Quick Revision — Templates and Checklists
Free study material · concepts, shortcuts & solved questions
How to Use This Chapter
This chapter is deliberately different from the rest of the book. It does not explain or argue; it consolidates. Every template, checklist, and quick-reference table below distils material covered at length in earlier chapters into a form built for the final days before an examination, when the goal is rapid recall rather than fresh learning. Read this chapter once in full during preparation, then return to individual sections as a fast pre-exam refresher — ideally in the last day or two before the paper, when detailed re-reading of full chapters is no longer the best use of remaining time.
1. Essay Structure Template
| Section | Purpose | Length guide (350-word essay) |
|---|---|---|
| Title | States the subject precisely, without being a full sentence | Not counted in word limit |
| Introduction | States the subject and the essay's angle or position within the first two or three sentences | 40-50 words |
| Body paragraph 1 | Strongest supporting point, opening with a clear topic sentence | 70-90 words |
| Body paragraph 2 | Second point, or a counter-argument the essay will address | 70-90 words |
| Body paragraph 3 | Third point, or the rebuttal to the counter-argument raised above | 70-90 words |
| Conclusion | Restates the position in fresh words and closes with an implication, not new content | 40-50 words |
Opening-line formulas that work under time pressure: a striking fact or statistic stated plainly; a brief scenario that puts the abstract topic in concrete terms; a direct statement of the essay's central claim, saved from bluntness by a following sentence of nuance. Avoid opening with a dictionary-style definition ("Education is defined as...") or a rhetorical question with no clear function ("What is success?") — both are treated as weak, generic openings by most examiners.
Paragraph-level checklist: does every paragraph open with a topic sentence that states its point before any supporting detail follows; does every paragraph stay on one idea; does every paragraph connect logically to the one before it, using a transition word or phrase where the connection is not otherwise obvious ("however," "in contrast," "building on this," "a further consideration is")?
Essay-type variants at a glance:
- Argumentative essay — state a clear position early, address at least one counter-argument directly rather than ignoring it, and close by reaffirming the position in light of that counter-argument.
- Expository essay — no personal position required; organise by category, chronology, or cause-and-effect, whichever the topic naturally suggests, and prioritise clarity and completeness of explanation over persuasive force.
- Descriptive/narrative essay — organise chronologically or spatially; favour concrete, specific detail over general statements, and use the conclusion to draw out significance rather than merely stopping the narrative.
2. Précis Technique Checklist
- Read the passage twice before drafting — once for overall sense, once to identify the two or three load-bearing sentences.
- Target length: roughly one-third of the source word count, with a tolerance of about ten per cent either way.
- Write in reported speech, third person, past tense, regardless of the original's person or tense.
- Write as a single connected paragraph — no bullet points, no sub-headings.
- Add a title of four or five words, placed above the précis, phrased to capture the passage's single controlling idea.
- Use no direct quotation beyond indispensable proper nouns or technical terms.
- Preserve the original's proportion of emphasis — do not give equal space to a major point and a minor one if the source did not.
- Add nothing — no opinion, no explanation, no example not present in the source.
- Count words before finishing — cut for redundancy if over target, tighten missing content if under target; never pad with filler.
Quick reference: précis versus summary versus abstract. A précis is fixed-ratio, reported speech, single paragraph, titled. A summary has no fixed ratio, can retain original tone and structure, and answers a practical "what do I need to know" question. An abstract follows a fixed context-purpose-method-findings-implication sequence, uses present tense for ongoing findings, and previews a document from outside it rather than reporting what its author personally said.
3. Letter-Writing Format Templates
Official / Formal Letter (to an authority, department, or institution)
Sender's address (top left or as instructed) — Date — Recipient's designation and address — Salutation ("Sir/Madam," or "Dear Sir/Madam," where the specific name is unknown; "Dear Mr/Ms [Surname]," where known) — Subject line stating the letter's purpose in a single line — Body: opening paragraph stating the reason for writing; middle paragraph(s) with detail, evidence, or request; closing paragraph with a clear, specific ask and, where relevant, a deadline or next step — Closing phrase ("Yours faithfully," when the salutation is generic; "Yours sincerely," when a named individual was addressed) — Signature and name — Designation, where relevant.
Business Letter (to a company, vendor, or professional correspondent)
Sender's letterhead or address — Date — Recipient's name, designation, and company address — Salutation ("Dear Mr/Ms [Surname]," or "Dear Sir/Madam," if unnamed) — Subject line — Body: a direct opening stating the letter's purpose within the first sentence; middle paragraph(s) providing necessary detail without padding; a closing paragraph with a specific, actionable request — Closing phrase ("Yours sincerely," is standard; "Regards," or "Best regards," is acceptable in less formal business correspondence) — Signature, name, and designation.
Personal / Informal Letter (to family or friends)
Sender's address and date (often abbreviated or omitted in very informal contexts, but still expected in most examination formats) — Salutation ("Dear [Name],") — Body: an opening that acknowledges the relationship or recent contact; a middle that develops the actual news, request, or reflection the letter exists to share; a closing that looks toward future contact or wraps up warmly — Closing phrase ("Yours affectionately," "With love," "Best," depending on relationship) — First name only, no designation.
Register cheat sheet: official and business letters avoid contractions, use complete formal sentences, and state requests directly but politely, without excessive hedging ("kindly," used once, not stacked); personal letters may use contractions, a warmer and more varied sentence rhythm, and first-person asides that would be out of place in a formal letter.
4. Comprehension Approach Checklist
- Read the questions before reading the passage in full, so the first reading is purposeful rather than general.
- Skim the passage once for overall structure and argument before returning to answer specific questions in detail.
- Answer each sub-question in a self-contained sentence or two that does not require the reader to consult the question to make sense of the answer — restate enough context that the answer stands alone.
- Quote or closely paraphrase the passage only where the question explicitly asks for the author's exact words or a specific term; otherwise, answer in your own words to demonstrate comprehension rather than location skill alone.
- For "in your own words" questions, avoid reusing more than one or two consecutive words from the source phrase being explained.
- For vocabulary-in-context questions, check the word's function in the specific sentence given, not its most common dictionary meaning — many comprehension traps rely on a word's secondary or contextual sense.
- For inference questions, ground the answer explicitly in something stated in the passage rather than in outside knowledge or personal opinion, even where the inference itself requires a small logical step beyond the literal text.
- For "main idea" or "title" questions, check that the proposed answer covers the whole passage, not just its opening or its most memorable example.
- Number answers to match the question paper exactly, and keep each answer proportionate to the marks it carries — a one-mark question needs a sentence, not a paragraph.
5. Grammar Quick-Reference
| Rule | Example of the error | Correction |
|---|---|---|
| Subject-verb agreement across long subjects | The list of items were checked | The list of items was checked |
| Tense consistency within a passage | He walked into the room and sees the letter | He walked into the room and saw the letter |
| Dangling modifiers | Having finished the work, the office was locked | Having finished the work, she locked the office |
| Articles with general abstract nouns | The education is important for growth | Education is important for growth |
| Comma splices | The train was late, we missed the meeting | The train was late, so we missed the meeting |
| Confused pairs: affect / effect | The policy will effect prices | The policy will affect prices (verb); the effect on prices (noun) |
| Confused pairs: its / it's | Its clear that the plan failed | It's clear that the plan failed |
| Preposition errors | Discuss about the matter; married with her | Discuss the matter; married to her |
| Redundant doubling | Each and every candidate; revert back | Every candidate; revert |
| Passive voice hiding an actor | Mistakes were made | The committee made mistakes (name the actor when known) |
| Countable/uncountable confusion | Many informations were given | Much information was given |
| Conditional structure | If I would have known, I would have come | If I had known, I would have come |
| Reported speech tense shift | She said she is coming tomorrow | She said she was coming the next day |
| Parallel structure | He likes reading, to write, and swimming | He likes reading, writing, and swimming |
6. Précis and Essay Word-Count Quick Table
| Source passage length | Précis target (one-third) |
|---|---|
| 150 words | ~50 words |
| 200 words | ~67 words |
| 250 words | ~83 words |
| 300 words | ~100 words |
| 350 words | ~117 words |
| 400 words | ~133 words |
7. Editing and Proofreading Final-Pass Checklist
- Structure: topic sentences, read in sequence, tell a coherent story; the conclusion resolves the opening without adding new material.
- Clarity: no buried verbs, no throat-clearing openers, no sentence carrying more than one idea, passive voice used only when the actor is genuinely unknown or irrelevant.
- Grammar: subject-verb agreement checked on every long or complex subject; tense consistent; modifiers correctly attached; confused word pairs checked.
- Presentation: within the word limit; correctly formatted for the genre (essay, précis, letter, comprehension answer); neatly presented with clear titles and section breaks.
- Proofreading: capitalisation, terminal punctuation, doubled or missing words, consistent number formatting, correct salutation and closing.
8. Exam-Day Time Budget Template
| Stage | Time guide (for a 180-minute, 100-mark paper) |
|---|---|
| Read full paper, note marks per section, build time budget | 5 minutes |
| Essay (planning + drafting + editing) | ~45 minutes |
| Précis (reading + drafting + word-count check) | ~30 minutes |
| Letter writing | ~25 minutes |
| Comprehension (passage + sub-questions) | ~40 minutes |
| Translation | ~25 minutes |
| Final proofreading pass across all sections | 10 minutes |
Adjust this template to your own strengths before the exam, not during it — decide in advance which sections you personally need more or less time for, based on timed practice, so the adjustment is a settled decision rather than a mid-paper improvisation.
9. Common High-Value Transition Words by Function
| Function | Words and phrases |
|---|---|
| Adding a point | Furthermore, in addition, moreover, besides this |
| Contrasting | However, on the other hand, in contrast, whereas, despite this |
| Showing cause and effect | As a result, consequently, therefore, this leads to |
| Giving an example | For instance, for example, to illustrate, a case in point |
| Concluding | In conclusion, ultimately, on balance, taken together |
| Conceding a counter-argument | Admittedly, it is true that, while it may be argued that |
10. Final Pre-Exam Self-Check
- Can you write the letter format (official, business, and personal) from memory without hesitation, including salutation and closing choices for each register?
- Can you state the précis word-count rule and apply it to a passage of any length without doing long division on paper?
- Do you know, without checking, the essay structure template's rough word allocation across introduction, body, and conclusion?
- Have you rehearsed the four-layer editing sequence (structure, clarity, grammar, presentation) enough times that it runs automatically under time pressure?
- Do you have a written, rehearsed time budget for the specific paper structure you are about to sit, adjusted for your own strengths and weaknesses?
- Have you checked your own common error patterns — the two or three grammar mistakes you make most often — against the grammar quick-reference table above?
If every item on this list can be answered with a confident "yes," the remaining work before the examination is rehearsal under timed conditions, not further study of new material. This chapter exists to be revisited in exactly that spirit — as a final check, not a first introduction.
11. Précis vs Summary vs Abstract — One-Line Reminders
| Genre | One-line rule |
|---|---|
| Précis | One-third length, reported speech, past tense, third person, single paragraph, titled |
| Summary | No fixed ratio, any register, prioritise the two or three load-bearing ideas over proportional trimming |
| Abstract | Context, purpose, method, findings, implication — in that order, present tense, no title of its own |
12. Formal Salutation and Closing Pairs
| Salutation | Correct matching closing | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Sir / Madam | Yours faithfully | Recipient's name unknown; strictly formal, official correspondence |
| Dear Sir / Madam | Yours faithfully | Slightly softened formal opening, recipient unnamed |
| Dear Mr Sharma / Dear Ms Rao | Yours sincerely | Named recipient, formal or business register |
| Dear Rohan | Regards / Best regards | Semi-formal, known professional contact |
| Dear Rohan / Dear Priya | With love / Yours affectionately / Best | Personal, informal correspondence with family or friends |
A mismatch between salutation and closing formality — for instance, opening with "Dear Sir" and closing with "Best" — is one of the most common and most easily avoided errors in letter-writing sections, and examiners check this pairing specifically because it demonstrates whether a candidate has internalised register consistency, not just vocabulary.
13. Punctuation Quick-Reference
| Mark | Core use | Common error to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Comma | Separates items in a list, sets off a non-essential clause, follows an introductory phrase | Do not use a comma alone to join two independent clauses (comma splice) |
| Semicolon | Joins two closely related independent clauses without a conjunction | Do not use a semicolon where a comma is needed before a conjunction like "and" or "but" |
| Colon | Introduces a list, an explanation, or a quotation, after a complete independent clause | Do not use a colon after an incomplete clause ("The reasons are: cost, time" is wrong; "The reasons are as follows: cost, time" is acceptable) |
| Apostrophe | Shows possession ("the writer's argument") or forms a contraction ("it's" for "it is") | Do not use an apostrophe to form a plural ("the 1990's" should be "the 1990s") |
| Hyphen | Joins compound modifiers before a noun ("a well-written essay") | Do not hyphenate the same compound when it follows the noun ("the essay was well written") |
| Quotation marks | Enclose direct speech or a directly quoted phrase | Do not use quotation marks around paraphrased or reported content |
14. Essay Topic Bank — Quick Outline Prompts
The following are common essay topic categories in descriptive examinations, each with a fast three-point outline structure a candidate can adapt on the spot.
- Technology and society (e.g., "Has social media done more harm than good?") — Point one: a genuine benefit, stated fairly. Point two: a genuine cost or risk, stated fairly. Point three: a synthesis — under what conditions the benefit outweighs the cost, or vice versa, avoiding a flat "both sides have a point" non-conclusion.
- Policy and governance (e.g., "Should university education be free?") — Point one: the case for, grounded in a specific mechanism (access, equity, long-term growth). Point two: the case against, grounded in a specific mechanism (cost, incentives, quality). Point three: a qualified position — free for whom, under what funding model, with what safeguards.
- Personal values and character (e.g., "Is ambition a virtue or a vice?") — Point one: a case where the quality serves the individual and society well. Point two: a case where the same quality, taken to excess or misapplied, causes harm. Point three: the distinguishing factor between the two cases — usually proportion, context, or what the quality is directed toward.
- Environment and development (e.g., "Can economic growth and environmental protection coexist?") — Point one: evidence or reasoning for tension between the two. Point two: evidence or reasoning for compatibility, often through a specific mechanism like green technology or regulation. Point three: a considered position on which factors determine whether coexistence is achieved in practice.
These outlines are starting scaffolds, not substitutes for genuine engagement with the specific prompt given — always adapt the three points to the exact wording of the topic set, rather than forcing a memorised outline onto a prompt it does not quite fit.
15. Frequently Confused Word Pairs — Extended List
| Pair | Distinction |
|---|---|
| Principal / Principle | Principal = head of an institution, or main/primary; Principle = a fundamental rule or belief |
| Stationary / Stationery | Stationary = not moving; Stationery = writing materials |
| Complement / Compliment | Complement = something that completes; Compliment = an expression of praise |
| Fewer / Less | Fewer for countable nouns ("fewer candidates"); Less for uncountable nouns ("less time") |
| Amount / Number | Amount for uncountable quantities ("the amount of information"); Number for countable items ("the number of applicants") |
| Lay / Lie | Lay takes a direct object ("lay the book down"); Lie does not ("lie down and rest") |
| Between / Among | Between for two entities; Among for three or more |
| Farther / Further | Farther for physical distance; Further for figurative or additional extent |
| Imply / Infer | A speaker or writer implies; a listener or reader infers |
| Council / Counsel | Council = a formal group or committee; Counsel = advice, or to advise |
16. Translation Quick-Tips
- Translate meaning and register, not word-for-word structure — a source idiom should become a natural target-language idiom or, failing that, a clear plain-language equivalent, not a literal word substitution that produces an unnatural sentence.
- Preserve the paragraph structure and sentence count of the source where reasonably possible, rather than merging or splitting sentences unnecessarily.
- Where a precise equivalent for a specific word does not come to mind immediately, use the closest available approximation and move on, rather than losing time on a single word at the expense of the whole passage.
- Keep proper nouns, technical terms, and numerals unchanged unless the target language has a standard, well-established equivalent.
- Read the translated passage once at the end, independent of the source, to check that it reads as natural, fluent prose in the target language on its own — a translation that is technically accurate but awkward in its own right has not fully succeeded.
17. Sentence-Variety Quick Reference
| Sentence type | Structure | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Simple | One independent clause | For a clear, forceful statement, especially to open or close a paragraph |
| Compound | Two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction or semicolon | To connect two related, roughly equal ideas |
| Complex | One independent clause plus one or more dependent clauses | To show a relationship of cause, condition, contrast, or time between ideas of unequal weight |
| Compound-complex | Two or more independent clauses plus at least one dependent clause | Sparingly, for a fuller idea requiring both connection and subordination — overuse makes prose dense and hard to follow |
A paragraph built entirely from one sentence type, especially the simple or the compound-complex, tends to read as monotonous or exhausting respectively. Varying sentence length and type across a paragraph, deliberately rather than accidentally, is one of the fastest ways to raise the perceived quality of a piece of writing without changing its content at all.
18. Common Business and Official Letter Purposes — Quick Templates
| Letter purpose | Opening line pattern | Closing request pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Complaint | "I am writing to bring to your attention a problem regarding..." | "I would be grateful if you could resolve this matter by [specific timeframe]." |
| Request or application | "I am writing to request..." / "I wish to apply for..." | "I would appreciate your consideration of this request at the earliest opportunity." |
| Enquiry | "I am writing to enquire about..." | "I would be grateful for any information you could provide at your convenience." |
| Complaint response / apology | "Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention." | "We have taken the following steps to ensure this does not recur..." |
| Order or transaction correspondence | "I am writing to place an order for..." / "I am writing regarding invoice number..." | "Please confirm receipt of this order/payment at your earliest convenience." |
| Job application | "I am writing to apply for the position of..." | "I have enclosed my resume and would welcome the opportunity to discuss my application further." |
These opening and closing patterns are starting points to be adapted to the specific prompt, not fixed phrases to be reproduced verbatim in every letter regardless of context — a letter that uses one of these patterns but fails to fill the middle with specific, relevant detail will still read as generic and under-developed.
19. Précis Worked Micro-Example for Fast Recall
Source (60 words): "Cities that invest early in public transport tend to avoid the severe congestion that overwhelms cities which expand road networks instead. Road expansion, counterintuitively, often increases traffic rather than easing it, because wider roads attract more private vehicles until congestion returns to its earlier level. Public transport investment, by contrast, offers commuters a genuine alternative to driving, which roads alone cannot provide."
Précis (20 words, title included): Title: Transport Investment and Congestion. The writer argued that public transport investment reduced congestion more effectively than road expansion, which often increased traffic instead of easing it.
This micro-example is worth memorising as a template for the précis's core mechanics — note the title, the reported-speech conversion ("the writer argued"), the single sentence structure, and the exact one-third compression ratio (60 words to 20 words).
20. Common Mistakes That Cost Marks Across All Sections — Master List
- Missing or mismatched salutation and closing in a letter.
- Précis exceeding the word-count tolerance, in either direction.
- Essay running significantly over or under the word limit with no time left to correct it.
- Comprehension answers copied verbatim from the passage when the question asked for the candidate's own words.
- Subject-verb agreement errors in sentences with long or complex subjects.
- Tense drift within a single paragraph or answer.
- Illegible handwriting in the opening or closing lines of an answer.
- A blank or unattempted section, even partially, when time ran out — always attempt something over leaving a section entirely empty.
- Redundant phrasing (doubled synonyms, throat-clearing openers) that inflates word count without adding content.
- Translation that is literally accurate but reads unnaturally in the target language.
- An essay conclusion that introduces new material instead of resolving what the introduction promised.
- A précis or abstract that fails to match its genre's specific conventions — for example, an abstract carrying a title, or a précis written in the first person.
This master list draws together the highest-frequency, highest-cost errors covered across every chapter of this book. A candidate who has eliminated every item on this list through deliberate practice has addressed the majority of the marks lost by otherwise well-prepared candidates in a typical descriptive examination.
21. The Night Before: What to Review and What to Leave Alone
In the final twenty-four hours before an examination, the highest-value use of remaining time is not fresh learning but consolidation of exactly the material in this chapter — the templates, the checklists, the quick-reference tables. Re-reading full chapters on essay technique, précis method, or letter format in detail is a lower-return activity at this stage than one focused pass through this chapter's tables, precisely because this chapter has already distilled those longer discussions into their operative rules. Avoid attempting an entirely new essay topic or an unfamiliar letter format for the first time the night before an examination; instead, mentally rehearse the templates above against two or three topics you already know well, confirming that the structure comes to mind quickly and without hesitation. Sleep, arriving early, and a calm final read of this chapter's checklists are, at this stage, worth more than additional new content.
22. Quick Formality Register Guide
| Register | Typical use | Markers |
|---|---|---|
| Highly formal | Official letters, government correspondence, formal essays on serious subjects | No contractions, complete sentences, third person unless the genre requires first person, precise and neutral vocabulary |
| Professional / business | Business letters, workplace reports, professional emails | Direct and clear, minimal hedging, first person acceptable, contractions used sparingly |
| Neutral / general | Comprehension answers, expository essays, summaries | Clear and objective, third person for most content, contractions generally avoided |
| Informal / personal | Personal letters, informal narrative essays | Contractions acceptable, first person natural, warmer and more varied sentence rhythm |
Identifying the expected register before writing a single sentence, and then holding that register consistently from opening to closing line, is one of the fastest ways to raise an answer's perceived polish, and one of the easiest things to check quickly during a final editing pass.
23. Quick Reference: What Each Section Is Actually Testing
| Section | What it primarily tests |
|---|---|
| Essay | Ability to develop and organise an argument or explanation at length, with control of structure and register |
| Précis | Comprehension precision and disciplined compression under strict formal constraints |
| Letter | Command of formal conventions and register, and the ability to state a clear, specific purpose economically |
| Comprehension | Careful reading, correct inference, and the ability to answer precisely what was asked rather than what was easiest to write |
| Translation | Command of both languages' idiom and structure, not merely vocabulary equivalence |
Keeping this table in mind while answering each section is a useful discipline in itself: an essay that reads more like a list of facts than a developed argument has not fully answered what the essay section is testing, even if every sentence is grammatically correct; a précis that is accurate but written in the first person has not answered what the précis section is testing, regardless of how well it captures the source's content. Matching the answer to what the section is actually designed to measure, not just to superficial task completion, is the final and most important item on this chapter's checklist.