What this lesson teaches
I can choose one of eight essay questions wisely and plan a 500 to 800 word answer.
Syllabus 8881, Paper 1 description. Eight questions will be set, of which candidates answer one in 500 to 800 words. This will allow candidates the opportunity to express a cogent, informed and insightful response.
I can define the key terms of an essay question and set a sensible scope for my answer.
Syllabus 8881, Paper 1 Content, Band 5. The terms and scope of the question are clearly understood and defined, with some subtlety.
I can keep every paragraph tied to the exact question, not just the general topic.
Syllabus 8881, Paper 1 Content, Band 5. Fully relevant, addressing the requirements of the question throughout.
I can root a 'your society' answer in Singapore's own traits, policies and debates.
Syllabus 8881, Additional marking guidance for Content. Answers to 'your society' or a specified society (Singapore) question need to be rooted in a specific society.
Make a guess
Question: 'Technology always brings people closer together.' Which word gives you the most room to argue?
- 'people', because it is too broad a group to discuss
- 'always', because one strong exception weakens it
- 'technology', because it is the topic of the question
Show the answer
'always', because one strong exception weakens it
Right. An absolute word sets a very high bar, so a few clear exceptions let you challenge the claim.
Before you plan, find the strong words, the scope words and the concepts to define. Every mark scheme starts there.
Paper 1 gives you eight essay questions, and you answer one in 500 to 800 words. You have 1 hour 30 minutes. Content is worth 30 marks and language 20. Choose the question you can define clearly, argue from more than one side, and support with at least three precise examples.
Read the question slowly, word by word, before you plan. The content bands start with terms and scope. A Band 5 essay defines them clearly 'with some subtlety'. A Band 2 essay writes about the general topic instead of the specific question. The difference starts in the first five minutes.
Look for four kinds of word. The task words, such as 'How far do you agree' or 'To what extent', ask for a judgement of degree, not yes or no. The strong words, such as 'always', 'only', 'main' or 'must', set a high bar that you can test. The scope words, such as 'your society', 'today' or 'young people', fix the place, time or group.
The fourth kind is the concept: the abstract idea at the heart of the question, such as 'progress', 'success' or 'freedom'. A concept can mean several things. Say which meaning you will use, and why it fits. That is what 'defined with subtlety' looks like in practice.
Sort these
Sort each word from an essay question by the job it does.
Groups: Strong word to test, Scope word, Concept to define.
- only
- progress
- main
- success
- your society
- always
- still
Show the answer
Strong word to test
- only It rules out every other cause or answer, so you can show other factors at work.
- main It ranks one factor above others, so you must weigh it against the rest.
- always It claims there are no exceptions, so a few strong exceptions can challenge it.
Scope word
- your society It fixes the place. The essay must be rooted in Singapore, or the society you live in.
- still It fixes the time. It asks whether something true in the past remains true now.
Concept to define
- progress Progress can mean economic growth, fairness or wellbeing. Choose and state your meaning.
- success Success can mean wealth, status or a meaningful life. Defining it shapes the whole argument.
Next, find what the question assumes. 'Should governments do more to protect traditional arts?' assumes the arts are under threat and that government is the right helper. Testing an assumption is often the most insightful move in an essay.
A 'your society' question must be rooted in a specific society, usually Singapore. Name the traits that matter for the question. Singapore is a small, dense city-state with an ageing population, many races and religions, a strong state and an open economy. A comparison with another country can help, as long as the focus stays at home.
Write a short introduction that does three things. Define the key terms, set the scope and state your stand. Then check every later paragraph against the exact question. A paragraph that is true and interesting but answers a broader question earns little.
- Paper 1
- 8 questions, answer 1, 500 to 800 words, 1 hour 30 minutes, content 30 and language 20.
- Four kinds of word
- Task, strong, scope and concept words.
- Introduction
- Define the key terms, set the scope, state your stand.
Eight questions, unpacked (our own questions)
'Young people today care more about image than substance.' Discuss.
Group: young people. Time: today, compared with earlier generations. Concepts: image (how one appears) against substance (real worth or ability). Assumption: the two compete.
To what extent should the arts in your society rely on public funding?
Place: Singapore. 'Rely' means depend on, so ask whether the arts could survive without it. Public funding: state grants, spaces and commissions.
Is technology making us less patient?
'Us': which people? 'Less' compares now with the past. Concept: patience, the willingness to wait or persist. Test whether all technology does this.
'Tradition is a barrier to progress.' How far do you agree?
Concepts: tradition (practices handed down) and progress (define it). Strong claim: 'a barrier'. Consider traditions that help progress.
Should a small state always side with the powerful?
Strong word: always. Scope: small states, such as Singapore. Concept: siding, which ranges from alliance to quiet agreement.
How far is sport still a force for national unity?
Time: still, so compare past and present. Concept: national unity. Test it against commercial, global sport.
'The news media should give people what they want.' Discuss.
Assumption: what people want and what they need may differ. Concept: the purpose of news. Stakeholders: readers, owners, the public.
Is it ever right to break the law?
Strong word: ever, which sets a low bar; one justified case is enough to say yes. Concepts: right (moral) versus legal. Scope: which laws, and how.
Model introductions for the eight questions (written by Wise Otter)
'Young people today care more about image than substance.' Discuss.
Young people today grow up on platforms that reward how things look: a well-lit photo, a follower count, a polished profile. Image is how a person appears to others; substance is what they can actually do or believe. Critics say the first has crowded out the second. I will argue that young people care about image more visibly than earlier generations, but not more than substance, because the two now often work together: an online portfolio is image built on real work.
To what extent should the arts in your society rely on public funding?
In Singapore, the state pays for much of the arts through grants, subsidised spaces and commissions, from community theatre to the Esplanade. To 'rely' on public funding is to depend on it to survive. I will argue that the arts here should rely on it for what the market will not pay for, such as new local work and access for people who cannot afford tickets. They should not depend on it entirely, because a single funder can make artists cautious and narrow the range of voices.
Is technology making us less patient?
Food arrives within the hour, videos play one after another, and messages show when they have been read. Patience, the willingness to wait or to keep at something hard, seems to be shrinking. I will argue that some technologies, especially apps built to hold attention, do make many people less patient with slow tasks. But 'technology' is too broad a culprit. The same tools also help people persist at long goals, from learning a language to sticking to a training plan.
'Tradition is a barrier to progress.' How far do you agree?
Tradition means practices and beliefs handed down, from festival customs to the way a family runs its business. Progress is harder to define; here it means change that makes lives better, not change for its own sake. To call tradition 'a barrier' is a strong claim. I will argue that some traditions do slow progress, especially those that shut groups out, but that many others help progress by giving people the trust and identity they need to accept change.
Should a small state always side with the powerful?
A small state such as Singapore has little military or economic weight of its own, so the pull to side with powerful countries is strong. 'Siding' can mean a formal alliance or simply quiet agreement. The word to test is 'always'. I will argue that a small state should work closely with powerful countries where its interests match theirs. Always siding with them, though, would make it a follower, and its long-term safety rests on international rules that protect the weak.
How far is sport still a force for national unity?
Sport has long brought nations together, in stadiums and around shared screens. 'Still' asks whether that holds now that top sport is global, commercial and often watched alone on a phone. National unity means a shared sense of belonging across class, race and religion. I will argue that sport still unites a nation in rare, big moments, as when Joseph Schooling won Singapore's first Olympic gold medal in 2016. Day to day, however, it divides fans by club and platform more than it binds them as citizens.
'The news media should give people what they want.' Discuss.
News outlets can now see, minute by minute, which stories people click. The temptation is to give readers more of what they want: scandal, celebrity and outrage. But what people want and what a society needs to know may differ. I will argue that the news media should take readers' wishes seriously in how they tell stories, but not in deciding which stories matter. News serves the public as citizens, not only as customers.
Is it ever right to break the law?
Laws are a society's rules, backed by punishment, but what is legal and what is right are not always the same. 'Ever' sets a low bar: one clear case of a justified breach is enough to answer yes. The harder questions are which laws, by what means, and at what cost. I will argue that breaking the law can be right in rare cases, when a law is gravely unjust and lawful ways of changing it have failed, but that in a working democracy such cases are very few.
Worked example: Unpacking one question in two minutes
Question: 'Technology always brings people closer together.' How far do you agree?
- Task: 'how far' asks for a judgement of degree.
- Strong word: 'always'. A few clear exceptions will challenge it.
- Concept: 'closer together'. It could mean more contact, or deeper relationships. These are not the same.
- Scope: people in general, so use examples from different countries and age groups.
- Stand: technology increases contact, but it brings people closer only when it supports, not replaces, time spent together.
Watch out for this
The question is about the arts, so I can write everything I know about the arts in Singapore.
The question asks how far the arts should rely on public funding. Material that does not help answer that exact question earns little, however accurate it is.
Check your understanding
Question: 'Is sport still a force for national unity?' What does 'still' ask you to do?
- Show how sport brought Singaporeans together in the early years after 1965
- Describe the sports that are most popular in Singapore today
- Test whether what was true of sport in the past is still true now
Show the answer
Test whether what was true of sport in the past is still true now
Right. 'Still' is a time word. It asks you to compare then and now, and explain what has changed.
Check your understanding
Which opening best roots a 'your society' essay in Singapore?
- Like many societies around the world, Singapore faces this issue in some way
- Singapore, a little red dot, has come a long way since 1965
- As a small, ageing city-state, Singapore faces this issue sharply
Show the answer
As a small, ageing city-state, Singapore faces this issue sharply
Right. It names traits that matter to the issue, so the argument that follows can depend on them.