A Thousand Stars Programme

2014

SPM ENGLISH
LANGUAGE 1119/1/2
1

CONTINUOUS WRITING
CHOOSE ONE OUT OF
FIVE TOPICS (50 MARKS)
TIME: 1 HOUR

WRITING TIPS
ACCURACY
VOCABULARY
PUNCTUATION
ORGANISATION
unity

- sentence structures
- spelling
- wide
- precise
- correctly used
- paragraphs have

- flow of ideas
SUBJECT MATTER - relevant
- interesting

1. LENGTH
word limit is 350 600 words
writing too much more mistakes
made lowers the mark
short script does not do justice to
the subject matter lowers mark
too
planning is important

2. STANDARD ENGLISH
it communicates clearly to the examiner
it obeys the rules of spelling, punctuation
and grammar that are accepted and
practised in the English speaking world
the vocabulary used is suitable for the
reader

3. RELEVANCE
GOLDEN RULE

dont ever try to avoid the purpose

of the examination by writing a
prepared composition or by
deliberately twisting the title

4. COMMUNICATION
message conveyed must be clear
and understood by the reader

5. VOCABULARY
For communication to be clear,
use words that convey
intended meaning as exactly
as possible.

WALK - SYNONYMS
marched
toddled
hobbled
limped
rushed
staggered
strolled

RUN
chase
dash
flee
scamper
scoot
sprint

6. PUNCTUATION
Very important to ensure your
piece of writing make sense
And communication is established

7. ORGANISING SENTENCES
avoid writing a long series of short
sentences
use your sentences to link ideas together
so that the reader is carried smoothly from
one ideas to another

SCRIPT 1
It was a Monday in June. It was early in
the morning. The school was quiet. No
one else had arrived yet. Today was an
important one. Our exams were beginning
today. I was very nervous. I had tried hard.
I had revised for several hours each night.
I felt ready. I was determined to do well.

SCRIPT 2
It was early on Monday morning. As no
one else had arrived yet, the school was
quiet and deserted. Today was very
important for me as it marked the
beginning of our examinations. I had
revised hard, staying up late each night
revising, because I was so anxious to do
well. I felt confident that I was well
prepared, but I was still very nervous.

8. SPELLING
Most spelling mistakes occurred
in CW are caused by
carelessness
check your spelling carefully
when writing any composition

SCRIPT 3
It was definately not going to be a good day. My
mothers aincient vechile had a flat tyre, and
nothing could be done imediately to mend it. No
one knew how the dammage had occured
altough we suscepted the little boy next door,
who had been showing more intrest in the car
than we thought was necesary. On one ocasion,
we had cought him trying to open the car door.
I lay on my bed, gazing at the cieling, and hating
the tought of having to walk all the way to
school, and recieving a lecture for being late.

9. PARAGRAPHS
Most candidates lose marks in CW due to
poor paragraphing.
No paragraphs at all
mini paragraphs compositions which
have a new paragraph for almost every
sentence
casual paragraphs they begin and end
for no obvious reason

A GOOD PARAGRAPH
Is complete in itself
Usually summarised in a topic sentence
that comes in the beginning or at the end
of the paragraph
Must not stand alone
Must be linked with the paragraph before it
and to the paragraph that follows it

10. HANDWRITING &

PRESENTATION
Use black ball point pen
Small handwriting is difficult to read
Dont cram too many words into one line
Spacing between words makes reading
easier
Dont use liquid paper. Just cross the
unwanted word with a single line through
it.
Be clear where a new paragraph begins.

11. SUBJECT MATTER

When writing a CW, be yourself
Use experience, settings and
ideas that are familiar to you and
that you understand