Checkpoint for (English skills)

Exams

By
Ms. Sheima Ali
 Exam Papers


• Paper1 tests :

Reading and Writing of information texts

• Paper2 tests:

Reading and Writing of fiction texts

What should I study for English checkpoint?


**Focusing on the language skills :

 Grammar

 Punctuation

 Vocabulary

 Reading

 Writing
 Grammar in checkpoint exams


1. Active and passive verbs

2. Apostrophes

3. Commas for clauses

4. Direct and indirect speech

5. Introduction to nouns

6. Main subordinate clauses

 Punctuation
in checkpoint exams

 Punctuation is an important part of writing that helps to
make your text more clear and easy to understand.
Punctuation marks, such as full stops, commas, and
question marks, are used to indicate pauses, separate ideas,
and indicate the end of a sentence.

Ex: "Let's eat, Grandma!" vs. "Let's eat Grandma!"

 Vocabulary
in checkpoint exams

 Word sets ( pronouns, modal verbs, etc)

 Exemplification (example phrases and sentences)

“ I can’t walk in high heels.

 Multi-word verbs (come into, sit down)

 Personal vocabulary ( describe themselves, lives, hobbies, likes

and dislikes.
 Abbreviations ( USA, Adj, Adv, UK)
 Reading
in checkpoint exams

The reading sections of the tests: P1 & P2
Here you will be expected to read one or two pieces of text such as:
 An information text
 Someone writing about their experiences – e.g. travel writing
 Someone writing about their opinions
 A piece of fiction.

You have to show that you can:

 Understand what a text is about

 Read between the lines
 Express a view about a text
 Justify your views with evidence
 Explain how the writer made you think or feel as you did.
 Remem
ber tO read th
e questions
carefully a
well as the s
 Every w t ex t.
Ord in the
m is there
tO guide y
tO the cO Ou
rrect answ
 HOwe er.
ver, well yO
u understa
nd the pas
yOu will nO sage,
t gain mar
ks if yOu
answer exa dO nOt
ctly what h
as been as
ked.
When answering reading questions, give yOurself thinking time. YOu
will avOid mistakes by thinking first. Take time tO:
 Read the passage tO get a general understanding.
 Read the questions. WOrk Out what they want. Find key
wOrds in them.
 Read the text again, with the questions in mind.
 Underline, circle or highlight useful wOrds tO help yOu
answer the questions.
 NOtice which questions require yOu tO use yOur Own
wOrds.
 Use the length Of the space prOvided for yOur answer tO
get an idea of hOw much yOu shOuld write. YOu need tO
write mOre and allOw lOnger for questions Or grOups Of
questions with mOre marks, less for questions with fewer
marks.
 Only then write yOur answers.
 Annotating the text !
re a d:-
How t o *Find words and phrases you can
use in your answers – underline or
Slow at reading? highlight them.
* Choose the quotations that best
* Do you tend to run out of time in
support your answers.
tests?
*When you spot something that
* Save time by scanning the passage
will help with a question, write the
the first time you read it. Don’t read
number of the question next to it.
every word – just enough to get a
* Write words in the margin if you
general understanding.
have ideas for your answers.
* Read the questions carefully.
* Read the passage properly
 Skimming is reading rapidly in order
(skimming)the second time and look to get a general overview of the
for the answers as you go. material.
 Scanning is reading rapidly in order
to find specific facts.
Paper 1 – Reading section

The texts that yOu read for yOur Paper 1 test will be examples Of
nOn- fiction – information texts

**The examiner is interested in what you have to say about:

 important details

 evidence

 how the evidence proves a point (expressed clearly)

 how the writer creates an effect, or persuades you.

Remember what to do
 Read the passage. Answering summary questions
 Read the questions.  When answering summary
 Read the passage again, looking questions, remember to:
for useful details to answer the  Keep focused on the question
questions. when reading the passage.
 Annotate the passage.  Highlight or underline all the
 Plan your time to pick up sections that are relevant to the
marks. questions.
 Use evidence to support your  Do not write an introduction.
points and express them clearly.  Use your own words and be as
 Explain why your evidence concise as possible.
proves the point.
 Paper 2 – Reading section

 The text that you read for your Paper 2 test will be an example of
fiction – part of a story. There will be several questions to answer
after you have read the text. You may be asked about:
 Characters and why they do what they do
 The mood and how it is created
 Things that are suggested but not stated
 How the writer makes you feel towards the people, events or
place.
 You may be asked to comment on:
 The writer’s choice of words
 How the story is told
 The choice of details in a description
 Con’t Answering questions using quotations
✗ Be careful to give a quotation when one is
asked for. Otherwise it is generally better to
Avoiding pitfalls use your own words if you can.
The most common mistakes in answers ✗ Keep the quotation short.
about fiction are: ✗ Choose the most important words and
✗ Retelling the story, and hoping the details that make the point.
answer is obvious. ✗ If you are including the quotation in a
✗ Giving an opinion but not backing it up sentence, put quotation marks before and
with evidence. after it.
✗ Giving evidence, for example including a ✗ Do not write just the line number and
quotation, but not explaining how it proves expect the examiner to find it.
the point. ✗ Do not write just the first and last words
✗ Talking about the characters as if they of the sentence and expect the examiner to
are real people, forgetting they have been know which bit you are referring to
created by the writer.
 Writing in checkpoint exams
The writing sections of the tests

 Here you may be asked to write:

*a story *a letter  *an article *a description

 You have to show that you can:

1. Adapt your writing for a specific audience
2. Fit your content and ideas to the purpose
3. Express yourself clearly
4. Make your writing interesting and readable
5. Organize your writing effectively and coherently
6. Structure your sentences fluently and correctly
7. Use a range of vocabulary precisely (including: adjectives & adverbs)
8. Use a range of punctuation correctly
9. Spell correctly
 Remember
that th e examiners are
lOOking for
accuracy and ra
nge in yOur use
of language.
 Marks are a
warded for spell
ing, sentence
structure and pu
nctuation.
 The basic e
ssential is tO be
able tO write
cOrrectly in the
English languag
e.
 Paper 1 – Writing information texts

*Use yOur planning time, and the planning bOx prOvided, tO dO three things:

 Think Of enOugh tO say and make it relevant for yOur audience! That sOunds

Obvious, but yOu dO need tO spend a little time making sure yOu have

enOugh material. JOt dOwn ideas as yOu think Of them

 GrOup yOur ideas Or information intO clusters and decide on the order

 Think abOut hOw yOu are going tO link the sections and create an Opening

line for each section

 Note:

 As yOu write out the full version, remember that yOu will gain

credit for developing the ideas in each section beyOnd the opening

line.

 It is better in the restricted time of the test tO stick tO three or four

main ideas and develOp them, rather than write dOwn everything

yOu can think Of in a list.

 Try tO think Of at least One mOre thing tO say abOut each Of

yOur ideas: an example, perhaps, Or a little mOre detail

 An example of a plan for writing an answer On the tOpic (an Article)
‘ShOuld swimming be put On the timetable in every secOndary schOOl?’

Should swimming be put on the timetable in every secondary school?

Pros Cons
1. Ideas or Reduces risk of Something else would have to go
information to drowning Healthy Not all schools have a pool
include: exercise Problems with people forgetting
Aids co-ordination kit
2. Group the
ideas or *Introduction – finding time for useful skills in packed curriculum
information * Pros
into clusters *Cons
and decide on *Conclusion – benefits outweigh problems
the order:
* School is meant to prepare students for life ahead …
* It’s hard to imagine a subject for which there is a better case for
3. Think of links
and create
opening lines for
inclusion in the curriculum than swimming …
each section:
*Schools, however, face immediate problems when …
*To sum up, it seems clear that …
Exercise 1: Planning an information text

Write a plan for writing an information text On One of these tOpics:

1. ShOuld children be paid for helping with the hOusewOrk?

2. Where wOuld yOur class like tO go On yOur next schOOl trip and

why?
 Paper 2 – Writing Fiction

Things that students usually dO well when they write stOries are:

 Openings

 events

 action.

They tend tO forget:

 paragraph breaks

 the impOrtance of wOrking tOwards an ending

 keeping the reader curious abOut what will happen next

 what the characters are thinking and feeling.

Tips for top marks
 Give insights into the minds of the characters and say what they are

feeling.

 Plan an ending.

 Concentrate on using words and details that create setting, mood

and character.
Story

In the test,

1. You will need to spend a few minutes planning your story.

2. It needs a beginning, middle and end. It needs characters to

do things and a setting where the events happen.

3. Note that it is important to plan your ending before you get

carried away by the middle!
 Outlines ( a plan ) for Story example:
‘A visit to a haunted house’
1. Who are the A group of friends? A family?
Me and my two best
people? And How Will you write in the first
many? friends First person
person or third person?
It all started when I saw the
Are you going to tell the story magazine article describing the old
chronologically, i.e. from beginning house in the woods.
2. Where to begin
Basic story

to end? Or start in the middle and OR ,We were halfway there when I
use a flashback? felt something touch my shoulder.
We had set out
Thank goodness we all got home
3. Where to end Real end of story or cliffhanger? safely. OR
And then the door opened.
The storyline. Make something
happen that will upset the way Setting out from home; going the
4. What happens in
things are – something interesting, wrong way; getting lost in the wood;
the middle
so that readers want to see how the eventually finding the house.
characters will deal with it.
Sky became very dark. Couldn’t see.
Filling out the details

Trees crowded close together. House

5. Setting and Description and detail of place,
appeared suddenly through mist.
atmosphere weather, mood
Dark, gloomy, depressing.

All the same? (Some scared, some

Tom got frightened and I tried to
6. Feelings not?) Change over time? Reactions
reassure him. But when we saw …
to happenings and/or atmosphere?
 Exercise 2: Planning stories

Q1: Try finishing this stOry plan. The first three rOws have been
filled in for yOu. Create and cOmplete a grid for the other three.
A story to illustrate the importance of paying attention

Who My family and me

We are on holiday at the
Beginning
seaside.
Basic story
My brother is brought back
Ending
safely by rescuers.

Storyline – what happens

Description and detail

Filling it out
Feelings – mine and his
 Exercise 2: Planning stories
Q2: Here is anOther stOry plan. This time a different twO rOws have been
filled in for yOu. COpy and cOmplete the other four rOws Of the grid.

An argument that should never have happened

Who
Beginning

Basic story But something has changed: I

Ending have new friends, and a better
attitude.
Storyline – what happens
Description and detail

I realise that some of my

Filling it out friends are only interested in
Feelings me for my looks, and that
some people I never noticed
before are actually quite nice.
*NOw use the tips above tO plan a stOry Of yOur Own On One of

these tOpics:

 An unusual friendship

 My pet can talk!

Final tips for the test

1. Accuracy first! YOu knOw the mistakes yOu always make.

2. Learn the spellings yOu think yOu might need.

3. Remember tO use full stOps tO separate sentences, nOt cOmmas.

4. Remember tO start a new paragraph when:

* yOu start a new tOpic

* yOu mOve tO a different time

* yOu shift tO a new place

* sOmeone else starts tO speak

5. Then remember range! Vary yOur sentences. Try the follOwing:
 Begin a sentence with an adverb ending in –ly, e.g. ‘Carefully, she lOOked
rOund the cOrner.’
 Embed a subOrdinate clause, e.g. ‘The man, who had been lurking in the shadows,
sidled away.’
 Begin with a prepOsition, e.g. ‘Through a gap in the fence, we cOuld see a dOg
digging furiously.’
 Use an Occasional shOrt sentence, e.g. ‘It stOpped.’ This is especially effective if
the shOrt sentence follOws a number Of lOng Ones.

6. Vary your vocabulary. Try to:

 Avoid very common words, such as ‘nice’ or ‘get/got’, and words that you use

more in conversation with your own friends than to adults, such as ‘awesome’.
7. Leave time to check your work. Proofread what you have written and correct
mistakes.