The exam-style question
This is an ESL note-making question, in the style of the English as a Second Language papers. Read it as you would in the exam, then compare your plan with the model.
Read our text and complete notes under these headings: Benefits of cycling to school / Problems mentioned / Suggested solutions. Write brief notes, not full sentences. This is our own practice material.
Cycling to School
More students at Greenhill School have started cycling to school this year, and the change has brought clear advantages. Pupils who cycle say they arrive feeling awake and ready to learn, and several have noticed they are fitter than before. Parents are pleased too: with fewer cars at the gate, the morning drop-off is calmer and the air near the school smells fresher.
Cycling also saves families money on petrol and bus fares. There are, however, some difficulties. The main road near the school has no cycle lane, which worries parents about safety.
When it rains, students arrive wet and there is nowhere to dry off. The bicycle racks are small and often full by half past eight, so latecomers have nowhere secure to leave their bikes. The school council has made several suggestions: asking the local council for a painted cycle lane, providing a covered rack with more spaces, and setting aside a corner of the changing rooms for wet coats.
A 'bike buddy' scheme could also pair younger riders with older ones.
Model response: ESL note-making
Note-making rewards short, selected points under the right heading: key words, not full sentences, and never whole lines copied out.
Reading a model answer helps. In a paid one-hour trial, a teacher helps your child write one like it on ESL note-making.
Common errors we see
- Copying whole sentences instead of writing brief notes
- Putting points under the wrong heading
- Writing full sentences when key phrases are wanted
- Missing points because too much is written for each one
- Repeating the same point under more than one heading
How this maps to the mark scheme
Examiners mark against assessment objectives. These are the skills the paper rewards.
For ESL note-making, the objectives in play are listed below. The wording is summarised for Cambridge IGCSE English as a Second Language (0510) on our qualification page.
- Select and organise relevant details for a particular purpose.
- Organise ideas into coherent, well-linked text.
Select only the details that serve the purpose, then lay them out in clear, brief, well-organised notes.
Other boards word their objectives differently, but the same skills earn the marks. Your board's official syllabus gives the exact weighting.
Where to go next
Learn the method in our guide to ESL note-making, then try the ESL note-making practice tasks. You can browse every annotated model response or see how we teach this in our English as a Second Language tuition.
When you have written your own answer, take it to a paid one-hour trial lesson and the teacher who would continue will mark it with you.