Certificate of Secondary Education (CSE) English Syllabus

English syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for English in Certificate of Secondary Education (CSE), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Reading and Comprehension

   4 topics

   • Reading prose passages for meaning
     • Identifying main ideas and supporting detail
     • Distinguishing fact from opinion
     • Inferring meaning not directly stated
   • Comprehension of non-fiction and informational texts
     • Newspaper and magazine articles
     • Instructions, leaflets and advertisements
     • Reading tables, timetables and notices
   • Following an argument and recognising bias
     • Tracing the writer's line of reasoning
     • Detecting persuasive and emotive language
   • Vocabulary in context
     • Working out word meaning from surrounding text
     • Recognising connotation and tone
2. 2

   Written Composition

   5 topics

   • Narrative and imaginative writing
     • Story openings and endings
     • Creating character and setting
     • Building tension and atmosphere
   • Descriptive writing
     • Using the five senses
     • Selecting precise and vivid detail
   • Discursive and argumentative essays
     • Stating and developing a viewpoint
     • Balancing for and against
   • Practical and transactional writing
     • Formal and informal letters
     • Reports, instructions and accounts
   • Planning, drafting and redrafting
     • Paragraphing and structure
     • Proofreading and correction
3. 3

   Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar

   4 topics

   • Sentence construction
     • Simple, compound and complex sentences
     • Avoiding comma splices and run-ons
   • Punctuation
     • Full stops, commas and question marks
     • Apostrophes for possession and omission
     • Direct speech and inverted commas
   • Spelling patterns and common errors
     • Homophones and confused words
     • Plurals, prefixes and suffixes
   • Parts of speech and agreement
     • Subject-verb agreement
     • Consistent tense and pronoun use
4. 4

   Oral Communication

   3 topics

   • Individual talk and presentation
     • Preparing and delivering a short talk
     • Speaking clearly to an audience
   • Group discussion
     • Taking turns and listening
     • Responding to others' points
   • Reading aloud and role play
     • Reading with expression
     • Improvisation and dramatic situations

English flashcards for Certificate of Secondary Education (CSE)

23 of 50 cards from the English deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What does it mean to read a prose passage 'for meaning'?

   It means reading actively to grasp the writer's ideas, intentions and implied messages, not just decoding words, often involving inference beyond the literal surface.

2. What is the difference between a literal and an inferential question in reading comprehension?

   A literal question can be answered with facts stated directly in the text; an inferential question requires you to read between the lines and deduce meaning that is implied but not stated.

3. Define 'inference' in the context of reading comprehension.

   Inference is a conclusion drawn from evidence and reasoning in a text rather than from explicit statements, i.e. working out what the writer implies.

4. What is the purpose of non-fiction and informational texts?

   To inform, explain, instruct, persuade or describe real subjects and facts, conveying genuine information rather than imagined stories.

5. Name four common types of non-fiction text.

   Examples include reports, articles, biographies/autobiographies, leaflets, reviews, letters, diaries, speeches and instructions.

6. When skimming and scanning a text, what is the difference between the two?

   Skimming is reading quickly to get the general gist or main idea; scanning is searching quickly for specific details such as a name, date or keyword.

7. What does it mean to 'follow an argument' in a piece of writing?

   It means tracing the writer's line of reasoning, identifying their main claim, the supporting points and evidence, and how the conclusion is reached.

8. Define 'bias' in a text.

   Bias is a one-sided or prejudiced presentation of a topic in which a writer favours a particular viewpoint, often by selecting, omitting or slanting information.

9. List three signals that can reveal bias in a piece of writing.

   Emotive or loaded language, selective use of evidence, presenting opinion as fact, and ignoring opposing viewpoints all signal bias.

10. What is the difference between fact and opinion?

    A fact is a statement that can be proven true or false with evidence; an opinion is a personal belief or judgement that cannot be definitively proven.

11. What is meant by 'vocabulary in context'?

    It is working out the meaning of an unfamiliar word from the surrounding words, sentence and overall sense of the passage rather than from a dictionary.

12. What is a 'connotation' as opposed to a 'denotation'?

    Denotation is a word's literal dictionary meaning; connotation is the emotional or cultural association the word suggests, e.g. 'home' denotes a dwelling but connotes warmth and belonging.

13. What are 'synonyms' and 'antonyms'?

    Synonyms are words with the same or similar meaning (e.g. big/large); antonyms are words with opposite meanings (e.g. hot/cold).

14. In narrative writing, what are the five typical stages of a story's structure?

    Exposition (opening), rising action/complication, climax, falling action, and resolution (ending).

15. What is the difference between first-person and third-person narration?

    First-person narration uses 'I/we' and tells the story from a character's own viewpoint; third-person uses 'he/she/they' and tells it from outside the characters.

16. What is the difference between an omniscient and a limited third-person narrator?

    An omniscient narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of all characters; a limited narrator only has access to the thoughts of one character.

17. In imaginative writing, what is 'characterisation'?

    Characterisation is the way a writer creates and reveals a character's personality through description, actions, speech, thoughts and others' reactions.

18. What is the purpose of descriptive writing?

    To create a vivid picture in the reader's mind by appealing to the senses and conveying a clear impression of a person, place, object or atmosphere.

19. Name the five senses a writer appeals to in descriptive writing.

    Sight, sound, smell, taste and touch.

20. Define a simile and give its typical signal words.

    A simile compares two things using 'like' or 'as', e.g. 'as brave as a lion' or 'ran like the wind'.

21. Define a metaphor.

    A metaphor describes one thing as if it actually is another, without 'like' or 'as', e.g. 'the classroom was a zoo'.

22. Define personification.

    Personification gives human qualities or actions to non-human things or ideas, e.g. 'the wind whispered through the trees'.

23. What is onomatopoeia?

    Onomatopoeia is a word that imitates the sound it describes, e.g. 'buzz', 'crash', 'hiss', 'splash'.

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