1. Preparing for the 1 st Exam ~ English (2011-2012) Ms. Choi Ying Ying

2. Paper 1 – Composition

3. Time: 45 minutes Text type: Descriptive writing, diary writing, postcard writing, etc

4. Composition – How to do better? Read instructions carefully – Attempt ONE question only! Highlight what you are asked to write about

5. Composition – How to do better? Good time management – 5 minutes: Planning 35 minutes: Writing 5 minutes: Proofreading (spelling, punctuation, grammar, tenses, etc.)

6. Composition – How to do better? Write in paragraphs – Only ONE main idea in each paragraph (with supporting details and elaboration) Use vocabulary and expressions learnt in Longman and other sources

7. Paper 2 – General English

8. Time: 60 minutes Things to study: Longman textbook, grammar book, grammar and vocabulary quizzes, grammar and idiom worksheets

9. General English – How to do better? Do the grammar exercises again Pay attention to the tenses Study irregular verbs Revise idioms and vocabulary items taught

10. Paper 3 – Reading Comprehension

11. Time: 40 minutes Text types: Story, article, etc.

12. Reading Comprehension – What are we testing? Comprehension skills – (1) text understanding (2) vocabulary meaning (3) referencing (e.g. What does ‘it’ refer to?)

13. Reading Comprehension – How to do better? Read instructions carefully – short / long answers Read questions carefully – ‘What’, ‘Where’, ‘Why’, ‘How’, etc.

14. Reading Comprehension – How to do better? Answer in the appropriate tenses e.g. What happened in the story? What do you think about the ending? Answer open-ended questions – Give reasons to support your opinions

15. Paper 4 – Listening

16. Time: 45 minutes Formats: Multiple-choice, form filling, note-taking information correction, etc.

17. Listening – How to do better? Use HB pencil and rubber – Easier to make changes Take notes when listening – Everything is played ONCE only  Pay FULL attention!

18. Listening – How to do better? Read instructions and highlight keywords – e.g. Names, numbers, percentages, etc. Avoid careless mistakes – e.g. Capital letter, spelling, singular/plural, etc.

19. Listening – How to do better? Tidy up – Check spelling and capitalization, make sure words are written clearly

20. Paper 5 – Speaking

21. Time: about 5 minutes for each student Formats: Part 1 – Reading aloud Part 2 – Individual presentation Check the reporting time

22. Speaking (Reading aloud) – How to do better? Use phonics skills Use rhyming words – e.g. ‘shed’: ‘red’, ‘bed’, ‘led’, etc. Read every word clearly

23. Speaking (Individual Presentation) – How to do better? Make sure you can present for at least ONE minute Practise and time yourself at home Know the content well

24. English Literature

25. Time: 40 minutes Things to study: (1) Matilda (2) English Literature worksheets (3) Textbook (Language Arts Extension)

26. English Literature – How to do better? Read Matilda again Understand the story well Similar to those in Reading Comprehension paper