FOR PPD KERAMAT ENGLISH TEACHERS

WRITING SPM 1119/2

11 SEPTEMBER 2021
(SATURDAY)
8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
 SPM Writing Test Overview
• The Writing test constitutes 25% of overall
grade
• Three sections aimed at the A2/B2 CEFR range
increase in level through the test.
• Word limits in place for each test part.
• The duration of the test is 90 minutes.
• 60 marks are available in the test (across three
tasks, all using a five-band scale).
• Candidates write their answers on the question
paper.
 Overview of Writing Test tasks
Part 1 (Compulsory task)
Candidates have to write an email to a friend in about 80
words
Part 2 (Compulsory task)
Candidates have to write an essay in about 150 words
Part 3 (Candidates have a choice of task)
This part has three questions or tasks to choose from.
The tasks types may include an article, a review, a
report or a story and candidates have to choose one.
They have to write about 250 words.
SPM Writing Test Format (Part 1)
Part Task Number Task Format Relevance to curriculum (examples)
Type of Items
1 Informal 1 item Write an 4.1.2: Make and respond to simple requests
message (20 email to a and suggestions
marks) friend in 4.1.2: Explain simple processes
about 80
4.1.3: Narrate factual and imagined events
words
and experiences
4.1.4: Express and respond to opinions and
common feelings such as happiness, sadness,
surprise, and interest
4.2.1: Punctuate written work with moderate
accuracy
4.2.2: Spell written work with moderate
accuracy
4.2.4: Begin to use formal and informal
registers appropriate to the target audience in
familiar situations
 Part 1 – Example task
You received an email from your new friend, Amy who
has just moved to your hometown.

Hi, The school holiday is finally here! Let’s go for a picnic

with our friends. Where shall we go and what can we do
there? What should we bring?
I’ll be waiting for your reply.
Bye!

Now write an email to your friend in about 80 words.

Write your answer below.
 SPM Writing Test Format (Part 2)
Part Task Type Number Task Relevance to curriculum (examples)
of Items Format

Guided 4.1.2: Explain advantages and disadvantages of (i)

2 Formal 1 (20 writing ideas (ii) plans or (iii) arrangements
text marks) (essay) in 4.1.3: Explain the main points for and against an
about 125- idea or argument
150 words 4.1.4: Express and respond to real or imagined
opinions and feelings
4.1.5: Organise, sequence and develop ideas within
a text of several paragraphs on familiar topics and
some unfamiliar topics
4.2.1: Punctuate written work on a range of text
types with reasonable accuracy
4.2.2: Spell written work on a range of text types
with reasonable accuracy
4.2.4: Use formal and informal registers appropriate
to the target audience in most familiar and some
unfamiliar situations
 Part 2 – Example task
You must answer this question. Write your answer in 125 – 150
words in an appropriate style.

Question 2
Your class has been discussing how they spend their money and your
teacher has asked you to write an essay about what you would spend
your money on.
In your essay, you should write about:
• what you would like to buy
• reasons for your choice
• where do you usually buy these things

Write your essay using all the notes and giving reasons for your point
of view.
SPM Writing Test Format (Part 3)
Part Task Type Number of Task Format Relevance to curriculum (examples)
Items
3 Extended 1 (20 marks) An extended 4.1.2: Explain advantages and
writing text (200- disadvantages of (i) ideas (ii) plans or (iii)
250 words). arrangements
There are 3 4.1.3: Explain the main points for and
tasks and against an idea or argument
candidates 4.1.4: Express and respond to real or
choose one. imagined opinions and feelings
Tasks may 4.1.5: Organise, sequence and develop
include, an ideas within a text of several paragraphs
article, a on familiar topics and some unfamiliar
review, a topics
report or a 4.2.1: Punctuate written work on a range
story. of text types with reasonable accuracy
4.2.2: Spell written work on a range of text
types with reasonable accuracy
4.2.4: Use formal and informal registers
appropriate to the target audience in most
familiar and some unfamiliar situations
 Part 3 – Example task (Article)
You see this notice on the board outside the school library

Articles wanted!
My School Canteen

• What other types of food would you like to be served?

• What special facilities should your canteen have?
• How can you improve your canteen?

Write us an article answering these questions.

The best article will be displayed on the school magazine.
Write your article.
 Part 3 – Example task (Review)
You recently saw this notice in a magazine.

Reviews required!
Have you watched any interesting movies lately? Send us
your movie review.
• Say what you enjoyed about the movie.
• Would you recommend the movie to your friends?
Why?

The best reviews will be published in our newsletter.

Write your review.

 Part 3 – Example task (Story)
Your teacher has asked you to write a story for a school
magazine. The story must have the title:
A Dream Comes True

Your story should include:

• a description of the dream
• how the dream is achieved

Write your story.

 Part 3 – Example task (Report)
Your teacher has asked you to write a report for your
club’s recent activity.

In your report, you should include:

• when and where the activity was held
• what you did during the activity
• what can be done to improve the activity

Write your report.

 The level of the SPM Writing Test
• The Writing test primarily targets CEFR B1-B2
with the highest results reported at C1.
• Part 1 is marked at the A2/B1 level. Part 2 is
marked at the B1-B2 level and part 3 is marked at
the B2/C1 level.
• The assessment scales -- there is a separate scale
for each part of the test
• The exam is criterion referenced (i.e. to the CEFR)
• In line with the positive ‘can do’ ethos of the
CEFR, the descriptors aim to describe
communicative ability rather than inability
 Assessment Scales
• The SPM test uses three assessment scales,
one for each part of the writing test.
• They all assess four writing skills:
• Content = C (the overall task fulfilment)
• Communicative Achievement = CA,
• Organisation = O
• Language = L
•
 Assessment Scales
• There is some overlap within the scales,
i.e. the highest marks in part 1 (5555) are
equivalent to the middle marks in part 2
(3333), indicating a solid B1 level. (IWE
page 17)
• The Content mark reflects how well the
task has been achieved and is the same
across the levels.
OVERLAP OF SCALES
 Part 1 Assessment Scale
Extract of score 5
Communicative
Scale Content Organization Language
Achievement

Uses basic vocabulary

All content is Produces a text that appropriately.
relevant to the communicates
Uses simple
task. straight forward Uses simple grammatical
connectors and a
ideas using the forms with a good degree
5 limited number of
Target reader is conventions of the of control.
cohesive devices
fully informed. communicative task
appropriately.
reasonably While errors are
appropriately. noticeable, meaning can
still be determined.
SOME EXPLANATIONS OF THE DESCRIPTORS
SOME EXPLANATIONS OF THE DESCRIPTORS
 Part 1 Assessment Scale
Extract of score 3
Communicative
Scale Content Organization Language
Achievement

Minor
irrelevances Uses basic vocabulary
and/or appropriately.
omissions may
Produces a text that Text is connected
be present. Uses simple grammatical
communicates using basic high
3 forms with some degree of
Simple ideas in frequency
Target reader is control.
simple ways connectors
on the whole
informed. Errors may impede
meaning at times
SOME EXPLANATIONS OF THE DESCRIPTORS
SOME EXPLANATIONS OF THE DESCRIPTORS
SOME EXPLANATIONS OF THE DESCRIPTORS
 Part 2 Assessment Scale
Extract of score 5
Communicative
Scale Content Organization Language
Achievement
Uses a range of everyday
vocabulary with
occasional inappropriate
Uses the
use of less common
All content is conventions of the
lexis.
relevant to the communicative
Text is generally
task. task to hold the
well-organised and Uses a range of simple
target reader’s
5 coherent, using a and some complex
Target reader is attention and
variety of cohesive grammatical forms with
fully informed. communicate
devices . a good degree of
straightforward
control.
ideas
appropriately.
Errors do not impede
communication.
 Part 3 Assessment Scale
Extract of score 5
Communicative
Scale Content Organization Language
Achievement

Uses a range of
Uses the vocabulary, including
All content is conventions of the less common lexis
Text is generally
relevant to the communicative appropriately.
well-organised and
task. task effectively to
coherent, using a
hold the target Uses a range of simple
5 variety of cohesive
Target reader is reader’s attention and some complex
devices with
fully informed. and communicate grammatical forms with
generally good
with ease, fulfilling control and flexibility.
effect.
all communicative
purposes. Occasional errors and
slips may be present
LENGTH / LIFTING
 MARKING ASPECTS
• ensure that the target reader is completely informed in that
Content all of the relevant points asked of you are in your piece of
writing and that there is nothing irrelevant to the points
C asked in the question

a mix of three things:

Communicative • the correct text type (genre)/ must be written with the
CA Achievement correct register and must be laid out, accordingly
• the intelligence of the ideas and
• how clearly the ideas are explained.

• ensure that your writing includes cohesive devices such as

Organisation transitions as these words help the reader to follow the
O ideas in your piece of writing, which in turn helps with the
readability of your writing task.
• Well planned/ organised, well paragraphed
• demonstrate a high level of simple and complex grammar
L Language structures in your writing tasks, which must be done
accurately
• Use less common lexis
 SOME TOOLS TO HELP YOU WRITE

• https://dictionary.cambridge.org/
• https://www.thesaurus.com/
• http://englishprofile.org/wordlists/text-inspector
• https://www.grammarly.com/
 Part 1 – Example task
You received an email from your new friend, Amy who
has just moved to your hometown.

Hi, The school holiday is finally here! Let’s go for a picnic

with our friends. Where shall we go and what can we do
there? What should we bring?
I’ll be waiting for your reply.
Bye!

Now write an email to your friend in about 80 words.

Write your answer below.
READING THE QUESTION: PART 1
REMEMBER THE F.A.C.T.S:
• FORMAT – GENRE
• AUDIENCE – ADDRESSE
• CONTENTS – MAIN IDEAS
• TASK/TENSE – PURPOSE
• SUBJECT MATTER - CONTEXT
UNDERSTANDING THE QUESTION
REMEMBER THE F.A.C.T.S:
• FORMAT – Email
• AUDIENCE – Amy (Friend – Informal)
• CONTENTS – Where shall we go/ What
we can do/ what should we bring
• TASK/TENSE– To suggest (4.1.2)/ Present
• SUBJECT MATTER - Picnic
 EMAIL
Email noun (also e-mail)
UK /ˈiː.meɪl/ US /ˈiː.meɪl/

A1 [ U ]
the system for using computers to send messages over the internet:
You can contact us by email or fax.
What's your email address?

A1 [ C ]
a message or document sent using this system:
I got an email from Danielle last week.
 STEPS IN WRITING AN ESSAY

1.ORGANISE / OUTLINE
2.WRITE
3.EDIT
PLANNING YOUR RESPONSE
GR123C
Script 1 : part 1
 Script 1:Part 1
To: [email protected]
Subject: Picnic
Hi Amy (G/OF),
I am so glad that you have brought this up as I had nothing
planned for the holidays (R / IS). I am totally excited and I know
just the place for our picnic. It will be at Central Park (C1/T1) just
beside East Road. We could also play ball there (C2/T2) as the park
is huge. Don’t forget to bring an extra matt (C3/T3) to place our
foods on just in case I lost mine. Don’t worry about supplies, I can
handle them, though you could bring some snacks (C3/T3) if you
would like too. The more, the better. I was also thinking that we
could have Jack and David come (C3/T3). It will be more fun with
them around. Alright, do update me if something comes up. Bye!
(C/ CF) (122 words)
 BASICALLY, YOUR EMAIL SHOULD HAVE
1. OPENING FORMULA
2. INTRODUCTORY SENTENCE(S)
3. TASK 1 + ELABORATION
4. TASK 2 + ELABORATION
5. TASK 3 + ELABORATION
6. CLOSING FORMULA
 •LET’S
PRACTISE
 PART 1: E-mail
You received an email from your friend, Atiya, asking for your opinion.
Hi Nisa,
You know your niece Maira is taking SPM this year. I’m
thinking of buying her a mathematics reference book. Which
book should I buy? Where can I get the book and how much
does it cost?
Bye for now!

Now write an email to your friend in about 80 words. Write your

answer below.
 STEPS IN WRITING AN ESSAY

O.W.E
1.ORGANISE / OUTLINE
2.WRITE
3.EDIT
 READING THE QUESTION: PART 1

REMEMBER THE F.A.C.T.S:

• FORMAT – GENRE
• AUDIENCE – ADDRESSE
• CONTENTS – MAIN IDEAS
• TASK/TENSE – PURPOSE
• SUBJECT MATTER - CONTEXT
 UNDERSTANDING THE QUESTION

REMEMBER THE F.A.C.T.S:

• FORMAT – Email
• AUDIENCE – Atiya (sister – Informal)
• CONTENTS – Which book to buy/ Where to get it/ how
much does it cost
• TASK/TENSE – To suggest (4.1.2)/ To inform (Present)
• SUBJECT MATTER – Buying a book
 LET’S WRITE USING THE T.A.D METHOD
STEP TRANSITION ACTION DETAIL(S)
G/OF

R/IS

T1+E

T2+E

T3+E

C/CF
 Some Support You might Need
GREET RESPOND/ INTRODUCTORY COHESIVE DEVICES CONCLUDING FORMULA
FORMULA
Hi Atiya, I’m glad to hear from you. First of all, I hope to hear from
you soon.
Hello Ameer, Thanks for writing to me. Next/ Then/ Besides
Please do keep in
touch.
To Aslam, I received your email And/ but/ or/ yet/ So
yesterday. I’ll be waiting for your
Dear Anisa, Lastly/ Finally reply.
Write back soon.
Looking forward to
your next email.
 Some WORDS You might Need
ADJECTIVES NOUNS VERBS ADVERBS

POPULAR BOOKSTORE BUY/ PURCHASE USUALLY

WELL-KNOWN BOOKSHOP GET NORMALLY
ONLINE SHOPPING ORDER SURELY
DISCOUNT COST DEFINITELY
PUBLISHER(S) IS PRICED AT
PUBLICATION(S) IS PUBLISHED BY
AUTHOR
 LET’S WRITE USING THE T.A.D METHOD
STEP TRANSITION ACTION DETAIL(S)
G/OF Hi Atiya,

R/IS First of all, thanks for writing to me. I’ll be glad to help you.

T1+E I think you should buy the book In fact, it’s very popular among
published by Sasbadi students and teachers.
publications.
T2+E I’m sure you can get it at most but I prefer to buy online at Shoppe.
book stores
T3+E The book costs around RM15. If you go to MPH bookstore in
Seremban, you’ll get a 10% discount.
C/CF I’ll be waiting for your next email. Bye.
 FINAL VERSION

Hi Atiya,
First of all, thanks for writing to me. I’ll be glad to help
you. I think you should buy the book published by
Sasbadi publications. In fact, it’s very popular among
students and teachers. I’m sure you can get it at most
book stores but I prefer to buy online at Shoppe. The
book costs around RM15. If you go to MPH bookstore
in Seremban, you’ll get a 10% discount. I’ll be waiting
for your next email. Bye.
(78 words)
 EDIT YOUR ESSAY PART 1
CONTENT COMMUNICATIVE ORGANISATION LANGUAGE
ACHIEVEMENT
• DID YOU USE ALL THE • DID YOU USE THE • DID YOU USE • DID YOU USE BASIC
CONTENT POINTS? CORRECT GENRE/ CONNECTORS/ EVERY DAY
FORM OF TEXT? CONJUNCTIONS VOCABULARY
• IS THE TARGET APPROPRIATELY? APPROPRIATELY?
READER FULLY • DID YOU USE THE
INFORMED? RIGHT TONE AND • DID YOU USE • DID YOU USE SIMPLE
REGISTER? TRANSITION WORDS/ AND COMPOUND
PHRASES? SENTENCES WITH A
• DID YOU WRITE GOOD DEGREE OF
STRAIGHT FORWARD • DID YOU WRITE CONTROL?
IDEAS? USING THE CORRECT
TENSE THROUGHOUT
THE ESSAY
 Part 2 – Example task
You must answer this question. Write your answer in 125 – 150 words in an
appropriate style.

Question 2

Your class has been discussing how they spend their money and your teacher has
asked you to write an essay about what you would spend your money on.

In your essay, you should write about:

• what you would like to buy
• reasons for your choice
• where do you usually buy these things

Write your essay using all the notes and giving reasons for your point of view.
READING THE QUESTION: PART 2
REMEMBER THE F.A.C.T.S:
• FORMAT – GENRE
• AUDIENCE – WHO WILL READ IT
• CONTENTS – MAIN IDEAS
• TASK – PURPOSE
• SUBJECT MATTER - CONTEXT
UNDERSTANDING THE QUESTION
REMEMBER THE F.A.C.T.S:
• FORMAT – Essay
• AUDIENCE – Teacher/Schoolmates
• CONTENTS – What to buy/ Reasons for
buying/ where to buy
• TASK – To inform/explain (4.1.2/4.1.3)
• SUBJECT MATTER – Buying an item
 ESSAY
Essay noun [ C ] UK
UK /ˈes.eɪ/ US /ˈes.eɪ/
(US paper)
B1
a short piece of writing on a particular subject,
especially one done by students as part of the
work for a course:
For homework I want you to write an essay on endangered species.
Mr Jones thought my history essay was terrific
PART 2 - KELANTAN
ANSWERING TEMPLATE (I CE123 C)
 Script2: Part2
We all need money in order to buy something that we like. Nothing is free in this
world. Therefore, when we have money, we need to use it wisely. If it is spend on
the things that we don’t need, we will waste our money. There are a lot of good
and worthy things you can buy. For example, food, clothes and books.
As for me, if I have money, I would like to buy a guitar. An acoustic guitar has
been in my wishlist since I started watching song covers on Youtube. I have been
dreaming on playing it but I haven’t had enough money to purchase it.
The reasons why I want to buy a guitar is because I love music.I know how to play
the piano before but I want to learn something new. It would be amazing if I get to
play more than one instrument. Moreover, I want to learn how to play the guitar
by myself. I can do that by watching tutorials on Youtube. In that way, I do not have
to waste money on guitar lessons.
I usually buy my instruments at this music shop called ‘Yamaha’. They have good
quality instruments so their price is expensive. However, it is worth it because it’s
better than low quality instruments.
In a nutshell, I would spend my money on guitar because that is what I need to
play a new instrument. They said money can’t buy happiness but it can surely help
me achieve my goals.
 Script2: Part2

Nothing is free in this world. Therefore, when we have money, we

need to use it wisely. We should spend on the things that we need
only.
As for me, if I have money, I would like to buy a guitar. An acoustic
guitar has been in my wishlist. I’ve been dreaming on playing it but I
haven’t had enough money to get it.
The reasons why I want to buy a guitar is because I love music. It
would be amazing if I get to play the guitar. Moreover, I can learn how
to play the guitar by watching videos on Youtube.
In fact, I usually buy my instruments at this music shop called
‘Yamaha’. They have good quality instruments so their price is
expensive. I usually spend around RM300 there.
In a nutshell, I will spend my money on a guitar because it will make
me happy. Maybe, I can be a singer – who knows?
 BASICALLY, YOUR ESSAY SHOULD HAVE

1. OPENING PARAGRAPH/
INTRODUCTION
2. TASK 1 + ELABORATION
3. TASK 2 + ELABORATION
4. TASK 3 + ELABORATION
5. CLOSING PARAGRAPH/ CONCLUSION
PART 2
 READING THE QUESTION: PART 2

REMEMBER THE F.A.C.T.S:

• FORMAT (GENRE)
• AUDIENCE (WHO WILL READ IT)
• CONTENTS (MAIN IDEAS)
• TASK (PURPOSE)
• SUBJECT MATTER (CONTEXT)
 READING THE QUESTION: PART 2

REMEMBER THE F.A.C.T.S:

• FORMAT (GENRE) - Essay
• AUDIENCE (WHO WILL READ IT) – teacher/
classmates
• CONTENTS (MAIN IDEAS) – where to go/ reasons
for choosing the destination/ how long to stay
• TASK (PURPOSE) – to share info. / to suggest
• SUBJECT MATTER (CONTEXT) – holiday
destination
PART 2 - KELANTAN
 ANSWERING TEMPLATE (I CE123 C)

FORMULA/ SENTENCES/ PARAGRAPH COHESIVE

OUTLINE DEVICE

INTRODUCTION My English teacher has asked me to write an essay about a

holiday destination that I would like to go to with my family.
CONTENT #1 + • where you would like to go Firstly,
ELABORATION
Obviously,
CONTENT # 2 + • reasons for choosing that destination Next,
ELABORATION
As for the
reasons,

CONTENT # 3 + • how long you would like to stay there How long would I
ELABORATION
stay there?

CONCLUSION I hope that one day, my family and I will get to go to Finally,
__________. I am sure we will enjoy ourselves during our Lastly,
To sum up
stay there.
TRANSITION-ACTION-DETAILS
 PLANNING USING THE T.A.D METHOD

STEP TRANSITION ACTION DETAIL(S)

OPENING
PARAGRAPH

TASK 1 +
ELABORATION

TASK 2 +
ELABORATION

TASK 3 +
ELABORATION

CONCLUDING
PARAGRAPH
 PLANNING USING THE T.A.D METHOD
STEP TRANSITION ACTION DETAIL(S)
OPENING My English teacher has asked me to write an essay about a holiday
PARAGRAPH destination that I would like to go to with my family.

TASK 1 + Firstly, where you would like to

ELABORATION Obviously, go

TASK 2 + Next, reasons for choosing that

ELABORATION As for the reasons destination

TASK 3 + How long would I stay how long you would like
ELABORATION there? to stay there

CONCLUDING Finally, I hope that one day, my family and I will get to go to
PARAGRAPH Lastly, __________. I am sure we will enjoy ourselves
To sum up during our stay there.
 WRITING INTRODUCTION
•2 BASIC WAYS:
1. YOUR WRITE YOUR OWN, ORIGINAL,
INTERESTING OPENING PARAGRAPH – 2 TO 3
SENTENCES THAT ‘HOOK’ THE READER
2. USE THE MODELING METHOD – STICK TO THE
RUBRIC AND JUST CHANGE AND ADD SOME
RELEVANT INFORMATION
 WRITING INTRODUCTION: ORIGINAL

Going for a holiday is one of my

favourite activities. In fact,
Malaysia has a lot of interesting
and fascinating places to visit. So,
where would be the best holiday
destination for me and my family?
 WRITING INTRODUCTION: MODELLING METHOD

•Your class has been Our class, 5 UKM,

discussing the places discussed places to go
to go for a family trip for a family trip last
and your teacher has week. You asked us to
asked you to write an
essay about a holiday write an essay about a
destination that you holiday destination that
would like to go to we would like to go
with your family. with our family.
 WRITING THE BODY # PARAGRAPH 2

COHESIVE SENTENCE(S)
DEVICE
Firstly, I would like to go to ……… / TOPIC
Obviously, SENTENCE
Definitely, I would choose ………………..
……………..…..would be my choice

• Why? SUPPORTING
DETAILS
• What is so special about the
place?
• What can you do there?
In short, It’s a place to die for./ I’ll be very ENDING
To sum up,
happy there.
 WRITING THE BODY # PARAGRAPH 3

COHESIVE SENTENCE(S)
DEVICE
Next, I prefer to be there because ……….. TOPIC
SENTENCE
I choose ………….. because of ………….
(give at least 2 reasons)

Why? Elaborate SUPPORTING

DETAILS
What else? Elaborate

Clearly, The place has everything to make ENDING

Indeed, the holiday a memorable
Without a
experience.
doubt
 WRITING THE BODY # PARAGRAPH 4

COHESIVE SENTENCE(S)
DEVICE
How long Given a chance, I would probably TOPIC
should I stay stay there for ………………….. SENTENCE

there?

Why? SUPPORTING
DETAILS

Certainly, ENDING
I hope to create beautiful
Naturally, memories with my family.
 WRITING CONCLUDING SENTENCE
OF YOUR PARAGRAPH:

• the last sentence in the

paragraph.
• usually restates/ reinforces the
topic sentence in different words
or summarizes the main points
of the paragraph.
• Ties everything together
 WRITING CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH:

• To sum up, I hope that one

day, my family and I will get
to go to __________. I am
sure we will enjoy ourselves
during our stay there. How
would you feel if your dream
vacation comes true?
 EDIT YOUR ESSAY PART 2
CONTENT COMMUNICATIVE ORGANISATION LANGUAGE
ACHIEVEMENT
• DID YOU USE ALL THE • DID YOU USE THE • DID YOU USE • DID YOU USE A
CONTENT POINTS? CORRECT GENRE/ PARAGRAPHS AND RANGE OF
FORM OF TEXT? ARE THEY WELL- EVERYDAY
• IS THE TARGET • DID YOU WRITE PLANNED? VOCABULARY WITH
READER FULLY STRAIGHT FORWARD • DID YOU USE ANY OCCASIONAL
INFORMED? IDEAS CONNECTORS/ INAPPROPRIATE USE
APPROPRIATELY? CONJUNCTIONS? OF LESS COMMON
• DID YOU ELABORATE • DID YOU USE ANY LEXIS?
TO HOLD YOUR TRANSITION
READER’S INTEREST? WORDS/ PHRASES? • DID YOU USE SIMPLE,
• DID YOU WRITE COMPOUND AND
• DID YOU USE THE USING THE CORRECT COMPLEX SENTENCES
RIGHT TONE? TENSE THROUGHOUT WITH A GOOD
THE ESSAY DEGREE OF
CONTROL?
 WHAT IS A PARAGRAPH?

A paragraph is a group of sentences

organized around a central topic. In fact,
the cardinal rule of paragraph writing is to
focus on one idea. A good paragraph takes
its readers on a clear path, without detours.
 PARAGRAPH PATTERN/ FORMULA

A paragraph is a group of sentences about the

same topic or main idea. • This main idea is
expressed through 3 sections of a paragraph:
1. Beginning - Introduce your idea with a topic
sentence.
2. Middle - Explain your idea with details and
supporting evidence.
3. End - Make your point again and or transition to
next paragraph with a closing sentence.
 HOW TO WRITE A PARAGRAPH

•A basic paragraph structure usually

consists of five sentences: the topic
sentence, three supporting sentences,
and a concluding sentence. But the
secrets to paragraph writing lay in four
essential elements
 TOPIC SENTENCE

•Normally, the statement is the first

sentence in a paragraph. • It introduces
the main idea (subject) of the
paragraph. • It indicates to or tells the
reader what your paragraph will be
about.
•It should NOT be too broad or too
narrow.
 TOPIC SENTENCE

•The topic sentence contains the

central idea around which a
paragraph is developed. A good one
has the following six characteristics:
 TOPIC SENTENCE

1. It introduces the topic of a paragraph without

announcing it.
2. It hooks the reader.
3. It plants questions in the readers' mind.
4. It uses thought-provoking words.
5. It is usually the first sentence; however, it can
occur anywhere in the paragraph or it can be
implied.
6. It provides a transition from the previous
paragraph.
EXAMPLE OF A TOPIC SENTENCE

Sunday is my favourite day.

SUBJECT WHAT IT WILL

BE ABOUT
 SUPPORTING/ DETAIL SENTENCE

• are used to develop the topic sentence.

• they give more information about the
topic sentence.
• Supporting sentences can give facts,
statistics, details or examples,
anecdotes and quotes.
EXAMPLE OF SUPPORTING DETAIL SENTENCES

Sunday is my favourite day.

I spend the day watching football with my dad.
My dad spends the whole day with me watching
football on TV. We even eat lunch together while
watching TV. The highlight of the day is watching
the Liverpool game. Dad and I get so excited, we
yell and cheer together.
 TIPS FOR WRITING A GOOD PARAGRAPH

USE CONNECTORS OR TRANSITIONS WORDS FOR COHERENCE

• TO INTRODUCE ADDITIONAL IDEAS - In addition/ Moreover / Furthermore
• TO INTRODUCE EXAMPLES – For example/ For instance/ Namely
• TO EXPRESS CONTRAST – In contrast/ However/ On the other hand
• TO LIST IN ORDER – First and foremost/ First/ Second/ Finally/ Lastly
• TO INTRODUCE CHOICE/ ALTERNATIVE – Otherwise/ if/ or/ unless
• TO INTRODUCE A STATEMENT – In fact/ As a matter of fact/ In deed/ That is
• TO SUMMARISE – In brief/ In short/ In summary/ All in all/ In a nutshell/ Overall
• TO EXPRESS CAUSE – for/ because/ since/ as/ because of/ due to/owing to
• TO INTRODUCE A RESULT – As a result/ Accordingly/ Therefore/ Hence/ Thus
 Paragraph Without transition words

•Cell phones have changed our family

communication for the worse. Parents
complain about their teenagers spending too
much time on their phones. Teenagers are
annoyed that they can't get the attention of
their parents, who are always working or
shopping on their phones. We need to make
some changes.
 Paragraph With transition words

• Generally speaking, cell phones have

changed our family communication for the
worse. Obviously, parents complain about
their teenagers spending too much time on
their phones. Moreover, teenagers are
annoyed that they can't get the attention of
their parents, who are always working or
shopping on their phones. Unquestionably, we
need to make some changes.
 TIPS FOR WRITING A GOOD PARAGRAPH

CHOOSE ENGAGING WORDS TO START A PARAGRAPH

1. Starting With Adverbs
2. Using Words That Aren’t ‘However’
Here are a few substitutes: Nevertheless, Nonetheless,
Alternatively, Conversely, That said, Despite this
3. Relying On Dependent Clauses
There are plenty of words used to start these clauses,
including: While, As, As far as, In so much, When
4. Use transition words or linking words
 CONCLUDING SENTENCE

• the last sentence in the paragraph.

• usually restates/ reinforces the topic
sentence in different words or
summarizes the main points of the
paragraph.
• Ties everything together
 EXAMPLE OF A CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH

Topic Sentence:
There are several serious health hazards directly linked to
smoking.

Concluding sentence:
Clearly, smoking is a dangerous habit and should be
avoided.
 EXAMPLE OF A PARAGRAPH

Sunday is my favourite day because I spend the day

watching football with my dad. On Sunday, unlike
the other days of the week when he works, my dad
spends the whole day with me watching football on
TV. We even eat lunch together while watching TV.
The highlight of the day is watching the Liverpool
game. Dad and I get so excited, we yell and cheer
together. On Sundays, I get to combine watching my
favourite sport and spending time with my mentor —
what a great day!
 EXAMPLE OF A PARAGRAPH

The Internet has become really important for three main

reasons. First, it enables people to access more information than
ever before. That is, people can read books, newspapers or magazines
online and for free. Second, thanks to the Internet, people can
communicate with others in every part of the world via social
networking websites like Facebook, WhatsApp, WeChat, Twitter,
Skype, Viber, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Reddit, etc. Third, the Internet is a
perfect tool to study and get certificates from well-known top
universities. In other words, now more than ever, anyone can do free
online courses in a variety of subjects. In short, the Internet is,
beyond doubt, an essential and valuable tool nowadays.
 Part 3 – Example task (Article)
You see this notice on the board outside the school library

Articles wanted!
My School Canteen

• What other types of food would you like to be served?

• What special facilities should your canteen have?
• How can you improve your canteen?

Write us an article answering these questions.

The best article will be displayed on the school magazine.
Write your article.
 ARTICLE
noun [ C ]
UK /ˈɑː.tɪ.kəl/ US /ˈɑːr.t̬ɪ.kəl/
article noun [C] (NEWSPAPER)

B1
a piece of writing on a particular subject in a
newspaper or magazine, or on the internet:
There was an interesting article on vegetarianism in the paper yesterday.
 SCRIPT 3: PART 3 (ARTICLE) CONTENT: types of food to be served, special
My School Canteen facilities, how to improve canteen
by Sabrina

The school canteen is a place where every student gather to buy

their food during recess time to fill their empty stomachs after hours
of learning in their classrooms. Therefore, it is important to provide a
quality canteen at the school premise. The question is how to provide
a high quality canteen?

Firstly, I would like to start with the food. The school canteen
should serve a well balanced meal for the students. This is because
students need to maintain a healthy diet. If the canteen serves junk
food such as fries, hotdogs and burgers, students will make it a habit
to eat junk food everyday at school. Junk food should be banned.
 SCRIPT 3: PART 3 (ARTICLE)

Secondly, the school canteen should have separated sections for

each form. For example, the form 5 students can eat at their own
section. This way, the canteen will be less chaotic and more organized.
No food or drinks will be spilled and the canteen will remain clean. In
short, everyone can enjoy their break peacefully and comfortably
Lastly, the canteen can be improved by providing meals in trays and
students should bring their own containers to put their food instead of
using plastic. By doing this, we can reduce the usage of plastic and we
can teach students the importance of it. If they are unable to finish their
food, they can bring their food home using the container. So, no food
will be wasted.
All of the above are my suggestions on how the school canteen
should be in our school. I hope the canteen operator will upgrade it to
meet our needs. Every student deserves the best services the canteen
can offer.
(277 words)
 Part 3 – Example task (Review)
You recently saw this notice in a magazine.

Reviews required!
Have you watched any interesting movies lately? Send us
your movie review.
• Say what you enjoyed about the movie.
• Would you recommend the movie to your friends?
Why?

The best reviews will be published in our newsletter.

Write your review.

 REVIEW
review verb (BOOK/FILM)

B2 [ T ]
If critics review a book, play, film, etc. they write their
opinion of it:
I only go to see films that are reviewed favourably.
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases.
 Part 3 – Example task (Report)
Your teacher has asked you to write a report for your
club’s recent activity.

In your report, you should include:

• when and where the activity was held
• what you did during the activity
• what can be done to improve the activity

Write your report.

 REPORT
noun [ C ]
UK /rɪˈpɔːt/ US /rɪˈpɔːrt/
report noun [C] (DESCRIPTION)

A2
(also school report); (US also report card)
a teacher's written statement to parents about a child's ability and performance at school

B1

a description of an event or situation:

a news/weather report
a company's financial/annual report
I gave/made/submitted a report of the theft to the insurance company.
She sent in weekly reports on the situation.
 WHAT WOULD BE IN A REPORT
CANDIDATES ARE EXPECTED TO:
• KNOW WHO IS GOING TO READ IT
•WHAT TO INCLUDE IN THE REPORT

FOR EXAMPLE:
•GIVE SOME FACTUAL INFORMATION
•MAKE SUGGESTIONS/
RECOMMENDATIONS
 PART 3: STORY

•Your teacher has asked you to write a story for

your school magazine. The story must have the
title:
• An unforgettable incident
•Your story should include:
•• a description of the incident
•• why it is unforgettable
•Write your story.
 STORY
noun [ C ]
UK /ˈstɔː.ri/ US /ˈstɔːr.i/
story noun [C] (DESCRIPTION)
A2
a description, either true or imagined, of a connected
series of events:
Will you read/tell me a story, daddy?
Martha chose her favourite book of bedtime stories.
He writes children's stories.
 Beginning
◼ Inthe beginning of your story, you should introduce
your characters.
◼ The reader should also know about the world your
characters live in (the setting) and the something
about each of the characters in your story.
◼ The beginning of your story is also the place where
your plot (the problem) is first introduced.
 Middle
Your story needs to build to something exciting, the climax.
Write about a simple conflict, a task that must be completed, a
question that must be answered, or a barrier that must be
overcome.
Climax

Rising Action
Resolution

Beginning
 Middle
◼ Include

◼ Actions

◼ Dialogue

◼ SensoryDetails
◼ Thoughts and Feelings

◼ Suspense (Remember to build to a climax.)

 The End

This is the big finish. The end

should reveal how you overcame
your problem. All conflicts are
resolved and everything goes back
to normal.
 OUTLINING YOUR STORY

◼ DIVIDE YOUR PLOT INTO THREE PARTS

1. A SET UP (THE INTRODUCTION) –hook the
readers and make them read the rest of your essay
2. THE MAIN PART AND A CLIMAX (BODY) –
allocate the major points and describe each of them
briefly in the body
3. A THRILLING ENDING (CONCLUSION) – end up
your story with an unpredictable twist and a delightful
punch line
 PLANNING A STORY
PARAGRAPH SENTENCES/ SPECIFICATIONS COHESIVE DEVICES

INTRODUCTION SETTING OF PLACE, TIME Once upon a time,

In the beginning
INTRODUCE CHARACTER(S)
BODY # 1 INTRODUCE THE CONFLICT/ PROBLEM One day,
(BEGINNING OF STORY)
BODY # 2 DESCRIBE SOME ACTIONS TOWARDS Next,
After that,
SOLVING THE PROBLEM
BODY # 3 DESCRIBE/ EXPLAIN THE CLIMAX/ HOW Finally,
THE PROBLEM IS FINALLY SOLVED
CONCLUSION DESCRIBE WHAT HAPPENS AFTER/ THE In the end,
RESOLUTION (DON’T FORGET TO
MENTION WHY IT IS UNFORGETTABLE)
 HOW TO BEGIN YOUR STORY
• When you start a story, if the first sentence isn’t given to you, you can use
phrases like these:

• It all began…
• When I first…
• At the beginning…
• It was a hot/cold summer/winter day.

• Just to be clear, these are only some simple examples which you can use, as
there is no right or wrong way to start a story. That’s the beauty of it!
 TIME PHRASES

•When writing a story, you need to pay

careful attention to the time over
which the story develops. In order
to define the order of the events
in the story, we must use time
expressions or time phrases.
 TIME PHRASES (COHESIVE DEVICES)
• Then • ____ minutes later
• After that • a moment later
• Not long afterwards • Later (that morning/ day
• As soon as • Just then
• While • Some time later
• Meanwhile • A little later
• As
 CREATING SUSPENSE
•When writing a story, the aim is not to
inform or to convey information; the real
purpose is to entertain the reader, just
like when you read a novel you expect to
be entertained. For this reason, a story
should aim to do so: entertain. And a cool
way to entertain is to create suspense.
 CREATING SUSPENSE
• Suddenly • Out of the blue
• All of a sudden • Out of nowhere
• Without warning • Right away
• Just at that moment Straight away
•

• Unexpectedly
 USE DIRECT SPEECH

• In every story there are characters and they

usually interact with each other, so it is
always good if you know how to use direct
speech, that is, reproduce the words the
characters actually say or think. The tricky bit
about this is the punctuation and the verbs to
choose, because it’s good to use some verbs
other than “say”.
 USE DIRECT SPEECH

• “ I’m coming with you,” she said.

• She said, “I’m coming with you.”
• “Do you like it?” he asked.
• “Don’t do it!” he screamed.
• “ Watch out!” she shouted.
 CONCLUDING/ FINISHING YOUR STORY
• This paragraph, the resolution, should be separated from the rest, and it’s
a good idea to start it with one of the following expressions:
• In the end
• Finally
• When it was all over
• Eventually
• After everything that happened
• Luckily
 VERB TENSES
• One of the reasons why stories are particularly challenging
for students is that they tend to take place in the past,
which makes it necessary to use a range of past tenses
appropriately. The main three past tenses you should
really try to use are the following:
• Past simple (verb + ed / irregular form)
• Past continuous ( was/were verb + ing
• Past perfect (had verb + ed/en / irregular form)
 VERB TENSES
• Past simple and continuous:
It was midnight and I was trying to sleep.
• Past perfect and simple:
I had completely forgotten (that) it was my birthday.
• Past simple:
This time I picked up the phone quickly and shouted,
“Hello!”
 VERB TENSES
Please avoid a simple succession of past simple
tenses alone, like:

• I woke up and got out of bed. Then, I went to the

kitchen and made some coffee.
It’s not wrong, but it’s just not good enough for a
story.
 PART 3: STORY

•Your teacher has asked you to write a story for

your school magazine. The story must have the
title:
• An unforgettable incident
•Your story should include:
•• a description of the incident
•• why it is unforgettable
•Write your story.
 PLANNING A STORY: An unforgettable incident
TRANSITION ACTION DETAILS
After class, I wanted to eat pizza There were many customers.
for lunch with my We had to queue.
friend. My stomach was rumbling.
Finally, I was my turn to order Earlier, I saw there was the last piece of
pepperoni pizza.
I was excited.
Quickly, I ordered the last slice. Thanked God I got it.
However, it slipped out of my plate.
I was embarrassed.
Suddenly, Everybody in the café The server made a joke.
laughed. I saw best friend laughed too.
Then, I laughed with them
In the end, We turned an I would never forget this incident.
embarrassing moment I learned an interesting lesson
to a happy one.
 AN UNFORGETTABLE INCIDENT
Yesterday, I learned that laughter cures most problems, even an embarrassing
one.. An incident that I would never forget happened when I wanted to buy my
lunch at a pizza café.
“Stay in line,” Mrs. Martin said. I knew right away that my friend Naomi
wouldn’t be able to cut the queue. I looked at Naomi and frowned. Soon, the line
began to move faster, and I followed along hoping that there would still be pizza. I
could hear the rumbling of my very disappointed stomach..
Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw one last piece of pepperoni pizza. I
got so excited. “Pepperoni pizza,” I said politely. Mrs. Martin handed me the pizza. I
took the paper plate so quickly that the pizza slid off the plate. I tried to save it, but
the pizza landed in the pan of hot buttery mashed potatoes.
I could feel my face turning redder and redder. All I could hear was laughter
from the kids in line. As I looked at the upside-down pizza, I heard Mrs. Martin’s
voice. “Maria, would you like a side of mashed potatoes with your pizza?” I looked
up and saw Naomi. She was laughing too. With a nervous smile, I replied, “Of
course.” Mrs. Martin smiled and scooped the mash potatoes pizza on my plate. I
looked around at my friends, and we all laughed again.
To my surprise, the laughing made me feel good instead of just clumsy. This
would be in my mind for quite some time. (256 words)
 EDIT YOUR ESSAY PART 3
CONTENT COMMUNICATIVE ORGANISATION LANGUAGE
ACHIEVEMENT
• DID YOU USE ALL THE • DID YOU USE THE • DID YOU USE • DID YOU USE A
CONTENT POINTS? CORRECT GENRE/ PARAGRAPHS AND RANGE OF
FORM OF TEXT? ARE THEY WELL- VOCABULARY
• IS THE TARGET PLANNED? INCLUDING LESS
READER FULLY • DID YOU WRITE • DID YOU USE ANY COMMON LEXIS
INFORMED? STRAIGHT FORWARD CONJUNCTIONS? APPROPRIATELY?
IDEAS? • DID YOU USE ANY
• DID YOU ELABORATE TRANSITION WORDS • DID YOU USE SIMPLE,
TO HOLD YOUR WITH GENERALLY COMPOUND AND
READER’S INTEREST? GOODEFFECT? COMPLEX SENTENCES
• DID YOU WRITE WITH CONTROL?
• DID YOU USE THE USING THE CORRECT
RIGHT TONE? TENSE THROUGHOUT
THE ESSAY
NOW, LET’S WRITE A STORY

•ANY STORY