English First Additional Language at Grade 12 level
By the time you reach Grade 12 you should have mastered most of the
skills to express yourself in English. It has more than likely been very
hard for you. The good news is that you have a whole year to keep on
practising and getting better. Remember that the more you practise, the
better you will become.
We hope that you will use this Study Guide to revise and improve your
English in all the skills areas – Listening and Speaking, Reading and
Viewing, Writing and Presenting and of course, Language Structures and
Conventions. In the final section of this Study Guide you will find some
complete examination papers to help you check that you are on top of
everything.
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Assessment in Grade 12
Assessment in Grade 12 works slightly differently than in Grades 10 and
11. The big difference is that most of the marks you achieve at the end
of the year come from the final examinations set by the Department of
Education. These papers are marked by external markers who do not know
you. It is up to you to make sure that you practise presenting your exam
scripts neatly, competently and correctly. Your teachers at school will
make sure that you have enough practice throughout the year.
It is a good idea to decide beforehand what percentage you would like to
achieve at the end of the year. Make sure that you achieve this mark for
each of your tasks. The tables below illustrate how your marks are
calculated each term.
Term 1
FAT 1
FAT 2
FAT 3
FAT 4
Listening Comprehension (p.35)
Discursive essay (p.55)
Longer Transactional Piece:
Information report (p. 29)
Language in context (p. 61)
20
50
30
40
Raw total
Term 1:
14
0
Convert
to:
100
Raw total
Term 2:
32
3
Convert
to:
100
Raw total
Term 3:
60
Convert
to:
100
Term 2
FAT 5
FAT 6
FAT 7
FAT 8
Prepared reading (p. 79)
Give a prepared speech (p.
104)
Literature contextual
questions (p. 113)
Mid-year examinations (p.
126)
20
20
33
25
0
Term 3
FAT 9
FAT
10
Shorter transactional piece
(p. 161)
Language test (p. 202)
20
40
Term 4
Promotion mark
SBA mark (Tasks 2, 3,4,7,8,9
and 10)
Oral Mark (Tasks 1, 5 and 6)
%
25
12
.5
Raw total:
63
5
50
Convert
to:
100
50
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Paper 1 (Language)
20
Paper 2 (Setwork)
17
.5
25
Paper 3 (Writing)
80
External
exam
External
exam
External
exam
70
100
TOTAL
PROMOTION %
400
100
As you can see, most of the Formal Assessment Tasks form part of your
end-of-year mark. For this reason your tasks are kept in a portfolio.
The Department of Education sends examiners to moderate the marks so
make sure that your portfolio is always neat and up to date.
Special examiners are sent to schools to moderate the oral marks. They
do this by selecting a number of learners to present their orals. Make
sure that you perform at your best when you are asked to present an
oral. Remember to keep all your notes and cue cards. You never know if
you are selected.
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Exam papers in Grade 12
The tables below summarise what you can expect in exam papers. Paper 4
refers to the oral tasks that your teacher will complete during the
year.
PAPER 1: LANGUAGE IN CONTEXT
2 hours
Marks: 80
Section A: Comprehension (30 marks)
Section B: Summary (10 marks)
Section C: Language (40 marks)
PAPER 2: LITERATURE
2 hours
Marks: 70
You will be examined on two works studied in class.
PAPER 3: WRITING
2½ hours
Marks: 100
A: Essay – One essay (50 marks)
B: One text – Longer Transactional text (30 marks)
C: One text – Shorter Transactional text (20 marks)
PAPER 4: ORALS
Reading Prepared reading (20 marks)
Speaking: Prepared speech (20 marks)
Listening (10 marks)
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SECTION 1: Listening and Speaking
Overview
Listening and Speaking is one of the easiest and most enjoyable ways of
improving your English. You have acquired a number of Listening and
Speaking skills throughout the FET phase and by now you should be able
to use these skills with ease.

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You listen to teachers explaining work.
You discuss important and interesting points with your fellow
learners.
You debate topics about which you feel passionately.
You listen for specific information to learn something new.
You discuss whether something you read or hear is appropriate.
You listen to texts being read or watch films to appreciate the
beauty of the language.
You listen to and talk to friends and family.
You use language cleverly to create a good impression.
During your Grade 12 your ability to use your Listening and Speaking
skills will be evaluated by your teacher and an external examiner. You
will be asked to showcase these skills by presenting a prepared speech,
completing a listening comprehension and one of the following: prepared
reading, unprepared speech or take part in an informal group discussion.
As you work through the material in your Learner’s Book become aware of
new words you learn in reading texts and use them the next time you have
a conversation in English. Take part in class discussion. Read
newspapers or watch the news on TV and bring interesting news stories to
class. Listen to English wherever it is spoken so that you can learn how
to speak better.
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Unit 1: Listening Skills
There is a difference between simply hearing words and really listening
to what is said or read. Listening is a process that happens in three
steps:
STEP 1: Be prepared to listen
1.Make sure that you know why it is necessary to listen carefully. Your
teacher may be explaining new work, you may be taking part in a class
debate and have to respond to what a speaker has said, you may be
listening to a friend with a serious problem or you may be taking a
Listening Comprehension test.
2.Prepare to listen by taking out a note book and a pencil or by sitting
up straight so that you can pay attention to what is being said or
read.
3.Listen for new words and expressions so that you continue learning to
use English effectively.
STEP 2: Know how to respond
1.If you are listening for specific information you have to select the
information you need and take notes and summarise the main points. You
may find it easier to draw a mind map or diagram.
2.If you are listening critically you have to pay careful attention to
the way in which things are said. Is the speaker being rude,
prejudiced, biased or racist? Is the speaker stating facts or
manipulating the truth to make you change your mind?
3.If you are taking part in a conversation you must know how to respond
to questions and the way the speaker is using body language.
4.If you are listening to a poem or text for appreciation you must
become aware of how words are being used to create an impression.
Listen to the rhyme and rhythm of the words and figures of speech.
STEP 3: React to what has been said or read
1.If you have completed a Listening Comprehension you have to write down
the answers.
2.If you have listened to a lesson about new work it is a good idea to
make notes.
3.If you are taking part in a conversation you have to know how to
respond to what the other speaker has said.
Practise the listening process throughout the year. The more you
practise – the easier it will become.
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Unit 2: Informal speaking skills
Informal speaking refers to general conversations you have with friends,
group discussions in which you share ideas and formal conversations you
have with a teacher or an examiner. Informal speaking also refers to
unprepared reading.
There are ample opportunities in the Learner Book for you to practise
informal speaking skills. Use the checklist below to make sure that you
have mastered the necessary skills.
o I know how
o I know how
topics.
o I know how
o I know how
o I know how
o I know how
o I know how
o I know how
o I know how
o I know how
o I know how
o I know how
to start a conversation.
to keep a conversation flowing and talk about a number of
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
encourage another speaker to talk.
share ideas.
share my experiences.
explain myself.
justify my opinions.
negotiate ideas and decisions.
lead a group if necessary.
put the needs of a group before my own needs.
read body language and to respond appropriately.
indicate that I am interested in what others are saying.
Remember to use polite language in all conversations so that people feel
comfortable talking to you. Refer to the list below if you are confused.
Do you mind if I …?
Excuse me, could I ...?
Excuse me, do you know ...?
I apologise for …
I beg your pardon, could you
help me?
I beg your pardon.
I regret……
I’m sorry for….
Is it all right if ...?
May I …?
Pardon me
Please forgive me for …
Please let/permit/allow me to
…
Sorry, do you think I could
...?
Would it be ok if …?
Would it be possible for me …?
Would you agree to …?
Refer to pages 64 and 79 in the Learner’s Book for excellent notes on
reading aloud.
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Unit 3: Formal speaking skills
Formal speaking implies that you have prepared to speak in front of a
group by planning what you want to say, doing careful research and going
to trouble to present yourself in a professional manner.
Remember that the examiner moderating your school’s orals will be
listening to the prepared speeches of the selected pupils. Follow the
guidelines below to ensure that you are well-prepared and make a good
impression.
Doing research and planning
 Find at least three sources from which you want to do research.
 Know what kind of information you are looking for and make notes as
you go along.
 Make a good impression by referring to facts and by quoting important
people.
 Plan the content of your speech by having a good introduction and a
memorable ending.
 If possible, make posters or charts to keep the audience interested.
 Always use formal language in a formal speech.
Presenting your speech
 Prepare and practise before your presentation. Make sure that you
speak audibly and in a friendly tone.
 Pace yourself. Offer important points slowly, and speed up when you
are giving examples.
 Pause. Give your audience time to think about your important points.
 Pay attention to your posture. Stand up straight, shoulders back, feet
slightly apart so that you are comfortable, and don’t sway. Don’t put
your hands in your pockets.
 Use gestures and facial expressions naturally.
 Make eye contact with your audience. It shows you are confident, and
it makes it easier to convince them of your point of view.
 Use cue cards to remember the main points of your speech. Write only
the key words on your cue cards so that you do not read your oral.
Different kinds of prepared speeches
There are a number of different ways in which prepared speaking can be
tested. Study the table below carefully. Make sure that you know how to
perform the skills referred to.
Prepared
speech
A prepared speech gives you the opportunity to
share information, persuade an audience or to
explain a personal point of view. In order to do
well in a prepared speech you must:
 conduct research
 organise your material well
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Unprepared
speech
Prepared
reading
aloud
Interview
Panel
Discussion
 develop ideas carefully
 use formal language
 ask rhetorical questions
 use appropriate body language
 include visual aids in your presentation.
 use rhetorical questions, pauses and repetition.
You will be given a few minutes to prepare the
speech. You will not have time to do any research
and will have to present the content of your speech
logically. In order to do well in an unprepared
speech you must:
 plan a clever and interesting introduction
 make contact with the audience so that they pay
attention to what you are saying
 use language correctly and accurately.
Choose your text carefully. Try to read something
that will be interesting for others to hear.
 Make sure you understand the meaning of all the
words.
 Make sure you understand what the text is about.
You may have to answer questions on it.
 Make eye contact with your audience.
 Use your voice effectively.
 Read slowly and carefully so that the audience
understands what you are reading.
 Pronounce your words correctly.
 Use hand gestures when it is appropriate to do
so.
 Stand up tall, feet a little apart when you read.
This confident posture will help you to read
aloud easily.
 Remember to look up from the text and to make eye
contact with the audience.
Interviews are conducted to get specific
information from the interviewee.
 Plan and prepare for interview by doing research
about the people who are going to interview you.
 Listen carefully to the questions being asked and
think about the kind of information you are
required to give.
Refer to Unit 7 in the Learner Book for more
information about interviews.
Different opinions and ideas are shared in a panel
discussion. Remember the important points that
follow.
 Do not become personal or aggressive.
Participants are allowed to have different points
of view.
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 Allow other participants to take part.
A debate is a structured argument about a topic.
The aim of each speaker is to convince the audience
to share the same point of view. When taking part
in a debate remember to:
 listen carefully to what the opponents are saying
 formulate an argument to counterattack what a
speaker has said
 be forceful but not aggressive.
Giving
When you give directions, you are explaining to
directions
someone how to get from one place to another.
 Think carefully before you speak. Go over the
route carefully in your mind.
 Refer to the specific direction and use words
like left, right, straight ahead.
 Include landmarks that someone will easily
recognize.
 Include distances e.g.: about 100 metres, for six
blocks.
 Use the imperative form (commands).
 Speak slowly.
 Repeat any steps in the directions that your
listener is unsure of.
Instructions We give instructions so that someone can complete a
task.
 List all the things that are needed.
 Get all the steps in the right order.
 Speak slowly.
 Be precise and use the appropriate vocabulary and
technical language.
 Use words like first, second, next, then to
sequence the instructions logically.
 Include all necessary details, but don’t add in
too much or you will confuse your listener.
 Remember to check that your listener understands.
Repeat any instruction that your listener is
unsure of.
Introducing
This is a short speech in which you introduce a
a speaker
speaker to the audience.
 Do research about the speaker so that you know
who he/she is.
 Ask the speaker if there is something he/she
would like included in the speech.
 Use formal language.
 Present the speaker as somebody the audience
would like to listen to.
Refer to pages 66 and 105 in the Learner Book.
Debate
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Offering a
vote of
thanks
A vote of thanks is a formal speech in which you
thank a speaker for addressing an audience.
 Listen carefully to the speech so that you can
refer to a few points in your vote of thanks.
 Thank the speaker for sharing his/her ideas with
the audience.
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Unit 4: How is Listening and Speaking assessed?
Reading: Prepared reading
This is for 20 marks.
Your
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
teacher will assess you according to:
your understanding of the text
how you convey meaning using your voice
how well you read (your reading skills)
how you use gestures, body language and facial expression
how you answer questions on what you read
how effectively you interpret the text
your choice of text
how well you prepared for the reading
how much audience eye contact you make.
Speaking: Prepared speech
This is for 20 marks.
Your teacher will assess:
 the quality of your research skills
 how well you planned and organized your speech and your
presentation skills
o your use of voice and tone
o your use of gestures, body language and facial expression
o your awareness of and contact with your audience
 your use of language
 your choice, design and use of audio and/or audio-visual aids.
Listening
This is for 10 marks.
Your

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
teacher will assess:
your comprehension of the text
your evaluation of the content
the way in which you have answered questions.
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Opportunities to practise Listening and Speaking
1. Listen to a radio or TV news broadcast and take down the main
points. If possible, record the news broadcast so that you can
compare your notes to the full broadcast, or listen to the next
broadcast and see if you got all the important points. (Listen for
information.)
2. Your favourite sports star has come to talk at your school.
Introduce him/her to the audience. (Introduce someone.)
3. Listen to a radio talk show with a friend. Listen carefully for the
speakers’ points of view. Take down notes. Compare notes with your
friend. Were you able to identify the speakers’ opinions? (Listen
for opinion.)
4. Imagine that you have been asked to talk to the Grade 9s about how
wonderful literature is. Select a favourite literary text (it can
be a poem, a novel, a short story or a play that you have read) and
tell them what you think of it and why. (Give opinion on a literary
text.)
5. Choose a photograph or an advertisement from a magazine. Write a
short speech in which you say whether you like the photograph or
the advertisement or not, and why. (Give opinions.)
6. Listen to a popular song with a friend. Talk to your friend about
it. Do you like it? What appeals to you about the song? Or why
don’t you like it? Do you find it meaningful to you? (Give
opinions.)
7. Share a joke and a cartoon with a group of friends.
8. Hold a formal discussion with a group of friends on one of the
following topics:
a. Did Ancient Aliens build the pyramids?
b. Are we looking after the environment well enough?
c. Teenage alcohol abuse
9. Prepare and present a debate on the following topics with some
friends:
a. Should young adults vote in general elections?
b. Is it necessary to further your studies after
matric?
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c. Boarding schools are good for learners with social behaviour
problems.
10.
Give instructions to a learner in Grade 8 on how to get from
one end of the school building to the other.
11.
Give your Matric Dance partner directions to get to your
house.
12.
Prepare and present a formal speech on one of these following
topics:
a. The school day should be shorter.
b. South Africa has the potential to be a great country.
c. The lessons I learnt from Nelson Mandela.
13.
Select a passage from a book or magazine or from a newspaper
article and read it aloud to an audience (your family, social or
church group).
14.
Read the text below carefully and then explain to a friend
how to wear high heels.
The right way to wear high heels
Believe it or not, walking in heels is a learned skill – and you actually need to train
your foot in order to avoid pain.
Hollywood stars and supermodels make walking in high heels look easy. They float along
gracefully looking tall and elegant. But high heels can actually make any flat-footed woman
look like royalty if she knows how to walk in them. It's a learned skill and that's why woman
worldwide attend courses to find out how to do it right.
"What looks elegant is also healthy," said Edeltraud Breitenberger, a high heel trainer in
Munich. She works with women who wish to "emphasize their femininity, feel comfortable
walking in high heels and want to avoid hurting themselves."
How to choose your heels
We're not talking about the colour or pattern of the shoe here. Take a good look at the
structure of your heels.
On women's shoes, the base of the high heel should curve gently downwards from the sole
so that it is directly under the middle of the heel. If the heel is too far back, it's almost
impossible to walk with a rolling motion, and it is bad for posture.
By definition any heel more than 10 centimetres is a high heel. Shoes with 14-centimetre
heels or higher are considered a fetish. That's why all shoes on sale in regular shoe stores
stop at 13.5-centimetres heels, said Breitenberger, who warns women against heels higher
than 10 centimetres.
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"You don't need height to be elegant," said the expert. "In my opinion no woman should walk
on heels more than 10 centimetres on a sustained basis."
One rule of thumb is that the smaller the woman's foot, the smaller the heel should be.
Training your toes
The course begins with a foot massage and toe training.
"The big toe is the boss of the high heels," said Breitenberger, who is also an adviser to
tango dancers. If the toe is strong, it holds the weight.
Breitenberger advises women who are already good at walking in high heels not to wear
them daily. It's better to alternate wearing different shoes.
Orthopedic doctors warn against regularly wearing shoes with more than a 3-centimetre
heel.
How often should you wear high heels?
"A woman who regularly wears high heels – more than three times in a week for the entire
day – will have problems," says Renee Andrea Fuhrmann, head doctor at a podiatry clinic in
Germany. Heels that high and higher change the way a woman walks, she adds.
Ten per cent of Fuhrmann's patients come to her with problems resulting from years of
walking in high heels. Many complain about splayed feet, bunions or hammer toes. High
heels only make these deformities worse in feet that already are predisposed to them.
High heels can also cause problems in a woman's calves, knees and back. The knee stays
slightly bent when a woman walks in high heels and the pressure on the knee cap increases.
The wear and tear can even require treatment from a specialist.
"Wearing high heels over a long period of time can lead to back pain," said Fuhrmann.
Can you still walk in flats?
The Achilles tendon and the calf muscles get shorter when a woman wears high heels over
a long period and this causes something called Cinderella syndrome, in which it hurts to
walk in shoes that don't have high heels.
"I have many patients who say they can no longer walk in a flat shoe," said Fuhrmann.
Therefore, exercises to stretch the Achilles tendon and calf are very important.
A typical patient in the clinic is a 40- to 50-year-old woman who has worn high heels for
years. They usually don't want to stop wearing them. There could be fewer cases in the
future because younger women are being more sensible about the footwear they select.
Fuhrmann said the tendency is towards more comfortable shoes.
However, the trade industry association that represents shoemakers and leather workers in
Germany says the trend is actually the opposite.
"The high heel trend is currently very pronounced among young women," said Claudia
Schultz, a spokeswoman for the association. "They again have the desire to dress
femininely."
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SECTION 2: Reading and Viewing
Overview
Reading and Viewing is a life skill. If you think about it you read
every moment of every day: you read the title of your favourite film,
you read the lyrics of your favourite song, you read the instructions
for using your cell phone. Reading is everywhere! The reading skills you
learn at school help you to figure out the meaning of the texts you read
and how to use this information.
Reading happens in three steps.
STEP 1: Get a general idea of the text
1.You skim a text by looking at the heading, captions and illustrations
to get a general idea of what it is about.
2.You skim a text to see what kind of text it is: newspaper article,
instructions, recipe, cartoon, advertisement etc.
3.You scan a text looking for words, phrases or the names of people or
places that you recognise.
STEP 2: Read the text to understand it
1.During this step you have to make sure that you understand every word.
If you are writing an exam you use your knowledge of grammar to infer
the meaning.
2.You learn how to recognise the features of different kinds of texts
and how writers use language to create meaning.
3.You also learn how to identify figurative language and how writers use
word images to guide your reaction to a text.
4.As you read the text you will get an idea of why the text has been
written.
5.As your reading skills improve you will be able to distinguish between
main ideas and supporting ideas, facts and opinions.
STEP 3: React to the text
1.You read texts for different reasons. As a student of English you will
read texts to answer comprehension questions, write summaries or solve
language puzzles.
2.Because you are in the final phase of learning English you will also
learn how to evaluate a text. This means that you will be able to
recognise the attitude of the writer, comment on whether you agree
with the writer and respond to the text emotionally.
You will be exposed to different kinds of texts so that you can practise
the reading process. Each text type teaches you a different step in the
process.
Literary texts refer to novels, short stories, plays, poetry
and film study. Non-literary texts refer to practically
everything else.
 informative texts like newspaper articles, magazines,
editorials, speeches, among others
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

visual texts like graphs, diagrams, photographs, films, cartoons,
comic strips, illustrations, and advertisements etc.
computer technology texts like emails, SMS texts and twitter
messages (tweets).
In this Study Guide we will give you additional tools to approach the
different text types. You will also learn that different kinds of
questions require different kinds of answers.
 Knowledge questions test your ability to respond to the text’s literal
meaning. These questions usually ask that you look for the facts:
What happens…?
Who told….?
Summarise the events ….
 Comprehension questions test your ability to work out what is
happening in the text.
Explain in your own words...
 Application questions test how well you can apply what you have learnt
in other skills areas to the text you are reading.
Explain the metaphor in these lines...
Do you think the writer is being biased…?
 Analysis questions require that you think about what you have read.
You may be asked to give your own opinion and/or criticise what has
been written.
How was this similar to …?
How was this different to …?
Why do you think …..?
 Synthesis questions require that you take information from different
texts and come to your own conclusion.
How are Texts 1 and Texts 2 similar?
Do the writers of Text 1 and Text 2 feel the same way about …?
 Evaluation questions ask that you respond to a text on a personal
level and say whether you agree or disagree, approve or disapprove.
Do you agree with …?
Can you think of a better way to…?
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Unit 1: Literary texts
When we study literature, we study four major genres:
1. poems
2. short stories
3. novels
4. drama (plays).
When we talk
refer to the
words listed
referring to
or write about literature we have to use certain words to
features of the text. Make sure that you know what the
below mean. Make sure that you use these words when
a literary work.
alliteration:
Alliteration is the repetition of consonants for
sound effect.
Examples: Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever
dared to dream before (Edgar Allan Poe, poet);
Solly sold sea-shells surreptitiously.
anti-climax:
A situation or event that is less exciting because
it happens after something that was much better.
In literature study, anti–climax suggests that the
expectations built up by the writer are
deliberately disappointed.
antithesis:
Antithesis is the bringing together of two very
different things to emphasise the contrast between
them. It is important that there is a balance
between the two parts.
Example: Alexander Pope, a poet, said ‘To err is
human, to forgive, divine.’ (To err means to make
a mistake.) Martin Luther King Jr said, ‘We must
learn to live together as brothers or perish
together as fools.’
assonance:
Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds for
sound effect.
Examples: ‘Rage, rage against the dying of the
light’ (Dylan Thomas, poet); We walked round and
round in the out-of-bounds.
character:
We call the ‘people’ in novels, plays or short
stories characters.
characterisation: This is the process through which we learn about
characters in novels, plays or short stories. We
learn about the characters through what they say,
what they do and what other people say about them.
We also get an impression of the character by
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climax:
observing how he/she dresses and interacts with
others. Whether we like a character or not often
depends on the narrator.
The most exciting, effective or important part of
a story, which usually comes near the end.
conflict:
The struggle that arises between characters,
between characters and their circumstances or from
opposing desires or values.
contrast:
When there is a marked difference between two
elements in a text.
denouement
(resolution):
dramatic irony:
When
play
When
that
real
euphemism:
Euphemism is used when a writer wants to write
about something unpleasant or socially
unacceptable in a more pleasant or less direct
way.
Examples: Pregnant women used to be described as
being in an ‘interesting condition.’ Soldiers who
are accidentally shot to death by their own forces
are said to have been killed by ‘friendly fire.’
The word ‘died’ in an obituary is often is
replaced by ‘passed on’ or ‘met her maker’.
hyperbole:
Hyperbole is an extreme exaggeration for effect.
Examples: Someone who has missed one meal says, ‘I
am starving.’ Someone who is feeling hot says, “I
am dying from this heat.’
imagery:
A writer will use imagery – pictures made up of
words – to create the ideas and feelings he or she
wants to convey in a poem or other piece of
writing. The more vivid or alive the image, the
more powerful the writing is for the reader.
Writers use rhetorical devices or figures of
speech to create these images.
The reason why a poet or writer wrote a piece.
intention:
irony:
a problem or difficult situation in a story,
or novel is solved.
the people watching a play know something
the characters do not, and can understand the
importance or meaning of what is happening.
Irony occurs when the writer says one thing but
means the opposite. This draws attention to the
point the writer wants to make.
Examples: Someone who is sending Mxit messages
types, ‘I think Mxit is a big waste of time!’
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metaphor:
Metaphors are comparisons between two different
things that share a common feature. However, the
one thing is said to be the other, rather than
like the other.
Example: He was a shadow of his former self. (He
is frail and weak compared with how he used to
be.)
narrator:
The narrator is the story-teller. Stories can be
told from different points of view.
First Person narrator: The story is told by the
main character and the reader only learns how the
events affect him or her.
Third person narrator: The story is told by one of
the characters in the story. This character does
not have to be directly affected by the action.
The Omniscient (all-knowing) narrator: The story
is told by an outsider. The narrator tells us what
is happening, and can also say what the characters
are thinking.
Onomatopoeia is the use of words that sound like
the things they name or like the sound these
things make.
Examples: sizzle, buzz, crunch, drip
onomatopoeia:
oxymoron:
An oxymoron is created by putting two words that
mean the opposite next to each other to show the
contrast.
Examples: ill health; clearly confused; working
holiday; alone together
personification:
Personification is the treatment of inanimate
objects or animals as if they were human.
Example: The thunder roared like an angry man and
the rising hungry river sucked at the canoe.
plot:
The plot is the action of the story – what
happens, when and to whom.
The plot is often divided into four parts:
 introduction: we are introduced to the
characters and setting
 rising action: we are introduced to the main
action or event of the novel, play or short
story
 the climax: this is the peak of the action when
the conflict between characters reaches breaking
point
 falling-action: this is the part after the story
in which things are resolved in one way or
another, and the story comes to an end.
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pun:
A play on words, e.g. Seven days without water
makes a person weak.
refrain:
A part of a song or poem that is repeated,
especially at the end of each verse.
A regular and repeated pattern of sounds, e.g. of
strongly and weakly stressed syllables.
rhyme:
rhythm:
sarcasm:
setting:
The beat or rhythm in a line of poetry created by
the length and sound of the words.
Speaking or writing using expressions which
clearly mean the opposite of what is felt in order
to be unkind or offensive in an amusing way, e.g.
saying to someone who has arrived at a meeting
very late, So good of you to come.
The setting is where the events in a novel, play
or short story take place. It is both the physical
(real or imaginary) place as well as the time in
which the events happen. The setting almost always
has an impact on the characters and on the themes
of the work.
simile:
Similes are comparisons between two different
things that share a common feature. Similes use
‘like’ and ‘as ... as ...’ A simile draws
attention to a similarity that each thing shares
to emphasise a point.
Example: He was as frail as a shadow. (Frailness
(weakness) is the common feature that both the man
and the shadow share.)
stage direction:
A written instruction to an actor to do something
in a play.
symbol:
Something which stands for or represents something
else, e.g. a dove is a symbol of peace.
Themes are the main ideas, concerns, or issues
that are explored in the novel, short story or
poem. The theme can also be a moral lesson the
writer wants us to learn.
Tone is the way in which the writer conveys his or
her attitude toward the subject being written
about. Tone may be playful, angry, serious,
ironic, depressed, etc. Register is the level of
formality. This may be formal or informal.
theme:
tone and
register:
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understatement:
voice:
A statement which is not strong enough to express
the true or full facts or feelings, e.g. To say I
am angry is the understatement of the year.
Voice is the writing style of the author that we
can identify by the way the writer uses language.
Defining poetry
A poem, written by a poet, is a word composition that is often
characterised by rhythm, vivid language and imagery all of which help to
convey meaning and emotion. There are a number of forms of poetry –
sonnets, odes, haiku, etc. Each form adds something different to a poem
and so is carefully chosen by the poet. Poets use poetic devices to help
create the poem.
Poems are written in lines. In some poems the last words of the lines
form a rhyme scheme or sound pattern.
Defining a short story
A short story is a short piece of prose that is written from a
particular narrative (story-telling) point of view. Short stories are
fictional although they may be based on a real event. There is (most
often) a plot, characters and some development of themes in the story.
Because the writer of a short story has limited space each word in a
short story has to be read, understood and carefully analysed.
Defining a novel
A novel can be defined as an extended or long piece of prose. Usually
there is a plot and there are characters in a novel. Whereas in a short
story the author does not have the time to develop the plot or to
introduce sub-plots, or to develop the characters, the length of a novel
allows for this. Often there are sub-plots that run at the same time as
the main plot. Characters in novels can be developed in greater depth,
and there are often many more themes than in a short story.
Novels are divided into chapters.
Defining drama
While they still tell a story, plays (drama) are written in a very
different way to short stories or novels.
A play provides us with the actual words that the characters are saying
in direct speech, and some stage directions. There are no
descriptions of what is going on or what anyone is thinking
nor are there explanations from the playwright. Everything we
learn about the character and the action we find in the
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characters’ words or in the stage directions which tell the actors what
to do. We learn about characters from what they say, from what others
say about them and from what we see them do.
The characters’ words are set apart from each other. The character’s
name is set on the left of the page, and her or her words are indicated
next to the name.
The playwright indicates what must happen by giving stage directions.
These are often in italics. The playwright will sometimes indicate the
time and setting of the play, as well as the scenery on the stage.
Plays are divided into acts and scenes.
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Unit 2: Non-literary texts
Information texts
Information texts include newspaper articles, magazine articles,
editorials, speeches or any other pieces of non-fiction writing. You
need to be able to talk about the content of the text as well as the
style in which the text has been written. You will also explore the
point-of-view of the writer, what the writer is likely to have wanted to
achieve when she or he was writing the text. (We cannot always be sure
of this.) You can also examine critical language issues in the text like
bias and stereotyping, etc. (See Unit 3 Critical Language Awareness.)
Informative texts often form part of the Comprehension section of Paper
1.
How to answer a comprehension test
Comprehension tests assess your ability to read for meaning and
understanding, and to examine a text carefully. As you answer questions
based on the text you must support your answers with reference to the
text.
Follow these steps
1. Read through the text quickly to get a general sense of what it is
about. See if you could tell someone what it is about in a few
sentences.
2. Reread the text more carefully. If there are any words you don’t
understand try to work out their meaning by looking at the context
(sentence or paragraph) in which you find them.
3. Identify:
o the text’s main idea
o why you think the writer wrote the text
o what you think the writer’s attitude to the subject is
o the audience the writer wrote for
o the register (level of formality) of the language (formal or
informal)
o the tone (serious, light-hearted, ironic, etc.)
o the diction (choice of words)
o where the text comes from (for example, a magazine, a novel,
etc.).
4. Now read the questions.
5.
Read the passage for a third time thinking about the
questions as you read.
6.
Now begin answering the questions making sure you
understand how you need to answer (multiple choice, one word
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7.
8.
answers, a sentence, a longer response). The mark allocation should
be your guide to the length of your answers, and you should use
your own words unless you are asked to quote.
You will find that the questions start with reference to the
beginning of the text and move through in sequence to the end.
Interpretive questions tend to be asked at the end.
Visual texts
There are a number of different visual texts that you are already
familiar with, especially from other subjects.
Graphs
Graphs provide information in a graphic form. You need to read all the
information on the graph – title and key – and then the data before you
interpret the information.
5
4
3
2
An
1
0
Times per week learners
from three schools read
example of a bar graph
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What learners read
School books only
School books and
newspapers
Magazines and newspapers
Novels
An example of a pie chart
Cartoons and comic strips
A cartoon could consist of a single frame containing a drawing or a
series of frames. Cartoons are often found in newspapers and magazines.
A comic strip is always a series of drawings.
Comic strips are created for a number of reasons:
1.They can be read for enjoyment.
2.They can be used to educate people or to comment on a social
situation. They do this by drawing our attention to the situation and
making us laugh about it.
3.Newspaper cartoons are often satirical: they use irony, humour or
exaggeration to expose society’s problems or shortcomings.
Remember these terms
Frame – the individual picture (often with a frame around it) in a
cartoon. Some cartoons have only one frame.
Speech
bubble
Thought
bubble
Two cartoon frames showing speech and thought bubbles
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Follow these steps in analysing a cartoon
1. Study the text carefully, paying attention to the drawings as well
as to the speech bubbles or captions.
2. Look carefully at the characters in the cartoon. Examine their
facial expressions, body language and movement. How are they being
shown? Are there any exaggerations?
3. Examine the setting (where the action takes place).
4. Read the text. Is there anything to notice about the word choice
and the use of punctuation?
5. Now read the questions. You will be asked to identify:
o
satire
o parody (exaggeration for comic effect)
o the cartoonist’s intention in drawing the cartoon
o any personal bias the cartoonist is showing.
6. Answer the questions as you would answer any comprehension
questions.
Advertisements
We are all aware of advertisements around us, and the different forms
they come in. You can be asked to answer questions based on this type of
text. You can read more about how advertisements work in Section 2:
Writing and presenting.
How to respond to advertisements
1. Study the advertisement carefully. Look at any pictures and the
written text.
2. Decide on the purpose of the advertisement. Does it want to promote
an idea or sell a product or service?
3. Decide who the target audience is. The target audience can be
broken down into: age, sex, race, earning capacity, location, etc.
4. Look at the layout carefully. Pay attention to:
o font
o font size
o how the text and images link
o headlines and slogans and where they are placed.
5. Examine the language carefully. Look out for:
o emotive language
o figures of speech
o puns
6. Identify the persuasive techniques that have been used (see Unit 4
for more information):
o giving facts and statistics so that they appear to
be scientific truth
o personal endorsement of a product by someone famous
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o
o
o
o
o
personal stories
stereotypes
repetition
rhetorical questions
selling gimmicks, like two for one offers, prizes, special
offers, limited editions, etc.
7. Read the questions carefully.
8. Answer as you would any comprehension test question.
Computer technology texts
Computer technology texts include emails, SMS texts and Tweets.
Email
Email is an electronic form of a letter. You can read more about how to
write them in Section 3: Writing and presenting.
SMS texts
SMS is an acronym for Short Messaging Service. SMSs are sent from
cellphones. (Notice how you write the plural form of SMS.) They can use
only up to 160 characters including spaces. It is common to use ‘SMS
language’ – a language made up of abbreviations and slang. While this
may be acceptable language for an SMS, it is important not to use it
when you are writing formally.
Tweets
A tweet is sent from the twitter social media service. It is an
electronic message that has a maximum of 140 characters. A tweet can be
a message or a search query for information.
You can follow people on Twitter. This means that you can read any tweet
they send. Your followers will be able to read all your tweets.
Celebrities use Twitter as a way of increasing their popularity.
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Unit 3: Critical Language Awareness
Critical language awareness examines how power works in texts. People in
power will write and say things in ways that will lead you, the reader,
to believe that they should stay in power. Critical language awareness
will give you the tools to examine what people are saying, identify the
ways they are using language to create their power and so be able to
resist it.
Important questions to ask when you read a text
Who gains from this text? Who loses? How?
How are people named?
What has been included? What has been excluded?
What pronouns are used? Who are ‘they’?
Denotation and connotation
Denotation
All words mean something, and the meaning that we find in the dictionary
is known as the denotative meaning.
Example: snake = a legless reptile
Example: red = a colour
Connotation
Often a word will have associations or emotional ideas linked to it.
These associations will often not be found in a dictionary but will be
made by a person who hears or reads the word.
Example: snake = a cold or dangerous person
Example: red = danger (or romance, depending on who is seeing the
colour)
Why this is important
When writers make a text they will choose the words very carefully. If
they want to influence the reader, to increase emotions, they can do
this by choosing words that have strong connotations.
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Point of view
A good definition of point of view is the position from which something
is considered. Our point of view determines what we think about issues
and the world we live in. When we establish what the writer’s point of
view is, we get insight into the beliefs and attitudes the writer may
have, and we can then look carefully at how these beliefs are put into
the text.
Bias and stereotyping in language
A stereotype is a simple or general image of a specific type of
individual – a popular belief based on assumptions about the group to
which the individual belongs. You can stereotype others according to,
for example, their sex, gender, sexuality, age, race, culture, physical
abilities, occupation, political beliefs, economic class and country of
origin.
Example: All young people are lazy.
A bias is a preference for or against a person or thing based on the
stereotype you have of the group of people or things to which they
belong.
Example: I won’t employ young people because they are all lazy.
A prejudice is a belief based on your biased ideas and stereotypes about
someone that you have formed before you even know her or him. The
prejudice is based on the stereotype you have of the group to which this
person belongs.
Example: Young people are too lazy to work so they all steal.
Often people are not even aware of their biases or prejudices and this
is seen in their speech and writing.
Word choice exposes bias and stereotyping
The words writers use, expose their bias. For example, often writers use
only the masculine pronoun as though women did not exist at all. To
avoid bias you could use ‘him and her,’ or the plural pronouns ‘they’
and ‘them’.
For example: Scientists are working for the improvement of mankind.
Note: Mankind excludes all women, so the word humankind is
preferred. Scientists are working for the improvement of
humankind.
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Persuasive language
Language can be used to stir up emotions, to persuade or to manipulate
people to think or believe something. Advertisers and propagandists like
politicians often used persuasive language to achieve their goals.
Critical Language Awareness helps us to become aware of this.
Persuasive language techniques

Word choice. Pay attention to the connotation of words, the number
of adjectives used, and the pronouns that have been used to include
(we, us) and exclude (they, them).

Rhetorical questions are questions that have no real answer and for
which the questioner does not expect a response. Rhetorical
questions are effective because they encourage the reader or
listener to think about the answer.
Example: “What do you think you are doing?” asked the teacher as
she caught the learner cheating in an exam.



Imagery is used to create pictures in our minds about what the
speaker or writer wants us to see and believe. This is achieved
through the use of adjectives, word-pictures and figurative
language (especially to create comparisons).
Example: “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.” Dr Martin Luther
King Jr (The image of a different world is created.)
Repetition allows the speaker or writer to reinforce the message.
In his famous ‘I have a dream’ speech, Dr Martin Luther King Jr
repeats the phrase “I have a dream” eight times, the word “free”
five times and “freedom” nineteen times in only 1666 words.
The agentless passive allows the speaker or writer to suggest
things without making any active agent responsible. (See Section 4
Language Structures and conventions for more on the active and
passive voice.)
Example: Sixty-four works have been laid off. (By whom?) If the
writer or speaker does not say, we are left to come to our own
answers which will have been prompted by the speaker or writer in
the first place. The use of the passive can also make
listeners or readers feel like victims: You are being
manipulated!
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Emotive language
Emotive language is language that has been deliberately structured to
create emotions in the reader. Poets use emotive language to ensure that
their poetry is vivid and interesting. Advertisers and politicians use
emotive language to lead us to believe what they want us to believe.
Emotive language uses a number of techniques that you have already
examined in the sections on figures of speech, bias and prejudice, and
persuasive language.
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Unit 4: How is Reading and Viewing assessed?
Reading and Viewing is assessed continuously throughout the year.
1.Language tests and exams include passages for reading comprehension,
summaries, cartoons and advertisements.
2.Setwork papers require that you answer contextual questions and/or
write essays about a literary work that you have studied.
Tasks and exams
You will complete three formal Reading and Viewing tasks in Grade 12, as
well as two exams.
Term 1 –
Term 2 –
Term 3 –
Term 4 –
Task 4: Test 1 Language in context test
Task 7: Literature contextual questions
Task 8: Mid-year exam
Task 10: Test 2 Language in context
End-of-year exam
The structure of Language tests and exam papers
A language exam counts 70 marks. You are given 2 hours to complete the
paper. The paper is divided into three sections.
SECTION A: Comprehension (30)
(A range of texts can be used including visual and or graphic texts)
SECTION B: Summary: (10)
You will be asked to write a point form summary or a paragraph. Read the
instructions carefully! Your summary has to be 60–70 words long.
SECTION C: Language
In this section you
cartoon and general
you also revise the
(30)
will be asked questions about an advertisement, a
questions about language structures. Make sure that
notes on critical language awareness.
The content of Literature tests and exam papers
You are required to answer two questions – one on each of the genres you
have studied. The total for each question will be 35 marks. You will be
able to choose whether you want to answer contextual questions or write
an essay.
In a literature essay, you respond to a question about a literary text
that you have studied. You have to have a thorough
understanding of the text so that you can write about plot,
theme, character and setting and provide your own view on
issues that the question raises. The most important thing to
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remember is that you must not tell the story! You have to provide a
carefully argued answer related to the question you are answering.
You will find out how to write a literature essay in Section 3 Writing
and Presenting.
In a contextual question you are required to answer questions based on
an extract from a literary text you have studied.
You will be asked:
 a question about where the text can be found in the novel, play or
short story
 questions that test whether you know what happens before and after
the extract
 questions that test whether you understand words and images in the
extract
 questions that test whether you know the characters
 question about the setting of the novel, play or short story
 questions about the theme of the literary work.
Make sure that you know how to spell the names of the characters and the
details of the plot and the setting.
If you have studied poetry make sure that you can identify all the
figures of speech and know the theme or message of the poem.
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Opportunities to develop Reading and Viewing skills
Literary texts
You will be studying two literary genres chosen by your teacher. Use the
ideas in this Study Guide when you are approaching the different
questions that are set.
Your matric year can be very stressful. Get into the habit of books out
of the library and reading to unwind. If you prefer watching films start
watching films with critical awareness. Think about how the director has
shaped characters and whether you agree with the theme or message of the
film.
Non-literary texts
Become aware of how often you read every day. English is everywhere!
1. Instead of just walking in a mall, focus on what you read in shop
windows.
2. Look at how punctuation marks are used. You will be surprised to see
how many mistakes are made!
3. Study the advertisements in your favourite magazine. Try to identify
the target audience and to recognise the persuasive techniques.
4. Buy a newspaper at least once a week. Look at how word play is used
to write effective headlines.
5. Read the cartoons in newspapers.
6. Watch advertisements on television and become aware of how
stereotyping is used to get a message across.
7. Listen to the news on television and try to identify examples of
stereotyping, bias and prejudice.
8. Read the instructions on products. Even putting a bag of popcorn in
the microwave can become an English lesson!
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SECTION 3: Writing and Presenting
Overview
In this Section we will focus on how to improve your writing skills. We
will start off by revising the steps in the writing process. After that,
we will look at the various types of essay that you need to be able to
write. Finally we will look at how your writing will be assessed.
Remember that you are working towards being able to complete Paper 3
within 2½ hours. This means that you must be able to brainstorm, plan,
write and edit an essay, a longer transactional piece and a shorter
transactional piece in one sitting.
Work through the notes with care and then practise in your own time
until you get it right.
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Unit 1: The writing process
Effective writing is always the result of a careful process. Don’t fall
into the trap many learners do – they think they do not have the time to
work through the process. Unfortunately, their results show that if they
had used the writing process they would have been more successful.
1. Pre-writing
1. Read the topic and carefully analyse what you must do. Consider the
format and structure, language features and register of the text
you have chosen.
2. Check that you know the text’s purpose, audience and context.
3. Brainstorm your ideas. Here you can use a mind-map or whatever
other method of brainstorming you like.
4. Check that you know and understand the criteria you will be
assessed on.
5. If relevant, do research on the topic.
2. Planning
1. Plan what you want to write, keeping all you learned in Stage 1 in
mind.
2. Identify the main ideas and the supporting information. Usually one
idea is contained in a paragraph.
3. Check that the sequence of your ideas is logical.
3. Drafting
1. Write a rough first draft. Be sure to take into account
a. the purpose of the text
b. the audience
c. the type of text (format and style is important here).
2. Choose words that are appropriate to the level of formality of the
writing as well as the topic. Work hard at being original and to
create vivid pictures.
3. Organise your ideas in a logical sequence so that the essay or
story makes sense.
4. Remember to use paragraphs in your work.
4. Revising, editing, proofreading and presenting
1. Read your first draft and look at
a. Word choice
b. Sentence structure
c. Paragraph structure.
How can you improve these?
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2. Check the sequencing and linking of paragraphs. Does the essay
flow? Is it logical? Does one paragraph link to the next?
3. Check grammar, spelling and punctuation.
4. Check the format.
5. Rewrite and rework until you are satisfied.
6. Present your text.
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Unit 2: Paragraphs
A paragraph is a unit of writing made up of sentences dealing with a
single idea or topic. A good paragraph has a topic sentence. The topic
sentence introduces the main idea of the paragraph. All the other
sentences give extra details. You can put the topic sentence anywhere in
the paragraph, but it is most often the first sentence.
A useful technique when you summarise is to identify all the topic
sentences in the paragraphs. These will give you the basic summary of
what you have read. When you plan your writing, you could also write
your topic sentences as a plan, and then fill in the extra details in
the sentences that make up the paragraph.
Practise writing paragraphs. This will improve your essay writing
skills.
Types of paragraphs
Informative paragraph
An informative paragraph provides information about a topic. It is
important that all the facts are correct, so you may need to do some
research.
Follow
follow
by the
formal
the guidelines for writing a paragraph – use a topic sentence and
up with supporting sentences. Your word choice will be determined
topic you are writing about, and you may have to use a more
register.
Imaginative paragraph
An imaginative paragraph is a short piece of fantasy or fiction writing.
It could be a little story in itself, or a description. Once again, it
will have a topic sentence that introduces the main idea, and then more
sentences to fill in the details. Use interesting vocabulary to make
your paragraph exciting and readable.
Explanatory paragraph
An explanatory paragraph is a factual paragraph that explains
or describes the way something works. It must be factually
accurate. Your topic sentence will say what process is being
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explained. Your supporting sentences will then describe in logical order
how the object works.
Your register will be formal.
An argument
A paragraph that sets out an argument will follow the usual paragraph
structure. The topic sentence will state your point of view on a
subject, and then the supporting sentences will give evidence to show
why your argument is correct. A final sentence will sum up the argument
briefly.
Linking paragraphs in an essay
When you plan an essay you also have to plan how you are going to create
a link between the paragraphs.

Order ideas by using words like: firstly, secondly, finally, next,
soon, after, then, later, suddenly, afterwards

Show that paragraphs give more of the same kind of information by
using words like: moreover, furthermore, in addition, similarity:
similarly, likewise, in the same way

Indicate that a paragraph presents a different point of view by
using words like: however, nevertheless, although, though, on the
other hand
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Unit 3: Essays
An essay is an extended piece of writing (it has more than one
paragraph) on a particular topic. An essay presents your ideas,
thoughts, point of view or tells a story. Some essays are creative
fiction and other essays demand factual accuracy. Essay writing tests
how well you can express yourself in writing and illustrates how
accurately you can use language.
Types of essay
In Grade 12, your essay will be between 250 and 300 words long. You are
expected to be able to write a number of different types of essay. You
should become familiar with what each essay type requires and practise
writing these essays.
Writing a narrative essay
The narrative essay tells a story, and is usually fictional. The story
could be about something that happened in the past, a fantasy or science
fiction.
A good narrative essay:
• will have a strong, believable story-line or plot with a good
conclusion that leaves the reader satisfied
• will use description to create the scene
• will have strong characters
• will often use dialogue.
Writing a descriptive essay
A descriptive essay is a description of a person, place, situation or
thing. It could also be a description of your feelings about something.
A good descriptive essay:
• focuses on describing a single object or moment in detail
• creates pictures in words, so will use adjectives and adverbs
effectively
• includes metaphors and comparisons help the reader to visualise the
moment or object
• alliteration, assonance and onomatopoeia help the reader
to experience the object or moment as if he/she were there
• uses a lot of detail to capture what is being described
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uses words in interesting ways so that the writing does not become
ordinary and clichéd
is more than a string of descriptions – it builds the description
carefully and completely.
Writing a discursive essay
A discursive essay discusses a topic from different points of view. You
should be familiar enough with the subject to be able to write with
authority.
A good expository essay:
• is factually accurate
• does not try to persuade the reader to react in a certain way
• is logical and well thought out.
Writing an argumentative essay
The purpose of this type of essay is to argue or defend a point of view.
The argumentative essay is subjective – it expresses and explains your
point of view on a particular subject and shows where you stand on
something.
A good argumentative essay:
• clearly states what you believe in the opening paragraph
• provides evidence to support your beliefs in the next paragraphs
• uses emotive language and personal statements, but is also logical
and well thought out
• concludes with a statement that assures your reader that you are
right.
• You can present both points of view – your own, and the opposing
view. If you do this, you can put each point of view in its own
paragraph, or you can balance paragraphs with one idea and then
show the opposite. Whichever way you choose to do it, make sure
that you do it this way throughout the essay.
Writing an essay based on a picture
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When you are given a picture to write about, you can choose to
write any of the above types of essay. You can use the visual text
as a whole or you could concentrate on one or two aspects that
catch your attention.
• Be sure to indicate the topic number clearly, and to
give your essay a title.
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Unit 4: Longer transactional pieces
A transactional text is a piece of writing that aims to communicate with
a particular purpose in mind. The format of the transactional text is as
important as the content. These texts are divided into longer and
shorter texts based on their length.
In Grade 12 you need to write between 120 and 150 words.
Letters
In letter writing the layout is very important. This means that letters
have to look a certain way. Revise the format of formal and informal
letters carefully.
Writing a friendly letter
The format of a friendly letter
Way Street
2019
2 Walk
Kalk Bay
7693
4 April
Your address is written to the right. Do
not leave a line open between the date
and the address.
Dear Peter
I could not help thinking of you as I walked to school
this morning ……
Think of an interesting way to start the
letter.
Are you still happy in Australia? I am so envious of all
the learners in your class who are lucky enough ….
The second paragraph. ..
Something happens every day that reminds us of you.
Yesterday Mrs Bongani asked the class …
The final paragraph. ……
Your friend
Shiraaz
End with a friendly salutation.
The purpose of this letter is to communicate with a friend or someone
you know well.
Follow this structure.
 Include your address, the postal code and the date to
the right of the page.
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Begin with: Dear … followed by the name or title of the person
(Lerato, Grandmother, Mr Maseko)
State your reason for writing in the first paragraph.
Expand on this in the second paragraph.
Conclude the letter with a short paragraph.
Sign off with an appropriate ending. Your relationship with the
person will determine the ending. For example, Your daughter, Your
friend, With love.
Write your name. Write your first name only to a friend, but use
your full name to someone you know less well.
Possible topics:
 letter of appreciation or thanks for something, or saying why you
enjoyed an event
 a farewell letter to a friend who is going to study in another
province
 a thank you letter to a teacher
Writing a business letter or a letter to the press
This is a formal letter. It should be businesslike but polite and
respectful. It contains only relevant details based on the reason you
are writing the letter. The business letter could be, for example, to
query something while the letter to the press could be in response to an
issue raised in a newspaper.
Study the format of a formal letter with care.
Way Street
2019
2 Walk
Kalk Bay
7693
4 April
The Manager
Orchard Super Spar
Backsburg
4567
Dear Mr Pietersen
Condition of fresh produce
I have been a regular shopper at your store for the
past
Your address is written to the right. Do
not leave a line open between the date
and the address.
The address of the business you are
writing to is written to the left of the
page.
It is a good idea to find out the name of
the person you are writing to.
Always include a topic line.
Briefly place the purpose of the letter
in context in the first paragraph.
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five years. Recently I have found myself shopping
elsewhere because your fresh produce is so bad. …..
I bought a pocket of potatoes on Monday, 1 April only
to
discover that the potatoes at the bottom were off. …
Give specific details in the second
paragraph.
There is only one way to solve this problem. Produce
older than two days should be ……
Give suggestion to improve the
situation in the last paragraph.
I sincerely hope that …..
Yours sincerely
M van Wyk
Martha van Wyk
Write a suitable last line.
End with a formal salutation.
Follow this structure.
 Include your address, the postal code and the date towards the
right of the page.
 On the next line against the margin write the name of the person
you are writing to, followed beneath that with their full address.
 Skip a line.
 Write Dear Sir/Madam or the name of the addressee. For a letter to
the press write The Editor.
 Skip a line.
 Write a short subject heading that is underlined and explains the
purpose of the letter. For example: Request for accommodation (no
full stop) or Objection to claims made about the effects of climate
change.
 Skip a line.
 State the problem or subject in the opening paragraph.
 Expand on this in the second paragraph.
 The concluding paragraph ties up the loose ends and asks for action
or for a reconsideration of the points made in the earlier press
article.
 Skip a line.
 The ending should be formal. Yours faithfully or Yours sincerely,
followed by your signature. Print your name and your title under
your signature.
Dialogues
A dialogue is a conversation between two or more people. The
names of the speakers should be written in an invisible
margin to the RIGHT of the red margin of the page.
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Descriptive text should be between brackets to the right of the
invisible margin.
Study the example below carefully.
Sipho:
(paging through the book) I am enjoying this
Study Guide a lot.
Mark:
Yes, I have learnt a great deal.
Sipho:
Passing the exams is going to be easy. I
really want to do well at the end of the
year.
Some useful tips
 Notice that although a dialogue is in direct speech, there are no
inverted commas.
 Use a colon after each speaker’s name and start each speaker’s
words on a new line.
 Use a register and vocabulary that matches the speakers’
backgrounds and the context of the dialogue.
Reviews and Recommendations
A review is a personal response to a work of art, a play, a films, CDs,
paintings, drawings, books, and electronic games like Play Station,
Nintendo, and X-Box. A restaurant could also be reviewed. You will
present a personal opinion, and you will use emotive language to
describe your personal response to what you are reviewing.
A recommendation is like a review, although here the focus is on saying
why the reader should read or do something or visit a particular place.
Some useful tips
 Give all the necessary information about what you are reviewing.
For example, give the name of the book, the author and the
publisher.
 Give your impression of what you saw/read/visited. Use a lot of
detail to describe your thoughts.
 State your personal recommendation – would you recommend this or
not?
Possible topics
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include:
review of a song
review of a music video
review of a book.
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Unit 5: Shorter transactional pieces
In Grade 12 you need to write between 80 and 100 words for a shorter
transactional text. It is very important that you keep to this word
limit.
Brochures or flyers
The purpose is to promote or make known a service or event. A brochure
could also present information about a topic. Brochures and flyers are
very similar in layout and content to an advertisement.
Brochures are usually printed on both sides of a piece of paper, and are
often folded into sections. A flyer is often printed on one side only of
a sheet of paper.
Some useful tips
 Include all important information: what, where, when.
 Give contact details for more information.
 Read the section on advertisements later in this guide to get some
more ideas.
Posters
The purpose of a poster is to promote a product or an event. It is
similar to a brochure but because it is larger and printed on one side
of the page only design is very important.
Some useful tips
 Include all important information: what, where, when.
 Pay careful attention to design. A poster must draw attention but
also be easy to read. Layout of the information is important.
 Read the section on advertisements below in this guide to get some
more ideas.
Advertisements
As you will know, a print advertisement aims to sell a product or an
idea. The content as well as the design and layout are important.
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You do not have to illustrate the advertisement: use different colours,
change the font size or type, or, if you are making this by hand, write
differently. Instead of using pictures, present your text in either a
continuous piece or in a few linked paragraphs – this is an assessment
of your language skills, after all.
Some useful tips
 Be creative in your word choice and your use of punctuation.
 Remember to use emotive language and figures of speech to make your
advertisement more appealing.
 Remember to write a catchy slogan that makes effective use of
alliteration and assonance.
 Pay attention to the notes on AIDA below.
A good advertisement uses the four elements in the acronym AIDA.
ATTENTION – attract the Attention of the target audience (those whom you
want to buy the product or service).
 The image is eye-catching, drawing the reader’s attention.
 The layout is attractive and appealing.
 Colour is used effectively.
 The headline is bold, striking, catchy and/or appealing.
 The text adds to what the visual shows and promotes the product or
service.
INTEREST – maintain the Interest of the target audience
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Pictures, diagrams, graphs, statistics, font type and size maintain
interest.
Layout is appealing and even unusual.
Headline is used to attract attention. (Use size or content, such
as a catchy question, a bold statement, a pun, etc.)
Text refers to the service/product.
The text will be aimed at a specific target audience.
DESIRE – Create the need in the target audience to have this service or
product
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The advertisement appeals to our basic human needs and desires. We
are made to feel that we cannot live without the product or
service.
ACTION – Get the target audience to buy this service or
product.
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There is a clear call to take action. ‘Buy now.’ A telephone
number, contact details etc make this possible.
Diary Entries
A diary is a personal, confidential piece of writing. You write a diary
to record events, your personal thoughts, emotions and ideas. Usually
the writer is the only audience.
Some useful tips
 Include the day and date.
 Use colloquial language and an informal register.
 Use the first person – ‘I’.
 Use the past tense to write about completed actions. Use the
present tense to write about your current feelings.
 Try to write personally and honestly from the heart.
 Keep to the topic, and be sure to include the correct number of
entries.
Invitations
The purpose of an invitation is to invite someone to an event. The
invitation must provide all necessary information: what, when, where.
Useful phrases to use:
 You are invited/You are cordially invited
 RSVP (means please respond)
Include
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the following information:
date and time
full address of the venue
the dress required, for example informal or formal
how the person can confirm if he or she is attending (telephone
number or email address)
the latest acceptable date for a reply.
Directions and Instructions
See Formal Speaking Skills in this guide.
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Filling in forms
We all need to fill in forms, but often do not take this seriously
enough. Take your time and ensure that you complete all parts of the
form accurately.
A possible topic includes filling in a form for a competition.
Writing an email
An email is an electronic form of communication that is similar to a
letter. An email is shorter and does not have the same address
requirements.
Some useful tips
 Use a meaningful subject line. Say what the email is about.
 Use a greeting. Use ‘Dear’ if it is formal and ‘Hi’ is acceptable
if it is informal.
 Use proper spelling, grammar and punctuation.
 Use paragraphs.
 Do not write in CAPITALS.
 End off with a proper salutation, e.g.: Regards followed by your
name.
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Unit 6: Other writing
Writing a summary
A summary is a shortened version of a text. You will be asked to select
specific information from the text. In order to find out what kind of
information you have to select, you have to read the question with care.
Summaries also have to be written using your own words – this means that
you cannot copy sentences directly from the text. You have to use
synonyms, antonyms or explanations of your own to avoid copying from the
text.
In Grade 12 you have to write summaries of 60–70 words. You can be asked
to a write point form summary or a short paragraph.
Follow this process
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Read the passage to get a general idea of what it is about.
Read the question to find out what kind of information or facts you
have to extract from the passage.
Read the passage again making sure that you understand it.
Highlight or underline the phrases and/or sentences that contain the
information and/or facts you have to select.
Rewrite these sentences using your own words as far as possible.
Remember you must shorten the text so:
o remove any unnecessary words, information or detail.
o take out all examples or illustrations.
o change direct speech to indirect (reported) speech.
Arrange the sentences in a logical way.
If you have to write a point form summary list each fact or statement
in a separate sentence. Each sentence has to be numbered and contain
one point only.
If you have to write a prose summary make sure that your sentences
are set out in a logical way.
First write a rough draft.
Compare your draft to the original and make any changes to improve on
your draft.
Check and include the word count at the end of your summary.
Give your summary a title, if required (the title is not included in
the final word count).
 Do a final reread, checking for errors.
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Literary essays
A literary essay is based on a literary work you have studied. You must
read the question carefully so that you know what aspect of the work you
need to explore.
A literary essay never requires that you retell the story. You can be
asked question like:
- How does the narrator influence in the reader?
- Explain the effectiveness of the figures of speech in …
- Discuss the theme of the …
- What does the suit symbolise in …
Follow this process
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Read the question carefully to determine what aspect of the literary
work you have to discuss.
Using a mind map jot down all the points you want to mention.
Plan your first paragraph by summarising your interpretation of the
question.
Plan the contents of the 2 paragraphs forming the body of your essay.
Use the points you wrote down in your mind map.
Plan the contents a concluding paragraphing in which you summarise
your final observations.
Write a first draft.
Edit your first draft making sure your writing forms a logical
argument.
Write a final, neat copy.
The length of a literary essay in Grade 12 is 250 to 300 words.
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Unit 7: How is Writing and Presenting assessed?
You will complete two formal Writing and Presenting tasks in Grade 12,
as well as a mid-year exam and the final national exam.
Term 1 –
Term 2 –
Term 4 –
Task 2: Discursive essay
Task 3: Longer transactional text: Information report
Task 8: Mid-year exam
End-of-year of year examinations
The writing exam (Paper 3) has the following sections:
SECTION A: Essay writing
Write one essay of 250–300 words. (50)
SECTION B: Longer Transactional text
Write one piece of 120–150 words. (30)
SECTION C: Shorter Transactional text
Write one piece of 80–100 words. (20)
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Marking essays and transactional writing
Essays
Examiners look at three aspects when marking your essays.
1.They look at how well you have planned your content.
2.They look at how well you can use language structures to affect
meaning.
3.The look at how well you have structured your writing.
The criteria for marking essays have been tabled below. They are based
on the rubrics supplied by Department of Basic Education.
Content
80 to 100%
70 to 79%
60 to 69%
50 to 59%
40 to 49%
30 to 39%
Below 30%
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Content shows impressive insight into topic.
Ideas are thought-provoking, mature.
Excellent development of topic. Vivid detail.
Shows awareness of impact of language.
Evidence of planning and/or drafting has produced virtually flawless, presentable essay.
Content shows thorough interpretation of topic.
Ideas: imaginative, interesting.
Logical development of details. Ideas are connected.
Shows awareness of impact of language.
Evidence of planning and/or drafting has produced a well crafted, presentable essay.
Content shows a sound interpretation of topic.
Ideas: interesting, convincing.
Several relevant details developed.
Critical awareness of language evident.
Evidence of planning and/or drafting has produced a presentable and very good essay.
Content: an adequate interpretation of topic.
Ideas: ordinary, lacking depth.
Some points, necessary details developed.
Some awareness of impact of language.
Evidence of planning and/or drafting has produced a satisfactorily presented essay.
Content: ordinary. Ideas not always connected.
Ideas: mostly relevant. Repetitive.
Some necessary points evident.
Limited critical language awareness.
Evidence of planning and/or drafting that has produced a moderately presentable and
coherent essay.
Content not always clear, ideas not connected.
Ideas: few ideas, often repetitive,
Sometimes off topic. General line of thought difficult to follow.
Inadequate evidence of planning/drafting. Essay not well presented.
Content irrelevant. Ideas not connected at all.
Ideas: repetitive, off topic.
Non-existent planning/drafting. Poorly presented essay.
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Language
80 to 100%
70 to 79%
60 to 69%
50 to 59%
40 to 49%
30 to 39%
Below 30%
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Language, punctuation effectively used. Uses figurative language appropriately.
Choice of words highly appropriate.
Sentences, paragraphs well-constructed.
Style, tone, register highly suited to topic.
Text virtually error-free following proof-reading, editing.
Length meets requirements of topic.
Language, punctuation correct and able to include figurative language correctly.
Choice of words varied and correctly used.
Sentences, paragraphs logical, varied.
Style, tone, register appropriately suited to topic.
Text largely error-free following proof-reading, editing.
Length correct.
Language and punctuation mostly correct.
Choice of words suited to text.
Sentences, paragraphs well constructed.
Style, tone, register suited to topic in most of the essay.
Text by and large error-free following proof-reading, editing.
Length correct.
Language simplistic, punctuation adequate.
Choice of words adequate.
Sentences, paragraphing might be faulty in places but essay still makes sense.
Style, tone, register generally consistent with topic requirements.
Text still contains errors following proof-reading, editing.
Length correct.
Language ordinary and punctuation often inaccurately used.
Choice of words basic.
Sentences, paragraphs, faulty but ideas can be understood.
Style, tone, register lacking in coherence.
Text contains several errors following proof-reading, editing.
Length – too long/short.
Language and punctuation flawed.
Choice of words limited.
Sentences, paragraphs constructed at an elementary level.
Style, tone, register inappropriate.
Text error-ridden despite proof-reading, editing.
Length – too long/short.
Language and punctuation seriously flawed.
Choice of words inappropriate.
Sentences, paragraphs muddled, inconsistent.
Style, tone, register flawed in all aspects.
Text error-ridden and confused following proof-reading, editing.
Length – far too long/short.
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Transactional pieces
Examiners look at three aspects when marking your transactional pieces.
1. They look at how well you have planned your content.
2. They look at whether you know how to write within the necessary
format.
3. They look at how well you can use language structures to affect
meaning.
Content
80 to 100%
70 to 79%
60 to 69%
50 to 59%
40 to 49%
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Specialized knowledge of requirements of the text.
Disciplined writing – learner maintains thorough focus, no digressions.
Text fully coherent in content and ideas, and all details support the topic.
Evidence of planning and/or drafting has produced a virtually flawless, presentable text.
Good knowledge of requirements of the text.
Disciplined writing – learner maintains focus, hardly any digressions.
Text is coherent in content and ideas, with all details supporting the topic.
Evidence of planning and/or drafting has produced a well crafted, presentable text.
Fair knowledge of requirements of the text.
Writing – learner maintains focus with minor digressions.
Text is coherent in content and ideas, and details support the topic.
Evidence of planning and/or drafting has produced a presentable and good text.
Adequate knowledge of requirements of the text.
Writing – learner digresses from topic but does not impede overall meaning.
Text adequately coherent in content and ideas and some details support the topic.
Evidence of planning and/or drafting has produced a satisfactorily presented text.
Moderate knowledge of requirements of the text. Response to writing task reveals a
narrow focus.
Writing – learner digresses, meaning is vague in places.
Text moderately coherent in content and ideas and has basic details which support the
topic.
Evidence of planning and/or drafting that has produced a moderately presentable and
coherent text.
Elementary knowledge of requirements of the text. Response to writing task reveals a
limited focus.
Writing – learner digresses, meaning is obscure in places.
Text not always coherent in content and ideas and has few details which support the
topic.
Planning/drafting inadequate. Text not well presented.
No knowledge of requirements of the text.
Writing – learner digresses, meaning is obscure in places.
Text not coherent in content and ideas and too few details to support the topic.
Planning and drafting non-existent. Poorly presented text.
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Has applied all the necessary rules of format.
Text is grammatically accurate and well constructed.
Vocabulary is very appropriate to purpose, audience and context.
Style, tone, register very appropriate.
Text virtually error-free following proof-reading, editing.
Length correct.
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30 to 39%
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Below 30%
Language
80 to 100%
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70 to 79%
60 to 69%
50 to 59%
40 to 49%
30 to 39%
Below 30%
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Has applied the necessary rules of format.
Text is well constructed and accurate.
Vocabulary is mostly appropriate to purpose, audience and context.
Style, tone and register mostly appropriate.
Text largely error-free following proof-reading, editing.
Length correct.
Has applied most of the necessary rules of format.
Text is well constructed and easy to read.
Vocabulary is appropriate to purpose, audience and context.
Style, tone and register generally appropriate.
Text mostly error-free following proof-reading, editing.
Length correct.
Has applied an adequate idea of the requirements of format.
Text is adequately constructed. Errors do not impede flow.
Vocabulary is adequate for the purpose, audience and context.
Style, tone and register adequately appropriate.
Text still contains few errors following proof-reading, editing.
Length correct.
Has a moderate idea of the requirements of format – some critical oversights.
Text is basically constructed. Several errors.
Vocabulary is limited and not very suitable for the purpose, audience and context.
Lapses in style tone and register.
Text contains several errors following proof-reading, editing.
Length – too long/short.
Has vaguely applied the necessary rules of format.
Text is poorly constructed and difficult to follow.
Vocabulary requires remediation and not suitable for purpose, audience and context.
Style, tone and register inappropriate.
Text error-ridden despite proof-reading, editing.
Length – too long/short.
Has not applied the necessary rules of format.
Text is poorly constructed and muddled.
Vocabulary requires serious remediation and not suitable for purpose.
Style, register and tone do not correspond with topic.
Text error-ridden and confused following proof-reading, editing.
Length – far too long/short.
Opportunities to practise Writing and Presenting
The best way to improve your writing skills is to write something every
day. Decide at the beginning of the year that you are going to write a
short diary entry in English for ten minutes every day. You may struggle
at first – but within a few weeks you will see that you have started
enjoying yourself.
You can prepare for a Paper 3 examination by practising to write three
pieces within 2½ hours – including brainstorming, planning, drafting and
editing.
Remember to stick to the time limit!
Paper 3
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Practice session 1
SECTION A: Essay
Write an essay of 250–300 words on the topic below.
Write a short story about the lady in the painting.
SECTION B: Longer transactional piece
Write a longer transactional piece of 120–150 words on the topic
below.
Write a letter to a dear old lady in your neighbourhood who is in
hospital
recovering from a hip replacement
operation.
SECTION C: Shorter transactional piece
Write a shorter transactional piece of 80–100 words on the topic
below.
Give detailed instructions to your brother on how to make your
favourite sandwhich.
Paper 3
Practise session 2
SECTION A: Essay
Write an essay of 250–300 words on the topic below.
Describe a perfect winter’s day.
SECTION B: Longer transactional piece
Write a longer transactional piece of 120–150 words on the topic
below.
Write a letter to your local municipality asking them to do
something about the litter in your favourite park.
SECTION C: Shorter transactional piece
Write a shorter transactional piece of 80–100 words on the topic
below.
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Design an advertisement encouraging people to support the local
SPCA.
Paper 3
Practise session 3
SECTION A: Essay
Write an essay of 250–300 words on the topic below.
Should people who are caught driving under the influence of drugs
or alcohol be allowed to drive again?
Argue your point of view.
SECTION B: Longer transactional piece
Write a longer transactional piece of 120–150 words on the topic
below.
Record the dialogue between a teenager and his/her mother. The
teenager would like to use the family car to drive to a party.
SECTION C: Shorter transactional piece
Write a shorter transactional piece of 80–100 words on the topic
below.
Write an invitation to your friends inviting them to an end-ofyear picnic on the beach. The party will take place after the
final exams.
Writing summaries
Question 1
Imagine that you are preparing a speech for your matric class to
encourage them to do well in the exams. You have come across an
interesting newspaper article: “Top matric’s exam stress tips”. Read the
article on the next page and extract SEVEN important points to include
in your speech. Remember that you are speaking to your fellow pupils!
Instructions
1. Write your points in full sentences using NOT more than 70 words.
2. Number your sentences from 1 to 7 and write only ONE fact per line.
3. Write in correct sentences and use your own words as far as
possible.
4. Indicate the number of words you have used in brackets
at the end of your summary.
© Via Afrika Publishers
5. Note that you will be penalised if you ignore these instructions.
Top matric's exam stress tips
October 28 2008 at 04:39pm
By Rivonia Naidu and Lisa-Marie Els
School pupils who are feeling the pressure of the imminent end-of-year examinations
and are in need of some encouragement should look no further than the inspirational
Wayne Fredericks. The Southlands Secondary ex-pupil came first in the province in
the 2007 matric exams, achieving an incredible aggregate of 98,5 percent.
Fredericks showed millions around the country that all odds can be overcome and
that determination is the real key to success.
Fredericks thinks the most important lesson he learnt was to compete against
himself, rather than others. "Throughout my life I have worked at bettering myself,"
he said. "At the end of every term I would look back at my results and aim to improve
on them, so I would never compete against anyone else. If I did come first, then so
be it. I was just trying to be the best I could be."
Durban psychologists had some handy advice for pupils writing exams. They said it
was important to ensure adequate rest beforehand; to eat healthy food, like fruit and
vegetables; and to take breaks to clear the mind and de-stress.
Psychologist Rita Suliman said once an exam was over, pupils should not
immediately throw themselves into studying for the next one. She said pupils should
prepare an exam kit containing all the stationery required to write the exams to avoid
last-minute panic.
Durban North psychologist James Sharratt said the first thing pupils should
understand was that preparation was vital and that some measure of stress before
an exam was normal. "But when the stress and anxiety becomes unbearable, and
one can't concentrate, or if a pupil suffers from insomnia as a result, it is important he
or she seek professional counseling.
"
http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/top-matric-s-exam-stress-tips1.422120#.UaO_cdJBOi4
Question 2
Imagine that you are writing an argumentative essay on technology and
teenagers. In your web research, you came across the post on
CreateDebate.com. Read the post below and extract eight important points
to include in your essay.
© Via Afrika Publishers
Instructions
1. Write your points in full sentences using NOT more than 70 words.
2. Number your sentences from 1 to 8 and write only ONE fact per line.
3. Write in correct sentences and use your own words as far as
possible.
4. Indicate the number of words you have used in brackets at the end
of your summary.
5. Note that you will be penalised if you ignore these instructions.
Post by SMCdeBater
Look, it is quite obvious that technology dominates the lives of various teenagers, myself
included, and it is easy for mistakes to happen.
Take MSN for example; millions of teens worldwide use the internet to technologically chat
to a friend or others. When you are chatting to someone online, there are dangers, and not
just the obvious ones. This is where we see Cyber Bullying, and how it has affected the lives
of thousands of teens from all parts of the world. If a teen is continuously bullied, depression
is one common result, which can often, and has, lead to suicide. But why just limit Cyber
Bullying to the Internet, when this similarly occurs on mobile phones and e-mails?
One other major harm that is highly evident with teenagers is technological addiction, which
can occur within Internet chatting, gaming, online gaming, excessive downloading, website
interests, etc. This involves repetitive uses of certain technology to an addictive extent. This
is one of the leading causes of teenage obesity and is again a problem that can be seen
worldwide (in some countries it may occur more than in others). Addictive habits towards
technology do not promote any form of exercise, which is why a build up of excessive energy
and fats are not removed from the body, and obesity is the result.
The above two problems are the most common when it comes to teenagers, and teenagers
are suffering as a result of it. More teenagers need to start accepting that life isn't limited to
technology and that anyone who believes so should get outside and get to know planet
Earth. I am 15, and I am a regular user of the Internet, but I also play Basketball, Chess,
Compete in School Debates, Compete in Public Speaking Competitions, and most of all,
socialize with friends outside the Internet. It isn't hard to break away from technology, yet
most teens are drawn into a life of technology one way or another. Some do it to "fit in,"
some do it to "try new things," and some do it "just because it is there to do." Like I said, it
isn't hard to break away; some people just need more help doing this than others.
(Adapted from
http://www.createdebate.com/debate/show/Is_technology_harming_teensoverweight ©2011
hardwarehelpers.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. User content, unless source quoted,
licensed under a Creative Commons Licence.)
© Via Afrika Publishers
Possible answers to summaries
Question 1
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
You can succeed no matter what your circumstances are.
Compete against yourself – not others.
Rest after an exam and get enough sleep.
Eat healthily and get enough exercise.
Do activities between studies to unwind.
Have all the pens, pencils and calculators you need when you enter an exam venue.
Go to a doctor or councilor if your stress levels become unbearable.
[68 words]
Question 2
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Millions of teenagers use technology and chat on the internet.
Many teenagers’ lives are taken over by technology negatively.
Teenagers get involved to fit in or to try new things.
There are dangers of online chatting.
One danger is Cyber Bullying.
Another danger is becoming addicted to technology.
Technologically addicted teenagers do not exercise.
It is possible to avoid being addicted.
[69 words]
© Via Afrika Publishers
Section 4: Language structures and conventions
Overview
You are taught language structures and conventions so that you can
become more confident about expressing yourself in English. In this
section we are going to revise the language structures you need to know
in order to use English correctly. You should use these notes when:





you are unsure how to complete a language activity
you are unsure how to use tenses in an essay
you are unsure about the spelling of a word
you do not know how to structure sentences
you have received a marked language test or exam paper and are working
through mistakes.
Remember that these are additional notes. Do not forget to use your
Learner’s Book as a reference as well.
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Unit 1: Words
Nouns
Types of nouns
Nouns are the names of people, places, things and emotions or feelings.
There are four types of noun:
1. a common noun names things
Example: books, pens, schools, teachers
2. a proper noun names a specific person or a specific place or a
specific thing
Example: Mr Zuma, Cape Town, Freedom Square, The Great Gatsby
3. an abstract noun names emotions or feelings that cannot be touched,
seen, heard, or tasted
Example: love, hate, happiness
4. a collective noun names a group of things
Example: a pride of lions, a team of soccer players, a school of
fish
Number
Most nouns have a singular and a plural form.
Usually in English we add an ‘s’ to make the singular noun plural.
Example: desk – desks
Some nouns have an irregular plural form.
Examples: man – men, foot – feet, wife – wives
You need to study the irregular forms.
For most nouns, add an ‘s’
For nouns ending in ‘ch, x, s’ or ‘s’-like sounds, add ‘es’
For nouns ending in ‘f’ or ‘fe’, change to ‘ve’
For most nouns ending in ‘o’, add an ‘s’
To some nouns ending in ‘o’, add ‘es’ (learn these)
For most nouns that end in a vowel and ‘y’, add ‘s’
For nouns that end in a consonant and ‘y’, change ‘y’ to
‘ies’
cars, schools, jobs
churches, foxes, buses
elves, loaves, thieves
pianos, videos
heroes, potatoes, tomatoes volcanoes,
boys, days, keys
babies, countries
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Some nouns change a vowel sound when they become
plural
Some nouns have forms from Old English
Some nouns don’t change
The apostrophe is never used to form a plural.
mice, geese, men
children, oxen
species, sheep
SMSs, photos, 1940s
Countable and uncountable nouns
Countable nouns
Most nouns can be counted and have singular and plural forms.
Examples: car – cars, human – humans
Uncountable nouns
Some nouns are uncountable.
Examples: sugar, flour, meat, beef, pork, mutton, chicken (as a food),
advice, algebra, work, homework, equipment, furniture.
You must learn which nouns are uncountable so that you do not make them
plural.
Determiners – articles
Articles are special adjectives that are used before nouns.
 Indefinite article: a book, an apple
 Definite article: the book, the furniture, the apples
When a particular noun is mentioned two or more times, we usually use
the indefinite article (a or an) for the first mention and the definite
article (the) for the second and further mention of the noun.
Example: A man walked into the shop. The man (the same man as in the
previous sentence) bought a newspaper.
If the noun is well-known or is meant to be specially noted, then the
definite article can be used.
Examples: The Koran is a religious text.
Pronouns
Pronouns take the place of a noun and must refer back to the noun. For
this reason it is important that the correct pronoun is used to replace
the noun.
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Types of pronouns
Personal pronouns
First
person
Secon
d
person
Third
person
Singular
Personal
pronoun
as
subject
of a
clause
I
Plural
Personal
pronoun
as subject
of a
clause
Personal
pronoun
as
object of
a clause
Possessiv
e pronoun
Reflexive
pronoun
myself
we
us
ours
ourselves
yours
yourself
you
you
yours
yourselves
hers, his,
its
herself,
himself,
itself
they
them
theirs
themselves
Personal
pronoun
as
object of
a clause
Possessiv
e
pronoun
Reflexive
pronoun
me
mine
you
you
she, he,
it
her, him,
it
Reflexive pronouns
Reflexive pronouns are used to refer back to the subject of the clause.
Examples:
He gave himself enough time to wash the car and water the garden.
You gave yourselves no chance of winning!
Possessive pronouns
Possessive pronouns show ownership.
Examples:
The bag is mine.
The lunch boxes are theirs.
The ball belongs to the dog. It is its ball. (Not it’s!)
Interrogative pronouns
Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions. The interrogative
pronouns are: who, what, whose, which.
Relative pronouns
Relative pronouns are used to refer back to people or things that have
already been mentioned in a different clause in a sentence. The relative
pronouns are: who, which and that.
Adjectives
Adjectives give us information about nouns. They are placed
before the noun or after verbs.
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Descriptive adjectives
Descriptive adjectives tell us more about the noun.
Examples: Green roofs, yellow bricks
Demonstrative adjectives
Demonstrative adjectives point to a specific noun.
Examples: This dog, that cat
Possessive adjectives
Possessive adjectives say who owns an object.
If it belongs to
me
Possessive
adjective
my
you (singular and plural)
your
him
his
her
it is
her
it
its
us
our
them
their
object.
Comparison of adjectives
Adjectives change when you compare things. When an adjective is not
being compared to anything, we say it is in the positive degree.
The adjective takes on the comparative degree when two things are being
compared.
The adjective takes on the superlative degree when three or more things
are being compared.
For most adjectives
e.g. big
For most adjectives that end in ‘y’
e.g. happy
If an adjective is long and would
sound strange if you add ‘er’ or
‘est’
e.g. honest
Some adjectives are irregular, and
you need to learn their
comparative and superlative
degrees.
good
bad
many
To form the comparative
degree
add ‘er’
bigger
change the ‘y’ to ‘i’ and add ‘er’
happier
add the word more before the
adjective
To form the superlative degree
add ‘est’
biggest
change the ‘y’ to ‘i’ and add ‘est’
happiest
add the word most before the
adjective
more honest
most honest
better
worse
more
best
worst
most
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Adverbs
Adverbs give us more information about verbs (they say how something is
done) and more information about adjectives and other adverbs.
They are usually formed by adding ‘ly’ to the end of the adjective,
although there are important exceptions you must look out for.
Types of adverb
There are five types of adverb, and they are always placed in the
sentence in this order:
Adverbs of time
These adverbs tell us when something happens: today, yesterday, later,
now.
Adverbs of manner
These adverbs tell us how something is done: slowly.
Adverbs of place
These adverbs tell us where something happens: inside, outside.
Adverbs of frequency
These adverbs tell how often something happens: always, usually, often,
sometimes, seldom, rarely, never.
Adverbs of reason
These adverbs tell us why something happens: because.
Prepositions
Prepositions show the relationship between two nouns or pronouns.
Common prepositions include: above, across, at, below, behind, by, from,
for, in, near, through, over, under, and with.
Some prepositions consist of more than one word. These compound
prepositions need to be learned.
up to
next to
prior to
according to
in reference to
with respect to
as of
out of
instead of
in place of
by way of
in front of
because of
on account of
ahead of
out of
in spite of
apart from
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Verbs
A verb tells us what action is being performed (or was performed or will
be performed) by the noun or pronoun. Verbs also say what state the noun
or pronoun is (or was or will be) in
Thabo is happy.
He was unhappy.
He will be unhappy when he gets his report.
Transitive and intransitive verbs
Transitive verbs
Transitive verbs are verbs that have an object.
Example: The cows ate the grass. (Ate is the verb, the grass is the
object.)
Intransitive verbs
Intransitive verbs do not have an object.
Example: The girl walked.
Finite and non-finite verbs
Verbs can be finite or non-finite.
Finite verbs
Finite verbs have a subject, have been conjugated to match that subject
and have a tense.
Example: The learner (singular subject) leaves late (third person
singular conjugation, present tense) for school every day.
Non-finite verbs
Non-finite verbs have no subject and have no tense. There are two types
of non-finite verbs.
1. The participle is formed by adding –ing to the verb
Examples: climbing the mountain; walking the dog
2. The infinitive or base form of the verb (often has to in front of
it)
Examples: to cry; to laugh
Auxiliary verbs
An auxiliary verb (or helping verb) is a verb that works with
a non-finite verb to form a finite verb. Important auxiliary
verbs are: be, can, do, must, may, have.
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Verb tenses
The tense of the verb indicates when the action took place (past tense),
is taking place (present tense) or will take place (future tense).
The present tenses
Use
Form
Example
Present continuous
for talking about temporary situations
for talking about something that is
happening at the moment of speaking
be + present participle (The present
participle has the form verb+ing.)
They are learning.
Simple present
for talking about:
habits
things that are generally true
for talking about permanent situations
the ‘usual form’ of the verb
The sun rises.
The past tenses
The past participle is used to form the past tense. We form the past
participle of most verbs by adding ‘ed’ to the end of it.
Example: climb – climbed
Some verbs are irregular in the past tense. You should learn these.
For example:
Go – went
Come – came
Use
Form
Example
Past continuous
for talking about something that was
happening at a past time but had not finished
at that time
was + present participle
were verb + present participle
They were climbing the fence earlier.
The future tenses
Future will
Use
-
for talking about what we think or
believe will happen in the future.
Simple past
for talking about actions or situations in the
past
Verb + ‘ed’ or irregular verb
I wanted to win the prize.
She ate all the crisps.
Future going to
-
for talking about something in the future
which we can see as a result of
something in the present.
for talking about what we intend to do in
the future. The decision has been made.
We use ‘will’ when we decide to do
something at the moment of speaking.
-
Form
will + verb
Example
They will win the prize.
am going to + verb
are going to + verb
is going to + verb
He is going to climb Mount Everest.
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The perfect tenses
A tense is a perfect tense when the action is over and complete. Compare
this to the continuous tenses above. The continuous tenses show that the
action is still continuing.
Use
Form
Example
Use
Form
Example
Use
Form
Example
Present perfect
for action started in the past and continues
to the present. The action is finished.
for talking about what has been achieved in
a period of time.
for situations that are more permanent
Present perfect continuous
for action that may be finished or not
finished.
for situations that are more temporary
for talking about how long something has
been happening
have + verb + ‘ed’
has + verb + ‘ed’
They have talked about this already.
Past perfect
for talking about an event (B) that happened
before another event in the past (A)
have been + present participle
has been + present participle
She has been studying very hard.
Past perfect continuous
for talking about an event (B) that started before
another event in the past (A) and has been
happening up to the point we are talking about
(A)
had + been + present participle
The wind had been blowing for an hour (B)
when it started to rain (A).
had + verb + ‘ed’ or irregular verb
When she arrived (A), I had already gone to
school (B).
Future perfect
for talking about an event (A) that will be completed by a certain time in the future
will + have + verb + ‘ed’ or irregular verb
I will have read the book dinner by tonight.
Revise the notes on tenses on page 37 in your Learner’s Book.
Concord
Concord occurs when the number of the subject agrees with the number of
the verb.
1. Single subjects (for example: I, you, he, she, it, the learner, Mrs
Maki) take verbs in their singular form
Examples:
I learn. (first person singular)
You learn at school. (second person singular)
Mary sings. (third person singular)
2. Plural subjects (for example: we, you [plural], they,
the dogs) take verbs in their plural form
Example:
We run in the rain. (first person plural)
© Via Afrika Publishers
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
You walk in the rain. (second person plural)
The dogs bark in the rain. (third person plural)
If the subject of a sentence is composed of two or more nouns or
pronouns connected by and you must use a verb in its plural form.
Example: Jack and Thabo walk to school every morning.
If two or more singular nouns or pronouns are connected by or, use
a verb in its singular form.
Example: Jack or Thabo must write on the board.
When collective nouns are the subject of the sentence they take a
singular verb. Collective nouns are words that imply more than one
person or thing (herd, flock, crowd) but are considered singular
and take a singular verb.
When the words each, each one, either, neither, everyone,
everybody, anybody, anyone, nobody, somebody, someone, and no one
are used they require verbs in their singular form.
When sentences begin with there is or there are, the subject
follows the verb. Because there is not the subject, the verb agrees
with what follows.
Refer the notes on Concord on page 38 in the Learner Book.
Modals
Modals are verbs that contain the speaker or writer’s subjective view
within their meaning.
Example:
Thato is a teacher. (Certainty is created by the simple present tense.)
Thato may be a teacher. (Doubt is created by the modal. He may or not be
a teacher.)
Purpose of modal
To make a statement
least certainty,
possibility, probability
could be/might be
Strength moves from
to
may
most certainty,
possibility, probability
must
To instruct someone to
do something
To predict something
could
might
must
could/might
may/should
will
To give advice
might/could
had better
must
Revise the notes on Modal verbs on page 88 in your Learner’s
Book.
© Via Afrika Publishers
Active and Passive voice
The voice of the verb tells us whether the subject is doing the action
(active voice) or whether the subject has the action done on or to it
(passive voice).
For example:
Active voice: Enoch Sontonga wrote the hymn.
Passive voice: The hymn was written by Enoch Sontonga.
The passive voice can be in any of the tenses that we have discussed.
Agentless passive
The agentless passive occurs when the agent, or who did the action, is
not stated.
Examples: I have been let down. (By whom?) It has been decided. (By
whom?) The fridge door was left open. (By whom?)
The agentless passive is often used in scientific writing, persuasive
writing and to avoid responsibility.
Examples:
The experiment was performed on the plants. (Notice that there is no-one
who is seen to have actually performed the experiment.)
The window was broken. (Nobody is identified so nobody can be held
responsible.)
Revise the notes on the Active and Passive voice on pages 23 and 74 in
your Learner’s Book.
Logical connectors
Logical connectors are used to join or connect two ideas that have a
relationship to each other. These relationships can be time, cause, and
reason and purpose.
Logical connectors that signal time
Conjunctions
Prepositions
Adverbs
until, after, before, when, while,
during, after, before, since, until,
then, next, after that, following that,
since, once, whenever, as soon as,
upon
before that, afterwards, meanwhile,
as long as, by the
beforehand
time
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Logical connectors that signal cause, reason and purpose
Conjunctions
because, as, since, now that, as
long as, such that, in order that
Prepositions
due to, in order to, because of
Adverbs
therefore
Abbreviations and acronyms and texting symbols
Abbreviations
Abbreviations are the short forms of words that we use in writing.
Rule: If the abbreviation ends on the same letter as the last letter of
the original word, do not add a full stop.
Examples: Doctor becomes Dr but March becomes Mar.
Acronyms
Acronyms are words formed from the first letters or syllables of words
that make up a longer name.
For example:
SADTU – South African Democratic Teachers’ Union
UN – United Nations
WHO – World Health Organisation
Vocabulary: research meaning of words in reading – dictionary
Dictionaries provide a great deal of information about words and how
they should be used and spelled.
The common features of dictionaries are:
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Headword
Pronunciation
Part of
speech
Etymology (history)
(Extract from The Chambers Dictionary and Thesaurus on CD-ROM v1.0)
Unit 2: Phrases, clauses and sentences
Phrases
A phrase is a
phrase has to
in a sentence
prepositions,
group of words that does not contain a finite verb. A
be part of a sentence and cannot stand on its own. Phrases
work as a part of speech e.g.: verbs, adjectives,
adverbs and nouns.
Verb phrase
This phrase does the work of a verb.
Example: This afternoon I will be reading for the test tomorrow.
Adjectival phrase
This phrase gives more information about a noun.
Example: The man with the big white hat knocked at the door.
Prepositional phrase
This phrase connects nouns and pronouns (and noun phrases) to other
nouns, pronouns and noun phrases.
Example: This afternoon I will be studying for the test tomorrow.
Adverbial phrase
This phrase gives more information about a verb.
Example: Thabo will run with pride at the race on Saturday. (three
phrases)
Clauses
A clause is group of words that contains a finite verb.
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Independent clauses can stand alone as a simple sentence.
Example: The pen fell on the floor.
Dependent clauses must be joined to an independent clause so that they
can make sense.
Examples: when they left; because he wanted to
Types of dependent clauses
1. Noun clauses perform the same function as nouns.
Example: What the young girl did saddened her parents.
2. Adverbial clauses answer:
o Why?
Example: She failed because she did not study.
o When?
Example: He began to train as soon as he bought running
shoes.
o Where?
Example: He began to run where he found open spaces.
o For what purpose?
Example: He started to train so that he could win his race.
o With what consequence?
Example: He ran so fast that nobody could keep up with him.
o Under what conditions?
Example: He cannot win unless he trains every day.
3. Adjectival clauses give us more information about a noun.
Adjectival clauses are also called relative clauses. There are two
types of adjectival clause:
o defining adjectival clauses give us more information about
the noun so that we can understand better
Example: The learner who lives in the squatter camp works
very hard.
o Non-defining adjectival clauses give us more information, but
this information is not important to our understanding
Example: Learners, who come to school using different types
of transport, arrive late every day.
Sentence types
A simple sentence is a group of words that contains a finite verb and
makes sense.
Examples: She fed the dog. They will all leave their homes at
the same time.
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Statements
Statements end with a full stop and state a fact or opinion or make an
arrangement.
Examples: It is cold.
Questions
Questions end with a question mark and are intended to find out
information.
Example: Why is the sky blue?
Commands
Commands end with an exclamation mark and are an order to do something.
Example: Come here!
Exclamations
Exclamations are expressions of surprise or a loud cry.
Example: Ow!
Compound and complex sentences
Compound sentences
Compound sentences are made up by joining two sentences with a
conjunction.
Example:
She read. She ate.
She read and ate.
Complex sentences
Complex sentences are made up using an independent and a dependent
clause.
Examples: We could not study because the noise was too loud.
Revise the notes on conjunctions on page 142 in your Learner Book.
The subject, object and predicate of a sentence
A sentence can be divided up according to what function each part plays
in the sentence.
Subject
The subject of the sentence is who or what does the action.
Example: The girl hit the ball.
To find the subject of a sentence ask: Who or what did
the verb?
Answer: The girl
© Via Afrika Publishers
Predicate
The predicate of a sentence is the verb and object together. If there is
no object then the predicate is simply the verb.
Examples:
The boy climbed the fence.
Subject = The boy
Predicate = climbed the fence
Thabo laughed.
Subject = Thabo
Predicate = laughed.
Object
The object receives the action of the verb in a sentence.
Example:
The boy climbed the fence.
To find the object of a sentence ask ‘who’ or ‘what?’
The boy climbed whom or what?
Answer: the fence.
There are two kinds of objects:
1. The direct object is used when the action of the verb affects the
person or thing.
Example: The girl wrote her notes.
Subject = The girl
Did the action of the verb affect an object? Yes, the notes
were written.
Direct object = her notes
2. The indirect object is the person for whom or the thing for which
the action of the verb and its object is done.
Example: The boy gave his friend some money.
Subject = The boy
Did the action of the verb affect an object? Yes, the money
was given.
Direct object: some money
Was there a person for whom or thing for which the action of
the verb and its object were done? Yes, his friend.
Indirect object: his friend
© Via Afrika Publishers
Unit 3: Punctuation
In spoken language we have no punctuation. We listen for pauses to know
when something ends, and can hear by the speaker’s voice that he or she
is asking a question. In writing we need punctuation to make the writing
easier to read and understand.
Punctuation at the end of sentences
Full stop
The full stop is used to indicate the end of a statement or to show that
a word has been abbreviated.
Question mark
A question mark indicates that the sentence is a direct question.
Exclamation mark
The exclamation mark is used to show a sharp cry, a loud statement or an
emotional outburst.
Ellipsis
Ellipsis is used to show an incomplete thought or idea.
Example: She walked into the square, thinking that …
Quotation marks or inverted commas
Quotation marks are used to show the exact words that were used by a
speaker or writer.
They are also used to show the title of a poem or short story.
Punctuation within sentences
Comma
The comma is used to separate words or phrases in a list.
The comma is used in direct speech to show that a speech is
about to start.
© Via Afrika Publishers
Ellipsis
Ellipsis can also be used to show that words have been left out of a
quotation in a sentence.
Dashes
Dashes are used to bracket words or phrases from the rest of the
sentence.
Example: He ran – no matter the weather – every night.
Dashes can also be used to show that there has been a change of idea or
thought.
Example: She left – does it really matter?
Colons
Colons are used to show that a list is starting.
Example: She bought: books, pencils, pens, paper, scissors, ink and a
ruler.
Colons are used in plays or dialogues after the speaker or character’s
name to show who is speaking.
We use a colon if we offer an explanation after a clause that can stand
on its own as a complete sentence. Example: You need to leave right now:
it is getting dark.
Parenthesis
Parenthesis is used to separate words, phrases or clauses from the rest
of the sentence that are not needed to make the sentence grammatically
correct. Brackets, commas and dashes can be used for parenthesis.
Example: The learners asked the principal (Mr Jacobs) to talk to them.
Punctuation within words
Apostrophe
The apostrophe is used to show that letters have been left out of a
word.
The apostrophe is also used to show possession when it is used with ‘s’.
Examples: The book of Thabo = Thabo’s book (When the name ends in
an ‘s’ you don’t need to add an ‘s’: Thomas’ book)
The books of the girls = the girls’ books
© Via Afrika Publishers
Hyphens
Hyphens are found inside words and are used to form compound words.
Example: father-in-law
Bold print and italics
Bold type is most used to highlight important information.
Italics are used to show the name of a book, play or film title.
They can also be used in an English text to show that a word is a
foreign one: status quo.
When we are writing direct speech italics can be used to show the way in
which the speaker said something. The italics emphasise the word.
When we write, we underline words that would be in bold or in italics.
© Via Afrika Publishers
Unit 4: Direct and Indirect speech
Direct speech
We use direct speech to record the exact words spoken by someone.
Follow these rules
1. Use quotation marks to indicate actual words.
2. Put the punctuation mark inside the quotation marks.
3. If the speech is introduced with words like said, asked,
etc., put a comma after the word.
4. Start the speaker’s words with a capital letter.
Indirect speech
We use indirect speech to report what someone said.
Changing direct speech into indirect speech
Follow these rules
1. Remove the quotation marks.
2. Insert ‘that’ before the original words that were spoken.
3. Change the personal pronouns to third person pronouns.
4. Change the tense so that it is one tense back in time.
5. Change questions to statements. Use words like asked, queried, etc.
to show that it was a question in the original. Change exclamations
to statements.
6. Change demonstrative adjectives (this, these) and possessive
adjectives (my, your) one step further away. This becomes that;
these becomes those; my becomes his or her
7. Change adverbs of time and place correctly. Indirect speech is
always one step away from the direct speech. For example, today
becomes that day.
8.
Direct speech
today
yesterday
tomorrow
this week/month/year
next week/month/year
last week/month/year
here
Indirect speech
that day
the day before
the next day
that week/month/year
the following week/month/year
the previous week/month/year
there
Revise the notes on page 24 in your Learner’s Book.
© Via Afrika Publishers
Unit 5: More about language
Figurative language
Figurative language is language that is used in a creative, non-factual
way. Figurative language is used in literary texts and advertising. It
creates images in our minds that make the text more interesting and
vivid. Political persuasive writing also uses figurative language to
achieve its goal. (See Section 2 Reading and viewing in this Study Guide
for more on figures of speech.)
Idioms and proverbs
Idioms
Idioms are distinct expressions that are peculiar to a language and
whose meaning may not be easily understood simply by looking at the
words that make it up. In English, for example, the following idiomatic
expressions mean ‘to die’: to kick the bucket, to go to a better place,
to go to the other side, to pass on, to meet your maker.
Proverbs
Proverbs are short sayings that aim to teach a life lesson. They are
specific to a language and are often misunderstood because they cannot
be taken literally.
Example: Don’t cry over spilt milk. This advises us not to waste time
being sorry for what has already happened.
Register
Register is the form of language used in specific contexts and
situations. Register runs on a scale from low register to high register.
Register in a text can be identified by the choice of words – the more
complex the words, the higher the register – and the length of sentences
– the more complex the sentence structure, the higher the register.
© Via Afrika Publishers
Jargon
Jargon is the use of terms and language specific to an occupation, hobby
or sport. Between and among members of the same group these words are
called terminology. But, to an outsider who is excluded because she or
he does not understand, the words are called jargon.
Examples: curriculum, assessment – educational terminology to a teacher
but jargon to a person not in the education sector
Slang
Slang is made up of words and phrases that are used in informal speech.
It is often specific to particular social groups and will not be easily
understood by people from outside the group.
Slang is often used in computer texts like SMSs and Tweets.
Colloquial language
Colloquial language is informal language and includes expressions and
words that are not acceptable in formal speech and writing.
Example: Howzit? (Hello, how are you?) I’m gonna go to the shop. Wanna
come with me?
Colloquial language is different to slang because colloquial expressions
are often used by many speakers of a language whereas slang is limited
to specific social groups.
© Via Afrika Publishers
Unit 6: How is Language structures and conventions assessed?
Language skills are tested in context. This means that you must
understand how to use the language, but you will not be asked to define
terms or explain a language term.
Tasks
Your
Term
Term
Term
Term
language skills will be tested four times in Grade 12.
1 – Task 4: Test 1 Language in context
2 – Task 8: Mid-year exam
3 – Task 10: Test 2 Language in context
4 – Final exam
The final exam
Paper 1 counts 80 marks and has to be completed within 2 hours.
The paper is divided into three sections.
SECTION A: Comprehension (30)
A range of texts can be used including visual and or graphic texts.
SECTION B: Summary: (10)
You are required to write a summary of 60–70 words.
SECTION C: Language (40)
You will be asked to analyse an advertisement.
You will be asked language questions based on a cartoon.
Language structures and conventions will be tested by asking you to
complete a number of activities.
© Via Afrika Publishers
Section 5: Exam papers
Paper 1 Language in context
2 Hours
SECTION A: COMPREHENSION
QUESTION 1
Read the passage below carefully and then answer the questions that
follow.


Use your own words unless you are asked to quote.
Answer in full sentences unless you are instructed otherwise.
The Servamus* Interview with Deon Meyer
*Servamus is the official magazine for the members of the South African Police Services.
Inge Papp, 21 December 2007
1
Deon Meyer has been hailed as South Africa's best crime thriller writer. His work is
written in Afrikaans and has been translated into English, French, Spanish, Italian,
Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Czech, Romanian, Slovakian, Bulgarian and German.
International and local reviewers have praised his work, and said that Meyer is a
writer to be taken seriously both as an entertainer and a social commentator.
2
Meyer's books are peopled with colourful South African characters who reflect the
multilayered world of crime and policing. The art of Meyer's writing lies in
simultaneously drawing the reader in with a gripping whirlwind plot as well as
introducing the reader to characters whose private lives and emotions develop and
deepen in meaning throughout the novel, and about whom one can't help but care.
He expertly drops clues and red herrings through the narrative, with hooks and twists
that keep the reader in suspense until the very last couple of pages. At the same time
the reader gets a close look at a character's very soul, with the chinks in their armour
readily apparent, and watches with empathy as the character gets hurt, hardens,
becomes weighed down with troubles, gains the courage to face their demons, gets
up and grows.
3
The framework in which the novels are set is a real South African world, complete
with familiar places and culture. While he insists that his first intention is to entertain,
he also uses the novels as a vehicle to examine South African politics – something he
does with wise and elegant insight. He is sensitive to the less obvious aspects of the
political transition in South Africa, and how police members were and still are directly
affected by it. The work is impressively researched, and it is clear he has taken care
to get the details right, especially where crime investigation procedures such as
ballistics are concerned.
© Via Afrika Publishers
4
His characters include:
Capt Mat Joubert, the morose detective who struggles to come to terms with his wife
who was killed in the line of duty;
Zatopek van Heerden, the former cop who is busy living under a self-destructive dark
cloud;
D/Insp Bennie Griessel, the alcoholic who desperately seeks redemption; and
Thobela Mpayipheli, AKA Artemis, the assegai-wielding vigilante and former freedom
fighter.
5
His novel, Onsigbaar/Blood Safari, follows the adventures of Lemmer, a hard-boiled
freelance bodyguard who becomes entangled in a web of corruption, political intrigue
and conspiracy when he takes what appears to be a fairly straight-forward job.
6
The characters are deeply flawed and undeniably human, and sometimes have to
make a long and difficult journey out of hellishly deep pits of self-pity and guilt. As
they make baby steps toward healing their past wounds, the success of their work is
intertwined with their sense of self. Meyer also writes heady and startlingly effective
scenes depicting the pain of those affected by crime, such as the families of victims.
His peripheral characters take on full-bodied lives of their own, even moments before
those lives are cut short by a roving killer. Another steady presence in Meyer's novels
is the media, and his previous experience in the field equips him with the knowledge
to depict their behaviour accurately. Journalists and editors make regular
appearances, sometimes getting closely involved in the plot and sometimes
remaining on the sidelines, often providing some Image welcome comic relief.
7
Some years ago Deon Meyer spent two weeks with what was then the Murder and
Robbery Squad, and had interviews with the detectives. After that initial research he
really got a feel for their work environment.
8
In the early 1980s he did a lot of crime reporting, and he got to know some of the
detectives on a personal level and really gained empathy for their plight, got a feel for
what an incredibly pressurised, traumatic job they do. He sees it as part of his
responsibility to show readers what a tremendous thing it is to be a member of SAPS.
9
He would love it if a detective read his work and would appreciate some feedback. He
is deeply appreciative of their hard work and if there is anything he would like to say
to the South African Police Force, it would be “Thank you.”
http://www.deonmeyer.com/interviews/servamus.html
1.1
What is the function of the asterisk (*) in the title of the
article?
(1)
1.2 Refer to paragraph 1
1.2.1 What proof is there in this paragraph that Deon Meyer’s books are
enjoyed all over the world?
(1)
1.2.2 Using your OWN words explain what it means to be “taken
seriously.”
(2)
1.3
Refer to paragraph 2
© Via Afrika Publishers
1.3.1 Do Deon Meyer’s books take place in South Africa? Answer
and quote nine consecutive words to justify your answer.
1.3.2 Quote two separate words that summarise what people find
interesting about Deon Meyer’s books.
1.3.3 Choose the best explanation for “see the chinks in their
from the list below. You need only write down the letter
choice.
A: problems with their love affairs
B: see their weaknesses
C: hear them talking
D: like them a lot
YES or NO
(1)
most
(2)
armour”
of your
(1)
1.4 Refer to paragraph 3
1.4.1 There are two goals Deon Meyer would like to achieve with his
books. Briefly explain what these goals are.
(2)
1.4.2 How does Deon Meyer ensure that his books make sense and are true
to real life?
(1)
1.5 Refer to paragraph 4
1.5.1 What do the following abbreviations stand for?
A: Capt
B: Insp
(2)
1.5.2 Which one of the characters in this paragraph is often depressed?
You need only write down the name.
(1)
1.5.3 Which one of these characters drinks too much? You need only write
down the name.
(1)
1.6 Refer to paragraph 5
1.6.1 What would you literally find that is “hard-boiled”?
(1)
1.6.2 What do you think the idiomatic expression “hard-boiled” means?
(1)
1.7 Refer to paragraph 6
1.7.1 What, according to Deon Meyer, happens when you are successful at
what you do?
(2)
1.7.2 The passage refers to the victims of crimes and their families. Why
do you think are “families” also included in the sentence?
(2)
1.7.3 Why do you think, are journalists also included in this paragraph?
(1)
1.8 Refer to paragraph 7
1.8.1 Find a synonym for “first” in this paragraph.
(1)
1.8.2 Quote two consecutive words that mean the same as “place of work.”
(1)
1.9 Refer to paragraph 8
1.9.1 Deon Meyer did a lot of “crime reporting.” What does
this tell you about the kind of work he did before he became
an author?
(1)
© Via Afrika Publishers
1.9.2 What did Deon Meyer learn about being a policeman when he was
“crime reporting?” Take care to use your own words.
(2)
1.10 Refer to paragraph 9
Give the correct form of the words in brackets. You need only write
the letter and the word of your choice.
Deon Meyer really (1.10.1 appreciative) the work the police do. He
knows that they are (1.10.2 work) very hard to keep people safe. He
is really (1.10.3 thank).
(3)
[30]
SECTION B: SUMMARY
QUESTION 2
Your group of friends is going to study at the same university next
year. You have come across the brochure copied below. Read it carefully
and then wrote down seven tips for you and your friends to help you
achieve your dream of getting a degree.





Write seven short but full sentences of no more than 10 words each.
Indicate the number of words in each sentence.
Use your OWN words as far as possible.
Write down the number of words in each sentence.
Take care not to repeat the same ideas as different tips.
TIPS ON HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
The following are keys to successful study techniques
Have a positive attitude and believe in your abilities to be successful. You’ve been selected
and admitted to the course and therefore you can do it!
When negative thoughts pop into your mind or you hear other students warning you about
how many students fail a specific subject, tell yourself that you are not going to be one of
them. Stop worrying and start studying. Don’t waste your time and energy on fears and
rumours.
Create an optimal study environment. Have a table or desk, which you can exclusively use
to study at. Have enough light and make sure that you do not get disturbed during your fixed
study periods. Put a “PLEASE DO NOT DISTURB” sign on your door.
Have all the necessary equipment ready, including stationery, prescribed textbooks,
dictionaries and exercise books for summaries.
Manage your time wisely. Use a timetable to allocate time daily for studies and preparation
of assignments. Tell your friends not to disturb you during these time-slots.
Attend all your classes. Take notes in class. This will help you to focus your attention on the
lecture. Participate in class. Ask questions to clarify the work you don’t understand.
© Via Afrika Publishers
Don’t fall behind. Catch up as soon as possible when you have missed a class or a study
session. First get an overview before you start making summaries. Identify possible test
questions and write them down. Test yourself during each study period by either writing the
answers down or by reciting them.
Make sure you have all the dates for your tests and examinations well in advance.
Plan your preparation. Do not start studying the night before.
(10)
SECTION C: Language in context
Question 3: Visual literacy
Study the cartoon that follows carefully and then answer the questions
based on it.
3.1 Rewrite the question the boy asks his teacher as a full sentence.
(2)
3.2 What is the teacher’s attitude towards the boy? Explain your answer
by referring to how the cartoonist has drawn her.
(3)
3.3 Correct all the language errors on the board.
(4)
3.4 What comment is the cartoonist making about education?
(1)
Question 3 continues on the following page.
© Via Afrika Publishers
3.5
Write down the name of the product being advertised.
(1)
© Via Afrika Publishers
3.6Write down the name of the range of products to which this particular
product belongs.
(1)
3.7 Write down the name of the manufacturer of the product.
(1)
3.8Refer to the slogan “Cool, calm, Nutri-B.”
What does this slogan mean in the context of the advertisement? (1)
3.9 Read the text very carefully and mention two reasons why students
should take Nutri-B
(2)
3.10 Read the marked section in copy of the advertisement. Use the
information given in the text to supply suitable words in the
sentences below. You need only write down the number and the word
you have chosen
(4)
The B complex vitamins will make you more (3.10.1) because it helps to
(3.10.2) down food. The nutrients will be (3.10.3) into your body over 8
hours. This will keep you (3.10.4) for much longer.
[20]
Question 4: Language in action
Read the short blog entry below and then answer the questions based on
it. The sentences have been numbered to make it easier to answer the
questions.
1.Today was my first day at work.
2.I was very nervous when I entered the huge office and sat down
at my desk.
3.None of my co-workers really spoke to me.
The manager came to tell me what to do.
I had to wait for ages. (and, before)
4.The office is quiet big and their are about twenty people doing
different kinds off jobs.
5.I am not quite sure what my job (describe) is.
6.I do many things.
7.I have to type all my manager’s reports and file all his notes.
8.I guess that makes me the secretary.
9.But then I also have a) ____ make the manager b) ____tea and
serve it c) ___ a tray.
10. Does that make me the tea girl?
11. Oh, I forgot to introduce myself.
12. My name is Michele.
13. I (write) matric last year and I (decide) to take a gap
year.
14. To find myself.
15. I am a) ____ little worried b) _____ I may never find myself
in c) _____office.
4.1 Rewrite Michele’s words in Sentence 2 in reported
speech. Start your answer:
Michele said that …
(2)
© Via Afrika Publishers
4.2 Use the conjunctions in the sentence marked 3 to write a complex
sentence. You may need to rearrange the sentences.
(3)
4.3 There are three errors in Sentence 4. Rewrite the sentence and
underline your corrections.
(3)
4.4 Write down the correct form of ‘describe’ in Sentence 5.
(1)
4.5 Read Sentence 7 carefully and then supply the missing words in the
sentence below.
All the manager’s files ______ filed _____ Michele.
(2)
4.6 Supply suitable options for the missing words in Sentence 9.
(3)
4.7 Rewrite Sentence 13 and supply the correct form of the words in
brackets. Underline your corrections.
(2)
4.8 Rewrite Sentence 14 as a complete sentence.
(1)
4.9 Supply suitable words for Sentence 15.
(3)
[20]
TOTAL: 80
© Via Afrika Publishers
Paper 3 Writing
2½ hours
INSTRUCTIONS AND INFORMATION
1. Start each section on a NEW page.
2. Write neatly and legibly.
3. Pay attention to spelling, sentence construction and
4. language.
Number the answers correctly according to the numbering
system used in this question paper.
CHOICE OF ANSWERS
1. This question paper consists of THREE sections, namely
SECTION A, SECTION B and SECTION C.
SECTION A: Creative writing
(50 marks)
SECTION B: Longer transactional writing
(30 marks)
SECTION C: Shorter pieces
(20 marks)
2. You are required to answer ONE question from EACH section.
3. There must be evidence that you have planned, proof-read
and edited your work.
SECTION A: CREATIVE WRITING
Question 1
(50)
Write an essay of 250–300 words on ONE of the following topics.
Supply your essay with a title.
Indicate the number of words you have written.
Write down the number of the topic you have chosen.
1.1
TV rules or lives
© Via Afrika Publishers
1.2
Write a personal account of your interaction with the person described
below. Write 250–300 words.
I thought he was just another beggar in
the street until I asked him his name…
1.3
If you really want to hear about it, the first thing
you'll probably want to know is where I was born, and
what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents
were occupied and all before they had me, and all that
David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like
going into it, if you want to know the truth.
These are the opening lines of the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D.
Salinger. Write the next 250–300 words that you imagine would follow.
SECTION B: LONGER TRANSACTIONAL TEXTS
Question 2
(30)
Respond to ONE of the following topics.
The body of your answer should be 120–150 words.
Pay attention to the following:
 Audience, register, tone and style
 Choice of words and language structures
 Format
 Indicate the number of words you have written.
 Write down the number of the topic you have chosen.
2.1 Formal speech
Your best friend has just achieved the Gold Level of the prestigious
President’s Award described below, which included impactful work in the
community. You have been asked to introduce her at a formal dinner in
her honour. Write your formal introduction in which you discuss her work
and say why she is such a worthy recipient.
© Via Afrika Publishers
THE AWARD PROGRAMME AND ITS INTERNATIONAL AFFILIATION
The Award Programme was first introduced in the United Kingdom in 1956 as The Duke of
Edinburgh's Award. The aim was to motivate young people to become involved in a balanced
programme of voluntary self-development activities to take them through the potentially difficult
period between adolescence and adulthood.
Today, the Award Programme through the network of The Duke of Edinburgh's International
Award Association, is operated in more than 140 countries, with 25 in Africa.
In South Africa, the Award Programme started out as the Gold Shield Award in 1983 and 11
years later, in 1994, with the dawn of the new democratic South Africa, was relaunched as The
President's Award for Youth Empowerment, with then South African President, Nelson
Mandela as the Founding Patron-in-Chief.
Acknowledgement: The President’s Award for Youth Empowerment Trust.
2.2 Personal letter
Your family has always spent
Christmas together. This year your
best friend’s parents have invited
you to spend Christmas with them
skiing in the Alps. You have
decided to write your parents a
letter in which you literally beg
them to allow you to go with them.
2.3 Magazine article
You have noticed that most of your friends have become more and more
obsessed with losing weight. You decide to write an article about this
unhealthy trend for your school magazine.
2.4 Letter to the press
You have come across the following letter in the newspaper.
Write a letter to the press in which you respond to the
writer’s comments.
© Via Afrika Publishers
So many times I’ve seen Mxit and other IM applications
dubbed ‘evil’ and that they ‘just cause harm’. I say –
RUBBISH!
The dangers of using an application like Mxit is that open
forums are available and yes, you meet strangers. That,
however, is where the danger stops. From then on it’s all
about choice! You’re not forced to give out ANY personal
information. Not your real name, address, telephone number –
nothing. It all comes down to whether or not you choose to
do so.
SECTION C: SHORTER TRANSACTIONAL TEXTS
Question 3
(20)
Respond to ONE of the following topics.
The body of your answer should be 80-100 words.
Pay attention to the following:
 Audience, register, tone and style
 Choice of words and language structures
 Format
 Indicate the number of words you have written.
 Write down the number of the topic you have chosen.
3.1 INSTRUCTIONS
Write down ten tips on how to dress for the perfect date.
3.2 ADVERTISEMENT
Design a better advertisement for the farmer who designed the one below.
He would like to submit it for publication in the local newspaper.
3.3 DIARY ENTRY
Dear diary
This has been the toughest day of my life…………….
© Via Afrika Publishers
Complete the diary entry.
TOTAL: 100
Section 6: Answers to exam papers
Paper 1 Language in context
Question 1
1.1
It indicates that the term “Servamus” will be
explained.
(1)
1.2.1
1.2.2
His books have been translated into several languages.
People think highly of you and respect your views.
(1)
(2)
1.3.1
YES
“Meyer's books are peopled with colourful South African
characters”
“plot”
“character”
B: see their weaknesses
1.3.2
1.3.3
1.4.1
1.4.2
1.5.1
He wants people to enjoy reading his books.
He wants to teach people about the politics of South
Africa.
He does a lot of research.
(1)
(2)
(1)
(2)
(1)
1.5.2
1.5.3
A: Captain
B: Inspector
Capt Mat Joubert
Insp Bennie Griessel
(2)
(1)
(1)
1.6.1
1.6.2
An egg is literally hard boiled.
It means that you are very stubborn.
(1)
(1)
1.7.1
1.7.2
You start believing in yourself again.
If a member of your family is hurt or killed by a
criminal you also suffer with them or you suffer the
loss of their lives.
Journalists report crimes and always know what is going
on.
(2)
initial
“work environment”
(1)
(1)
1.7.3
1.8.1
1.8.2
(2)
(1)
© Via Afrika Publishers
1.9.1
1.9.2
He was a journalist.
He learnt that being a policeman is very stressful and
that they take their work very seriously.
1.10.1 appreciates
1.10.2 working
1.10.3 thankful
(1)
(2)
(1)
(1)
(1)
[30]
Question 2
You are awarded 1 mark for each point. Up to three marks are awarded for
correct language. Award yourself one mark each of the points listed
below. Ask a friend to award the three language marks.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
You must have a positive attitude.
Remind yourself of your long-term goals.
Create an optimal study environment.
Manage your time wisely.
Attend all your classes.
Keep with your work and summaries every night.
Make sure you have all the dates for tests and exams.
(10)
Question 3
3.1 Your answer must include subject and finite verb
Are we going to learn spelling?
2
3.2 The teacher has a superior attitude. Her hands are on her hips and
the she is looking down at the boy.
3
3.3 Your answers have to perfectly correct.
today’s lesson
reading
writing
arithmetic
4
3.4 Teachers do not always know the subjects they are teaching.
1
3.5
3.6
3.7
3.8.
3.9
Nutri-B
1
Vitaforce
1
PharmaNutara
1
You will be relaxed while studying.
1
You are often tired because there is so much to do every day and
you have lots of responsibilities.
2
3.10.1
energetic
break
3.10.2
3.10.3
released
3.10 4
going
4
(20)
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Question 4
4.1 Michele said that she was very nervous when she entered the huge
office and sat down at her desk.
2
4.2 None of my co-workers really spoke to me and I had to wait for ages
before the manger came to tell me what to do.
3
4.3 The office is quite big and there are about twenty people doing
3
different kinds of jobs.
4.4 description
1
4.5 All the manager’s files are filed by Michele.
2
4.6
a) to
b) his c) on
3
4.7 I wrote matric last year and decided to take a gap year. 2
4.8 I want to find myself.
4.9 a) a
b) that c) this
3
(20)
© Via Afrika Publishers