GRADE 12
ENGLISH HOME LANGUAGE
TASK 2: ESSAY WRITING
24 FEBRUARY 2025
TOTAL: 50
DURATION: 1 HOUR
INSTRUCTIONS AND INFORMATION
1. Write an essay of between 400 and 450 words (approximately 2–2½ pages) in length
on ONE of the topics provided below.
2. Write down the NUMBER and TITLE of the essay you have chosen.
3. Give your own title if one has not been given.
4. You must plan (e.g., mind map, diagram, flow chart, keywords, etc.), edit and
proofread your work. The plan must appear before the final work.
5. Draw a line through your planning and CLEARLY indicate the final draft.
6. Check your final version carefully before submitting it.
7. Write neatly and legibly IN BLUE INK ONLY.
*NO TYPED ANSWER SHEETS WILL BE ACCEPTED
*PLEASE BE AWARE THAT WE WILL BE RUNNING ALL CREATIVE WRITING
PIECES THROUGH AN AI DETECTION PROGRAM. ESSAYS CREATED BY AI
SOFTWARE WILL COUNT AS PLAGIARISM AND BE AWARDED A ZERO.
ELROI ACADEMY GRADE 12 ENGLISH HOME LANGUAGE COPYRIGHT RESERVED
TASK 2 – ESSAY WRITING
Write an essay of 400–450 words (2–2½ pages) on ONE of the following topics.
Write down the NUMBER and TITLE/HEADING of your essay.
1.1 You are on a rocket ship about to leave Earth for the last time. (50)
OR
1.2 Robots should be allowed to operate on humans: they are more accurate. (50)
OR
1.3 How the world of work has changed after COVID-19. (50)
OR
1.4 Organisations such as the SPCA are undervalued and underpaid. (50)
OR
1.5 Travelling through time and space is risky business: you never know what
(50)
awaits you on the other side.
OR
1.6 The pictures reproduced on the following pages may evoke a reaction or
feeling in you or stir your imagination.
Select ONE picture and write an essay in response. Write the question
number of your choice (1.6.1, 1.6.2 or 1.6.3) and give your essay a title.
NOTE: There must be a clear link between your essay and the picture you
have chosen.
1.6.1
[Source: [Link]
(50)
OR
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ELROI ACADEMY GRADE 12 ENGLISH HOME LANGUAGE COPYRIGHT RESERVED
TASK 2 – ESSAY WRITING
1.6.2
[Source: [Link]
(50)
OR
1.6.3
[Source: [Link] (50)
[50]
TOTAL: 50 MARKS
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ELROI ACADEMY GRADE 12 ENGLISH HOME LANGUAGE COPYRIGHT RESERVED
TASK 2 – ESSAY WRITING
ASSESSMENT RUBRIC FOR THE ESSAY [50 MARKS]
CRITERIA Exceptional Skilful Moderate Elementary Inadequate
Upper 28–30 22–24 16-–8 10–12 4–6
CONTENT and level
Outstanding response beyond Very well-crafted response Satisfactory response Inconsistently coherent Totally irrelevant response
PLANNING
normal expectations Fully relevant and interesting Ideas are reasonably convincing response Confused and unfocused ideas
Response and ideas
Intelligent, thought-provoking ideas with evidence of maturity Reasonably organised and Unclear ideas and unoriginal Vague and repetitive
Organisation of
and mature ideas Very well-organised and coherent including introduction, Little evidence of organisation Disorganised and incoherent
ideas and planning
Exceptionally well-organised and coherent, including introduction, body, and conclusion and coherence
Purpose, audience,
coherent, including introduction, body, and conclusion
and features of text
body, and conclusion
Lower 25–27 19–21 13–15 7–9 0–3
30 MARKS level
Excellent response but lacks the Well-crafted response Satisfactory response but some Largely irrelevant response No attempt to respond to the
exceptionally striking qualities of Relevant and interesting ideas lapses in clarity Ideas tend to be disconnected topic
the outstanding essay Well-organised and coherent, Ideas are fairly coherent and and confusing Completely irrelevant and
Mature and intelligent ideas including introduction, body, and convincing Hardly any evidence of inappropriate
Skilfully organised and coherent conclusion Some degree of organisation organisation and coherence Unfocused and muddled
including introduction, body, and and coherence including
conclusion introduction, body, and
conclusion
Upper 14–15 10–11 6–7 2–3 0
LANGUAGE, level Tone, register, style, vocabulary Tone, register, style, vocabulary Tone, register, style, vocabulary Tone, register, style, vocabulary Tone, register, style, vocabulary
STYLE AND highly appropriate to purpose, largely appropriate to purpose, appropriate to purpose, less appropriate to purpose, not appropriate to purpose,
EDITING audience, and context; audience, and context audience, and context audience, and context audience, and context
Tone, register, style, Language confident, Language is effective and a Appropriate use of language to Very basic use of language Language incomprehensible
vocabulary exceptionally impressive consistently appropriate tone is convey meaning Tone and diction are Vocabulary limitations so
appropriate to Compelling and rhetorically used Tone is appropriate inappropriate extreme as to make
purpose/effect and effective in tone Largely error-free in grammar Rhetorical devices used to Very limited vocabulary comprehension impossible
context Virtually error-free in grammar and spelling enhance content
Language use and and spelling Very well crafted
conventions Highly skilfully crafted
Word choice
Punctuation, Lower 12–13 8–9 4–5 0–1
grammar, and level Language excellent and Language engaging and Adequate use of language with Inadequate use of language
spelling rhetorically effective in tone generally effective some inconsistencies Little or no variety in sentence
Virtually error-free in grammar Appropriate and effective tone Tone generally appropriate and Exceptionally limited vocabulary
15 MARKS and spelling Few errors in grammar and limited use of rhetorical devices
Skilfully crafted spelling
Well-crafted
STRUCTURE 5 4 3 2 1
Excellent development of topic Logical development of topic Relevant details developed Some valid points Necessary points lacking
Exceptional detail Coherent Sentences and paragraphs are Sentences and paragraphs Sentences and paragraphs
Sentences and paragraphs are Sentences and paragraphs are well-constructed faulty faulty
5 MARKS exceptionally well-constructed logical and varied Essay still makes sense Essay still makes some sense Essay lacks sense
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