ENGL E102F Wk 13 Sess 2_L02

Writing exam

It lasts for 2 hours and 30 minutes.

There are 4 parts:

• Listening (28 marks): 40 minutes
• Reading (18 marks): 40 minutes
• Academic Communication (9 marks): 10 minutes
• Writing (25 marks): 1 hour

Time management

Writing exam

Part IV: Writing

Answer one of the two questions.

Plan B

• Application Letter
• Academic Essay

Writing exam

Application Letter

The format: include all the items mentioned

• Sender's address: Flat D, 11/F, Block 2, Tai Po Centre, Tai Po, N.T., Hong Kong
• Date (Post Date: 29 April 2020)
• Receiver and Receiver's address
• Salutation: Dear __________

Writing exam

• Subject line
• 1st body paragraph: purpose
• 2nd body paragraph: education and work experience
• 3rd body paragraph: more about work experience and/or hobbies (if they help)
• 4th body paragraph: action paragraph
• complimentary close
• Ending note

Writing exam

Matching job requirements and your employability skills

Examples

Job requirement:

• Good command of written and spoken English , Mandarin preferred

Employability skills:

• English: recipient of an English Language Prize
• English and Mandarin: member of Hong Kong Toastmaster Club

Writing exam

Job requirement:

• Degree holder of social sciences preferred

Education:

• Bachelor of Social Sciences with Honours in Psychology and Mental Health

Writing exam

Responsibilities:

• enhance the children' psychological and social development

Education:

• majoring in Psychology and Mental Health

Writing exam

Culture and core value:

• build a caring, equal and just society

Membership and work experience:

• Member of the Rotary Club of Hong Kong
• work at Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council Limited

• provide humanitarian service
• help build goodwill and peace in the world

Writing exam

Academic writing

Marking criteria:

• Relevance, format and content: 9 marks
• Organization and coherence: 8 marks
• Sentence construction and vocabulary: 8 marks

Writing exam

Relevance, format and content (9 marks)

very good to excellent (7-9)

• Fulfils task requirements comprehensively;
• ideas well-chosen and argued; good sense of audience

average to good (5-6)

• Fulfils task requirements quite well, but some steps in the

argument may be omitted or the ideas left underdeveloped;

• some irrelevant material;
• quite a good sense of audience apparent

Writing exam

poor to fair (3-4)

• Fulfils task requirements in some aspects but not others;
• some irrelevant, omitted or inaccurate data;
• ideas not consistently developed to support the argument;
• sense of audience quite poor

inadequate (1-2)

• Clearly does not fulfil task requirements;
• inclusion of incomplete or irrelevant material;
• poor or no sense of audience

Writing exam

Organization and coherence (8 marks)

very good to excellent (7-8)

• Information presented logically in expected sections;
• ideas well developed and clearly linked;
• transition markers well used;
• paragraph construction very sound

average to good (5-6)

• Organization of information quite good and the argument easily followed by the reader but some ideas may not be fully developed;
• transition markers may be slightly over or under-used;
• paragraph construction sound

Writing exam

poor to fair (3-4)

• Some difficulty in following the argument but a pattern of organization evident despite being poorly done;
• transition markers incorrectly used;
• paragraphs lacking clear focus

inadequate (1-2)

• The argument presented causes strain on reader comprehension through lack of a clear pattern of organization;
• little or no attempt to order content in a logical way;
• no or incorrect use of transition markers;
• poor paragraph construction

Writing exam

Sentence construction and vocabulary (8 marks)

very good to excellent (7–8)

• Very effective use of a wide variety of sentence types and lengths;
• very few grammatical errors; good vocabulary;
• tone and style completely appropriate

average to good (5–6)

• Effective use of a variety of sentence types;
• limited number of grammatical errors, but these do not hinder

comprehension;

• vocabulary generally correct although there may be a few inappropriate choices;
• tone and style not consistently appropriate

Writing exam

poor to fair (3-4)

• Variety of sentence types limited but mostly correct;
• sentences may be short and express mostly single ideas;
• some grammatical errors, occasionally intrusive;
• lack of variety of vocabulary;
• some attempt to convey the appropriate tone and style but is inconsistent

inadequate (1-2)

• Sentence variety very limited and consists mostly of short, simple sentences;
• grammatical errors widespread, causing considerable strain for the reader;
• vocabulary very limited and clearly inadequate to express the writer’s intended meanings;
• tone and style inappropriate

Writing exam

Argumentative Essay: structure

• state your position
• explain and elaborate your ideas with support
• present the opposing views
• rebut them

Writing exam

Pay attention to:

• word limits: do not exceed 10% of it
• checking the estimated number of words
• mind your handwriting
• TIME MANAGEMENT

Oral practice

Two parts:

• Presentation on two views
• Interview

Oral practice

Structure of your presentation:

• start with the topic
• a brief summary of the two views
• which view you support and justification

• time allocation
• do not just repeat what have been given
• provide your own ideas

Oral practice

Potential interview topics:

Plastic surgery: the broad term for beauty and for reconstruction

schools focusing on providing technique for public exams

• Climate change and global warming
• Cosmetic surgery
• Cram school
• Culture and traditions
• Domestic helpers
• Domestic violence

Oral practice

Potential interview topics:

• Equal opportunities
• Food safety
• Free education
• Free healthcare
• Genetically modified food
• Human / Animal rights

foods produced from organisms that have had changes introduced into their DNA using the methods of genetic engineering

Oral practice

Potential interview topics:

• Mental wellbeing
• Monster parents
• Obesity
• Online privacy
• Overpopulation
• Pollution

Oral practice

Potential interview topics:

• Property prices
• E-learning
• Teenage problems
• Urban renewal and heritage preservation
• Use of technology
• Voluntary work
• Work-life balance

What about the topics I have prepared for your practice?