A
h
s
i
l
Eng
David Grant
Macmillan Education
The Campus, 4 Crinan Street, London, N1 9XW
A division of Macmillan Publishers Limited
Companies and representatives throughout the world
ISBN 978-1-380-00701-8 AER
Text © David Grant 2016
Design and illustration © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2016
The author has asserted his right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1988.
First published 2016
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or
by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the
publishers.
Designed by Macmillan Education
Page make-up by Sparks – www.sparkspublishing.com
Illustrated by Oxford Designers & Illustrators
Cover design and illustration by Clare Webber
The author and publisher would like to thank the following for permission to reproduce the following material:
Adapted material from ‘What’s Your Name Again? In the Caribbean you need a nickname, and it won’t be an obvious
one’ by Paul Keens-Douglas. First published in Caribbean Beat Magazine, Issue 4 (Winter 1992), copyright © 2013–14
Caribbean Beat. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission of the publisher.
Adapted material from ‘Get it while it’s hot: Barbados’ solar energy revolution’ by Helen Shair-Singh. First published
in Caribbean Beat Magazine, Issue 132 (March/April 2015), copyright © 2013–14 Caribbean Beat. All rights reserved.
Reprinted by permission of the publisher.
Poem ‘Jouvert Morning’ from Let’s Celebrate (Oxford University Press, 1989) by Dave Calder, copyright © Dave Calder
1989. Reprinted by permission of the author.
These materials may contain links for third party websites. We have no control over, and are not responsible for, the contents
of such third party websites. Please use care when accessing them.
Contents
Introduction
How to Use This Book
Revision and Exam Tips
4
5
Section A Paper 1
Unit 1 Words and Meaning
Unit 2 Sentences and Meaning
Unit 3 Identifying Errors in Accuracy and Clarity
Unit 4 Poetry
Unit 5 Non-fiction
Unit 6 Persuasion
Unit 7 The Language of Advertising
6
11
16
21
27
34
39
Section B Paper 2
Unit 1 Summary
Unit 2 Before You Start Writing
Unit 3 Short Story Writing 1: Planning Your Story
Unit 4 Short Story Writing 2: Crafting Your Story
Unit 5 Information Writing 1: Planning Your Informative Text
Unit 6 Information Writing 2: Crafting Your Informative Text
Unit 7 Argument Writing 1: Planning Your Argumentative Text
Unit 8 Argument Writing 2: Crafting Your Argumentative Text
Unit 9 After You Have Finished Writing
44
51
58
64
71
76
83
89
97
Paper 1 Practice Questions
101
Paper 2 Practice Questions
102
Answers to Test Yourself Questions
103
Glossary
109
Introduction
Written by experienced teachers and authors, Macmillan Education’s CSEC® Revision Guides provide
a clear route to exam success. Inside this book you’ll find complete, concise revision notes on all key
syllabus topics, in addition to practical advice on how to approach your revision and tackle the exams
themselves, helping you to prepare effectively for your examinations.
Having reviewed the key points of each topic, you can refresh your knowledge and build your
confidence with in-text practice questions, before moving on to sample practice exam papers at the end
of the book. Questions are written in CXC examination style so that you will become familiar with exam
wording and know exactly how to achieve your best possible grades.
Further revision resources are available online at www.macmillan-caribbean.com.
How to Use This Book
Self Check
Tick the box that shows how confident you feel
Yes
Maybe
Each section starts with a
concept map showing key topics
and, crucially, how they link together.
Does X cause Y? Does X run in tandem
with Y? Does X allow Y to happen?
No
Each section begins with a checklist so
you can rate your confidence in each topic
and prioritise your revision effectively.
At the end of each section you
will have the opportunity to fill in
your own blank concept map to
check your understanding. It will
also provide a useful summary for
last‑minute self‑testing.
Reviewed
Test Yourself with these quick fire questions
to monitor your progress.
Revised
Mastered
You’ll find these checkboxes for each topic so
you can track your learning and be confident
you’ve covered everything thoroughly. Review
the topic and return to your Student’s Book if
there’s anything you don’t understand, then
come back and revise the topic in this revision
guide – and tick ‘Mastered’ when all of your
answers were correct!
Revision Tips provide you with interesting
ways to make sure you retain all of this
information.
Whenever you find a keyword highlighted
like this, you can find out its meaning in the
glossary at the back of the book.
Remember boxes
contain handy nuggets of key information.
If you don’t understand these,
go back to your Student’s Book
and refresh the topic.
Revision and Exam Tips
The content in this revision guide has been carefully written to make sure you have all of the key
information needed for CSEC success at your fingertips. It has already been broken down for you into
manageable chunks, based on the official CXC syllabus and exam structure.
Here are some tips to help you get the best out of this material:
Start preparing ahead of the exams so you can give yourself enough time to get through all your
work.
■■ Set long-term and short-term goals to help break up the work into manageable chunks.
■■ Write out a revision plan to help you stay on track; make sure to include breaks as learning is much
more effective when spaced out over stretches of time.
■■ Remove all distractions from your study area.
■■ Make sure you have all the resources you need – this guide, a pen and extra paper.
■■ Use practical memory aids where you can; make flash cards, and use tables and mind maps like the
ones in this guide.
■■ Try explaining all of the keywords to another person without looking at the glossary.
■■ Test yourself and ask someone to test you.
■■ Recognise your revision milestones using the self-check boxes provided.
■■
In the exam:
Spend the first ten minutes reading through the paper carefully, and work out a rough schedule to
make sure you complete all the questions.
■■ Read each question before trying to answer it.
■■ Check your work and presentation carefully.
■■ Make sure you understand what the questions mean, so you can apply your knowledge properly:
■■ Comment: explore how the writer uses different features of a text to create meaning and effect
■■ Compare: give similarities
■■ Contrast: give differences
■■ Describe: give a detailed account
■■ Discuss: consider key issues and ideas supported with examples
■■ Explain: give reasons
■■ Identify: pick out the required information from the text
■■ Illustrate: give examples
■■ List: provide the necessary information without detail or explanation
■■ State: give a short answer without detail or explanation
■■ Summarise: present the key ideas using your own words
■■
Paper 1
Section A
Unit
1
Words and Meaning
This unit will help you answer questions in Paper 1 which ask you to identify antonyms –
words which are closest to the opposite of the underlined word in a sentence.
Concept Map
Synonyms and
antonyms
Many words have opposites, known
as their antonyms. They can also have
a similar meaning to other words,
known as their synonyms
WORDS AND
MEANING
Word
families
Words in
context
Words can be related in families
because they are formed from a root
word by adding prefixes
and/or suffixes
You can often get clues to
a word’s meaning from the
rest of the sentence in which
it appears
Self Check
Tick the box that shows how confident you feel
I can identify synonyms and antonyms.
I can work out a word’s meaning from
its context.
I can recognise words which are related
in a word family.
6
Yes
Maybe
No
Paper 1
Section A
Synonyms
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
Many words have synonyms: other words with a similar meaning. For example, all of the words listed
below are synonyms, because they all refer to something which you sense with your nose:
smell
stink
scent
aroma
stench
odour
Test Yourself: Fill in the table below, adding three synonyms for the highlighted word in each
sentence. You could use a thesaurus to help you.
Synonyms
He ate a large meal.
The hurricane destroyed her house.
The house was very old.
After a long day at school, I felt tired.
Antonyms
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
Many words have opposites, or antonyms. For example, replacing the highlighted word in the sentences
below with its antonym makes the sentence express the opposite meaning:
I love that television programme
He is totally dishonest.
She has a very juvenile attitude.
I hate that television programme
He is absolutely trustworthy.
She has a very mature attitude.
Test Yourself: Draw a line linking each of the words below to its antonym.
warm
inferior
repulsive
late
superior
cold
punctual
attractive
7
Paper 1
Section A
Words in Context
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
When you come across a word you are not familiar with, you can sometimes guess its meaning from its
context: the other words around it, or the meaning of the rest of the sentence.
Worked Example
How could you work out the meaning of the underlined word in these sentences?
This suggests that
the two halves
of the sentence
contrast each other.
1. The rest of the family talked and laughed but Carlton remained taciturn.
If the rest of the family
are talking and laughing,
it must mean he was
silent and miserable.
These suggest
some kind of
scientist.
2. The palaeontologist spent hours in his laboratory, staring through his microscope at rocks,
hunting for traces of long extinct creatures.
These suggest
a scientist
who studies
fossils.
Test Yourself: Using the context of these sentences, choose from the three options the word
which is CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word.
1. When Aleisha won the gold medal at the athletics championship, she felt sure this would not
be the zenith of her achievements as she knew she could do even better.
(a) peak
(b) weakest
(c) first
2. He sneaked past his mother, furtively hiding the bag of sweets under his shirt.
(a) quickly
(b) secretively
(c) slowly
3. When the students found out that the first prize was an incredible $100, the teacher was
inundated with hundreds of entries for the writing competition.
(a) swamped
(b) disappointed
(c) happy
8
Paper 1
Section A
Word Families: Prefixes and Suffixes
Using a root word, you can create lots more related words by adding
prefixes and suffixes. For example:
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
Exciting
Excitation
Add –ing suffix to create
a present participle
Add –ment or –tion
to create a noun
Excited
Add –d or –ed suffix to
create a past participle
EXCITE
Unexcited
Excitedly
Add negative prefix such
as un– or dis– or in– to
create an antonym
Add –ly suffix to
create an adverb
Excitable
Add –able to create
an adjective
You can use your knowledge of prefixes and suffixes to help you work out the meaning of a word. For
example, look at this sentence:
When he lost his favourite toy, Billy was inconsolable.
How can you work out the meaning of inconsolable?
■■ Think about other words you know which contain the same
root. The root word in inconsolable is the verb console. It’s the
Remember
same root word in the adjective consolation. What is the
Some words have very similar roots. Be
careful to check that the meaning you
purpose of a consolation prize?
have worked out makes sense in the
■■ The purpose of a consolation prize is to make you feel better
context of the sentence.
about not winning the first prize. So you can work out that
console means to make you feel better.
■■ So you can work out that, if Billy were consolable, you could
make him feel better about losing his favourite toy.
■■ However, Billy is inconsolable: no one can make him feel better about losing his favourite toy.
Test Yourself: Use the above method to work out the meanings of the highlighted words in
these sentences:
1. Billy’s favourite toy had fallen into the ocean and so it was irretrievable.
2. Rachael offered her guests a drink and some sandwiches as she did not want to look
inhospitable.
3. The teacher tried to read X’s handwriting but it was completely indecipherable.
9
Paper 1
Section A
Reviewed
Revised
How Can I Use Synonyms
and Word Families to Work Out the
Antonym of the Highlighted Word?
Mastered
You can use all the skills and knowledge you have revised in this unit to help you work out the correct
answers to questions like the one below.
Test yourself: Choose from the four options the word that is CLOSEST TO OPPOSITE in
meaning to the underlined word.
Mr Brown’s donations to charity were always substantial, which was unsurprising considering his
income.
(a) insignificant
(b) generous
(c) incomprehensible
(d) inhospitable
1. Look at the context:
The rest of the sentence suggests that substantial means that Mr Brown’s donations were either
very large or very small.
2. Eliminate some of the answers:
■■ The root word of incomprehensible is comprehend, which means to understand. So this probably
means difficult to understand which does not fit with the context of the sentence.
■■ Inhospitable is in the same word family as hospitality, which doesn’t fit with the context of the
sentence.
■■ So the correct answer could not be either of these two.
3. Think about word families:
■■ Substantial looks like it might be in the same word family as substance, which means something
real you can see and touch. That makes me think his donations to charity were large, so
insignificant is the correct answer because it means the opposite.
■■
Test yourself: Choose from the four options the word that is CLOSEST TO OPPOSITE in
meaning to the underlined word.
The test results accentuated how much more revision the class needed to do before they were
ready for their examination.
(a) highlighted
(b) masked
10
(c) replicated
(d) emphasised
Paper 1
Section A
Unit
2
Sentences and Meaning
This unit will help you answer questions in Paper 1 which ask you to:
■■ identify sentences which are nearest in meaning and
■■ revise sentences without changing their meaning.
Concept Map
Identifying
main points
The skill of extracting the
key information from a
sentence or text
Synonyms
Words with
similar meanings
Chronological
order
The order in which events
take place
RESTRUCTURING SENTENCES
Sentences can be rewritten and restructured
to convey identical or similar meanings
Active and
passive voice
Present and
past participles
Different forms which
verbs can take
Conjunctions
Linking words which make
clear how different ideas in a
sentence are related
Two different sentence
structures in which different
verb structures and word
order can express similar
meanings
Self Check
Tick the box that shows how confident you feel
Yes
Maybe
No
I can identify the main points in a
sentence in chronological order.
I can identify sentences with similar
meanings in the active and passive voices.
I can identify sentences with
similar meanings when they have
been restructured using a range of
conjunctions, participles and synonyms.
11
Paper 1
Section A
Identifying Key Information Reviewed
in Chronological Order
Revised
Mastered
Sentences are not always structured in chronological order. Working out the chronological order of
events in a sentence can help you identify sentences which convey a similar meaning. For example, the
three key events in this sentence have been numbered in chronological order:
(3)
(2)
(1)
Several cars were stranded when the road was flooded by heavy rainfall.
The sentence can be restructured in chronological order without changing its meaning:
(1)
(2)
(3)
Following heavy rainfall, the road was flooded and several cars were stranded.
Test Yourself:
1. Underline the THREE key events or pieces of information in the sentence below.
John was taken to hospital after he was bitten by a dog that had run away from its owner.
2. Number them in chronological order.
3. Now tick the sentence which is CLOSEST in meaning to the sentence above.
(a) A dog ran away from its owner and bit John so severely that he had to be taken to
hospital.
(b) John went to hospital where he was bitten by a dog that had run away from its owner.
(c) A dog, which ran away when its owner was in hospital, bit John.
Present and Past Participles Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
Verbs have a present and past participle form. For example:
Verb
present participle
past participle
finish
finishing
finished
run
running
ran
All present
participles
add the -ing
suffix…
Most past
participles
add the -ed
suffix…
…but there
are lots of
exceptions
Present and past participles can be used to restructure sentences without changing their meaning. For
example:
Lyndon soon felt tired when he ran the 100 metre race.
Lyndon soon felt tired running the 100 metre race.
12
Paper 1
Section A
Test Yourself: Tick the sentence NEAREST IN MEANING to the original sentence.
Kai worked hard in school and did lots of revision, which helped him achieve great results.
(a) Because Kai worked hard in school, he had to do lots of revision for his exam.
(b) Working hard in school and doing lots of revision helped Kai achieve great results.
(c) Great results are achieved by working hard and doing lots of revision.
Active and Passive Voices
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
The order of words in a sentence helps us understand its meaning. For example, one small change in
word order can change the meaning of a sentence completely. Compare these two sentences:
The dog chased the cat.
The cat chased the dog.
Both of the sentences above are written in the active voice. Changing a sentence from the active
voice to the passive voice changes its word order but not its meaning. For example, both of these
sentences convey precisely the same meaning:
The structure
of the verb
creates
The dog chased the cat.
the active
voice or
The cat was chased by the dog.
the passive
voice
Test Yourself: Tick the sentence NEAREST IN MEANING to the original sentence.
Marlon beat Lyndon by more than three seconds in the 100 metre final.
(a) Lyndon was beaten by Marlon in the 100 metres final.
(b) Marlon was beaten by Lyndon in the 100 metres final.
(c) Marlon and Lyndon were beaten in the 100 metres final.
Revision Tip: Try to turn each sentence from the passive voice into the active voice. Work out who
beat who in each sentence. Did Marlon beat Lyndon?
13
Paper 1
Section A
Conjunctions
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
Conjunctions link ideas to show how they are related. These relationships include:
Time
Explanation
Condition
Contrast
For example:
For example:
For example:
For example:
before
because
if
although
after
as
unless
even if
during
since
despite
Some conjunctions can create similar meaning. For example, these two ‘explanation’ conjunctions are
often interchangeable:
She did not go out because it had started raining.
She did not go out as it had started raining.
Some conjunctions create different meaning. For example, different ‘time’ conjunctions convey a
different order of events.
She ate her dinner before she went out.
She ate her dinner after she went out.
However, using the same two conjunctions in restructured sentences conveys the same meaning:
She ate her dinner before she went out.
After she ate her dinner, she went out.
Test Yourself: Tick the sentence nearest in meaning to the original sentence.
Kai did his homework before he went to bed because it was due in the next day.
(a) Kai did his homework after he went to bed when it was due in the next day.
(b) As it was due in the next day, Kai did his homework before he went to bed.
(c) After he went to bed, Kai did his homework because it was due in the next day.
14
Paper 1
Section A
Sentences with
Similar Meanings
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
Worked Example
You can use key information, the active and passive voice, conjunctions and participles to help you work out the correct answer to questions
like the one below.
Choose from the four options the sentence which is NEAREST IN MEANING to the original sentence.
Kevin went to see the school nurse after his PE teacher released him from his PE lesson because he was ill.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Because he was ill, Kevin went to the school nurse, who excused him from his PE lesson.
The school nurse realised Kevin was unwell so she went to see him and excused him from his PE lesson.
Being unwell, Kevin was excused from his PE lesson and sent to the school nurse.
Kevin was dismissed from his PE lesson because of his indolence and his PE teacher sent him to the school nurse.
1. Identify the key information:
• There are three key events in this sentence. Put them in chronological order: (a) Kevin felt unwell; (b) Kevin’s PE teacher released
him from his PE lesson; (c) Kevin went to the school nurse.
2. Eliminate some of the answers:
• Neither of answers A or B conveys the correct chronological sequence of information.
• So the correct answer could be either C or D.
3. Think about synonyms – see Unit 1 page 7 for more on synonyms.
• ‘Indolence’ isn’t a synonym for ‘illness’, so D is probably not the correct answer.
• ‘Unwell’ is a synonym for ‘ill’ and ‘excused’ is a synonym for ‘released’ in this context – so C is probably the right answer.
4. Think about verb structures:
• ‘Being unwell’ means the same as ‘Because he was ill’ so C is probably the right answer.
• ‘Kevin was excused’ is in the passive voice but it conveys the same meaning as ‘His PE teacher released him’ so C is probably the
right answer.
Test Yourself: Choose from the four options the sentence which is NEAREST IN MEANING to
the original sentence.
Many people ignore the impact of environmental issues because they live in cities.
(a) Despite living in cities, many people are aware of environmental issues.
(b) The impact of environmental issues is often ignored by people living in cities.
(c) Many environmental issues in cities are ignored by people.
(d) People living in cities are ignored by environmental campaigners.
Revision Tip: You won’t use every skill you have practised in this unit in every question of this
type. You will need to look at all the answers to work out which skills can help you eliminate the
incorrect ones.
15
Paper 1
Section A
Unit
3
Identifying Errors in
Accuracy and Clarity
This unit will help you answer questions in Paper 1 which ask you to:
■■ identify sentences that contain inappropriate or incorrect grammar, idiom or vocabulary
■■ identify sentences that contain clichés, misused metaphor, redundancies or repetition.
Concept Map
Subject-verb
agreement
Verb endings change depending
on their subject and tense
Pronoun
agreement
Pronouns have to agree
with the noun to which
they refer
Metaphor
A figurative image making a
direct comparison which should
enhance the reader’s
understanding
ACCURACY
Accurate grammar makes texts
easier to read and to understand
CLARITY
Sentences should convey
their meaning clearly
Repetition
and redundancy
Adjectives
and adverbs
Adjectives can be used to modify nouns.
Adverbs can be used to modify nouns
and verbs. They must be selected and
positioned to make meaning clear.
[good/well; both; brown,
large dog]
Cliché
Overly familiar metaphors,
phrases or sayings which have
lost their impact through
over-use
Overlong sentences, or ones in which
information or ideas are repeated,
can make them difficult to
understand
Self Check
Tick the box that shows how confident you feel
I can identify grammatical errors in
subject-verb and pronoun agreement.
I can identify errors in adjective and
adverb selection and position.
I can identify clichés, repetition and
redundancy in a sentence.
16
Yes
Maybe
No
Paper 1
Section A
Subject, Verb and Pronoun Agreement
Verbs and pronouns change according to how they are used.
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
Look at this sentence:
Letti got the children into the car, drove them to school and parked it on the High Street.
You can see that
this pronoun
refers to the
children because it
is plural: there are
several children
You can see that
this pronoun
refers to the
car because it is
singular: there is
only one car.
The sentence above is in the past tense. The verbs change their endings when it is rewritten in the
present tense:
Letti got the children into the car, drove them to school and parked it on the High Street.
Letti gets the children into the car, drives them to school and parks it on the High Street.
past
tense
present
tense
Verbs also change their ending depending on the subject. In the sentence above the subject was
singular: ‘Letti’. In the sentence below, the subject is plural: ‘the children’:
The children drive Letti mad because they get ready for school so slowly.
Test Yourself: Read the sentences below and underline the grammatically correct verb
ending and pronoun.
1. The school treats/treat its/their pupils with respect and it/they expects/expect/expected
respect in return.
2. The team play/plays so well that it/they are/is/were sure to win the cup.
3. Hobbies is/are an important part of growing up because it/they teach/teaches/taught
independence and curiosity.
Revision Tip: Check whether the subject of the verb is singular or plural.
How many schools?
How many teams?
■■ How many hobbies?
■■ One or several?
■■
■■
17
Paper 1
Section A
Adjectives and Adverbs
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
Adjectives modify nouns. Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives and other adverbs. You should be able to
identify when they are used incorrectly. For example,
In this sentence,
the adjective ‘good’
correctly modifies
the noun ‘player’
He is a good chess player.
He plays chess very well.
In this sentence the
adjective ‘good’ has
been used to modify the
verb ‘plays’. Adjectives
CANNOT modify verbs,
so this sentence is
grammatically incorrect
In this sentence
the adverb ‘well’
correctly modifies
the verb ‘plays’
He plays chess very good.
Test Yourself: Read the sentences below and underline the grammatically correct adjective
or adverb.
1. She ran pretty quick/quickly to get the bus but it left so sudden/suddenly that she missed it.
2. Although he had not been feeling good/well, he was improving real/really quick/fast.
3. She is amazing/amazingly talented and should be huge/hugely successful.
Clichés and Misused Metaphors
Reviewed
Revised
Some metaphors and phrases have become so familiar that they have
become clichés and have little impact on the reader. They are often phrases which are used
figuratively, rather than literally. For example:
In this sentence,
the detective
literally has
no clue
The detective needed a clue to help him
solve the murder but he didn’t have one.
Jimmy tried his hardest in the English exam
but he didn’t really have a clue.
Mastered
In this sentence,
the writer has used
a clichéd metaphor
figuratively to
suggest how poorly
Jimmy did in his exam
Revision Tip: If you come across a descriptive phrase which you feel you have heard before, it’s
almost certainly a cliché.
Test Yourself: Underline the clichés in the passage below:
When Kendra came to the school, she was like a breath of fresh air and a bolt from the blue for
Delroy. He fell head over heels, hanging on her every word and following her around like a puppy.
18
Paper 1
Section A
Repetition and Redundancy
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
Redundancy is created when a word is used unnecessarily, repeating information which has already
been stated. Redundancy can be created through repetitive use of adjectives and adverbs. For example:
A huge great dog ran at me, barking angrily and furiously.
Both of these
adjectives
make the
same point
Both of these
adverbs
make the
same point
Redundancy can also be created by the unnecessary use of adverbs. For example,
She spoke so quietly, I had to ask her to repeat again what she had said.
The adverb ‘together’
is already implied by
the verb ‘cooperate’
so is redundant
The adverb ‘again’
is already implied
by the verb ‘repeat’
so is redundant
We will have to cooperate together if we are going to succeed.
Test Yourself: List six examples of redundancy or repetition in the sentences below.
1. My mother is completely and totally unique.
2. She is a wild, crazy, loveable and adorable woman who cares for and looks after each and every
one of her children with the greatest kindness.
Revision Tip: Check that every word and phrase in each sentence is necessary: does the meaning
change if it is removed?
19
Paper 1
Section A
Identifying Errors
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
Worked Example
You can use all the skills and knowledge you have revised in this unit to help you work out the correct answer to questions like the one below.
All of the following sentences are unacceptable because they contain examples of:
(a) inappropriate grammar, idiom or vocabulary
(b) clichés or misused metaphors
(c) repetition or redundancies.
Underline each example, labelling it a, b or c.
It is vital and essential to maintain a healthy diet. Some people’s intake of salt and sugar is real high and we need to reduce them.
You may think it is a case of locking the stable door after the horse has bolted: the damage is done. However, for most of us there is
a great deal we can do to live a longer, happier, healthier, stronger, better life.
1. Think about subject-verb and pronoun agreement:
• The pronoun ‘we’ refers back to ‘some people’ so it should be ‘they’ not ‘we’. It should be underlined and labelled ‘A’.
• The pronoun ‘them’ refers back to ‘intake’ so it should be ‘it’ not ‘them’. It should be underlined and labelled ‘A’.
2. Think about adverbs and adjectives:
• This is an adverb modifying the adjective ‘high’, so it should be ‘really’ not ‘real’. It should be underlined and labelled ‘A’.
3. Think about metaphors and clichés:
• Both of these phrases are familiar so they are probably clichés. They should be underlined and labelled ‘B’.
4. Think about repetition and redundancy:
• There is more than one adjective here, some of them with very similar meanings. Some of them are repetitive and redundant.
They should be underlined and labelled ‘C’.
Test Yourself:
All of the sentences below are unacceptable because they contain examples of:
(a) inappropriate grammar, idiom or vocabulary
(b) clichés or misused metaphors
(c) repetition or redundancies.
Underline each example, labelling it A, B or C.
Social media is rapidly taking over our life. It seem impossible for people to ignore their
phones for longer than five minutes. Everywhere you look, people are giving their phones
every last drop of their concentration and attention and not one of them are talking to
each other.
20
Paper 1
Section A
Unit
4
Poetry
This unit will help you answer questions in Paper 1 which ask you to:
■■ extract stated or implied information from a poem
■■ identify poetic devices
■■ identify a poem’s theme or intention.
Concept Map
Hyperbole
Personification
Extreme exaggeration
for effect
A kind of metaphor in which
a non-human creature or
object is described as if it is
human
Metaphor
A direct comparison intended
to create an image in the
reader’s mind
Pun
Identifying
poetic devices
A form of wordplay exploiting
similar sounding words, or a
word with two meanings
Identifying
theme and intention
POEM
Simile
A comparison made using ‘like’
or ‘as’, intended to create an
image in the reader’s mind
The theme of a poem is the key idea
which it explores. The poet’s intention
refers to the impact which the writer
intends their ideas to have on
the reader
Extracting
information
The skill of responding to questions
about the content or ideas
Implied
information
Stated
information
Some information is implied: the
reader has to read ‘between the lines’
to understand the writer’s
meaning
Some information is directly
and clearly stated in
a text
Self Check
Tick the box that shows how confident you feel
Yes
Maybe
No
I can identify stated and implied
information in a poem.
I can identify a range of poetic devices.
I can identify a poem’s theme and
intention.
21
Paper 1
Section A
Reading a Poem
Read the poem below carefully. Then, read it again and answer the questions below the poem to help
you familiarise yourself with it.
Where and
when is the
poem set?
Jouvert Morning
The sun. The sun
jumps up on the Savannah, a copper mask, a blazing pan
beating, just jumping, no stopping,
its deep bass echoing in the haze that makes the houses
seem to vibrate, belly-out, shift their sides;
and coming with the heat, the thrum and thrust of drums
rising in the dust churned by heavy trucks whose steel
shimmers as they rumble like chariots of thunder
in the ruck and swell, the surge of masqueraders:
a tumbled mass of sailors, kings, red indians and demons,
birds and beasts, gods of cloth and cane and feather
who roll and ripple on the riffs, the bursting waves of brass
breaking on a hoped-for shore where everybody is somebody
and the masks of everyday drop like discarded rotis
to be crushed by the feet of the dancers in the street
as freed and lost inside the tempo they celebrate themselves.
Dave Calder
What impression
do you get of the
sun in these lines
What is the poet
describing in
these lines?
What impression do
you get of the people
at the carnival in
these lines?
What effect does
the poet suggest
the carnival has on
people in these lines?
Which of the questions above helped you develop your understanding of the poem?
A little ✓
Quite a lot ✓
A lot ✓
The questions about what happened, when and
where, in the poem?
The questions about your impressions of the
people and events described in the poem?
The question about the poet’s ideas?
Revision Tip: When you read a poem for the first time:
Think about what happens or what is being described in the poem. Aim to be able to express
your understanding in a short sentence or two.
■■ Think about how any people, animals or objects are presented – what impression of them is
the poet trying to create?
■■ Think about the reason the poet wrote the poem.
■■ What ideas is the poet exploring?
■■ What ideas or thoughts does the poet want to create in the reader’s mind?
■■
22
Paper 1
Section A
Extracting Stated or
Implied Information
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
See page 32 for more on extracting stated or implied information.
One way to extract stated information – information which is clearly provided in the text – is to
skim read the text, looking for key words from the question. For example, to answer the question below...
How does the poet describe the movement of the sun?
...you could quickly skim through the text, looking for the word ‘sun’. Write the answer below:
To extract implied information, however, you need to go looking for clues.
For example, to answer the question below...
What does the poet imply about the power of the sun?
...you need to hunt out clues which suggest the answer. What do these details suggest about the power
of the sun? Note down some ideas in the boxes below each one.
beating, just jumping, no stopping
Test Yourself: Complete these
its deep bass echoing in the haze
makes the houses
seem to vibrate, belly-out, shift their sides
the heat
questions about the poem
‘Jouvert Morning’.
1. The poem is set:
(a) in the morning
(b) in the afternoon
(c) in the evening
(d) in the middle of the night
2. The poet implies that the trucks in
the poem are:
(a) small and quiet
(b) large and noisy
(c) old and slow
(d) new and fast
23
Paper 1
Section A
Poetic Devices
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
Test Yourself:
1. Match the poetic device to the correct definition, using lines to link them.
Simile
Extreme exaggeration for effect.
Metaphor
A form of wordplay exploiting similar sounding words, or a
word with two meanings.
Personification
A comparison made using ‘like’ or ‘as’, intended to create an
image in the reader’s mind.
Hyperbole
Pun
A kind of metaphor in which a non-human creature or object
is described as if it is human.
A direct comparison intended to create an image in the
reader’s mind.
2. Now link each poetic device to the appropriate example.
Simile
The drumbeat of its hooves on the dusty soil echoed through
the plains.
Metaphor
I was so captivated by its beauty, my heart stopped and my
breathing ceased for what felt like an hour.
Personification
The creature was as tall as a tree and moved more elegantly
than any athlete.
Hyperbole
Pun
A proud father always thinks his son shines brightly.
A gentle breeze sang in the trees and their leaves shivered.
Test Yourself: Read the poem on page 22 again, then answer the following questions:
1. `The sun/ jumps up on the Savannah’ (lines 1–2) is an example of:
(a) metaphor
(b) simile
(c) a pun
(d) personification
2. `They rumble like chariots of thunder/ in the ruck and swell’ (lines 8–9) is an example of:
(a) metaphor
(b) simile
(c) a pun
(d) hyperbole
24
Section A
Paper 1
Reviewed
Revised
How Can I Extract
Implied Information from a Poem?
Mastered
Worked Example
You can use all the skills and knowledge you have revised in this unit to help you work out the correct answer to questions like the one
below. Look again at the poem on page 22.
When the poet describes ‘the masks of everyday drop’, he is suggesting that:
(a) the carnival masks are boring and ‘everyday’
(b) people wear masks to the carnival
(c) there should be a carnival every day
(d) people do not reveal their true selves in everyday life.
1. Think about the whole poem:
• a: The rest of the poem suggests the carnival is full of colour and life so it seems unlikely that the poet thinks the costumes are
boring and everyday.
2. Re-read the poem closely and carefully:
• b: There is lots of evidence in the poem that people dress up for the carnival but there is more to this quotation than simply
saying people are wearing masks
• c: The poet writes ‘everyday’ which means ordinary and normal – it does not mean the same thing as ‘every day’
• d: The phrase ‘the masks of everyday’ suggests that we all wear masks in our ordinary ‘everyday’ lives but that these ‘drop’ for
carnival so I think this is the correct answer.
Test Yourself: Re-read the poem ‘Jouvert Morning’ on page 22 and answer this question:
When the poet describes the dancers as ‘freed and lost inside the tempo’, he is suggesting that:
(a) they are dancing out of time
(b) they do not know where they are
(c) the music makes them forget all their worries
(d) they are enjoying themselves. Revision Tips:
Practise reading poetry.
Choose a short poem. Read it twice.
■■ Aim to be able to sum up what it is about, and the poet’s intention in writing it.
■■ Try to identify examples of poetic devices.
■■ Think about how the poem is written and what the poet is implying.
■■
■■
25
Paper 1
Section A
Identifying Theme and Intention
Revised
Mastered
The key ideas and the poet’s intention are often explored in the final lines of Reviewed
a poem. When you have explored and understood the ideas and attitudes expressed throughout the poem,
look closely at the final lines to consider the thoughts which the poet wants to leave the reader considering.
Look again at the last five lines of the poem ‘Jouvert Morning’, where he describes the thoughts and
feelings of the people at the carnival.
… the bursting waves of brass
breaking on a hoped-for shore where everybody is somebody
and the masks of everyday drop like discarded rotis
to be crushed by the feet of the dancers in the street
as freed and lost inside the tempo they celebrate themselves.
Test Yourself: Now look at the possible interpretations of these lines below. Tick any that
you agree with:
(a) The carnival makes everybody feel important and valued.
(b) The carnival is loud and annoying.
(c) The carnival fills the streets with garbage.
(d) The poet thinks the carnival is an important part of people’s lives.
(e) The poet thinks the carnival is fun but not an important part of people’s lives.
(f) The carnival is a great celebration.
Test Yourself: The people at the carnival enjoy it because:
(a) they like to dance
(b) it is a chance to escape from and forget their everyday lives
(c) they can dress up and wear masks
(d) they enjoy the music
26
Paper 1
Section A
Unit
5
Non-fiction
This unit will help you answer questions in Paper 1 which ask you to:
■■ identify the main points in a non-fiction text
■■ extract stated or implied information from a non-fiction text
■■ identify facts and opinions in a non-fiction text
■■ identify the writer’s purpose and intention in a non-fiction text.
Concept Map
Stated
information
Implied
information
Some information is directly and
clearly stated in a text
Some information is implied: the
reader has to read ‘between the lines’
to understand the writer’s
meaning
Extracting
information
Main points
The most significant or central
ideas which the writer includes
and explores in the text
The writer’s
intention
The skill of responding to
questions about the
content or ideas
NON-FICTION TEXT
The impact or influence which the
writer intends their ideas to
have on the reader
Fact
A piece of information which
can be proved and is
unarguable
Opinion
An idea or belief which can
be argued for or against
The writer’s
purpose
The reason that the writer wrote the text:
to inform, explain, persuade, etc.
Self Check
Tick the box that shows how confident you feel
Yes
Maybe
No
I can identify the main points in a
non‑fiction text.
I can identify stated and implied
information in a non-fiction text.
I can identify facts and opinions in a
non-fiction text.
I can identify the writer’s purpose and
intention in a non-fiction text.
27
Paper 1
Section A
Reading a Non-fiction Text
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
Test Yourself: Read the magazine article below carefully. Then, read it again and answer the
questions beneath to help you familiarise yourself with the writer’s main points.
What’s Your Name Again?
5
10
15
If you live in the West Indies and you don’t have a nickname, then something has to be
seriously wrong. Because when it comes to names and nicknames, I don’t think there is one
person in all these Caribbean islands who doesn’t have one and is either proud of it, or else so
annoyed at it that just to mention it in passing is to invite an instant fight. So when someone
tells you they don’t have a nickname, bet your life they have one that is so embarrassing that
they would rather die than have you find out.
Nicknames are really a positive thing in West Indian society. It is one of the ways in which society
accepts and accommodates you without making you feel left out. So if you have one foot, they
call you Hop ’n’ Drop, or Flat Tyre. If you’re tall they call you Shorty. If you’re short they call you
Tall Boy. If you’re ugly they call you handsome. And so on. They don’t pretend that they don’t see
your problem; they bring it out in the open for all to see, and for you to accept and not hide.
I know this little boy who came home crying, telling his mother how the children at school called
him Big Head. His mother told him not to take them on, how his head was not big at all, how
they were just jealous because he had a good-looking mother. Then she told him to go to the
shop and buy five pounds of potatoes. He said he didn’t have a bag. She couldn’t resist. The same
woman who had just told him his head wasn’t big now said: ‘No problem, put them in your cap!’
Then you have people who don’t believe in names at all. You meet them every day, and they
call you things like ‘Aye!’, ‘Oye’ or ‘Ah-ha!’. You know what I think? When people get baptised
they should leave their birth certificates blank so you could put in any name you please.
Paul Keens-Douglas, Caribbean Beat Magazine 1992.
1. What is the writer’s key point in the first paragraph (lines 1–6) of the article? Summarise it in
ten words or fewer.
2. What is the writer’s key point in the second paragraph (lines 7–11) of the article? Summarise it.
3. What is the writer’s key point in the third paragraph (lines 12–16) of the article? Summarise it.
4. What is the writer’s key point in the fourth paragraph (lines 17–19) of the article? Summarise it.
Revision Tip: The main points in a text are often found in the heading and/or in the first and last sentence
of each paragraph. Look again at the first and last sentence of each paragraph to check your answers.
28
Paper 1
Section A
Fact and Opinion
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
Facts are unarguable pieces of information. For example:
■■
■■
■■
Cuba is the largest of the Caribbean islands.
Kingston is the capital of Jamaica.
It was
designated the
capital city of
Jamaica in 1872
Approximately 98% of Caribbean islands are uninhabited.
It has an area of
109,884km² which is
larger than any other
Caribbean island
There are more than
7000 Caribbean islands
but fewer than 200 are
permanently inhabited
Opinions are personal views that can be argued, for example:
■■
Cuba is the loveliest of the Caribbean islands.
■■
Kingston is the best city in the world.
■■
No one would want to go and live on an uninhabited island.
I disagree!
I much prefer
Bridgetown
I would love the
peace and quiet
Some texts are purely factual. Some contain only the writer’s opinion. Some contain both fact and
opinion. The writer’s use of fact and opinion can depend upon the purpose of the text they are writing.
See page 30 for more on the writer’s purpose.
For example:
■■ Information texts contain lots of facts but little or no opinion.
■■ In an argument text, the writer will usually express their opinions,
using facts as evidence to support them.
■■ In a text written purely to entertain the reader, the writer may only
present their opinion and not include any facts at all.
Revision Tip: When you
first read a text in the exam,
look at the ways in which
the writer has used fact and
opinion. It could give you
vital clues about the writer’s
purpose and intention.
Test Yourself: Look at the statements below and the text on page 28. Are these facts or are they the
writer’s opinions?
1. Everyone in the Caribbean has a nickname.
2. Not having a nickname suggests that there is something seriously wrong with you.
3. Nicknames help people to accept their problems.
Fact ✓
Opinion ✓
Hint: find the relevant part of the text – and look for clues which suggest they are expressing the writer’s
opinion: phrases such as ‘I think’, ‘I believe’ or ‘People should…’ .
You should also be careful when the author reports or quotes lines spoken by other people. They may
not share the same opinion! Look at the context and the adjectives used by the author to see whether
they agree or disagree.
29
Paper 1
Section A
Purpose
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
A text usually has one main purpose. For example:
■■ to inform the reader (tell them something)
■■ to explain something to the reader (to show how something works/why something happens)
■■ to entertain the reader
■■ to argue the writer’s opinion
■■ to direct the reader
■■ to persuade the reader.
■■ to advise the reader
■■ to analyse (break something down to help the reader to understand)
■■ to describe (give details about an event, place, occurrence, thing).
Test Yourself: What would you expect to be the main purpose of the following texts? Draw
lines linking the text to its likely main purpose.
Texts
Purposes
An encyclopaedia entry about Christopher Columbus
direct
The instruction book for a new television set
explain
An advertisement for a mobile phone
entertain
A recipe for chocolate cake
inform
A leaflet about why you should recycle your garbage
argue
A humorous story about a child’s birthday party
persuade
Test Yourself: The purpose of the magazine article on page 28 is to:
(a) inform
(c) entertain
(b) explain
(d) persuade
Depending on the purpose of a text, different stylistic choices will
be made. Look at the content itself, the structure, the vocabulary the
author has chosen and at the different writing techniques.
30
Remember
A text may have one or more
purposes: a magazine article might
be informative and entertaining.
However, texts usually have
one main purpose.
Paper 1
Section A
The Writer’s Intention
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
When you have identified the purpose of a text, it is important that you then identify the writer’s intention.
A text that is written to persuade will be different from one written to entertain. When writing to
persuade, the author’s main purpose is to convince their reader of something (using facts and opinions),
to ask them to take action, or to reaffirm an existing opinion.
There is often crossover between the various purposes of a text and the writer’s intentions. Something
persuasive can also inform and entertain.
For example, in a leaflet about why you should recycle your garbage, the writer may have a number
of intentions.
They could include:
■■ to make the reader appreciate or feel guilty about the impact that our garbage has on the earth, its
animals and plant life
■■ to make you want to recycle your garbage
■■ to provide ideas on how to recycle more effectively and easily.
To identify the writer’s intention, you need to think about:
■■ the main points the writer makes
■■ any opinions that the writer expresses.
Test Yourself: Look again at the main points and opinions you identified in your answers on
page 29, then complete the task below.
The MAIN intention of the writer in the magazine article on page 28 is to:
(a) encourage the reader to use people’s real names
(b) point out that real names are not all that important
(c) tell a humorous story about a boy with a big head
(d) make people feel better about themselves
Revision Tip: The writer’s opinion may be consistent throughout the text – or it may develop as the
text progresses. So you must read the whole text to be sure you are getting a complete picture of the
writer’s opinion and intention.
31
Paper 1
Section A
Extracting Stated and
Implied Information
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
Some questions in your exam will ask you to identify stated information – information which is clearly
and plainly stated in the text.
To answer these kinds of questions, select a key word or phrase from the question and skim through the
text until you find it. The answer to the question should be near to it. For example:
Worked Example
The writer suggests that some people may tell you they don’t have a nickname because:
(a) they do not have a nickname
(b) they do not realise that people call them by that nickname
(c) it is an embarrassing nickname
(d) they are not interested in their nickname
mention it in passing is to invite an instant fight. So when someone tells you they don’t have a nickname,
bet your life they have one that is so embarrassing that they would rather die than have you find out.
For some questions you will need to work out the writer’s implied meaning by ‘reading between the lines’ or by hunting for clues.
Test Yourself:
1. What does the writer imply about the mother described in the third paragraph of the magazine article
on page 28? Draw lines linking the quotations below to any impressions which you think the writer
creates. Cross out any which you think are not implied.
(a) His mother told him not to take them on, how his head was not big at all
(b) They were just jealous because he had a good-looking mother.
(c) She couldn’t resist…‘No problem, put them in your cap!’
2. The writer thinks that some people do not believe in names at all because:
(a) people give each other nicknames
(b) people he meets every day do not use his name
(c) people prefer their nickname to their real name
(d) people dislike their nickname
3. The writer implies that people give each other nicknames:
(a) to insult them
(b) to laugh at them
(c) because they cannot remember their real name
(d) in good humour
32
(a) kind and loving
(b) arrogant
(c) cruel
(d) comforting
(e) teasing
(f) good-humoured
Paper 1
Section A
How Can I Extract
Information from a
Non-fiction Text?
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
Worked Example
You can use the skills and knowledge you have revised in this unit to help you work out the correct answer to questions like the ones in the
box. Look again at the magazine article on page 28.
The writer suggests that:
A. we should refuse to tell people our nicknames if they are embarrassing
B. we should choose our own nickname so we can be sure of liking it
C. we should accept our faults and not hide them
D. parents should choose their child’s nickname.
1. Re-read the text, looking for evidence:
• B: There is no evidence in the text to suggest this. This cannot be the correct answer.
2. Closely examine the evidence you find:
• A: There is evidence that the writer thinks that some people do this – ‘when someone tells you they don’t have a nickname, bet
your life they have one that is so embarrassing’ – but he does not suggest that everybody should.
•
D: There is evidence of a parent being supportive but gently teasing their child about their nickname – ‘She couldn’t resist. The
same woman who had just told him his head wasn’t big now said: “No problem, put them in your cap!”’ – but the writer does
not suggest that parents should choose their child’s nickname.
•
C: There is strong evidence that the writer suggests this – ‘They don’t pretend that they don’t see your problem; they bring it out
in the open for all to see, and for you to accept and not hide’ – so I think C is the correct answer.
Test Yourself: Which of the following does the passage suggest about nicknames?
I. They can be embarrassing and annoying
II. They can be upsetting
III. They should not be used
IV. They can show that society has accepted your faults
(a) I and II only
(b) II and III only
(c) I, II and IV only
(d) II, III and IV only
33
Paper 1
Section A
Unit
6
Persuasion
This unit will help you answer questions in Paper 1 which ask you to:
■■ identify stated or implied information in a persuasive text
■■ identify the connotations and implications of language choices in a persuasive text
■■ identify the register or tone of a persuasive text and its impact.
Concept Map
Stated
information
Some information is directly and
clearly stated in a text
Extracting
information
The skill of responding to
questions about the content
or ideas
Audience
The readers at which the writer aims
their text, selecting information and language
which is appropriate and appealing
to them
Informal
language
Language appropriate to more informal
or casual texts and conversations, often using
more everyday vocabulary choices and
elements of dialect or slang
Implied
information
Some information is implied: the reader has
to read ‘between the lines’ to understand
the writer’s meaning
Connotation
PERSUASIVE TEXT
A piece of information which can be
proved and is unarguable
Register
The level of formality
in a text
Formal
language
The language used in formal situations,
i.e. Caribbean Standard English and more
advanced vocabulary choices
Self Check
Tick the box that shows how confident you feel
I can identify stated and implied
information in a persuasive text.
I can identify the connotations of
vocabulary choices in a persuasive text.
I can identify the register and mood of a
persuasive text and its impact.
34
Yes
Maybe
No
Paper 1
Section A
Identifying Persuasive
Information
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
Read the advertisement on the right
carefully. Then read it again and
answer the questions beneath to
help you familiarise yourself with its
persuasive features.
Advertisements often highlight
the features of a product or service
which the writer thinks will appeal
to the reader. For example, the first
paragraph of the advertisement
draws the reader’s attention to the
restaurant’s cuisine (the food it serves).
Test Yourself: Circle all the
other different features of the
Palms Rooftop Restaurant which
the advertisement highlights.
Why not join them?
Advertisements also use positive
language choices to make the
appealing elements of their product
or service even more appealing. For example, the cuisine at the restaurant is described as ‘lovingly
prepared’, ‘carefully crafted’, and ‘beautifully presented’.
Test Yourself:
1. Underline all the positive language used in the advert to describe the features of the restaurant
which you have circled.
2. The advertisement suggests that the restaurant’s best features are its:
I.
setting
II. food
III. entertainment
IV. service
(a) I and II only
(b) II and III only
(c) I, II and III only
(d) I, II and IV only
35
Paper 1
Section A
Connotations
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
Connotations are the ideas, thoughts or feelings which are created by particular language choices.
Advertisers choose persuasive vocabulary for its positive connotations.
For instance, the following words and phrases could have been used in the restaurant advertisement to
tell you about the price of the food:
cheap
inexpensive
value for money
low-cost
budget
reasonably priced
Test Yourself: Think about the different thoughts and feelings – or connotations – that each
word or phrase creates:
1. Tick the word or phrase that would MOST effectively persuade you to visit the Palms Rooftop
Restaurant.
2. Put a cross next to the one that would be LEAST likely to persuade you to visit the Palms
Rooftop Restaurant.
The restaurant is described as ‘candlelit’. Think about the connotations of candles:
Romantic
Candles are associated with
romantic dinners
Sophisticated
Spooky
Candles can suggest great
wealth and culture
Candles are associated with
horror and ghost stories
CANDLES
Cheap
Old fashioned
Electricity is expensive so lighting
your home with a candle can
save money
Everybody used candles to
light their homes many
years ago
Test Yourself:
1. Tick the connotations of ‘candlelit’ which you think the writer of the advertisement was hoping
to suggest to the reader.
2. The use of the phrase ‘five-star service’ suggests that the service in the restaurant is:
(a) good
(b) good enough
(c) the very best
(d) poor
36
Paper 1
Section A
Audience
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
Writers always have a group of readers, or audience, in mind when they create a text. It guides their
choice of information, ideas and language.
For example:
■■ The writer of a story for very young children would not choose the same ideas or language as the
writer of a blog post for teenagers.
■■ An advertisement for a mobile phone aimed at teenagers might focus on how it helps your social
life and how good it looks. However, an advertisement for the same mobile phone aimed at adults
might focus on how easy it is to use.
Register
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
At a formal event – such as a wedding
– you would probably be expected to
dress formally.
At an informal event – such as a
house party – you would probably be
expected to dress informally.
A text which uses consistently formal
language choices creates a formal
relationship between the writer and the
reader.
Formal
Informal
A text which uses consistently informal language choices creates a more friendly, informal relationship
between the writer and the reader.
Test Yourself: Compare these two extracts from
restaurant adverts:
■■ Informal: Drop in, grab a bite and fill up on our tasty bikkle.
■■ Formal: Our guests travel from all over the Caribbean
and the world beyond to enjoy our traditional Caribbean
and international dishes, prepared using the finest local
ingredients by our award-winning chefs.
Think about how the writers of
these two different adverts use
language choice to:
■■ create different registers
■■ suggest the kind of restaurant
which they are advertising
■■ suggest the kind of people
who would enjoy eating at
the restaurant.
Test Yourself: Who is the MOST likely audience for the Palms Rooftop Restaurant advertisement
on page 35?
(a) anyone who is hungry
(b) couples who enjoy fine dining
(c) anyone who is in a hurry
(d) families who are on a budget
37
Paper 1
Section A
How Can I Extract
Information from
an Advertisement?
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
Worked Example
You can use the skills and knowledge you have revised in this unit to help you work out the correct answer to questions like the one below.
Look again at the advertisement on page 35.
The writer of the advertisement aims to suggest MOST STRONGLY that people who visit the restaurant will find it:
I.
luxurious and relaxing
II.
exciting and fun
III.
comfortable and cosy
IV.
cheap but cheerful
1. Re-read the text, looking for evidence:
• There is no evidence in the text to suggest this. This cannot be the correct answer.
2. Closely examine the evidence you find:
• There is some evidence to suggest the restaurant is ‘exciting’ – ‘our vibrant dining room’ – but no real evidence to suggest that
the restaurant is ‘fun’.
•
There is some evidence to suggest that the restaurant is ‘comfortable’ – but ‘cosy’ suggests the restaurant is small and intimate,
which there is no evidence to suggest.
•
There is strong evidence that the writer suggests this.
‘sophisticated | candlelit | dining room’ all have connotations of luxury.
‘peaceful | basking | looking out over pure white sands’ all have connotations of relaxation. So I think A is the correct answer.
Test Yourself: Which of the following does the advertisement on page 35 MOST strongly suggest
about the food at the Palms Rooftop Restaurant?
(a) it looks good and tastes good
(b) it is very expensive
(c) it is very good value
(d) there is a lot of choice
38
Paper 1
Section A
Unit
7
The Language of
Advertising
This unit will help you answer questions in Paper 1 which ask you to:
■■ identify the writer’s viewpoint in a persuasive text
■■ identify persuasive techniques in a persuasive text and their impact on the reader
■■ respond to visual features in a persuasive text.
Concept Map
Direct appeal
Appeal to
desires and fears
The writer emphasises how your desires
will be satisfied, or your fears reduced,
by the item or opinion on which
the text focuses
Dramatic language which appeals to
the emotions, used for emphasis
Persuasive
techniques
The ways in which language is used
to influence the reader’s response
to a text
Appeal to
authority
Emotive
language
Pronouns such as ‘you’ and ‘we’ are
used to suggest that the writer is
talking directly to the reader
A quotation from a trusted or admired
source, supporting the writer’s
viewpoint
Rhetorical
questions
Questions which are not answered but direct
the reader’s opinion or response
to the text
Statistics
PERSUASIVE TEXT
The writer’s
viewpoint
Numerical data used to support
an argument or opinion
Visual features
The impression or opinion which the
writer wants to give of the idea or
item featured in the text
All the elements of presentation which
contribute to the appearance
of a text
Fonts
Font style
The style of print face
used in a text
Different type faces
used in a text
Font size
Images
Layout
The way in which a text is
organised and presented
Pictures which reinforce the
writer’s viewpoint and
intention
The size of the print
used in a text
Self Check
Tick the box that shows how confident you feel
Yes
Maybe
No
I can identify the writer’s viewpoint and
perspective in a persuasive text.
I can identify the persuasive techniques
and their impact used in a persuasive text.
I can identify the persuasive impact of the
visual features used in a persuasive text.
39
Paper 1
Section A
Persuasive Texts:
Viewpoint and Bias
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
Read the advertisement below carefully. Then read it again and answer the questions beneath to help
you explore how the writer presents their viewpoint.
“The XOXO is CMC’s smartest
budget smartphone yet.”
Michael Headley, Head of Advertising at CMC
ext, snap, share
ll, t
an
a
C
d
Unbelievable value for money
ch
at
, It
’s a
l
l ju st a s wip
w
ea
.
ay
All new, Cyber 7 operating system will transform your mobile life
Super-bass built-in speaker – sounds like you’ve never heard them before
Lightweight, super-strong construction – no more cracked screens
Fully personalisable your way so you can be who you want to be
XOXO. Just a new phone? Or a new way of life?
In a persuasive text, the writer’s viewpoint is always biased. In an advertisement, the writer’s viewpoint is
always biased in favour of the product or service which the advertisement is advertising.
Test Yourself:
1. The quotation at the top of the advert uses biased language (language which states, suggests
or supports the writer’s viewpoint). Circle ONE example of biased language in the quotation.
2. Look closely at the person to whom this quotation is attributed. Why might this person be
biased in favour of this mobile phone?
3. Why do you think the designer of this advert decided to set the quotation in a much larger font
than the name of the person who said it?
4. Circle THREE further examples of biased language in the mobile phone advertisement above.
40
Paper 1
Section A
Persuasive Techniques
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
Look at all the persuasive techniques listed below. Use the concept map on page 39 to remind you of
any definitions you are unsure about.
Test Yourself:
1. Draw lines linking the examples from the advert on page 40 to the techniques used. Some
examples may feature more than one technique.
Persuasive technique
Appeal to authority
Appeal to desires and fears
Direct appeal
Emotive language
Example
‘The X0X0 is CMC’s smartest budget
smartphone yet.’
no more cracked screens
you can be who you want to be
will transform your mobile life
stunning colour and super-fine detail
Rhetorical questions
Just a new phone? Or a new way of life?
2. The words ‘a new way of life’ at the end of the advertisement MOST strongly suggest that this
mobile phone will:
(a) improve your life and make you happy
(b) waste a lot of your time
(c) be better than the phone you have at the moment
(d) help you stand out from the crowd
41
Paper 1
Section A
Persuasive Visual Features
The visual features of a persuasive text are designed to:
■■ attract the intended audience’s attention
■■ reinforce the writer’s viewpoint.
The mobile phone advertisement on page 40 uses a number of visual features in this way.
Test Yourself:
1. Draw lines linking the visual features to their intended impact.
Visual features
The large image at the top of the advert
The font selected for the headline ‘Call, text,
snap, share and chat. It’s all just a swipe away.’
Bullet points
None of the visual features in the advert
Intended impact
is intended to show that the phone
appeals to teenagers
suggests the phone is fun
suggests the phone is solid and reliable
suggests the phone will make you
popular and admired
clearly present a list of the phone’s
most appealing features
2. The language choices and visual features in the mobile phone advert on page 40 suggest that
the intended audience for this text are:
(a) parents
(b) teenagers
(c) retired people
(d) young children
3. Why do you think that?
42
Paper 1
Section A
How Can I Identify Persuasive Features
in an Advertisement?
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
Worked Example
You can use the skills and knowledge you have revised in this unit to help you work out the correct answer to questions like the one below.
Look again at the advertisement on page 40.
The phrase ‘super-bass built-in speaker – sounds like you’ve never heard them before’ is persuasive because:
I.
it uses direct address
II.
it uses hyperbole
III.
it uses persuasive vocabulary
IV.
it suggests this is a very good phone
(a) I and III only
(b) II, III and IV only
(c) I, III and IV only
(d) I, II, III and IV
1. Look closely at options I, II, III and IV:
• Direct address means the writer uses pronouns like ‘you’ and ‘we’. So this is definitely correct.
• Hyperbole means the writer uses exaggeration. The phrase ‘like you’ve never heard them before’ is an example of exaggeration so
this is definitely correct.
• ‘Super-bass’ is an example of persuasive vocabulary. It has been chosen to make the phone sound really good. So this is definitely
correct.
• The whole phrase suggests that the sound quality of the phone is good, which is intended to make the reader think the phone is
well made using high-quality parts. So this is definitely correct.
2. Look closely at the different answers available.
• I have worked out that all four of the options are correct. So the answer is D.
Test Yourself: The phrase ‘you can be who you want to be’ is persuasive because:
I.
it uses direct appeal
II. it appeals to the desire to be popular
III. it appeals to the desire to be an individual
IV. it appeals to the desire to be in control of your life
(a) II and III only
(b) I, II and III only
(c) I, III and IV only
(d) III and IV only
Revision Tip: See page 24
for more on hyperbole.
43
Paper 2
Section B
Unit
1
Summary
This unit will help you answer questions in Paper 2 which ask you to:
■■ list the main points in a text
■■ summarise a text in your own words.
Concept Map
The writer’s
purpose
The writer’s
intention
The reason that the writer wrote the text:
to inform, explain, persuade, etc.
The impact or influence which the writer
intends their ideas to have on the reader
Using your
own words
Main points
Transforming the writer’s ideas
and information into your own
carefully crafted sentences
The most significant or central
ideas which the writer includes
and explores in the text
SUMMARY
Linking
main points
Significant
detail
Topic
sentences
You need to link the key points
of your summary into a single
coherent paragraph
Additional important information
which is highly relevant to, and
supports, the main points
A quotation from a trusted or
admired source, supporting the
writer’s viewpoint
Self Check
Tick the box that shows how confident you feel
I can identify the writer’s purpose and
intention in a text.
I can identify the main points and
significant detail in a text.
I can summarise a text in my own
words.
I can link ideas in a coherent summary
using connectives.
44
Yes
Maybe
No
Paper 2
Section B
Identifying the Writer’s
Purpose and Intention
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
When you write a summary of a text, you need to maintain the writer’s original purpose and
intention. So, for example, if:
■■ the purpose of a text is to inform
Revision Tip: See page 54 for more
■■ the writer’s intention is to increase the reader’s
on the writer’s purpose and intention.
awareness of endangered species around the world
then your summary should have the same purpose and intention.
Test Yourself: Read the magazine article below, then answer the question that follows.
Get it while it’s hot: Barbados’ solar energy revolution
‘We are like tenant farmers chopping down the fence around our house for fuel when we should be using
Nature’s inexhaustible sources of energy — sun, wind, and tide…What a source of power!’ So wrote the
American inventor Thomas Edison, back in 1931. Eight decades later, much of the world has yet to catch up to
Edison’s vision.
The Earth receives an incredible supply of energy from the sun. In one day, the sun provides more energy than
our current global population can consume in twenty-seven years. On the flip side, in 2013, global carbon
dioxide emissions from fossil fuels were thirty-six gigatonnes. That’s 2.3 percent higher than in 2012, and sixtyone percent higher than in 1990. The Earth’s supply of fossil fuels is also a finite resource — some researchers
argue that by 2050 one-third of the world’s energy will need to come from alternative sources.
From an environmental perspective, the planet’s best hope is solar power. A single 1.5 kilowatt-hour solar
photovoltaic (SPV) system will keep nearly fifty tonnes of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere over twentyfive years. With solar, there’s no acid rain, no urban smog, no pollution of any kind, and it’s a resource we have
for at least another two billion years — as long as the sun keeps burning in the sky. It’s almost incomprehensible
that the world is taking so long to harness the incredible power of the sun, but particularly so for us here in the
Caribbean, which receives over three thousand hours of sunshine per year, on average.
Only one island, Barbados, stands as a pinnacle of success in the use of solar technology in the Caribbean.
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, as far back as 2002 Barbados saved 15,000 metric tons of
carbon emissions — and over US$100 million — from the 35,000 solar water-heating (SWH) systems installed at the
time. As of 2008 approximately 40,000 SWHs were in operation in Barbados, and the number has increased yearly.
Look at the purposes and intentions below. Tick the writer’s MAIN purpose and intention in the
magazine article above.
The purpose of this text is to:
The writer’s intention is to:
inform the reader
give information about solar energy
explain something to the reader
explain how solar energy works
entertain the reader
argue that we must harness the power of solar energy
argue the writer’s opinion
persuade the reader to install solar heating
direct the reader
argue that fossil fuels are inefficient
persuade the reader
explain Thomas Edison’s ideas
Revision Tip: When you are starting to think about the purpose or intention of a text, ask
yourself: is the writer simply trying to provide entertainment or information for the reader, or are
they trying to influence the reader’s opinions and/or actions?
45
Paper 2
Section B
Main Points
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
The main points in a text are often found in the first or topic sentence of each paragraph.
For example, in the magazine article on page 45, the main point of the second paragraph is clearly
stated in the first sentence:
The Earth receives an incredible supply of energy from the sun.
However, the main point of a paragraph is not always found in the first sentence.
Look closely at the first sentence of the first paragraph in the magazine article. The main point in this
paragraph is not clear from this first sentence: the main point is made by presenting the quotation from
Edison and then commenting on it. So to extract the main point of this paragraph, you would need to
summarise the whole paragraph:
Edison pointed out 80 years ago that we should make more use
of renewable energy, but we have yet to do so.
Test Yourself:
1. Using ten words or fewer, summarise the main point of the third paragraph in the
magazine article.
2. Using ten words or fewer, summarise the main point of the fourth paragraph in the
magazine article.
Remember
Always check that the topic sentence
does actually contain the main point
of the paragraph!
46
Paper 2
Section B
Identifying
Significant Detail
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
When writing a summary, you may need to add further detail to the main points, extracted from the
topic sentences of each paragraph. Look at each of the sentences in the second paragraph:
1. The Earth receives an incredible supply
of energy from the sun.
2. In one day, the sun provides more
energy than our current global population
can consume in twenty-seven years.
3. On the flip side, in 2013, global carbon
dioxide emissions from fossil fuels were
thirty-six gigatonnes.
4. That’s 2.3 percent higher than in 2012,
and sixty-one percent higher than in 1990.
This is the
main point in
this paragraph
This statistical
information backs up
the main point so there
is no need to include it
in your summary
This is significant
detail which
supports the
writer’s argument
This statistical
information backs up
the main point so there
is no need to include it
in your summary
5. The Earth’s supply of fossil fuels is also
a finite resource — some researchers argue
that by 2050 one-third of the world’s energy
will need to come from alternative sources.
This explains the
significant detail in
the third sentence
The main point and significant detail are in sentences 1, 3 and 5. You could summarise them in your own
words as:
Although the sun could provide an enormous amount of energy for the Earth,
we still create a vast quantity of pollution using fossil fuels which are rapidly running out.
Test Yourself: Write a summary of the third paragraph, including significant details, in 25 words
or fewer, using your own words.
47
Paper 2
Section B
Using Your Own Words
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
When you tackle summary tasks, you need to put your answer in your own words. There are three key
ways to do this:
■■ use synonyms to replace key vocabulary [for more on synonyms, see page 7]
■■ restructure sentences [for more on restructuring sentences, see page 12]
■■ condense sentences to make them more concise.
For example, look at the main point of the second paragraph in the magazine article on page 45:
The Earth receives an incredible supply of energy from the sun.
To restructure this sentence, you could:
Swap the two nouns
Earth and sun and
change the verb to make
sure you keep the same
meaning as the original:
Replace
some key
words with
synonyms
Condense
the sentence,
rephrasing to make
it more concise
The sun offers the Earth an incredible
supply of energy.
The sun offers the Earth an extraordinary
source of energy.
The sun offers the Earth an extraordinary
energy source.
Test Yourself: Look at the main point of paragraph three which you identified on page 47.
Rewrite it in your own words.
48
Paper 2
Section B
Linking Main Points
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
When you have identified the main points and the significant detail of the text you
are summarising, you need to make sure you link all the information into a
Remember
coherent text.
Look at these summaries of the first paragraph and the second paragraph
from the magazine article on page 45:
1. Edison pointed out 80 years ago that we
should make more use of renewable energy but
we have yet to do so.
You are aiming to summarise
the entire text into a single,
coherent paragraph.
2. Although the sun could provide an enormous
amount of energy for the Earth, we still create a
vast quantity of pollution using fossil fuels which
are rapidly running out.
You could:
■■
link these two sentences by inserting a connective word or phrase at the start of the second
sentence, for example:
Furthermore… |or | Moreover…
■■
|or | Despite Edison’s visionary thinking…
condense and summarise the sentences, for example:
Edison pointed out 80 years ago that the sun could be a huge energy source for Earth.
However, instead of making more use of solar energy, we continue to
pollute the Earth with fossil fuels which are rapidly running out.
Test Yourself: Look again at the summary you wrote (on page 47) of the third paragraph of the
magazine article. How could you link it to the summary of the first and second paragraphs above?
49
Paper 2
Section B
How Can I Summarise a Text? Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
Worked Example
You can use the skills and knowledge you have revised in this unit to help you write your answer to questions like the one below.
Re-read the magazine article on page 45 carefully and list FIVE main points discussed, then write a summary of the article in NOT
MORE THAN 120 words. As far as possible, use your own words.
This example looks at how you can summarise the main points in the fourth paragraph of the magazine article on page 48:
Only one island, Barbados, stands as a pinnacle of success in the use of solar
technology in the Caribbean. According to the United Nations Environment
Programme, as far back as 2002 Barbados saved 15,000 metric tons of carbon
emissions — and over US$100 million — from the 35,000 solar water-heating
(SWH) systems installed at the time. As of 2008 approximately 40,000 SWHs
were in operation in Barbados, and the number has increased yearly.
1. Identify the main point(s) and significant detail:
• The first sentence in this paragraph seems to be the topic sentence. It makes an important point.
• The second sentence supports the first sentence with lots of statistics so I probably don’t need to include them in my summary.
• The third and final sentence of the paragraph also supports the topic sentence with statistics, but I could summarise all the
statistics and include the significant details about reducing carbon emissions and saving money, and about the number of solar
water-heating systems increasing.
2. Summarise the main points and significant detail.
• I could summarise the main points and significant detail from this paragraph like this:
Barbados is a pinnacle of success in the use of solar technology because it has reduced its carbon emissions and saved
an estimated $100 million by installing a lot of solar water-heating systems and the number of them has increased yearly.
3. Use your own words:
• But that summary uses some of the words from the article and is not written very fluently. So I could rewrite the sentence like
this:
Barbados has been very successful in making use of solar technology. With the increasing use of solar
water-heating systems, it has significantly reduced its carbon emissions and saved an estimated US$100 million.
4. Link it to the previous summary sentence:
• My summary of the third paragraph was about how the Caribbean receives a lot of sunshine but does not make use of it. So I
could link the summary of the fourth paragraph to it with the connective ‘however’, because it introduces a contrasting idea:
Barbados, however, has been very successful in making use of solar technology. With the increasing use of solar
water-heating systems, it has significantly reduced its carbon emissions and saved an estimated US$100 million.
Test Yourself: Find a short magazine or newspaper article of about 350–400 words. Read it
carefully. List FIVE MAIN points discussed in the article, then write a summary of the article in NOT
MORE THAN 120 words. As far as possible, use your own words.
50
Paper 2
Section B
Unit
2
Before You Start Writing
Units 3–8 help you revise expository, imaginative and argumentative writing. This unit will
help you with the skills you need to use before and while writing all three.
Concept Map
Perspective
Audience, purpose
and intention
Who are you writing for? What impact
do you want your writing to
have on them?
Form
The kind of text you will
write, for example: letter,
article, email
Will you write in the first or third person?
Will you write mainly in the past or present tense?
Will you write in a formal or informal register?
Which would be more appropriate to your
purpose and effective in achieving
your intention?
Before you
start writing
As a writer, you need to make some
decisions even before you begin
planning your text
WRITING
Punctuation
Punctuation is essential to clear,
accurate expression
While you write
You need to express your ideas clearly and
accurately. You can also check the accuracy
and clarity of your writing when
you have finished
Paragraphing
Paragraphs are sections of writing
which focus on a specific topic,
time or place
Self Check
Tick the box that shows how confident you feel
Yes
Maybe
No
I can identify the purpose, audience and
form required in a writing task.
I can select an appropriate perspective
for a writing task.
I can paragraph my writing accurately.
I can punctuate my writing accurately.
51
Paper 2
Section B
Form
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
The form, or type of text, you need to write in for each task in the exam will be clearly stated in the
question. You need to be sure that you include all the key elements of the form in which you are writing:
Articles
News
A heading or
headline
Monday 19th June 2017
Get it while it’s hot
Barbados’ solar energy revolution
From our correspondent
The main body
of the article
written in
paragraphs
‘We are like tenant farmers chopping down the fence around our
house for fuel when we should
be using Nature’s inexhaustible
sources of energy — sun, wind,
and tide…What a source of
power!’ So wrote the American
inventor Thomas Edison, back in
1931. Eight decades later, much
of the world has yet to catch up to
Edison’s vision.
The Earth receives an incredible
supply of energy from the sun. In
one day, the sun…
Emails
Informal
salutation
The main body
of the article
written in
paragraphs
Informal
complimentary
close
Name of
sender
Hi Uncle Norman,
It was very nice to receive your email yesterday. Thank you for taking
the time and trouble to write.
I have given your suggestion some thought and have decided that I
would love to come and spend the summer vacation with you both.
It’s been a super-busy term at school and it would be great to just
get away from it all to hang out with you guys. Let me talk to mom
and dad about the best transport arrangements and I’ll get back to
you asap!
Best wishes
Jolie
52
Paper 2
Section B
Letters
Your address
in the top
right hand
corner
37 South Hill Road
Kingston
The date
beneath your
address
5 July 2017
The recipient’s
address on
the left
Palms Rooftop Restaurant
2 Chelsea Drive
Kingston
Dear Sir or Madam,
Formal
salutation
The subject,
underlined
The main body
of the letter
written in
paragraphs
Kitchen assistant
I am writing in application for the position of kitchen
assistant which was recently advertised.
I have a great deal of experience of working in the…
Yours faithfully
Name of
sender
Jolie Charles
Reports
Formal complimentary
close: ‘Yours sincerely’
if you use the recipient’s
name in the salutation;
‘Yours faithfully’ if
you do not know the
recipient’s name
How environmentally friendly is our school?
Title
Introductory
paragraph
Subheadings
and paragraphed
information
Conclusion
Mankind is gradually becoming more aware of the damage it is
doing to our planet. It is vital that everyone does their…
Recycling
At the moment, a huge amount of paper is wasted in our school,
much of which could be recycled. If we were to…
Overall there are many improvements which we could introduce…
Test Yourself:
Write a short, formal letter to your favourite teacher, thanking them for helping you to prepare
for your exams.
■■ Annotate your letter, highlighting all the key features of letter format which you have included.
■■ Check your annotations against the example above to make sure you have formatted it all
correctly.
■■
53
Paper 2
Section B
Audience, Purpose
and Intention
Reviewed
You need to read the writing tasks in the exam carefully. They will
give you the information you need about the audience, purpose
and intention required. Look at the writing task below.
Test Yourself: A local restaurant is advertising for kitchen staff to
help the chef prepare meals. Write a letter to the restaurant owner,
applying for the job. You should:
■■ give details of your age, education and experience
■■ explain why you would be a suitable candidate for the
advertised position.
Test Yourself: Circle and label
the details of form, audience,
purpose and intention in the
writing task on the right.
Revised
Mastered
Revision Tip: For more help on
audience, purpose and intention,
see pages 30, 31 and 37.
Audience: the restaurant owner
Purpose: to inform and explain
Intention: to demonstrate to the
restaurant owner that you would
be a great employee
A local newspaper is encouraging young people to take
up a new sport or hobby. Write an article for your local
newspaper, explaining why you enjoy your favourite hobby
or sport and encouraging other young people to try it.
Perspective
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
Once you have identified the form, audience, purpose and intention of your writing, you need to make
an appropriate, effective choice of the perspective from which you will write. Will you write in:
■■ the first person or the third person
■■ the present tense or the past tense
Remember
■■ a formal or informal register?
Once you’ve chosen your person,
tense and register, be consistent:
don’t change tense, person or
register halfway through.
Texts such as a speech or article in which you present an argument are likely
to be written in the third person, using the present tense, in a formal register.
A letter to someone you do NOT know well, informing them about your interests
or experiences, is likely to be written in the first person, using the present tense, in a formal register. A
story could be written in the first or third person, using the past or present tense, in a less formal register.
Test Yourself: Choose the perspective from which you would write the following tasks:
Person
First Third
1. A local restaurant is advertising for kitchen
staff to help the chef. Write a letter to the
restaurant owner, applying for the job.
2. A building company is trying to buy your
local park so that it can build houses on it.
Write an article for your local newspaper
giving your views on this.
54
Tense
Past Present
Register
Formal Informal
Paper 2
Section B
Paragraphing
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
Each paragraph in a text should focus the reader on one key point, key event or period of time. Every
sentence in that paragraph should introduce or develop those key ingredients. Every time you introduce
a new point, event or time, you should start a new paragraph.
You can plan your writing by thinking about how it will break down into paragraphs. For example, you
might plan task 2 on page 54 like this:
Test Yourself: A building company is trying to buy your local park so that they can build houses
on it. Write an article for your local newspaper giving your views on this.
■■
Paragraph 1: Introduce the topic: the building company wants to destroy the park to build houses.
■■
Paragraph 2: Explain how well used the park is by everybody in the city.
■■
Paragraph 3: Explain how important the park is for people to exercise and enjoy themselves.
■■
Paragraph 4: Explain that, although housing is important, there are other places to build new houses.
■■
Paragraph 5: Conclude that the park is a vital resource and must not be lost.
Test Yourself: Plan your response to task 1 on page 54 applying for a job at your local restaurant.
Plan your letter paragraph by paragraph. Aim to include at least FOUR paragraphs.
55
Paper 2
Section B
Punctuation
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
It is vital to use basic punctuation accurately. ALWAYS check your use of full stops, capital letters and
speech or quotation marks very carefully. One of the most common punctuation errors is the comma
splice: using a comma to link two sentences when they should be separated by a full stop. For example,
these two pieces of information CANNOT be joined by a comma.
I walked to the end of the street I saw him standing outside the cafe. ✗
They can be separated with a full stop:
I walked to the end of the street . I saw him standing outside the cafe. ✓
They can be linked with a conjunction:
I walked to the end of the street and I saw him standing outside the cafe. ✓
But linking them with a comma is incorrect:
I walked to the end of the street , I saw him standing outside the cafe. ✗
More advanced punctuation – such as colons, semi-colons and dashes – demonstrates a higher level of
skill in writing. Colons can introduce a list or an explanation:
He looked oblivious : he had no idea what he had done.
Semi-colons can replace a conjunction, suggesting a connection between
two pieces of information:
Remember
Check that the meaning of the
sentence remains clear when
you replace a conjunction
with a semi-colon.
I called to him ; he turned.
A single dash can create a pause, adding drama or emphasis:
I saw the look on his face – and I ran.
Remember
Dashes can create a more
informal tone in your writing.
Use them with caution!
A pair of dashes can be used to insert additional information:
I ran – lungs burning, heart pounding, brain churning – until I could run no more.
Test Yourself:
1. Correct the punctuation in the extract from a student’s story below.
My hands were shaking, they were shaking so much I could hardly rip open
the envelope. I tore and clawed at it, finally I pulled out a single sheet of
paper. It was a short letter, I read it quickly, my palms were sweating because I
knew what it meant. It meant nothing would ever be the same again.
2. Where could you use a colon, semi-colon or dashes to demonstrate your punctuation skills?
56
Paper 2
Section B
What Do I Need to Do
Before I Start Writing?
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
Worked Example
You can use the skills and knowledge you have revised in this unit to help you prepare to write your response to a task like the one below.
Your school board has asked students to suggest ways in which your school could be improved. Write a letter informing the school
board about your ideas.
1. Think about form, audience, purpose and intention:
• I have to write using the letter form. I need to remember all the key elements of letter format: addresses, date, subject, salutation,
and complimentary close.
• The purpose is to inform, so I do not need to persuade them that my ideas are good; I just have to explain them.
• My audience is the school board, so I need to write in a formal register.
• I will write in the third person to make my writing more formal.
• I will write mainly in the present tense because I am writing about the current situation in school. I will use some modal verbs –
such as could and should – to suggest possible improvements to the school.
2. Plan your writing.
I need to note down all my ideas and organise them into paragraphs. My key points will be:
• Paragraph 1: School food – improved food will give students more energy to learn.
• Paragraph 2: Sports facilities – students need to play hard as well as work hard!
• Paragraph 3: Computers – students need more access to computers to prepare us for the future.
3. Remember to check punctuation as you write:
• I need to check my basic punctuation, looking out for and correcting any comma splices.
• I will try to use some advanced punctuation to show off my writing skills.
Test Yourself: Do NOT write a full response to this task. Instead:
1. Note down all the decisions you need to make: form, audience, purpose, intention and
perspective.
2. Plan your response, paragraph by paragraph.
3. Set out the correct format for your response.
4. Now, write your opening paragraph, checking your use of punctuation carefully.
5. You have been offered the opportunity to complete two weeks’ work experience in a local
business. It is the kind of business where you would very much like to work when you finish
your education. Write a letter in which you:
■■ accept their offer
■■ thank them for the opportunity
■■ explain why you are grateful for the opportunity.
57
Paper 2
Section B
Unit
3
Short Story Writing 1:
Planning Your Story
This unit will help you prepare to answer questions in Paper 2 which ask you to write a
short story.
Concept Map
Dialogue
Character
Structuring
your ideas
Once you have gathered your ideas, you need
to think about how you will structure
them in your short story
Vivid, interesting characters will engage
the reader in your story
Setting
Gathering ideas
Before you start writing, note down all the ideas
that you might want to include in your short story:
the different settings, events, characters and
their relationships
Caribbean
standard English
You must write the short story in your
exam using standard English – although
dialect can be used in dialogue
What the characters say to each
other – and how they say it – can
reveal a great deal about them
Describing where your story
takes place helps to create a vivid
picture in the reader’s
mind
Atmosphere
KEY ELEMENTS OF
SHORT STORY WRITING
Details you can use to create the mood
or atmosphere of your settings, for example:
an anxious, nervous mood, or a joyful,
celebratory mood
Self Check
Tick the box that shows how confident you feel
I can gather and structure effective
ideas for a short story.
I can create an effective mood or
atmosphere to reflect the events in my
story.
I can create and describe vivid,
engaging characters and settings.
58
Yes
Maybe
No
Paper 2
Section B
Gathering Ideas
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
When you select a short story writing task, aim to note down all the different big ideas you might want
to build your story on. Look at the writing task below:
Write a short story which includes these words:
Sam stood on the doorstep for what felt like hours. Finally, he made up his
mind and knocked quietly on the door.
You could think about the kind, or genre, of story that would suit this situation: an adventure story? A
ghost story? A mystery story? A romantic story? What do you think?
When you have chosen one or two possible kinds of story, you could begin to develop your ideas by
thinking more about the situation described in the sentence you have to include in your story.
Test yourself
1. Ask yourself – and answer – the following questions:
(a) How does Sam feel while he is waiting? Which word or phrase tells you this?
(b) How does Sam feel when he knocks? Which word or phrase tells you this?
(c) Whose doorstep is Sam standing on?
(d) Who will answer the door? The person he is expecting, or someone else?
(e) What does Sam want or expect to happen when the door is answered?
(f) How did Sam get into this situation?
(g) What will happen when the door is opened?
2. Note down all your ideas for one kind or genre of story based on the task above.
3. Note down all your ideas for a different kind of story based on the task above.
4. Decide which one you prefer. Sometimes your first idea is not your best idea. When you gather
ideas for a short story, try to think of two very different stories and choose the one which you
think you can write most successfully.
Notes:
59
Paper 2
Section B
Structuring Your Ideas
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
One way in which you can structure your story is to think of it as a four-part sequence:
Exposition:
Conflict:
Climax:
Resolution:
The situation at
the start of the story
is introduced
A problem occurs
The problem gets
much worse
The problem is
resolved – either happily
or sadly
Anansi refuses
and slips. The pot falls
and breaks
All the wisdom
drains away
Macbeth commits
more murders in order to
increase his power
Macbeth is defeated by
Macduff and Malcolm
This structure can be applied to well-known folk tales:
Anansi is
given all the wisdom in
the world in a pot. He decides
not to share it but to hide
it at the top of the
tallest tree
He cannot hold the
pot and climb the tree.
His son tells him to tie it
to his back
It can also be applied to long, complex dramas:
Three witches predict
that Macbeth will become
king of Scotland
Macbeth murders
King Duncan and becomes
king of Scotland
Sometimes, story writers play with the structure of stories. For example, a writer might decide to
structure the Anansi story beginning with the conflict and then using a flashback to explain the
exposition:
Anansi is climbing
up a tree, carrying a pot.
He cannot hold the pot
and climb the tree
Anansi was
given all the wisdom in
the world in a pot. He decides
not to share it but to hide
it at the top of the
tallest tree
Anansi is still
struggling to climb the tree.
His son tells him to tie the pot
to his back. Anansi ignores
his son. He slips. The pot
falls and breaks
How would beginning the story in this way help to engage the reader
and grab their attention?
All the wisdom
drains away
Revision Tip: For
more on beginnings and
endings, see Unit 4.
Test Yourself:
1. Look at all the ideas you gathered in response to the task on page 59. Use them to plan a story
using the four-part story structure of exposition-conflict-climax-resolution.
2. Try playing with the structure of your story, for example opening with the conflict and then
flashing back to the exposition. Would it make your story opening more engaging and help to
grab the reader’s attention?
60
Paper 2
Section B
Character and Dialogue
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
There are two main ways to present the characters in your story. You can tell the reader what they
are like:
Joshua had a terrible temper. Sometimes he would lose his temper for no obvious reason and he
would shout and stamp his feet. He could be quite frightening.
Or you can show the reader what they are like:
Joshua’s mother asked him to set the table.
‘Why do I have to do everything around here?’ he bellowed. He snatched up a vase of flowers from the
kitchen table, hurled it at the wall and stormed out of the kitchen.
Which do you think is more effective? Showing not telling almost always creates a more vivid and
compelling story.
Test Yourself:
1. When you are planning a character for your story, you should think about all of the aspects in
the table. Add your own idea to each box.
their physical
appearance
what they do
what they say
how they say it
An aggressive,
unpredictable
character might…
have a scar
punch walls
be abusive
shout
A secretive,
untrustworthy
character might…
pull their hat down
over their eyes
move silently
hint that they know
secrets
whisper
2. Choose one or two characters from the story you planned on page 59. Think about how you
could show the reader what these characters are like by describing:
■■ their appearance
■■ what they do
■■ what they say
■■ how they say it.
Remember
Use accurate speech punctuation
when you write characters’
dialogue.
61
Paper 2
Section B
Setting and Atmosphere
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
The setting is the time (era) and the location (place) your story is based in. It can provide specific
information about placement and time (for example, Kingstown, 1972) or can be more generally
descriptive. You should consider social environment as well as time and place when deciding on a setting
for your story. It can be a real or an imaginary place, and serve either as a backdrop to provide atmosphere
or as an integral part of your plot.
Careful description of setting can create a powerful, vivid image and atmosphere in the reader’s mind.
To create setting, you can use the weather – if you are describing an outdoor setting – and the senses
of sight, sound, smell and touch. Look at these details from one student’s description of a dangerous,
deserted area in a large city at night:
There was no moon or stars and the sky was black with cloud.
The weather
A cold, sharp wind sent boxes of rubbish skidding down the empty road.
In the distance, a dog barked relentlessly
What can be heard
Police sirens wailed.
The drone of a burglar alarm rose and fell.
A streetlamp flickered, eerie shadows flickered across the damp pavement.
What can be seen
I hurried past the dark shop fronts, the paint on them was peeling and some of their
windows were smashed or boarded up.
What can be smelt
I could smell burnt greasy food and rotting garbage. The foul odour drifted around
my nostrils.
What can be felt
Broken glass crunched beneath my feet. The cold, clammy night air seeped into my
clothes and made me shiver.
How many of these details would you choose to create an effective description of a city at night? All of
them? Quite a lot of them? Or just two or three of them?
Test Yourself: Choose TWO different combinations of setting and atmosphere from the list below.
Note down three or four details you could use to create your two chosen settings.
Atmosphere
Setting
Threatening
Abandoned house
Cosy and comfortable
Living room
Spooky
Forest
Remember
Sometimes just two or three
details are enough to create
a vivid impression of setting
and atmosphere.
62
Paper 2
Section B
How Should I Plan to Write
a Short Story?
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
Worked Example
You can use the skills and knowledge you have revised in this unit to help you plan your response to a task like the one below.
Write a short story which includes these words:
Janelle knew it would be a difficult challenge. She had no idea, though, that it would be quite so terrifying.
1. Gather your ideas:
• What could this terrifying challenge be? What kind of story do I want to write?
• I could write a spooky story about Janelle being challenged to spend the night in a derelict house – or I could write an adventure
story about Janelle taking part in some kind of dangerous activity like bungee jumping or rock climbing.
• I think I can write a more effective spooky story. I can build a really spooky atmosphere and describe how it makes her feel.
2. Structure your ideas:
• I can use the exposition-conflict-climax-resolution structure:
Exposition: Janelle’s friend challenges her to spend a night alone in the derelict house.
Conflict: The house is full of strange sights and sounds.
Conflict: She hears something coming down the stairs.
Resolution: It’s the man who lives in the house. He is as frightened of her as she is of him. She runs!
•
I could start with the conflict, describing Janelle entering the house, and then flash back to the exposition, explaining why she is
there. That would be a dramatic, engaging way to start the story.
3. Design your characters and setting:
• I’ll make Janelle sound brave and independent but quite frightened.
• I’ll describe the man in the house as a sinister, hunched figure as he shuffles down the stairs and then as a weak, shaky old man
when he reveals who he is.
• I need to think carefully about how I will describe the house. It should be dark and cold, dusty and very run-down. There will be
the sound of creaking steps and wheezy breathing as the man comes downstairs.
Test Yourself: Do NOT write a full response to this task. Instead:
1. Gather and structure your ideas.
2. Note down some details which will help you create your
main character.
3. Note down some details which will help you describe an
important setting in your story.
4. Write a story based on the picture on the right.
63
Paper 2
Section B
Unit
4
Short Story Writing 2:
Crafting Your Story
This unit will help you complete questions in Paper 2 which ask you to write a short story.
Concept Map
Endings
A satisfying ending to a short story
will leave the reader with a lasting
impression of your writing
Beginnings
The opening to a short story
is vital in engaging your reader’s
interest and attention
Caribbean
standard English
Linking ideas
SHORT STORY WRITING
You must write the short story in your
exam using standard English – although
dialect can be used in dialogue
Vocabulary
choice
Use careful vocabulary choice to create
precise meaning, vivid description
and dramatic impact
To hold your reader’s attention, you
need to clearly guide them through
your story
Sentence structure
Different sentence structures can
add impact to your writing
Self Check
Tick the box that shows how confident you feel
I can write an effective beginning and
ending for a short story.
I can clearly link my ideas in a short
story to guide the reader.
I can use sentence structure and vocabulary
choice to create precise meaning, vivid
description and dramatic impact.
64
Yes
Maybe
No
Paper 2
Section B
Beginnings
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
If you do not grab your reader’s attention at the start of a short story, they may not want to carry on
reading.
There are a number of ways in which you can grab your reader’s attention. Which of the following three
openings makes you keenest to find out what happens next?
■■
■■
■■
Dialogue: ‘Get down and lie perfectly still!’ said a voice in the darkness. I froze.
Action: I looked up the hill, at a perfectly blue, cloudless sky. And my heart stopped. An
enormous boulder was hurtling and crashing and bouncing down the mountain towards me.
Description: Mist swirled around me as I peered in astonishment through the darkness at the
flickering light in the window of the old house on the hill.
An effective opening should:
I can see a spooky old house, surrounded by mist at night…
Create an image in the reader’s mind
I can see that boulder heading for me!
I can see two shadowy figures in the dark.
Suggest the narrator’s – or one of the
characters’ – dramatic thoughts and feelings
The narrator’s frightened.
The narrator’s terrified.
The narrator’s astonished.
Why is there a flickering light? Why is the narrator going
to the house on the hill?
Make the reader ask questions and want to
find out more
Is the narrator going to survive?
Who are these people? What is happening here?
He’s frightened – but why?
Test Yourself:
1. Spend two or three minutes thinking of a rough story outline based on these sentences.
She said she knew him. But Vernon had no memory of ever having seen her before.
2. Now write three possible opening sentences for your story, using three different techniques:
dialogue, action or description.
65
Paper 2
Section B
Endings
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
An effective ending should tie up all, or at least most, of the loose ends in a story, showing how the
events of the story have affected the main characters’ lives, actions, thoughts or feelings.
The most unsatisfying endings are too sudden and do not resolve the conflict of the story:
And then I woke up. It was all a dream.
Ending a story on a cliffhanger – where the action is not resolved and we do not find out what happens
to the characters – can also be very unsatisfying:
I looked down at the ground far below. My grip on the window sill was slipping. Was this the end of my life?
It would be much more satisfying to find out if this was the end of this character’s life – or if she was
rescued or managed to save herself.
Satisfying endings often give the reader:
■■ a sense of justice: the characters get what they deserve. The good are saved or rewarded and the
bad are punished.
■■ a twist: it looks like everything is going to go wrong. However, at the last minute a single action or
event leads to a happy ending. Aim to link that story-changing event to the rest of the story – not
the actions of a character we have never met before.
■■ a progression: the character(s) have learned something or been changed for the better by the end of
the story.
Test Yourself:
1. Look at the endings below. Which might make a more satisfying ending than the cliffhanger
ending above? Which is the least satisfying? Why?
(a) As my grip started to slip, the window opened. It was Janelle. She had forgiven me and
come home. I was saved. And I knew I would never do something like that ever again.
(b) I heard a voice. There was a man leaning out of the window of the next apartment. It
was the man whose wallet I had found in the street and given back to him just a few
hours ago. He was getting ready to throw me a rope. I was saved.
(c) Suddenly the fire brigade arrived with a long ladder. I had no idea who had called
them but I knew one thing: I was saved.
2. Look back at the story you planned roughly on page 65. Think of two or three possible endings
for your story. Which one is most satisfying? Why?
66
Paper 2
Section B
Focusing and Linking the
Events in Your Story
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
You don’t have to tell the reader about everything that happens in your main characters’ lives from the
beginning to the ending of your story. You should pick and choose the key events which tell your story –
and be sure to guide the reader clearly through them.
Look for example at the one student’s plan for the opening of a spooky short story:
Shanice finds a mysterious box in
the cupboard under the stairs.
■■ She takes it up to her room.
■■ Her mum calls her down for dinner.
■■ Shanice eats dinner.
■■ She finally gets to go to her room
and opens the box.
■■
These are the two
key events in this
section of the story.
They should be the
main focus of the
story opening.
These details could be
effective because they
might build the reader’s
tension, making them
want to find out what
is in the box – but if the
reader has to spend too
much time reading about
these events, they might
lose interest.
Look at how the writer focused on the key events in the story:
Shanice stared down at the small, strangely carved, dark wooden box she had found in the cupboard under
the stairs. She had been looking for her sports kit, but this looked much more interesting. There was a face
carved on the lid: a smiling, leering, ugly face. She tucked the box in the pocket of her jeans, and was about
to go up to her roomwhen her Mum said that dinner was ready.
After dinner, Shanice hurried upstairs, locked her bedroom door and sat anxiously on her bed turning the
wooden box over in her trembling fingers. She was not sure why she felt anxious. There was something
about this box that made her feel strange and uncomfortable – almost frightened.
1. The opening sentence focuses on the most interesting, mysterious part of the story opening.
2. This explanation is not so interesting – so the writer tells us it has already happened.
3. The less interesting events are told quickly using the temporal connectives ‘when’ and ‘after’.
4. The reader’s attention is then focused back on the box and its contents.
Do you think the writer needed to include the detail about eating dinner? Or could that have been cut
out of the story?
Test Yourself: Look back at the story you planned on page 65.
1. Plan your opening two paragraphs in detail. What are the key details and events? How will you
link in the less interesting details and guide the reader through them?
2. Write your opening paragraphs.
67
Paper 2
Section B
Sentence Structure
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
Think carefully about the ways in which you structure the sentences in your story. It can add significant
impact to your writing.
Short sentences can add impact to a dramatic moment. Compare these two different sentence
structures:
‘Get down and lie perfectly still!’ said a voice in the darkness. I froze.
‘Get down and lie perfectly still!’ said a voice in the darkness and I froze.
Structuring this as a
very short sentence
creates a dramatic
punchy moment.
Linking it to the
previous sentence
weakens this
impact.
The dramatic effect of short sentences can be further enhanced by positioning a much longer sentence
in front of them.
My fingers shook, fumbling clumsily at the lid of the box, my hands shaking, my heart
pounding as I prised the box open and peered inside its darkness. It was empty.
This long sentence
builds tension and
descriptive detail.
This short
sentence creates a
dramatic moment
of discovery.
I ran through the building, charging down corridors, barging through
doors, dodging two guards and leaping over a fence. I was free.
This long sentence
links a series
of actions to
suggest fast-paced
movement.
This short
sentence releases
the tension of the
longer sentence.
The reader might lose understanding or attention if a sentence is very long and overloaded with too
much descriptive detail. Try not to use one sentence type too frequently. If you use it too often, the
impact lessens each time.
Test Yourself:
Choose a dramatic or exciting moment from the story you planned on page 65. Write a
paragraph describing that moment.
■■ Look at the sentence structures you have used. How could you add to the drama, excitement
and/or tension of the moment using different sentence structures?
■■
68
Paper 2
Section B
Vocabulary Choices
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
Choose the vocabulary in your story with care. First, think about the nouns and verbs you use. You
can often replace a lot of descriptive language with a well-chosen noun and/or verb. Compare
these sentences:
This sentence uses
uninteresting
verbs and lots of
adverbials.
The mirror fell suddenly and hit the floor, breaking
into a thousand pieces with a terrible crash.
This sentence uses
well-chosen verbs to
convey exactly the same
information, but much
more concisely.
The mirror crashed to the floor and shattered.
However, sometimes modification can help build a vivid picture in the reader’s mind. Look at these two
descriptions of a house:
It had walls and windows, a front door, and a car in the driveway.
It had high, ivy-clad walls and gloomy, dark windows, a vast black front door, rotten with
woodworm, and an old rusting car in the driveway.
Which one creates a more vivid picture? Which one creates a more powerful atmosphere?
Test Yourself: Look at the description of a storm below. The blanks could be filled with
adjectives or adverbs to make the description more detailed.
1. Note down TWO options you could use to fill each blank.
The
/
stronger and the
wind was
/
trees bent
/
/
sky growing darker. The
/
hurried through the streets, bombarded with
/
over with the
force of the gale and the rain fell
/
growing
/
/
. People
leaves and
litter, hurrying to get home.
2. Look at the two adjectives or adverbs you have noted which could fill each blank space. Which
would you choose to fill the space? Write out a final draft of the sentences above, using the
most effective adjectives and adverbs.
3. Look again at your final draft of the sentences above. Could you make any of your descriptions
more concise by replacing some of the modification with more precise, descriptive nouns or verbs?
69
Paper 2
Section B
How Can I Craft an
Effective Short Story?
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
Worked Example
You can use the skills and knowledge you have revised in this unit to help you write your response to a task like the one below.
Write a short story which includes these words:
This was turning out to be the worst day of her life.
1. Plan and structure your ideas:
• I’m going to write about a character experiencing a series of disasters in just one day. I’ll start with the most dramatic one – and
end with something good which puts a smile back on her face.
• I think I’ll start with her boyfriend telling her that their relationship is over. She could be reading the text he sends her. Then she
can’t find her purse, thinks she must have dropped it in the street, goes out looking for it and gets locked out of her house. So she
breaks a window and climbs in through a window, and gets arrested. She sorts it out with the policeman and there can be a hint
that the policeman might become her new boyfriend.
2. Focus and link your ideas:
• I’m going to focus on the main events:
How she feels when she gets the text from her boyfriend.
Anxiously looking for her purse.
Traipsing up and down the street looking for her purse.
Breaking into her house.
Getting arrested.
3. Think about sentence structure and vocabulary:
• I could open with a dramatic short sentence. I could start with the text she gets: ‘It’s over.’
• I can describe her feelings when she gets the text really vividly: she starts shaking, her stomach churns, she feels tears stabbing at
her eyes and she collapses, sobbing.
• I need to make the part where she breaks into her house really dramatic. I could use long sentences to describe the effort of
climbing in and short sentences to describe how she feels: ‘I was exhausted.’
Test Yourself:
1. Plan your response to this task, thinking carefully
about the beginning and ending. Then write the
opening two paragraphs, aiming to:
■■ create an engaging opening to your story
■■ focus on key events and link in less important
details
■■ choose your vocabulary and sentence structures to
create impact.
2. Write a story based on the picture on the right.
70
Paper 2
Section B
Unit
5
Information Writing 1:
Planning Your
Informative Text
This unit will help you prepare to answer questions in Paper 2 which ask you to write an
informative text.
Concept Map
KEY ELEMENTS OF
INFORMATIVE TEXTS
Tone
Gathering ideas
Before you start writing, note down all
the factual information that you might
want to include in your text
Structuring
your ideas
Once you have gathered your information,
you need to think about how you will
structure it
Careful vocabulary choice contributes
to the tone of an information text, which
is usually formal, polite and measured
Register
Information texts are usually written
in a formal register, adapted according
to the intended audience
Caribbean
standard English
Standard English helps to create
a formal register
Self Check
Tick the box that shows how confident you feel
Yes
Maybe
No
I can gather and structure factual
information in an informative text.
I can write in an appropriate register
and tone in an informative text, using
Caribbean Standard English.
71
Paper 2
Section B
Gathering Ideas
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
When you begin an informative writing task, aim to note down all the different points you might want to
include. Look at the writing task below:
Your neighbour has noisy parties almost every night. Sometimes you are kept awake until three
o’clock in the morning.
Write a letter to your local council, complaining about your neighbour’s behaviour. Include all the
details that would help to highlight the problem. For example:
■■ the frequency of the disturbance
■■ the nature of the disturbance
■■ how these disturbances have affected you
■■ the response of your neighbour.
First, you need to imagine the situation. Use the bullet points in the question to help you:
The frequency of the disturbance
How often does your neighbour have a
party? The task suggests it is almost every night. How many
nights were you disturbed last week?
The nature of the disturbance
Is there music? People partying in the street? Lots of people
arriving and leaving?
How these disturbances have affected you
The task suggests you are kept awake by the noise. How does
this affect you in the night and the next day? How does it
make you feel?
The response of your neighbour
Have you spoken to other neighbours? What did you say to
your noisy neighbour? How did you approach the issue? How
has your neighbour responded?
Test Yourself: Note down all your ideas for the task above by asking yourself, and answering, the
questions above then adding any further ideas of your own.
Remember
When you gather ideas for a piece of
writing, try to think of more ideas and
information than you will need so that
you can choose the best ones.
72
Paper 2
Section B
Structuring Your Ideas
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
An information text usually follows this outline structure:
Introduction
The main body
Conclusion
The purpose of your text, a brief
summary of your approach to the
subject, any relevant background
information
The key ideas and information which
you feel your reader needs to know
and understand
A summing up of the key ideas and,
where appropriate, a suggestion of
any action you would like the reader
to take
The problem began some weeks
ago when I was awoken by a
sudden…
I would therefore be grateful if you
would let me know what can be
done to improve…
Dear Sir or Madam
I am writing to complain about a
difficult situation which has arisen
regarding my…
The key to structuring an information text effectively is to sequence the
information in the main body of the text logically:
■■ When relating a sequence of events, put them in chronological order
(1) The first thing that happened…
(2) Then…
(3) Finally…
■■ When explaining a problem, describe:
(1) The cause of the problem.
(2) Its effect on you and/or others.
(3) Your response to it.
■■
Revision Tip: For more
on introductions and
conclusions, see Unit 6.
I cut my finger.
It hurt.
I put a plaster on it.
When relating information about a particular topic (such as information about your school), organise
your ideas under subheadings:
(1) Subheading 1
The school curriculum
(2) Subheading 2
Sports facilities
(3) Subheading 3
Clubs and teams
You can also use any bullet points in the task to help you organise your text logically. For example, your
plan for the task on page 72 might look something like this:
Introduction Paragraph 1
Paragraph 2
Main body
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 4
Conclusion
Paragraph 5
Why I am writing
The nature and frequency of the disturbance
How these disturbances have affected me
The response of my neighbour
What I would like the council to do
Test Yourself: Look at all
the ideas and information
you gathered in response
to the task on page 72.
Use them to plan your
response to the task. You
could base it on the plan
above, using all the ideas
you gathered on page 72.
73
Paper 2
Section B
Register and Tone
Reviewed
When you write an information text, you need to select a register and
tone appropriate to your audience and purpose. Usually, this will be:
■■ a formal register
■■ a measured tone.
Revised
Mastered
Revision Tip: For more
on register, see page 37.
This helps to suggest that the information in your text is reliable and accurate. Look again at the writing
task on page 72. Which of the following letters do you think the council is more likely to take seriously
and act upon?
I am writing to inform you about my neighbour’s
antisocial behaviour.
Mi write to inform you bout fi mi neighbour
behave.
Although this issue
might make you angry,
When selecting the appropriate register
your tone should be calm
As you don’t know the
and measured. This will
and tone for your writing, you need to think
name of the person
make the information
you are writing to, the
about audience, purpose, intention and
you provide sound
letter will begin Dear
reliable and accurate.
Sir or Madam – which
form. For the writing task on page 72:
immediately suggests a
■■ The purpose is to inform.
formal register.
■■ Your intention is to complain.
Imagine you visited the local
■■ The form in which you are asked to write is a letter.
council offices instead of
writing to them. You would
■■ The audience is the local council.
probably speak to them using
formal language because
making a complaint is a
serious, formal thing to do.
Test Yourself:
1. Look at the sentences below. Choose the vocabulary which will give your letter an appropriately
formal register and measured tone.
two weeks
nuff sessions
serious amounts
few days
loads of parties
a large number
couple of weeks
several parties
tons
my neighbour has held
In the last
outside his house,
loud music and
. These have involved
of people
until three o’clock in the morning or later.
loitering
extremely
bad behaviour
chopsin
well
antisocial behaviour
hanging around
very
acting up
2. Write the opening paragraph of the letter you planned on page 72 using an appropriate register and
tone.
74
Paper 2
Section B
How Should I Plan an
Information Text?
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
Worked Example
You can use the skills and knowledge you have revised in this unit to help you plan your response to a task like the one below.
You are a member of a school board that is trying to make healthier food available in your school. The board has asked you to
gather information and write a report on the food that is currently available in your school. Write your report, including all the
details that the school board will need to know. For example:
• the meals and drinks that are currently available in school
• the snacks that are currently available in your school
• any other foods which students in your school eat.
1. Gather your ideas:
• The task asks me to gather information and write a report on the food that is currently available. I need to be careful NOT to
write about how we could make more healthy food available.
• Lunches are good in my school but I think there could be more choice, maybe less fried food and more vegetables or salad.
• We only have water or milk, so that’s quite healthy.
• The tuck shop sells chips and candy and sodas and a lot of students buy them.
• Some students bring their own lunch to school. Some are quite healthy, I think, but some students bring too much candy and
chips. Some students sneak out of school and go to the cafe down the road. They definitely don’t buy healthy food!
2. Structure your ideas:
• I need to write an introduction, main body and conclusion.
• In my introduction I could write about how important it is to eat healthily and how some students at our school do, but some
don’t.
• I can organise the main body using subheadings: the school cafeteria, he school tuck shop, packed lunches and the cafe down the
road
• In my conclusion, I can sum up all the information: there are some healthy choices, but there is a lot of unhealthy food on offer
which students often prefer.
3. Think about register and tone:
• This is a report for a school board so I think I need to write in a formal register and an unbiased tone so it makes the information
sound reliable and accurate.
Test Yourself: Do not write a full response to this task. Instead:
1. Gather and structure your ideas
2. Decide the register and tone in which you will write.
Your favourite TV show is looking for a new, young host to present it. Write a letter to the producers,
informing them all about the skills and qualities you possess which would make you the perfect
choice. Include all the details that will show the producers what a good host you would make. For
example:
■■ your personal qualities
■■ your interests and experience
■■ your ambitions for the future.
75
Paper 2
Section B
Unit
6
Information Writing
2: Crafting Your
Informative Text
This unit will help you complete questions in Paper 2 which ask you to write an informative text.
Concept Map
Introduction
The introduction gives vital information
about the focus and background of the
text that follows
Conclusion
Vocabulary choice
An information text needs to be very clear
and precise. Your choice of vocabulary
is vital in achieving this
INFORMATIVE
TEXT WRITING
The conclusion can provide a summary
of the information in the text and suggest
ways in which the reader might respond
to, or act on, that information
Sentence structure
Linking ideas
An information text needs to be very clear
and precise. Your choice of sentence
structure is vital in achieving this
You need to guide your reader through
the text, clearly signalling changes of
time and topic
Self Check
Tick the box that shows how confident you feel
I can write an effective introduction and
conclusion to an informative text.
I can clearly link my ideas in an
informative text to guide the reader.
I can use sentence structure and
vocabulary choice to convey information
clearly and precisely.
76
Yes
Maybe
No
Paper 2
Section B
Introductions
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
Introductions introduce the topic of your text to the reader. An effective introduction does not simply list
all the types of information in the text. It should ‘set the scene’ so that the reader understands why you are
writing the text and any relevant background information.
An ineffective report might begin:
In this report, I am going to write about how
teachers tell students off, send them out of
the classroom and give them detentions.
Simply lists the
content of the rest
of the text
An effective report might begin:
✗
Gives the
background to
the text
An ineffective letter might begin:
Dear Sir or Madam
I want to complain about bad food and
bad service and I would like an apology
and I want my money back.
Simply lists the
content of the rest
of the text
The school board is considering some reforms
which it is hoped will improve student
behaviour and achievement in the school.
This report outlines the current methods of
disciplining students in our school.
✓
Summarises
the content
An effective letter might begin:
✗
✓
Dear Sir or Madam
I am writing regarding an extremely
disappointing meal which I and my family ate
in your restaurant on Thursday October 20th.
Unfortunately, my family and I did not enjoy
the food or the attitude of your staff.
Introduces
the purpose
of the text
Summarises
the content
Test Yourself: Write the opening paragraph of your response to the task below:
Your teacher has set up a pen pal scheme with a school in the UK. Write a letter to your pen pal,
telling them about school life in your country. Include lots of interesting details to give your pen pal a
clear idea of what school is like for you:
■■ where your school is and what it is like to live there
■■ the school day, the subjects you study and your teachers
■■ anything else that might interest your pen pal.
In your introduction, aim to:
■■ introduce the purpose of your letter and/or
■■ give any necessary background and/or
■■ summarise the content of the rest of the letter.
Remember
You can use the bullet points in
the task to give you some ideas.
77
Paper 2
Section B
Conclusions
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
The conclusion should sum up the content of an informational text.
An effective conclusion should not simply repeat the content of the text. It should summarise the key
points, drawing them together to guide the reader’s response to the information provided.
Revision Tip: There is no need to begin your conclusion with the phrase ‘In conclusion…’ or ‘To
sum up…’. An effective conclusion concludes and sums up, so there is no need to tell the reader
that this is what you are doing!
An ineffective report might conclude:
In this report, I have written about how
teachers tell students off, send them out of
the classroom and give them detentions.
An effective report might conclude:
✗
Simply repeats the
content of the rest
of the text
Summarises
the content
An ineffective letter might conclude:
In conclusion, I am not happy about the
bad food and bad service we received.
My family did not enjoy the meal or the
evening we spent at your restaurant at all.
Simply lists the
content of the rest
of the text
The school does have a strict discipline
policy which is enforced by the majority of
teachers. However, the fact that some students’
behaviour is not improved by these disciplinary
methods suggests that our approach to
discipline could be made more effective.
✓
Suggests ways in
which the reader
might respond to
the content
An effective letter might conclude:
✗
✓
My family and I were very disappointed with
the food and service we received at your
restaurant and feel that an apology and
a refund would be an appropriate way to
respond to our complaint. We look forward to
hearing from you in the near future.
Summarises
the content
Suggests ways in
which the reader
might respond to
the content
Test Yourself: Write the concluding paragraph of your response to the task on page 77. Aim to:
■■
■■
summarise the content of your text
suggest ways in which the reader might respond to the content.
Remember
You can use the bullet points in
the task to give you some ideas.
78
Paper 2
Section B
Linking Ideas
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
You need to use connectives to link your ideas and guide the reader through your information text.
Connectives have a range of purposes. They can:
Add information:
Introduce an explanation:
Moreover Furthermore
Therefore Consequently
In addition
As a result So
Introduce an example or evidence:
Emphasise key information:
For example For instance
Significantly Above all
In particular
Introduce contrasting information:
Sequence information chronologically:
However In contrast
Before/After Meanwhile
On the other hand
Finally
Revision Tip:
Below is an extract from a student’s report on his school’s discipline policy. It
contains lots of information.
Many teachers send students out if their
behaviour is disrupting a lesson.
If a student will not stop talking and is not doing
their work to a satisfactory standard, the teacher
might ask them to leave the classroom.
Their poor behaviour can no longer disrupt the
lesson or influence the behaviour of others.
The teacher may also leave the classroom
to point out why their behaviour was
unacceptable.
This is an example, so
it could be linked to
the previous point by
adding ‘For example’
at the beginning of
the sentence
This is an explanation
of the previous point.
Which connective
could you use to link
it to the previous
point?
Some teachers give students an immediate
punishment for this kind of behaviour, such as
writing a hundred lines, but they do not remove
them from the lesson.
Test Yourself:
1. Write FIVE sentences about the ways in which discipline
is used in your school. Try to link the information in your
sentences using a range of connectives.
Connectives can
be positioned at
the beginning of a
sentence or in the
body of the sentence.
This is adding
information to the
previous point. Which
connective could you
use to link it to the
previous point?
This is contrasting
information. Which
connective could you
use to link it to the
previous point?
Remember
Using the same connectives
over and over again will make
your writing sound repetitive
and uninteresting.
79
Paper 2
Section B
Sentences
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
Each paragraph in an informative text should begin with a topic sentence. This should convey the
paragraph’s key information point as clearly and precisely as possible.
One way in which you can make your topic sentences as clear and precise as possible is to position the
subject and main verb at the beginning of the sentence.
■■ The verb in a sentence describes the action, event or situation to which the sentence refers.
■■ The subject of the verb refers to the person or object that is responsible for that action, event or
situation.
For example:
1.
Many teachers send students out if their behaviour is disrupting a lesson.
This sentence begins with the subject and main verb.
This is the main clause in this sentence.
■■ This is a subordinate clause.
■■ This is the main verb in this sentence.
■■ This is the subject of the main verb in this sentence.
■■
■■
2.
■■
3.
■■
4.
■■
Unsurprisingly, many teachers send students out if their behaviour is disrupting a lesson.
This sentence begins with an adverb, placed in front of the subject and main verb.
If their behaviour is disrupting a lesson, many teachers send students out.
This sentence begins with the subordinate clause.
Many teachers, if their behaviour is disrupting a lesson, send students out.
This sentence splits the subject and main verb with the subordinate clause. This changes the
meaning of the sentence completely!
Which of the sentences above delivers information most clearly and precisely?
Test Yourself: Rewrite the sentences below so that they BEGIN with the subject and main
verb and express their key point as clearly and precisely as possible.
1. Occasionally some students can react to discipline negatively.
2. Although they dislike them, many students do not see detentions as a deterrent to bad behaviour.
3. Sometimes resentment is caused if students feel that they are being punished for something
that others have not been punished for.
80
Paper 2
Section B
Vocabulary Choice
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
It is important to express your ideas with clarity and precision in an information text. Careful choice of
vocabulary will help you achieve this.
For example, look at this sentence from one student’s letter written to complain about poor food and
poor service in a restaurant.
The food was horrible. My sister’s food was horrible, my mother’s
food was horrible and my father’s food was horrible.
The writer could have chosen much more specific vocabulary to give more detailed information:
The food was horrible inedible. My sister’s food chicken was horrible chewy, my mother’s
food beef was horrible burnt and my father’s food burger was horrible raw.
When you are focusing on a particular information topic, it is easy to find yourself wanting to repeat
some key nouns and/or verbs. For example, in a letter of complaint to a restaurant, you might keep using
the words:
restaurant and food
To avoid repeating the same words over and over again, use synonyms – words with similar or
identical meanings. For example:
instead of repeating the word
or your business
■■ instead of repeating the word
■■
your restaurant,
food,
you could refer to it as your establishment
you could refer to it as meals or dinner or dishes .
Test Yourself:
1. Look at the sentences you wrote for the activity on page 77 about
discipline in your school. Think carefully about your vocabulary choice
in those sentences:
■■ Is it clear and precise or could you add more detail?
■■ Have you used any words repeatedly? Could you replace some of the
repetition by using synonyms?
2. Rewrite your sentences, aiming to improve your vocabulary choice.
You could use a thesaurus to help you.
Revision Tip: For
more on synonyms,
see page 7.
81
Paper 2
Section B
How Should I Write an
Information Text?
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
Worked Example
You can use the skills and knowledge you have revised in this unit to help you write your response to a task like the one below.
An elderly relative has written you a letter in which they explain that they want to buy a computer and learn how to use it.
Write a letter in reply to your relative, informing them about computers, including all the details that they need to know. For example:
• how to choose a computer
• all the different things that a computer can do or be used for
• how they can best learn to use their computer.
1. Plan and structure your ideas:
• I’m going to imagine that my granddad has written to me.
• I don’t know much about computers – but I probably know more than he does! So I’ll tell him what I know and try to keep it
simple. I could use that idea for my introduction.
• I can use the bullet points in the task to help me with the main body.
• I think the most important thing is to buy the best one that you can afford. The people in the computer shop can advise you –
but it might be cheaper to get my dad to buy it online.
• I can put in lots of information about all the things you can do on the internet: find information, keep in touch with friends,
share photos, etc.
• The best way to learn is to use the computer. I could offer to visit and help.
• For my conclusion, I can tell him I think it is a really good idea because then we can talk all the time because I don’t see him
often enough – and wish him good luck.
• I am writing to my granddad so I will use a less formal register – but I still need to write in standard English because I am
writing in an exam.
2. Think about connectives, sentences and vocabulary:
• I need to remember to link my ideas using a range of different connectives.
• I need to begin each paragraph with a topic sentence, using a subject-verb start to make it as clear and precise as I can.
• I need to think about vocabulary: I should make it really clear and precise because I’m trying to explain something difficult to
someone who doesn’t know much about it.
Test Yourself: Write your response to this task:
The principal of your school wants to run some new clubs and activities after school to give the
students the opportunity to try new things and learn new skills.
The principal has asked you to write a report on the kinds of sports, hobbies and activities that the
school could offer to interest students and encourage them to attend.
Write your report, including all the information that the principal will need to know:
■■ sports that are currently popular with teenagers
■■ hobbies and activities that are popular with teenagers
■■ any other ideas that might appeal to teenagers.
82
Paper 2
Section B
Unit
7
Argument Writing 1:
Planning Your
Argument Text
This unit will help you prepare to answer questions in Paper 2 which ask you to give your views
on a particular topic or issue.
Concept Map
KEY ELEMENTS OF
ARGUMENT TEXTS
Gathering ideas
Before you start writing, note down all the
key points you might use to express your
opinions and to influence your reader
Evidence
You will need evidence to support and
prove the validity of your key points
Counterargument
Presenting a counter-argument – the
opposing view to your own – allows you to
point out why your opinion is right
and their view is wrong
Structuring
your ideas
Once you have gathered your key
points, evidence and counter argument,
you need to think about how you will
organise them and structure
your text
Self Check
Tick the box that shows how confident you feel
Yes
Maybe
No
I can gather and structure an argument
text.
I can use evidence to support my
argument.
I can strengthen my argument with a
counter-argument.
83
Paper 2
Section B
Gathering Ideas
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
When you begin an argument writing task, aim to note down all the different points you might want to
include. Look at the writing task below:
‘Older people have a great deal more experience and knowledge than young people. ‘
‘Young people should always listen to, and do, what their parents and teachers tell them.’
Write an essay giving your views on this statement.
Remember
First, you need to decide whether you agree or disagree with the
statement in the task. Think through some arguments for and against:
Older people are not always
right. Sometimes they do not
realise that the world has
changed since they were young…
…but older people do have a lot
of experience and knowledge
because they have done more and
seen more than young people…
Think carefully: you need to be
sure of your view because you will
need to explain and support it with
some persuasive points.
So I think that young people should
always listen to older people’s
advice – but make up their own
minds about what is best for them.
When you are sure of your point of view, you need to note down at least three key points which will
influence the reader and encourage them to agree with you.
You will probably need two or three strong points to support your ideas. So note down four or five – and
decide which are the strongest:
Older people are not always right.
Nobody is always right.
This is a strong
point, so I’ll
definitely use
this one.
Older people expect to be obeyed just because
they are older. That doesn’t mean they are right.
Older people’s rules are not always right –
but they don’t justify or explain them.
If young people only do what they are told, they
will never learn to make their own decisions.
The world is changing all the time. Young people
have more knowledge and experience of their
own lives and their own world than older people.
I think this is the
weakest point and
it’s not as relevant
to the task so I will
leave this one out.
This is a really
strong point. I might
put this one towards
the end of my essay.
This is a strong
point. I’ll use
this one.
Test Yourself: If you agree with the point of view above, note
down one or two further points you might want to include in
your response. If you disagree, note down three or four points
which you could include in your response.
84
This point links to
no. 1 so I could put
them in the same
paragraph.
Remember
When you gather ideas for any
writing task, try to think of more ideas
than you will need so that you can
choose the best ones.
Paper 2
Section B
Evidence
Reviewed
When you have gathered the key points for your argument, you
need to note evidence to support each one of them. Supporting
evidence can be:
1. an expert opinion
2. a fact or statistic
3. an example from your personal experience.
Mastered
You are unlikely to have
these to hand in an
exam. You could make up
a statistic, or invent a
quotation from someone you
know in authority, such as
your principal or a parent –
but it must be believable.
In an exam
situation, this is
the most useful
form of evidence.
For example, the evidence to support the key points
gathered in the planning on page 84 could include:
Points
Evidence
Older people expect to be obeyed just
because they are older. Older people are not
always right. Nobody is always right.
For example, my granddad always says
we should respect our elders and betters
and do what we’re told.
If young people only do what they are told,
they will never learn to make their own
decisions.
The principal of my school is always
encouraging us to be independent and
not be influenced by others.
The world is changing all the time.
Young people have more knowledge and
experience of their own lives and their own
world than older people.
My mother and father always talk about
how things were in their day. But this
isn’t their day – it’s my day.
Make sure your evidence really does
support your point. This fact could
be used to support a point in this
argument – but it does not effectively
support any of the points above!
Revised
The rules in my school have not changed
since 1971 when the school opened. They
have not changed with the times and
seem outdated and irrelevant.
Personal
experience
Expert
opinion
Personal
experience
Fact
Test Yourself: Look at the ideas you gathered on page 84. Note down some evidence you could use
to support your ideas, either drawing on your own experience or the opinion of someone in authority.
85
Paper 2
Section B
Counter-argument
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
A counter-argument can be a very powerful technique to reinforce your point of view and
influence the reader’s response.
A counter-argument paragraph:
■■ presents an argument from the opposing point of view to your own
■■
points out that this opposing argument is flawed.
This is
sometimes called
the concession.
This is
sometimes called
the rebuttal.
A counter-argument can be extremely persuasive because:
■■ it suggests the strength of your argument: you are prepared to acknowledge that there are
opposing points of view
■■ it allows you to undermine and weaken an opposing point of view.
To create a counter-argument paragraph:
1. Introduce the counter-argument with a connective phrase such as:
Some people might argue that…
It has been suggested…
■■ It could be said that…
2. Select a counter-argument which opposes your own point of view:
■■ Young people always think they know best but older people really do.
3. Link your response to the counter-argument with a connective that introduces a contrasting idea:
■■ However…
■■ On the other hand…
4. Explain why the counter-argument is flawed:
■■ Older people tend to be set in their ways and they do not often question their ideas. Young people
are more prepared to question accepted ideas and really think about what is the best and the right
thing to do.
■■
■■
Revision Tip: When devising a counter-argument, think of someone you know whose opinion on
the issue is bound to be different to your own. What would their point of view be? How would you
point out that they are wrong?
Test Yourself: Try to think of another counter-argument which you could make in this text. How
would you dismiss it?
86
Paper 2
Section B
Structuring an Argument
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
An argument text usually follows this outline structure:
Introduction
The main body
Conclusion
Introduce the view you are arguing
for or against; present a clear
statement of your view.
The key argument points and
evidence which will influence your
reader’s opinion.
A summing up of the key ideas and
a final emphasis of your views.
Many adults can frequently be heard
telling young people how they
should behave, what they should
do, think and say. However, …
Older people may feel they are older,
better and wiser simply because
they have been alive for a long time.
My granddad, for example, …
When making important decisions,
we should take into account a
whole range of opinions: some from
older people and some from…
The key to an effective argument text is to sequence your
key points in a logical, persuasive order:
Key points
Introduction
Paragraph 1
Do older people really know best?
Main body
Paragraph 2
Older people are not always right.
Nobody is always right.
Paragraph 3
Counter-argument: young people
always think they know best.
Paragraph 4
Young people have more knowledge
and experience of their own lives and
their own world than older people.
Conclusion
Paragraph 5
If young people only do what they
are told, they will never learn to
make their own decisions.
Paragraph 6
Young people should not blindly
follow what older people say: they
should weigh up a range of opinions
to help them make decisions.
Revision Tip: For more on introductions
and conclusions, see Unit 8.
I decided to put my key
points in this order
because it seemed logical
to start by focusing on
how older people are not
always right…
…I put the counterargument here
because it is closely
linked to the point in
paragraph 2…
….after thinking about
old people not always
being right, it’s logical
to move on to how
younger people are not
always wrong…
…and finally why
it’s important to
let young people
make their own
decisions.
Test Yourself: Look carefully at the sequence of key points and counter-argument in the main
body of the plan above. Would you sequence them in the same way? Or would you structure
them in a different order?
87
Paper 2
Section B
How Should I Plan an
Argument Text?
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
Worked Example
You can use the skills and knowledge you have revised in this unit to help you plan your response to a task like the one below.
Young people spend too much time staring at screens and not enough time being active. They need to turn off the television,
the mobile phone, the computer and the games machine, and get themselves fit and healthy.
Write an essay giving your views on this statement.
1. Gather your ideas:
• First, I need to decide my views. I think young people can do both: just because you watch TV or play computer games it doesn’t
mean you don’t do sports.
• Now I need to think of some arguments to support my point of view.
1. Young people do a lot of sport. That’s why so many great athletes come from the Caribbean.
2. Older people do not understand mobile phones and computers so they do see why young people enjoy playing them.
3. It’s important to have lots of different interests: not just sport, and not just TV, but both and many more too.
• I need a counter-argument too. I can write about how TV and computer games can be very addictive so it’s not surprising that
some young people spend too much time on them – but it’s up to parents and guardians to educate their children about the time
they spend on them and about being fit and healthy.
2. Structure your ideas:
• I need to write an introduction, main body and conclusion.
• I’ve only got thirty minutes to write this essay so I think I’ll choose my strongest two main points and the counter-argument.
• I need to sequence my paragraphs and think of some evidence for my two main points:
1.
2.
3.
•
•
Main points
Old people don’t understand modern technology.
Young people do a lot of sport.
Counter-argument.
1.
2.
Evidence
Personal experience: none of my parents or grandparents
can use a computer or mobile phone.
Personal experience: I play cricket, football, basketball
and do athletics.
In my introduction I could use the point I did not include in the main body: it’s important to have lots of different interests.
In my conclusion, I can sum up and emphasise my view: it doesn’t have to be a choice – only sports or only TV – you can do both.
Test Yourself: Do not write a full response to this task. Gather and structure your ideas in an essay plan.
Parents and teachers must be allowed to use corporal punishment (physical deterrents such as
smacking and caning) to discipline children.
Write an essay giving your views on the statement.any other ideas that might appeal to teenagers.
88
Paper 2
Section B
Unit
8
Argument Writing 2:
Crafting Your
Argumentative Text
This unit will help you complete questions in Paper 2 which ask you to give your views on a
particular topic or issue.
Concept Map
Introduction
Conclusion
The introduction gives vital information
about the focus of the text that
follows
The conclusion can provide a summary
of your views and emphasise
your argument
Register
ARGUMENTATIVE
TEXT WRITING
Argument texts are usually written in
a formal register, adapted according to
the intended audience
Linking ideas
You need to guide your reader through
the arguments and counter-argument
in your text
Paragraph
structure
Caribbean
standard English
Persuasive
techniques
Standard English helps to
create a formal register
Your choices of sentence structure and
vocabulary can make your writing
significantly more persuasive
An argument text needs to make a number
of clear points, each one supported with
evidence and an explanation of its relevance
to the overall argument
Self Check
Tick the box that shows how confident you feel
Yes
Maybe
No
I can write an effective introduction and
conclusion to an argument text.
I can clearly structure paragraphs and
link my ideas in an argument text.
I can use a range of persuasive
techniques to influence the reader’s
response to an argument text.
I can write in an appropriate register
in an argument text, using Caribbean
standard English.
89
Paper 2
Section B
Introductions
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
Introductions introduce your views to the reader. They need to be engaging to grab your reader’s
interest and attention. An effective introduction does not simply list all the points you will make in the
rest of the text. It should introduce the issue you are exploring and introduce your point of view. Look at
the writing task below:
Everybody complains about young people. We need to focus instead on their positive attributes and
achievements.
Write an essay giving your views on this statement.
To create an engaging, interesting, effective introduction to an argument text:
Don’t… ✗
Tell the reader what you are
going to do – just get on and do it!
In this essay, I am going to argue that we dov
need to focus on young people’s attributes and
achievements. I am going to write about…
Do… ✓
Introduce your point of view with
a bold statement
Use a short anecdote to introduce your
argument
Use a rhetorical question
Young people are the most important people in
the world: they are its future.
When I was young, my dad always told me what I
was doing wrong. My mum always told me how I
could do it better. It’s much harder to be positive,
but it’s so much more productive.
How would you feel if everybody said that you
were lazy, dishonest and selfish? That’s what young
people are told every single day of their lives.
Revision Tip: See
page 93 for more on
rhetorical questions.
Test Yourself: Look at the writing task below:
Education is the most important thing in the world. Schooling should be compulsory for young
people up to the age of 18.
Write an essay giving your views on this statement.
1. Decide on your point of view. Would keeping students in school until they are 18 help them
achieve more? Or would some students achieve more by leaving school sooner and getting a
job?
2. Write your introduction to the writing task above. Aim to:
■■ grab the reader’s attention
■■ introduce the issue you are going to write about
■■ introduce your overall view on that issue.
90
Paper 2
Section B
Conclusions
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
The conclusion to an argument text should sum up the writer’s views, but not simply repeat them. An
effective conclusion should emphasise your point of view and guide the reader to agree with you or act
on your ideas.
Revision Tip: There is no need to begin your conclusion with the phrase ‘In conclusion…’ or ‘To
sum up…’. An effective conclusion concludes and sums up, so there is no need to tell the reader
that this is what you are doing!
Look at the writing task below:
Everybody complains about young people. We need to focus instead on their positive attributes
and achievements.
Write an essay giving your views on this statement.
To create an effective, persuasive conclusion to an argument text:
Don’t… ✗
Simply repeat the key points of
your text.
In conclusion, young people make a great
contribution to our society, they strive for great
academic and sporting achievements, and they…
Do… ✓
End on a striking image
So next time you see a young person standing on a
street corner, don’t assume he’s planning to rob you.
He might be waiting for a ride from the athletics
coach who is training him for Olympic gold.
Refer back to the anecdote which I am still grateful for the positive encouragement
you included in your introduction my mother has given me all my life. I think it has
made me the person I am today. Without it, I
would be…
End on a thought-provoking
What damage is this negative attitude doing to
Rhetorical question
the youth of today?
Warn of the consequences of
Constant criticism causes problems: it makes
ignoring your opinions
people feel disillusioned and disaffected which
can lead to anti-social behaviour and crime.
Point out the benefits of agreeing The more we can see the good in each other, the
with your opinions:
happier we all will be.
Revision Tip: See
page 93 for more on
rhetorical questions.
Test Yourself: Write the concluding paragraph of your response to the task at the bottom of page 90.
Aim to:
■■ summarise and emphasise your point of view
■■ influence the reader’s response.
91
Paper 2
Section B
Main Body:
Paragraph Structure
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
In each paragraph of the main body of your argument text, you should:
■■ start your paragraph with one of your main points: this is the topic sentence of the paragraph
■■ support it with evidence
■■ explain the significance of the main point and evidence: how does it support your argument?
Revision Tip: For
more on evidence,
see page 85. For more
on topic sentences,
see page 80.
This sentence
explains the
relevance of the
evidence.
Main point: a
topic sentence
Many young
people spend their
time in training
and preparing to
become great adults
Evidence: fact
Usain Bolt, Bob
Marley, Rihanna
and many
others were
all young once.
So we can be sure that, somewhere
out there, the next generation of
superstars is working hard to achieve the
same greatness. We should not, therefore,
assume that all young people spend their time
idling and doing harm. Some are
working hard for a successful future.
Linking ideas
Look closely at the paragraph above. Can you spot the connective
words which the writer has used to link her ideas? You can use
connective words and phrases to:
■■ build your argument: ‘moreover’, ‘in addition’, ‘furthermore’
■■ introduce your evidence: ‘for example’, ‘for instance’
■■ link explanations: ‘therefore’, ‘consequently’, ‘so’, ‘as a result’.
These sentences link
the point and evidence
to the main argument,
highlighting how
assumptions about
young people can be
wrong.
Revision Tip: For more on
linking ideas, see page 79.
Remember
Explain your point fully. The explanation
should be the longest part of the paragraph:
at least one to two times as long as the
point and evidence together.
Test Yourself: Write a main body paragraph in response to the writing
task at the bottom of page 90. Aim to:
■■ begin your paragraph with a topic sentence stating a main point.
■■ support your point with evidence.
■■ explain the relevance of your point and evidence to your argument.
■■ link your ideas with connective words and/or phrases.
92
Explanation
Paper 2
Section B
Persuasive Techniques
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
There is a wide range of persuasive or rhetorical devices which can make your writing persuasive.
■■ Don’t try to include at least one example of each in your writing.
■■ Do use them when they are appropriate and when they add persuasive impact to your argument.
Rhetorical questions
A rhetorical question is a question that does not require an answer because it does not need an answer:
it prompts the reader to give an answer which will support your argument. For example:
How would you feel if you were being constantly criticised?
It would be difficult
to consider constant
criticism as anything
other than a bad thing
Would the world be a happier place if we all saw the good in each other?
It would be
difficult to
answer ‘no’ to
this question!
Rhetorical questions are effective because:
■■ they direct the reader’s opinion
■■ they invite the reader to engage with your argument and your opinions.
It’s often easy to spot a rhetorical question due to its position in the text. It occurs immediately after a
point or before a new strand of argument, for example:
■■ ‘It’s common sense. Isn’t it?’
■■ ‘Tamika did very well in her exams, didn’t she?’
■■ ‘Has the government done its research properly? Who knows?’
Repetition
Repeating a word or phrase can emphasise a key idea:
Repeating the word
‘strive’ emphasises the
idea that young people
work hard
Many young people strive to achieve their best and strive to do their best for others.
Repetition is particularly effective when you repeat a sentence structure. For example:
We all have dreams. We all have ambitions. We all want to be the best that we can.
Repetition is effective because:
■■ it grabs the reader’s attention
■■ it can emphasise a key idea.
Beginning each of these
sentences in the same
way gives emphasis and
power to their content
93
Paper 2
Section B
Parallel Structures
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
Parallel structures are a particularly effective way to link ideas and highlight key points. For
example:
■■
Linking what is done and not done – or what should be done and should not be done:
Young people should be praised, not persecuted.
■■
Building up points using ‘not only… but also…’:
Young people are not only struggling to achieve, but also
struggling against the older generation’s prejudice.
■■
Building up points using ‘neither… nor…’:
This kind of criticism is neither fair nor constructive.
Parallel structures are effective because:
■■ each element of the parallel structure contributes to your argument
■■ their rhythm adds emphasis to key ideas
■■ they help to link and order ideas, making them easier to understand.
Triple structures
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
Structuring words, phrases or sentences in triple structures – also called ‘patterns of three’ – can
emphasise a key idea. For example:
How are young people to react when all they hear from the
older generation is complaints, criticism and prejudice?
We all have dreams. We all have ambitions.
We all want to be the best that we can.
Triple structures are effective because:
■■ each element of the triple structure contributes to your argument
■■ their rhythm adds emphasis to key ideas.
Clustering these
negative words in a triple
structure emphasises
how negative
older people can be
Clustering three
sentences with the
same repeated opening
is particularly effective
This device is also known as a ‘tricolon’, from the ancient Greek ‘tria’, meaning ‘three’ and ‘kolôn’
meaning ‘member’.
94
Paper 2
Section B
Contrast
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
Positioning two contrasting ideas together emphasises the difference between them. Use this technique
in an argument text to highlight two contrasting situations or ideas:
When you think of your own children or grandchildren, do you frown in anger
or smile with pleasure? Does your heart fill with dread or with pride?
Contrast is effective because:
■■ it can highlight a comparison of ideas, presenting your opinion in a
positive light and the opposing opinion in a negative light.
Emotive Language
This contrast highlights
how parents and
grandparents feel about
their children and
grandchildren compared
with other young people
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
Use emotive language to create an emotional response in your reader. Emotive language is the use of
dramatic vocabulary designed to play on your reader’s emotions. Compare the following sentences,
thinking about the different impact that an emotive vocabulary choice can have on the reader:
Young people can be upset by criticism.
Old people can be frightened of the young.
Criticism reduces people’s confidence.
Young people can be traumatised by criticism.
Old people can be terrified of the young.
Criticism destroys people’s confidence.
Emotive language is effective because:
■■ it strengthens your argument
■■ it adds dramatic impact to your ideas.
Emotional appeal
You can describe situations to appeal to your reader’s emotions and sympathy. For example:
Picture the young student who works hard at school all day and spends hours every night on their
homework, hoping that one day they can become a doctor or a solicitor and give their parents a better life.
Emotional appeal is effective because:
■■ it can help get the reader on your side
■■ it can engage the reader in your ideas and argument.
Test Yourself: Look again at some of the ideas you gathered for the writing task at the bottom of
page 90. Try creating some sentences using some or all of these persuasive techniques to present
your ideas as powerfully as possible.
95
Paper 2
Section B
How Should I Write an
Argument Text?
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
Worked Example
You can use the skills and knowledge you have revised in this unit to help you write your response to a task like the one below.
Sports stars, film stars and pop stars are paid far too much money. They do very little work and make a much smaller contribution
to our lives than professions such as doctors.
Write an essay giving your views on the statement.
1. Plan and structure your ideas:
• My view is that they do earn a lot but they bring a lot of pleasure to many people.
• I need to think of some key points and some evidence:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Sports stars work really hard, spending their whole lives in training. Usain Bolt trains for hours every day.
Most people in sport and music have a short career. An athlete’s career usually ends before they are 40, so they need to
make money while they can.
You cannot put a price on talent. Only the most talented athletes, musicians and actors earn huge amounts of money.
I only have 30 minutes to write this, so I should choose my two strongest points which I think are 1 and 2.
I can use number 3 for my introduction, asking the reader if they think you can put a price on talent – and how much would
they pay to be able to run like Bolt or sing like Rihanna.
For my conclusion I will sum up my points by saying that sport, music and film give people a lot of pleasure and fun. They earn
a lot of money because we are happy to pay them to entertain us.
For my counter-argument, I can refer to the statement in the task: doctors work hard but they also make a lot of money.
I am writing a formal essay so I need to remember to use a formal register and Standard English throughout.
2. Think about linking ideas and using persuasive techniques:
• I need to structure the paragraphs in the main body of my essay with points, evidence and explanations, and link them using
connectives.
• I need to try to use persuasive techniques such as rhetorical questions and contrast to strengthen my argument.
Test Yourself: Write an essay giving your views on this statement:
Your school days should be the happiest days of your life. Schools need to do more to make their
students happier.
Notes
96
Paper 2
Section B
Unit
9
After You Have
Finished Writing
This unit will help you revise the skills you need after you have finished writing a text.
Concept Map
Vocabulary and
sentence structure choices
Could you revise your vocabulary or sentence
structure choices to improve the precision
or impact of your writing?
Key features
REVISE YOUR WRITING
Check you have included all the key
features required by the text: for example,
all the elements of letter format, or
appropriate evidence in an
argument text
Although you have written the final
paragraph of your text, you still need to
review your writing choices and think
about ways in which you can
improve them
Spelling
Look out for careless spelling
mistakes and words that are
easily misspelt
Register
Is your register appropriate
and consistent throughout
the text?
PROOFREAD YOUR WRITING
You need to spend time checking the
accuracy of your writing. Read through
your work three times, with a
different focus each time: first spelling,
then punctuation, then grammar
Punctuation
Check for punctuation mistakes: missing
full stops, capital letters, apostrophes,
speech punctuation, etc
Grammar
Check for errors you know that
you sometimes make: subject-verb agreements,
missing words, inconsistent tense, etc
Self Check
Tick the box that shows how confident you feel
Yes
Maybe
No
I can revise my writing to ensure I have
included all the relevant key features
and the most appropriate and effective
vocabulary and sentence structures.
I can proofread my writing, finding
errors in spelling, punctuation and
grammar.
97
Paper 2
Section B
Revise Your Writing
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
When you have finished writing, think about the purpose and intention you want your writing to
achieve.
1. Does each paragraph in your writing contribute to that purpose and intention? Which is least
effective?
2. Could you use the sentence structures in that paragraph to contribute more effectively to your
purpose and intention? Could you, for example:
■■
Use a short sentence to add tension and drama, or to emphasise a key point?
It is easy to underestimate young people and this is a big problem.
It is easy to underestimate young people. This is a big problem.
■■
Develop your argument by extending a sentence with further explanation?
School teaches us to be a part of society.
School teaches us to be a part of society because it teaches us how to cooperate with others.
■■
Clarify your meaning by rephrasing a sentence?
Keeping fit and active is really important for our health and we should try to do that.
We should try to keep fit and active because it is really important for our health.
3. Could you rethink your vocabulary choices to achieve your purpose and intention more
effectively? Could you, for example:
■■
Use modification to make your point or describe something more fully?
She rolled down the hill.
She rolled head over heels down the hill, limbs flying in all directions.
■■
Replace modification with a more precise noun or verb?
tumbled
She rolled head over heels down the hill, limbs flying in all directions.
■■
Choose a more emotive or dramatic word to add emphasis or atmosphere to your ideas?
massive
It is easy to underestimate young people. This is a big problem.
98
Paper 2
Section B
Proofreading for Spelling
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
Think about spelling errors you often make. Some of the most common are homophones: words that
sound the same but have different meanings or uses, and are spelled differently to reflect that. When you
check your writing, make sure you have made the right choice of:
their
belonging to them
there
indicates direction
they’re
Abbreviation of ‘they are’
It’s their house.
It’s over there.
They’re out at the moment.
your
belonging to you
you’re
abbreviation of ‘you are’
its
belonging to it
it’s
abbreviation of ‘it is’
It’s your turn.
You’re not listening.
The dog loves its owner.
It’s a good dog.
two
a number
to
a preposition
too
also or excessive
I saw two dogs.
One dog went to the park.
The other dog went too.
Look out for spellings in your writing that you think might be wrong – and try spelling them in a number
of different ways in the margin. Which one looks the most correct?
desision ✗
decision ✓
It was time to make up my mind. I had to make a dicision.
desicion ✗
Test Yourself: Look through written work in which your teacher has corrected any spelling
mistakes. Which words do you frequently spell incorrectly? Note them, learn them and test yourself.
Proofreading for Grammar
Read through your writing very carefully, looking for sentences that are clumsily expressed, do not quite
make sense or contain grammatical inaccuracies. If you find a mistake, cross it out with one neat line and
add a correction above.
This symbol
climbed
with
means ‘insert
something
here’
She climb up the stairs, her face burning shame.
99
Paper 2
Section B
How Can I Revise and
Proofread My Writing?
Reviewed
Revised
Mastered
You can use the skills and knowledge you have revised in this unit to help you improve and correct your
writing.
Now I’m going to look for
spelling mistakes. I know
I often get ‘there’ and
‘their’ muddled up, so I’ll
check for that and any
words that look wrong.
I’ve gone into the
past tense here.
It should be in the
present.
I could make this
into a short
sentence to
give it more
dramatic impact.
This word could
be more precise. I
could change it to
‘appearance’.
People sometimes judge each other
based on there looks, just because you
are young or because of the way you
dress, older people might think you
were a trouble maker or a rude boy
and this don’t make sense. We should
judge each other on nothing but our
caracters and our actions.
This looks wrong. I’ll
try some of these in
the margin… caricters
✗ /charachturs ✗ /
characters ✓ … I think
this is the right one.
Next I’m going to check
my punctuation. I
sometimes use commas
when I should use full
stops, so I’ll check that
first. This comma should
be a full stop.
This is too
informal. I’ll
change it to
‘criminal’.
Reading through this again
to check it makes sense,
in my head, I can hear that
this sounds wrong. The
verb doesn’t agree with
the subject. It should be
‘doesn’t’ – or ‘does not’ to
make it more formal.
Test Yourself:
1. Look at the paragraph below, taken from a student’s short story. Identify, circle and correct
at least:
TWO spelling mistakes
■■ TWO grammar errors
■■ TWO punctuation errors
■■ an example of inappropriately informal register.
■■
His eyes went narrow and his mouth turned down, I could see he was really angry. I smiled without
thinking, it only made him angryer. His eyes was burning and his fists was bunched up well tihgt.
‘Your in trouble now’ he said.
2. Are there any vocabulary or sentence structure choices which could be improved?
100
Paper 1 Practice Questions
Paper 1 Practice Questions
Complete these examples of some of the types of questions you will be asked in your exam.
1. Choose from the four options the word which is closest to OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined word.
Marlon refused to play cricket because he said that, of all the sports in the world, he abhorred cricket the
most strongly.
(a) Played
(b) Detested
(c) Loved
(d) Regretted
2. Choose from the four options the SENTENCE which is NEAREST in meaning to the original sentence.
Nobody could have been more upset than the principal when the school team lost the football match.
(a) The football team blamed the principal because they lost the match.
(b) The principal and all the members of the football team were upset when they lost the match.
(c) When the school football team were beaten, the principal was more upset than anyone else.
(d) The principal felt the team’s loss could be blamed on their poor performance.
3. Select the option A, B, C, or D that BEST describes the sentence below.
A huge dog blocked their path and growled fiercely and snarled ferociously at them.
(a) The sentence is acceptable as it stands.
(b) The sentence contains clichés or misused metaphors.
(c) The sentence is incorrect grammatically or faulty in diction.
(d) The sentence is too wordy, that is, repetitive or contains redundancies.
Read the passage at the top of page 102 carefully and then answer items 4–5 on the basis of what is stated
or implied.
4. According to the passage, early movies did not tell a story because:
(a) the movies were not long enough to tell a complete story.
(b) the film makers could entertain an audience simply by showing them pictures that moved.
(c) stories were not popular at that time.
(d) movies could not tell a story because they were silent.
5. From the passage it is evident that:
(a) it was a long time after their invention that movies became popular.
(b) American movies became very popular because they were of a much higher quality than European films.
(c) movies have become even more sophisticated in recent times.
(d) the movies changed a great deal in their early years.
101
Paper 2 Practice Questions
Paper 2 Practice Questions
The Early Days of Movies
Moving pictures – or movies – have captivated the public’s attention around the world since their invention
in the 1890s.
In the early years, movies were very limited. They could be less than a minute long, were filmed in black
and white, and had no sound. They featured short action scenes, or views of public events, but did not tell a
story. The novelty of a moving picture was enough to hold the audience’s attention.
One of the earliest films was ‘The Arrival of the Mail Train’, filmed in 1895. It is fifty seconds long and shows
a steam locomotive pulling into a station. There are stories that the audience screamed in panic and ran
from the cinema to escape the train that appeared to be thundering towards them, although many film
historians believe this may have been a story made up by the film-makers to drum up publicity.
In the early twentieth century, movies became longer and more sophisticated. By 1915 full-length feature
films were being made. With the First World War raging, the European film industry faltered and the US
became the driving force of the international film industry, a position which it still occupies today.
In 1927, the Warner Brothers studio released The Jazz Singer. It was the first movie that successfully
synchronised sound and pictures. Audiences could see and hear the stars talking and singing. By 1929,
silent movies had all but disappeared and the age of the ‘talkies’ had arrived.
1. Read the magazine article above carefully and list FIVE MAIN points discussed, then write a summary of the
article in NOT MORE THAN 120 words. As far as possible, use your own words.
2. You and some friends have recently been on a day trip to a water park. You and your friends enjoyed it so
much that you have decided to write to the manager to express your appreciation.
Write a letter to the manager, informing her about your visit, including all the details that she might want to
know. For example:
■■ which features of the water park you particularly enjoyed
■■ why you found those features so enjoyable
■■ any suggestions which would make the water park even more enjoyable.
3. Write a short story which includes these words:
She had found it at last. She had never felt so relieved in all her life.
4. Write an essay giving your views on the statement:
The internet is a dangerous invention. Young people and adults should be very careful how they use it.
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Answers to Test Yourself Questions
Answers to Test Yourself
Questions
p. 7 Synonyms: for example:
Synonyms
He ate a large meal.
huge
vast
enormous
The hurricane destroyed her house.
wrecked
flattened
demolished
The house was very old.
elderly
ancient
aged
After a long day at school, I felt tired.
fatigued
exhausted
weary
p. 7 Antonyms: warm/cold; repulsive/attractive; superior/inferior; late/punctual
p. 8 Words in Context: 1. a; 2. b; 3. a
p. 9 Word Families: 1. irretrievable: the toy could not be recovered from the ocean; 2. inhospitable:
unfriendly, not generous to her guests; 3. indecipherable: the handwriting was impossible to read.
p. 10 Working Out Antonyms: 1. a; 2. b
p. 12 Identifying Key Information: 1. taken to hospital, bitten by dog, dog ran away; 2. (i) The
dog ran away from its owner. (ii) John was bitten by the dog. (iii) John was taken to hospital; 3. a
p. 12–13 Present and Past Participles: b
p. 13 Active and Passive Voice: a
p. 14 Conjunctions: b
p. 15 Sentences with Similar Meanings: b
p. 17 Subject, Verb and Pronoun Agreement: 1. The school treats its pupils with respect and
it expects respect in return; 2. The team plays so well that it is sure to win the cup; 3. Hobbies are an
important part of growing up because they teach independence and curiosity.
p. 18 Adjectives and Adverbs: 1. She ran pretty quickly to get the bus but it left so suddenly that
she missed it; 2. Although he had not been feeling well, he was improving really fast; 3. She is amazingly
talented and should be hugely successful.
p. 18 Clichés and Misused Metaphors: When Kendra came to the school, she was like a breath
of fresh air and a bolt from the blue for Delroy. He fell head over heels, hanging on her every word and
following her around like a puppy.
p. 19 Repetition and Redundancy: My mother is completely and totally unique. She is a wild,
crazy, loveable and adorable woman who cares for and looks after each and every one of her children
with the greatest kindness.
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Answers to Test Yourself Questions
p. 20 Identifying errors: Social media is rapidly taking over our life [A: lives]. It seem [A: seems]
impossible for people to ignore their phones for longer than five minutes [B: cliché]. Everywhere you
look, people are giving their phones every last drop [B: cliché] of their concentration and attention [C:
redundant] and not one of them are [A: is] talking to each other.
p. 23 Extracting Stated or Implied Information: TY#1:
■■ beating, just jumping, no stopping: the light and heat of the sun dance with a rhythm like the
drums of carnival
■■ its deep bass echoing in the haze: the light and heat are so powerful, they almost make a deep
bass sound
■■ make the houses/seem to vibrate, belly-out, shift their sides: the ‘noise’ of the sun is so powerful
that it can shake a house
■■ the heat: reinforces the idea of heat suggested in the previous lines.
TY#2: 1. a; 2. b.
p. 24 Poetic Devices: TY#1:
1.
Simile
A comparison made using ‘like’ or ‘as’, intended to create an image in the reader’s mind.
Metaphor
A direct comparison intended to create an image in the reader’s mind.
Personification
A kind of metaphor in which a non-human creature or object is described as if it is human.
Hyperbole
Extreme exaggeration for effect.
Pun
A form of wordplay exploiting similar sounding words, or a word with two meanings.
Simile
The creature was as tall as a tree and moved more elegantly than any athlete.
2.
Metaphor
The drumbeat of its hooves on the dusty soil echoed through the plains.
Personification
A gentle breeze sang in the trees and their leaves shivered.
Hyperbole
I was so captivated by its beauty, my heart stopped and my breathing ceased for what felt like
an hour.
Pun
A proud father always thinks his son shines brightly.
TY#2: 1. d; 2. b
p. 25 How Can I Extract Implied Information from a Poem?: c
p. 26 Identifying Theme and Intention: b
p. 28 Reading a Non-fiction Text: for example:
■■ Paragraph 1
: Almost everyone in the Caribbean has a nickname.
■■ Paragraph 2
: Even a cruel nickname has a positive effect.
■■ Paragraph 3
: We should laugh about our nickname, even if we do not like it.
■■ Paragraph 4
: Names are not important.
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Answers to Test Yourself Questions
p. 29 Fact and Opinion: All of these options are the writer’s opinions.
p. 30 Purpose: TY#1:
Text
Purpose
An encyclopaedia entry about Christopher Columbus
inform
The instruction book for a new television set
explain
An advertisement for a mobile phone
persuade
A recipe for chocolate cake
direct
A leaflet about why you should recycle your garbage
argue
A humorous story about a child’s birthday party
entertain
TY#2: 1. c
p. 31 The Writer’s Intention: b
p. 32 Extracting Stated and Implied Information: 1. For example:
His mother told him not to take them on, how his head was not big at all
kind and loving, comforting
they were just jealous because he had a good-looking mother.
good-humoured
She couldn’t resist… ‘No problem, put them in your cap!’
teasing, good humoured
2. b; 3. d
p. 33 How Can I Extract Information from a Non-fiction Text?: c
p. 35 Persuasive Texts: Identifying Persuasive Information:
1. service, atmosphere, balcony, sea, sand, a range of dishes, ingredients, chefs;
2. five-star, sophisticated, candlelit, vibrant, peaceful, stunning, pure white, relaxing, gentle, lapping blue,
all over the Caribbean and the world beyond, enjoy, traditional, finest local, award-winning;
3. d
p. 36 Connotations: TY#1: most persuasive: e.g. inexpensive; least persuasive: e.g. cheap.
TY#2: 1. candlelit: romantic, sophisticated; 2. c
p. 37 Register: 1. b
p. 38 How Can I Extract Information from an Advertisement?: a
p. 40 Persuasive Texts:
1. smartest;
2. The person quoted works for the company that is selling the phone;
3. To focus the reader on what he said while not drawing attention to his likely bias.
4. For example: unbelievable, stunning, crystal-clear.
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Answers to Test Yourself Questions
p. 41 Persuasive Techniques: 1.
Example
Persuasive technique
‘The X0X0 is CMC’s smartest budget smartphone yet.’
Appeal to authority
no more cracked screens
Appeal to desires and fears
you can be who you want to be
Direct appeal/Appeal to desires and fears
will transform your mobile life
Emotive language/Direct appeal
stunning colour and super-fine detail
Emotive language/Appeal to desires and fears
Just a new phone? Or a new way of life?
Rhetorical questions/Appeal to desires and fears
2. a
p. 42 Persuasive Visual Features: 1.
Intended impact
Visual features
is intended to show that the phone appeals to teenagers
The large image at the top of the advert
suggests the phone is fun
The font selected for the headline ‘Call, text, snap,
share and chat. It’s all just a swipe away.’
suggests the phone is solid and reliable
None of the visual features in the advert
suggests the phone will make you popular and admired
The large image at the top of the advert
clearly present a list of the phone’s most appealing features
Bullet points
2. b
p. 43 How Can I Identify Persuasive Features in an Advertisement?1c
p. 45 Identifying the Writer’s Purpose and Intention: Purpose: to argue the writer’s
opinion; Intention: to argue that we must harness the power of solar energy.
p. 46 Main Points: For example, 3rd paragraph: The best hope for our planet is solar power;
4th paragraph: Barbados leads the way in using more solar power.
p. 47 Identifying Significant Detail: For example: The Caribbean receives a huge amount of
sunshine which we should harness to create clean, cheap power.
p. 48 Using Your Own Words: For example: Solar energy is the most environmentally friendly
source of power.
p. 49 Linking Main Points: For example: Replacing fossil fuels with solar energy would be the
most environmentally friendly solution.
p. 54 Audience, Purpose and Intention:
Form: article;
Audience: young people;
Purpose: explain;
Intention: explain why you enjoy your favourite hobby or sport and encourage other young people to
try it.
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Answers to Test Yourself Questions
p. 54 Perspective:
Person
First Third
1. A local restaurant is advertising for kitchen
staff to help the chef. Write a letter to the
restaurant owner, applying for the job.
2. A building company is trying to buy your
local park so that it can build houses on it.
Write an article for your local newspaper
giving your views on this.
✓
✓
Tense
Past Present
Register
Formal Informal
✓
✓
✓
✓
p. 55 Paragraphing: For example, Paragraph 1: explain why you are writing: to apply for the
position advertised; Paragraph 2: give information about your education; Paragraph 3: give information
about your interests and experience; Paragraph 4: conclude that you hope to hear from them soon.
p. 56 Punctuation: 1. My hands were shaking. They were shaking so much I could hardly rip open
the envelope. I tore and clawed at it. Finally, I pulled out a single sheet of paper. It was a short letter. I
read it quickly. My palms were sweating because I knew what it meant. It meant nothing would ever
be the same again. 2. For example: My hands were shaking – they were shaking so much I could hardly
rip open the envelope. I tore and clawed at it. Finally, I pulled out a single sheet of paper. It was a short
letter; I read it quickly. My palms were sweating because I knew what it meant: it meant nothing would
ever be the same again.
p. 59 Gathering Ideas: a. He seems undecided because he waits for a long time before knocking.
b. He knocks quietly so it seems like he is worried about what will happen.
c. It could be someone he really likes or someone he is frightened of.
d. It could be the person he is expecting – or someone much more frightening!
e. Maybe he wants to tell someone something – or ask them something – or maybe he feels he has to
confess to something.
f. Perhaps he has done something wrong…or feels he has to pass some information on to this person.
g. It might turn out better than he hopes – or much, much worse!
p. 69 Vocabulary Choices: For example: The wild, gusting wind was rapidly growing stronger and
the glowering sky growing darker. The slender, young trees bent sharply over with the extraordinary
force of the gale and the rain fell heavily. People hurried through the streets, bombarded with wet leaves
and flying litter, hurrying to get home.
p. 74 Register and Tone: In the last two weeks my neighbour has held several parties. These have
involved a large number of people loitering outside his house, extremely loud music and anti-social
behaviour until three o’clock in the morning or later.
p. 80 Sentences: For example: 1. Some students can occasionally react to discipline negatively. 2.
Many students do not see detentions as a deterrent to bad behaviour, although they dislike them. 3.
Students may feel resentment if they are punished for something and others are not.
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Answers to Test Yourself Questions
p. 100 How Can I Revise and Proofread My Writing?: 1. His eyes went narrow and his
mouth turned down. I could see he was really angry. I smiled without thinking. It only made him angrier.
His eyes were burning and his fists were clenched very tightly. / ‘You’re in trouble now,’ he said.; 2. For
example: His eyes narrowed and his mouth tightened. I could see he was furious. I smiled without
thinking. It only enraged him. His eyes burned and his fists clenched tightly. / ‘You’re in trouble now,’ he
snarled.
Practice Questions Paper 1: 1. B; 2. C; 3. D; 4. A; 5. D
Practice Questions Paper 2: open answers
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Glossary
Glossary
Active voice a sentence or clause in which
Context the rest of a sentence in which a word
the subject performs the action described in the
verb, e.g. in the sentence The man painted the wall,
The man is the subject of the verb painted. See
also Passive voice and Subject.
appears that can give clues to its meaning
Counter-argument an opposing
argument or idea which the writer or speaker can
then undermine or contradict.
Adjective a describing word used to modify a
noun, e.g. green, large, beautiful
Dialogue speech between two or more
characters in a play, story or film
Adverb a word used to modify a verb, adjective
or another adverb, e.g. quickly, very, enormously
Antonym a word opposite in meaning, e.g. big
is the antonym of small. See also Synonym
Direct appeal pronouns such as you and
we are used to suggest that the writer is talking
directly to the reader
Emotive language dramatic language
Argue the purpose of a text in which the
which appeals to the emotions, used for emphasis
speaker or writer gives their opinion supporting an
idea or action
Entertain to provide someone with
amusement or enjoyment
Audience the readers of a text
Evidence information, or an idea in text, used
Character a fictional person in a novel, play
to support a point
or film
Explain to make an idea or situation clearer
Chronological events recounted in the
using further detail or relevant information
order in which they occur
Exposition the point in a narrative in which
that its original meaning is weakened or lost
the writer sets the scene and gives relevant
background information
Climax the point in a narrative at which events
Fact an unarguable piece of information known
reach a crisis
to be true
Conflict the point in a narrative at which a
Font a typeface of a particular style
Cliché a phrase so well-known and overused
problem is introduced
Form a type of text with its own rules or
sentence, e.g. and, but, because
conventions, e.g. letter, newspaper article, report,
email
Connotation the ideas or associations
Formal appropriate to a serious, important or
of a particular word, e.g. aroma has positive
connotations, while stench has negative
connotations
official occasion
Conjunction a word used to link ideas in a
Hyperbole exaggeration used for effect
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Glossary
Implied information information that
Personification A kind of metaphor in
is not directly stated but is suggested. See also
Stated information.
which a non-human creature or object is described
as if it is human
Inform to give knowledge or information
Perspective the choices which create a
Informal appropriate to a relaxed, unofficial
writer’s voice, e.g. 1st or 3rd person, past or present
tense, formal or informal register.
occasion
Intention the impact that the writer hopes a
text will have on its reader
Layout the physical appearance of a text
Persuade to influence someone’s actions or
ideas
Prefix a group of letters which can be added to
on page or screen; the way in which items are
organised
the beginning of a word to alter its meaning e.g.
dis + appear = disappear. See also Root word
and Suffix.
Main body the part of a text in which the
Pronoun a word used to take the place of a
writer presents their key ideas, following an
introduction
Metaphor a direct comparison intended to
create an image in the reader’s mind.
Opinion a personal view not proven to be true
Parallel structure a sentence or clause in
which a structure is repeated for effect, sometimes
signalled by either... or...., not only... but also...,
neither...n or....
Participle – past and
present different forms which verbs can take.
Present participles end in -ing, e.g. running; past
participles often end in –d or –ed, e.g. created,
smashed, although there are several irregular forms
e.g. ran, built.
Passive voice a sentence or clause in which
the subject is being acted upon by the action
described in the verb, e.g. in the sentence The wall
was painted by the man, The wall is the subject of
the verb painted. See also Active voice and
Subject
noun, e.g. he to stand in for the man, she to stand in
for the girl, etc. Pronouns in English include I, you,
he, she, it, we, they.
Pun A form of word-play exploiting similar
sounding words, or a word with two meanings.
Purpose the objective of, or reason for writing,
a text, e.g. to inform, to persuade, etc.
Redundancy words or phrases which add
nothing to meaning and are therefore unnecessary
Register the level of formality in a text
Repetition using the same word or phrase
two or more times, often for emphasis
Resolution the point in a narrative at which
problems are resolved; the ending of a story.
Rhetorical question questions which are
not answered but direct the reader’s opinion or
response to the text.
Root word the simplest form of a word to
which prefixes and/or suffixes can be added,
e.g. un + interest + ing = uninteresting. See also
Prefix and Suffix
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Glossary
Setting where a story takes place
Synonym a word or phrase very similar in
Simile a comparison made using as or like,
Antonym.
meaning, e.g. big is a synonym of large. See also
intended to create an image in the reader’s mind
Stated information information that is
Theme a key idea explored in a text
Tone the kind of ‘voice’ a writer creates through
clearly and directly expressed, not suggested or
implied. See also Implied information.
language choice, e.g. polite, aggressive
Statistics numerical information, often used
Topic sentence the sentence in a paragraph
to support an idea or argument
that expresses the paragraph’s main idea.
Subject A word or phrase in a clause or
Verb a word that describes an action, e.g. She
sentence that describes the person or object
carrying out the action described by the verb, e.g.
The lion roared.
sharpened her pencil, an incident, e.g. He fell on the
floor, or a situation e.g. It rained all day.
Suffix a group of letters that can be added to
which the writer wants to give of the idea or item
featured in the text.
the end of a word to alter its meaning, e.g. appear
+ ance = appearance. See also Root word and
Prefix.
Summary a short statement of the key ideas
Viewpoint The impression or opinion
Word family Words that are related because
they are all formed from the same root word. See
also Root word, Prefix, and Suffix.
and information in a longer text
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