Year 8
Top Tips for Lower Secondary Checkpoint
How to annotate the non-fiction texts:
For each paragraph, annotate:
 Technique used in title or headline
 Person pronoun
 Verb Tense
 Register (level of formality)
 Facts/writer’s opinion
 Figurative language
 Persuasive techniques
 Connectives used in the beginning of the paragraphs
 Subheadings (create your own if they do not exist)
 Quotes
 Rhetorical questions
 Chronological order or not
 Punctuation marks used & why
 Types of sentences
WHILE ANSWERING READING QUESTIONS:
 Underline keywords in each question.
 When you’re asked to give a word, phrase, sentence/quotation, you must
put your answer between INVERTED COMMAS ‘… ‘ NOT SPEECH MARKS
“… “ (If you’re copying a direct speech from the text, then use speech marks
“…”)
 When you’re asked to answer using ONE WORD, then using more than one
word = zero, even if it’s part of the right answer.
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 When you’re asked to write a PHRASE, then the answer must be missing
either the subject or the verb or both.
 When you’re asked to explain in your own words, then 90% of your answer
MUST BE in your own words.
 When you’re asked to COMMENT, then you must explain in your own words
AND quote. (PEE technique)
 When you’re asked to give an impression about a character, then you should
analyse (STEAL) and give your opinion and feeling about the character.
 When you’re not given any rubric, then you’re free to quote or answer in
your own words.
 In ticking questions, always read the question closely as sometimes they ask
for more than one answer.
 Put the passive verb form between inverted commas. ‘is made’
 DO NOT GO OFF THE LINE. Anything below the line will not be read by the
examiner.
 DO NOT WRITE IN THE MARGIN ‘For teacher’s use only’.
 Abide by the only TWO LINED PAPERS for your writing.
 THE BLANK PAGE is your draft page (nothing on it will be marked).
 For listing, note-taking or fact file: copy from the text; use phrases; use
inverted commas
- For the fact file (table), use bullet points and write all the
possible answers in each cell.
 For the summary: topic sentence; paraphrase the notes; use formal
language; between brackets write the number of words used.
 MAKE SURE ALL THE TIME YOU WRITE ABOUT 8 WORDS PER LINE (in
reading and writing)
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Writing: (make sure you go through and EDIT your piece of writing)
Abide by the bullet points provided in the writing prompt.
Non-Fiction:
Plan box  type, features, mind mapping for the structure
Subheading
Subheading
or
or topic
topic
sentence
sentence
Title/Head
line
Subheading
or topic
sentence
Subheading
or topic
sentence
Fiction:
IF you are asked to CONTINUE the story, you have to use the same GENRE of the
reading extract and a complete plot.
Plan box 
genre & features
1st or 3rd person?
Point of view character (personality – STEAL –
always show his/her emotions, reactions & thoughts)
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Climax
Setting (place/time/weather – atmosphere using
senses/figurative language and show don’t tell)
Draw the story mountain for the PLOT and write a
sentence for each stage
Success Criteria:
- Suspense (build-up & climax) – short sentence,
fragment, onomatopoeia, simile,
personification, rhetorical question, ellipsis,
withholding information)
- Dialogue in climax (new speaker new line / use
synonyms of ‘said’)
- Show, don’t tell
- Figures of speech
- Sentence openers (ISPACE) especially in the
beginning of each paragraph
- Time connectives
- Semi-colon, colon, dash, brackets
- Vary sentence types
- Powerful vocabulary
(looked – observed, peeked, glanced, glimpsed,
witnessed, noticed, stared, gazed)
(walked – stroll, wander, roam, stride, stagger,
trudge)
(ran – dashed, sprinted, hurtled, hurried,
rushed, raced)
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Common Questions:
 In non-fiction, short sentences are used to emphasise or highlight a
fact (state the fact).
 The usage of Modal Verbs (written in the copybook)
 Types of sentences
 Relative pronouns and relative clauses
 Types of phrases and clauses
 The usage of ALL punctuation marks (revise the sheet)
Parenthesis / parenthetic commas
Why does the writer use ellipsis?
suspense
-
For a dramatic pause
To show hesitation , confusion
To show incomplete thought
To replace omitted text in a formal quotation which does not
change the meaning of the quotation.
 Non-fiction features question:
Find out if the question is about the features shown in this specific text or about
this type of writing in general.
- The tours are sensibly priced, giving great value for money.
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 Connectives used to link paragraphs:
Focus on the ideas discussed in both paragraphs and the relation between them. It
can be to show contrast or result, etc…
- Connectives or Conjunctions???
 Ways to grab the reader’s attention/engage the reader:
- Direct address
- Rhetorical question
- Alliteration/Rhyme/Sibilance/Assonance/Consonance (poetic devices)
- Simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole
- Repetition
- Contrast
- Imperative
- Rule of three/triplet
- Emotive language
- Direct speech
 Layout or Presentation features to make the information clearer:
-
Subheadings/Topic sentences
Capitalization of subheadings
Separated paragraphs
Bold words
Capitalized words
Bullet points
Glossary
Boxes
Columns
Pictures
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 Comparing between sentences, paragraphs or texts:
 Language:
- Person
- Verbs tenses
- Less formal/more formal language
- Fact/opinion of the writer
- Simpler vocabulary/more complex vocabulary
- Direct speech
- Rhetorical question
 Structure:
- Chronological order
- Subheadings/Topic sentence
- Types of sentences (simple, compound, complex, compound-complex)
- Rule of three/triplet
- Direct speech
- Rhetorical question
- Punctuation marks
 Usage/Importance of Direct Speech:
To introduce the testimony of an eyewitness
To introduce an expert’s/authority figure’s opinion
 Techniques to make a text less formal:







Using more rhetorical questions
Using simple, short, straightforward sentences
Using simple vocabulary
Using opinions
Using idioms
Using hyperbole
Using exclamation marks
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 How does the writer use structure and punctuation to
emphasise/create atmosphere?
-
Dashes
Italics/bold
Short sentences
Exclamation marks
Repetition
Figures of speech
The use of vocabulary
 Why does the writer use inverted commas?
- To highlight a word / make it stand out
- The writer used the word figuratively not literally/the writer does
not mean the literal meaning of the word
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 Reasons to start a new paragraph:
Change of place:
There were flashes of lightning. Ivy was clinging on the outer walls. Leaves were swirling along the
trails that were winding among old, ragged trees.
Inside the haunted house, it was stubbornly dark. There were dusty cobwebs spreading on the
walls like a blanket.
Change of time:
Early in the morning, the soldiers gathered, getting ready to face the fierce dragon. Their grizzled
leader gave commands to all troops.
At dusk, they were close to the dragon’s lair. Complete silence dwelled as they were waiting for
the best time to attack.
Change of action:
Alex was swimming gracefully in the river. It was his first time to swim up river. He was thrilled by
the cool water tickling his skin. However, something unexpected happened.
Suddenly, he spotted a head pumping up and down in the water. He decided to swim towards her
to rescue her.
Introducing a new character:
I was playing on the computer in my room. It was the most exciting game I’ve ever seen, so I was
having so much fun.
Suddenly, mum dashed into my room. She had expected to see me studying. Consequently, she
started yelling and telling me off.
When you start a direct speech or when there’s a new speaker in the dialogue
(NEW SPEAKER NEW LINE)
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