ENGLISH FIRST ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE
PAPER 3
GRADE 12 
NSC EXAMS
PAST PAPERS AND MEMOS NOVEMBER 2018

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 candidate's 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: 

• Adhere to the length of between 250 and 300 words as prescribed in the CAPS document. However, should the maximum word count be reached mid-sentence,  read to the end of that sentence.
• No additional penalties may be imposed as the rubric itself imposes penalties.  

1.1 Everything was going according to plan when … 
Narrative/Reflective/Descriptive 

• If narrative, the essay must have a strong story line and an interesting  ending. 
• If reflective, the essay should convey emotional reactions and feelings the  candidate experiences/experienced.
• If descriptive, the writer should create a picture in words using as many  senses as possible to make the description clear.
  NOTE: A candidate may write an essay which contains elements of more  than one type of essay/any other essay type. [50]

1.2 'We can change the world and make it a better place. It is in your hands  to make a difference.' – Nelson Mandela 
Reflective/Argumentative/Discursive/Narrative  

• If reflective, the essay should convey emotional reactions and feelings the  candidate experiences/experienced.
• 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 his/her view. The conclusion should be a strong, clear and  convincing statement of the writer's opinion.
• If discursive, the arguments for and against must be well-balanced and clearly analysed in the essay. The candidate must provide supporting  evidence for arguments. The candidate may come to a particular  conclusion at the end of the essay, which should include  recommendations. 
• If narrative, the essay must have a strong story line and an interesting  ending. 
  NOTE: A candidate may write an essay which contains elements of more  than one type of essay/any other essay type. [50] 

1.3 Hidden treasure 
Descriptive/Narrative/Reflective 

• If descriptive, the candidate should create a picture in words using as  many senses as possible to make the description clear.
• If narrative, the essay must have a strong story line and an interesting  ending. 
• If reflective, the essay should convey emotional reactions and feelings the  candidate experiences/experienced.
  NOTE: A candidate may write an essay which contains elements of more  than one type of essay/any other essay type. [50]

1.4 'Go for it now. The future is promised to no-one.' – Dr Wayne Dyer
Reflective/Argumentative/Discursive/Narrative  

• If reflective, the essay should convey emotional reactions and feelings the  candidate experiences/experienced.
• 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 his/her view. The conclusion should be a strong, clear and  convincing statement of the writer's opinion.
• If discursive, the arguments for and against must be well-balanced and  clearly analysed in the essay. The candidate must provide supporting  evidence for arguments. The candidate may come to a particular  conclusion at the end of the essay, which should include  recommendations. 
• If narrative, the essay must have a strong story line and an interesting  ending. 
  NOTE: A candidate may write an essay which contains elements of more  than one type of essay/any other essay type. [50] 

1.5 You do not need someone else's approval to feel good about yourself. 
Argumentative/ Discursive/Reflective 

• If argumentative, the essay must convey a specific argument or viewpoint  for or against the topic. The candidate should give a range of arguments  to support his/her view. The conclusion should be a strong, clear and  convincing statement of the writer's opinion. 
• If discursive, the arguments for and against must be well-balanced and  clearly analysed in the essay. The candidate must provide supporting  evidence for arguments. The candidate may come to a particular  conclusion at the end of the essay, which should include  recommendations. 
• If reflective, the essay should convey emotional reactions and feelings the  candidate experiences/experienced.
  NOTE: A candidate may write an essay which contains elements of more  than one type of essay/any other essay type. [50]

1.6 Beyond these walls 
Descriptive/Narrative/Reflective  

• If descriptive, the candidate should create a picture in words using as  many senses as possible to make the description clear.
• If narrative, the essay must have a strong story line and an interesting  ending. 
• If reflective, the essay should convey emotional reactions and feelings the  candidate experiences/experienced.
  NOTE: A candidate may write an essay which contains elements of more  than one type of essay/any other essay type. [50] 

1.7 Interpretation of pictures 
The candidate: 

• must give the essay a suitable title.
• may interpret the pictures in any way, relevant to the picture.
• may choose to write any type of essay, relevant to the picture.
• must link the interpretation to the picture.
• may write in any appropriate tense. 

1.7.1 Picture: Computer 
Narrative/Descriptive/Reflective/Argumentative/Discursive 

• Literal interpretations: Communicating electronically, use of  computers, working in an office, electronic learning. 
• Figurative interpretations: the effects of technology on our lives, modern life, the world of work. [50]

1.7.2 Picture: Lion 
Narrative/Descriptive/Reflective/Argumentative/Discursive 

• Literal interpretations: lions as an endangered species, king of  the jungle, wildlife.
• Figurative interpretations: survival of the fittest, law of the jungle, power, fear. [50]

TOTAL SECTION A: 50

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 assessment rubric: 
  • Content, planning and format (18 marks) 
  • Language, style and editing (12 marks) 

NOTE: 

• Adhere to the length of between 120 and 150 words as prescribed in the CAPS document. However, should the maximum word count be reached mid-sentence,  read to the end of that sentence.
• No additional penalties may be imposed as the rubric itself imposes penalties. 

2.1 DIALOGUE 
A conversation between siblings.  

• A brief context must be provided at the beginning of the dialogue. 
• The dialogue must be between the siblings.  
• The tone must be informal.
• The following aspects of the dialogue format must be included: 
  • The names of the speakers written on the left side of the page.
  • A colon after the name of the character who is speaking. 
  • A new line to indicate each new speaker. 
  •  Where necessary, actions must be given in brackets before the  words are spoken. [30] 

2.2 OBITUARY 
A learner has recently passed away.  

• The tone must be formal.
• The following aspects of format must be included:
  • Full name of the deceased
  • Date of birth
  • Date of death
  • Birthplace
  • Where the person was living at the time of death
  • Key survivors (e.g. parents, siblings) and their names
• The following information may be included:
  • Date, time and place of funeral
  • Biographical information
  • Cause of death. 
• The obituary must pay tribute to the deceased. [30]

2.3 NEWSPAPER ARTICLE 
An article for a community newspaper. 

• The article must have a suitable heading.
• Paragraphs should not be too long. 
• The style should be personal, addressing the reader.
• The language may be formal.
• The article should be stimulating to the reader/encourage the reader to  recycle.
• The article must provide the reader with suggestions on how residents  can recycle at home. [30] 

2.4 FORMAL LETTER 
Complaint to the manager. 

• Allow for acceptable variations of the format, e.g. addresses.
• The letter must be addressed to the manager of the store.
• The tone and register of the letter must be formal.
• The letter must include an introduction, a body and a conclusion.
• The following aspects of format must be included: 
  • Address of sender
  • Date
  • Recipient: The Manager
  • Address of recipient
  • Greeting/Salutation
  • Subject line
  • Suitable ending
  • Signature 
  • Name of sender
• The following information must be included in the letter, among others: 
  • Details about the purchase of the garment
  • Dissatisfaction with the service [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: 

•  Adhere to the length of between 80 and 100 words as prescribed in the CAPS  document. However, should the maximum word count be reached mid-sentence,  read to the end of that sentence.
• No additional penalties may be imposed as the rubric itself imposes penalties. 

3.1 FLYER 
Service to the elderly 

• The following aspects should be included in the flyer, among others:
  • Eye-catching headline or slogan
  • Catchy words and phrases 
  • Sufficient details of services offered
  • Contact details of the person offering the service 
• The language may be formal or informal but not slang or colloquial.
  NOTE: Do NOT award marks for illustrations or drawings. [20]

3.2 DIARY ENTRIES 
The candidate's feelings BEFORE and AFTER informing his/her family of the  decision taken. 

• There MUST be TWO diary entries with two different dates/times. 
• The entries must express the candidate's feelings before and after informing his/her family. 
• The diary entries should be written in the first person.
• The language should be simple and informal.
• The tone must reflect suitable emotions. [20]

3.3 DIRECTIONS 
Directions to the clinic 

• The directions may be in either point or paragraph form. 
• Complete sentences are not necessary. 
• Directions must be in the correct chronological order. 
• Approximate distance, turns and landmarks must be included.
  NOTE: Do NOT award marks 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;  Awareness 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 well organised  and coherent (connected),  including introduction, body and  conclusion/ending	Very well-crafted response Fully relevant and interesting  ideas with 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 less 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 not appropriate to  purpose, audience and context ocabulary limitations so  extreme as to make  comprehension impossible
	LOWER LEVEL	13	10	7	4
		Language excellent and  rhetorically effective in tone irtually 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 with  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		5	4	3	2	0–1
		Excellent development of topic Exceptional detail Sentences, paragraphs  exceptionally well-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

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	4	3	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