Cambridge General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level

3205 Sinhala June 2013

Principal Examiner Report for Teachers
2013
SINHALA


Paper 3205/01
Composition


Key messages

In order to do well in this paper, candidates should:

ensure that they answer one question from Section A and one question from Section B
adhere to the word limits specified
ensure that their work is legible, accurate and logically presented
ensure that they present their response in the form stipulated in the question (e.g. letter, dialogue
etc)
plan their use of time for each question and allow time for thorough checking of their work.


General comments

In general, candidates performed well in this paper, and many candidates had been well prepared for the
examination.

Some candidates did not seem familiar with the basic grammar rules of Sinhala, or with Sinhala idiom, and
would benefit from further practice in these areas. Candidates should be encouraged to read more widely to
help consolidate spelling and grammar.

A small number of candidates mixed formal and informal registers in their responses, which was not always
appropriate. Candidates should be reminded that the formal register is required when writing their answers to
this paper, unless specifically stated otherwise in the question. Candidates needed to have a better
understanding of the difference between formal/written and informal/spoken Sinhala.


Comments on specific questions

Section A Letter, Report or Speech, Dialogue

Candidates were asked to write a response of approximately 120 words on one of the three given topics.

In Section A, candidates generally wrote successfully on their chosen topic. This year, candidates showed
better understanding than in previous years of how to compose a letter, a dialogue and a speech.

Question 1(a) (Write a letter to a large company that is recruiting young people for temporary work
experience, stating your qualities and why you are ideally suited to the job.) was the most popular question
in Section A and there were many good responses to this question. Some candidates demonstrated good
skills of letter-writing. Candidates mentioned how they came to know about the firm, why they were applying
for the job, their educational qualifications, why they thought that they would be the best applicant for the job,
and their belief that they could serve the company well while gaining some valuable experience by working
there.

Question 1(b) (You are asked to give a speech at your old primary school based on your best memories of
your time there. Write that speech.) was also popular. On the whole, those who selected this topic produced
interesting speeches based on their experiences at primary school. Many wrote about memories that one
could easily relate to.

Question 1(c) (Write a dialogue in which you and your friend discuss a Sinhala film you have watched
recently.) was answered adequately by the majority of candidates.

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Cambridge General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level
3205 Sinhala June 2013
Principal Examiner Report for Teachers
2013
Section B Essay

Candidates were asked to write an essay of approximately 200 words on one of the four given topics.

All of the topics in this section proved popular.

In general, candidates showed reasonable understanding of the principles of essay writing and of the topics
on which they were asked to write. Many candidates drew on their own experiences when writing their
answers, particularly when attempting Question 2(d) (Describe a situation where a younger brother or sister
got you in trouble.), which often included realistic and interesting points.

A number of candidates wrote considerably more than the number of words stated in the question.
Candidates should be reminded that going beyond the word limit does not improve the quality of the work
presented and may indeed increase the likelihood of mistakes occurring. In addition, candidates need to
ensure that their handwriting is legible.
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Cambridge General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level
3205 Sinhala June 2013
Principal Examiner Report for Teachers
2013
SINHALA


Paper 3205/02
Translation and Reading Comprehension


Key messages

In order to do well in this paper, candidates should:

ensure that they plan their time for each question and allow time for thorough checking of their work
ensure that their work is legible and logically presented
read the translation passages carefully before beginning to translate.


General comments

Overall, candidates performance on this paper was of a high standard.

Candidates should be encouraged to read a variety of books and newspapers in Sinhala as this will increase
exposure to a wide range of Sinhalese vocabulary, grammar and idiom, and will help candidates to improve
their writing skills and reading comprehension skills.

In a few cases, handwriting was so poor as to render answers illegible. Candidates need to make sure that
their work is tidy and legible.


Comments on specific questions

Section A Translation

Question 1: Translation into English

Generally, the translation into English was tackled extremely well. Most candidates demonstrated a good
understanding of the passage and provided translations that were clear and accurate. There were many
excellent translations.

Question 2: Translation into Sinhala

While this translation was tackled less well than the translation in Question 1, most candidates made a good
attempt at it. There were a few translations which were less successful than others this was mainly due to
poor handwriting and/or lack of appropriate vocabulary and idiom. Words which some candidates struggled
to translate included horse, fox, stable and saddle.

Section B Reading Comprehension

On the whole, candidates made a very good attempt at this section. Candidates seemed to enjoy the topic of
Olympic Games. Some candidates could not demonstrate adequate understanding of the reading passage
but, on the whole, performance in this section was commendable.
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