New York State Comprehensive English Regents Exam

1. New York State Comprehensive English Regents Exam Strategies for Success

2. Additional Resources • www.regentsreviewlive.net • regentsreview2@ymail.com

3. The *NEW* English Regents • One day, three hour exam • 25 multiple-choice questions • 2 short-response questions • 1 Critical Lens essay

4. On the day of the exam… • Arrive early for your exam! • Bring #2 pencils • Check with your school to see whether you need a pencil or pen for the writing sections

5. How will my exam be scored? • Listening for Comprehension • 8 multiple-choice questions • Reading for Comprehension • 12 multiple-choice questions, 6 for each passage

6. How will my exam be scored? • Reading & Writing for Critical Response • 5 multiple-choice questions, 2 short-response questions • Writing for Critical Analysis • Critical Lens Essay

7. How will my exam be scored? • Conversion Chart http://www.nysedregents.org/concht/111/english-cc111.pdf

8. How will my writing be scored? • Short-Response Questions • 4 total points, 2 for each question • 0 Points → incoherent, unfocused, or personal in nature

9. How will my writing be scored? • Short-Response Questions • 1 Point → partially developed, implied evidence, grammatical errors • 2 Points → well-developed and focused, may have errors that do not hinder comprehension

10. Read the Directions! • Question #26 requires you to refer directly to both provided passages • Question #27 requires you to choose one of the two passages to construct your response and make reference to a literary element or technique

11. Read the Directions! • Remember – your response doesn’t have to have sophisticated language or be error free to earn full credit

12. Critical Lens Essay Score • 0-6 Points, 4 or better is considered passing • Meaning • Development • Organization • Language Use • Conventions

13. Read the Directions! • Be sure to: • Interpret the quotation • Agree or disagree with the quotation as you’ve interpreted it • Choose two literary works to defend your interpretation of the critical lens • Make reference to literary elements that support your analysis of the quotation and literary works that you’ve selected

14. Meaning • Meaning is the extent to which your response exhibits sound understanding, interpretation, and analysis of the task and texts.

15. Meaning • Did you…. • prove you understand the question and literary works you’ve selected? • provide a reasonable explanation of the Critical Lens quotation? • analyze the literary works effectively as they apply to your interpretation of the quotation?

16. Development • Development is the extent to which ideas are elaborated using specific and relevant evidence from the texts.

17. Development • Did you…. • Use specific and appropriate evidence from the literary works you selected to defend your point? • Use specific and appropriate literary elements from the literary works you selected to further develop your argument? Be careful to avoid PLOT SUMMARY!!!

18. Organization • Organization is the extent to which the response exhibits direction, shape, and coherence.

19. Organization • Did you…. • include an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion? • ensure that your ideas flow logically from one sentence to the next? • remain focused in your analysis? • use transitional words and phrases in a way that unifies your essay?

20. Transition Words & Phrases • Transitions to show time before, after, first, second, eventually, finally, since, suddenly, to begin with • Transitions of agreement likewise, furthermore, additionally, similarly, moreover, in addition, by the same token • Transitions to contrast but, on the other hand, on the contrary, although, however, nevertheless, conversely

21. Transition Words & Phrases • Transitions to emphasize a point again, indeed, for this reason, in fact, notably, especially, significantly • Transitions to add information additionally, also, for example, for instance, such as

22. Transition Words & Phrases • Transitions to clarify in other words, that is to say, to clarify, put another way • Transitions to conclude/summarize As a result, finally, in conclusion, consequentially, therefore, accordingly, in essence

23. Language Use • Language Use is the extent to which the response reveals an awareness of audience and purpose through effective use of words, sentence structure, and sentence variety.

24. Language Use • Did you…. • demonstrate that you understand the audience and purpose of your essay? • use sophisticated language when appropriate? • construct sophisticated sentences when appropriate? • vary the length of your sentences as appropriate?

25. Conventions • Evaluation of conventions is the extent to which the response exhibits conventional spelling, punctuation, paragraphing, capitalization, grammar, and usage. • Did you…. PROOFREAD?????

26. Task 1: Listening for Understanding The Directions: • You will hear a listening passage once. • You are permitted to take notes in your exam booklet. • You will have a few minutes to review your notes and the multiple-choice questions.

27. Task 1: Listening for Understanding The Directions: • You will hear the listening passage a second time. • You may take notes during the second reading or answer the questions.

28. The Listening Passage • Is non-fiction • Is approximately a page and a half long • May take between five and ten minutes to readThe January 2011 and NYS Sample Listening Passages were: • Approximately 800 words long • Told from a 1st person point of view

29. Active Listening • An Active Listener will: • Remember why s/he is listening • Make a conscious effort by remaining focused • Listen for key words, ideas, and phrases • Think about information in the passage while listening to it

30. Active Listening • An Active Listener will: • Note important signals or verbal cues that indicate important information • Does the speaker slow down? • Does the speaker raise his or her voice? • Does the speaker change his or her tone? • Does the speaker gesture with his/her hands?

31. Strategies for Note Taking • Write only what seems important – key words and phrases, main ideas, important facts and details • Be concise – be as brief as possible without losing meaning – write words and short phrases, not entire sentences

32. Strategies for Note Taking • Organize your ideas – try to follow a simple outline format or put main ideas on the left and supporting details on the right; leave space for more notes during the 2nd reading • Use shortcuts – b4, bc, w/, w/o, &, info, ex, @, →, ? • Consider the “five Ws” – who, what, where, when, why…and also how

33. Test-taking Strategies • Multiple-Choice Questions • Read only the question first; try to think of a reasonable answer on your own. • Check to see if there is a choice close to the answer you imagined. • Use the process of elimination by crossing out answers you know are wrong.

34. Dissecting the MC Questions • Inference • Listening Comprehension • Tone • Point of View

35. Inference Questions An inference question is a question that requires you draw a conclusion, or inference, based on the information presented and logical reasoning.

36. Inference Questions By stating that Abigail Adams “reached beyond the kitchen and the nursery,” the speaker suggests that Abigail: (1) suffered from boredom (2) broke with tradition (3) sought new friends (4) Traveled the country

37. Which answers are wrong? • (1) – there is no evidence that Abigail Adams is bored • (3) – while this may be true, there is no evidence to prove it • (4) – this is the tricky choice! • The correct answer is (2).

38. Listening Comprehension Listening comprehension questions are questions that require you to recall or recollect a fact or detail from the passage that was directly stated.

39. Listening Comprehension As stated by the speaker, letter writing presented Abigail Adams with: (1) an unexpected friendship (2) a trivial pastime (3) an emotional release (4) a displeasing chore

40. Tone and Point of View • Tone is the attitude of a speaker, writer, or subject. • Point of View is the perspective of the speaker, writer, or subject. • Both tone and point of view questions often have adjectives as possible answers.

41. Strategies for Tone and POV • Read the question, cover the choices, and answer the question with your own adjective – is there a choice that is a synonym of the word you selected?

42. Strategies for Tone and POV • Ask yourself if the attitude or perspective is positive or negative – eliminate choices that don’t seem to match your determination – sometimes you can do this even if you don’t know the meaning of some of the choices!

43. What is the TONE? The speaker’s tone in the account can be described as (1) harsh (3) sarcastic (2) respectful (4) objective Prefixes with Positive Connotation: pro, syn, sym, ben Prefixes with Negative Connotation: de, dis, non, in, im, un, con, mal

44. Task 2: Reading for Understanding • 12 multiple-choice questions • 6 questions on an informational, non-fiction passage • 6 questions on a literary passage (fiction)

45. Task 2: Reading for Understanding The January 2011 and NYS Sample Reading Passages were: • Informational • Between 500-600 words • Told from a 3rd person perspective • Literary • Approximately 600 words • Told from a 3rd person perspective

46. Part 2: The Informational Passage • Reading Comprehension • Inference • Main Idea • Vocabulary in Context • Structure

47. Vocabulary in Context The Passage: “It’s an accessible sport. It’s not just for racing; it’s also for recreational riding. It’s a barrier breaker that allows a disabled rider to participate in cycling with friends and families who may be riding conventional bicycles.”

48. Vocabulary in Context The Question: The passage includes the quotation about the handcycle being a “barrier breaker” (line 8) in order to stress its (1) durability (2) affordability (3) portability (4) accessibility

49. Structure Questions • Anecdote – the author’s use of personal stories to convey the main idea • Cause & Effect – the author presents a problem or idea, outlines causes of the problem or idea, and then presents the effects that the causes have on the problem or idea • Chronological Order – information is presented in the order it happens

50. Structure Questions • Comparison/Contrast– the author introduces two or more events, people, places, or ideas and then identifies their similarities and differences • Problem & Solution – the author presents a dilemma and a possible solution or solutions • Process/Listing – an author might use this style if the information presented involves a series of steps