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Exam Gems

Correcting papers is a crazy experience. There are some things each teacher in the staff room feels compelled to share with the others.

Commenting on a poem’s language and style, students write…
‘This heart-touching poem…’, or better still –
‘This tear-dropping poem…’

Commenting on the expected audience, a student has a bewildering response –
‘The language used is abit complex probably not aiming for audience but for readers who are mature.’

Describing a forest, a student wants to create rich imagery, so talks about
‘barked densed trees’

The students are also tested on their ability to empathise. One exercise was a letter written by Theo to his famous brother, the painter, Vincent Van Gogh. A student writes –
‘You have to treat such problems as a video game’

Spelling is the most exciting – use your imagination here. Be warned, students cheerfully invent words.
exaturation
persuasstion
manier times
fictiousnous/ fictionous
calmful
regretment
chocked
Barbaque

Do you want an answer key to decipher these?

Varsha Seshan

I am a children’s book writer based in Pune, India. I also run online book clubs and creative writing programmes, and visit schools across the country.

More about me →

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