Name: _______________________ Class: _____ ( ) Group: _____

HKDSE 2015
English Language
Paper 2 Writing
Q1 – School Starting Time

A recent article in the Young Post suggested that an 8:00am start to the school day makes
students feel tired and sleepy. Write to the editor of the Young Post expressing your views on
the following:
● why students feel tired; and
● whether or not a 9:00am start will solve the problem.
Some parts of the letter have been given to you.

Writing Skills
1. Study the question
(i) Topic
(ii) Text Type
(iii) Role of the Writer
(iv) Intended
Reader(s)
(v) Tone and Register

2. Brainstorm and organise ideas

Useful Ideas – Reasons why students feel tired

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Useful Ideas – whether a 9:00am start is the solution

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3. Brainstorm vocabulary and sentence patterns
Useful Vocabulary
Vocabulary Part of Speech Chinese Meaning
1. skip breakfast v phrase 不吃早餐
2. nutritious / nutrition adj / [U] n 有營養
3. make a difference v phrase 效果大不相同
4. enhance concentration = focus on v phrase 提升注專力
5. boost memory v phrase 加強記憶
6. under great pressure n phrase 在巨大壓力下
7. requirements n 要求
8. meet deadlines v phrase 趕死線
9. exam-oriented adj 考試主導
10. the root of the problem n phrase 問題根源
11. exhausted = very tired adj 疲倦
12. physical and mental health n phrase 身心健康
13. contribute to v + prep 導致
14. quality [U] n 質素
15. promote v 提升
16. sleep tight v phrase 睡個好覺
17. energetic / energized adj 有朝氣
18. delay v 廷遲
19. according to prep 根據
20. research [U] n 研究

Extended Vocabulary Bank

Vocabulary Part of Speech Chinese Meaning
1. deprivation [U] n 剝奪
2. commencement [U] n 開始
3. in the spotlight = in the limelight n phrase 公眾注意的中心
4. inevitable = unavoidable adj 無可避免
5. lengthen attention span v phrase 廷長專注時間
6. lead a hectic lifestyle v phrase 過忙亂生活
7. hustle and bustle n 熙熙攘攘
8. put emphasis on v phrase 著重
9. a knowledge-based society n 知識型社會
10. the culprit n 罪魁禍首
11. suffer from enormous pressure v phrase 因巨大壓力吃苦

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 12. wellbeing [U] n 健康
13. insufficient = inadequate = not enough adj 不足
14. insomnia [U] n 失眠
15. capacity [U] n 能力

Useful Sentence Patterns

When S + V + O, S + V + O.
e.g. When students go back home, they are already very tired.
e.g. When students have tests and exams, it is easy for them to suffer from pressure.

If S + V + O, S + V + O.
e.g. students have a lot of stress, they cannot sleep well.
e.g. schools want their students to be smart ( 聰明 ) and energetic
(有朝氣), they can delay (廷遲) the school commencement (開始)
to 9:00am.

S + who + V + O + V + O.
e.g. Students who do not eat breakfast feel tired easily.
e.g. It is inevitable (無可避免) for students who have less than 8 hours of sleep a day to
fall asleep (打盹) in class.
Format
Date
Dear Editor,

Introduction*

Body

Conclusion

Regards,
XXX
* Introduction

As a regular reader (忠實讀者) of your column (欄), I am writing in response

to ( 回 應 ) the article ( 文 章 ) entitled ( 題 名 ) (Sleep Deprivation)

published (刊登) in your newspaper (報章) on (1st September).

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4. Draft

5. Proofread
Die Hard Top 10
(i) Careless Mistakes
(ii) Handwriting
(iii) S + V + O. S + V + O.
(iv) Punctuation
(v) Chinglish
(vi) 1 V in 1 S
(vii) Spelling of Easy Words
(viii) S + VBE + adj.
(ix) Tense
(x) a / an + n

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