Share tips on O Level English Papers Anyone?

• snowiesnow

  8 Nov 05, 22:52

  i got quite a few friends all english a1..
  duno how they do it loh.. like say until so simple.. anyway.
  Narrative seems simple wat.. no meh.?
  
  For comprehension hor. answering the questions try to be copy and paste? cos go straight to the point got marks liao..
  Rephrasing in summary is get bonus marks de
• freedom4ever

  8 Nov 05, 22:56

  For composition,
  NEVER choose argumentative question unless ur english is very strong. choose something like story telling one.
  
  then when u write ur story, try to keep it as simple as possible. keep ur sentences short. long sentences get mistake easily. something like primary school standard will do. and most important thing is ur grammer. and also, make sure ur handwriting is neat and ur story is interesting so the marker can enjoy reading.
  
  u may laugh at writing primary school standard compo but my friend got an A1 for that. Argh... wtf sia
  
  as for comprehension, i can't help u much. it is ur own understanding of the passage. maybe someone out here can help u on that.
  
  anyway, all the best for ur O level.
• boyboy18

  8 Nov 05, 22:58

  i sat for O levels 2yrs back n got a B4,my tips is if hav enough time,write as much things as u can,but must be sensible.1 thing must remember is tat no matter how beautiful u write,no marks will be given =)
• Depressed...*sigh*

  8 Nov 05, 23:02

  I lost a lot of marks for compre..so i'm only a B english student I only get just pass or fail by 1 or 2 marks...or if the compre is good, it's only an average score nia
  
  Maybe the passage a bit chim for me
• striderz_o405

  9 Nov 05, 06:36

  Originally posted by freedom4ever:

  For composition,
  NEVER choose argumentative question unless ur english is very strong. choose something like story telling one.
  
  then when u write ur story, try to keep it as simple as possible. keep ur sentences short. long sentences get mistake easily. something like primary school standard will do. and most important thing is ur grammer. and also, make sure ur handwriting is neat and ur story is interesting so the marker can enjoy reading.
  
  u may laugh at writing primary school standard compo but my friend got an A1 for that. Argh... wtf sia
  
  as for comprehension, i can't help u much. it is ur own understanding of the passage. maybe someone out here can help u on that.
  
  anyway, all the best for ur O level.

  sentence constuction is important. Perfect it then get high marks =)
  
  Some peeps writing about argumentative tend to be shaky on their stand. Somehow it does not really mean that if you are poor in EL, you find it hard. I find it easier compared to narrative.
• rainee

  9 Nov 05, 06:46

  erm dun really know the standard of marking u all have there, but when I took it was the 1119 scheme...
  
  not dat hard la, I always go for narrative or descriptive
  
  Just make your story come alive by taking a minute to visualize yourself in the same sort of situation. Imagine to involve all five senses when you are describing: what you see, what you hear, what you smell, etc...
  
  Vary your words...it makes your story more colorful
• striderz_o405

  9 Nov 05, 06:53

  Anyway... just signing off with one last note...
  
  Exams in an hours time. Time to zao to sch liaoz
  
  Good Luck
• rainee

  9 Nov 05, 06:57

  Originally posted by striderz_o405:

  Of course you need the points. But narrative writting will be so ordinary that the markers will just give ordinary marks.
  
  Exposition is ok if you get facts. It's somehow like the newspaper review for CL.

  I dun agree that narrative writing is ordinary. It depends on how you make the story comes alive. Writing an ordinary story is not difficult, but writing one that will captivate the readers and keep them interested until the very last word require certain skill and style that will take years to hone and acquire.
• ah_suaiz

  9 Nov 05, 11:48

  Originally posted by ndmmxiaomayi:

  Paper 1: Describe the object or person you are writing about, don't just write out. For example, she has long, silky black hair not she has long black hair.
  
  Paper 2: Just don't write out of point. Writing more does not mean correct answer. They want an answer straight. For summary, avoid grammar mistakes. Try to get full marks for language portion to score if you are weak at spotting points.

  ya....i agree on this. i had my o levels like 8 years ago....haha......but i somehow or rather still remember some tips. i believe using descriptive writings can earn u a reasonably higher marks for compo......eg: instead writing an old man, you can write things like an old man with yellow-stained teeth and eyes filled with loneliness........etc.......
  
  
• snowiesnow

  9 Nov 05, 12:42

  Arghs. haha
  
  how's paper people..
  
  I did something wrong!!!!!!!
  greetings in the speech. haiz
• Depressed...*sigh*

  9 Nov 05, 13:29

  Speech in writing? tell me what goes wrong?
  
  Anyway, I did the paper with no hesitation, just that I have to rush my compo and letter-writing abit cause I write like 3 pages
  
  So how's the comprehension? I think it's easy...but i'm afraid "questions cannot judge by appearnce only", wait got hidden meaning how? Means that they expect a chim answer from you
• Depressed...*sigh*

  9 Nov 05, 13:41

  Originally posted by ah_suaiz:

  ya....i agree on this. i had my o levels like 8 years ago....haha......but i somehow or rather still remember some tips. i believe using descriptive writings can earn u a reasonably higher marks for compo......eg: instead writing an old man, you can write things like an old man with yellow-stained teeth and eyes filled with loneliness........etc.......
  
  

  Actually, a simple descriptive info plus good/basic construction of sentences plus basic grammar can shoot you to A liao. I'm a living example Like someone say here, it's ok to write primary sch english, just dun write in broken english or out of point
• papercut87

  9 Nov 05, 13:43

  i thot today's the english paper..? hahaz... my brother's still at sch having the exam..
• The man who was death

  9 Nov 05, 14:00

  i think i spend too much time on that speech liao, argumentative speech rite??
  compo like write very short which qn u all choose?? i choose 5 marriages then talk abt gay marriage.
  
  the compre the summary, the last paragraph in passage A like no pts for the summary hor?? i didn't summarise the last paragraph cos like no pts there
• borntolive

  9 Nov 05, 14:09

  urggh english..got a c5 n n thats the reason why i choose to go poly...compre aalways cant make it one..
  
  btw wad r the comp titles dis yr?
• Depressed...*sigh*

  9 Nov 05, 14:11

  Hmm..for summary, they told u to summarise from lines 35-75 right? So summarise in less than 160 words from there lor
  
  gay marriage, what's the title? I wrote abt the two occasions I have great fun when I was young.
• The man who was death

  9 Nov 05, 14:17

  Originally posted by Depressed...*sigh*:

  Hmm..for summary, they told u to summarise from lines 35-75 right? So summarise in less than 160 words from there lor
  
  gay marriage, what's the title? I wrote abt the two occasions I have great fun when I was young.

  marriages. also got use bob carlise the song butterfly kisses to talk abt the feeling of marrying daugter off
  
  the summary i know lah but they ask summarise what various ways nature equipped human to survive, the last paragraph of passage A never talk abt this leh only talk abt how some plants have water or soil change colour got water
• Depressed...*sigh*

  9 Nov 05, 14:19

  err..???
  
  I think we are taking different eng paper..my comprehension talks abt a moneky needing his warmth
• The man who was death

  9 Nov 05, 14:21

  Originally posted by Depressed...*sigh*:

  err..???
  
  I think we are taking different eng paper..my comprehension talks abt a moneky needing his warmth

  my one new syllabus 1127 urs leh?? old and new syllabus take on same day meh??
• Depressed...*sigh*

  9 Nov 05, 14:22

  Originally posted by The man who was death:

  my one new syllabus 1127 urs leh?? old and new syllabus take on same day meh??

  Oh..no wonder, ya mine is old syallubus 1120..lolx, scare me man..I thought my paper is so zhun the wrong one..waaa!! I surely break down and cry one lor
• snowiesnow

  9 Nov 05, 15:00

  wao.. scare me. I tot i took the wrong english paper..
  
  Speech ar..
  should be,
  Good Afternoon fellow classmates de..
  
  I go write. Good afternoon Principal blabla. then classmates
  cos I tot speech to school. hai
  Luckily the content is all suitable for classmates..
  Onli the greetings..
• The man who was death

  9 Nov 05, 15:01

  Originally posted by snowiesnow:

  wao.. scare me. I tot i took the wrong english paper..
  
  Speech ar..
  should be,
  Good Afternoon fellow classmates de..
  
  I go write. Good afternoon Principal blabla. then classmates
  cos I tot speech to school. hai
  Luckily the content is all suitable for classmates..
  Onli the greetings..

  i only write dear fellow students
• snowiesnow

  9 Nov 05, 15:14

  ya loh. onli need that.. ):
  
  oh yea.
  geography elective. wat u all study?
• Depressed...*sigh*

  9 Nov 05, 18:36

  Originally posted by snowiesnow:

  wao.. scare me. I tot i took the wrong english paper..
  
  Speech ar..
  should be,
  Good Afternoon fellow classmates de..
  
  I go write. Good afternoon Principal blabla. then classmates
  cos I tot speech to school. hai
  Luckily the content is all suitable for classmates..
  Onli the greetings..

  wah lar speech!!!!!!!!!!! I want that format!! blah!!!!
  
  Should be Dear Principle Tan, esteemed teachers and beloved students or whatever..b lah!!! It appeared in my english revision
• striderz_o405

  9 Nov 05, 21:03

  Wah kao... no argumentative, but 3 discussive instead
  
  Did on career question. Zzz
  
  Paper 2: vocab 4 marks gone. Sleepy during exams. ARGH. Got all points but only got 152 words... will they penalise?