In this blog article, we will address the banana peels commonly found littered all over Paper 2. Find out how to sidestep these banana peels the next time you tackle your English Paper 2!
Comprehension Cloze
Banana Peel 1: You did not read the entire passage before starting to fill in the blanks. Resist the temptation to start answering immediately and read the passage through twice first. Once you have a feel for the whole passage, you will be better able to judge what fits best in the blanks. Sometimes, clues can be found in other parts of the passage far away from the place where the blank is, so it pays to spend an extra minute reading through from start to finish before you begin writing.
Banana Peel 2: You did not pay attention to grammar and syntax. Remember that your answer must be only one word, and it has to fit seamlessly within the sentence. To narrow down the possibilities, ask yourself whether the missing word is a verb, noun or preposition, etc. If the word you have written sounds wrong, try changing the word form, or choose a different word. If you have to write two words to make your answer grammatically correct, you know your answer is wrong and you will have to think of a different one. If you really have no idea, move on and come back to it later when you have finished the whole passage. Remember, the answer does not have to be a fancy word, just a word that makes sense and is grammatically correct.
Comprehension Open-Ended
Banana Peel 1: You did not read the entire passage before starting to answer the questions. Does this sound familiar? This is a very common banana peel in English examinations so make sure you don’t step on it! Read the whole passage through at least once before looking at the questions.
Banana Peel 2: You did not read the question properly. Sometimes, the reason students get answers wrong is because they are answering a question that was not asked! Make sure you pay attention to the question word so you don’t end up answering ‘how’ something happened if the question asked ‘why’, for example. If you are asked something like ‘Why do you think…?’ then you know it is an inferential question and you need to apply logical reasoning to come up with an answer. Take note of how many marks the question has and include an equivalent number of points. Lastly, make sure you use the same tense in your answer as was used in the question.
Banana Peel 3: You did not transfer correctly. When copying information from the passage or the question, make sure that you do not make any spelling errors. Avoid copying whole sentences unless the question asks you to – you should only copy the parts of the passage that actually answer the question.
Synthesis and Transformation
Banana Peel 1: You distorted the meaning of the original sentences. The purpose of S&T is to teach you to write better by giving you strategies to join sentences in interesting ways. However, in so doing, you must not alter the meaning. For example, if you change the order of events or your sentence turns negative instead of positive, then you know you have made a mistake.
Banana Peel 2: You added extra words, left out something, or changed word order unnecessarily. Keep as close as possible to the originals, and only change what needs to be changed in order to make the transformation. If you follow this rule you will be less likely to make errors. The marking for S&T is very strict, so be very careful to transfer information correctly. If the original refers to ‘she’ and you change it to ‘he’, or if you make a spelling error, you will lose a mark straight off, even if you transform the sentence correctly.
Follow these tips to dodge those pesky banana peels in future! If you missed out on our article on Paper 1 banana peels, read it here.
Looking for ways to improve your child's scores in their next English examination? Check out our comprehensive guide with expert exam tips to help your P4-6 child boost their scores in Paper 1 and Paper 2.
These expert tips were brought to you by our in-house Curriculum Team.
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