Writting something about your school
PMR Writing Tips - Brainstorming for ideas
For PMR Paper 2 - Section A, students are required to write an essay based on a series of pictures or notes.
An example of PMR-type question based on a series of notes.
(Click on the picture to enlarge)
A PMR 2006 question based on a series of pictures & notes.
(Click on the picture to enlarge)
The basic steps to answer this type of question are:
- Read & understand the question.
- Brainstorm ideas.
- Write the essay in an organised paragraphs. Write at least 5 sentences for each paragraph.
- Re-read the essay to check on your grammar and spelling.
Although the pictures/notes are given, a lot of students still have difficulties of finding ideas on what to write in their essay.
How to find ideas? The answer is BRAINSTORMING!
In
this post, I'll show you how brainstorming can be a great help in
elaborating the points/information given to write an essay.
Ways to brainstorm ideas are discussed as follows:
1. Find the words related to the given words.
Let's say the word given is "holiday". So, think of other words which could be related to the word "holiday". For example:
(Click on the picture to enlarge)
Use the new words to write sentences for your essay. For example:
School holidays came again. That means, there were no school and there will be a lot of free time. Students and teachers used this precious time to relax their mind. This was the time where most families planned some family activities such as going for a vacation or camping at any place of interest.
2. Use "Mr. How & his 5 wives" technique.
This technique refers to the "wh questions" such as:
- Where?
- When?
- Who?
- Why?
- What?
- How?
By using the following picture, form as many questions as you can using the "wh questions".
(Click on the picture to enlarge)
- Where did they travel to?
- When did they go?
- Who were in the car?
- Why did they go there?
- What were the children/mother/father doing in the car?
- How was the weather?
- How was the road condition?
Sample answer to each of the above question:
They travelled to Melaka.
When did they go?
They went to Melaka during the school holidays.
Who were in the car?
In the car, there were his father, Encik Jamil, his mother, Puan Sara, Johan and his younger sister, Lily.
Why did they go there?
They went to Melaka to attend a wedding.
What were the children/mother/father doing in the car?
Encik Jamil was driving while Puan Sara listening to the radio. Johan and Lily was chatting happily with each other.
The weather was sunny and the sky was blue.
How was the road condition?
The road was quite bumpy.
The paragraph will look like this:
During the holidays, Johan and his family travelled to Melaka. They went to Melaka to attend a wedding. In the car, there were his father, Encik Jamil, his mother, Puan Sara, Johan and his younger sister, Lily. Encik Jamil was driving while Puan Sara was listening to the radio. Johan and Lily was chatting happily with each other. The weather was sunny and the sky was blue. The road was quite bumpy.
By using the same picture, list what you can see.
- a car
- a boy
- a girl
- a family
4. Utilise all the words and information given in the picture.
Write sentences by using all the notes given to write your essay.
Form sentences from the notes given to write your essay.
I
hope you'll find that it's not that difficult to find ideas to write an
essay for PMR. You are advised to combine all the techniques which have
discussed earlier when writing your essay. Nevertheless, it takes a lot
of practice to write a good essay.
In exam, spend about 10 minutes to brainstorm ideas for your essay. Don't forget to use your imagination and experience to write a well-elaborated composition.
01-early readers / pre reading
02-easy reading - listening ( exercises)
03-lower intermed.1 (compr. ex.)
04-intermed.2 (comprehension exercises)
05-intermed. level 1 (comprehension ex.)
06-intermed. level 2 (compr. exercises)
07-intermed. level 3 (compr. exercises)
08-intermed. level 4 (compr. exercises)
09-intermediate (fairy tales/fables)
10-intermediate (folk tales/fables)
11-all levels 1 (75 selected texts )
12-all levels 2 (61 selected texts )
13-all levels 3 (125 selected texts )
PHONETIC
WORKSHEETS
DICTATIONS
CHRISTMAS /
HALLOWEEN
TEXT TO SPEECH 1
TEXT TO SPEECH 2
flashcards1 / cards2
flashcards 3 / cards 4
nombres/names
phrases and idioms
phonemic typewriter
COMICS
01.-flash- fairy tales(read along)
02.-flash- tales-stories (subtitles)
03.-flash- short stories(read along)
04.-flash- stories - intermediate
05.-flash- lower -interm. exercises
06.-videos - study english
07.-videos - beginners - short
08.-videos - english lessons
09.-videos - english teaching
10.-videos - grammar lessons
11.-videos - real english
12.-videos - english conversations
13.-cartoons popeye - casper...
14.-full movies: drama,cartoons,.
01.-songs for children (57 songs)
02.-songs for kids (85 songs)
03.-flash songs for children (90)
04.-songs for school (98 songs)
05.-sing along: children's songs
06.-nursery rhymes I (43 songs)
07.-nursery rhymes II (57 songs)
08.-english songs (youtube)
09.-learn english: songs -exercises
BEST SONGS EVER: VIDEO - LYRICS
10.-best songs ever (Artists A-C)
11.-best songs ever (Artists D-I)
12.-best songs ever (Artists J-M)
13.-best songs ever (Artists N-R)
14.-best songs ever (Artists S-Z)
TOP 25 SINGLES year by year
Top 2009 Top 2010 video & lyrics
Top 2011 Top 2012 video & lyrics
Janelle Monae: We are young
One Direction: What makes you beautiful
Gotye: Somebody that I used..
Kelly Clarkson: Stronger
The Wanted: Glad you came
C. Rae Jepsen: Call me maybe
Maroon 5: Payphone (new)
Nicki Minaj: Starships
Flo Rida: Wild ones
01.-children's stories by level
02.-animated stories video subtitles
03.-elementary/int. (with exercises)
06.-upper-intermediate (exercises)
07.-advanced level (exercises)
09.-audio activities audio+script
10.-english conversations easy level
11.-intermediate - advanced (exc.)
12.-audio stories/fairytales mp3
15.-stories for all levels audio-text
16.-mp3 / podcast (download)
17.-audio books 1-30 download-print
18.-audio books 31-60 download-print
CURSOS INGLES
difficulties
Learning english , please click here,
You may start Paragraph 1 using one of the following phrase:
Example on how to start Paragraph 1:
PARAGRAPH 4
Here is the sample answer with explanation:
Learning english , please click here,
How to answer PMR Paper 2 - Section C (Literature)
PMR 2011 candidates, you are encouraged to use the following framework in order to answer Paper 2 - Section C (Literature):
PARAGRAPH 1
- State the novel that you choose (ONE novel only).
- State the author of the novel.
- State briefly what the novel is about.
- Write one statement that answers the question.
You may start Paragraph 1 using one of the following phrase:
- The novel I have chosen is…
- I like to choose….
- The novel I have studied is…..
Example on how to start Paragraph 1:
The novel I have chosen is The Phantom of The Opera
written by …… The story is about a love triangle involving Erik,
Christine Daae and Raoul. ………………………………………………
PARAGRAPH 2
Evidence 1 + Detail
PARAGRAPH 3
Evidence 2 + Detail
PARAGRAPH 4
Evidence 3 + Detail
PARAGRAPH 5
- Conclusion (compulsory)
- One sentence only
Tips to answer literature questions
Identify key phrases from the question. During examination, it is advisable to use a highlighter or a red pen to highlight the key phrases
Identify key phrases from the question. During examination, it is advisable to use a highlighter or a red pen to highlight the key phrases
Example 1:
Based on one novel, describe a good quality that you admire in a character in the novel. [PMR 2010]
From the above question, the key phrases are:
- one novel - Students should choose ONE novel only.
- a good quality in a character - Choose ONE good quality for ONE character.
Here is the sample answer with explanation:
SAMPLE ANSWER
|
EXPLANATION
|
The novel that I choose to answer is Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde written by Robert Louis Stevenson. Briefly,
the story is about Dr Jekyll and his alter ego, Mr Hyde. It is a tale
of good versus evil amidst a society that practices high moral
values. I admire the character of Mr Utterson who is very trustworthy.
|
Introduction
|
The positive quality of him can be seen when Mr Utterson
declined from giving too much information about the affair of Dr
Jekyll and Mr Hyde to Richard Enfield. They were having their usual walk
together when this matter was brought up. Mr Utterson realized that
it was better to not let anybody know about Dr. Jekyll’s relationship
with Mr Hyde.
|
Evidence 1 + detail
Write the first evidence in detail on where Mr Utterson shows that he is trustworthy.
|
Dr. Jekyll trusted Mr Utterson to keep his will in Mr
Utterson’s safe. Although Mr Utterson was quite troubled by the request,
he did it anyway and guarded it. When he knew about the evilness of
Mr Hyde, he did not mention about Dr. Jekyll’s will that contains the
monster’s name to a single soul.
|
Evidence 2 + detail
Write the second evidence in detail on where Mr Utterson shows that he is trustworthy.
|
At the end of the story, Mr Utterson kept his promise to read
Dr. Lanyon’s letter after Dr. Jekyll’s tragic death. He is a
trustworthy fellow and did not to tell anyone about what had happened
to Dr. Jekyll. He decided to let the events that had happened to be
forgotten for the sake of his friend’s good name.
|
Evidence 3 + detail
Write the third evidence in detail on where Mr Utterson shows that he is trustworthy.
|
Mr Utterson is one of the characters that give colours to
this story. He is so trustworthy that he became the character that I
admire.
|
Conclusion
Write on why you admire the character.
You can briefly give your own opinion
|
Here is the sample answer without explanation:
The novel that I choose to answer is Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde written by Robert Louis Stevenson. Briefly, the story is about Dr Jekyll and his alter ego, Mr Hyde. It is a tale of good versus evil amidst a society that practices high moral values. I admire the character of Mr Utterson who is very trustworthy.
The novel that I choose to answer is Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde written by Robert Louis Stevenson. Briefly, the story is about Dr Jekyll and his alter ego, Mr Hyde. It is a tale of good versus evil amidst a society that practices high moral values. I admire the character of Mr Utterson who is very trustworthy.
The positive quality of him can be seen when Mr Utterson
declined from giving too much information about the affair of Dr Jekyll
and Mr Hyde to Richard Enfield. They were having their usual walk
together when this matter was brought up. Mr Utterson realized that it
was better to not let anybody know about Dr. Jekyll’s relationship with
Mr Hyde.
Dr. Jekyll trusted Mr Utterson to keep his will in Mr
Utterson’s safe. Although Mr Utterson was quite troubled by the request,
he did it anyway and guarded it. When he knew about the evilness of Mr
Hyde, he did not mention about Dr. Jekyll’s will that contains the
monster’s name to a single soul.
At the end of the story, Mr Utterson kept his promise to read
Dr. Lanyon’s letter after Dr. Jekyll’s tragic death. He is a
trustworthy fellow and did not to tell anyone about what had happened to
Dr. Jekyll. He decided to let the events that had happened to be
forgotten for the sake of his friend’s good name.
Mr Utterson is one of the characters that give colours to this
story. He is so trustworthy that he became the character that I admire.
Sample answer with explanation:
Teachers,
Example 2:
Choose one of the novels above. Then, write about an incident that you think is important. [PMR 2008]
Key phrases:
- one novel - choose ONE novel only.
- an incident - Choose ONE incident that you think is important.
SAMPLE ANSWER
|
EXPLANATION
|
The novel which I have read is The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux. The story is about a love triangle involving Erik, Christine Daae and Raoul. I found that the disappearance of Christine Daae was very important in the story.
|
Introduction
|
On the night that Raoul planned to run off with Christine,
Erik kidnapped her and took her to his house on the lake. Driven by
strong determination, Raoul and the Persian ventured into the
underground of the Opera House in the quest of rescuing Christine.
Nevertheless, they fell into Erik’s trap. They were tortured to death
in the room of mirrors and suffered from thirst from the intense heat
in the room. They were unable to help Christine.
|
Evidence 1 + detail
|
In order to save Raoul and the Persian’s lives, Christine
made a sacrifice by telling Erik that she was willing to marry him.
Despite Erik’s hideous face, she agreed to be Erik’s wife. She kissed
Erik lovingly on his ugly mouth. Her kindness touched Erik’s heart.
Then, Erik set Christine, Raoul and the Persian free.
|
Evidence 2 + detail
|
This incident is very important because we learnt that Erik
was not at all evil and that he too, was a human with a heart. We also
learnt that the Persian was a helpful person and he knew Erik quite
well. Apart from that, we learnt that Christine was a very nice young
lady and she had a kind soul. Besides that, Raoul was very much in
love with Christine and he was willing to look for her even though she
was captured by the Phantom of the Opera, Erik.
|
Evidence 3 + detail
|
I think the disappearance of Christine Daae was very
important in the story because there are lots of lessons that can be
learnt from the characters’ involved.
|
Conclusion
Briefly state why the incident mentioned is important
|
Sample answer without explanation:
The novel which I have read is The Phantom of the Opera by
Gaston Leroux. The story is about a love triangle involving Erik,
Christine Daae and Raoul. I found that the disappearance of Christine
Daae was very important in the story.
On the night that Raoul planned to run off with Christine, Erik
kidnapped her and took her to his house on the lake. Driven by strong
determination, Raoul and the Persian ventured into the underground of
the Opera House in the quest of rescuing Christine. Nevertheless, they
fell into Erik’s trap. They were tortured to death in the room of
mirrors and suffered from thirst from the intense heat in the room. They
were unable to help Christine.
In order to save Raoul and the Persian’s lives, Christine made a
sacrifice by telling Erik that she was willing to marry him. Despite
Erik’s hideous face, she agreed to be Erik’s wife. She kissed Erik
lovingly on his ugly mouth. Her kindness touched Erik’s heart. Then,
Erik set Christine, Raoul and the Persian free.
This incident is very important because we learnt that Erik was
not at all evil and that he too, was a human with a heart. We also
learnt that the Persian was a helpful person and he knew Erik quite
well. Apart from that, we learnt that Christine was a very nice young
lady and she had a kind soul. Besides that, Raoul was very much in love
with Christine and he was willing to look for her even though she was
captured by the Phantom of the Opera, Erik.
I think the disappearance of Christine Daae was very important
in the story because there are lots of lessons that can be learnt from
the characters’ involved.
More important tips!
- Answer what the question wants. If the question asks you to write about "an incident that you think is important", just write three(3) or minimum two(2) evidences about "ONE INCIDENT that you think is important" in a novel. Don't write about more than one incident. If you write more, you'll definitely not going to get full 10 marks because your answer shows that you don't understand the question!
- Make sure your answer is organized. Use the suggested framework.
- Learn the qualities of one character by heart. Actually, it's important to learn every element in a novel by heart. But, if you have difficulties remembering all those elements (plot, characters, themes, moral values), it's advisable to understand and memorize at least one character's qualities and their respective textual evidence. If you can understand the plot and the characters in a novel, you should be able to answer just any question. Trust me!
- Read and check your answer. Does your answer satisfy the question? Have you given enough evidence to support your answer? Do you give any irrelevant points?
- You may view the slides for this topic by clicking on the given link: Techniques to answer PMR Paper 2 - Section C
- You can also download and print the handout from this link: Handout - How to answer PMR Paper 2 - Section C
Common mistakes students do in writing
The following are 5 common mistakes that students normally make in writing:
No.
|
Type of mistakes
made
|
Wrong
|
Right
|
1.
|
Spelling
of pronouns
|
i, u
Example: i hope u could join us. |
I, You
Example:
I hope you could join us.
|
2.
|
Stringing
of sentences
|
To combine more then 3 simple sentences in a sentence.
Example: Phobias can limit a person's activities of daily living and may cause nausea and depression also cause anxiety and even panic. |
Do not write lengthy sentences and try to keep them simple.
Example: Phobias can limit a person's activities of daily living. They may cause nausea and depression. This disorder can also cause anxiety and even panic. |
3.
|
The use of
contractions
|
Do not use contractions such as I'm, don't, couldn't, etc to answer most PMR Paper 2 questions.
|
Contractions can only be used in writing dialogues and informal letters.
|
4.
|
The use of
modals + also
|
also can, also will, etc.
Example: Phobias also can cause anxiety and panic. |
can also, will also, etc.
Example: Phobias can also cause anxiety and panic. |
5.
|
I used
with a group of people
|
I and my family...
I and my friends... Example: I and my family are fine. |
My family and I...
My friends and I...
Example:
My family and I are fine.
|
ENGLISH spm [paper1] [paper2] SCEME [paper1] [paper2]
Bahasa Inggeris Kertas 1 Percubaan SPM 2011 PERAK SOALAN. JAWAPAN.
Bahasa Inggeris Kertas 2 Percubaan SPM 2011 PERAK SOALAN. JAWAPAN DAN SKEMA
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