I am hearning that the gce o level eng result is bad for my sch normal acd students. Me aslo a normal acd student i scare i fail my N level eng this year can cannot go up to sec5.. Even if i go up to sec5 i am not sure if i can pass my eng. My english is very bad. can anyone think of ways to help me on my english?
Hi,
You must first help yourself by identifying the root cause(s) for bad english. That, only you know.
Thanks.
Cheers,
Wen Shih
talk more in english, listen to english radios, read more in english, write more in english.
Originally posted by ZaiDancerz:I am hearning that the gce o level eng result is bad for my sch normal acd students. Me aslo a normal acd student i scare i fail my N level eng this year can cannot go up to sec5.. Even if i go up to sec5 i am not sure if i can pass my eng. My english is very bad. can anyone think of ways to help me on my english?
If your concern is with passing decently and not getting distinction... then it is very simple.
Concentrate on your spelling and grammar.
Read what you have written silently in your head. If it does not sound smooth, then it is not ok. Think of another way to express your words again.
Use simple words to ensure that you do not spell wrongly or use a word which you do not really understand.
Distinction in English usually goes to those who write beautiful sentences, have the best choice of words for the scenario, their composition is smooth flowing and pleasing to read.
And I do believe that some people do worse than they could have because they TRIED to be "distinction quality" candidates. They use big words which they misspell, misunderstand, write long long under the misconceived notion that the examiners will be impressed by them. But what actually happen is that they expose all their weaknesses to the examiners instead.
Distinction rate for English at O level is around 20%. So it is highly unlikely for someone weak to "by luck" get a distinction. Hence it is more sensible to concentrate on making sure that you do not mess it up.
Listen to Mikethm, his advice is good.
If you still don't get it, here's something from Toh Piak Choo:"Keep it simple,Stupid! K-I-S-S!"
Originally posted by Y_Shun:talk more in english, listen to english radios, read more in english, write more in english.
Agreed. In addition, be sure to use good English where possible in your everyday life.
That is to say, even on online forums you should take the effort to write good English.
The same goes for SMSes - do not send messages like 'Hi! C U l8er 2nite! ROFLMAO!'
actually it IS POSSIBLE to get distinction for english for o levels.
i dont want to sound like some smartass but i failed english in sec 2 and yet got A1 for o levels.
in fact, i have failed EVERY single higher chinese exam in primary school yet got merit for my psle. my chinese(normal) in sec school sucked a lot too, with my score averaging around c5 or c6 everytime. but for O levels, i got A1, and a distinction for Oral.
my point is that it isn't as hard as you think to score a b3 or distinction for your languages. a key point would be your essays, and that i can give you some tips.
essay writing - trust me, DO NOT write expository essays, write narratives, they help you score better. one way to improve your narratives is to read up on short stories, not those freaking thick twilight/harry potter stuff. briefly memorise the storylines of a few short stories so that you can use them in applicable titles.
eg. A boy sees a grouchy old lady snatch away aluminium can rings from patrons at a hawker centre. You follow the woman, and learn that she is homeless, and is collecting enough can rings to make a wheechair (yes it is possible) for her handicapped son.
the next time you see titles like "Rings", "Cans", "Do not Judge A Book By Its Cover", "An unexpected encounter" etc., you can tweak the storyline and apply it.
besides having a good storyline, you need a wide range of vocabulary as well as a wide range of sentence structures. these two points will help you score well in situational writing too.
i'm not trying to be racist but when you write essays/situational writings, picture an ang moh reading out your sentences. if it doesnt sound right, it means your grammer is wrong. and it somehow helps you craft creative sentences too. try it.
Originally posted by supermango:
my chinese(normal) in sec school sucked a lot too, with my score averaging around c5 or c6 everytime. but for O levels, i got A1, and a distinction for Oral.
wtf...magic!
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