Dear all,
Synthesis Notes
Although
Shows a difference in two actions or events happening. It has the same meaning as 'but'.
Unless
Shows an action plus the consequences if it is not carried out or fulfilled. If your action is positive, the consequence should be negative. If the action stated is negative, the consequence becomes positive.
e.g
Unless you disturb the cat, it will not bite you. (If you do not disturb the cat, what will happen?)
Unless you do not study hard, you will do well for the examinations.
Both
Both (Noun 1) and (Noun 2) verb.......
Who
Person Who Verb
He is the boy who likes to dance.
Whom
Person Whom Person
The boy whom I talked to is a dancer.
Either ...... or.....
If 'Either...or' is used at the start of the sentence, then:
Either (Noun 1) or (Noun 2) (Verb - the singular/plural form of the verb depends on the 2nd Noun)..........
If 'either....or' is used in the middle of the sentence, then:
- If there is only ONE main verb:
.............. VERB either Noun 1 or Noun 2.......................
The box is either small or big.
- If there are two verbs:
.............. either VERB 1 or VERB 2.......................
Jack either plays at the field or jogs in the park.
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong
Thursday, 9 July 2015
Tuesday, 7 July 2015
Welcome back to Term 3
Dear all,
It's been awhile. Welcome back to Term 3. It will be a hectic term ahead with plenty of holidays and your CA2 drawing near. Lets' work hard together. We can do it! :)
For a start, we are concentrating on Comprehension Open-ended for this week. I have been drilling and practising the skill of Pre-Reading with you for the first semester. This is a basic and important skill of reading the questions first and understanding the story through the questions. As you read the question, ask yourself what you know and what you want to know. Therefore, highlight the key words in the questions such as 5W1H and the tenses.
For this term, I am concentrating on teaching you how to break down the passage further and more comprehensively through the skills of summarizing and retelling. We summarized the story through the use of answering the key questions being posed by me in your group work. Also, we make notes in the passage such as the introduction, key characters, events, what happened during the event and after the event.
Make sure that you make notes and read carefully. As mentioned in class, there are three different levels of comprehension - zero, partial, full. Most of you are at the level of partial to full comprehension. Do not just read on the surface. You need to ask yourself questions and make notes to fully comprehend the passage and details.
We also did retelling through telling the story again through the use of images. Images provide a powerful tool to visualise the story and recap the story. Through your drawings, we are able to see if you have fully internalised the story by re-telling the story.
We will also be concentrating on the use of newspaper articles this term to help in your comprehension and vocabulary.
Work hard! =D
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong
It's been awhile. Welcome back to Term 3. It will be a hectic term ahead with plenty of holidays and your CA2 drawing near. Lets' work hard together. We can do it! :)
For a start, we are concentrating on Comprehension Open-ended for this week. I have been drilling and practising the skill of Pre-Reading with you for the first semester. This is a basic and important skill of reading the questions first and understanding the story through the questions. As you read the question, ask yourself what you know and what you want to know. Therefore, highlight the key words in the questions such as 5W1H and the tenses.
For this term, I am concentrating on teaching you how to break down the passage further and more comprehensively through the skills of summarizing and retelling. We summarized the story through the use of answering the key questions being posed by me in your group work. Also, we make notes in the passage such as the introduction, key characters, events, what happened during the event and after the event.
Make sure that you make notes and read carefully. As mentioned in class, there are three different levels of comprehension - zero, partial, full. Most of you are at the level of partial to full comprehension. Do not just read on the surface. You need to ask yourself questions and make notes to fully comprehend the passage and details.
We also did retelling through telling the story again through the use of images. Images provide a powerful tool to visualise the story and recap the story. Through your drawings, we are able to see if you have fully internalised the story by re-telling the story.
We will also be concentrating on the use of newspaper articles this term to help in your comprehension and vocabulary.
Work hard! =D
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong
Wednesday, 13 May 2015
Revision Notes for SA1
Dear all,
Here are some reminders again for tomorrow's paper.
- Remember to highlight the key words tomorrow (tenses, main nouns/verbs, singular/plural) and draw the arrows to arrive at the answers. You need to zoom in and focus on the items in the questions to help you. This will also help you in your checking. Bear in mind this simple but important skill.
- Read through the passages first (except for comprehension OE) and grasp the main idea of the passage. This will help you comprehend the passage first. Thereafter, go through the key words in the questions. Form images in your mind as they can help you to answer the questions.
- For your comprehension OE, jot down in point forms or with the questions your Pre-Reading (What I know, What I want to know). You can tell the story briefly through the questions. This stimulates your understanding before you read. Highlight key words in the questions (5W 1H, tenses, key ideas and singular/plural form).
- Don't forget to be specific in your answering as I have taught you all along.
Grammar Notes
1. Verb Noun Verb rule
The second verb is always in the root word form (Present tense, Plural form)
The boy made Tom steal the wallet.
I saw the group of boys run away.
He witnessed Peter take the money,
2. Pronouns
Check for the gender carefully before placing the right pronoun.
The boy said that the wallet belonged to him.
Mary told us that the pencil case was hers.
3. Using of 'Whom'
Person WHOM Person
Father whom I spoke to about the broken car is furious at me.
Mr Tan whom I shouted at is crying now.
The group of boys whom the principal is talking to about their behaviour has to each write a reflection.
4. Neither.......nor.............
Neither Noun1 nor Noun2 verb .................
Always look at the second noun to determine if the verb is in the singular/plural form. This is called the proximity rule. Look at the 2ND noun.
Neither Peter nor the boy is at the field now.
Neither the boy nor the girls are here now.
5. Prefers........to............
Paul prefers walking to running.
He prefers the the blue cap to the green cap.
6. Main Noun
In a set of nouns given, check for the main noun to determine if the verb is singular/plural.
Jim, together with his brothers, is going for the party.
Sally, together with her friends, is here now.
Synthesis
1. In spite of / Despite
You can use the words 'the fact that' after in spite of and despite.
In spite of the fact that there was a heavy rain, the boys played soccer outdoors.
He continued making fun of the small boy despite the fact that he was scolded severely.
2. Unless
Unless shows an action and a consequence. It shows a positive against a negative action/consequence.
Unless you study hard, you will not do well in your examinations.
The boy will go for the party unless his mother changes her mind.
3. Rather.......than
I would rather walk than run.
He would rather sing a song than read a book.
4. If only
If only Jimmy did not have his tuition class, he would have gone for the party.
All the best everyone. Read carefully. Please check and be meticulous. Write neatly. You can do it! :)
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong
Here are some reminders again for tomorrow's paper.
- Remember to highlight the key words tomorrow (tenses, main nouns/verbs, singular/plural) and draw the arrows to arrive at the answers. You need to zoom in and focus on the items in the questions to help you. This will also help you in your checking. Bear in mind this simple but important skill.
- Read through the passages first (except for comprehension OE) and grasp the main idea of the passage. This will help you comprehend the passage first. Thereafter, go through the key words in the questions. Form images in your mind as they can help you to answer the questions.
- For your comprehension OE, jot down in point forms or with the questions your Pre-Reading (What I know, What I want to know). You can tell the story briefly through the questions. This stimulates your understanding before you read. Highlight key words in the questions (5W 1H, tenses, key ideas and singular/plural form).
- Don't forget to be specific in your answering as I have taught you all along.
Grammar Notes
1. Verb Noun Verb rule
The second verb is always in the root word form (Present tense, Plural form)
The boy made Tom steal the wallet.
I saw the group of boys run away.
He witnessed Peter take the money,
2. Pronouns
Check for the gender carefully before placing the right pronoun.
The boy said that the wallet belonged to him.
Mary told us that the pencil case was hers.
3. Using of 'Whom'
Person WHOM Person
Father whom I spoke to about the broken car is furious at me.
Mr Tan whom I shouted at is crying now.
The group of boys whom the principal is talking to about their behaviour has to each write a reflection.
4. Neither.......nor.............
Neither Noun1 nor Noun2 verb .................
Always look at the second noun to determine if the verb is in the singular/plural form. This is called the proximity rule. Look at the 2ND noun.
Neither Peter nor the boy is at the field now.
Neither the boy nor the girls are here now.
5. Prefers........to............
Paul prefers walking to running.
He prefers the the blue cap to the green cap.
6. Main Noun
In a set of nouns given, check for the main noun to determine if the verb is singular/plural.
Jim, together with his brothers, is going for the party.
Sally, together with her friends, is here now.
Synthesis
1. In spite of / Despite
You can use the words 'the fact that' after in spite of and despite.
In spite of the fact that there was a heavy rain, the boys played soccer outdoors.
He continued making fun of the small boy despite the fact that he was scolded severely.
2. Unless
Unless shows an action and a consequence. It shows a positive against a negative action/consequence.
Unless you study hard, you will not do well in your examinations.
The boy will go for the party unless his mother changes her mind.
3. Rather.......than
I would rather walk than run.
He would rather sing a song than read a book.
4. If only
If only Jimmy did not have his tuition class, he would have gone for the party.
All the best everyone. Read carefully. Please check and be meticulous. Write neatly. You can do it! :)
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong
Tuesday, 5 May 2015
Notes for Paper 1 (Composition)
Dear all,
Here are some notes for the upcoming Paper 1 Examination.
1. Remember to plan your composition first.
- Place (Where)
- Time (When)
- Characters involved (Who)
- Feelings (important!!!)
- Main event
- Problems
- Resolution (Conclusion)
2. Introduction to your composition
- We have learnt three techniques which are flashbacks, conversations and sounds.
Flashbacks
This is always a good technique to start your introduction. Using an item which reminds you of a particular event, flashbacks recalls the memories of a character. Do not forget that for flashbacks to work effectively, your last paragraph should always go back to the present day and recap about the flashback and any lessons to be learnt.
e.g
Looking at the picture of my family lying on my table, a wave of horrifying memories flooded my mind. It reminded me of a Tsunami incident a couple of years ago. It was an incident which I had almost lost my family and it served to remind me of the importance of family.
.........................................
Back in the present day, my mother's shouting jolted me from the horrific memories. I took another glance at the family photo and hoped that such an event would never happen again.
Conversations
Using conversations in the introduction builds up the story / actions / feelings. It also introduces you to the characters involved.
e.g
"Mum! Look over there! What are those huge waves?" I shouted hysterically while pointing at the waves. "Quick! Let's tell Dad and get out of here. There is no time to waste," Mother cried out as beads of perspiration trickled down her forehead.
Sounds
Sound effects add to the suspense and will set the tone for the introduction. It can also explain about the setting and what is happening.
e.g
"Splash! Splash! Splash!" The deafening sounds of the tidal waves resounded through the air as the waves came crashing down towards the shore. "Dee. Dum. Dee. Dum." My heart palpitated wildly against my chest as trepidation filled me. I stared at the waves with my mouth agape. It was like a giant shadow covering me.
** Build up your story and explain what is happening leading up the main event and problem.
3. Main event / Problem
- 5 W 1 H
- Focusing on what happened? Why it happened? How did it happened?
- Remember to show and not tell (that means to not just describe but to show the actions plus the emotions)
- Expand on your ideas and details
4. Resolution / Conclusion
- How was the problem resolved? Any lessons to be learnt? What did the characters do? How do they feel?
5. Vocabulary words and phrases
- It is important to include many good words and phrases to make your composition stand out and to score well for your language component. Also, please do remember how to use the words and phrases to the correct setting. Do not use for the sake of using.
- You must make a conscious effort to remember and store your own set of words and phrases to be used. Look at the sample compositions and the show not tell activity that we do together in class for your revision.
6. Grammar
- Watch your tenses. (Mainly past tense)
- Be mindful of singular / plural nouns and the accompanying verbs.
Work hard and study hard for your Paper 1. We have done our listening comprehension practice today. Key skills are to highlight key words for the importance of what the questions are asking, jot down notes along the way and recheck upon the second hearing.
Looking forward to seeing you do well. :)
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong
Here are some notes for the upcoming Paper 1 Examination.
1. Remember to plan your composition first.
- Place (Where)
- Time (When)
- Characters involved (Who)
- Feelings (important!!!)
- Main event
- Problems
- Resolution (Conclusion)
2. Introduction to your composition
- We have learnt three techniques which are flashbacks, conversations and sounds.
Flashbacks
This is always a good technique to start your introduction. Using an item which reminds you of a particular event, flashbacks recalls the memories of a character. Do not forget that for flashbacks to work effectively, your last paragraph should always go back to the present day and recap about the flashback and any lessons to be learnt.
e.g
Looking at the picture of my family lying on my table, a wave of horrifying memories flooded my mind. It reminded me of a Tsunami incident a couple of years ago. It was an incident which I had almost lost my family and it served to remind me of the importance of family.
.........................................
Back in the present day, my mother's shouting jolted me from the horrific memories. I took another glance at the family photo and hoped that such an event would never happen again.
Conversations
Using conversations in the introduction builds up the story / actions / feelings. It also introduces you to the characters involved.
e.g
"Mum! Look over there! What are those huge waves?" I shouted hysterically while pointing at the waves. "Quick! Let's tell Dad and get out of here. There is no time to waste," Mother cried out as beads of perspiration trickled down her forehead.
Sounds
Sound effects add to the suspense and will set the tone for the introduction. It can also explain about the setting and what is happening.
e.g
"Splash! Splash! Splash!" The deafening sounds of the tidal waves resounded through the air as the waves came crashing down towards the shore. "Dee. Dum. Dee. Dum." My heart palpitated wildly against my chest as trepidation filled me. I stared at the waves with my mouth agape. It was like a giant shadow covering me.
** Build up your story and explain what is happening leading up the main event and problem.
3. Main event / Problem
- 5 W 1 H
- Focusing on what happened? Why it happened? How did it happened?
- Remember to show and not tell (that means to not just describe but to show the actions plus the emotions)
- Expand on your ideas and details
4. Resolution / Conclusion
- How was the problem resolved? Any lessons to be learnt? What did the characters do? How do they feel?
5. Vocabulary words and phrases
- It is important to include many good words and phrases to make your composition stand out and to score well for your language component. Also, please do remember how to use the words and phrases to the correct setting. Do not use for the sake of using.
- You must make a conscious effort to remember and store your own set of words and phrases to be used. Look at the sample compositions and the show not tell activity that we do together in class for your revision.
6. Grammar
- Watch your tenses. (Mainly past tense)
- Be mindful of singular / plural nouns and the accompanying verbs.
Work hard and study hard for your Paper 1. We have done our listening comprehension practice today. Key skills are to highlight key words for the importance of what the questions are asking, jot down notes along the way and recheck upon the second hearing.
Looking forward to seeing you do well. :)
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong
Wednesday, 15 April 2015
Nouns
Dear all,
Nouns name people, places, and things. One class of nouns is concrete. You can experience this group of nouns with your five senses. You can see them.
Ice cream, for example, is a concrete noun. You can see the colour. You can taste the flavour. You can feel your tongue growing numb from the cold. Any noun that you can experience with at least one of your five senses is a concrete noun.
A second class of nouns is abstract. They cannot be seen directly.
Disapproval is an example of an abstract noun. What color is disapproval? You don't know because you cannot see it. What texture is disapproval? Who knows? You cannot touch it. What flavor is disapproval? No clue! You cannot taste it! Does it make a sound? Of course not! Does it smell? Not a bit!
The changing of adjectives to nouns is also important.
Adjective Nouns
sad sadness
happy happiness
angry anger
worried worry
amused amusement
thoughtful thoughtfulness
sincere sincerity
Regards,
Mr Nelson Ong
Nouns name people, places, and things. One class of nouns is concrete. You can experience this group of nouns with your five senses. You can see them.
Ice cream, for example, is a concrete noun. You can see the colour. You can taste the flavour. You can feel your tongue growing numb from the cold. Any noun that you can experience with at least one of your five senses is a concrete noun.
A second class of nouns is abstract. They cannot be seen directly.
Disapproval is an example of an abstract noun. What color is disapproval? You don't know because you cannot see it. What texture is disapproval? Who knows? You cannot touch it. What flavor is disapproval? No clue! You cannot taste it! Does it make a sound? Of course not! Does it smell? Not a bit!
The changing of adjectives to nouns is also important.
Adjective Nouns
sad sadness
happy happiness
angry anger
worried worry
amused amusement
thoughtful thoughtfulness
sincere sincerity
Regards,
Mr Nelson Ong
Wednesday, 1 April 2015
Grammar Rules
Dear all,
Here is a recap of the grammar rules taught in class this week.
Types of Conjunctions
To show an action plus a consequence/result
- Consequently
- As a result
- Therefore
To show a difference
- In contrast
- But
- Yet
- However
To link actions or events
- So
- Then
- Before
- After
To reinforce about the truth
- In fact
Conjunctions are important as they link ideas/events together. However, you need to know the types of conjunctions to be used and how to apply them. This is especially useful in your writing and for grammar cloze which often tests on conjunctions and prepositions.
Synthesis & Transformation
Neither....nor.......
We learnt about the two ways to use this particular synthesis structure. It can also apply to the structure of 'either....or...'
1st way to use the structure is to focus on the comparison of 2 nouns.
Neither Noun 1 nor Noun 2 verb ....................
For this, 'neither...nor.' is often placed at the start of the sentence.
Whether the verb is in the singular/plural form will then depend on Noun 2. This is known as the proximity rule.
e.g Neither the boys nor the girls are at the field.
Neither the boys nor the girl is at the field.
2nd way to use the structure is to focus on the comparison/uses of the verbs and for this, 'neither....nor...' is often placed in the middle of the sentence.
When there is only 1 similar verb, the verb is placed before 'neither'
When there are 2 different verbs, the first verb is placed after 'neither' and the next verb is placed after 'nor'.
e.g Peter eats neither sweet nor salty food. (1 verb only)
Peter neither bakes cakes nor cooks vegetables. (2 different verbs)
Homework reminder:
- Vocabulary Booklet by next Friday with the research on the meanings!
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong
Here is a recap of the grammar rules taught in class this week.
Types of Conjunctions
To show an action plus a consequence/result
- Consequently
- As a result
- Therefore
To show a difference
- In contrast
- But
- Yet
- However
To link actions or events
- So
- Then
- Before
- After
To reinforce about the truth
- In fact
Conjunctions are important as they link ideas/events together. However, you need to know the types of conjunctions to be used and how to apply them. This is especially useful in your writing and for grammar cloze which often tests on conjunctions and prepositions.
Synthesis & Transformation
Neither....nor.......
We learnt about the two ways to use this particular synthesis structure. It can also apply to the structure of 'either....or...'
1st way to use the structure is to focus on the comparison of 2 nouns.
Neither Noun 1 nor Noun 2 verb ....................
For this, 'neither...nor.' is often placed at the start of the sentence.
Whether the verb is in the singular/plural form will then depend on Noun 2. This is known as the proximity rule.
e.g Neither the boys nor the girls are at the field.
Neither the boys nor the girl is at the field.
2nd way to use the structure is to focus on the comparison/uses of the verbs and for this, 'neither....nor...' is often placed in the middle of the sentence.
When there is only 1 similar verb, the verb is placed before 'neither'
When there are 2 different verbs, the first verb is placed after 'neither' and the next verb is placed after 'nor'.
e.g Peter eats neither sweet nor salty food. (1 verb only)
Peter neither bakes cakes nor cooks vegetables. (2 different verbs)
Homework reminder:
- Vocabulary Booklet by next Friday with the research on the meanings!
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong
Tuesday, 24 March 2015
Grammar Rules - Pronouns & Adverbs
Dear all,
In today's grammar lesson, we learn more about two grammar structures that we have gone through at the start of the year.
Pronouns
are words that can replace/substitute nouns
1st person pronouns
I, me, myself, we, our, ourselves
2nd person pronouns
you, yourself, yourselves
3rd person pronouns
he, him, himself, she, her, herself, they, them, themselves, their, the boy's, the boys'
Adverbs
are words that add on to verbs and describe the manner and time of the action.
Adverbs of time
describe the time/frequency of the action
e.g often, now, then, later, weekly, annually
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong
In today's grammar lesson, we learn more about two grammar structures that we have gone through at the start of the year.
Pronouns
are words that can replace/substitute nouns
1st person pronouns
I, me, myself, we, our, ourselves
2nd person pronouns
you, yourself, yourselves
3rd person pronouns
he, him, himself, she, her, herself, they, them, themselves, their, the boy's, the boys'
Adverbs
are words that add on to verbs and describe the manner and time of the action.
Adverbs of time
describe the time/frequency of the action
e.g often, now, then, later, weekly, annually
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong
Tribute to the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew
Dear all,
As we reflect back on this week thus far, I would like to take a break from academics and pay tribute to Mr Lee Kuan Yew, our first Prime Minister. Through our observance ceremony, I am sure we all know about the important contributions made by him. It is essential to know about why we remember him rather than just knowing about his life and what he had done.
In terms of education, the reason why we are able to speak and write English proficiently is due to his great contribution. He had the vision to foresee that English language is an important aspect of uniting the different races in Singapore with one common language. Also, English is an important language spoken worldwide. Compared to our neighbouring countries in the region, we are ranked highly in terms of our standard of English. We must be eternally grateful for this.
You may not have personally experienced what he had done but nonetheless, we remember him for his vast contributions in building this country. As such, do take some time to visit and pen down some words on www.rememberingleekuanyew.sg
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong
As we reflect back on this week thus far, I would like to take a break from academics and pay tribute to Mr Lee Kuan Yew, our first Prime Minister. Through our observance ceremony, I am sure we all know about the important contributions made by him. It is essential to know about why we remember him rather than just knowing about his life and what he had done.
In terms of education, the reason why we are able to speak and write English proficiently is due to his great contribution. He had the vision to foresee that English language is an important aspect of uniting the different races in Singapore with one common language. Also, English is an important language spoken worldwide. Compared to our neighbouring countries in the region, we are ranked highly in terms of our standard of English. We must be eternally grateful for this.
You may not have personally experienced what he had done but nonetheless, we remember him for his vast contributions in building this country. As such, do take some time to visit and pen down some words on www.rememberingleekuanyew.sg
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong
Wednesday, 18 March 2015
March Holiday Homework
Dear all,
As we reach the midway point of the March holidays, I hope you have been enjoying your holidays thus far. Here are the reminders for the holiday homework:
1. Two newspaper articles with comments (learning points) from your parents for each article.
2. Sign your English files for Term 1 and bring them on Monday.
3. MC Online Assignments on Grammar
As mentioned and encouraged to you in class, do re-look at your CA papers and cover the mistakes and redo the questions again. This will then help you to improve upon your mistakes.
Here are the Newspaper Articles from the last assignment.
As we reach the midway point of the March holidays, I hope you have been enjoying your holidays thus far. Here are the reminders for the holiday homework:
1. Two newspaper articles with comments (learning points) from your parents for each article.
2. Sign your English files for Term 1 and bring them on Monday.
3. MC Online Assignments on Grammar
As mentioned and encouraged to you in class, do re-look at your CA papers and cover the mistakes and redo the questions again. This will then help you to improve upon your mistakes.
Here are the Newspaper Articles from the last assignment.
Happy holidays and see you next Monday.
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong
Wednesday, 4 March 2015
Post CA1 Feedback and Thoughts
Dear all,
Term 1 is drawing to a close and the CA1 results have been tabulated with your papers being given back for checking. Here are some feedback about the English paper.
- The target of 35 'Band 1's has not been met. Massively disappointed but I know that you can bounce back and achieve the 35 'Band 1's.
- Sections that need more focus and improvement this time around include Editing and Comprehension Cloze with Comprehension Cloze being the worst fared section of them all.
- Going back to the drawing board, I will look to focus on teaching you how and what to highlight in terms of the keywords for Comprehension Cloze. Some of you have given me the feedback that you do not know what to highlight. Taking this feedback, I will have extra focus on teaching you what to highlight so that no matter what the passage is, you will be confident of knowing what to highlight.
- You will need to brush up on your spelling and phrasal verbs which are major letdowns for the editing section. It is still a surprise to see that some of you are not able to spell simple words.
- Most of you are passing Comprehension OE but still, the marks could be better. Like I always say, you need to be aware of your tenses/singular/plural form.
Remember to not give up and press on for further improvement especially with SA1 coming up next term. This time around, you will sit for oral, listening and composition.
I know that English is in fact, very open and unlike Mathematics or Science, there are no fixed topics. Therefore, you need to make it a point to get your basics right and note down the grammar rules that I constantly go through with you in the classroom. There is a reason why I often repeat these rules because if you know them, you can apply them to any given situation and question. You need to know what verbs, nouns, adjectives, prepositions, adverbs, conjunctions are.
Reminders:
Please complete your composition corrections by this Friday.
Areas for Improvement in terms of Composition:
Lack of explanation. You need to explain your points. How? Why? Do not just tell me that Grandmother fell. How did she fall? Why did she fall? Likewise, do explain why the characters are feeling a certain way. If not, the composition is mostly quite well-done.
Quote of the Day:
The greatest glory in life lies not in failing but knowing what went wrong during the failure and having the courage to not fail the next time around.
We can do it!
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong
Term 1 is drawing to a close and the CA1 results have been tabulated with your papers being given back for checking. Here are some feedback about the English paper.
- The target of 35 'Band 1's has not been met. Massively disappointed but I know that you can bounce back and achieve the 35 'Band 1's.
- Sections that need more focus and improvement this time around include Editing and Comprehension Cloze with Comprehension Cloze being the worst fared section of them all.
- Going back to the drawing board, I will look to focus on teaching you how and what to highlight in terms of the keywords for Comprehension Cloze. Some of you have given me the feedback that you do not know what to highlight. Taking this feedback, I will have extra focus on teaching you what to highlight so that no matter what the passage is, you will be confident of knowing what to highlight.
- You will need to brush up on your spelling and phrasal verbs which are major letdowns for the editing section. It is still a surprise to see that some of you are not able to spell simple words.
- Most of you are passing Comprehension OE but still, the marks could be better. Like I always say, you need to be aware of your tenses/singular/plural form.
Remember to not give up and press on for further improvement especially with SA1 coming up next term. This time around, you will sit for oral, listening and composition.
I know that English is in fact, very open and unlike Mathematics or Science, there are no fixed topics. Therefore, you need to make it a point to get your basics right and note down the grammar rules that I constantly go through with you in the classroom. There is a reason why I often repeat these rules because if you know them, you can apply them to any given situation and question. You need to know what verbs, nouns, adjectives, prepositions, adverbs, conjunctions are.
Reminders:
Please complete your composition corrections by this Friday.
Areas for Improvement in terms of Composition:
Lack of explanation. You need to explain your points. How? Why? Do not just tell me that Grandmother fell. How did she fall? Why did she fall? Likewise, do explain why the characters are feeling a certain way. If not, the composition is mostly quite well-done.
Quote of the Day:
The greatest glory in life lies not in failing but knowing what went wrong during the failure and having the courage to not fail the next time around.
We can do it!
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong
Wednesday, 25 February 2015
Dear all,
Here are some last minute tips and reminders for tomorrow's CA1 Paper.
Remember to highlight the key words and draw the arrows for the clues. Most importantly, look out for the grammar rules and for singular / plural and tenses.
For the passages given to you, please read through first and then jot down the main idea. After which, remember to highlight the key words and look out for the grammar rules in place.
Comprehension Cloze
1. Read the passage first.
2. Jot down the main idea
3. Highlight they key words (tenses/plural/singular)
4. Draw the arrows (You can get some of the answers to the blanks from the words in the passage thus it is important to read through once first)
5. Re-read and check with your answers.
Remember to visualise / form the pictures of the passage in your mind as you read.
Comprehension OE
1. Look at the questions first.
2. Do your Pre-reading activity (What I Know / What I Want to Know)
3. Highlight key words in the questions (5W1H and tenses)
4. Read the passage for understanding
5. Highlight the parts from the passage that answer the question
When you copy a word from the passage from questions that ask you to quote a word or phrase or sentence from the passage, remember to pay attention to the punctuation and spelling.
Synthesis
Remember that you are always tested for grammar structures in the form of conjunctions.
Pay attention to the structures that I have told you to focus on.
Vocabulary
Always read the passage for the given context / situation before you answer. Certain words may have the same meaning but only one word can fit the given situation.
Narrow down your options through the elimination method. Then, check if the word in the passage is used negatively or positively. This will help you greatly.
'lie' and 'lay' rule
Lie (bluff)(present tense) Lied (past tense) Lied (perfect tense)
Lie (rest)(present tense) Lay (past tense) Lain (perfect tense)
Lay (place or put down)(present tense) Laid (past tense) Laid (perfect tense)
Lay (as in to lay an egg)(present tense) Laid (past tense) Laid (perfect tense)
All the best! My target is to achieve all 35 Band 1s! :)
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong
Here are some last minute tips and reminders for tomorrow's CA1 Paper.
Remember to highlight the key words and draw the arrows for the clues. Most importantly, look out for the grammar rules and for singular / plural and tenses.
For the passages given to you, please read through first and then jot down the main idea. After which, remember to highlight the key words and look out for the grammar rules in place.
Comprehension Cloze
1. Read the passage first.
2. Jot down the main idea
3. Highlight they key words (tenses/plural/singular)
4. Draw the arrows (You can get some of the answers to the blanks from the words in the passage thus it is important to read through once first)
5. Re-read and check with your answers.
Remember to visualise / form the pictures of the passage in your mind as you read.
Comprehension OE
1. Look at the questions first.
2. Do your Pre-reading activity (What I Know / What I Want to Know)
3. Highlight key words in the questions (5W1H and tenses)
4. Read the passage for understanding
5. Highlight the parts from the passage that answer the question
When you copy a word from the passage from questions that ask you to quote a word or phrase or sentence from the passage, remember to pay attention to the punctuation and spelling.
Synthesis
Remember that you are always tested for grammar structures in the form of conjunctions.
Pay attention to the structures that I have told you to focus on.
Vocabulary
Always read the passage for the given context / situation before you answer. Certain words may have the same meaning but only one word can fit the given situation.
Narrow down your options through the elimination method. Then, check if the word in the passage is used negatively or positively. This will help you greatly.
'lie' and 'lay' rule
Lie (bluff)(present tense) Lied (past tense) Lied (perfect tense)
Lie (rest)(present tense) Lay (past tense) Lain (perfect tense)
Lay (place or put down)(present tense) Laid (past tense) Laid (perfect tense)
Lay (as in to lay an egg)(present tense) Laid (past tense) Laid (perfect tense)
All the best! My target is to achieve all 35 Band 1s! :)
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong
Monday, 23 February 2015
Grammar Rules (CA1 Week)
Dear all,
Here is a recap of the grammar rules gone through in class today and that are important for the upcoming CA paper.
1. Adjectives - Comparative Adjectives - Superlative Adjectives
good - better - best
Comparative adjectives compare 2 items.
Superlative adjectives compare 3 or more items.
Here is a good website that has comprehensive notes for your learning.
2. 'whom' rule
Person [whom] Person
e.g He is the boy whom the pupils often praise.
Father whom my grandmother dotes on is buying pineapple tarts for her.
3. 'whose' rule
Person [whose] item (belonging to the person)
e.g Tom whose wallet was lost is making a police report now.
Jerry whose examination paper was torn is making another copy of it now.
4. 'who' rule
Person [who] verb
e.g He is the student who scored well for the Mathematics test.
Peter is the boy who likes to run around the field.
5. 'as well as', 'together with' rule
Noun 1, as well as Noun 2, ..............
Noun 1, together with Noun 2, ..........
Look at Noun 1 to determine if the verb is singular or plural.
e.g Peter, as well as the boys, is at the canteen now.
The dog, as well as the cats, is sleeping at the garden now.
6. 'VNV' rule or 'Verb - Noun - Verb' rule
Verb Noun Verb (2nd verb is always in the root word form - Present tense + plural form)
e.g I saw Peter take the book from the locker.
The boys noticed Tom steal the wallet just now.
I witnessed the dog bark at the suspicious man.
The spectators watched the dolphin swim in the aquarium.
7. Singular words / phrases
One of
Either of
Neither of
None
No one
Everyone
Every
Each
These words are singular.
8. Countable / Uncountable Nouns
Countable nouns can be singular or plural.
The bottle of water is on the table.
A can of drink is being opened by the boy.
Uncountable nouns are always singular.
Sugar is widely used to make coffee sweeter.
9. 'Prefers......to............' 'Rather.......than........'
Prefers Verb(continuous form with the -ing) to Verb(continuous form with the -ing)
He prefers walking to jogging.
Rather Verb (without the -ing form) than Verb(without the -ing form)
He would rather walk than jog.
Vocabulary Words
Biennale (every two years)
Biannual (twice in a year)
Fortnight (once every two weeks)
Decade (every ten years)
Century (every hundred years)
Happy Lunar New Year to each and every one and your families. :) May wealth, good health and prosperity be showered upon you this year of the goat.
Revise hard and look through the sections you have not done well. .
Files are given back to you. Please revise and go through together with your practice papers.
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong
Here is a recap of the grammar rules gone through in class today and that are important for the upcoming CA paper.
1. Adjectives - Comparative Adjectives - Superlative Adjectives
good - better - best
Comparative adjectives compare 2 items.
Superlative adjectives compare 3 or more items.
Here is a good website that has comprehensive notes for your learning.
2. 'whom' rule
Person [whom] Person
e.g He is the boy whom the pupils often praise.
Father whom my grandmother dotes on is buying pineapple tarts for her.
3. 'whose' rule
Person [whose] item (belonging to the person)
e.g Tom whose wallet was lost is making a police report now.
Jerry whose examination paper was torn is making another copy of it now.
4. 'who' rule
Person [who] verb
e.g He is the student who scored well for the Mathematics test.
Peter is the boy who likes to run around the field.
5. 'as well as', 'together with' rule
Noun 1, as well as Noun 2, ..............
Noun 1, together with Noun 2, ..........
Look at Noun 1 to determine if the verb is singular or plural.
e.g Peter, as well as the boys, is at the canteen now.
The dog, as well as the cats, is sleeping at the garden now.
6. 'VNV' rule or 'Verb - Noun - Verb' rule
Verb Noun Verb (2nd verb is always in the root word form - Present tense + plural form)
e.g I saw Peter take the book from the locker.
The boys noticed Tom steal the wallet just now.
I witnessed the dog bark at the suspicious man.
The spectators watched the dolphin swim in the aquarium.
7. Singular words / phrases
One of
Either of
Neither of
None
No one
Everyone
Every
Each
These words are singular.
8. Countable / Uncountable Nouns
Countable nouns can be singular or plural.
The bottle of water is on the table.
A can of drink is being opened by the boy.
Uncountable nouns are always singular.
Sugar is widely used to make coffee sweeter.
9. 'Prefers......to............' 'Rather.......than........'
Prefers Verb(continuous form with the -ing) to Verb(continuous form with the -ing)
He prefers walking to jogging.
Rather Verb (without the -ing form) than Verb(without the -ing form)
He would rather walk than jog.
Vocabulary Words
Biennale (every two years)
Biannual (twice in a year)
Fortnight (once every two weeks)
Decade (every ten years)
Century (every hundred years)
Happy Lunar New Year to each and every one and your families. :) May wealth, good health and prosperity be showered upon you this year of the goat.
Revise hard and look through the sections you have not done well. .
Files are given back to you. Please revise and go through together with your practice papers.
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong
Monday, 16 February 2015
Grammar Rules
Dear all,
As we are about to celebrate Chinese New Year, do enjoy the days leading up to the festive period. There is nothing more important than the coming together of your family. Thereafter, do remember that your CA1 is coming up on the 26th February. We are just left with revising of our revision paper.
Some of the grammar rules covered these few days:
- Uncountable nouns (Always use the singular verb)
- Sally, as well as her sisters, ............
We only look at Sally in this case. 'as well as her sisters' is just extra information. The main subject is simply Sally (Singular), thus you should use the singular verb.
- Sally, together with her sisters, ..............
We only look at Sally in this case. 'together with her sisters' is just extra information. The main subject is simply Sally (Singular), thus you should use the singular verb.
- Prefers ....... to...............
- Rather .......... than.................
- Neither (noun 1) nor (noun 2) ................
- Either (noun 1) or (noun 2) ......................
We always look at the second noun to determine whether to use the singular or plural verb form.
e.g
Neither the boys nor Peter is at the playground.
Either you or I am to complete the work.
Synonyms
are words that mean the same.
e.g Friendly & Hospitable, Evil & Bad, Delicious & Sumptuous
Antonyms
are words that have the different/opposite meaning.
e.g Evil vs Good, Kind vs Cruel
Here are this week's newspaper articles:
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong
As we are about to celebrate Chinese New Year, do enjoy the days leading up to the festive period. There is nothing more important than the coming together of your family. Thereafter, do remember that your CA1 is coming up on the 26th February. We are just left with revising of our revision paper.
Some of the grammar rules covered these few days:
- Uncountable nouns (Always use the singular verb)
- Sally, as well as her sisters, ............
We only look at Sally in this case. 'as well as her sisters' is just extra information. The main subject is simply Sally (Singular), thus you should use the singular verb.
- Sally, together with her sisters, ..............
We only look at Sally in this case. 'together with her sisters' is just extra information. The main subject is simply Sally (Singular), thus you should use the singular verb.
- Prefers ....... to...............
- Rather .......... than.................
- Neither (noun 1) nor (noun 2) ................
- Either (noun 1) or (noun 2) ......................
We always look at the second noun to determine whether to use the singular or plural verb form.
e.g
Neither the boys nor Peter is at the playground.
Either you or I am to complete the work.
Synonyms
are words that mean the same.
e.g Friendly & Hospitable, Evil & Bad, Delicious & Sumptuous
Antonyms
are words that have the different/opposite meaning.
e.g Evil vs Good, Kind vs Cruel
Here are this week's newspaper articles:
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong
Wednesday, 11 February 2015
Synthesis & Phrasal Verbs
Dear all,
As we are about to complete all the booklets, here is a recap and focus on the important Synthesis structures:
Rather.....than........
Rather [verb - Never in the continuous -ing form] than [verb - Never in the continuous -ing form]
I would rather walk than jog.
The boys rather complete their work than continue playing computer games.
Prefer......to............
Prefer [verb - changed to the continuous -ing form] to [verb - changed to the continuous -ing form]
I prefer walking to jogging.
The boys prefer kicking the football to throwing the ball.
Despite / In spite of
One of the easiest way to tackle such structures is to use the words ' the fact that ' after 'despite' and 'in spite of'
Despite the fact that he was taller than the rest, he could not jump the highest.
Mr Lim fell down in spite of the fact that the floor was slippery.
Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal verbs are a common feature of grammar and vocabulary items, often appearing in grammar mcq / grammar cloze / comprehension cloze / editing / vocabulary mcq
A phrasal verb involved a verb + preposition as a phrase.
e.g
Fall back
Climb over
Run through
Take in
This link here <-- is a good web page to learn about the various phrasal verbs which you can apply to your work.
For Synthesis & Transformation, it really requires you to be mindful of the grammar rules and structures. Make a point to remember and apply them accordingly.
Thank you,
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong
As we are about to complete all the booklets, here is a recap and focus on the important Synthesis structures:
Rather.....than........
Rather [verb - Never in the continuous -ing form] than [verb - Never in the continuous -ing form]
I would rather walk than jog.
The boys rather complete their work than continue playing computer games.
Prefer......to............
Prefer [verb - changed to the continuous -ing form] to [verb - changed to the continuous -ing form]
I prefer walking to jogging.
The boys prefer kicking the football to throwing the ball.
Despite / In spite of
One of the easiest way to tackle such structures is to use the words ' the fact that ' after 'despite' and 'in spite of'
Despite the fact that he was taller than the rest, he could not jump the highest.
Mr Lim fell down in spite of the fact that the floor was slippery.
Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal verbs are a common feature of grammar and vocabulary items, often appearing in grammar mcq / grammar cloze / comprehension cloze / editing / vocabulary mcq
A phrasal verb involved a verb + preposition as a phrase.
e.g
Fall back
Climb over
Run through
Take in
This link here <-- is a good web page to learn about the various phrasal verbs which you can apply to your work.
For Synthesis & Transformation, it really requires you to be mindful of the grammar rules and structures. Make a point to remember and apply them accordingly.
Thank you,
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong
Saturday, 7 February 2015
Recap of Week 5 & Summary of Meet the Parents session
Dear all,
Here is a brief recap of week 5.
We have completed all the Comprehension OE exercises. Once again, I need to emphasize the following points:
- The skills and approach to attempting your comprehension OE is important if you want to score well for the section.
- Read the questions first to focus on what you are looking out for.
- Spend tome time to do your pre-reading activity (What i know / What i want to know)
- The questions tell the story in a brief manner. It is important to activate some knowledge before you read.
- Highlight the key words in the questions (5W1H and tenses)
- Pre-reading should be done BEFORE reading the passage if not it defeats the purpose.
- This is something in which all of you should be doing first.
- As you read the passage, be sure to underline and highlight the important points to your answers.
- Punctuation should be clear in your answers. Many of you are still missing out full-stops and that should not be the case. Be very careful.
Also, I have set a small task for you this weekend to design your own 'I am a Reader' file. I am starting this file to get you started on reading. For those who have been reading diligently, keep it up. For those who barely read, it is time to get you started.
Reading is always an important tool to improve your command of English. However, when you read, you need to be focused too. There are two main ways to read.
1. Reading for content / ideas
- Each author has a different style of writing. I will not tell you a specific author to just read on. Keep your options open and expose yourself to different styles of writing. Read for the ideas and relate the ideas to specific themes/topics which you can use for your own writing.
2. Reading to improve vocabulary
- When you come across difficult words in your reading, how often do you really jot down these words and their meanings? If you have not done so, it is time to start with this good habit. Now that you have your English notes, jot down the words you come across in the book with the meaning. It need not be every word. It can just be 3 - 5 words each time you read.
- After jotting down the meaning, you also need to be able to see how the word relates to a topic. Is the word a positive or negative word? Under what topic can I use the word? Is it to describe something happy / sad / angry / scary?
- A word loses its meaning when you only understand its meaning. It becomes embedded in your memory when you not only know the meaning but also how to use it.
This reading file will be your tool to apply what you have read and how reading can be effective through a series of activities and sharing.
Do not just read fantasy stories. Read information reports, newspaper articles, diaries, autobiographies, biographies and local stories. You do not apply ideas in fantasy stories in your composition writing. You do not write that your character will fly over the mountains or hop onto mystical creatures. As such, fantasies will only be really effective to learn about emotions and description of characters.
Comprehension Cloze
The key here to scoring well is also to apply the following skills. We have attempted 2 exercises thus far and as we practised more, I hope to build your confidence and not have you to be too afraid of this section.
1. Read once through for ideas first. Identify the main idea of the passage
2. As you read, you need to form images in your mind too. Visuals brings out understanding the story even more.
3. Highlight the key words (Tenses / singular / plural)
4. Draw the arrows for the clues. You can definitely find the answers to a couple of the blanks in the passage itself. It is a giveaway provided you really read through carefully.
Dear Parents,
In case if you have missed the session or are unable to make it, here is a recap:
Q. How do I help my child to improve his writing?
A. It starts with speaking. Being able to speak well is the key to get started as a writer. Writers are able to express their thoughts clearly with details. As such, do get your kids to speak to you and clarify their thoughts. Do not let them get away with just a yes/no answer. Get them to explain why and how. It is always the 'why' and 'how' portion which plays an important role to scoring well and writing well.
I would also recommend picking up model compositions books and vocabulary words/phrases books (thematic). Thematic here would mean having different topics with the application of different words and phrases under them.
Have your child to pick up a set of words/phrases that he or she is comfortable with and to apply them consistently. It is not about worrying about how many words you can use each time but being able to use a set of words consistently in your writing no matter what the topic is. We will not fault your child if he uses the same good vocabulary each time. Credit is given when a child is able to use the apt vocabulary words appropriately.
As mentioned above, reading is also important but focus on the reading. Choose your books wisely. The genre and type of book plays an important role.
Q. Are newspaper articles important? What is the relevance of it to helping my child?
A. Newspaper articles are important to allow your child to be updated of current affairs and to stay relevant. The curriculum is moving towards application of real life situations to practice and examination questions. You do notice a trend of infusing news reports into our daily practice and examination questions. It is more meaningful and relevant to have pupils to relate what they know in real life to assessing them.
What I will do each week is to get the pupils to share their articles with their peers to exchange ideas and practise on their oratorical skills. The reason why I get pupils to draw up an image of their understanding of the article is get them to use their visualisation skills to relate to the story and form the mental image of the story in their mind as they read.
Pupils are first told to get their peers to guess the story through the pictures they have drawn. In this way, it is also an opportunity to practise for the oral examinations.
At the end of the sharing session, I would then post some of the works of the pupils on the blog for viewing and learning of ideas.
Some of the other queries would relate to reading and comprehension which are stated as above.
Thank you everyone for your support and comments about the blog. This blog is essentially for the pupils and for every single parent to be updated of what is going on in your child's classroom. :)
Have a good weekend,
Reminders for pupils:
- Practice paper MCQ questions only!
- I am a reading Cover page design
- Spelling & Dictation 4 corrections + signature
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong
Here is a brief recap of week 5.
We have completed all the Comprehension OE exercises. Once again, I need to emphasize the following points:
- The skills and approach to attempting your comprehension OE is important if you want to score well for the section.
- Read the questions first to focus on what you are looking out for.
- Spend tome time to do your pre-reading activity (What i know / What i want to know)
- The questions tell the story in a brief manner. It is important to activate some knowledge before you read.
- Highlight the key words in the questions (5W1H and tenses)
- Pre-reading should be done BEFORE reading the passage if not it defeats the purpose.
- This is something in which all of you should be doing first.
- As you read the passage, be sure to underline and highlight the important points to your answers.
- Punctuation should be clear in your answers. Many of you are still missing out full-stops and that should not be the case. Be very careful.
Also, I have set a small task for you this weekend to design your own 'I am a Reader' file. I am starting this file to get you started on reading. For those who have been reading diligently, keep it up. For those who barely read, it is time to get you started.
Reading is always an important tool to improve your command of English. However, when you read, you need to be focused too. There are two main ways to read.
1. Reading for content / ideas
- Each author has a different style of writing. I will not tell you a specific author to just read on. Keep your options open and expose yourself to different styles of writing. Read for the ideas and relate the ideas to specific themes/topics which you can use for your own writing.
2. Reading to improve vocabulary
- When you come across difficult words in your reading, how often do you really jot down these words and their meanings? If you have not done so, it is time to start with this good habit. Now that you have your English notes, jot down the words you come across in the book with the meaning. It need not be every word. It can just be 3 - 5 words each time you read.
- After jotting down the meaning, you also need to be able to see how the word relates to a topic. Is the word a positive or negative word? Under what topic can I use the word? Is it to describe something happy / sad / angry / scary?
- A word loses its meaning when you only understand its meaning. It becomes embedded in your memory when you not only know the meaning but also how to use it.
This reading file will be your tool to apply what you have read and how reading can be effective through a series of activities and sharing.
Do not just read fantasy stories. Read information reports, newspaper articles, diaries, autobiographies, biographies and local stories. You do not apply ideas in fantasy stories in your composition writing. You do not write that your character will fly over the mountains or hop onto mystical creatures. As such, fantasies will only be really effective to learn about emotions and description of characters.
Comprehension Cloze
The key here to scoring well is also to apply the following skills. We have attempted 2 exercises thus far and as we practised more, I hope to build your confidence and not have you to be too afraid of this section.
1. Read once through for ideas first. Identify the main idea of the passage
2. As you read, you need to form images in your mind too. Visuals brings out understanding the story even more.
3. Highlight the key words (Tenses / singular / plural)
4. Draw the arrows for the clues. You can definitely find the answers to a couple of the blanks in the passage itself. It is a giveaway provided you really read through carefully.
Dear Parents,
In case if you have missed the session or are unable to make it, here is a recap:
Q. How do I help my child to improve his writing?
A. It starts with speaking. Being able to speak well is the key to get started as a writer. Writers are able to express their thoughts clearly with details. As such, do get your kids to speak to you and clarify their thoughts. Do not let them get away with just a yes/no answer. Get them to explain why and how. It is always the 'why' and 'how' portion which plays an important role to scoring well and writing well.
I would also recommend picking up model compositions books and vocabulary words/phrases books (thematic). Thematic here would mean having different topics with the application of different words and phrases under them.
Have your child to pick up a set of words/phrases that he or she is comfortable with and to apply them consistently. It is not about worrying about how many words you can use each time but being able to use a set of words consistently in your writing no matter what the topic is. We will not fault your child if he uses the same good vocabulary each time. Credit is given when a child is able to use the apt vocabulary words appropriately.
As mentioned above, reading is also important but focus on the reading. Choose your books wisely. The genre and type of book plays an important role.
Q. Are newspaper articles important? What is the relevance of it to helping my child?
A. Newspaper articles are important to allow your child to be updated of current affairs and to stay relevant. The curriculum is moving towards application of real life situations to practice and examination questions. You do notice a trend of infusing news reports into our daily practice and examination questions. It is more meaningful and relevant to have pupils to relate what they know in real life to assessing them.
What I will do each week is to get the pupils to share their articles with their peers to exchange ideas and practise on their oratorical skills. The reason why I get pupils to draw up an image of their understanding of the article is get them to use their visualisation skills to relate to the story and form the mental image of the story in their mind as they read.
Pupils are first told to get their peers to guess the story through the pictures they have drawn. In this way, it is also an opportunity to practise for the oral examinations.
At the end of the sharing session, I would then post some of the works of the pupils on the blog for viewing and learning of ideas.
Some of the other queries would relate to reading and comprehension which are stated as above.
Thank you everyone for your support and comments about the blog. This blog is essentially for the pupils and for every single parent to be updated of what is going on in your child's classroom. :)
Have a good weekend,
Reminders for pupils:
- Practice paper MCQ questions only!
- I am a reading Cover page design
- Spelling & Dictation 4 corrections + signature
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong
Wednesday, 28 January 2015
Composition Writing Skills
Dear all,
For P4, your composition is based upon 20 marks. 10 for content and 10 for language.
5 main skills that I will work on with you for every composition to bring out the best in you.
1. Planning frame
Where we plan the details of the stories from the setting to the weather to the characters to the main plot to the problem and the conclusion.
2. Show not tell
Pointing out ways of telling and having you to rewrite you in a way that it is more of showing the emotions, feelings and explaining the actions.
3. Focused writing
We will work on different techniques of writing through focusing on a component like introduction, problem or conclusion.
4. Sample writing
To be good writers, you need to be able to put your shoes in the role of a marker. What to look out for and how good/not so good stories are. As such, I will give you a sample piece to try out as a marker before each writing.
5. Theme Work
We work on bringing out more ideas through more heads put together. With more knowledge and wealth of ideas through sharing, this will help u expand your ideas.
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong
For P4, your composition is based upon 20 marks. 10 for content and 10 for language.
5 main skills that I will work on with you for every composition to bring out the best in you.
1. Planning frame
Where we plan the details of the stories from the setting to the weather to the characters to the main plot to the problem and the conclusion.
2. Show not tell
Pointing out ways of telling and having you to rewrite you in a way that it is more of showing the emotions, feelings and explaining the actions.
3. Focused writing
We will work on different techniques of writing through focusing on a component like introduction, problem or conclusion.
4. Sample writing
To be good writers, you need to be able to put your shoes in the role of a marker. What to look out for and how good/not so good stories are. As such, I will give you a sample piece to try out as a marker before each writing.
5. Theme Work
We work on bringing out more ideas through more heads put together. With more knowledge and wealth of ideas through sharing, this will help u expand your ideas.
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong
Newspaper Articles of the Week
Dear all,
Here are the newspaper articles of the week.
This week's featured articles are written by Benjamin, Anne, Benedict and Valerie.
Homework:
- Comprehension OE Exercise
(To do your Pre-reading exercise, highlight key words in the questions and make notes in your reading before doing the 5 questions)
Thank you,
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong
Here are the newspaper articles of the week.
This week's featured articles are written by Benjamin, Anne, Benedict and Valerie.
Homework:
- Comprehension OE Exercise
(To do your Pre-reading exercise, highlight key words in the questions and make notes in your reading before doing the 5 questions)
Thank you,
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong
Monday, 26 January 2015
A Nasty Accident
Dear all,
We have embarked on the next unit - A Nasty Accident. Today, we learnt about predicting the story through the title and image. It is a powerful skill to activate your thinking further - to make sense of the story and arouse your curiousity. Thinking skills are always very important in order for us to make full use of our brain and be a better student.
We also learn about personal recounts in which the writer recalls about something personal that has happened to him.
In personal recounts, these are the following structures:
- Introduction / Orientation (Who, what, when, where)
- Main events (Describing the events that has taken place)
- Conclusion (Commenting on the writer's feelings or closing statement)
Personal recounts make use of past tense because you are recalling what had happened to you.
Examples of recounts would include:
-Interviews
-Diaries
-Autobiographies (Writing a life story of yourself)
-Biographies (Others writing a life story of yourself)
-Journals
Reminder:
Complete your Newspaper Article for discussion tomorrow.
Thank You,
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong
We have embarked on the next unit - A Nasty Accident. Today, we learnt about predicting the story through the title and image. It is a powerful skill to activate your thinking further - to make sense of the story and arouse your curiousity. Thinking skills are always very important in order for us to make full use of our brain and be a better student.
We also learn about personal recounts in which the writer recalls about something personal that has happened to him.
In personal recounts, these are the following structures:
- Introduction / Orientation (Who, what, when, where)
- Main events (Describing the events that has taken place)
- Conclusion (Commenting on the writer's feelings or closing statement)
Personal recounts make use of past tense because you are recalling what had happened to you.
Examples of recounts would include:
-Interviews
-Diaries
-Autobiographies (Writing a life story of yourself)
-Biographies (Others writing a life story of yourself)
-Journals
Reminder:
Complete your Newspaper Article for discussion tomorrow.
Thank You,
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong
Thursday, 22 January 2015
Newspaper Articles of the Week
Dear all,
Here are some good articles of the week with the 3 main ideas, 2 vocabulary words and 1 image.
By the end of the year, I hope to put up everyone's work. :)
I am looking out more for your content rather than pinpointing your grammatical or spelling errors. As such, I am also assessing you when you share with your friends in class. Be confident speakers and articulate your ideas well across to your friends when sharing. This also aids your speaking/oral skills.
To re-emphasize again, reading newspapers is a good way to improve your English and world knowledge.
Here are some good articles of the week with the 3 main ideas, 2 vocabulary words and 1 image.
By the end of the year, I hope to put up everyone's work. :)
I am looking out more for your content rather than pinpointing your grammatical or spelling errors. As such, I am also assessing you when you share with your friends in class. Be confident speakers and articulate your ideas well across to your friends when sharing. This also aids your speaking/oral skills.
To re-emphasize again, reading newspapers is a good way to improve your English and world knowledge.
This week's featured works are by Jerlyn, Ashlee and Tiffani :)
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong
Tuesday, 20 January 2015
Grammar Rules / Comprehension OE skills
Dear all,
It's been awhile since the last updates. Here is a recap of the learning points we have covered since the last update.
Grammar rules
Synthesis structures
1. [ Action ] because [ Reason ]
'because' always tells you about a reason.
We study hard because we want to do well for our studies.
2. 'but' is used to show two difference in actions.
Comprehension OE Skills
1. Pre-Reading Activity
- What I Know & What I Want To Know
- Read the questions and think about the story through the questions.
- Questions can reveal main characters, actions and problems.
2. Highlight they key words
- Look for 5W (What/which, when, where, who, why) and 1H (How)
- Check for tenses
3. Read the passage
- Jot down notes along the way and look out for the areas to answer your questions.
I will be uploading some good newspaper articles weekly (from your works) for everyone to learn about the world news and the different styles of your friends' writings.
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong
It's been awhile since the last updates. Here is a recap of the learning points we have covered since the last update.
Grammar rules
Synthesis structures
1. [ Action ] because [ Reason ]
'because' always tells you about a reason.
We study hard because we want to do well for our studies.
2. 'but' is used to show two difference in actions.
Comprehension OE Skills
1. Pre-Reading Activity
- What I Know & What I Want To Know
- Read the questions and think about the story through the questions.
- Questions can reveal main characters, actions and problems.
2. Highlight they key words
- Look for 5W (What/which, when, where, who, why) and 1H (How)
- Check for tenses
3. Read the passage
- Jot down notes along the way and look out for the areas to answer your questions.
I will be uploading some good newspaper articles weekly (from your works) for everyone to learn about the world news and the different styles of your friends' writings.
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong
Sunday, 11 January 2015
'Despite' 'In spite of' 'Prepositions'
Dear all,
It is the start of Week 2. Hope you have adjusted to school life.
Today's learning points:
We recap on prepositions and learnt about the synthesis structure of 'Despite' and 'In spite of'.
In spite of / Despite
Both are conjunctions that carry the same meaning. They have about the same meaning as 'even though' and 'although'. Both show two different actions in a sentence. They join them together.
The rule here for synthesis when you come across such structures is to add the words 'the fact that' after 'in spite of' and 'despite'
In spite of the fact that [Noun] [Verb] ......... , ................
Despite the fact that [Noun] [Verb] ........ , ................
Despite the fact that the girls are intelligent, they are not proud.
In spite of the fact that James is short, he can jump very high.
I taught you the skills of highlighting the key words and looking out for key words that would give you the answers. Do not forget about it. It may seem like a small action but this small action gives you the BIG ability to answer correctly.
Newspaper Articles Exercise
Every Monday would be our newspaper article exercise sharing and submission. This is to strengthen your reading and exposure to different text types. Newspaper articles are usually information reports that are factual.
Do look for an article from the 'World' or 'Home' section either from the newspapers or online news articles. Do approach me if you have difficulty in doing so.
We will use the '3...2...1' strategy of reflecting on the news articles.
- 3 main ideas
- 2 vocabulary words with the meaning
- 1 image/picture associated with the article
A picture speaks a thousand words. The ability to summarise your story or main idea through an image is a powerful one.
Homework:
- Grammar Exercise 1.2, 1.3 and 1.4
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong
It is the start of Week 2. Hope you have adjusted to school life.
Today's learning points:
We recap on prepositions and learnt about the synthesis structure of 'Despite' and 'In spite of'.
In spite of / Despite
Both are conjunctions that carry the same meaning. They have about the same meaning as 'even though' and 'although'. Both show two different actions in a sentence. They join them together.
The rule here for synthesis when you come across such structures is to add the words 'the fact that' after 'in spite of' and 'despite'
In spite of the fact that [Noun] [Verb] ......... , ................
Despite the fact that [Noun] [Verb] ........ , ................
Despite the fact that the girls are intelligent, they are not proud.
In spite of the fact that James is short, he can jump very high.
I taught you the skills of highlighting the key words and looking out for key words that would give you the answers. Do not forget about it. It may seem like a small action but this small action gives you the BIG ability to answer correctly.
Newspaper Articles Exercise
Every Monday would be our newspaper article exercise sharing and submission. This is to strengthen your reading and exposure to different text types. Newspaper articles are usually information reports that are factual.
Do look for an article from the 'World' or 'Home' section either from the newspapers or online news articles. Do approach me if you have difficulty in doing so.
We will use the '3...2...1' strategy of reflecting on the news articles.
- 3 main ideas
- 2 vocabulary words with the meaning
- 1 image/picture associated with the article
A picture speaks a thousand words. The ability to summarise your story or main idea through an image is a powerful one.
Homework:
- Grammar Exercise 1.2, 1.3 and 1.4
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong
Friday, 9 January 2015
Week 1
Dear all,
A brief recap of Friday's lesson:
1. Spelling list was handed out for the term. Do go through the words. Do not just memorise the words. Make sure you understand the words too. This is important as you can then apply them to your writing and your tests.
Spelling and dictation test is held every Monday.
2. We focused mainly on Grammar for a start with the completion of Grammar worksheet 1.1. We discussed about the grammar rules and the first exercise focused on Modal verbs. Remember to always highlight the key words in your exercises and tests to help you be more careful in answering your questions.
3. Group points are up and running. This is to encourage you to work together and learn together. Team leaders are to take good care of your groups and help maintain discipline for your groups too. :)
Important reminders:
Remember to get ready your two exercise books and files by Monday, 12th January.
Have a good weekend,
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong
A brief recap of Friday's lesson:
1. Spelling list was handed out for the term. Do go through the words. Do not just memorise the words. Make sure you understand the words too. This is important as you can then apply them to your writing and your tests.
Spelling and dictation test is held every Monday.
2. We focused mainly on Grammar for a start with the completion of Grammar worksheet 1.1. We discussed about the grammar rules and the first exercise focused on Modal verbs. Remember to always highlight the key words in your exercises and tests to help you be more careful in answering your questions.
3. Group points are up and running. This is to encourage you to work together and learn together. Team leaders are to take good care of your groups and help maintain discipline for your groups too. :)
Important reminders:
Remember to get ready your two exercise books and files by Monday, 12th January.
Have a good weekend,
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong
Wednesday, 7 January 2015
Basic Grammar Rules
Dear all,
A little recap from today's lesson.
Nouns
Words that name things, ideas, people, places, events.
e.g Party, Teacher, Car, Books
Verbs
Action words
e.g Dance, Walk, Study, is, was, are, were
Adjectives
Describe how things, people or places look or feel
e.g Happy, Confused, Busy, Hardworking, Kind-hearted
Adverbs
Describe manner, place and time in which actions take place (associated with verbs)
e.g Spinning quickly, Walk hurriedly, Sleeping soundly, Shouted happily
Determiners
Determine the quantity of nouns
e.g a, many, twenty, these, those, this, that
Prepositions
Talks about where something comes from, what position it is in relation to another, what time something is in relation to another event
e.g on the table, around the field, after school, during lesson
Conjunctions
Join words, sequences or two ideas/sentence together
e.g and, or, but, since, although,
Today, we learnt about modal verbs. Modal verbs are used to express intention, necessity, obligation, offer, permission, possibility, prohibition, question, request, suggestion.
e.g can, could, may, might, shall, should, must, ought to, will, would
Here's a video you can watch for more explanation on Modal verbs.
Learning points for today:
Basic grammar rules and how to apply them
Reminders:
English files (Yellow and Red)
2 Exercise books (One for Newspaper Articles & One for English notes/writing)
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong
A little recap from today's lesson.
Nouns
Words that name things, ideas, people, places, events.
e.g Party, Teacher, Car, Books
Verbs
Action words
e.g Dance, Walk, Study, is, was, are, were
Adjectives
Describe how things, people or places look or feel
e.g Happy, Confused, Busy, Hardworking, Kind-hearted
Adverbs
Describe manner, place and time in which actions take place (associated with verbs)
e.g Spinning quickly, Walk hurriedly, Sleeping soundly, Shouted happily
Determiners
Determine the quantity of nouns
e.g a, many, twenty, these, those, this, that
Prepositions
Talks about where something comes from, what position it is in relation to another, what time something is in relation to another event
e.g on the table, around the field, after school, during lesson
Conjunctions
Join words, sequences or two ideas/sentence together
e.g and, or, but, since, although,
Today, we learnt about modal verbs. Modal verbs are used to express intention, necessity, obligation, offer, permission, possibility, prohibition, question, request, suggestion.
e.g can, could, may, might, shall, should, must, ought to, will, would
Here's a video you can watch for more explanation on Modal verbs.
Learning points for today:
Basic grammar rules and how to apply them
Reminders:
English files (Yellow and Red)
2 Exercise books (One for Newspaper Articles & One for English notes/writing)
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong
Saturday, 3 January 2015
Introduction Post
Dear all,
Hope you have enjoyed your school life thus far. I am delighted to be your English teacher for 2015. As mentioned in class, you really need to work hard to get your basics right and set yourself up for the year. Do work hard and my target set for you is to have my 100% passes and Band 1s for English. We will work towards it.
Important reminders:
Hope you have enjoyed your school life thus far. I am delighted to be your English teacher for 2015. As mentioned in class, you really need to work hard to get your basics right and set yourself up for the year. Do work hard and my target set for you is to have my 100% passes and Band 1s for English. We will work towards it.
Important reminders:
- Get ready 2 exercise books for English and your English files.
- Do bring your foolscap paper to class as we will need it for Dictation, Spelling and Composition writing.
Tips to improve your English:
- The most important tip is to simply read and in reading, it means that you have to read novels, newspaper articles and world knowledge. Avoid just reading comics. Reading not only helps you to understand different perspectives (points of view of writing) but also helps you to brush up your grammar and vocabulary content.
- Practise on grammar exercises (tenses and plural/singularity as one of the most important rules of grammar)
- Practise on vocabulary items (especially useful for vocab cloze, comprehension cloze, composition writing)
- Newspaper articles are very useful as most of the cloze passages in your exam papers are based on newspaper articles.
As mentioned, I will definitely try to lighten your homework load. I believe in going through work with you in class and having you to understand what I teach than to keep pumping you with work. You need to understand the content I teach before you apply them to your work.
Don't forget my rules for you and the routines I have set for you. Very importantly, I believe that you must have your character in place (motivation level and the passion for learning) before you will be able to improve and score well. Have a positive attitude and do not every give up. With great character, we can then learn better. As such, my 3 rules for you:
Rule #1
WE ARE A FAMILY
This is top of my list for the fact that you will be together for the next 2 years. I have seen my P6 class stick together through thick and thin and graduated as a close unit. The camaraderie formed has helped them through the ups and downs. As such, team spirit is important. We work for one another and help one another. Likewise, I am in this with you and promise to take you guys through your studies and character building.
Rule #2
LISTEN ATTENTIVELY
In terms of respect, this rule is integral to establishing good communication between you and me. A teacher's lesson is measured by effective communication in delivering my message and lesson across to the students. Focus and understand in you classroom learning. Put all distractions aside and strive for excellence.
Rule #3
HAND UP ALL WORK ON TIME
In everything you do, it is 100% effort and nothing less. I understand that some days, we do get tired and would like to take short cuts in our lives but you have to always remember that, you need to put in your best effort if not you will not see results. There are no shortcuts in life. You need to work hard for your goals. Work given is important and helps you to grow and learn. I really seek your help to submit work on time so that I in turn can mark and pass them back to you on time.
Here's to a good year for all pupils and parents. :)
Dear Parents,
If you have any queries or feedback, do feel free to reach me through my email @ ong_yong_hui_nelson@moe.edu.sg
I look forward to working with all of you as you play an important role in your children's education and character building. Each and every child is important.
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong
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