es. 'o, I would purchase two doughnuts and a pie for him to eat during the day and also gi#e him
another cup of coffee to take with him as well. The man’s eyes would always light up with gratitude and as he smiled, one could see the coffee stained teeth which seemed as though it was ne#er cleaned and as he passed by, one could get the smell of garbage implying that this man li#ed and slept on the sidewalks. )s he shuffled outside again, all the patrons turned to look at him, regarding him as a disgusting, bothersome bothersome fly. 2y kindness e%tended to the man as I made it my duty to collect old clothing which the neighbours in my street wished to discard and I would gi#e it to the old man when he came into the store. 2y fellow coworkers ;uestioned my actions and I would ust consider it as a kind deed to an unfortunate human. =n se#eral occasions, when the old man came into the shop, I would notice the owner, 2r Aob, speaking to him harshly and gesticulating wildly, but I ne#er did ;uestion his actions for I thought that 2r Aob was plainly scolding the man for always coming into the shop and disturbing the customers. ) week later, 2r Aob’s father died and two days after the funeral, when e#eryone resumed work, I was, for some strange reason, ;uite umpy and ner#ous. ner#ous. I was also surprised surprised to see that my friend, the old man, had not been into the coffee shop as yet in order to get his meal. This ust added to my une%planati#e an%iety. 'uddenly, the doorbell tinkled dangerously, and as I looked up, my mouth fell open in utter ama5ement. The old man was not shuffling, but striding through the door with a wellgroomed black and white ensemble, unlike his shabby coat, his face was well sha#en and he looked clean and well kept, unlike his former dirty and slimy skin and the man was wearing a polished pair of black shoes. 3is sole less sneakers were no longer e%istent and his hair was combed properly, unlike the unkempt hairstyles he was accustomed to. The man refused to make any eye contact with me as he made his way ac ross the room to 2r Aob’s office. )s he strode, the clickclacking of his heels was sickeningly annoying and somehow it ust added to my fury. The slamming of the door made me ump right back to reality and as I continued to ser#e my customers, I could hear my friends laughing at me. They then e%plained that the old man, my -friend,/ was 2r Aob’s brother who had ust gained a partnership in the coffee shop as well, since their father had died. I was humiliated and it seemed that the two brothers were spending ;uite a long time in that office. )fter about an hour hour or so, my boss, boss, 2r Aob, summoned summoned me to his office, and somehow I think I knew what was about to happen. 2r Aob introduced me me to his brother, who who only nodded and refused to shake my e%tended hand. The audacity of the man was ;uite apparent and he made no attempt to
suppress his feelings. 2r Aob e%plained to me that it was their decision that there were enough employees to handle the running of the coffee shop and to ha#e me, the recruit, working there, was causing a tremendous strain on the business. business. I glanced at the other 2r Aob and I saw his sarcastic, ungrateful grin which he threw in my direction. 2y mind was suddenly ;uite distant and as I looked out the window, I saw how grey the clouds were. 'uddenly, I had to face the ine#itable. -"ou’re fired7/ were 2r Aob’s last words. )s he said that, the rain started to fall and I knew that the hea#ens were crying for me. me. That day, I had learnt an important lesson, I must not be so gullible and ;uick to assist others for there would be the great possibility that in the end, one can be reproached and fired for doing so. I rationalised then that it was better late than ne#er to learn such a painful lesson7
,a"!le &nswer To ,u""ar# 0"agine that #ou are Li88ie 0n not "ore than 1$9 words. write the letter to the 6illagers Tro#: Li55ie Tro#: Li55ie 'mith7 9on’t you know that the students fro" uadelou!e arri6e on ,e!te"er $9thBB $9th Li88ie: "es Li88ie: "es Troy, both the o#s the o#s and the girls girls..
Tro#: "es Tro#: "es and that’s only a month away. We ha#en’t found accommodation for them as yet. The hotel says there won’t be any room at that time. )s secretary, it’s your responsibilityC
Li88ie: I Li88ie: I know, I know. I’ll arrange for them to stay in !ri6ate ho"es. ho"es. I’m sure the 6illagers the 6illagers won’t won’t mind taking them in for a s"all charge 0t;s onl# for two weeks Our 6isitors are ooked to lea6e on the '9th
Tro#: *ot Tro#: *ot a bad idea. Why don’t you write to all the #illagers asking the" to write to us if the# are interested in !utting u! these students< I wonder how much they’ll charge.
Li88ie: 0;ll ask the" to gi6e their rates . We’ll ha#e to insist, though, that the 6illagers the 6illagers who are interested "ust e ale to s!eak 5rench The Duadeloupans speak no +nglish.
Tro#: )t Tro#: )t least not the si who si who are coming. 'hould the #illagers pro#ide mealsB
Li88ie: Breakfast and dinner. ece!t on ,unda#s when the# "ust include lunch as well .
Tro#: I think we should let the #illagers know that two clu "e"ers will want to ins!ect ho"es and chat with the a!!licants efore "aking the selection
Li88ie: )greed Li88ie: )greed Letters fro" those who are interested should reach us # &ugust 1=th Then our "e"ers can 6isit on the $9th
Tro#: &fter Tro#: &fter si !" !"., I supposeB 'hould the #illagers write #illagers write to #ou #ou as secretar#< secretar#< Li88ie: >ight Li88ie: >ight on both counts$ I’ll tell them to write to: The ,ecretar# Old Bo#s; ,!orts Clu PO Bo >= ,al"on ?illage Tro#: But su!!ose a 6illager can !ut u! "ore than one studentB student B Li88ie: Then Li88ie: Then that’s ust a bigger plus for us7
&PP*O&CH: (*efer to !re6 !re6ious ious secti s ection on )
E *ead (!as ( !assage sage)) @ *ead the !assage to get a general understand of what the author is tr#ing to con6e# .
The !assage is s!eaking aout students co"ing in for a 6isit and the arrange"ents to e "ade The secretar# is is o6iousl# the one to "ake the !lans ased ased off of the discussions discussions etween oth s!eakers
E *ead (%ues (%uestion) tion) A*ead the %uestion asked # the ea"iner so that #ou ha6e a etter understanding aout the infor"ation #ou need to get fro" the !assage . & letter "ust "ust e done to 6illagers to to seek their their hel! in acco""odation acco""odation and the letter "ust include all the rele6ant dates and re%uire"ents
E *ead the t he !assag !as sage e ($nd ti"e) @ ti"e) @ *ead the !assage again and highlight the !oints that #ou think are a!!ro!riate to use in answering answering the ea"iner;s ea"iner;s %uestions %uestions . *efer to ao6e !assage for highlighted !oints
E Order the !oints ! oints @ Place the !oints in order of !riorit# ie "ost i"!ortant to least i"!ortant /ate of arri6al. nu"er of students. length of sta# and nationalit# *e%uire"ents for housing students @ s!eaking 5rench. !ro6ision of "eals 0f 6illager "eets re%uire"ents then @ clu "e"er will 6isit ho"e efore selection. gi6e their rates. and 6illagers are o!en to housing "ore than one student Mention who the# should address their letters to
E Begi Begin n writin w riting g : Ensuring that the infor"ation #ou !ro6ide answers the %uestion asked # the ea"iner
LETTE*,: (T#!es ,tructures) There are different writing styles: (&) 5riendl#4 Personal @ 6er# i"!ersonal ie #ou are 6er# fa"iliar with the !erson #ou are writing to
(b! Business @ for"al ie do not know4ac%uainted with the !erson to who" #ou are writing
,&MPLE &-,E* 5O* THE &BO?E D+E,T0O-: *This letter takes the business style as it is a club ascertaining the assistance assistance of others. F.=. ?o% G@ 'almon illage Hth
The illagers 'almon illage 9ear illagers, We are seeking seeking your assistance assistance in accommodating accommodating si% Duadeloupan Duadeloupan students, students, both male and female, for two weeks, from the & th to Jth 'eptember. The conditions for accommodation include the e#eryday pro#ision of breakfast and dinner, with lunch included on a 'unday and at least one member of the household should speak
"ours respectfully, respectfully, Li55ie 1harles 'ecretary.
