CXC ENGLISH

Hi there! We hope you will get out in the fresh air and enjoy flying your kite tomorrow—but only for an hour or two! You now have some free time to do your revision, so don’t waste it! We hope you’ll find some helpful tips on today’s CXC page to help you prepare for your upcoming exams. Now read on and enjoy!

THAT OF & THOSE OF

set the mood for a dignified event; the power of the king would be immediately evident.

Stage directions: (She kneels in prayer. Light from the stained glass window falls on her.) Here we have a religious moment created by the light streaming in on the kneeling woman. Without her saying a word we sense that God is on her side.

Stage directions: (As the clerk goes into the manager’s office, Sam shakes his fist at her retreating back.) Here we have a sense of the bottled up anger and frustration that Sam is experiencing—presumably because the clerk was unhelpful.

Stage directions: (A tenement yard with lines of washing and overflowing rubbish bins. Barefoot children in tattered clothes play marbles in a corner of the yard. A woman steps from a doorway and waters a beautiful flower in a pot—the only lovely thing in sight) Without having anyone say a word, the playwright has already shown us that the action will take place in a very poor, depressed neighbourhood, but that the woman watering the plant is someone who longs for a different kind of life.

To sum up, then, the playwright may use sound effects, scenery and props, costumes, lighting or the gestures and movements of the characters to “say” something to the audience. You may well be asked to comment on the stage directions in the “unseen” passage, so be prepared.

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. 2. 3.

4. 5.

6. 7. 8.

ENDING YOUR LETTER

Be careful when signing off at the end of a letter. The following example contains FOUR errors. Can you spot them? Check the bottom of the page for the answers.

ANSWERS That Of & Those Of was like that of an angel, 2) were like those of his homeland, 3) like that of an athlete, 4) to those of a pig, 5) to that of a small baby, 6) like those of a deer

Choosing the Correct Spelling. course, 2 except 3 ingenious, 4 industrial, 5 incredible, 6 formerly, 7 imply, 8 ingenuous, 9 humane, 10 illicit.

Ending Your Letter Yours sincerely, John Smith. The four mistakes: 1) No apostrophe in Yours 2) No capital for Sincerely has two e’s 4) Comma needed after sincerely. sincerely 3)

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) 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) We wondered if the bangles were hers, but subsequently we discovered that they were theirs. (No apostrophe in hers or theirs; they were) 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.) “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.) 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… A sound knowledge … is necessary if you want to pursue a career in business. The police car 2. 8.

The boys have eaten all the cake however, they are some biscuits in the tin. One of the zoo attendant was mauled by a lion but the matter did not report in the newspapers. We wondered if the bangles were her’s, but subsequently we discovered that it was their’s. Using a ladder, the windows were easier for Tom to wash. “What have you got in that parcel,” she demanded leaning over the gate to have a better look “is it a skateboard!” Despite he had no money to buy gas for the car he still managed to keep it’s engine in good condition. A sound knowledge of maths and computers are necessary if you want to persue a career in buisness. The police car past us a few miles back and it was then that the passenger reported the lost of her gold chain.

Your’s Sincerly John Smith. passed us … reported the loss of ….

If you do not understand why we have made these changes, please ask your teacher to explain.