English Hl Grade 12 P3 NSC November 2025 Question Paper (English)

GRAAD 12 NATIONAL SENIOR CERTIFICATE GRADE 12 ENGLISH HOME LANGUAGE P3 NOVEMBER 2025 MARKING GUIDELINES MARKS: 100 These marking guidelines consist of 9 pages. Copyright reserved Please turn over

English Home Language/P3 2 DBE/November 2025 NSC – Marking Guidelines INFORMATION FOR THE MARKER In assessing a candidate's work, the following aspects, among others, drawn from the assessment rubric, must be borne in mind: • The overall effect of planning, drafting, proofreading and editing of the work on the final text produced. • Awareness of writing for a specific purpose, audience and context – as well as register, style and tone – especially in SECTION B. • Grammar, spelling and punctuation. • Language structures, including an awareness of critical language. • Choice of words and idiomatic language. • Sentence construction. • Paragraphing. • Interpretation of the topic that will be reflected in the overall content: the introduction, the development of ideas and the conclusion. Copyright reserved Please turn over

English Home Language/P3 3 DBE/November 2025 NSC – Marking Guidelines SUGGESTED APPROACH TO MARKING SECTION A: ESSAY Refer to SECTION A: Rubric for Assessing an Essay found on pages 7 and 8 of these marking guidelines. CRITERIA USED FOR ASSESSMENT CRITERIA MARKS CONTENT AND PLANNING (60%) 30 LANGUAGE, STYLE AND EDITING (30%) 15 STRUCTURE (10%) 5 TOTAL 50 1. Read the whole piece and decide on a category for CONTENT AND PLANNING. 2. Re-read the piece and select the appropriate category for LANGUAGE, STYLE AND EDITING. 3. Re-read the piece and select the appropriate category for STRUCTURE. 4. An essay cannot be without any indication that it has been read and awarded marks accordingly. The final mark awarded on the essay must be justifiable. Unlike the summary where there is a very strict word limit, an essay is creative work. If an essay is flowing in terms of creativity and captivating to the reader, it becomes unfair to focus only on the length at the expense of the content. The rule of thumb is that no additional penalties may be imposed as the rubric itself imposes penalties. SECTION B: TRANSACTIONAL TEXTS Refer to SECTION B: Rubric for Assessing Transactional Texts found on page 9 of these marking guidelines. CRITERIA USED FOR ASSESSMENT CRITERIA MARKS CONTENT, PLANNING AND FORMAT (60%) 15 LANGUAGE, STYLE AND EDITING (40%) 10 TOTAL 25 1. Read the whole piece and decide on a category for CONTENT, PLANNING AND FORMAT. 2. Re-read the piece and select the appropriate category for LANGUAGE, STYLE AND EDITING. NOTE: • Various formats of transactional/referential/informational texts have been taught/are in current practice. This has to be considered when assessing the format. • Give credit for appropriateness of format. • Look for a logical approach in all writing. Copyright reserved Please turn over

English Home Language/P3 4 DBE/November 2025 NSC – Marking Guidelines NOTE: • The points given below each topic in these marking guidelines serve only as a guide to markers. • Allowance must be made for a candidate's own interpretation of the topic, even if it differs from the given points or a marker's own views or interpretations. SECTION A: ESSAY QUESTION 1 Candidates are required to write ONE essay of 400–450 words (2–2½ pages) on ONE of the given topics. Candidates may write in any genre: narrative, descriptive, reflective, discursive, argumentative, or any combination of these. 1.1 A room full of mirrors • Credit literal, figurative and mixed responses. [50] 1.2 In the modern world, more is never enough. • Candidates could argue for or against the topic, or present a mixed response. • Anecdotal content could be included. [50] 1.3 With folded arms, plain clothes and an awkward stance, he/she stood out in the room, which was dotted with pockets of smiling, confident and stylish people. • Credit literal, figurative and mixed responses. [50] 1.4 The language of my scars [Adapted from The Language of Scars by Patricia R Thompson, Carole L King] • Credit literal, figurative and mixed responses. [50] 1.5 This humorous story is a South African reality. • Credit responses that allow for individual interpretations of humour, within a South African context. [50] Copyright reserved Please turn over

English Home Language/P3 5 DBE/November 2025 NSC – Marking Guidelines 1.6 Stepping stones/Journey • Credit literal, figurative and/or mixed responses. [50] 1.7 Coin toss • Credit literal, figurative and/or mixed responses. [50] 1.8 Child carving wood • Credit literal, figurative and/or mixed responses. [50] TOTAL SECTION A: 50 Copyright reserved Please turn over

English Home Language/P3 6 DBE/November 2025 NSC – Marking Guidelines SECTION B: TRANSACTIONAL TEXTS QUESTION 2 Candidates are required to respond to TWO of the topics set. The body of each response should be 180–200 words (20–25 lines) in length. The language, register, style and tone must be appropriate to the context. 2.1 E-MAIL • The candidate should offer a convincing motivation for his/her product/service/prototype. • Format: sender's and recipient's e-mail addresses; date; subject line; salutation; signing off [25] 2.2 SPEECH • The speech should focus on the quotation. [25] 2.3 MAGAZINE ARTICLE • The article should provide advice to the modern teenager. • Format: headline is essential; by-line is optional. [25] 2.4 FORMAL LETTER • The candidate should express his/her views to the principal about the parents' favourable comments about the school. • Candidates could focus on parents expressing their views on social media. • Format: sender's address; date; recipient's address; salutation; subject line; signing off [25] 2.5 BOOK REVIEW • The candidate should review the book titled, Letter to my future self. • The review should include the title, the author, synopsis and critique. • Valid review format should be used. [25] 2.6 DIALOGUE • The dialogue should focus on the manager's interaction with the restaurant critic. • Valid dialogue format should be used. [25] TOTAL SECTION B: 50 GRAND TOTAL: 100 Copyright reserved Please turn over

English Home Language/P3 7 DBE/November 2025 NSC – Marking Guidelines NOTE: • Always use the rubric when marking the creative essay (Paper 3, SECTION A). • Marks from 0–50 have been divided into FIVE major level descriptors. • In the Content, Language and Style criteria, each of the five level descriptors is divided into an upper-level and a lower-level subcategory with the applicable mark range and descriptors. • Structure is not affected by the upper-level and lower-level division. ASSESSMENT RUBRIC FOR ESSAY – HOME LANGUAGE [50 MARKS] Criteria Exceptional Skilful Moderate Elementary Inadequate CONTENT AND 28–30 22–24 16–18 10–12 4–6 PLANNING -Outstanding/Striking -Very well-crafted -Satisfactory response - -Inconsistently -Totally irrelevant response beyond normal response Ideas are reasonably coherent response response (Response and expectations -Fully relevant and coherent and convincing -Unclear ideas and -Confused and Upper level ideas) -Intelligent, thought- interesting ideas with -Reasonably organised unoriginal unfocused ideas Organisation of provoking and mature evidence of maturity and coherent, including -Little evidence of -Vague and repetitive ideas for planning; ideas -Very well organised introduction, body and organisation and -Unorganised and Awareness of -Exceptionally well and coherent, including conclusion/ending coherence incoherent purpose, audience organised and coherent, introduction, body and and context including introduction, conclusion/ending body and 30 MARKS conclusion/ending 25–27 19–21 13–15 7–9 0–3 -Excellent response but -Well-crafted response -Satisfactory response -Largely irrelevant -No attempt to respond lacks the exceptionally -Relevant and but some lapses in response to the topic striking qualities of the interesting ideas clarity -Ideas tend to be -Completely irrelevant Lower level outstanding essay -Well organised and -Ideas are fairly disconnected and and inappropriate -Mature and intelligent coherent, including coherent and convincing confusing -Unfocused and ideas introduction, body and -Some degree of -Hardly any evidence muddled -Skilfully organised and conclusion organisation and of organisation and coherent, including coherence, including coherence introduction, body and introduction, body and conclusion/ending conclusion Copyright reserved Please turn over

English Home Language/P3 8 DBE/November 2025 NSC – Marking Guidelines ASSESSMENT RUBRIC FOR ESSAY – HOME LANGUAGE [50 MARKS] (continued) Criteria Exceptional Skilful Moderate Elementary Inadequate LANGUAGE, 14–15 11–12 8–9 5–6 0-3 STYLE AND -Tone, register, style and -Tone, register, style -Tone, register, style -Tone, register, style -Language EDITING vocabulary highly and vocabulary very and vocabulary and vocabulary less incomprehensible appropriate to purpose, appropriate to purpose, appropriate to purpose, appropriate to purpose, -Tone, register, style and Tone, register, audience and context audience and context audience and context audience and context vocabulary not Upper level style, vocabulary -Exceptionally -Language is effective -Appropriate use of -Very basic use of appropriate to purpose, appropriate to impressive use of and a consistently language to convey language audience and context purpose/effect and language appropriate tone is meaning -Tone and diction are -Vocabulary limitations context; -Compelling and used -Tone is appropriate inappropriate so extreme as to make Word choice; rhetorically effective in -Largely error-free in -Rhetorical devices -Very limited comprehension Language use and tone grammar and spelling used to enhance vocabulary impossible conventions, -Virtually error-free in -Very well crafted content punctuation, grammar and spelling grammar, spelling - Very skilfully crafted 13 10 7 4 15 MARKS -Language excellent and -Language engaging -Adequate use of -Inadequate use of Lower level rhetorically effective in and generally effective language with some language tone -Appropriate and inconsistencies -Little or no variety in -Virtually error-free in effective tone -Tone generally sentences grammar and spelling -Few errors in appropriate and limited -Exceptionally limited -Skilfully crafted grammar and spelling use of rhetorical devices vocabulary -Well-crafted STRUCTURE 5 4 3 2 0–1 -Excellent development -Logical development -Relevant details -Some valid points -Necessary points Features of text; of topic of details developed -Sentences and lacking Paragraph -Exceptional detail -Coherent -Sentences, paragraphs paragraphs faulty -Sentences and development and -Sentences, paragraphs -Sentences, well-constructed -Essay still makes paragraphs faulty sentence exceptionally well- paragraphs logical, -Essay still makes some sense -Essay lacks sense construction constructed varied sense 5 MARKS Copyright reserved Please turn over

English Home Language/P3 9 DBE/November 2025 NSC – Marking Guidelines ASSESSMENT RUBRIC FOR TRANSACTIONAL TEXT – HOME LANGUAGE [25 MARKS] Criteria Exceptional Skilful Moderate Elementary Inadequate CONTENT, PLANNING 13–15 10–12 7–9 4–6 0–3 AND FORMAT -Outstanding response -Very good response -Adequate response -Basic response -Response reveals no beyond normal demonstrating good demonstrating demonstrating some knowledge of features Response and ideas; expectations knowledge of features knowledge of features knowledge of features of the type of text Organisation of ideas -Intelligent and mature of the type of text of the type of text of the type of text -Meaning is obscure for planning; ideas -Maintains focus – no -Not completely focused -Some focus but writing with major digressions Purpose, audience, -Extensive knowledge digressions – some digressions digresses -Not coherent in content features/conventions of features of the type of -Coherent in content -Reasonably coherent -Not always coherent in and ideas and context text and ideas, very well in content and ideas content and ideas -Very few details -Writing maintains focus elaborated and details -Some details support -Few details support the support the topic 15 MARKS -Coherence in content support topic the topic topic -Has not applied and ideas -Appropriate format with -Generally appropriate -Has vaguely applied necessary rules of -Highly elaborated and minor inaccuracies format but with some necessary rules of format all details support the inaccuracies format topic -Some critical -Appropriate and oversights accurate format LANGUAGE, STYLE 9–10 7–8 5–6 3–4 0–2 AND EDITING -Tone, register, style -Tone, register, style -Tone, register, style -Tone, register, style -Tone, register, style and vocabulary highly and vocabulary very and vocabulary and vocabulary less and vocabulary do not Tone, register, style, appropriate to purpose, appropriate to purpose, appropriate to purpose, appropriate to purpose, correspond to purpose, purpose/effect, audience and context audience and context audience and context audience and context audience and context audience and context; -Grammatically -Generally -Some grammatical -Inaccurate grammar -Error-ridden and Language use and accurate and well- grammatically accurate errors with numerous errors confused conventions; constructed and well-constructed -Adequate vocabulary -Limited vocabulary -Vocabulary not suitable Word choice; -Virtually error-free -Very good vocabulary -Errors do not impede -Meaning obscured for purpose Punctuation and -Mostly free of errors meaning -Meaning seriously spelling impaired 10 MARKS Copyright reserved