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27 Nov 2008 (PM)
Senior Literature Questions and Answers
Should we write complete sentences for our answers to the listening paper?
Unless the paper specifies that a complete sentence is needed or that you need to complete a sentence, point form is fine, but your answers must still be coherent and grammatical.
For section B&E, is it necessary for us to include a title to the article if it is not specified?or will we gain any impression marks by doing so?
In paper B I would assume that if you are writing an article it should have a short title. In paper E there is no such thing as impression marking and if you need to write a title the instructions will tell you to.
What else can we do to write more concisely besides doing exercises in the book ? (Athene)
You could also try doing some online exercises and reading online guides. For example Classical Co-op has a lot of good advice, as does Sentence Sense. The latter also has a practice quiz. This Grammar Girl podcast should be helpful, too. Try to figure out what's wrong with the redundant phrases on this page.You could also go back over your own compositions and try writing precis of them. How effectively could you communicate the same ideas in 200 words - or 100?
Would you offer some tips in fast note jotting in listening? (Katy Wong)
It's essential to read the paper thoroughly in the time you are allowed before the recording is played so that you can anticipate likely answers. Listen out for cues that tell you the information you want is coming. Work through past papers in your own time; I suggest that after attempting a past paper you can check your answers against the answer key and then play the recording again while reading the tapescript which has been provided in recent HKEAA publications. While reading the tapescript, highlight the phrases which contain the answers in one colour and the phrases which are cues for the answers in another colour.
Write down only key words but remember to use the time at the end of the exam to write up your answers fully. Only use abbreviations when you are sure that you will be able to remember how to write them up in full.
How can we avoid putting in irrelevant and unnecessary information?
This really depends on you making sure that you have read the situation, instructions for the task and any guidelines for how the task should be written which appear in the data file. Usually the data file will have a memo, short letter or e-mail to you which outlines exactly what you are expected to include in your article or report. It is important to read this carefully and highlight key phrases. Pay particular attention, too, to what you are told NOT to include. As you go through the data file to find the information which is required of you by these guidelines, be selective. Only highlight short phrases, not whole sentences or paragraphs.
Be aware that whenever the data file includes specific details such as proper names, it is likely that you will need to use this information in your answer unless notes in the data file tell you not to. When reporting statistical or numerical data it is safest to interpret this data into everyday English AND give the specific figures e.g. "Most students (75%) were in favour of holding the programme on Fridays" or "More senior students than junior students (60% compared with 35%) said that they would be willing to pay for ECA programmes)"
How can the examiners know if we exceed the word limit in Section E? Do they really count the number of words or do they judge by seeing whether our answer fits in the space provided? (Anita)
The examiners were instructed to count the number of words last year and not to award any content marks for material appearing after the 500 word cut off line. You should assume that this will be the case again this year unless the HKEAA announces otherwise - so adhere to the rubric closely.
How can we make sure we have included all useful information from the data file (especially after rephrasing the paragraphs)? (Irene)
First of all, you shouldn't be rephrasing whole paragraphs from the data file; you should be selecting specific points of information - usually short phrases or single words - and processing these into the appropriate order, grammatical format and style for your answer. Looking at the marks available will give you an idea of how much information you need, reading the instructions carefully will tell you what this information will be, and scanning through the data file several times, with the judicious use of a highlighter pen, will help you to find it.
| class no(4B,4D,4E) | reporting (SAC2) | preparation (SAC1) | assessment(213,215,216) | student assessor(4B,4D,4E) |
| 1 | 3:40 | 3:45-4:00 | 4:00-4:03 | 21 |
| 2 | 3:40 | 3:48-4:03 | 4:03-4:06 | 1 |
| 3 | 3:40 | 3:51-4:06 | 4:06-4:09 | 2 |
| 4 | 3:40 | 3:54-4:09 | 4:09-4:12 | 3 |
| 5 | 3:40 | 3:57-4:12 | 4:12-4:15 | 4 |
| 6 | 3:50 | 4:00-4:15 | 4:15-4:18 | 5 |
| 7 | 3:50 | 4:03-4:18 | 4:18-4:21 | 6 |
| 8 | 3:50 | 4:06-4:21 | 4:21-4:24 | 7 |
| 9 | 3:50 | 4:09-4:24 | 4:24-4:27 | 8 |
| 10 | 3:50 | 4:12-4:27 | 4:27-4:30 | 9 |
| 11 | 4:05 | 4:40-4:55 | 4:55-4:58 | 10 |
| 12 | 4:05 | 4:43-4:58 | 4:58-5:01 | 11 |
| 13 | 4:05 | 4:46-5:01 | 5:01-5:04 | 12 |
| 14 | 4:05 | 4:49-5:04 | 5:04-5:07 | 13 |
| 15 | 4:05 | 4:52-5:07 | 5:07-5:10 | 14 |
| 16 | 4:15 | 4:55-5:10 | 5:10-5:13 | 15 |
| 17 | 4:15 | 4:58-5:13 | 5:13-5:16 | 16 |
| 18 | 4:15 | 5:01-5:16 | 5:16-5:19 | 17 |
| 19 | 4:15 | 5:04-5:19 | 5:19-5:22 | 18 |
| 20 | 4:15 | 5:07-5:22 | 5:22-5:25 | 19 |
28 Nov 2008 (PM)
| class no | reporting | preparation | assessment | student assessor |
| 21 | ||||
| 22 | ||||
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| 27 | ||||
| 28 | ||||
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| 41 |
Senior Literature Questions and Answers
Should we write complete sentences for our answers to the listening paper?
Unless the paper specifies that a complete sentence is needed or that you need to complete a sentence, point form is fine, but your answers must still be coherent and grammatical.
For section B&E, is it necessary for us to include a title to the article if it is not specified?or will we gain any impression marks by doing so?
In paper B I would assume that if you are writing an article it should have a short title. In paper E there is no such thing as impression marking and if you need to write a title the instructions will tell you to.
What else can we do to write more concisely besides doing exercises in the book ? (Athene)
You could also try doing some online exercises and reading online guides. For example Classical Co-op has a lot of good advice, as does Sentence Sense. The latter also has a practice quiz. This Grammar Girl podcast should be helpful, too. Try to figure out what's wrong with the redundant phrases on this page.You could also go back over your own compositions and try writing precis of them. How effectively could you communicate the same ideas in 200 words - or 100?
Would you offer some tips in fast note jotting in listening? (Katy Wong)
It's essential to read the paper thoroughly in the time you are allowed before the recording is played so that you can anticipate likely answers. Listen out for cues that tell you the information you want is coming. Work through past papers in your own time; I suggest that after attempting a past paper you can check your answers against the answer key and then play the recording again while reading the tapescript which has been provided in recent HKEAA publications. While reading the tapescript, highlight the phrases which contain the answers in one colour and the phrases which are cues for the answers in another colour.
Write down only key words but remember to use the time at the end of the exam to write up your answers fully. Only use abbreviations when you are sure that you will be able to remember how to write them up in full.
How much time should we spend on planning, writing and proofreading in order to fully utilise the time given? (Jenny)
Most of the more able students make the mistake of exceeding the word limit in Paper B and Paper E, so spending more time planning and checking certainly won't put you at a disadvantage - you will still have plenty of time to write the right amount and you will find that your ideas flow better once you have a plan to follow.
I would spend about five to ten minutes sketching a quick mindmap for my answer, with the aim of having three main ideas, each one supported by three examples or pieces of evidence. Before writing I would number the points on my mindmap so that I know the order in which I want to present them. This would allow me to follow a five paragraph essay format.
I would aim to have between five and ten minutes at the end for proofreading and polishing. Twenty minutes of planning and editing in a 1 hour 15 minute exam still leaves 55 minutes for writing - more than enough time once you have a clear idea of what you want to write and the order in which you want to write it.
How does composition writing differ from Section E's task writing in terms of planning and style of writing? (Eden)
Section E's long writing task is very different from section B for a variety of reasons. There is a very specific marking scheme for section E which mainly requires you to find and integrate into your writing quite a large number of content points, so you will probably spend longer planning for section E than for section B. Your planning will involve carefully scanning through the data file to find the information you need, highlighting this information and writing a mindmap in which you note where in the data file the information is and the order in which you plan to present it. More time spent doing this will ensure that your writing is coherent and that you don't miss out important information.
In terms of style of writing, there is less difference. However, in section E you are far less likely to be given a task which involves informal or personal writing, and you should be aware that some forms of writing such as official reports and business letters have quite a rigid format. A good starting point for familiarising yourself with the appropriate style for professional writing would be Writing in Business
How much time should we spend on doing each part of Section C and how should we arrange the order of doing this paper? (Karen)
Remember that marks have traditionally been weighted for the comprehension section and that the paper advises you to allow more time for this section to reflect this. Also remember that there are a lot of marks for proofreading but candidates often don't allow enough time for this task.
That said, I would also consider doing whichever part of the paper you find most difficult first, setting yourself a rigid time limit, leaving those questions you are unsure about and returning to them once you have attempted other parts of the paper.
Don't feel that you have to work methodically through the paper and don't spend too long thinking about a question you are stuck on. Also, don't forget to make intelligent guesses when you aren't absolutely sure but time is running out - no marks are deducted for wrong answers, so you would have nothing to lose.
If time is running out, is it acceptable to write in point form?
See my study tips where I explain how you can write quickly and concisely without having to use point form. If you follow my advice on planning your answer and writing concisely, you shouldn't run out of time anyway. I would consider point form to be something you should only use as a desparate measure, and even then you can present the points grammatically. I'm not sure whethe rit is really the case that writing points is any quicker than writing concise sentences.
Most of the more able students make the mistake of exceeding the word limit in Paper B and Paper E, so spending more time planning and checking certainly won't put you at a disadvantage - you will still have plenty of time to write the right amount and you will find that your ideas flow better once you have a plan to follow.
I would spend about five to ten minutes sketching a quick mindmap for my answer, with the aim of having three main ideas, each one supported by three examples or pieces of evidence. Before writing I would number the points on my mindmap so that I know the order in which I want to present them. This would allow me to follow a five paragraph essay format.
I would aim to have between five and ten minutes at the end for proofreading and polishing. Twenty minutes of planning and editing in a 1 hour 15 minute exam still leaves 55 minutes for writing - more than enough time once you have a clear idea of what you want to write and the order in which you want to write it.
How does composition writing differ from Section E's task writing in terms of planning and style of writing? (Eden)
Section E's long writing task is very different from section B for a variety of reasons. There is a very specific marking scheme for section E which mainly requires you to find and integrate into your writing quite a large number of content points, so you will probably spend longer planning for section E than for section B. Your planning will involve carefully scanning through the data file to find the information you need, highlighting this information and writing a mindmap in which you note where in the data file the information is and the order in which you plan to present it. More time spent doing this will ensure that your writing is coherent and that you don't miss out important information.
In terms of style of writing, there is less difference. However, in section E you are far less likely to be given a task which involves informal or personal writing, and you should be aware that some forms of writing such as official reports and business letters have quite a rigid format. A good starting point for familiarising yourself with the appropriate style for professional writing would be Writing in Business
How much time should we spend on doing each part of Section C and how should we arrange the order of doing this paper? (Karen)
Remember that marks have traditionally been weighted for the comprehension section and that the paper advises you to allow more time for this section to reflect this. Also remember that there are a lot of marks for proofreading but candidates often don't allow enough time for this task.
That said, I would also consider doing whichever part of the paper you find most difficult first, setting yourself a rigid time limit, leaving those questions you are unsure about and returning to them once you have attempted other parts of the paper.
Don't feel that you have to work methodically through the paper and don't spend too long thinking about a question you are stuck on. Also, don't forget to make intelligent guesses when you aren't absolutely sure but time is running out - no marks are deducted for wrong answers, so you would have nothing to lose.
If time is running out, is it acceptable to write in point form?
See my study tips where I explain how you can write quickly and concisely without having to use point form. If you follow my advice on planning your answer and writing concisely, you shouldn't run out of time anyway. I would consider point form to be something you should only use as a desparate measure, and even then you can present the points grammatically. I'm not sure whethe rit is really the case that writing points is any quicker than writing concise sentences.
How can we avoid putting in irrelevant and unnecessary information?
This really depends on you making sure that you have read the situation, instructions for the task and any guidelines for how the task should be written which appear in the data file. Usually the data file will have a memo, short letter or e-mail to you which outlines exactly what you are expected to include in your article or report. It is important to read this carefully and highlight key phrases. Pay particular attention, too, to what you are told NOT to include. As you go through the data file to find the information which is required of you by these guidelines, be selective. Only highlight short phrases, not whole sentences or paragraphs.
Be aware that whenever the data file includes specific details such as proper names, it is likely that you will need to use this information in your answer unless notes in the data file tell you not to. When reporting statistical or numerical data it is safest to interpret this data into everyday English AND give the specific figures e.g. "Most students (75%) were in favour of holding the programme on Fridays" or "More senior students than junior students (60% compared with 35%) said that they would be willing to pay for ECA programmes)"
How can the examiners know if we exceed the word limit in Section E? Do they really count the number of words or do they judge by seeing whether our answer fits in the space provided? (Anita)
The examiners were instructed to count the number of words last year and not to award any content marks for material appearing after the 500 word cut off line. You should assume that this will be the case again this year unless the HKEAA announces otherwise - so adhere to the rubric closely.
How can we make sure we have included all useful information from the data file (especially after rephrasing the paragraphs)? (Irene)
First of all, you shouldn't be rephrasing whole paragraphs from the data file; you should be selecting specific points of information - usually short phrases or single words - and processing these into the appropriate order, grammatical format and style for your answer. Looking at the marks available will give you an idea of how much information you need, reading the instructions carefully will tell you what this information will be, and scanning through the data file several times, with the judicious use of a highlighter pen, will help you to find it.
davidjohncock |
Latest page update: made by davidjohncock
, Oct 25 2008, 8:15 PM EDT
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| Started By | Thread Subject | Replies | Last Post | ||
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| Anonymous | FAQ | 0 | Oct 7 2007, 7:10 AM EDT by Anonymous | ||
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Thread started: Oct 7 2007, 7:10 AM EDT
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For section B&E, is it necessary for us to include a title to the article if it is not specified?or will we gain any impression marks by doing so?
(Carman Cheung) |
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| Anonymous | valerie | 0 | Oct 4 2007, 6:49 PM EDT by Anonymous | ||
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Thread started: Oct 4 2007, 6:49 PM EDT
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how can we advoid putting in irrelavant and unncessary information?
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| Anonymous | FAQ | 1 | Oct 4 2007, 10:46 AM EDT by Anonymous | ||
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Thread started: Oct 4 2007, 10:46 AM EDT
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If time is running out, is it ok to write in point form?
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