Markers' Report: Some General Comments on EL Paper (2008)

There were, however, far too many instances of the use of correction fluid, which is expressly forbidden in the Instructions on the Question Paper.

Handwriting continues to pose problems for Examiners in some cases, especially tiny, fine print in pale ink.

The importance of clear, legible handwriting was stressed in the report on this examination last year – it is disappointing to have to reiterate it this year.

Candidates must ensure that quality is not sacrificed to quantity; in both Section One and Section Two of the paper, word limits are suggested and some candidates would do well to observe them more closely.

An essay under 300 words does tend to leave the piece undeveloped in detail and limits the candidate’s opportunity to create interest and to demonstrate a range of linguistic skills.

But… although advised to write between 250 and 350 words, very many candidates wrote far in excess of this, sometimes well over 1000.

Candidates gained little advantage from excessive length and may, in fact, have denied themselves the chance to read over and amend their work if necessary.

More concise writing and succinct expression would focus the situational writing more firmly on task

Quite a few candidates recorded the number of words used, which was in fact significantly greater than the number actually written! Examiners count the number of words if the essay seems short.

O-Levels Markers' Report 2008: ENGLISH LANGUAGE

We'll be going through the 2008 O-Level Markers' Report for the English Language this week - comments regarding the various sections and questions. Among other things are the commonly misspelled words, problematic sentence construction and other inappropriate forms which students are guilty of.

Bring your TYS or a copy of last year's paper along if you have it. And be punctual - we have lots to cover!

See you this Sat!

Need Help Understanding How the Credit Crisis Came About?

The Crisis of Credit Visualized from Jonathan Jarvis on Vimeo.

PRI 3 MATH: ADDING FRACTIONS with DIFFERENT DENOMINATORS

2009 (Tentative) Exam Calendar Released by SEAB

You can access the respective examination calendars by clicking on the links below:

• PSLE calendar
• PSLE timetable
  
• GCE N-LEVEL calendar
  
• GCE O-LEVEL calendar
  
• GCE A-LEVEL calendar
  

We will update you when more details are posted.

ADJECTIVES? EASY PEASY.

Here's my personal favourite - Adjectives. Adjectives tell you more about a noun - a person, a place, an animal, a 'thing' - anything in fact. Use adjectives to 'beautify' your writing...help your readers imagine just how lovely/nasty the 'things' you mention in your piece are. Yes go on, impress your teachers!

LET'S GET VERB-ED TOO!