ENGLISH FIRST ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE
PAPER 3
GRADE 12 
NSC PAST PAPERS AND MEMOS
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017

INSTRUCTIONS AND INFORMATION 
This memorandum must be used together with the attached English FAL assessment  rubrics for SECTIONS A, B and C. 

MEMORANDUM

SECTION A: ESSAY 
QUESTION 1 
Instructions to Markers: 

  • Candidates are required to write on ONE topic only. 
  • The ideas listed below the topics are only some ways in which the topic could be  interpreted. 
  • Full credit must be given for the candidates' own interpretation. 
  • Marking must be objective. Give credit for relevant ideas. 
  • Use the 50-mark assessment rubric to mark the essays. The texts produced by  candidates must be assessed according to the following criteria as set out in the  assessment rubric: 
    • Content and planning (30 marks)
    • Language, style and editing (15 marks) 
    • Structure (5 marks) 

NOTE: No additional penalties may be imposed as the rubric itself imposes penalties. 
1.1 A memorable journey 
Reflective/Descriptive/Narrative 

  • If reflective, the essay should convey emotional reactions and feelings  experienced by the writer.
  • If descriptive, the writer should create a picture in words, trying to use as  many senses as possible to make the description clear.
  • If narrative, the essay must have a strong story line. The essay must have  an interesting ending.
  • The candidate may refer to a literal or a figurative journey.
  • It must be clear why the journey was memorable.

[50]

1.2 Write a story that includes the following words: 
I regret pressing 'Send' on my cellphone. 
Narrative/Reflective 

  • If narrative, the essay must have a strong story line, usually written in the  past tense. The essay must have an interesting ending. 
  • If reflective, the essay should convey emotional reactions and feelings  experienced by the writer.

[50]

1.3 The people who make my life interesting 
Descriptive/Narrative/Reflective 

  • If descriptive, the writer should create a picture in words, trying to use as  many senses as possible to make the description clear.
  • If narrative, the essay must have a strong story line, usually written in the  past tense. The essay must have an interesting ending.
  • If reflective, the essay should convey emotional reactions and feelings.

[50]

1.4 There is too much pressure on the youth to have perfect bodies. 
Argumentative/Discursive/Reflective 

  • If argumentative, the essay must reflect a specific argument or viewpoint  for or against the topic. The candidate should give a range of arguments  to support and substantiate his/her view. The conclusion should be a  strong, clear and convincing statement of the writer's opinion.
  • If discursive, the writer may come to a particular conclusion at the end of  the essay but the arguments for and against must be well-balanced and  clearly analysed in the course of the essay.
  • If reflective, the writer must still take a stance for or against the topic. The  essay must convey a personal response to the issue.

[50] 

1.5 Do not start your day with broken pieces of yesterday. 
Narrative/Reflective/Descriptive 

  • If narrative, the essay must have a strong story line, usually written in the  past tense. The essay must have an interesting ending.
  • If reflective, the essay should convey emotional reactions and feelings  experienced by the writer. 
  • If descriptive, the writer should create a picture in words, trying to use as  many senses as possible to make the description clear.

[50] 

1.6 Success is the result of hard work; luck has nothing to do with it. 
Discursive/Argumentative 

  • If discursive, the writer may come to a particular conclusion at the end of  the essay but the arguments for and against must be well-balanced and  clearly analysed in the course of the essay.
  • If argumentative, the essay must reflect a specific argument or viewpoint  for or against the topic. The candidate should give a range of arguments  to support and substantiate his/her view. The conclusion should be a  strong, clear and convincing statement of the writer's opinion.

[50]

1.7 Interpretation of pictures 

  • The candidate may interpret the pictures in any way.
  • The candidate may choose to write any type of essay.
  • The interpretation must be linked to the picture. 
  • The candidate should give the essay a suitable title.
  • The candidate may write in any appropriate tense. 

1.7.1 Picture: Tree/Recycling 

    • Literal interpretations: recycling, deforestation, environmental  issues.
    • Figurative interpretations: source of life, life seasons.

[50]

1.7.2 Picture: Grandmother with girl reading 

  • Literal interpretations: the importance of reading, reading to  children, literacy, adult literacy.
  • Figurative interpretations: love, happiness, relationships  between grandparents and grandchildren, the role of  grandparents/grandmothers/women, aging vs. youthfulness.

[50]
TOTAL SECTION A: 50

Related Items

SECTION B: LONGER TRANSACTIONAL TEXT 
QUESTION 2 
Instructions to Markers: 

  • Candidates are required to answer ONE question. 
  • Marking must be objective. Give credit for relevant ideas. 
  • Use the 30-mark assessment rubric to mark the responses in this section. The  texts produced by candidates must be assessed according to the following criteria  as set out in the attached rubric: 
    • Content, planning and format (18 marks)
    • Language, style and editing (12 marks) 

NOTE: No additional penalties may be imposed as the rubric itself imposes penalties. 
2.1 FORMAL LETTER TO THE PRESS 
A letter to the editor about whether matric results should be published in the  newspapers or not. 

  • The following aspects of format should be included:
    • Address of sender
    • Date
    • Recipient: the editor
    • Name of the newspaper 
    • Address of recipient 
    • Greeting/Salutation 
    • Topic line 
    • Suitable ending 
    • Signature and name of sender 
  • The tone and register of the letter should be formal.
  • The candidate must present his or her point of view clearly.

[30]

2.2 OBITUARY 
Obituary of a learner 

  • The tone must be formal.
  • The following aspects of format should be included:
    • Full name of the deceased
    • Date of birth 
    • Date of death 
  • The following information may also be included: 
    • Birthplace 
    • Where the person was living at the time of death 
    • Key survivors (parents, siblings) and their names 
    • Date and time of funeral
    • Biographical information
  • A tribute must be paid to the deceased.

[30]

2.3 INFORMAL REPORT 
A report to the principal on possible changes to the rules regarding learner  uniforms and hairstyles.  

  • The report must have:
    • a topic.
    • a recipient. 
    • a sender. 
  • The report must be written using an informal format but formal language.
  • Slang or colloquial language is not acceptable.

[30] 

2.4 INTERVIEW 
An interview between the candidate and the radio presenter. 

  • A brief scenario/context must be given before the speakers start  speaking.
  • The tone must be formal. 
  • The following aspects of format must be included:
    • The names of the speakers must appear on the left-hand side of the  page.
    • A colon must appear after the name of each speaker. 
    • A new line must be used to indicate each speaker. 
    • The questions must be probing and to the point.
    • Stage directions (tone of voice, actions, etc.) must be written in  brackets before the spoken words, if applicable.

[30] 
TOTAL SECTION B: 30

SECTION C: SHORTER TRANSACTIONAL TEXT 
QUESTION 3 
Instructions to Markers: 

  • Candidates are required to answer ONE question.
  • Marking must be objective. Give credit for relevant ideas. 
  • Use the 20-mark assessment rubric to mark the responses in this section. The texts  produced by candidates must be assessed according to the following criteria as set out in the assessment rubric: 
    • Content, planning and format (12 marks)
    • Language, style and editing (8 marks) 

NOTE: No additional penalties may be imposed as the rubric itself imposes penalties.
3.1 INVITATION CARD 
A teacher at your school is about to retire. 

  • The following aspects of format must be included:
    • Date, venue and time
    • Type of function should be clear 
  • Language should be formal and suited to the context.
  • Full sentences are not necessary.
  • Do not award marks for illustrations.

[20]

3.2 POSTCARD 
You and your family have moved to a new country/province. 

  • The language, tone and register must be informal. 
  • The content must be about the candidate's experiences in a new  country/province. 
  • The format may be quite informal and may include a receiver and a  sender. 
  • No marks are awarded for illustrations.

[20]

3.3 DIRECTIONS 
Directions from the airport to your house in Sprite street. 

  • The starting point and destination must be specified. 
  • The directions may be in point or paragraph form. 
  • Concise and clear sentences must be used. 
  •  The following should be included, among others:
    • Landmarks 
    • Estimated distances 
    • Specific directions
  • No marks are awarded for illustrations.

[20] 
TOTAL SECTION C: 20
GRAND TOTAL:  100 

ASSESSMENT RUBRIC FOR ESSAY – FIRST ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE [50 MARKS]

Criteria 

 

Exceptional 

Skilful 

Moderate 

Elementary 

Inadequate

CONTENT &  PLANNING 

(Response and ideas)

  • Organisation of ideas for planning; 
  • Aw areness of purpose,  audience and context 

30 MARKS

UPPER LEVEL

28–30 

22–24 

16–18 

10–12 

4–6

  • Outstanding/Striking response  beyond normal expectations
  • Intelligent, thought-provoking  and mature ideas 
  • Exceptionally w ell organised  and coherent (connected),  including introduction, body and  conclusion/ending
  • Very well-crafted response
  • Fully relevant and interesting  ideas w ith evidence of maturity
  • Very well organised and  coherent (connected), including introduction, body and  conclusion/ending
  • Satisfactory response
  • Ideas are reasonably coherent  and convincing
  • Reasonably organised and  coherent, including  introduction, body and  conclusion/ending
  • Inconsistently coherent  response 
  • Unclear ideas and unoriginal
  • Little evidence of organisation  and coherence
  • Totally irrelevant response
  • Confused and unfocused ideas
  • Vague and repetitive
  • Unorganised and incoherent

LOWER LEVEL

25–27 

19–21 

13–15 

7–9 

0–3

  • Excellent response but lacks  the exceptionally striking  qualities of the outstanding  essay
  • Mature and intelligent ideas 
  • Skilfully organised and coherent  (connected), including  introduction, body and  conclusion/ending
  • Well-crafted response
  • Relevant and interesting ideas
  • Well organised and coherent  (connected), including  introduction, body and  conclusion
  • Satisfactory response but  some lapses in clarity
  • Ideas are fairly coherent and  convincing
  • Some degree of organisation  and coherence, including  introduction, body and conclusion
  • Largely irrelevant response
  • Ideas tend to be  disconnected and confusing
  • Hardly any evidence of  organisation and coherence
  • No attempt to respond to the  topic
  • Completely irrelevant and  inappropriate
  • Unfocused and muddled

LANGUAGE, STYLE &  EDITING 

  • Tone, register, style,  vocabulary appropriate  to purpose/effect and  context; 
  • Word choice; Language use and  conventions,  punctuation, grammar,  spelling 

15 MARKS

UPPER LEVEL

14–15 

11–12 

8–9 

5–6 

0–3

  • Tone, register, style and  vocabulary highly appropriate to  purpose, audience and context
  • Language confident,  exceptionally impressive 
  • Compelling and rhetorically  effective in tone 
  • Virtually error-free in grammar  and spelling 
  • Very skilfully crafted
  • Tone, register, style and  vocabulary very appropriate to  purpose, audience and context
  • Language is effective and a  consistently appropriate tone is  used
  • Largely error-free in grammar  and spelling
  • Very well crafted
  • Tone, register, style and  vocabulary appropriate to  purpose, audience and context
  • Appropriate use of language  to convey meaning
  • Tone is appropriate
  • Rhetorical devices used to  enhance content 
  • Tone, register, style and  vocabulary not appropriate to  purpose, audience and context
  • Very basic use of language
  • Tone and diction are  inappropriate
  • Very limited vocabulary
  • Language incomprehensible
  • Tone, register, style and vocabulary less appropriate to  purpose, audience and context
  • Vocabulary limitations so  extreme as to make  comprehension impossible

LOWER LEVEL

13 

10 

4

 
  • Language excellent and  rhetorically effective in tone
  • Virtually error-free in grammar  and spelling
  • Skilfully crafted
  • Language engaging and  generally effective
  • Appropriate and effective tone
  • Few errors in grammar and  spelling 
  • Well crafted
  • Adequate use of language  w ith some inconsistencies
  • Tone generally appropriate  and limited use of rhetorical  devices
  • Inadequate use of language
  • Little or no variety in sentence
  • Exceptionally limited  vocabulary

STRUCTURE 

  • Features of text; 
  • Paragraph development  and sentence construction 

5 MARKS

 

0–1

  • Excellent development of topic
  • Exceptional detail
  • Sentences, paragraphs  exceptionally w ell-constructed
  • Logical development of details
  • Coherent
  • Sentences, paragraphs logical,  varied
  • Relevant details developed
  • Sentences, paragraphs well constructed
  • Essay still makes sense
  • Some valid points
  • Sentences and paragraphs  faulty 
  • Essay still makes some sense
  • Necessary points lacking
  • Sentences and paragraphs  faulty
  • Essay lacks sense

MARK RANGE 

 

43–50 

33–40 

23–30 

13–20 

0–10

ASSESSMENT RUBRIC FOR LONGER TRANSACTIONAL TEXT – FIRST ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE [30 MARKS]

Criteria 

Exceptional 

Skilful 

Moderate 

Elementary 

Inadequate

CONTENT, PLANNING  & FORMAT 

  • Response and ideas; Organisation of ideas  for planning; 
  • Purpose, audience,  features/conventions  and context 

18 MARKS

15–18 

11-14 

8-10 

5-7 

0–4

  • Outstanding response  beyond normal  expectations
  • Intelligent and mature  ideas
  • Extensive knowledge  of features of the type of  text 
  • Writing maintains focus
  • Coherence in content  and ideas
  • Highly elaborated and  all details support the  topic
  • Appropriate and  accurate format
  • Very good response  demonstrating good  knowledge of features  of the type of text 
  • Maintains focus – no  digressions
  • Coherent in content  and ideas, very well  elaborated and details  support topic
  • Appropriate format with  minor inaccuracies
  • Adequate response  demonstrating  knowledge of features  of the type of text
  • Not completely focused  – some digressions
  • Reasonably coherent  in content and ideas
  • Some details support  the topic
  • Generally appropriate  format but with some  inaccuracies
  • Basic response  demonstrating some  knowledge of features  of the type of text
  • Some focus but writing  digresses
  • Not always coherent in  content and ideas
  • Few details support the  topic
  • Necessary rules of  format vaguely applied
  • Some critical  oversights
  • Response reveals no  knowledge of features  of the type of text
  • Meaning obscure with  major digressions
  • Not coherent in content  and ideas
  • Very few details  support the topic
  • Necessary rules of  format not applied

LANGUAGE, STYLE &  EDITING 

  • Tone, register, style,  purpose/effect, audience and context;
  • Language use and  conventions;
  • Word choice;
  • Punctuation and  spelling 

12 MARKS

10–12 

8–9 

6–7 

4–5 

0–3

  • Tone, register, style  and vocabulary highly  appropriate to purpose,  audience and context
  • Grammatically  accurate and well constructed
  • Virtually error-free
  • Tone, register, style  and vocabulary very  appropriate to purpose,  audience and context
  • Generally  grammatically accurate  and well-constructed
  • Very good vocabulary 
  • Mostly free of errors
  • Tone, register, style  and vocabulary  appropriate to purpose,  audience and context
  • Some grammatical  errors
  • Adequate vocabulary
  • Errors do not impede  meaning
  • Tone, register, style  and vocabulary less  appropriate to purpose,  audience and context
  • Inaccurate grammar  with numerous errors
  • Limited vocabulary
  • Meaning obscured 
  • Tone, register, style  and vocabulary do not  correspond to purpose,  audience and context 
  • Error-ridden and  confused
  • Vocabulary not suitable  for purpose
  • Meaning seriously  impaired

MARK RANGE 

25–30 

19–23 

14–17 

9–12 

0–7

ASSESSMENT RUBRIC FOR SHORTER TRANSACTIONAL TEXT – FIRST ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE [20 MARKS]

Criteria 

Exceptional 

Skilful 

Moderate 

Elementary 

Inadequate

CONTENT, PLANNING  & FORMAT 

  • Response and ideas;
  • Organisation of ideas;
  • Features/conventions  and context 

12 MARKS

10–12 

8–9 

6–7 

4–5 

0–3

  • Outstanding response  beyond normal  expectations
  • Intelligent and mature  ideas
  • Extensive knowledge  of features of the type of  text 
  • Writing maintains focus
  • Coherence in content  and ideas
  • Highly elaborated and  all details support the  topic
  • Appropriate and accurate format
  • Very good response  demonstrating good  knowledge of features  of the type of text
  • Maintains focus – no  digressions
  • Coherent in content  and ideas, very well  elaborated and details  support topic
  • Appropriate format with  minor inaccuracies
  • Adequate response,  demonstrating  knowledge of features  of the type of text
  • Not completely focused  –some digressions
  • Reasonably coherent  in content and ideas -Some details support  the topic
  • Generally appropriate  format but with some  inaccuracies
  • Basic response, demonstrating some  knowledge of features  of the type of text
  • Some focus but writing  digresses
  • Not always coherent in  content and ideas 
  • Few details support the  topic
  • Necessary rules of  format vaguely applied
  • Some critical  oversights
  • Response reveals no  knowledge of features  of the type of text
  • Meaning obscure with  major digressions
  • Not coherent in content  and ideas 
  • Very few details  support the topic
  • Necessary rules of  format not applied

LANGUAGE, STYLE &  EDITING 

  • Tone, register, style,  vocabulary appropriate  to purpose and context;
  • Language use and  conventions;
  • Word choice;
  • Punctuation and  spelling 

8 MARKS

7–8 

5–6 

0–2

  • Tone, register, style  and vocabulary highly  appropriate to purpose,  audience and context
  • Grammatically  accurate and well constructed
  • Virtually error-free
  • Tone, register, style  and vocabulary very  appropriate to purpose,  audience and context
  • Generally  grammatically accurate  and well-constructed
  • Very good vocabulary
  • Mostly free of errors
  • Tone, register, style  and vocabulary  appropriate to purpose,  audience and context
  • Some grammatical  errors
  • Adequate vocabulary
  • Errors do not impede  meaning
  • Tone, register, style  and vocabulary less  appropriate to purpose,  audience and context
  • Inaccurate grammar  with numerous errors
  • Limited vocabulary
  • Meaning obscured 
  • Tone, register, style  and vocabulary do not  correspond to purpose,  audience and context
  • Error-ridden and  confused
  • Vocabulary not suitable  for purpose
  • Meaning seriously  impaired

MARK RANGE 

17–20 

13–15 

10–11 

7–8 

0–5

Last modified on Monday, 28 June 2021 06:40