• Always bear in mind to use the FRAMEWORK:
T = Tense
S = Spelling
S = Structures
M = Meaning
to help you in your planning of your essay.
• Be very clear even BEFORE you step into the examination hall, which type of essay is going to give you the biggest personal advantage in terms of self-confidence and proficiency in writing.
IS IT
• An essay on SCHOOL LIFE?
• A discursive essay on a general topic?
• An argumentative essay?
• A single-word essay topic?
• A narrative-descriptive essay?
"S" is for Sunflowers
• Do not write on things or ideas which strongly suggest – sex, rape, gangs, drug or substance abuse, brazen behaviour, secret societies, membership of bizarre clubs or societies, religions, science fiction, incidents of unnatural deaths, suicides,racial or religious conflicts, terrorist acts, horrors and ghostly experience. The list can go on, but I am quite sure you know what I mean. You plan to fail if you try to SHOCK your examiner with an essay filled with strange content. Being “original” does not mean being “shocking”, “bizarre” or “strange”.
• For narrative writing, use the PAST tense [V²] because the events you recount happened in the past.
• For information-giving, discussion, or argument, use the PRESENT tense [V1] because the points are always relevant or of concern to you.
• Plan before writing – always submit only the neatest or the best draft for grading. Under examination or timed condition, do not go beyond Draft 2. Submit Draft 2 should do. Check your work before you submit.
• Make sure you begin the topic SPOT ON with the first paragraph. Do not drag your feet and pad your essay. Remember an essay is not a novel or a short story. You have a word limit – maximum at 350 or 400 words to consider.
• Always use a new pen. Stick to only one colour. Use either dark blue or black.
• Use of Proper Nouns in the English Language. I am very surprised that many 43 students did not know that the first letters of a proper noun phrase have to be capitalized – e.g. St. Hilda’s Secondary School. Your friend’s name should be Pelvin Pan Teng Yok . When you identify the ethnic group of a person, he is either a Chinese, an Indian, a Malay or a Eurasian. He is a Secondary Three school boy.
• But if there is no specific names being mentioned, then you are right to write:
e.g. He studied in a secondary school. [CORRECT]
e.g. He studied at Pasir Ris Crest Secondary School. [CORRECT]
• “Who” is used with or in connection with human beings only. “Which” is used for all others – living and non-living things, including animals.
“That” has been misused by many 4B/4D students.
• Do not use Non-standard or CLIPPED expressions:
Instead of “exam” or “exams”, use the word, “examinations”.
Instead of “stuff” or “stuffs”, use the correct word for each specific situation.
e.g. [1] She kept her stuff [X] in her handbag.
Guy / Gal / Kid / Of course / Well / Nice / Great / Stuff
Cool / No sweat / Lame
[These are all No-no’s]
N.B. THESE MAY BE GOOD ENOUGH FOR CONVERSATION BUT CERTAINLY NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR WRITTEN WORK, ESPECIALLY FOR INCLUSION IN A FORMAL ESSAY.
e.g. [2] She kept her personal belongings in her handbag.
Or
e.g. [3] She kept her personal items in her handbag.
e.g. [4] He was studying in Sec 1. [X]
e.g. [5]. He was studying in Secondary One. [CORRECT]
• Use of plural and singular noun words. When you say, “you are taking an examination”, you are only sitting ONE paper. Are you only sitting ONE paper at the GCE N Level Examinations? Of course NOT. So, please always write:
e.g. [6]. He failed to do well in his GCE N Level Examinations.
However, of course, if you are only sitting ONE paper, then it is perfectly all right to state:
e.g. [7]. It was an important examination [CORRECT] and yet he did not do well in it.
• The expression –
“My friends and I” versus “Me and my friends”.
“My family and I” is an expression you should NOT even think about writing.
Use this technique instead:
My family enjoyed regular visits across the causeway from Singapore into Peninsular Malaysia. There was once, however, we were forced to leave my two younger sisters behind. I alone accompanied my father and my mother to Johore Bahru on a weekend shopping trip. My mother had to leave my twin sisters at home with my grandparents so that they could rest and hopefully recover completely after suffering from a mild case of stomache upset. We had had no idea that it was going to be a long while before we ever got to see them again.
e.g. [8]. My friends and I [CORRECT] visited the patient.
e.g. [9]. Me and my friends [X] visited the patient.
[THAT STUPID GIRL WHO AIRS HER OPINION ON HOW HER HP COMPUTER HAS BECOME PERSONAL AGAIN IS SO DARN WRONG ABOUT HER GRAMMAR! BUT THEN, SHE’S AMERICAN!]
• A lot of people [CORRECT] because
a [1word]
Lot [another word]
Of [third word]
= 3 separate words
The expression is “A lot of”.
• Never begin a sentence in your essay with “AND”.
• Absolutely no SINGLISH, even in dialogue.
• If you must showcase dialogue, make sure you keep to a pair of exchanges only.
• Do not use the following in your essay:
“Rrrrrinnnngggg….!!!” went the telephone. [X]
“Arrggh…” he struggled. [X]
• One of the boys [CORRECT] versus One of the boy [X]
One of the students [CORRECT] versus One of the student [X]
• USE PUNCTUATION MARKS ACCURATELY.
This is especially true for full-stops and commas.
• PENMANSHIP and PRESENATION SKILLS.
Students with poor handwriting and presentation skills usually lose out to those who understand the need to write clearly so that the readers can read better.
• For writing numerals, 1 – 20. Please use words. This is an English Language Examination after all.
e.g. He studied in that school for 20 years. He studied in that school for twenty years. [BETTER]
For indicating years, simply write – 1997 or 2006
• In your Section One Essay, do not use these adverbs in Narrative Writing:
Now
Today
Yesterday
Tomorrow
Currently
Presently
• You have to get your MODAL + MAIN verb right:
Will be Would be
Will eat Would eat
Can be Could be
Can swim Could swim
May be Might be
May sleep Might sleep
Must be Had to be
Must climb Had to climb
Shall be Should be
Shall sing Should sing
• Reminders again
Preferred method of writing dates internationally – 1 April 1999
N.B. 1
10 Apr 06 [CORRECT]
10 April 2006 [CORRECT]
When the day of the week is added, a comma is used:
e.g. She planned to leave on Monday, 1 April 2006.
When only the month and year are used, the month is usually followed by a comma:
e.g. She planned to leave in April[,] 2006.
Years and centuries should be written as follows:
59 BC
AD 432
the 1990s
the nineties
between 1997 and 2006
from 1998 to 2006
twentieth century verse
the sixteenth century
Use only ONE set of dialogue if you really have to.
Punctuation:
“Am I excused from the examinations?” Mary asked.
“Am I excused from the examinations?” asked Mary.
Mary asked, “Am I excused from the examinations?”
She asked, “Am I excused from the examinations?”
ABSOLUTELY NO SINGLISH
END OF POST-MORTEM
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