Preliminary for Schools Writing Part 3 Activity – Notes for teachers Description Students look at a Part 3 task and discuss what they have to do. They look at sample answers and consider how well they are written. They discuss what examiners are looking for, which answer is better and why. They then try writing an answer, read another student’s answer and give each other some feedback.

Time required:

60 minutes plus homework

Materials required:

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Activity handouts

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Sample paper Part 3

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Answer sheet

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to introduce Part 3

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to raise awareness of what a good answer is and what examiners are looking for

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to give practice in process writing to produce an answer.

Aims:

Procedure 1. Ask students to think about any longer pieces of writing they sometimes do. Prompt students by asking them if they ever write stories or letters to friends. Have a quick class discussion about types of writing they may do. It will be useful to know if all they ever write is emails, texts and school assignments! 2. Hand out the sample paper Part 3 task and ask students to look at the first set of instructions. Elicit from the class that you don’t have to answer both questions, you can choose between writing an informal letter or a story and you should write about 100 words. 3. Point out that the instructions tell you what to write in the letter, and give you either the title or the first sentence of the story. Allow students a couple of minutes to read through the task then elicit the following points: -

the differences between Part 2 and Part 3: Part 3 is longer, there is a choice of task and the content is much more open

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how to choose which task to answer (letter or story): candidates should choose according to their interest and ideas for the topic and the amount of language they have to write about the topic

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candidates must make sure they answer the task and do not write a ‘pre-learned text’

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as in Part 2, planning your answer and leaving time to check and edit it at the end are essential

4. Hand out the Activity sheet and ask students to read the two sample answers and then work in pairs to answer the questions. 5. Discuss their answers as a class (see key). Then ask them what they think the examiners might be looking for when they mark the answers. The questions on the worksheets provide some hints. Elicit or add to the student ideas so that the following list is on the board: -

Does it have a positive effect on the reader?

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Is everything relevant to the task?

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Does it communicate the ideas successfully?

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Is it well organised and do the sentences/ideas go together well?

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Does it include good everyday vocabulary and structures?

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Are there many errors, and do they make it difficult to read?

Emphasize that it is important for candidates to show ambition, that top marks are given for answers that include a range of language (e.g. structures, tenses, appropriate expressions and different vocabulary) even if there are mistakes. They shouldn’t worry too much about accuracy as this is only a problem if it stops the reader understanding the answer or makes the answer difficult to read. Hand out a copy of the Assessment for Part 3 sheet which shows that accuracy is not the only area that is being tested. 6. Ask students to look at the two answers again, and in pairs to answer the six assessment questions for each answer, then decide which answer they think is better, and why. Whole class feedback (see key). Tell students what marks each candidate received and why (see examiner’s feedback as a guide). N.B. 5 is the top band for this part of the test. 7. Divide the class in half, then divide each half of the class into groups of 3 or 4. Give one half of the class question 7 (the letter) and the other half of the class question 8 (the story). Ask students to brainstorm in their groups ideas for their answers. Allow 5 minutes for this. 8. Keep the groups the same but swap over the questions so each half of the class is now brainstorming ideas for the other question. 9. Ask students to work individually and choose one of the questions. Ask them to write their answer and keep the questions on the Activity sheet in mind while they are writing. Give them 15 minutes to write their answer. 10. Ask students to swap their answer with another student who chose the same question. Explain that it is useful to read other answers and see different ideas and language, and then to re-write or amend their own answer. Ask students to also give some feedback about their partner’s writing, e.g. to think of one thing they think is good and one thing they think needs some more work. If time allows, encourage students to swap answers with a few different students. Introduce or reinforce the idea that writing is a process and improves with re-drafting. © UCLES 2008. This material may be photocopied (without alteration) and distributed for classroom use provided no charge is made. For further information see our Terms and Conditions.

11. Ask students to re-write their answer at home, using an answer sheet. Hand out a copy for each student to take away with them.

Key to Activity sheet (guideline answers) 1. Letter a) Is the letter about the money from the English friend’s grandmother? Yes. b) Does it give clear advice about what to do with the money? Yes, although there is some irrelevance at the start when the candidate repeats the situation rather than offering advice. c) Does the letter have an opening greeting? Yes, although ‘Hellow’ is misspelt. d) Does the letter have a closing phrase? Yes, although not very naturally English ‘Kiss Ana’. e) Is the letter friendly? Yes – ‘Hellow Cris’, ‘That good new’, etc. f)

Is the letter well organised? Yes, it is connected and coherent, and linked with basic cohesive devices.

g) Is the language varied? Not particularly. Everyday vocabulary and simple grammatical forms are used appropriately but ’can’ is repeated several times. h) Can you find some examples of ambitious language? There isn’t much ambitious language – most of the words are quite straightforward for this level. i)

Are there many errors? Do these make the answer difficult to understand? Simple grammatical forms are used with reasonable control. There are several errors, but meaning can still be determined (That good new; you can to buy; make fotos; tell me your decide)

Examiner comments (for step 6) Scales

Mark

Content

4

Communicative Achievement

3

Commentary

Although there is some irrelevance at the start when the candidate repeats the situation rather than offering advice, the task has been addressed. The target reader is, on the whole, informed.

Communicates straightforward ideas in generally appropriate ways. The letter format is attempted, but opening and closing formulae are not entirely appropriate.

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The letter is connected and coherent. Organisation

2

Sentences tend to be short and are connected with a limited number of basic linking words (or; and) and cohesive devices (That good new; With the money). Everyday vocabulary is used appropriately.

Language

3

Simple grammatical forms are used with reasonable control. Several errors are present, but meaning can still be determined (That good new; you can to buy; make fotos; tell me your decide).

2. Story a) Does the story have the correct title? Yes b) Are there around 100 words? There are 159. Advise students that there is no penalty for over or under length, but if they write too much they may include irrelevant content which could have a negative effect on the target reader. (This is not the case here) c) Is the story interesting to read? Why? Yes, you can imagine the situation clearly, and there is a good range of language used so the writing is varied and lively. d) Is the story easy to follow? Why? Yes, because the events are in a logical order, there are linking words/phrases, e.g. ‘when’, ‘while’ ‘suddenly’ and the people are clear and consistent (I, my friends, a policeman, a strange person). Three paragraphs are used. e) Does the story have a clear ending? Yes – ‘That was a lucky escape!’ f)

Can you find some examples of ambitious language? Yes, e.g. ‘some friends who lived in the same street’, ‘a bit scared’, ‘maybe they were checking something’, ‘I had never seen this person before’.

g) Are there many errors? Do these make the answer difficult to understand? There are minimal errors and the story is very easy to understand.. h) Examiner comments (for step 6): Scales

Mark

Content

5

Commentary

The story is clearly connected to the title given. The target reader would be able to follow the storyline easily.

Communicative Achievement

5

The story holds the target reader’s attention and follows the conventions of storytelling with a clear beginning, middle and end.

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Organisation

5

The text is well-organised and coherent with a range of appropriate linking words (when; and; suddenly; so; ) and cohesive devices (some friends who lived in the same street; asking him questions; this person; he got away; That was a lucky escape!). Uses a range of everyday and some less common lexis (weird clothes; got away) appropriately.

Language

5

Uses a range of simple and complex grammatical forms with a good degree of control. Effective use of a good range of narrative tenses (I was playing in the garden ..when a police car arrived; I didn’t know ..why the car had come to our house). Errors are minimal and do not impede communication.

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Key to step 6

Q7 – letter

Q8 – story

Does it have a positive effect on the reader?

The target reader is on the whole informed

Yes, it completely holds the reader’s attention

Is everything relevant to the task?

There is some irrelevance at the start

Yes, it all links very well to the title.

Does it communicate the ideas successfully?

Communicates straightforward ideas generally successfully

Yes, the story builds up and develops with suspense.

Is it well organised and do the sentences/ideas go together well?

Letter is connected and coherent with basic linking

Yes, tenses convey the time sequences very clearly and there is good linking.

Does it include good everyday vocabulary and structures?

Yes, everyday vocabulary and smple structures are used

Yes, there is some good language (see (f) in notes above)

Are there many errors, and do they make it difficult to read?

There are several errors but it’s not difficult to understand.

No, it’s very easy to read and follow the storyline.

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Preliminary for Schools Writing Part 3 Activity Read these sample answers to Part 3 and answer the questions for each one. Discuss with your partner.

1. Letter

Hellow Cris, That good new! Your grandmother is good. With the money you can to buy a camera or may be go holidays. May be you can visit me! You can to save money to, good idea! What your parents think? I think yes camera good idea you can make fotos and send me. Have nice time and tell me your decide what you do. I wait your answer. Kiss Ana

a) Is the letter about the money from the English friend’s grandmother? b) Does it give clear advice about what to do with the money? c) Does the letter have an opening greeting? d) Does the letter have a closing phrase? e) Is the letter friendly? f)

Is the letter well organised?

g) Is the language varied? h) Can you find some examples of ambitious language? i)

Are there many errors? Do these make the answer difficult to understand?

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2. Story

A Lucky Escape When I was young, I saw a lucky escape. I was playing in the garden with my brothers and sisters and some friends who lived in the same street, when a police car arrived. We were a bit scared and didn’t know what to do or why the car had come to our house. Maybe they were checking something or looking for someone. The policeman got out and started speaking to one of my friends, asking him questions. While the policeman was asking questions, I suddenly saw a strange person going out at the back of my neighbour’s house. My neighbour was on holiday, so the house was empty. I had never seen this person before. He had weird clothes on and was looking around and suddenly he started to run. I didn’t know what to do, so I shouted to the police, but the man could run very fast and he got away. That was a lucky escape!

a) Does the story have the correct title? b) Are there around 100 words? c) Is the story interesting to read? Why? d) Is the story easy to follow? Why? e) Does the story have a clear ending? f)

Can you find some examples of ambitious language?

g) Are there many errors? Do these make the answer difficult to understand?

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Assessment for Task 3 -

Does it have a positive effect on the reader?

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Is everything relevant to the task?

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Does it communicate the ideas successfully?

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Is it well organised and do the sentences/ideas go together well?

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Does it include good everyday vocabulary and structures?

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Are there many errors, and do they make it difficult to read?

Q7 – letter Does it have a positive effect on the reader?

Is everything relevant to the task?

Does it communicate the ideas successfully?

Is it well organised and do the sentences/ideas go together well?Are there many errors, and do they make it difficult to read? Does it include good everyday vocabulary and structures?

Are there many errors, and do they make it difficult to read?

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Q8 – story

Sample paper Part 3

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Answer Sheet for Part 3

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