The English composition exam will be held next Monday. Here are some points to take note of when you are carrying out revision with your child:
- They must write a minimum of 5 sentences. In the exam, if they have written only 4 sentences (or less), marks will be deducted as they have failed to meet the basic requirement of the paper and they have not followed instructions. Just remember: They can write more, but they cannot write less.
- This is what they have been taught: Make use of every single helping word given. The helping words should be used from left to right (first row) and left to right again (second row). The helping words are there to help them form sentences and help them to stay on track (instead of digressing to something irrelevant). Try to form 2 sentences for each picture. This way, you will definitely meet the requirement of the paper. If you make use of all the helping words, you can very easily form more than 5 sentences.
- Remind them to check the number of sentences that they have written by counting the number of full-stops they have. One full-stop equals to one sentence. They should see at least 5 full-stops (but of course, the full-stops must be at the "right places" - if there is an error in their punctuation, they will be penalised as well).
- Introduce your characters right from the start and give names to your main characters. When your characters are clearly identified, it is easier for the marker to make sense of what you are writing.
- Be logical! Example: If you wrote "Ben fell from a chair and hurt his leg." You should not go on to say "His head started to bleed." If Ben had hurt his leg, shouldn't his leg bleed instead of his head? If you want Ben's head to bleed, then you should write "Ben hurt his head. His head started to bleed". They have to also make sure that they follow the picture closely. Example: If the picture shows the teacher applying medicine for Tom on the field, then in your story, don't write about the teacher bringing Tom back to the Staffroom to apply the medicine because you are digressing away from the picture and you are not writing what you see.
- Make use of connectors to give more information and make your story more interesting. Example: "Ben dashed out of the school gate because he wanted to be home on time for his favourite television programme." If this sentence is written without the connector "because", the sentence will become "Ben dashed out of the school gate" - This makes the story dull as there are not enough information given.
- Make use of adjectives. The boys have learnt about adjectives. Instead of writing "a car", they can write "a green car". Adding adjectives to describe people or things will make their stories fuller and more interesting.
- Conclusion - I do not expect them to write one whole paragraph of conclusion. All that they have to do is to write one sentence to tell the readers what their main character has learnt from his experience. Example: "Ben regretted dashing across the road. He promised his mother that he would not do it again." Or "Ben learnt that it is wrong to jay-walk. He promised his mother that he would use the traffic light to cross the roads in future." Remember: Always end off your composition with one sentence, stating how the main character felt and what he learnt has learnt after the incident/experience.
That's about all. As they write more, they will become better writers. So, find chances to let your child write. Talk to them, help them to form proper sentences when they are speaking (because the way they speak will affect the way they write - their writing is often a direct reflection of how they speak). Help them to express their ideas into words so that they will not experience "writer's block" when they are writing their compositions.
Parents, just a bit more to go and then the mid-year exam will be over. We can do it! And so can our little darlings! Let's persevere on!
Regards,
Miss Joyce Tan
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