CAPE Communication Studies cheat sheet

Source types rank by authority: primary (raw data, eyewitness, original documents) > secondary (interpretation of primary) > tertiary (indexes, summaries, encyclopaedias used only as pointers).

Reliability test: currency, authority of author, accuracy/corroboration, objectivity/purpose, and coverage - a source failing two or more is downgraded regardless of how readable it is.

Sampling vocabulary: random, stratified, systematic, quota, convenience. Convenience and quota samples are non-probability, so results cannot be generalised to a population.

Questionnaire design rules: avoid leading, double-barrelled and ambiguous items; closed items give quantifiable data, open items give depth; pilot before administering.

Plagiarism is using another's words, ideas, data or structure without acknowledgement; paraphrase still requires citation, and direct quotation requires quotation marks plus source.

Citation elements for a book: author surname and initials, year, title (italicised), place of publication, publisher; for a journal article add volume, issue and page range.

Organising patterns: chronological (time), spatial (place), cause–effect, problem–solution, comparison–contrast, order of importance. Choose the pattern that matches the relationship between ideas.

Data presentation decisions: tables for precise multi-variable figures, bar charts for comparisons across categories, line graphs for trends over time, pie charts only for parts of one whole.

Processing tools: summarising reduces to main idea plus key supporting points; note-taking should distinguish quotation, paraphrase and personal comment to prevent accidental plagiarism.

Language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols shared by a community; the arbitrary link between signifier and signified is what makes conventions, not nature, govern meaning.

Standard English is a prestige variety sustained by institutions (schools, media, courts); it is not linguistically superior, only socially dominant. Dialects are rule-governed, complete systems.

Register = variation by situation, shaped by field (topic), tenor (relationship/status of participants) and mode (spoken/written, monologue/dialogue).

Creole continuum terms: basilect (most creole-like), mesolect (intermediate), acrolect (closest to standard). Speakers shift along the continuum by audience and context.

Pidgin versus creole: a pidgin is a contact language with no native speakers; when children acquire it natively and it expands, it becomes a creole.

Language attitudes: overt prestige attaches to standard varieties; covert prestige attaches to local varieties as markers of identity and solidarity. Neither reflects cognitive ability.

Communication components: sender, message, channel, receiver, feedback, noise (physical, semantic, psychological). Noise at any point distorts meaning.

Non-verbal codes: proxemics (space), kinesics (body movement), haptics (touch), chronemics (time), paralanguage (tone, pitch, pace). Non-verbal cues can contradict verbal ones.

Community language functions: instrumental (getting things done), regulatory, interactional, personal, heuristic, imaginative, representational - each maps to different social purposes.

Expository essay structure: introduction with thesis and preview, body paragraphs each carrying one controlling idea plus evidence, conclusion that synthesises rather than repeats.

Paragraph unity test: every sentence must support the topic sentence; coherence comes from transitions (however, therefore, in contrast) and from consistent pronoun reference.

Argument forms: inductive moves from specific evidence to general claim; deductive moves from general premise to specific conclusion (syllogism: major premise, minor premise, conclusion).

Common fallacies: ad hominem, straw man, false dilemma, slippery slope, post hoc, hasty generalisation, appeal to authority/emotion. Naming the fallacy is not enough - explain why reasoning fails.

Persuasive appeals: ethos (credibility), pathos (emotion), logos (logic). Strong persuasion combines all three with evidence, not assertion.

Speech delivery: manuscript, memorised, impromptu, extemporaneous. Extemporaneous (planned but spoken from brief notes) usually produces the most natural audience contact.

Audience analysis variables: age, gender, education, occupation, cultural background, prior knowledge and attitude toward the topic; adjust vocabulary, examples and evidence type accordingly.

Mechanics: subject–verb agreement, tense consistency, pronoun–antecedent agreement, parallel structure in lists, and avoidance of comma splices and run-ons.

Summary writing rules: cut examples and repetition, retain main idea and essential support, keep the original's stance, use own words, and stay within the stated word limit.

Module 1 paper typically requires a factual/informational piece grounded in provided stimulus material; marks reward selection, organisation and citation of sources, not opinion alone.

Module 2 questions usually require a persuasive or argumentative response on a language-and-community issue; the mark scheme rewards a clear stance, structured argument and language awareness.

Module 3 asks for a short story, descriptive piece or speech depending on the prompt; narrative marking rewards plot coherence, characterisation, setting, conflict and point of view.

Mark allocation guide: content/ideas, organisation/structure, language/mechanics and (where stated) audience awareness are separately scored - a weak area cannot be offset by strength elsewhere.

Time budgeting: allocate roughly the number of marks per question in minutes, keep 5–10 minutes for proofreading, and never leave a required section blank.

When a question supplies data (table, chart, extract), quote specific figures or phrases in the response; unsupported generalisation loses content marks.

Planning before writing: 3–5 minutes producing a skeleton outline with thesis and paragraph topics reduces off-topic drift and improves coherence scores.