ICAS English case studies
ICAS English · Put your knowledge to work in context.
ICAS English is an annual academic competition that assesses school students' English language and literacy skills. It is offered for Year 2 through Year 12: an Introductory paper for students in the equivalent of Year 2, then Papers A to J for Years 3 to 12. The ICAS English case studies are 5 cases and about 2,595 words.
1Choosing the Right Word in a Newsletter Recount
Year 8 student Priya is drafting a paragraph for the Ringtail Creek Primary newsletter. Draft: 'On Saturday 14 March, twenty-eight volunteers gathered at the Ringtail Creek reserve.
553 words, about 3 min2What the Canteen Data Can and Cannot Show
Read this extract from a school newsletter. 'Since Term 1, the canteen has been cash-free.
573 words, about 3 min3Ordering Sentences in an Information Report
A student's information report on the Wollemi pine has been cut into five sentences, listed here in scrambled order. 'For this reason, the location of the remaining trees is kept secret.' B.
474 words, about 2 min4Repairing a Tangled Sentence
A student's field report contains this sentence: 'Walking along the creek bank at dusk, the plastic bags caught in the reeds were recorded by our group, which surprised Ms Okafor because they had not been there last year.' Ms Okafor's marking notes say: (i) the sentence must keep every piece of information - who walked, what was recorded, where, when, Ms Okafor's surprise, and the comparison with last year; (ii) it must be no more than two sentences; (iii) active voice is preferred unless passive is genuinely clearer. Identify the two places where the reader cannot tell what the writer means, and explain what each one makes unclear.
471 words, about 2 min5Rewriting for a Younger Audience Without Losing Authority
A school office notice and a student's rewrite are both being considered for the Year 4 noticeboard. Original: 'Students are advised that participation in the excursion is contingent upon the return of a signed consent form by Friday 8 May.
524 words, about 3 min