O-Level English
-
SAHM_TAN:
Feel free to ask. English, especially grammar, can be very pesky, but we need to know grammar well because it are essential to meaning and comprehension. Even I have to teach myself English sometimes by sitting down, breaking apart sentences and doing a grammatical analysis of a sentence that is not of the usual variety.Thank you slmkhoo and Teacher Aaron for your sharings.
I feel like I'm learning English again. LOL.
:thankyou: -
:thankyou: teacher aaron.
Your explanation is very clear. Thank you for taking yr time to answer all the questions. -
One last question, what do you think is a better advice? To tell my child to pick the answer that sounds grammatically correct or to choose the answer based on the limited grammar rules that he may know.
-
PiggyLalala:
One last question, what do you think is a better advice? To tell my child to pick the answer that sounds grammatically correct or to choose the answer based on the limited grammar rules that he may know.
Haha! I am biased in this regard. I won't eat something that looks edible; I must be sure it is edible. In the same vein, I will never pick an answer based on whether the answer sounds grammatically correct or wrong.
However, I am prepared to be flexible because it is very unfortunate that most English teachers nowadays are weak in grammar themselves. Try to get your child to analyse the sentence or question using the grammar rules that he or she knows for sure are correct, and if that fails, then go for the \"sounds right\" option.
Here are some examples of sentences that sound right but are wrong:
[list]- [*]The committee will consist of Bob, Mr. Parsons, and myself. (\"myself\" is incorrect; the correct word is \"me\")
- [*]The water in my cup is lesser than yours. (it's either fewer than or less than, depending on whether the noun is countable)
- [*]We will go ahead with our plan irregardless of what they say. (there's no such word as irregardless; the correct word is regardless)
- [*]This has been a great year for my wife and I. (\"I\" is incorrect; the correct word is \"me\")
[/list]And these sentences sound strange but are correct:[list]- [*]One morning, I shot an elephant in my pyjamas.
- [*]Yesterday, we went hopefully to the bank to seek a loan.
- [*]The complex houses married and single soldiers and their families.
[/list]** By the way, I don't mean to be picky, but \"advice\" is not countable. You need to use a partitive (means divided into parts) structure to make advice countable, such as a piece of advice (you divide advice into parts called pieces, which are then countable). -
Thank you teacher Aaron.
I think I should not keep writing 'one last question' because I believe I will have more questions to ask.
:thankyou: -
PiggyLalala:
Feel free to ask. I'll try my best to explain grammar in as simple terms as possible so that you can understand and then guide your own children.Thank you teacher Aaron.
I think I should not keep writing 'one last question' because I believe I will have more questions to ask.
:thankyou: -
Any idea how to do well for secondary comphrehension and summary?
The passage is usually is extracted from Magazines.
Thanks -
kitty2:
I believe you are referring to Section C. The new 'O' level English syllabus tests comprehension on three levels:Any idea how to do well for secondary comphrehension and summary?
The passage is usually is extracted from Magazines.
Thanks
[list=3]- [*]Section A: Visual text comprehension (to test if candidates can interpret non-textual information together with text)
- [*]Section B: Narrative passage comprehension (to test if candidates can understand passages that are more literary in nature)
- [*]Section
[/list]I think Section C is easier than Section B in terms of the language used in the passages. The structure of the passage in Section C is such that there are usually a few main points the writer is trying to make (which are usually opinions/arguements or key facts), with the rest of the text being explanation or examples/evidence of the opinions or facts. I would say that when reading factual pieces, the student has to determine whether he's reading a main point, an explanation, an example or a piece of evidence.
Non-narrative passage comprehension (to test if candidates can understand non-narrative passages such as newspaper/academic reports or opinion pieces)
Once the student is able to tell the difference between the functions of the sentences that are used in the passage, they usually should understand the passage better. However, a strong vocabulary is still necessary because there may be specific words or phrases that are critical to the passage, and if the student doesn't know what they mean, they will never be able to understand the passage.
Building a strong vocabulary is something that is always work in progress. Everyday, you'll have to spend some time reading and look up a good dictionary to build your vocabulary. I am still reading and looking up stuff almost everyday! -
Teacher Aaron:
:thankyou:
I believe you are referring to Section C. The new 'O' level English syllabus tests comprehension on three levels:kitty2:
Any idea how to do well for secondary comphrehension and summary?
The passage is usually is extracted from Magazines.
Thanks
[list=3]- [*]Section A: Visual text comprehension (to test if candidates can interpret non-textual information together with text)
- [*]Section B: Narrative passage comprehension (to test if candidates can understand passages that are more literary in nature)
- [*]Section
[/list]I think Section C is easier than Section B in terms of the language used in the passages. The structure of the passage in Section C is such that there are usually a few main points the writer is trying to make (which are usually opinions/arguements or key facts), with the rest of the text being explanation or examples/evidence of the opinions or facts. I would say that when reading factual pieces, the student has to determine whether he's reading a main point, an explanation, an example or a piece of evidence. Non-narrative passage comprehension (to test if candidates can understand non-narrative passages such as newspaper/academic reports or opinion pieces)
Once the student is able to tell the difference between the functions of the sentences that are used in the passage, they usually should understand the passage better. However, a strong vocabulary is still necessary because there may be specific words or phrases that are critical to the passage, and if the student doesn't know what they mean, they will never be able to understand the passage.
Building a strong vocabulary is something that is always work in progress. Everyday, you'll have to spend some time reading and look up a good dictionary to build your vocabulary. I am still reading and looking up stuff almost everyday! -
Here's some advice for parents who are genuinely concerned about their child's general writing ability and/or ability to express themselves:-
It is important to take the first steps towards developing a student's foundational writing and communication skills at this crucial stage, especially in light of the recent changes to the \"O\" Level English syllabus, which shifts the emphasis away from Narrative writing to Discursive or Argumentative writing in the \"Continuous Writing\" component (i.e., Composition/Essay/Free Writing). This is not dissimilar to the style of writing expected of students in General Paper once they progress to Junior College, and is widely regarded as the principal yardstick by which a student's writing ability is determined. Most students struggle with this component because of its perceived difficulty. This stems not from a lack of ability, but from a chronic lack of exposure to and practice in the English language. Consider this: if your child is putting in 10 hours a week practising math & science questions, and not spending at least a quarter of that time practising his writing ability, then it is only natural that he wouldn't do as well in English. Your child must practice writing consistently, at least once a week or once every other week (if he is busy with school activities). No excuses!
In addition, the \"Situational Writing\" segment requires candidates to write the text (e.g. an email, a letter, a report or a speech) to suit the purpose, audience and context reflected in the visual text. This requires the use of appropriate language and tone to demonstrate the candidate's maturity of thought and linguistic ability, all of which can be trained if the proper guidance is given.
A new \"Editing\" component has also been introduced by which students are expected to identify and edit grammatical errors in a short passage by writing the corrections in the spaces provided. Errors in punctuation and spelling will not be tested in this component.
In the longer term, a good grasp of the English language is critical not just for scholastic purposes, but also for personal development and increased employability, since the ability to read and write proficiently is a key requirement in just about every profession today. This is reflected in every task you perform, such as drafting emails and reports, communicating with clients and bosses, and conducting persuasive presentations.
It's never too late to start improving. Start writing well today. For more information, please check out my website at: <<Mod's Note - URL removed>>
Hello! It looks like you're interested in this conversation, but you don't have an account yet.
Getting fed up of having to scroll through the same posts each visit? When you register for an account, you'll always come back to exactly where you were before, and choose to be notified of new replies (either via email, or push notification). You'll also be able to save bookmarks and upvote posts to show your appreciation to other community members.
With your input, this post could be even better š
Register Login