PSLE Composition Reminders

Today, I will bid farewell to the last class of my 2020 P6 students. Like every year, it will take me some time to get used to not seeing them on a weekly basis. At the same time I feel excited for them as they take the first step towards another educational journey next year!

This week we worked on revision of Paper 2 components and planning out our 2020 Prelim composition themes. We also discussed the important reminders for the Paper 1 components (SW & Compo).

So, here are 3 important reminders for tomorrow’s PSLE English Paper 1.

PSLE English Paper 1 Tips

1. Theme

What is the theme of your story?

• Study the theme carefully before planning.
• Ensure that you understand the theme fully before planning out your plot
• Example: The theme is on A Good Deed.

Returning a wallet is not a good deed. It is being honest

How can I use the theme?

• Through dialogue
• Through protagonist’s personal thoughts
• Through description
• Through reflection at the end of the story

2. Don’t flip the theme

Being Honest, Being Responsible, Being Patient, Being Considerate

For themes like the ones above, it is easier for students to write the opposite of what is being asked. Do not write about being dishonest or being impatient or being irresponsible. While it is more difficult to write about being ‘good’ than being ‘bad’, students may lose marks if they do not follow the theme.

While the protagonist may have some personal thoughts about being dishonest, impatient or inconsiderate, it should just be a short part of your composition. The main story should be about being honest, patient or considerate.

3. Characterisation

When it comes to characters in your story, the rule is the fewer the better! The best would be just the protagonist and one more character. There is no reason to add in 3-4 characters, all with different names.

Students have around 50 minutes to actually write out the composition. Having two strong characters in your composition is enough.

Write a few descriptive lines about each character. It can be their :

External descriptions – Hawker Tan looked old and frail today. Her usual bright smile on her face was replaced with overwhelming fatigue.

Internal descriptions – Lazy. That used to be me. I would rather spend my time being a couch potato than do an ounce of homework

I hope that those 3 reminders will come in handy for tomorrow’s English paper. I wish everyone all the best for the PSLE! 🙂