English - First Language (9-1) - 0990 CIE

Planning, Drafting And Proofreading

Overview

The best exam answers rarely come from the fastest writers. They come from students who spend two or three minutes deciding what to say and in what order before they begin, then leave time at the end to catch their own mistakes. Planning, drafting and proofreading are not frills you do if you have time to spare. They are the discipline that lets your ideas land in the right order and your accuracy marks survive to the final page.

This lesson treats writing as a process with three stages. You will learn how to plan an answer that fits the time, the form and the marks in front of you, how to turn a quick plan into well-shaped paragraphs, and how to proofread so that the slips which quietly cost marks get caught before the examiner finds them. Master the process and your writing becomes more controlled under pressure, not less.

Objectives

  1. Plan writing to suit the time, form and marks available.
  2. Draft and develop ideas with a clear structure in mind.
  3. Proofread to find and correct errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar.

Lesson Note

Examiners repeatedly note that weaker compositions suffer from uneven focus and a lack of planning: the response drifts, repeats itself, spends too long on one idea and runs out of time for the ending. A short plan prevents almost all of that. Equally, accuracy marks (W5) are won or lost in the last few minutes; an unread answer keeps every careless error it ever made, while a proofread answer recovers them. Planning protects your structure marks, proofreading protects your accuracy marks, and drafting well in between is what holds the two together.

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Lesson Evaluation

Congratulations on completing the lesson on Planning, Drafting And Proofreading. Now that youve explored the key concepts and ideas, its time to put your knowledge to the test. This section offers a variety of practice questions designed to reinforce your understanding and help you gauge your grasp of the material.

You will encounter a mix of question types, including multiple-choice questions, short answer questions, and essay questions. Each question is thoughtfully crafted to assess different aspects of your knowledge and critical thinking skills.

Use this evaluation section as an opportunity to reinforce your understanding of the topic and to identify any areas where you may need additional study. Don't be discouraged by any challenges you encounter; instead, view them as opportunities for growth and improvement.

  1. In Paper 2 (2 hours, 80 marks), which time plan best matches the marks available? A. Spend 90 minutes on the Composition and 30 on Directed Writing B. Split the time roughly evenly between the two 40-mark questions and reserve time to proofread C. Write without planning to maximise writing time D. Spend most of the time planning and little writing Answer: B
  2. What is the main purpose of proofreading in the exam? A. To make the answer longer B. To add new ideas you forgot C. To find and correct errors of spelling, punctuation, grammar and sense D. To rewrite the answer from the beginning Answer: C
  3. Which is the best first step when planning a directed-writing task? A. Start writing the introduction immediately B. Decide the required form and audience C. Count the words you have written D. Choose your handwriting style Answer: B
  4. Which plan is most suitable for a narrative composition? A. A list of five unrelated facts B. Exposition, rising action, climax and resolution C. A table of spellings D. A copy of the question repeated three times Answer: B
  5. Why is reading your work aloud (or in your head) a useful proofreading technique? A. It makes the answer sound more dramatic to the examiner B. Your inner voice trips over errors the eye skims past C. It adds extra marks for effort D. It shortens the answer automatically Answer: B

Available on the Green Bridge App

Download the Green Bridge CBT app on your phone or computer to access full lesson notes, practice questions, and more.

Full lesson notes with diagrams
AI-powered learning assistant
Study offline, anytime, anywhere
Available on Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux

Available on the Green Bridge App

Download the Green Bridge CBT app on your phone or computer to access full lesson notes, practice questions, and more.

Full lesson notes with diagrams
AI-powered learning assistant
Study offline, anytime, anywhere
Available on Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux

Practice Mock Questions

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