This is the first year that our P5 students will follow the new PSLE format. This means that there will be a change of marks for Paper 1.

Situational writing is out of 14 marks and Composition is out of 36 marks. Parents often wonder what is considered a good mark in the Paper 1 components.

What is considered a good mark for the Situational Writing component?

Previously, if students ensured that their Task and Language were accurate, they would be able to score full marks. Now with the additional critical thinking point in the SW, students will need to phrase the point on their own and make sure that they write the point without any grammatical mistakes. Even so, getting a full mark score is still doable, as some of our P5 students realised, with their full mark score for SW this SA2. Any mark below an 11 would mean that a student has missed out on points given in the SW, and used the wrong tone and format.

What is considered a good mark for the Composition Writing?

With a good plot, proper theme development, and near-perfect grammar structures and spelling (yes, this is achievable), students can aim for this range of marks for their SA2 in P5 and PSLE. A score between 28-31 for their P5 SA2 is still considered a good score to us. Remember that the total is now 36 and not 40 marks. Anything below would mean that the plot and theme were underdeveloped or there were too many grammar, punctuation, and spelling mistakes.

Below is one of our P5 students’, S, SA2 composition. She scored 34/36 for the theme of ‘An Important Lesson Learnt’.

How did she ace her composition?

Plot Development

S’s composition was at a good length of two and three-quarters pages (sides). When compositions are too short (one and a half pages) at P5 and P6, students would not have been able to develop their plots well enough to score. Parts of their story and the theme would be underdeveloped. Learning how to elaborate on key points in each paragraph, will help them lengthen their compositions. So will using characterisation and WOW words such as creative similes and idioms.

Theme Development

S developed the theme. She kept in mind her theme and developed it in her story. Her main character learnt a lesson on humility the hard way by injuring herself badly and then being shunned in school even by her best friend. It was a difficult but important lesson learnt, just as what the theme suggests. She also remembered to conclude her story by reflecting on the theme, a technique that we constantly remind our students to do.

Characterisation

S used character development vividly in her story. The character starts off as a competitive person who is only interested in showing-off what she has and her skills. She develops her main character through descriptions and dialogue. Her main character also learns a lesson and becomes a better person at he end of her story, from proud to humble. A character who shows change from start to end is well-developed.


P5 composition example – Theme: An Important Lesson Learnt

Note to students

The model compositions in this blog are to help students generate ideas and to be used as a guide. Students are not allowed to copy the model compositions and then pass them off as their own work, especially in school. It is called plagiarism.

An Important Lesson Learnt

“Race you to the playground! Last one there is a rotten egg!” I exclaimed, looking over my shoulder at my friends. The final examinations had just ended, and my friends and I decided to go to the park. As fast as lightning, I bolted to the playground, not wanting to let my friends beat me. Once I reached the sandpit, I stopped and waited for my friends to catch up.

When my friends caught up, I whipped out my new pair of rollerblades that were black with blue shiny wheels that glistened under the sun. Some of my friends turned green with envy while others could not close the mouths in surprise,  thus forming perfect “Os”.

Jumping up and down, I got myself warmed up. “I will be the best rollerblader you have ever seen!” I smirked, raising my hands. Instead of agreeing with me, they scoffed and rolled their eyes. Tying my laces, I thought. Hmph! I will show them and prove them wrong!

After executing some tricks which required twirling, it was time for the finale. My friends looked at me in disbelief. I took off at high speed, launching myself into the air.

“Wow!” they muttered.

 Landing on one foot, I thought I would end well like those in movies. That was where I was wrong. My legs zigzagged in different directions, my arms flew everywhere. Why is the sky at the wrong place? I thought as I came crashing down with my face hitting the hard concrete pavement first.

“Oh no! Are you okay?” one of my friends asked.

It took a few seconds before the pain hit me. I groaned in agony. My friends sprang into action, one calling an ambulance and my parents, another tried giving me water. I looked down, my jeans were soaked in fresh blood, and my left arm hurting.

The ambulance arrived in no time. I was brought onto the stretcher and taken to the hospital. Upon reaching the emergency room, a breeze of cold air welcomed me. My parents arrived too. After the doctor stitched my wound, he told my parents and me that I had fractured my arm and had to wear a cast for two months. The nurse poked and prodded me on the arm to make sure there were no other parts that were hurting and told me I was free to leave.

The next day at school, I felt all eyes on me. Giggles and snickers could be heard across the room. I sighed as I made my way to my seat. Everyone was whispering and gossiping. I even heard some snippets of their conversation. “Serves him right… braggart… show-off.” Sure enough, this important lesson was learnt by me.

Even my best friend, Zoe, whispered as she walked past me, “Tsk, tsk. So good at rollerblading, huh? Show-off.”

“I thought we were friends! Friends don’t treat each other like that.” I hollered.

“Says the one that can’t even move his arm. Nobody would want to be your friend, loser,” Zoe shot back.

I could not believe even my best friend had betrayed me. Devastated, I spent the day alone.

That day was truly a day that made me learn an important lesson. My family even had to postpone our long-awaited Disneyland trip due to my injury! I decided to be more humble and did not dare to perform any dangerous tricks that would cause me to be injured again.

We hope that the above composition model will help you understand the ways one can ace their Paper 1 examinations.

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BranchDayTime
Bukit TimahMON - FULL - WAITING LIST5 pm to 7 pm
Bukit TimahSAT5 pm to 7 pm
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