ENGLISH HOME LANGUAGE
GRADE 12
PAPER 3
NSC PAST PAPERS AND MEMOS
SEPTEMBER 2017
INFORMATION FOR THE MARKER
In assessing a candidate’s work, the following aspects, among others, drawn from the assessment rubric, must be borne in mind:
- The overall effect of planning, drafting, proofreading and editing of the work on the final text produced.
- Awareness of writing for a specific purpose, audience and context – as well as register, style and tone – especially in Section B.
- Grammar, spelling and punctuation.
- Language structures, including an awareness of critical language.
- Choice of words and idiomatic language.
- Sentence construction.
- Paragraphing.
- Interpretation of the topic that will be reflected in the overall content: the introduction, development of ideas, and the conclusion.
NOTE:
- Various formats of transactional/referential/informational texts have been taught/are in current practice. Therefore, this has to be considered when assessing the format.
- Give credit for appropriateness of format.
- Look for a logical approach in all writing.
MEMORANDUM
SUGGESTED APPROACH TO MARKING
SECTION A: ESSAY
1.1 POSSIBLE RESPONSES
- Narrative/reflective
- Finding a solution
- Looking back on a problem [50]
1.2 POSSIBLE RESPONSES
- Descriptive/narrative/reflective
- A change/the unexpected/the unknown/a twist/the unpredictable
- Obscured future [50]
1.3 POSSIBLE RESPONSES
- Argumentative/discursive/narrative/reflective
- Emphasis on personal responsibility/importance of the individual
- Need for change [50]
1.4 POSSIBLE RESPONSES
- Argumentative/discursive/narrative/reflective
- Criticism of mob mentality/conformity/blindly following
- Effect of propaganda/inability to think for oneself [50]
1.5 POSSIBLE RESPONSES
- Discursive/narrative/reflective/descriptive
- Variety of the day/life
- Changing perceptions/perspectives [50]
1.6
1.6.1 POSSIBLE RESPONSES
- Narrative/discursive/reflective/descriptive
- Freedom/escape/achievement
- Hunting/being the hunter or the prey
- Focus of attention/being alert/searching [50]
1.6.2 POSSIBLE RESPONSES
- Narrative/discursive/reflective/descriptive
- Gaining perspective/seeing things from another’s point of view
- School [50]
1.6.3 POSSIBLE RESPONSES
- Narrative/discursive/reflective/descriptive
- Africa/nature/the strength of your roots/foundations
- Self-reliance/dependence/independence/inter-dependence/growth [50]
TOTAL SECTION A: 50
INSTRUCTIONS TO MARKERS
Refer to SECTION A: Rubric for Assessing an Essay found on page 7 of this memorandum.
CRITERIA USED FOR ASSESSMENT |
CRITERIA | MARKS |
CONTENT AND PLANNING | 30 |
LANGUAGE, STYLE AND EDITING | 15 |
STRUCTURE | 5 |
TOTAL | 50 |
- Read the whole piece and decide on a category for CONTENT AND PLANNING.
- Re-read the piece and select the appropriate category for LANGUAGE, STYLE AND EDITING.
- Re-read the piece and select the appropriate category for STRUCTURE.
SECTION B: TRANSACTIONAL TEXT
LEARNERS ARE INSTRUCTED TO ANSWER TWO QUESTIONS
QUESTION 2
2.1 REVIEW
- Response to the modernisation and controversial changes
- Reference to the aspects of a review
- Recommendation to learners [25]
2.2 FORMAL LETTER TO THE PRESS
- Formal register
- References to/examples of consumer distrust
- Consumer reaction [25]
2.3 LETTER OF REQUEST
- Formal register
- Identification of charity/cause/welfare association and reasons for choice
- Motivation and details of required sponsorship [25]
2.4 AGENDA AND MINUTES
- Formal language
- Use of past tense
- Minutes must be aligned to the agenda [25]
2.5 FORMAL SPEECH
- Formal situation
- Focus is on effective communication to ensure success at school and beyond
- Peer target audience [25]
2.6 INTERVIEW
- Continuation of the story of his life
- Inspirational content required
- Informal register acceptable [25]
INSTRUCTIONS TO MARKERS
Refer to SECTION B: Rubric for Assessing Transactional Texts found on page 8 of this memorandum.
CRITERIA USED FOR ASSESSMENT |
CRITERIA | MARKS |
CONTENT, PLANNING AND FORMAT | 15 |
LANGUAGE, STYLE AND EDITING | 10 |
TOTAL | 25 |
- Read the whole piece and decide on a category for CONTENT, PLANNING AND FORMAT.
- Re-read the piece and select the appropriate category for LANGUAGE, STYLE AND EDITING.
TOTAL SECTION B: 50
GRAND TOTAL: 100
RUBRIC FOR ASSESSING ESSAY [50 MARKS]
Criteria | | Exceptional | Skilful | Moderate | Elementary | Inadequate |
CONTENT AND 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 AND 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, 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.
- Highly 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 | 7 | 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 | | 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 sense despite flaws.
| - Necessary points lacking
- Sentences and paragraphs faulty
|
MARKS RANGE | | 40–50 | 30–39 | 20–29 | 10–19 | 0–9 |
ASSESSMENT RUBRIC FOR LONGER TRANSACTIONAL TEXT HOME LANGUAGE [25 MARKS]
Criteria | Exceptional | Skilful | Moderate | Elementary | Inadequate |
CONTENT PLANNING AND FORMAT - Response and ideas
- Organisation of ideas for planning
- Purpose, audience and features/ conventions and context
15 MARKS | 13-15 | 10-12 | 7-9 | 4-6 | 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
- Has vaguely applied necessary rules of format
- Some critical oversights.
| - Response reveals no knowledge of features of the type of text
- Meaning is obscure with major digressions.
- Not coherent in content and ideas. Very few details support the topic.
- Has not applied necessary rules of format.
|
LANGUAGE, STYLE AND EDITING - Tone, register, style, purpose/ effect, audience and context
- Language use and conventions.
- Word choice
- Punctuation, spelling
10 MARKS | 9-10 | 7-8 | 5-6 | 3-4 | 0-2 |
- Tone, register, style, 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 is 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 obscured
|
MARKS RANGE | 20–25 | 15–19 | 10–14 | 5–9 | 0–4 |