This document provides tips for the English Language examinations, including formatting guidelines for situational writing, essay structures, and common comprehension question types. It outlines the paper sections and content covered, such as editing exercises, situational writing letters, and continuous writing essays. Key points are presented on argumentative, expository, and narrative essay structures. Visual texts, narrative comprehension passages, and factual comprehension passages are also discussed. Strategies are offered for answering different question types like evidence questions and inferential questions. Formatting and organization tips are provided for situational writing and summary writing. Areas for revision are identified.

1. Tips and tricks
English Language Examinations

2. File items
• Editing exercises (pre-March)
• Common Tests + Diagnostics Test
• March holiday homework
• Comprehension question types
• Expository Essay
• Argumentative Essay on celebrities
• Situational Writing
• Comprehension practice

3. Contents
1. Paper 1
A. Editing
B. Situational Writing
C. Continuous Writing
2. Paper 2
A. Visual Text
B. Section B (Narrative Text)
C. Section C (Factual Text)

4. Editing
• Grammatical Mistakes
• Tenses
• Subject Verb Agreement
• Singular or Plural Nouns and Verbs
• The boy_ eats something
• The boys eat_ something

5. • Either Informal or Formal Letter/Email
• Remember your formats!
• Essays lower than the minimum word count will
be heavily penalized!
Situational Writing

6. Format (Formal Letter)
Sender’s Full Name
Sender’s Address
Date ( Day Month Year - 20th April 2015)
Recipient’s Full Name (with Mr / Ms / Miss / Mrs)
Recipient’s title / Company
Company Address

7. Format (Formal Email)
To: <Recipient’s Email Address>
From: < Sender’s Email Address>
Subject: <Insert subject of email>

8. Format (Formal Letter)
How to start:
Dear Recipient’s Name (with Mr/Mrs/Ms)
1st Paragraph - Friendly Introduction + Purpose of Letter
Subsequent Paragraphs - Content
Last Paragraph - Thank reader + Friendly farewell
Yours Sincerely,
Your Full Name

9. Continuous Writing
• Any combination of essay types:
• Argumentative
• Expository
• Narrative
• Essays lower than the minimum word count will
be heavily penalized!

10. Key points to remember
Argumentative Essays
• Always have a stand
• Your purpose is to convince
• 3 supporting points (paragraphs)
• 1 counter-argument

11. Key points to remember
Expository Essays
• Have to consider all possible points of view.
• Your purpose is to explain
• 3 supporting points (paragraphs)

12. Key points to remember
Narrative Essays
• Story writing
• Must include:
• Start
• Escalation
• Climax
• De-escalation
• Resolution

13. Visual Text
• Usually, visual texts will ask for:
• Intended purpose of visual text
• Intended effect of certain words
• Visual language

14. Comprehension (Section B)
• Usually a narrative (story) text.
• Common question types:
• Language use (metaphors, expressions, irony etc.)
• Inferential questions
• In your own words questions
• Evidence questions

15. Comprehension (Section C)
• Usually a factual (informative/expository) text.
• Common question types:
• Inferential questions
• In your own words questions
• Evidence questions
• SUMMARY

16. Some tips and tricks
• Not all IYOW questions will state IYOW. Possible
clues include key words like explain, suggest
etc.
• For evidence questions, you can lift from the
passage but remember to use “ and ”. Key
words include Identify, reference etc.
• For inferential questions, look for clues within
the passage.

17. Summary Writing
• Always read the instructions for task
requirements (what you need to write about)
• Each summary usually has 10 - 12 points that are
score-able.
• To earn style or language points, make sure:
• You paraphrase
• Your summary flows like an actual text.

18. How to revise
• Be sure of your formats for situational writing
• Organise your paragraphs using PEEL.
• To take note of your weaknesses, check your
prior work on argumentative writing (question
on celebrities) and situational writing (question
on hawker centres).