Balancing the two texts in the written examination
In the written examination, Section A asks students to write an imaginative piece of 250-300 words in Hindi based on a prompt about returning to a childhood neighbourhood. Section B asks for an evaluative response of 250-300 words on a set topic about technology and young people, drawing on the studied texts. Mei has 70 minutes for both sections. She plans 20 minutes for Section A and 50 for Section B because she feels stronger in evaluation. Her practice imaginative piece used 180 words, and her evaluative drafts tend to summarise the texts one after another.
1. Evaluate Mei's time allocation and word-count plan, and recommend adjustments.
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Her allocation does not match the demands. Section A still requires a complete imaginative piece with setting, character and a resolved shape, and 180 words in practice is below the 250-300 range, which suggests she is under-developing rather than writing efficiently. Giving it only 20 minutes in the exam risks a piece that is short and thin.
A better split is about 30 minutes for Section A and 40 for Section B, with 5 minutes at the start for planning both. For Section A she should plan three or four beats (arrival, a sensory detail, a remembered person, a changed ending) and write to about 260 words. For Section B, 40 minutes is enough if she plans before writing. She should also build in 5 minutes at the end to check case markers and verb agreement, which are common accuracy losses under time pressure.
2. Mei's evaluative response summarises each studied text in turn and adds a short opinion at the end. Explain why this limits her score and describe a better structure.
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Sequential summary shows comprehension but not evaluation. The task asks her to weigh ideas against the set topic, so a response that describes texts one after another leaves the argument until the end, where it cannot be developed.
Better structure: state a clear position in the introduction (for example that technology both widens and narrows young people's Hindi use), then organise body paragraphs by idea rather than by text. Each paragraph makes one claim, draws brief evidence from one or two texts, and comments on how far that evidence supports the claim. A short counter-argument paragraph strengthens the evaluation. The conclusion should return to the position with a qualification, not repeat the summary. Evidence should be selective and accurately attributed; vague references to 'the writer' weaken the response.