Last Minute Advice Reminders AICE English General Paper

  • Slides: 23
Download presentation
Last Minute Advice & Reminders! AICE English General Paper Review

Last Minute Advice & Reminders! AICE English General Paper Review

Exam Prep ● Review your notes! Read all the powerpoints and notes we have

Exam Prep ● Review your notes! Read all the powerpoints and notes we have taken all year. Read the powerpoints from the review sessions, especially if you didn’t actually attend them. ● Know YOUR weaknesses! Look over old essays and take note of the errors you tend to make in regards to grammar. Do you tend to use contractions? Forget to capitalize proper nouns? Use colloquial words or phrases? Make errors with comma splices, parallel structure, or subject verb agreement? Apostrophes? (Puppy killer!) Make note of the THREE most common mistakes YOU make so you will be more aware of them when you’re taking the exam. ● Get a GOOD quality ink pen (or several!) so your handwriting will be legible. ● It may be cliche, but it’s good advice- be sure to get a good night’s sleep tonight and eat a good breakfast. You don’t want to be lightheaded and unfocused due to lack of sleep or nutrients. Don’t be up studying all night!

Exam Day: What to Expect ● Come see me before you go to 1

Exam Day: What to Expect ● Come see me before you go to 1 st period. ● Go to the bathroom BEFORE the exam!!! ● Everyone will go to the gym at the all-call. Boys will enter on the basketball court side and girls will enter through the high school side. You MUST leave all backpacks, INCLUDING cell phones, smart watches, etc. in the locker room. You can ONLY take your pens inside the gym with you. ● There will be index cards with your name and candidate number on a desk. That is where you will sit. ● During the exam, if you need additional paper, raise your hand to ask a proctor. They can give you an extension booklet. They CANNOT help you in any other way, other than to give you a pen if yours runs out of ink. ● IF YOU ARE LATE YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO TEST!!! ● IF YOU DON’T SHOW UP YOU WILL HAVE TO REIMBURSE THE SCHOOL AND YOU’LL NEVER BE ALLOWED TO TAKE AN AICE

Exam Day: What to Expect ● You will be given a generic testing booklet

Exam Day: What to Expect ● You will be given a generic testing booklet to write in. You can write all over it as long as you don’t write on any barcodes or anywhere it says “Do Not Write in this space. ” Because this is a generic booklet that is used for many different tests there will be some parts that don’t apply to you, like the column on the left that says “part. ” Don’t worry about this; it doesn’t apply to you. The only thing you would write in there is your PROMPT NUMBER. ● Read the FRONT PAGE of every booklet you’re given in EACH AICE test you take. There can be important information there. In some tests you will have to LABEL your responses, although not in English General Paper. ● You will NOT be given a separate planning sheet like in the FSA, but your booklet will have 12 pages of lined paper. You can plan on the first page and then start your essay, or skip to the last page and plan. However you want to do it is fine. If you need more paper, extension booklets will be available.

Exam Day: What to Expect ● You MUST use pen, blue or black ink,

Exam Day: What to Expect ● You MUST use pen, blue or black ink, and you can write on both sides of the papers, but make sure you’re not so heavy handed that your pen bleeds through, or make sure you have a pen that won’t bleed. ● Reading Comp: Allocate your time based on marks. Don’t spend a whole lot of time on low mark questions. ● You can start with whichever section you want (A, logic and reason, or B, prose) but once you start a section I would recommend sticking to the order given. The questions tend to build on each other and start with lower mark questions. ● IF you skip a question, don’t forget to go BACK to it! There is a CHANCE there could be a question that involves a little math (as we saw in the practice tests) so if you’re like me and that one would take a while, you can skip it, but go back! ● ANSWER EVERY QUESTION! Remember that they don’t TAKE marks away, so there is no penalty for getting a question “wrong”!

Before You Write- PLAN ● Read ALL of the prompts EXCEPT the last three.

Before You Write- PLAN ● Read ALL of the prompts EXCEPT the last three. Remember that they will still be in the ORDER they used to be, meaning section 3 prompts will be at the bottom. Don’t be tempted! They tend to get more difficult the further down the list they go! ● Ask yourself: Which one do I have enough knowledge about to discuss intelligently? Which one pops out at me? Can I already think of concrete examples for any of them? ● Breakdown the prompt! Attack the nouns. Identify and break down the broad terms and be aware of the limiting terms. Make note of any key words and write down any synonyms for those words. ● Decide on your perspectives. Which two perspectives do you want to focus on for this topic? Put them at the top of your T chart. ● Make your MAIN POINTS. Remember that your points in your T chart will be the basis for your TOPIC SENTENCES in your body paragraphs.

Before You Write- PLAN! ● Think of CONCRETE examples for each MAIN POINT in

Before You Write- PLAN! ● Think of CONCRETE examples for each MAIN POINT in your T chart. Remember that these will be the support for your argument, and the more specific the better! Try to go for the example trifecta! If you can’t think of ANY concrete examples, START OVER! Pick a new prompt! ● Look at your main points. Think of how you can group them in order to craft a concise thesis statement. Remember, you don’t want a big long list! Your thesis should be ONE, CONCISE sentence. Write it on your planning sheet. ● Look at your thesis and your points. What is the logical conclusion that you want to come to at the end of your essay? Write your final judgment on your planning sheet. ● Think about the future of your topic. Think about the “Next Step” of your thesis. What will happen if people don’t listen to your argument? What will happen if they do? What is a possible solution to this problem? What possibilities exist in the future? Write your “Next Step” on your planning sheet.

Your Approach ● Don’t forget to use the appropriate tone based on your approach!

Your Approach ● Don’t forget to use the appropriate tone based on your approach! If you’re writing discursively, use softer language and sentences structures. Be sure to use words like “Some people believe…” and “Some people think…” If you’re writing argumentatively, you can be more forceful. ● If you’re writing an argumentative essay, DON’T FORGET YOUR COUNTERCLAIM AND REBUTTAL!!! This is a VITAL part of your essay! ● If you’re writing a discursive essay, make sure your essay is relatively balanced! ● No matter what, you are ARGUING!!! Be sure you’re essay is not reading like an expository/ informational essay!

Your Introduction ● Write your prompt at the top of your page AND YOUR

Your Introduction ● Write your prompt at the top of your page AND YOUR PROMPT NUMBER. Writing the prompt isn’t required by AICE, but writing the number is and it’s a good idea to have the prompt written there as well so you can keep looking at it as you write to be sure you’re staying focused. ● Hook- Can you think of an appropriate quote, an interesting fact, or a familiar reference to catch your reader’s attention? If not, just start. You don’t HAVE to have a hook. You could leave a line or two and come back to it later if you think of one. ● What are some of the many interpretations of the prompt that you came up with during your breakdown? Include them in your intro. ● Narrow your scope. Make it clear which perspective YOU will be taking. ● Define terms, if necessary. Remember that it’s sometimes a fine line between informing your reader and insulting their intelligence! ● Does thesis you wrote during planning still work? If so, slap it on there! If not,

Your Body Paragraphs ● Use topic sentences at the start of each body paragraph.

Your Body Paragraphs ● Use topic sentences at the start of each body paragraph. This sentence should tell your reader EXACTLY what this paragraph is about, and EVERY SENTENCE in the paragraph should relate back to this MAIN IDEA. ● Use transitional words or phrases or seamless transitions at the START of each paragraph, and WITHIN the body paragraph to show your ideas relate to one another. ● Remember PEEL- Point (topic sentence) evidence/examples, elaborate/explain, and LINK! SHOW how your examples relate to the main idea/topic sentence. ● Be sure to use nuanced language to introduce your output/elaboration. (“This seems to indicate…” etc) ● Concrete, specific, real world examples are the BEST support! Use hypothetical examples ONLY to add to the concrete ones you already have, or if you can’t think of ANY concrete ones. But don’t use ALL hypothetical examples in your essay.

Your Conclusion ● Review your conclusion starters before the exam so you don’t use

Your Conclusion ● Review your conclusion starters before the exam so you don’t use the tired old “In conclusion. ” You’re better than that! ● No matter what, make sure you have a conclusion, even if it means leaving out a body paragraph you planned! ● Remember the most important elements- Final Judgement and the Next Step. ● This is when you can make YOUR opinion known, and assert YOUR view. This should be EVALUATIVE, meaning you are evaluating or judging your own points and coming up with new insights about the topic.

After You Finish ● DO NOT just put your head down! READ your own

After You Finish ● DO NOT just put your head down! READ your own essay as slowly as you can, checking for errors! Remember to look for your personal common errors. PROOFREADING could mean the difference between a passing grade and a U! Remember your self-evaluation experience with your at-home timed essay! ● Remember that CLARITY IS KEY and the ability to communicate clearly is 45% of your score! Make sure EACH sentence is CLEAR and says EXACTLY what you wanted it to! Watch out for run ons, incomplete sentences, bad sentence starters, long sentences that lose meaning, etc. ● You CAN insert extra words, phrases, sentences, even whole paragraphs as long as you SHOW your examiner what you want. Here, too, it’s very important to be CLEAR. Draw arrows, label things, use asterisks, etc. ● When you leave the gym, IMMEDIATELY fill out the prediction sheet that will be in your goody bag. This IS a grade!

Grammar Reminders: Countable/Uncountable Nouns If you can count it, FEWER. If you can’t, LESS.

Grammar Reminders: Countable/Uncountable Nouns If you can count it, FEWER. If you can’t, LESS. If you can count it, NUMBER. If you can’t, AMOUNT. If you can count it, MANY. If you can’t, MUCH.

Grammar Reminders: Homophones

Grammar Reminders: Homophones

Grammar Reminders: Bad Sentence Starters In addition to FANBOYS, don’t start with: WHICH (Change

Grammar Reminders: Bad Sentence Starters In addition to FANBOYS, don’t start with: WHICH (Change to “that”) SUCH AS (Attach it to the preceding sentence) These almost always lead to incomplete sentences: WHILE, SINCE, WHETHER, ONE BEING THAT -ING verbs

Grammar Reminders: Apostrophes

Grammar Reminders: Apostrophes

Grammar Reminders: Comma Splice

Grammar Reminders: Comma Splice

Grammar Reminders: Capitalization

Grammar Reminders: Capitalization

Grammar Reminders: Subject-Verb Agreement PLEASE don’t write: “Theres lots of…” SO MANY ERRORS IN

Grammar Reminders: Subject-Verb Agreement PLEASE don’t write: “Theres lots of…” SO MANY ERRORS IN THREE LITTLE WORDS!!!!

Grammar Reminders: Parallel Structure Remember, if you’re writing a series, or a list, ALL

Grammar Reminders: Parallel Structure Remember, if you’re writing a series, or a list, ALL items mentioned must have the SAME grammatical form!

Grammar Reminders: Incomplete Sentences

Grammar Reminders: Incomplete Sentences

Grammar Reminders: Contractions In Your Essay: NEVER!!!!! In Your Reading Comprehension Response: It’s okay,

Grammar Reminders: Contractions In Your Essay: NEVER!!!!! In Your Reading Comprehension Response: It’s okay, but make sure to use an APOSTROPHE!!!!

Keep in Mind: ● ● The examiners KNOW this is basically a first draft!

Keep in Mind: ● ● The examiners KNOW this is basically a first draft! The examiners KNOW this is timed! The examiners KNOW you are teenagers! They take all these ideas into consideration when marking your essays. They don’t expect perfection. Remember, I am a much more harsh critic than they are. You have come a LONG way this year, and have improved so much. Just do your best, and you are going to do GREAT!!!!