The Dreaded A-levels

Ha, this is the all too familiar post again. Was thinking of putting it up one day before the exams but think it's too risky, so here it is....same list as prelims with minimal changes. Go through it one last time...

Compre (read AQ lead-in before answering the questions):
1) Use Your Own Words As Far As Possible = Use Your Own Words EVERYWHERE. This is a clue that the answer is from the passage, at least a part of the answer can be directly paraphrased from the passage

2) Explain what the writer means by "..." = Paraphrase all the words in "..."

3) Summary = Read the question, highlight points, circle key words, count number of points (give 2 more than what is required, e.g. 8+2), paraphrase, paraphrase...But if you really can't, just put down the point and move on, come back to paraphrase it later. Don't waste time staring at it.

4) Clues = these little people are helping you everywhere...the : and ; and -- and (..) , as well as terms with positive or negative connotations

5) Metaphor = Introduce the lovely 'Just as....' and explain the literal and metaphorical meaning

6) Irony/Paradox = How can you explain a contradiction without the help of 'yet', 'but' or 'however'??? (Dilemma - 2 choices and the writer is not sure which to choose "The writer is unsure whether he should do.... or ....")

7) Tone & Attitude = Remember that page in 'Just do it' (page 101!!!)? Tear it out, burn it and drink it! Spell sarcasm correctly!!

8) 3 mark question = 3 or 6 points. Duh?! Why give only 3 when there are 6 in the passage?

9) Vocab = if 'essential is 'very important', why throw away half a mark and write 'important' just to save some ink?

10) Inference Questions = erm...are there any rules? Hopefully they will be simple!

11) Explain the purpose of/why the writer uses (word, italics, inverted commas etc) = "He wants to emphasise/highlight...". If the question is about

12) Common sense question = hmmm....USE YOUR BRAINS!

AQ:
1) Pls READ the questions and ANSWER them LOGICALLY!

2) Stand = This means to give a clear answer to the question(s) in your first sentence. Don't waste time on a lengthy intro.

3) Quote = The writer of passage 1 says that "...." : Quotes must be related to the lead-in. Don't leave the quotes hanging in mid-air, make sure you make references back to the key idea of the quote. Always quote from all the passages given to you!

4) Agree/disagree with writer = explain whether he is realistic/idealistic, superficial/logical, naive or reasonable....pls refer to 'The Dreaded Application Question (2)"!

5) Relevance to your society = meritocracy, Asian society, pragmatic, global citizens....refer to the Singapore issues handout.

6) Balance = try to give a balance if you have time. Layer your argument or give a point that is different from your stand and show how a minority may behave this way.

7) Evaluation = Ask yourself why, why, why....and give implications if necessary. You should have both evaluation and e.g., don't just give one and not the other

8) Effectiveness of measures = look through your prelim answer key

9) Requirements = give yourself sufficient time to fulfil all requirements (include discussing points from both passages). Use the words from the question to help the reader know which part of the question you are answering


Essay:
1) Question types = Absolute questions (no extent pls), appeal & drawbacks questions....all these are simple types as long as you know the topic. Other types include - inclusive-exclusive (remember the egg?), 'far too much' (discuss whether there are problems or whether its unnecessary)...look through your review lecture & the essay cheatsheet

2) PRESM, Level Analysis = these are your best friends especially for 'appeal/drawback' or 'significance' questions

3) Para development = every para should have topic sentence, elaboration, example, concluding statement...this is the 101th time, I'm getting naggy! Give general trends (increase/decrease) if you really can't think of specific e.g.

4) Balance = most questions need a balance. If you can, tackle the general public's assumption or the view that is different from yours first and attack that view. OR choose whatever method to balance that makes the most sense. There is no hard and fast rule. Most importantly, remember your stand and don't contradict yourself. Don't say "However, I agree to a small extent that technology is always good"Even if you are writing a paragraph supporting your own argument, you can always put in a sentence or two to acknowledge some opposing views that critics have.

5) Intro & Conclusion = Don't give one line intro or conclusion! Revise the worksheet (and every other worksheet I've given you!) Intro should be a 2-pronged one, giving both the opposing view and your ultimate stand (e.g. Although technology certainly brings benefits, it is an exaggeration to claim that it always benefits us)

6) A higher level = think of different groups of people who may have different experiences, think of the impact of globalisation/media/science, think of words that may have more than its superficial meanings (e.g. is image only about a person's appearance? Is travelling only about the usual tourism?)

7) How, Why, So = always think of reasons and implications - this is what makes up your evaluation for both essay and AQ (ask yourself 'why' a few more times!). If you are suggesting measures, you should consider effectiveness as well.

8) Lecture notes & Sample essays = READ them! Read for inspiration, examples and likely points

9) PLAN (max 1/2 hour) & check Spelling, Punctuation, Expression & Grammar

10) This should be point no. 1 but I'm putting it at the end for emphasis: CHOOSE YOUR QUESTION CAREFULLY AND MAKE SURE KEYWORDS APPEAR THROUGHOUT THE ESSAY!