NCEA Level 2 English cheat sheet

AS91100 (close viewing/reading of film or prose) requires analysis of purpose and effect, not summary; each point must link a technique to a specific audience response.

Purpose = why the text was made (persuade, inform, entertain, satirise); audience = who it targets; these two determine which techniques count as effective.

Tone is the writer's attitude conveyed through diction and syntax; mood is the feeling created in the reader - they can differ within one text.

Figurative language categories: simile (like/as), metaphor (direct comparison), personification (human qualities to non-human), hyperbole (deliberate exaggeration), understatement (litotes).

Sound devices: alliteration (consonant repetition), assonance (vowel repetition), sibilance (hissing s sounds), onomatopoeia (word imitates sound) - each signals emphasis or mood.

Structural features to name: juxtaposition, foreshadowing, cyclical structure, in medias res opening, shifting narrative perspective, chapter/scene breaks.

When quoting, embed short quotations in your own sentence and analyse word choice; a long block quote without commentary earns no analysis marks.

Visual text terms for film/static images: shot size (close-up, mid, wide), camera angle (low, high, eye-level), lighting (high-key, low-key), composition and salience, symbol, motif.

AS91101 (production of a selection of texts) is assessed on crafting, control of language, and accuracy - deliberate choices must be sustained across the whole piece, not just the opening.

AS91102/91103 cover unfamiliar text and unfamiliar text in a range of contexts: response structure is claim → evidence → technique → effect → link to purpose.

Paragraph craft: topic sentence states a claim; supporting sentences give evidence and explanation; the final sentence links back to the argument or transitions.

Sentence variety is a marking criterion: mix simple, compound and complex sentences; avoid starting consecutive sentences with the same word or the same subject-first pattern.

Punctuation rules that markers check: comma splice (two main clauses joined only by a comma) is an error; use a semicolon, full stop, or conjunction. Apostrophes mark possession and contraction, never plurals.

Persuasive techniques available in transactional writing: rhetorical question, rule of three, anecdote, statistics, appeal to authority, direct address, emotive vocabulary, rebuttal of opposing view.

Form conventions: formal letter (addresses, date, salutation, sign-off), speech (direct address, rhetorical devices, call to action), report (headings, formal register, recommendation), review (evaluative stance, evidence).

Editing pass checklist: tense consistency, pronoun agreement, spelling of homophones (their/there/they're, affect/effect), and removal of filler such as 'very' and 'really'.

AS91107 (or equivalent presentation standard) assesses delivery, content, and audience engagement; the presentation must be planned and structured, not read verbatim from a script.

Structure for a spoken presentation: hook, thesis or purpose statement, two to four developed points with evidence, and a conclusion that returns to the opening idea.

Vocal techniques named in assessment: pace, volume, pitch variation, pausing for emphasis, articulation, and projection - monotone delivery limits achievement.

Non-verbal techniques: eye contact across the audience, purposeful gesture, stance, and use of space; reading from notes with head down reduces engagement.

Visual aids support rather than replace speech: slides carry keywords or images, not paragraphs; every visual must be referred to explicitly by the speaker.

Audience adaptation: register (formal/informal), vocabulary complexity, and amount of explanation shift with the audience's prior knowledge and the setting.

Group or individual spoken text conventions: turn-taking cues, signposting phrases ('firstly', 'moving on', 'to conclude'), and explicit links between speakers.

Rehearsal evidence for internal assessment includes a plan/outline and often a recorded performance; timing must fit the specified length range for the standard.

Close viewing differs from skimming: it requires noting specific choices (camera angle, music, editing cut, word choice) and explaining the intended effect on the viewer.

Film editing terms: cut, dissolve, fade, montage, cross-cutting, jump cut, slow motion - each controls pace and the viewer's attention.

Sound in film divides into diegetic (source visible or implied in the story world) and non-diegetic (score, voiceover); both shape mood and meaning.

Listening for purpose: identify the speaker's intent before judging content - informative, persuasive, entertaining - because intent determines what counts as evidence.

Active listening strategies: note keywords and signpost language ('however', 'the key point is', 'in contrast'), and record speaker claims separately from your own response.

Bias and viewpoint in spoken or visual texts: detect loaded language, selective evidence, omission, and appeals to emotion rather than reasoning.

Verbal and non-verbal cues in interviews or speeches: hesitation, emphasis, facial expression, and gesture can contradict or reinforce the spoken words.

When responding to an unfamiliar spoken/visual text, structure the answer as technique → example → effect → link to the text's overall purpose or audience.