Here is a CXC past paper type summary writing question.

This is the type of summary writing question that has been on

CXC English A past papers

NB: CXC suggests spending no more than 35 minutes to answer the summary
writing question in Section one, paper 2 of the English A exam.

Read carefully the following conversation between Ross and Susan and
then answer the question below it.

Susan Charles, a fine secretary you are! Don't you know that the
Ross:
students from Guadeloupe arrive on September 15th?

Susan: Both the boys and the girls. So what else is new?

None of your wisecracks. That's only a month away and we haven't

Ross: found accommodation for them as yet. The hotel says there won't be
any room at that time. As secretary of the club, it's your responsibility...

I know, I know. I'll arrange for them to stay in private homes. I'm sure
Susan: the villagers won't mind taking them in for a small charge. It's only for
two weeks. Our visitors are booked to leave on the 30th.

Not a bad idea. Why don't you write to all the villagers asking them to
Ross: write to us if they are interested in putting up these students? I wonder
how much they'll charge.

I'll ask them to give their rates. We'll have to insist, though, that the
Susan: villagers who are interested must be able to speak French. The
Guadeloupans speak no English.

Ross: At least not the six who are coming. Should the villagers provide meals?

Breakfast and dinner, except on Sundays when they must include lunch
Susan:
as well.

I think we should let the villagers know that two club members will want
Ross: to inspect homes and chat with the applicants before making the
selection.

Agreed. Letters from those who are interested should reach us by

Susan:
August 26th. Then our members can visit on the 28th.

Ross: After six p.m., I suppose? Should the villagers write to you as secretary?
Susan:
Right on both counts; I'll tell them to write to:

The Secretary
Denby Sports Club
P.O. Box 63
Arroyo Village.

Ross: But suppose a villager can put up more than one student?

Susan: All the better, my friend, all the better.

Imagine that you are Susan. In not more than 150 words, write the
letter to the villagers.

Marks will be given for (1) content, (2) organisation and (3) expression

30 marks
 Here are CXC past paper type reading comprehension
questions

These questions do not have any suggested answers. You should attempt to
answer them to give yourself practice on CXC type reading comprension
questions. These are the types of questions that will appear in section 2, paper 2
of the English A exam.
1. Read the following extract carefully and then answer all the questions set on it.

Pita panicked. There was nothing he could do. He was trapped. Trapped with hundreds of others. The
monster had come and was slowly, surely dragging them from the deep. He swam through the excited
crowd to try the bottom. Then he tried the top again. The great monster had encircled them
completely. There were millions of holes in its great hands, but none large enough. If only they were a
little larger. Pita tried to push himself through one of the holes again. He squeezed and squeezed.
Great tails lashed around him. Not only he but against his eyes. If only his head could get through. He
pushed again, hard, and the pain quivered through his body.

There was nothing he could do. He heard the breakers roaring above now. That meant they were
nearing the shore. Pita whipped his tail in fury. The monster was gradually closing its hands. There
were cries now above the surface. Below, the monster grated on sand. The shore! They had reached
the shore! Frantically, Pita flung himself against one of the tiny holes. He gave a cry as the scales tore
from his back - then a cry of joy. He was free! Free!

He lunged forward below the surface. Down he sped, rejoicing in his tinyness. If he was only a little
bigger, he would have been dying on the shore now. The fateful shore! There had been those who had
actually come back from that world. This was one of the great mysteries. But some said they had been
there, and had talked of that awesome place.

There was no more blood now. Down he swam. Deep, deep until the sound of the breakers was only a
bitter memory, and the sea was not sandy but blue and clear, and until, far, far away in the distance,
green with fern and the tender moss, he saw the rocks of home.

Question
a) To whom or what does 'he' refer? (1 mark)
Suggested answer
a) 'He' refers to the fish or Pita

Question
b) What effect is the author trying to create by using short sentences in the passage? (2 marks)
Suggested answer
b) The writer is trying to create suspense/tension/fast-moving action.

Question
c) State ONE word which could describe Pita's feelings when he realised, There were millions of
holes ... but none large enough. (2 marks)
c) Alarm/anxiety/frustration/desperation.

Question
d) Why does the author repeat 'squeezed' in line 6? (3 marks)
Suggested answer
d) The word is repeated to show the tremendous effort the fish is making in its bid to escape.

Question
e) Who or what does the 'monster' refer to? (2 marks)
Suggested answer
e) The 'monster' is the net

Question
f) Why does the writer use 'fateful' to describe the shore? (2 marks)
Suggested answer
f) The word is used because that is where the fate of the fish was decided/where death took place.

Question
g) Why does Pita utter a cry of joy? (1 mark)
Suggested answer
g) Pita utters a cry of joy as he was now free.

Question
h) Why was 'the sound of the breakers' a bitter memory? (2 marks)
Suggested answer
h) It was the sound of the place where he would have died.
 Here are CXC past paper type short story questions.

These are the types of short story questions that have been on
CXC English A past papers

NB CXC suggests spending no more than 45 minutes to answer the short story
question on Paper 2 of the English A exam. They also suggest 400 - 450
wordsas the short story length

1. Write a story entitled,"The decision that saved my life."

"Jamila turned and walked away. I knew then that I had lost a friend."
2. Write a story in which this sentence plays an important part.

Write either a story OR a description entitled,

3. "The village where nobody lives anymore".

Write a story which leads up to the following ending:

4. "To this day, people passing through Coconut Grove still stop to ask for
Waspie."

5. Write a story entitled: "The Dream That Came True."

Here are CXC past paper type persuasive essay questions.

These are the types of persuasive essay questions that have been on
CXC English A past papers

NB: CXC suggests spending no more than 30 minutes to answer the persuasive
essay question on Paper 2 of the English A exam. They also suggest 250 - 300
words as the length of the persuasive essay.

1. Write an article to the local newspaper expressing your concern about the
high rate of traffic accidents in your country. Suggest three measures which
would help to reduce this high rate of accidents.

2.
Write an article for your school magazine about three major problems in your
school and state how you would solve
 each one.

3. You are on a committee planning the celebrations to mark the anniversary of

your school. You have heard that some of your classmates plan to boycott the
celebrations, and you have neen asked to make a speech to persuade them to
take part. Write out your speech.

4.
Your school council has asked for nominations for the "Teacher of the Year
award. Write a letter to the council in which you suggest someone from your
school,
giving strong arguments to support your choice.

5.
Write an article for a school magazine in which you present strong arguments
either for or against the topic:
"School should be abolished."
 The Passage

Comprehension passages are centred on a variety of topics, including the arts, social sciences,

sciences, politics, literature etc. However, there is no need to have a specific knowledge of the

topic on which the passage is centred. What is needed is the ability to understand the intended

message of the passage by identifying and noting the following when reading:

Purpose Is the given piece describing, explaining or informing the reader about a topic or an

event; or is it seeking to persuade the reader? What is the underlying theme? Is it violence? Is the

piece stating facts or opinions? Is the literature describing the aftermath of a natural disaster? Or,

is it of a political speech? All these questions and more can be answered once a reader can

identify the purpose of a piece.

Tone This is the expression of a mood or emotion that the writer shows toward the material in

the piece and/or to the readers. The tone of a passage may be happy, playful, angry, serious,

ironic, outraged, displeasure etc.

Figures of Speech This is defined as a word or phrase that departs from everyday literal

language for the sake of comparison, emphasis, clarity, or freshness. The ability to identify and

explain the significance of figures of speech is an asset to readers especially if the piece is a

poem. Examples of figures of speech are similes, metaphors, euphemism and irony.
Context Clues Regardless of how wide ones vocabulary is, the probability of encountering an

unfamiliar word in a passage/extract is rather high. It is therefore important that you know how

to use context clues to figure out the meaning of unfamiliar words. This involves noting how the

word is used, including the part of speech and its relationship to other words/ideas in the context

in which it is used.

Signal Words and Phrases These words and phrases help readers to understand the relationship

between ideas in a passage. Below is a list of signal words and phrases.

Addition words: also, in addition

Cause and effect words: as a result, therefore

Contrast words: conversely, in contrast

Emphasis words: more importantly, remember, note

Time words: before, meanwhile

Punctuations When reading any piece of work, it is important to note the punctuation marks

used as these marks often have significance and thus must be taken into consideration in order to

make sense of the piece.

Setting This is the surroundings or environment in which a story is set. If the piece is narrating
a story or describing an event, clues to the setting will be provided in the piece.
 Question Types

The ability to identify the major reading comprehension question types and thus, being able to

recognize what a given question is asking for, is a major asset when doing comprehension

passages. Below is a list of the most frequent question types.

Main Idea These questions require readers to find the central message of a passage, and are

often phrased in the forms below:

-Which of the following best expresses the main idea of the passage?

-The authors primary purpose is to

-The main point of the passage is to

Specific Details These questions require readers to be able to identify what the author/passage

states.
-Which of the following is best supported by the passage?

-According to the passage

-The passage states all the following except

Tone These are questions that require readers to identify the authors, or characters in the

passage mood or emotion.

-The authors tone is one of

-The author regards that idea with

-Jane is revealed as a person who is

Drawing Inferences These questions require readers to note what the passage explicitly states,

and use these facts to identify implications.

-The passage suggests that

-It can be inferred from the passage that

-The author implies all the following except

Applications to Situations These questions require readers to be able to identify from the

positions stated in the passage, what the authors stance would be on other matters.

-With which of the following would the author of the passage most likely agree?
 Figures of Speech
Alliteration And Anaphora

Alliteration

This is the repetition of the same initial consonant sound in close succession.
Examples:

The daily diary of the American dream. (Wall Street Journal Slogan)

Youll never put a better bit of butter on your knife. (Country Life Butter Advertising Slogan)

Anaphora

This is the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of consecutive sentences or verses.

Examples:

We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we

shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island,

whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing

grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never

surrender. (Winston Churchill, speech to the House of Commons, June 4, 1940)

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the

sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have

a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice,

sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and

justice. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will

not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character (Martin Luther

King, Jr. I Have a Dream speech, August 28, 1963)

Antithesis
This literary device is one in which an opposition or contrast of ideas/words/phrases are

expressed.

Examples:

Ill be damned if I do it, damned if I dont.

When there is need for silence, you speak, and when there is need for speech, you are silent.

Apostrophe

This figure of speech is one in which an absent or nonexistent person or thing is personified, and

addressed as if present and capable of understanding.

Examples:

Blue Moon, you saw me standing alone, without a dream in my heart, without a love of my

own. ( Lorenz Hart and Richard Rodgers, Blue Moon)

The clouds became angry, and started crying. What are you crying for? I asked.

Assonance

This is the similarity in sound of internal vowels in neighbouring words.

Examples:

It beats as it sweeps as it cleans. (Hoover Vacuum Cleaners- Slogan)

I must confess that in my quest I felt depressed and restless. ( Thin Lizzy, With Love)
Euphemism

The use of a mild or less direct word in place of one that is harsh (aka sugar-coating).

Examples:

Did you see Yendi and Frankensteins sister come out of Old Navy?

Her father went to be with the angels last month.

Hyperbole

This is the use of an exaggeration for emphasis.

Examples:

On visiting Tivoli Gardens in Kingston Jamaica, after the onslaught between criminal elements

and security forces, the state of the infrastructure far exceeded video clips of images in Iraq.

On reading the candidates speech, it was so well written; it reminded me of Dr. Martin Luther

Kings, I Have a Dream, Speech.

Irony

The two most used types of irony are verbal and situational.

Verbal Irony
This case exists when the meaning of a word in a given context, is opposite to the literal

meaning.

Examples:

Yet Brutus says he was ambitious; And Brutus is an honourable man. ( Julius Caesar, by

William Shakespeare)

Sarah and Jessie were sitting under an apple tree having brunch, when they realised Sarah was

sitting in an ants nest. Jessie while helping Sarah to brush off the insects remarked, Arent you

the lucky one!

Situational Irony

This occurs, when the actual outcome, is contrary to the expected outcome.

Examples:

The fire station is on fire.

Someone choked to death on a life saver.

Metaphor

This is a comparison made between two things, without the use of the words as or like.

Examples:

That Jessie James is a snake.

She is a rainbow.

Oxymoron

This exists when contradicting words are used together (one is used to modify the other).

Examples:

Expressions like: original copy; found missing; terribly pleased; small crowd; clearly

misunderstood; pretty ugly; great depression

Did you respond to Maries question? John asked. Yes, Joe replied. I told her it was

a definite maybe.

Paradox

This is a self-contradicting statement or position.

Examples:

War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength. (George Orwell, 1984)

You can save money by spending it.

Personification

This is the giving of human qualities and or abilities to inanimate objects.

Examples:
Fear knocked on the door.

This camera hates me; every time I use it, it acts up.

Pun

This is a play on words, particularly words that have more than one meaning in the context used.

Examples:

The police reportedly found a peep hole in one of the rooms; we contacted the local office, and

they said they were looking into it.

An archaeologist is a person whose career lies in ruins.

Simile

This is a comparison made between people/things using as or like.

Examples:

The character in the movie is as agile as a monkey.

John is the student representative; he is as bright as the sun.

 Grammar
Period and Comma
Question Mark
Colon and Semi-colon
Dash and Parenthesis
Quotation Marks
Exclamation Mark

Period

A period [.] is used at the end of complete sentences that:

Makes a statement He is the heart of their defensive line.

Gives a command All assignments are to be handed in no later than noon on Thursday.

Makes a request Please open your textbooks and turn to page ten.

Asks an indirect question The principal asked me why my undershirt was showing.
It is also used with abbreviations that are not written in all capital letters:

Examples:

Ex., Mr., yr., p.m., i.e.

Note, if a sentence ends with the use of a quote, the period should be placed inside the quotation

marks.

- Mr. Noble insisted on calling John little one.

Comma

Commas are used for the following reasons:

To separate words in a series The guy threw the stone, jumped the wall, and ran away as

quickly as he could.

To set off information which when removed does not alter the intention/meaning of the sentence

The Causeway, which connects Portmore and Kingston, was replaced with the Portmore leg of

the toll road.

To separate adjectives She is tall, fair, beautiful, eloquent, and sassy.

To separate words/phrases of contrast Politicians represent the people, yet they exploit them.

To introduce a quote The defendant addressed the media today. He said, The truth must come

to light, and I will be found innocent.

To connect independent phrases Miss New York was the best model, but not the best speaker.

To avoid confusion Interestingly, the most interesting thing about Edward Seaga is the interest

he shows in Tivoli Gardens.

To set off introductory phrases/clauses On the arrival of each celebrity to the theatre, the

paparazzi flocked the vehicles.

Question Mark

A question mark is used to end a question and in most cases, it immediately follows the question.

- What is the verdict?

- We all agreed that she was wrong, but, why didnt you inform her?

However, when a question is followed by a clause that modifies it, the question mark is placed at

the end of the statement.

- How could they hold him accountable for the theft, considering he had an alibi which was

substantiated?

As it relates to question marks being used with quotation marks, if the information being quoted

is a direct question, the question mark should be placed inside the quotation marks.

- Who won the match? Laura asked.

If the information being quoted is not a question, the question mark should be placed outside the

quotation marks.
- Whose words are these I are the one?

Colon

The main purpose of the colon is to:

Introduce a list

This is the instance in which colons are most frequently used.

- The reporter asked the Minister the following questions: When are you leaving to attend the

international conference? What is your governments stance on the topic to be discussed?

- The recipe for grannys tasty sauce includes: garlic, tomato sauce, jerk sauce, browning, black

pepper and Chinese sauce.

Note: capital letters are used after colons if it precedes complete sentence(s).

Introduce a quotation or explanation

- Lionel Messi said at the postgame interview: Inter Milan played a patient game; they moved

well without the ball and made it very difficult for us.

- This watch is the better buy: it is made of stainless steel, has rubber strap, its water resistant

and has date display.

Note: colons are always placed outside quotation marks.

Introduce a statement
- Recall we had to say this every morning: Labour for learning before you grow old, for learning

is better than silver or gold, silver and gold will vanish away, but a good education will never

decay.

Semicolon

This punctuation mark is used for two main purposes: to separate items in a long list, that itself

contains the use of commas (this is a prime example); and to replace periods and commas in

joining two independent sentences/clauses, to show their connection.

Separating items

Semicolons should be used if items to be listed are long, and contains commas.

- The basketball players shortlisted for the award include Kobe Bryant, a 6ft 6 guard of the Los

Angeles Lakers; LeBron James, a 6ft 8 forward of the Miami Heats; Kevin Durant, a 6ft 9

forward of the Oklahoma City Thunder; and Dwyane Wade, a 6ft 4 Guard of the Miami Heats.

Joining Sentences

Semicolons are used in joining sentences, to show/emphasize their relation.

- The lawyer defended his client the best he could; he even found himself in contempt of court on

two occasions while feverishly cross examining two of the prosecutions witnesses.

Note: semicolons are always placed outside quotation marks.

Dash and Parenthesis

These punctuation marks are used when a sentence is interrupted to state a fact, share an

opinion and or to give an explanation. Since they are used for the same purposes, deciding which

of the two to use is usually left to the preference of the writer.

- The Miss Jamaica World winner is beautiful she is the most beautiful winner I have ever

seen. Or, The Miss Jamaica World winner is beautiful (she is the most beautiful winner I have

ever seen).

- Yao Ming was in the room the tallest man in the NBA at 7ft 6 talking to his

teammates. Or, Yao Ming was in the room (the tallest man in the NBA at 7ft 6) talking to his

teammates

- He attacked the man eager to avenge deeds he had done to him. Or, He attacked the man

(eager to avenge deeds he had done to him).

Quotation Marks

The main use of quotation marks is to set off information which is a direct quote.

- You have no right to take my pen without my permission, John said.

- The author in her first piece wrote, Success is never ending, failure is never final.

Other uses include:

Indicating an ironic word The women in the mess hall at the prison, shared food to the

inmates.

To specify nicknames/alias Erwin Magic Johnson

To indicate the title of artistic work Forever Young, is one of Jay-Zs singles from his latest

album.

The use of other punctuation marks with Quotation Marks

- Question marks, exclamation marks and dashes should be placed inside quotation marks if they

are a part of the quotation, otherwise they should be placed outside the quotation marks.

- Colons and semicolons should be placed outside quotation marks.

Exclamation Mark

An exclamation mark is used at the end of a command, interjection and or a declaration.

- That is utter rubbish!

- Yes! he replied, I want it now!

Exclamation marks are placed inside quotation marks if the information being quoted is an

exclamation. Otherwise, the exclamation mark is placed outside the quotation marks.

- The dog barked woof! at the man.

- Stop referring to me as Oreo!

Note, commas and periods are not used after exclamation marks.

- I have been doing this for years! he said. NOT I have been doing this for years!, he said.

- The disaster is finally over! NOT The disaster is finally over!.

 The Broad Outline

The Broad Outline:

When faced with an essay topic, one must start thinking along these lines:
 The Breakdown

Lets break down these terms:

THEME: This is essentially what your story is about. It is the main message or story line.

(1) Your main message or story line must be strong as the development of your characters; conflict,
climax etc will also fail to develop properly and thus lose the attention of your readers.

(2) The theme stems from the title of the essay. The title and theme are always interlinked as this
guides your mind to the development of a strong message which leads to the plot, i.e. how the reader
sees and understands the development of your message through characters, description and other
elements like the conflicts, twists etc. Some examples of themes include:
- A Narrow Escape
- You cant judge a book by its cover
- Everyone who has passed through Indian Village has heard Waspies story (This is an e.g. of a
statement which the examiner might give to you and it must be included in your story.)

PLOT: This is the sequence of cohesive events which take place within the story as a means of
fulfilling or bringing to life or materialising your theme. It usually happens in this form:

(1) Conflict means a problem or some trouble or mishap. Every story must have this in order to
make it interesting. This conflict must increase to a Climax, until it is finally worked out or resolved
at the end of the story.

The Conflict must have the following elements:

(i) Must be strong. It must be engaging and always capture the readers attention. If not, your story
will be weak, disinteresting.
(ii) Must be credible (true to life). It should not be far-fetched i.e. very difficult to believe. However,
a science fiction story can be incredible or fantastic. If you are given a picture as the stimulus
material, then you must use of all its details.
(iii) Must be based on the topic completely, otherwise it will be irrelevant.

(2) Consequent Actions these are all the events which come as a result of the Conflict/problem.
This helps to further build the story, the suspense. This also includes the development of your
characters and also shows the importance of your characters to your plot.

(3) Climax is the highest point/peak of interest in your story.

(4) Resolution is the solving of the puzzling conflict. When the Conflict reaches its highest point,
i.e. Climax, it should then be worked out in the resolution.

Things to note with the Resolution:

(i) If the resolution is too predictable or easy or can be guessed, you story will be dull.
(ii) Strive for a surprise ending or a sudden twist in the plot of the story. Use SUSPENSE, i.e.
do not explain everything. Use an ironical ending. Your story does not have to have a happy ending.
(iii) The use of short sentences is more dramatic and effective than longer ones. So it is better to
use shorter sentences at dramatic points in the story!

Description

(a) You must be able to employ all senses in your description! You want your reader/audience
to visualise what you are saying and experience the emotions behind the imagery.

(b) You can describe by using:

- figures of speech like similes, metaphors, onomatopoeia, alliteration & personification
as much as possible to make your writing vivid and original!
(c) Describe the setting, i.e. the physical environment, the place where the action of the story is
taking place, and the time it is happening, if appropriate. You can let the setting change later in the
story if the mood of the character changes.

* If the character becomes despondent, you may choose to let the rain fall. This is known
as pathetic fallacy i.e. allowing the weather to take on human qualities and emotions to emulate
what the present situation is. For e.g. the father dies in the story and as he breathes his last breath,
the rain starts to fall.

(d) Describe your characters according to the role they are playing

(e) Describe by using gripping, detailed facts, powerful adjectives, adverbs and verbs. For e.g

(f) Once upon a time, is a boring way to start. A more interesting way would be to start by
describing the setting or a character or with a quotation, proverb etc.

Characters

Decide how many characters are necessary for your story to develop the way you want it to, keeping
in mind that the fewer characters you use, the easier the job of developing the story properly.

Therefore, identify your MAIN character and his/her role & your SUB CHARACTER/S and
his/her/their roles.

Characterisation is also important. This includes:

- the appearance (the way the character looks),
- personality (the way the character thinks or feels)
- and behaviour (the way the character acts or feels) of the characters.

Dialogue

This has its advantages and disadvantages. Only use once needed & ensure that your essay is not too
swamped with it, that your story line is lost/ becomes disinteresting. REMEMBER: It is a Caribbean
examination & patois is acceptable in dialogue/quotations ONLY. Make your dialogue as
comprehensive as possible.

Style

There are varying styles of writing your essay. Remember that the purpose of a descriptive piece is to
bring your story, make the imagination flow and make the reader believe, enjoy and understand your
thoughts.

First Person: i.e. use of yourself as the main person telling the story. In these types of stories, the
author will refer to himself in the first person, i.e. I or we or our. This is really used when the
person has decided to use himself as the victim/author/narrator of a situation or story or event that
has happened.

Third Person: i.e. writing the story through the eyes or experiences of another person as the main
character. The writer will refer to the character as he and use words like they or them or theirs.

Reflective: i.e. use of main character being in the present but is thinking about a situation that
happened to him/her in the past. This can be ideal for picture essays. For e.g. the examiner may
present you with a picture of a child crying, or a house burning and you can use the reflective style as
if someone is looking at the picture and telling the tale behind that picture/actions in the picture.

Other Techniques

Some techniques that make a story interesting:

A surprise ending
Suspense

A sudden twist in the plot

Irony

Strong emotional appeal touching the readers emotions deeply

Humour- a light touch that is, making the reader smile or laugh

The use of short sentences for dramatic effect. Avoid overdoing this though.

The use of a sentence-paragraph for dramatic effect. Avoid overdoing this we all.

Dialogue that fleshes out characterization realistically characters and their relationships.

The use of apt, excellent description, especially the use of figurative language that adds originality
and freshness, e.g. similes metaphors etc.

Appeal to all 5 senses

High quality language of language, including active verbs. Refer to the table above.

Sample Essay

Better Late Than Never by Yolanda Paul

There he was again, peeping through the window with worn, yellow eyes. His coat was moth-eaten
and quite shabby. His skin was dirty as though it had not been scrubbed and cleaned thoroughly in
quite some time. His shoes had many holes allowing too much ventilation and they appeared to have
no soles.

The old man shuffled into the coffee shop and ordered his normal cup of coffee without sugar and
many times, I would see him looking longingly at the delicious pastries which adorned the shelves.
So, I would purchase two doughnuts and a pie for him to eat during the day and also give him
another cup of coffee to take with him as well. The mans eyes would always light up with gratitude
and as he smiled, one could see the coffee stained teeth which seemed as though it was never cleaned
and as he passed by, one could get the smell of garbage implying that this man lived and slept on the
sidewalks. As he shuffled outside again, all the patrons turned to look at him, regarding him as a
disgusting, bothersome fly. My kindness extended to the man as I made it my duty to collect old
clothing which the neighbours in my street wished to discard and I would give it to the old man when
he came into the store. My fellow co-workers questioned my actions and I would just consider it as a
kind deed to an unfortunate human.

On several occasions, when the old man came into the shop, I would notice the owner, Mr Job,
speaking to him harshly and gesticulating wildly, but I never did question his actions for I thought
that Mr Job was plainly scolding the man for always coming into the shop and disturbing the
customers. A week later, Mr Jobs father died and two days after the funeral, when everyone resumed
work, I was, for some strange reason, quite jumpy and nervous. I was also surprised to see that my
friend, the old man, had not been into the coffee shop as yet in order to get his meal. This just added
to my unexplanative anxiety.

Suddenly, the doorbell tinkled dangerously, and as I looked up, my mouth fell open in utter
amazement. The old man was not shuffling, but striding through the door with a well-groomed black
and white ensemble, unlike his shabby coat, his face was well shaven and he looked clean and well-
kept, unlike his former dirty and slimy skin and the

man was wearing a polished pair of black shoes. His sole less sneakers were no longer existent and
his hair was combed properly, unlike the unkempt hairstyles he was accustomed to. The man refused
to make any eye contact with me as he made his way across the room to Mr Jobs office. As he strode,
the click-clacking of his heels was sickeningly annoying and somehow it just added to my fury. The
slamming of the door made me jump right back to reality and as I continued to serve my customers, I
could hear my friends laughing at me. They then explained that the old man, my friend, was Mr
Jobs brother who had just gained a partnership in the coffee shop as well, since their father had
died. I was humiliated and it seemed that the two brothers were spending quite a long time in that
office.

After about an hour or so, my boss, Mr Job, summoned me to his office, and somehow I think I knew
what was about to happen. Mr Job introduced me to his brother, who only nodded and refused to
shake my extended hand. The audacity of the man was quite apparent and he made no attempt to
suppress his feelings. Mr Job explained to me that it was their decision that there were enough
employees to handle the running of the coffee shop and to have me, the recruit, working there, was
causing a tremendous strain on the business. I glanced at the other Mr Job and I saw his sarcastic,
ungrateful grin which he threw in my direction. My mind was suddenly quite distant and as I looked
out the window, I saw how grey the clouds were. Suddenly, I had to face the inevitable. Youre
fired! were Mr Jobs last words. As he said that, the rain started to fall and I knew that the heavens
were crying for me.

That day, I had learnt an important lesson, I must not be so gullible and quick to assist others for
there would be the great possibility that in the end, one can be reproached and fired for doing so. I
rationalised then that it was better late than never to learn such a painful lesson!
 Sample Answer To Summary

Imagine that you are Lizzie. In not more than 120 words, write the letter to the
villagers.

Troy: Lizzie Smith! Dont you know that the students from Guadeloupe arrive on September
20th?

Lizzie: Yes Troy, both the boys and the girls.

Troy: Yes and thats only a month away. We havent found accommodation for them as yet. The
hotel says there wont be any room at that time. As secretary, its your responsibility

Lizzie: I know, I know. Ill arrange for them to stay in private homes. Im sure the villagers wont
mind taking them in for a small charge. Its only for two weeks. Our visitors are booked to
leave on the 30th.

Troy: Not a bad idea. Why dont you write to all the villagers asking them to write to us if they
are interested in putting up these students? I wonder how much theyll charge.

Lizzie: Ill ask them to give their rates. Well have to insist, though, that the villagers who
are interested must be able to speak French. The Guadeloupans speak no English.

Troy: At least not the six who are coming. Should the villagers provide meals?
Lizzie: Breakfast and dinner, except on Sundays when they must include lunch as well.

Troy: I think we should let the villagers know that two club members will want to inspect
homes and chat with the applicants before making the selection.

Lizzie: Agreed. Letters from those who are interested should reach us by August 15th.
Then our members can visit on the 20th.

Troy: After six p.m., I suppose? Should the villagers write to you as secretary?

Lizzie: Right on both counts; Ill tell them to write to:

The Secretary
Old Boys Sports Club
P.O. Box 65
Salmon Village.

Troy: But suppose a villager can put up more than one student?

Lizzie: Then thats just a bigger plus for us!

APPROACH:
(Refer to previous section )

Read (passage) Read the passage to get a general understand of what the author is
trying to convey.
The passage is speaking about students coming in for a visit and the arrangements to
be made. The secretary is obviously the one to make the plans based off of the
discussions between both speakers.

Read (question)-Read the question asked by the examiner so that you have a better
understanding about the information you need to get from the passage.

A letter must be done to villagers to seek their help in accommodation and the letter
must include all the relevant dates and requirements.

Read the passage (2nd time) Read the passage again and highlight the points that
you think are appropriate to use in answering the examiners questions.

Refer to above passage for highlighted points.

Order the points Place the points in order of priority i.e. most important to least
important.

Date of arrival, number of students, length of stay and nationality

Requirements for housing students speaking French, provision of meals
If villager meets requirements then club member will visit home before selection,
give their rates, and villagers are open to housing more than one student
Mention who they should address their letters to.

Begin writing: Ensuring that the information you provide answers the question
asked by the examiner.
LETTERS:
(Types & Structures)
There are different writing styles:
(A) Friendly/ Personal very impersonal i.e. you are very familiar with the person you
are writing to.

(b) Business formal i.e. do not know/acquainted with the person to whom you are
writing.
SAMPLE ANSWER FOR THE ABOVE QUESTION:
*This letter takes the business style as it is a club ascertaining the assistance of others.
P.O. Box 65
Salmon Village
14th February, 2011
The Villagers
Salmon Village
Dear Villagers,
We are seeking your assistance in accommodating six *Guadeloupan students, both male and female,
for two weeks, from the 20th to 30th September.
The conditions for accommodation include the everyday provision of breakfast and dinner, with
lunch included on a Sunday and at least one member of the household should speak French.
If you are able to fulfil these requirements, please send a letter expressing your interest, the number
of students to be accommodated and the suggested rates for accommodation to: The Secretary, Old
Boys Sports Club, P.O. Box 65, Salmon Village, by August 15th. Please note that club members will
visit the homes of interested persons on August 20th , after 6p.m. before selections are made.
We thank you for your assistance and look forward to working with you.

Yours respectfully,
Lizzie Charles
Secretary.