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FORMAT OF THE QUESTION PAPER The PMR English Language Paper II for the year 2003 consists of three (3) questions. Students are required to answer all three questions within the stipulated time of one hour and thirty minutes. All three questions are subjective questions. Question 1 (30 marks) This question is based on a dialogue between two characters. Candidates are required to make a stand by indicating their preference for one of the two choices given. Candidates have to provide reasons to support their stand. The question requires an argumentative response. Question 2 (30 marks) This question is based on a pictorial stimulus related to a robbery. Candidates are required to describe the incident before the robbers were arrested, the escape route taken and the important landmarks. The question requires both a narrative and a descriptive response. Question 3 (10 marks) This question is based on the literary texts for Form Two and Form Three. Candidates are required to write about an interesting incident and to provide reasons to support their choice. The question requires a personal response. GENERAL PERFORMANCE The majority of the candidates attempted all the three questions. Overall, the performance of the candidates was quite satisfactory. Most of them understood the fundamental requirements of the task but were hampered by their poor command of the language. The high achievers were able to respond with confidence and sophistication. The low achievers performed dismally and failed to fulfill the requirements of the task. GENERAL PERFORMANCE OF CANDIDATES ACCORDING TO THEIR GROUPS Candidates in the High Achievement Group The candidates response showed a clear understanding of the requirements of the task. Sophistication, maturity of thought, creativity and originality were clearly visible and relevant. Language was used effectively and stylistically. Vocabulary and expressions were apt, precise, stimulating and inspiring. Ideas were well-organized, well-developed and coherent. Interest was aroused and sustained throughout the response. Candidates in the Average Achievement Group The candidates response showed an adequate understanding of the requirements of the task. There was a noticeable reliance on the rubrics with some development of ideas which lacked creativity, depth and maturity. Vocabulary lacked precision with a tendency to use
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repetitive words. Short simple structures were marred by multiple word errors but the message came through. Attempts at more complex structures and sophistication resulted in clumsiness. The response was generally organized but lacked coherence. Candidates in the Low Achievement Group The candidates response showed minimal understanding of the requirements of the task. Fragments of the rubrics were utilized without proper context and the ideas were barely developed. Stringing of words was a common phenomenon. The word choice and structures reflected mother tongue interference. As a result the response was disorganized and almost incomprehensible. Wholesale lifting of the rubrics was also rampant. DETAILED PERFORMANCE Question 1 The better candidates made a clear and consistent stand. They were able to write convincingly and the ideas were well-developed. Maturity of thought was evident as they were able to compare and contrast the benefits and shortcomings of both the occupations. The weaker candidates did not indicate the choice clearly. Their ideas were less developed and reflected confused and simplistic thinking. In many instances, there was an intrusion of irrelevant and illogical ideas. The following were the common errors committed: Subject-verb agreement We also knows that a soldier only works during a war. A doctor not only have to handle the patient ... ... the people is not healthy. Soldiers has a big responsibility ... Soldiers always saves Yusuf feel The country are not safe.

Pronoun agreement A doctors job is more difficult because every second they The soldier protects the country but they cannot cure people.

Spelling errors Accademic Anemie Boms Carefull Contry, coutry Dialog Diferent, difren Doktor Emotionaly Enviroment Evryday

Helthy, healty Nowaday, nowdays Oppinion Oso, aslo Ocupation Peacefull Physicaly Sergery Soidier Theirselves, themselves untill

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Confusion of words Beside that, doctors earn a lot of money compared to a soldier. I want to be a doctor went I grow up. There, they, their No, now, know

Verb forms and tenses Can a soldier decides what medicine to use for a patient? We dont know how can happened at the future Doctor will gives us medicine and will cure us doctor is not only saves life A doctor helping people ... A doctor had to faced many challenges every day that is saves human lifes. A doctor can earns ... A soldier must helping

Bad language structures, redundancies, direct translation, word order (transposition), faulty idioms and parallelisms A doctor also can earn a lot of money. ... result we must be good good. Our country will not peace. I am agree with Ray. If our country is not soldier All people can life in a bed of roses. We can show our patriotic to our lovely country. It we had been killed by our cruel enemy, it was a pleasant effort. The patients are very hopeful on them. The doctor is helping the country to dicrease some decease. Why I say like that? It is more better to be a doctor. There are dont have any person want to protect the country. Soldier is important only when other country wants to attack our country. Doctor saves people who is nearly going to die. How about inside we body? can job doctor and can job soldier. In Malaysia have many hospitals. The hospital have doctors work at there. It can make me not being a bad work. Many people say thank for you, like you. Doctor have do many experimen to no is a good or no.

Other errors Pronouns - gender and case Punctuation upper and lower case, comma and full stop Omission and wrong use of articles Contractions Question 2 The better candidates came up with a vivid and interesting description of the robbery, the escape route and the landmarks. They also displayed some creativity with good and imaginative story lines which incorporated elements of wit, humour and unexpected twists at the end of the story.

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Most of the weaker candidates did not describe the incident but merely described the escape route and landmarks. Some of them merely mentioned the incident/robbery only. In more extreme cases, they deviated from the task and merely gave directions on how to go to a destination. The following were the common errors committed: Subject-verb agreement They was sent to the jail in the afternoon. The police makes sure that Mr. Ismail is save and admit him in a nearby hospital. There was two petrol stations. He go straight. They was drive along Wrong use of prepositions They left on Jalan Aman. Turn right of Jalan Aman. In Jalan Aman, you will see the Merbuk Hotel. They left the bank with a robbed car. He threw the knife to one of the man.

Use of e-mail and SMS language I cud c.(I could see.) B4 they saw it (Before they saw I t)

Verb forms and tenses They stopped the car and quickly take off by foot but they havent got far. The robber quickly turned right while the police are following them. Mr. Ismail contacted the police and tell them that his store is been rob. The police also had to be praised because he acting extremely fast. The road was block by the police. A worker managed to press the security button which to link direct to the police station.

Misunderstanding of the word robbery The police took the robbery to the police station. The robbery drove straight on and turned left. The police waited for the robbery in front of SMK Bukit Seri. I saw two robbery try to rob a jewellery shop. Confusion of words Went (when) Cross (across) Passed (past) Corner (turn) Course (cause) Quiet (quite) Who (which) Taught (thought) Tough (though) They (their) They (there) Short gun (shotgun)

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Spelling errors Catched, cought Drived Juntion, juction Lif Occured Policemans Petrol car Raight Robery, robbered, robbering, rubbery, rubber, robman Round-about, roundboard, roundtheabout, around-a-bout

Infront of Jewelery, jewellaries Suddently Speded Stollen Strit, strait Staight Stesyen Untill Valueable

Bad language structures, direct translation, word order and inappropriate vocabulary Go along can you see The man still was shock I am my friend Their very angry. The robbers was running after their take the money. After ten minutes friends and I at there. At T-junction has a Petronas At the hotel have a tourist. The petrol car tried to take over the robber car. At the cross junction Oil station, pump station They were turned to Jalan Sentosa. The police lastly block the rubber car.

Other errors Pronouns gender and case Articles Punctuation upper and lower case, comma and full stop Contractions Question 3 The better candidates were able to identify the specific incident and adequately rationalize their choice with two or more reasons based on ample and relevant textual reference. The weaker candidates digressed from the task due to the intrusion of memorized passages based on character, synopsis, and plot. They identified many incidents and elaborated on them without providing the relevant and appropriate reasons. In instances, where reasons were provided, they were either not related to the incident(s) or littered with textual errors. The following were the common errors committed: Wrong prepositional use He threw the knife to one of the man.

Subject-verb agreement He ask Mr. Hyde for 100 pounds to gave to the girl. Erik are ugly.

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Mis-spelt names of characters Dr. Jekyl Richard Anfield Eddy, Andy Pool, Pull Spelling errors Unplesant Frist Teater Ghoust Acidenttlly Suprise, suprisely Even thought Intresting

Other errors The usage of both the present and past tenses in their responses Pronouns gender and case Omission and wrong use of articles Contractions SUGGESTIONS TO CANDIDATES
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Read magazines, novels, e-books and other reading materials to improve your general knowledge and command of the language. Read model essays to see how good writers organize and develop their ideas and details and follow this up with writing parallel essays. Have a notebook to jot down interesting vocabulary items, expressions and idioms. Engage in journal writing and also social correspondence with pen-pals from Englishspeaking countries. Focus on paragraph development and unity in paragraph and learn how to write topic sentences and supporting details. Practise sentence writing with emphasis on using interesting expressions. However, if are weak, you should start from the basic, short and simple sentences. Read and understand the rubrics before answering the question so that you have a clear idea of the task requirements. Remember to plan your work and work your plan. Familiarize yourself with the respective novels so that you understand the plot, characters, moral values, etc. This would enable you to provide textual evidence in your answer. Do not think and construct sentences in your mother tongue.

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SUGGESTIONS TO TEACHERS 1. 2. 3. 4. Go back to the basics by conducting regular lessons and exercises on spelling dictation, punctuation and vocabulary. Utilize the internet and other multi-media devices to make the lessons interesting. Provide more exercises on the various types of writing such as expository, narrative, descriptive, argumentative, reflective, etc. Teach the basic grammatical items especially tenses, verb forms, determiners, subject verb agreement, the active and passive voice, articles, prepositions and sentence connectors. Review and practise past year questions. Implement brainstorming sessions to generate ideas and details on a particular issue. Do not encourage students to spot questions and memorize responses.

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