English Paper Three (P3)
Grade 12
Amended Senior Certificate Exam
Past Papers And Memos 2016

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 
QUESTION1 
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 My entire future lay in that sealed envelope. 

Narrative/Reflective/Descriptive 

  • If narrative, the essay must have a strong story line. 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] 

1.2 Write an essay that includes the following words: 

We could not stand each other when we met but now ... 
NOTE: The words given in the topic MUST be included somewhere in the essay. 
Narrative/Reflective/Descriptive 

  • If narrative, the essay must have a strong story line. This topic lends itself  to the possibility of being written in both the past and the present 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]

1.3 How I reached my most difficult goals. 

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, usually written in the  past tense. The essay must have an interesting ending. [50] 

1.4 It was picture perfect. 

Descriptive/Reflective/ Narrative 

  • If descriptive, the writer should create a picture in words, trying to use as  many senses as possible to make the description clear. 
  • If reflective, the essay should convey emotional reactions and feelings  experienced by the writer. 
  • If narrative, the essay must have a strong story line, usually written in the  past tense. The essay must have an interesting ending. [50] 

1.5 Problems can arise if one generation fails to understand the other. 

Argumentative/Reflective/Discursive 

  • 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 reflective, the writer must still take a stance for or against the topic. • 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.[50] 

1.6 What you wear reflects who you are. 

Discursive/Argumentative 

  • 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: A girl reading a book 

    • Literal interpretations: importance of reading, literacy, children's education.
    • Figurative interpretations: liberation, hope, escaping into a  world of your own. 

1.7.2 Picture: Roads 

    • Literal interpretations: road construction, scenery, road  transport, how development impacts on nature.
    • Figurative interpretations: career choices, making difficult  decisions, road less travelled. [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: No additional penalties may be imposed as the rubric itself imposes penalties.

2.1 FORMAL LETTER 
A letter of complaint 

  • The following aspects of format should be included:
    • Address of sender
    • Date 
    • Recipient: The Manager 
    • Name of the store 
    • 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 give details of the complaint. 
  • The expectations of the writer must be clear. [30]

2.2 OBITUARY 
A close colleague has passed away suddenly. 

  • 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 (spouse, children) and their names 
    • Date and time of funeral
    • Biographical information 
  • A tribute must be paid to the deceased. [30] 

2.3 REVIEW 
Film/DVD review 

  • The tone and register should be appropriate for the target audience. 
  • The content must be suitable for family viewing. 
  • The following information should be included in the review, among others: o The title of the film/DVD 
    • A description of plot, main characters and key incidents 
    • A judgment or evaluation/rating of the film/DVD
  • Some of the following may be included:
    • Genre/setting/plot/style/lighting/camera angles 
    • Director/producer of the film/DVD
  • Accept different formats of the review. [30]

2.4 SPEECH 
Speech at a wedding 

  • The speechshould be written using a suitable salutation/greeting. 
  • The tone and register should be appropriate for the audience. 
  • The speech must include the following: 
    • Purpose 
    •  Audience
  • The introduction must attract attention.
  • Points must be developed well. 
  • A conclusion must be included. [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 attached rubric: 
    • Content, planning and format (12 marks)
    • Language, style and editing (8 marks)
      NOTE: No additional penalties may be imposed as any deviations are addressed  bythe rubric. 

3.1 ADVERTISEMENT 
Seeking employment 

  • The advertisement should:
    • Have a catchy headline to attract the attention of the reader 
    • Have the following details: qualifications, experience and contact  details 
    •  Create interest and desire in the service
    •  Inspire action
  • The target market should be clear. 
  • The language may be formal or informal but not slang or colloquial.
    NOTE: Do not award marks for illustrations. [20]

3.2 DIARY ENTRIES 
The candidate's feelings before and after a discussion with the friend. 

  • There MUST be TWO diary entries with two different dates. 
  • The entries should express the candidate's feelings before and after the  discussion with the friend.  
  • 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 INSTRUCTIONS 
Appropriate behaviour in a library 

  • The instructions may be in point or paragraph form. 
  • The candidate must mention the context of the library in the heading. • Instructions must be in a logical sequence. 
  • The instructions should say how one has to behave appropriately in a  library. [20] 

TOTAL SECTION C: 20
GRAND TOTAL: 100

SECTION A: 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 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 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

 

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 andparagraphs faulty
  • Essay lacks sense

MARK RANGE 

 

43–50 

33–40 

23–30 

13–20 

0–10


SECTION B: 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


SECTION C: 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 Tuesday, 15 June 2021 08:14