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2192
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email: admin@brightstarsacademy.co.za
“Excellence is a state of mind”
GRADE 8 HOME LANGUAGE FA1 (ESSAYS)
NAME:
SURNAME:
EXAMINER: MR NCUBE
MODERATOR: MISS N KHESWA
DATE: 13 FEBRUARY 2025
DURATION : 1 HOUR
Instructions:
 Read the questions first then read the passage 3 times
 Answer all the question
 Read all questions carefully and answer according to the mark allocation
 Write neatly and legibly
 Take your time and enjoy the paper.
Mark
%
Essay
Comment
1
SECTION A: ESSAY(30 MARKS)
Instructions
a) Remember to plan your writing carefully. Draw a mind-map to organize your paragraphs carefully.
b) Number each response correctly. Give your response a suitable title/heading.
Write a narrative or descriptive essay of 200-250 words on ONE of the following topics.
You will be assessed on:

Content and planning (60%)

Language, style and editing (30%)
 Structure (10%)
Topics
1. Quitting Facebook was the best decision, after all!!
2. Trapped in a net.
3. I finally met my online friend in real life.
2
RUBRIC FOR ASSESSING ESSAY
Criteria
Content
and
planning
20 Marks
7: Outstanding
85 – 100%
18-20
Outstanding
response to
topic.
Ideas are original
and exceptional.
Planning
excellent.
5-6: Substantial
65 – 84%
14-17
Good response to
topic.
Ideas
interesting.
Good
Planning.
Good
coherence.
4:
Adequate
45 – 64%
10-13
2
Elementary
25 –
44%
1: Not
achieved
0 – 24%
6-9
0-5
Adequate response Content not
Content off topic.
to topic.
always clear.
Ideas irrelevant
Sometimes
Ideas fairly
and unrelated to
off
topic.
topic.
interesting.
Poor or no
Few ideas
Adequate
planning.
explored.
planning.
Planning evident Incoherent.
Fairly coherent.
but not thorough.
Lucid and
coherent.
Language,
style and
editing
7 Marks
7
5-6
Excellent use of
language and
punctuation.
Language and
punctuation mostly
effective.
Good tone and
register.
After editing very
few errors.
Excellent tone
and register.
After editing,
insignificant
errors.
3
Structure
and format
3 Marks
Excellent
structure and
paragraphing –
Introduction,
body and
conclusion.
Length correct.
Format –
accurate.
Excellent
presentation.
2
4
0-1
2-3
Language
simplistic.
Punctuation
adequate.
Language and
Language and
punctuation very punctuation
weak.
incoherent.
Adequate tone and
register. After
editing some
errors.
Insufficient tone Choice of words
and inadequate extremely basic.
register.
Errors impede
the flow of the
After editing,
still many errors. essay.
1½
1
0-½
Good introduction,
Adequate
body and conclusion. introduction, body
and conclusion.
Length correct.
Length almost
correct.
Ideas difficult to
follow. Length
incorrect.
Format – faulty.
Format – correct.
Good presentation.
Weak
presentation.
Sentences and
paragraphs
muddled/No
clear
paragraphing
evident.
Length incorrect.
Format – serious
errors.
Format – some
errors.
Adequate
presentation.
Very poor
presentation.
3
ROUGH DRAFT
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THE END
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