HSC English Curriculum

Grammar Contents for Paper Two 

a. The sentence 

• Types of sentences (affirmative, negative, interrogative, imperative, exclamatory, simple, complex, compound) 

• Components of sentences (subject, appositive, object, complements) 

• Modifiers (pre-modifiers and post- modifiers) 

• Questions (with Wh words and action verbs) 

• Statement questions 

• Tag questions 

• Conditional sentences 

• Use of introductory ‘there’ & ‘it’ 

• Sentence connectors 

• Punctuation 

b. Word formation 

• Root/base 

• Prefixes 

• Suffixes 

• Synonyms 

• Antonyms 

• Compounds 

c. The phrase 

• Noun phrase 

• Prepositional phrase 

• Verb phrase 

• Adjective phrase 

• Adverbial phrase 

• Infinitive phrase 

d. The clause 

• Main clause 

• Subordinate clause 

• Coordinate clause 

• Noun clause 

• Adjective clause 

• Adverbial clause 

e. Use of nouns 

• Countable 

• Uncountable 

• Abstract 

• Common 

f. Use of pronouns 

g. Use of prepositions 

h. Subject- verb agreements 

i. Comparison of adjectives and adverbs 

j. Study of verbs 

• Regular and irregular verbs 

• Be verbs 

• Finite verbs, non finite verbs 

• Transitive and intransitive verbs 

• Infinitives, gerund, participles 

• Modals 

k. Use of tenses 

l. Voice 

m. Adverbs and Adverbials 

n. Direct and indirect

o. Special uses: was born, have to/ has to, would rather, had better, let alone, what if, as if, as soon as, what’s ….like, what does….look like

Composition

• Mechanics of writings: topic selection, brainstorming, outlining, writing topic sentence, developing ideas, maintaining cohesion, coherence, writing conclusions, etc.

• Types of paragraphs (paragraph writing by listing, narration, comparison and contrast, cause and effect)

• Descriptive, narrative, persuasive/argumentative, imaginative and creative writing (such as telling/completing stories)

• Formal and informal writing (applications, letters, CVs, cover letters, emails, online form filling, writing posts for social networks etc.)

• Writing newspaper reports

• Writing reports on investigation: problem identification, planning, making a proposal, questionnaires for survey, data analysis etc.

• Academic writing: taking notes, analysing graphs and charts, summary writing, referencing and making a bibliography

Test Items for Paper Two  

Total marks 100

Grammar 60

Composition 40 

Grammar Test Items (5x12=60 Marks)

· gap filling activities without clues (for articles )

· gap filling activities without clues (for propositions)

· gap filling with clues (special uses: was born, have to/ has to, would rather, had better, let alone, what if, as if, as soon as, what’s ….like, what does….look like, introductory ‘there’ or ‘it’)

· completing sentences (use of conditionals, phrase, and clause)

· use of verbs (right form of verbs and subject verb agreement as per context)

· changing sentences (change of voice, sentence types, degrees)

· narrative style (direct to indirect and vice versa)

· completing sentences (Sentences will have a context and related to one another. It can be a dialogue, interview or a narration of something.)

· use of modifiers

· use of sentence connectors

· use of synonym and antonym

· punctuation

Note: Question setters will use all items from the above list and make questions of 5 marks for each question item. Test items must have contexts. Sentences which are isolated and out of context cannot be given as questions. Question setters will prepare the test items. No questions will be set from the textbook or/and any help books. 

Composition Test Items (40 Marks)

· formal letter/emails 08

· report writing (for newspapers) 08

· paragraphs (based on one of the paragraph types: listing, narration, comparison and contrast, cause and effect) 10

· free writing: descriptive, narrative, persuasive/argumentative, imaginative and creative writing of 200-250 words based on personal experience, everyday problems, familiar topics, recent events and incidents etc. 14