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Ordinary Level

O/L English

Everything you need for the Ordinary Level English paper, arranged the way the paper is arranged. Start with the syllabus so you know the shape of the examination, then work through the skills and the writing tasks.

Start with the syllabusGuided writing methodO/L English past papers
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Syllabus documents, guides and study packs

What this section is for

O/L English is a language paper, not a memory paper. You cannot learn it by heart the night before. What you can do is understand how each task works, see a good example of it, practise it with help, and then do it alone.

That is exactly how this section is organised. Nothing here asks you to write a complete answer before you have been shown how it is built.

Start here

Know the paper

Syllabus and Examination Structure

What the examination covers, how it is divided, and how to check the requirements for your own year.

Paper I

The shorter, faster tasks: comprehension, grammar, vocabulary and short guided writing. How to work through them without losing time.

Paper II

The longer writing tasks and extended comprehension. How to plan, divide your time, and finish.

The foundation

Language skills

Grammar

Tenses, articles, prepositions, subject-verb agreement, active and passive, reported speech and conditionals, with the reason behind each rule.

Vocabulary

How to build vocabulary that you can actually use, and how to work out an unfamiliar word from the sentence around it.

Reading Comprehension

How to read a passage under time pressure and answer the question that was actually asked.

The six-step method

Writing, task by task

Each writing page follows the same six steps. Read Guided Writing first — it explains the method that every other writing page uses.

Guided Writing

The method itself. Read this before the others.

Emails

Formal and informal email, with the layout examiners expect.

Notices

Short, complete and correctly laid out. Easy marks if you know the form.

Letters

Formal and informal letters, addresses, openings and closings.

Paragraph Writing

One idea, developed properly, in one paragraph.

Essay Writing

Planning, paragraphing and finishing an essay in the time available.

Picture Description

Describing what you see in an organised order, not at random.

Dialogue and Speech Writing

Natural dialogue, and a speech with a clear opening, middle and close.

Practice and revision

Model Questions

Practice questions in the style of the paper, for every task type.

Model Answers

Full answers with notes explaining why each one works.

Examination Techniques

Reading the question, dividing time, planning briefly, and checking.

Common Student Mistakes

The errors that cost marks most often, with the correct form beside each.

Interactive Revision

Activities that mark themselves and explain the answer.

O/L English Past Papers

Past papers, model papers and marking schemes for O/L English.

Find related books

RCF Publications produces practical O/L English support materials, grammar resources and examination-revision books, with simplified explanations and guided writing for learners who need extra help.

Browse RCF Publications