A BECE essay is marked on what you say, how you organise it, and how clearly and correctly you write.
The idea
Read the question until you know the form. A narrative tells what happened, in order, with people and a point. A descriptive piece makes the reader see, hear and feel a place or a person. An argument takes a stand and supports it with reasons. An article for a school magazine speaks to fellow pupils, not to an official. The form changes the opening, the tone and the ending. A story that starts "I am writing to apply" has missed the form.
Plan three or four points before you write. Each point becomes a paragraph: a clear idea, then detail or an example, then a link to the next idea. Open with a paragraph that tells the reader where you are going. Close with a paragraph that lands the point, not a new story. Leave time to correct agreement, tense and spelling. Content, organisation and expression are separate. A true story in one long block can score on content and still lose the organisation marks.
A letter is one form the composition paper can set. Annotated examples of the formal, informal and semi formal layouts are on the format guide. BECE letter writing format
What earns the marks
The scheme for a practice essay below is a reduced one, so you can see the kinds of marks. A full paper essay is longer and is marked on content, organisation, expression and mechanical accuracy. Here, content means relevant ideas, organisation means paragraphs in a sensible order, and expression means sentences a reader can follow. Slang and a speech to the wrong audience lose expression marks.
Practice questions
These are practice questions in the style of the paper, with a model answer and a mark scheme. They are not a promise of what your paper will ask.
1Question 1
9 marks
Your school magazine has asked for a short article on why pupils should read story books. Write the article in three paragraphs.
This practice version is marked out of 9: content, organisation and expression. (9 marks)
Model answer
Story books do more than fill an afternoon. A pupil who reads meets words and sentences that classroom notes never use, and those words are ready when an essay is due.
Reading also trains attention. A story asks you to hold a character in mind from the first page to the last. That same patience helps in mathematics and in science, where a question is a kind of plot you have to follow.
So pick a book this week and finish it. The magazine would like to hear, next month, which book you chose and what it taught you that a summary could not.
Mark scheme
Content: at least two relevant reasons why pupils should read, clearly about books rather than about a different topic3 marks
Organisation: an opening, a middle and a closing paragraph, in an order a reader can follow3 marks
Expression: sentences are clear, the tone suits a school magazine, and errors do not block the meaning3 marks
2Question 2
2 marks
State two things a narrative essay must do that an argumentative essay need not do. (2 marks)
Model answer
A narrative must tell events in time order, and it must have characters taking part in those events. An argument can stand on reasons without a story.
Mark scheme
Events in sequence, or a plot1 mark
Characters or a narrator taking part. A second difference, such as dialogue or a setting, is also accepted1 mark
3Question 3
2 marks
Why should you plan paragraphs before you start the fair copy? (2 marks)
Model answer
A plan stops you repeating one idea and forgetting another. It also gives each paragraph a job, so the essay has a shape instead of one long block.
Mark scheme
Keeps the ideas relevant and complete1 mark
Gives the essay an order or a paragraph structure1 mark
Practise English Language with Kevin
More questions on this topic are inside GLearn, marked as you answer, with the reason written out. The first ones need no account.
On what you say, how you organise it, how clearly you express it, and how accurately you write. A good idea in a muddle still loses marks. A neat essay that ignores the question loses the content marks.
How long should each paragraph be?+
Long enough to make one point and support it. Three or four paragraphs are enough for most BECE essays: an opening, the body, and a close. One block of text hides the plan from the marker. All BECE English Language past questions