VCE Indonesian First Language cheat sheet

Register (ragam bahasa): formal 'Anda' vs informal 'kamu/lu'; choice signals social distance and is assessed in role-play and email tasks.

Greeting formulas: 'Selamat pagi/siang/malam' by clock; 'Apa kabar?' reply 'Baik, terima kasih' - never 'Saya baik-baik saja' as a literal calque.

Self-introduction structure: name, origin ('Saya berasal dari...'), occupation/study, one interest - sequenced in that order in modelled texts.

Pronoun system: saya (formal 1sg), aku (informal 1sg), kami (1pl exclusive), kita (1pl inclusive) - 'kita' includes the listener.

Address terms: Bapak/Ibu for adults, Kakak/Adik for siblings or age peers; omitting a title before a name can read as abrupt.

Reduplication marks plurality or variety: 'buku-buku' (books), 'sayur-mayur' (vegetables); reduplication never marks tense.

Affixes for identity descriptions: meN- verbs for habitual action ('Saya bekerja'), ber- for states/possession ('Saya bersekolah di...').

Politeness markers: 'tolong' (request), 'silakan' (invitation), 'maaf' (apology/attention); each shifts illocutionary force and must match the task purpose.

Report text (teks laporan) structure: general classification, then description by part, function, or habit - no personal opinion or narrative plot.

Procedure text uses imperative verbs plus sequence markers: 'Pertama', 'Kedua', 'Setelah itu', 'Akhirnya'; materials listed before steps.

Explanation text answers 'mengapa/bagaimana' with causal conjunctions: 'karena', 'sebab', 'oleh karena itu', 'akibatnya'.

Passive di- focuses on process, not agent: 'Sampah diangkut setiap pagi' is preferred in procedural and news reporting.

News report conventions: lead paragraph answers what, who, when, where; quoted speech uses 'kata' or 'menurut' before or after the clause.

Cohesive devices to vary: 'selain itu' (addition), 'namun' (contrast), 'sehingga' (result), 'sementara itu' (simultaneity) - overuse of 'dan' is penalised.

Numbers and quantities: 'sebagian besar' (most), 'hampir semua' (almost all), 'setengah' (half); hedging avoids unsupported absolutes.

Nominalisation condenses clauses into nouns: 'membuang' → 'pembuangan', 'mengelola' → 'pengelolaan' - typical of formal informational writing.

Narrative text structure: orientasi (setting and characters), komplikasi (conflict), resolusi (outcome), plus optional koda (moral reflection).

Time sequencing in narrative: 'pada suatu hari', 'ketika itu', 'sementara itu', 'akhirnya' - past time is shown lexically, not by verb inflection.

Direct speech punctuation: '...' with a comma before 'kata'-clauses; reported speech drops quotation marks and shifts pronouns.

Characterisation through 'yang'-clauses: 'seorang gadis yang tinggal di desa' - relative clauses attach description without a new sentence.

Figurative language terms: 'kiasan' (figurative), 'peribahasa' (proverb), 'pepatah' (saying); peribahasa such as 'Air beriak tanda tak dalam' carry cultural values.

Prefixes ter- and ke-an convey accidental or involuntary states: 'terjatuh' (fell accidentally), 'ketakutan' (fear) - distinct from deliberate meN- forms.

Cultural values often examined: 'gotong royong' (mutual assistance), 'hormat kepada orang tua' (respect for elders), 'musyawarah' (deliberation to consensus).

Film or literary adaptation analysis compares medium-specific choices: what the text narrates, film shows through image and sound.

Discussion text (teks diskusi) structure: isu, argumen mendukung (pro), argumen menentang (kontra), kesimpulan or rekomendasi.

Persuasive devices: 'seharusnya' (should), 'perlu' (need), rhetorical questions, and appeals to evidence or shared values.

Concession and rebuttal frames: 'Memang benar bahwa..., tetapi...' and 'Walaupun demikian, ...' - required to show balanced argument.

Hortatory exposition ends with a recommendation; analytical exposition ends with a restated thesis - the closing move distinguishes the two.

Evaluative adjectives signal stance: 'efektif', 'merugikan', 'berkelanjutan', 'memadai'; neutral reporting avoids them.

Citation language: 'menurut data...', 'berdasarkan penelitian...', 'sebuah studi menunjukkan bahwa...' - claims without such framing are marked as unsupported.

Conditional and causal reasoning: 'jika...maka...', 'apabila', 'asalkan' (provided that), 'sehingga' - misuse of 'jika' for 'when' is a common error.

Debate functions in spoken assessment: menyanggah (rebut), menyetujui (agree), mengklarifikasi (clarify), menyimpulkan (summarise).