CONTINUOUS WRITINGCONTINUOUS WRITING

1 HOUR – 50 MARKS

YEAR DESCRIPTIVE NARRATIVE ARGUMENTATIVE REFLECTIVEONE

WORD

2011

Write a story ending with “They looked at each other and smiled meaningfully.”

Should school students have part time jobs? Discuss.

Peace

2010Describe the most popular student in your school

Write a story beginning with:“It had been raining all day…….”

“The internet is mostly a good thing.” Do you agree? Support your opinion.

What can we do support the environment?

Home

2009

Describe an unforgettable incident that you saw on your way home from school

Write a story ending with:“…We said our goodbyes and went our separate ways.”

School children should not have long holidays. Do you agree?

My favourite day of the week

Beauty

2008Write about a person who has worked hard to succeed in life

Write a story ending with“ … Now I realize the value of a true friend.”

Examinations – good or bad?

My perfect future husband or wife

Stars

2007Describe an embarrassing experience in your life

Write a story beginning with “ Kim was nervous when the door opened…”

“Teenagers today are only interested in entertainment.” Do you agree? Support your opinion

My early years Tomorrow

2006Describe an enjoyable weekend you have experienced

Write a story ending with: If only I had been more careful, that wouldn’t have happened

How can television help students in their studies

What changes would you like to see in your life in the next ten years?

Food

2005 Describe the biggest challenge in your life

Write a story with the title: An unexpected visitor

How to keep oneself healthy

If you were given a chance to be anybody, who would you want to be and why?

Music

2004 Describe a festival celebrated in your area

Write a story ending with: We had never laughed so much in our lives

How can we promote tourism in Malaysia

My ideal school Clothes

2003 A day you wished had never happened

Write a story that ends with: “If only I had listened to his/her advice”

You have been given a chance to visit a country of your choice. Which country would you choose and why?

An invention that you cannot live without

Friends

2002Describe a favourite teacher who had a great influence on you

Write a story beginning with: “Is it really you? Where have you been all these years?”

Good results in school do not guarantee success in the future. What is your opinion?

How I can help to make the world a better place to live in

Colours

2001Describe how you spent a free day when the weather was very bad

Write a story of an old man returning to the home he left many years ago

“Some people think that the legal age for driving should be increased from 17 ot 19.” What is your opinion?

*How do you think the media has influencedyou and your family?

*Large families make happy families

2000 * My Hero

*If you were able to choose a time in history that you can visit, which time would it be and

“More land should be used for agriculture than for industry.”Do you agree or disagree? Give reasons to support your opinion.

*Life inMalaysia in thenew millennium

*Things that Ilike about my life

CONTINUOUS WRITINGwhy?

CONTINUOUS WRITINGCONTINUOUS WRITING

1 HOUR – 50 MARKS

Write as many words as you can…

POSITIVE WORDS NEGATIVE WORDS

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CONTINUOUS WRITINGMUSIC

I like music. Music makes me

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In addition, sometimes I miss music.

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However, sometimes I do not trust music.

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Furthermore, sometimes I hate music.

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Apart from this, sometimes I dream of music.

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Nevertheless, I care about music.

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Last but not least, music is everything to me.

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CONTINUOUS WRITING_________________________________________________________________________________________

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_____________________

I like ____________ . ____________ makes me

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In addition, sometimes I miss ____________ .

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However, sometimes I do not trust ____________ .

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Furthermore, sometimes I hate ____________.

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Apart from this, sometimes I dream of ____________ .

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CONTINUOUS WRITINGNevertheless, I care about ____________ .

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Last but not least, ____________ is everything to me.

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CONTINUOUS WRITINGASSESSMENT CRITERIA

(for A scorer)

TASK Format of essay correctTopic addressed

LANGUAGE Merit ticks Accurate – all grammar items – tenses

- Word choice

SENTENCE STRUCTURE

Varied and effective – simple sentence - compound sentence - complex sentence - direct speech - short sentence - long sentence

VOCABULARY Wide, varied and precise to convey intended shades of meaningPUNCTUATION Accurate and helpful to the readerSPELLING AccuratePARAGRAPH Well planned, shows unity

Appropriate use of linkers – connectors – sequence connectors - logical connectors

INTEREST Interest is aroused and sustained

CONTINUOUS WRITINGARGUMENTATIVE WRITINGSample Essay

Examinations – good or bad? (SPM 2008)

The word ‘examinations’ may frighten some of us, including me. It is a mean to evaluate the performance and assess the academic achievement of students. They aim at testing the students’ grasp and understanding of the subjects taught to them. However, one needs a lot of revision and preparation in order to face examinations so as to obtain an excellent result. So, is examination good? It is good as no doubt it has come to play an important part in one’s educational career.

Examinations give the opportunity for students to study as much as they want. No examinations lead students to nowhere. Studies will no more be an orchard of knowledge. It is a valuable quality if one is able to pass an examination. It shows that the student is able to express his thoughts and ideas in a manner others can understand. It also shows that the student has acquired a certain amount of knowledge in some branches of study. Besides, the mind of a student including a dull person, receives good exercise when he prepares for an examination. A student‘s success in an examination helps the teacher to assess his mental or general ability.

If there are no examinations, one will doubt about the existence of educational institutional such as colleges. They will be closed and knowledge will be of no value. Other things like college unions would be much more important than the classes. Teachers and the administration of the institutions will have to struggle to find ways and programmes which would attract students to attend classes or even enroll in colleges. As such, students will only go for selective studies done through selective books, guides and notes. Not only that, the strenuous two months before the examinations will be left for relaxation.

Institutions of education will face difficulties in assessing students’ competencies and capabilities without examinations. Selections of candidates for careers will become a problem as paper qualifications play a vital role to determine the career of an individual. Examinations help to distinguish the quality of a student besides helping to decide qualification for certain scholarship. They enable students to gain entry into institutions of higher learning too.

Examinations pave the route to students to portray their excellence in studies. Competitions are made available to prove each others’ mental powers. Students will be able to boast their intelligence and reasoning power especially if they are sitting for higher level of examinations. On top of that, students can in indicate their grasp of the subjects taught in their studies through their performance in the examinations.

In short, the goal of examinations is to evaluate the quantum of knowledge acquired by students so as to produce a good quality of students who can perform excellence in the fields that they venture.

}}Introduction}paragraph}}Thesis statement of agreement

Topic sentence 1 (Reason 1)}}Supporting ideas}to support topic}sentence 1}}}

Topic sentence 2(Reason 2)}}Supporting ideas}to support topic}sentence 2}}}

Topic sentence 3(Reason 3)}}Supporting ideas}to support topic}sentence 3}

Topic sentence 4(Reason 4)}}Supporting ideas}to support topic}sentence 4

}Conclusion :}Restatement of} opinion

CONTINUOUS WRITINGTherefore, examinations are good and important otherwise the world of academicians will be filled with poor or unknown souls without examinations.

}Summary of main}points

A. Tips on the format in writing argumentative essay

1. Introduction Look at issues or topic concern Explain the issue or topic given Express stand (if required) in the thesis statement

2. Body (1 – 4) Arguments for Give supporting statement Justify with examples or explanation Arguments against Give evidence Justify argument

3. Conclusion or recommendation Restate your stand Summarize main points

B. Some useful expressions in argumentative essay

I agree../I disagree../I strongly believe../I am definitely sure There is no doubt…. / It cannot be denied…/ Certainly. I am of the opinion that … It is truly clear that ..

CONTINUOUS WRITING

C. PAST YEAR QUESTIONSTo improve writing, attempt on the following past years questions

1. How can we help promote tourism in Malaysia? (2004)2. How to keep oneself healthy? (2005)3. How can television help students in their studies? (2006)4. “Teenagers today are only interested in entertainment.” Do you agree? Support your

opinion. (2007)5. School children should not have long holidays. Do you agree? (2009)6. “The Internet is mostly a good thing.” Do you agree? Support your opinion.(2010)7. Should school students have part time jobs? Discuss. (2011)

D. PRACTICESMore questions to attempt. Write your essay ensuring that the marking criteria for A candidate is fulfilled.

1. Students should be given less homework. Do you agree?2. Mobile phones are a nuisance. Do you agree?3. Students should be independent learners. Do you agree? Support your opinion.4. Group discussion helps to improve examination results. Do you agree?5. Moderation is key to healthy living. Do you agree?6. Teenagers are technology addicts. Do you agree?

1. Vocabulary Practice

CONTINUOUS WRITING

Word association

Which of the words below do you associate with items a – d?a destruction b water c light d fire

1 trickle2 drenched3 Crumble4 Shimmer5 Drizzle6 Smolder7 Wrecked8 soaked

9 ripple10 glow11 glisten12 cascade13 Splash14 float15 collapse

2. ERROR IDENTIFICATION Read all the short paragraphs below. Find and correct the mistakes.A

I am in Ms Clarks’s physical education class since two months. I enjoy it a lot and

have only miss two classes since the beginning of the term. I especially like

tennis but since September we don’t play because the weather have been too cold.

I also like volleyball and my team has win two matches since we have started to

compete with Lincoln school. I’m looking forward to the next month.

B

Dear Hermis – I’m in a hurry. I haven’t went shopping already but I’ll do it on the

way home. Rita have just had dinner and she’s already had her bath. Have you

call Mr Jacob yet? He’s called already three times today. His daughter has had her

flu shot yet. Is it too late? See you later.

CONTINUOUS WRITING

C

I’ve never laugh so much in my life! Did you see the blind date episode on

Family? Have you never seen anything so funny? I LOVE the show! It’s the best

show I have ever saw in my life. I really enjoyed it lately. By the way, have you

notice that Gary and Alison are beginning to get on? I think Gary have started to

fancy her. Last night, Alison has moved next door to Gary but he doesn’t know

yet! I can’t wait to see what happens in the next episode. Does anyone know

when Gary’s book is coming out?

D

It’s 8.00 pm. It was a hard week and it’s not over yet! I still have to finish that

report. I’ve started it last Monday but so far I’ve wrote only five pages. And it’s

due next week! Work was so difficult lately. I’ve worked late every night this

week. I am tired and I haven’t got much sleep last night. I miss Joe. I’ve seen him

last weekend but it seems like a long time ago.

3. Idiomatic Expressions

Read the following text and fill in the blanks with the correct idiomatic expressions.

We got the shock of our lives last Christmas. We were sitting round the fire, forcing third helping of Christmas cakes into our mouths, when the doorbell rang. It made everybody jump. Aunt Jane _______________________________________. I was pretty startled myself, I must admit. Anyway, there at the door – believe it or not – was Uncle Marc, with an armful of presents. (It was the first time in living memory that he had ever given anything to anybody.) Everyone _________________________ when they saw him. No one could really _______________________________________. Poor Aunt Flossie actually fainted, and Uncle Bill kept blinking, as if ______________________________________. And Granny, who had been talking non-stop since breakfast, was absolutely speechless. I thought her eyes ______________________________. I reckon you could have knocked _____________________________________________.

Answers

CONTINUOUS WRITING

1. Vocabulary Practice1. b 2.b 3. a 4. c 5. b 6. d 7. a 8. b9. b 10. d 11. c 12. b 13. b 14. b 15. A

2. Error IdentificationA

I have been in Ms Clarks’s physical education class for two months. I enjoy it a

lot and have only missed two classes since the beginning of the term. I especially

like tennis but since September we haven’t played because the weather has been

too cold. I also like volleyball and my team has won two matches since we have

started to compete with Lincoln school. I’m looking forward to the next month.

B

Dear Hermis – I’m in a hurry. I haven’t been shopping yet but I’ll do it on the

way home. Rita has just had dinner and she’s already had her bath. Have you

called Mr Jacob yet? He’s already called three times today. His daughter hasn’t

had her flu shot yet. Is it too late? See you later.

C

I’ve never laughed so much in my life! Did you see the blind date episode on

Family? Have you ever seen anything so funny? I LOVE the show! It’s the best

show I have ever seen in my life. I’ve really enjoyed it lately. By the way, have

you noticed that Gary and Alison are beginning to get on? I think Gary has

started to fancy her. Last night, Alison has moved next door to Gary but he

doesn’t know yet! I can’t wait to see what happens in the next episode. Does

anyone know when Gary’s book is coming out?

CONTINUOUS WRITING

D

It’s 8.00 pm. It‘s been a hard week and it’s not over yet! I still have to finish that

report. I started it last Monday but so far I’ve written only five pages. And it’s

due next week! Work has been so difficult lately. I’ve worked late every night

this week. I am tired and I didn’t get much sleep last night. I miss Joe. I saw him

last weekend but it seems like a long time ago.

3. Idiomatic Expression

We got the shock of our lives last Christmas. We were sitting round the fire, forcing third helping of Christmas cakes into our mouths, when the doorbell rang. It made everybody jump. Aunt Jane nearly jumped out of her skin. I was pretty startled myself, I must admit. Anyway, there at the door – believe it or not – was Uncle Marc, with an armful of presents. (It was the first time in living memory that he had ever given anything to anybody.) Everyone caught their breath when they saw him. No one could really believe their eyes. Poor Aunt Flossie actually fainted, and Uncle Bill kept blinking, as if he had seen a ghost. And Granny, who had been talking non-stop since breakfast, was absolutely speechless. I thought her eyes were going to pop out of her head. I reckon you could have knocked all of us over with a feather.

References

Wellman, Guy. Wordbuillder : Vocabulary development and practice for higher level students, Heinemann, Oxford, 1992.

Fuchs, Marjorie & Bonner, Margaret. Grammar Express fffor self study or in the classroom, Longman pearson Education Limited, 2000.

Module by Vijayaletchumi Nagalingam , SMK Kiaramas (Guru cemerlang)