CXC ENGLISH

Hi there!

Your exams are coming close, aren’t they? We’ll see if we can point you in the direction of useful revision. Do make sure you get your full 8 hours sleep every night, and try to get some physical exercise every day too. Your brain won’t be at its best if you don’t look after your body! Now read on and enjoy your CXC page.

ENGLISH B—THE UNSEEN PAPER

There are two reasons for students doing poorly on the unseen paper: ● not reading the passage carefully and/or ● not answering the question fully.

Here’s a poem that came in a past exam along with the questions. Try to answer them, and then check our answers at the bottom of the page. If there are, say, three marks available, try to say three things.

a) Explain the meaning of “I have come to the borders of sleep” (line 1) 3 marks b) Identify the poetic device being used in “deep forest” (lines 2-3), and comment on its effectiveness 3 marks c) To what does the word “here” (line 13) refer? 2 marks d) Identify the TWO attractions in stanza 4 that fail to distract the poet from sleep. 2 marks e) Explain the significance of the word “alone” in stanza 4 2 marks f) What process is described in the final stanza? 3 marks g) Identify two words in the poem that suggest the helplessness of the speaker as he reaches this point in his experience. 2 marks h) Do you consider the title “Lights Out” to be appropriate to the meaning of the poem? Give reasons to support your answer. 3 marks

ARE YOU A GOOD EDITOR?

Imagine that you are a proof-reader. Find the mistakes in these sentences and correct them. Check the bottom of the page to see how well you did.

1. The boys have eaten all the cake however, they are some biscuits in the tin.

2. One of the zoo attendant was mauled by a lion but the matter did not report in the newspapers.

3. We wondered if the bangles were her’s, but subsequently we discovered that it was their’s.

4. Using a ladder, the windows were easier for Tom to wash.

5. “What have you got in that parcel,” she demanded leaning over the gate to have a better look “is it a skateboard!”

6. Despite he had no money to buy gas for the car he still managed to keep it’s engine in good condition.

7. A sound knowledge of maths and computers are necessary if you want to persue a career in buisness.

8. The police car past us a few miles back and it was then that the passenger reported the lost of her gold chain.

SPELLING

Here are 15 words that are frequently misspelt. Ask someone to test you and see if you can spell all of them correctly. Check any new words in your dictionary. Write out any words that you couldn’t spell, and make sure they will never catch you again!

Accidentally, deliberately, separately, accessible, accessory, transcend, sailor, salary, scarcity, schedule, secretary, shepherd, skilful, soldier, strictly.

TALKING ABOUT APOSTROPHES

Put apostrophes in the places they are needed in these sentences:

1. My aunts are coming in a months time.

2. The childrens friends can play here to their hearts content.

3. Nobody wants to read yesterdays news in todays newspaper.

4. We live just a stones throw away from Alicias house.

5. Back in the 50s and 60s we had to warn parents to keep medicines out of harms way, but now we have tamper-proof medicine bottles, so there is less danger of children being hurt.

6. The opinion of many scientists is that the earths surface is getting hotter and that the suns rays are penetrating the ozone layer as never before.

7. I can hear the ladies voices but not the mens.

8. Carol goes to a girls school not far from the famous dentists surgery.

9. I suggest you keep that young man and his gifts at arms length.

10. Small boys sometimes fly kites near these high wires.

11. Theres plenty of time to do that, isnt there?

12. Now that you have finished the frame of the kite, its time to work on its tail.

ANSWERS

a) This statement means that the speaker is coming very near to falling asleep (he has arrived at ‘the borders’). He is not asleep yet, but will be very soon. b) A metaphor comparing sleep to being in a deep forest. Effective because he is lost in a strange, quiet and trackless place as he sleeps. c) ‘Here’ refers to the borders of sleep—the moment when he actually drops off to sleep. d) TWO attractions that fail to distract the speaker are his book and the face of a loved one. e) We all are alone when we sleep; we leave friends and family and go into sleep totally alone. f) The final stanza describes the process of falling asleep: in the metaphor the speaker enters the forest of sleep that towers silently above him, obedient to the need to sleep, and losing all consciousness of himself and his surroundings. g) His helplessness at the moment of falling asleep is suggested by the words/phrases “cannot choose”, “in they sink”, “lose my way”. h) The title is appropriate because we turn off the lights when we want to sleep, we go into the darkness when we close our eyes, and all the experiences of the daytime are extinguished by sleep.

Are You a Good Editor?

1 The boys have eaten all the cake; however, there are some biscuits in the tin. (Insert semi colon; there are)

2 One of the zoo attendants was mauled by a lion, but the matter was not reported in the newspapers. (One of the attendants; insert comma, was not reported)

3 We wondered if the bangles were hers, but subsequently we discovered that they were theirs. (No apostrophe in hers or theirs; they were)

4 Using a ladder, Tom was able to wash the windows more easily. (Tom was using the ladder, and he must be the subject in the main clause.)

5 “What have you got in that parcel?” she demanded, leaning over the gate to have a better look. “Is it a skateboard?” (Insert two question marks, one full stop and one comma.) 6 Although he had no money to buy gas for the car he still managed to keep its engine in good condition. Or Despite not having enough money…

7 A sound knowledge … is necessary if you want to pursue a career in business. 8 The police car passed us … reported the loss of ….

Talking About Apostrophes

1 month’s time, 2 children’s friends, heart’s content, 3 yesterday’s news, today’s newspaper, 4 a stone’s throw, Alicia’s house, 5 in the 50’s and 60’s, out of harm’s way, 6 earth’s surface, sun’s rays, 7 ladies’ voices, men’s, 8 girls’ school, dentist’s surgery (one dentist), 9 at arm’s length, 10 no apostrophes! 11 There’s, isn’t, 12 it’s time