The Question
The note-making question says "Read the following paragraph and make notes by filling the boxes given below" and carries 2 marks (4 boxes × half a mark). There is no choice against it, so every student answers this question.
What the paper gives you is a short paragraph of three or four lines and a skeleton of boxes with the linking words already printed. Each box has a number, and you write the missing word or phrase inside it.
What note making is not. It is not a summary and not a paragraph. You write only the key words: no full sentences, no explanations of your own, no repetition of the linking words that are already printed.
Why it is easy marks. Every answer is already in the paragraph. The question tests whether you can see which word belongs in which box.
[Exam Tip] — Half a mark per box means partial credit: three correct boxes still earn 1.5 marks. Fill every box, even by copying the nearest suitable phrase.
How the Boxes Work
The printed skeleton is a flow chart. The words already given are the stem, and the boxes below them are the branches.
Chocolate made from → box 1 has rich → box 2 and box 3 symbol of → box 4
Read each stem as the first half of a sentence, and look in the paragraph for the words that complete it.
| Stem printed in the paper | What it asks for | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| made from / prepared from | the raw material | a phrase with from, of, made of |
| has / has rich | the qualities | the adjectives and the noun they describe |
| symbol of / known as | what it stands for | a phrase with symbol, sign, called |
| found in / grown in | the place | a place name |
| used for / helps in | the purpose | a phrase with for, to, helps |
| types / kinds | the varieties | a list, often joined by and |
| effects / causes | the results | a phrase with leads to, results in, because |
Three rules for what goes inside a box
- Use the words of the passage. Note making rewards accurate lifting, not rewriting.
- Keep it short: a word or a short phrase, usually two to four words. No verb endings, no the, no full stop.
- One idea per box. If two boxes hang from the same stem, the paragraph has two qualities, two causes or two examples; split them, do not put both in one box.
The 2025 Question, Solved
Chocolate is made from Cocoa-beans. Chocolate with its rich velvety texture and deep complex flavours, captivates the senses and has become a symbol of indulgence.
The printed skeleton:
Chocolate made from → box 1 has rich → box 2 · box 3 symbol of → box 4
Answers
| Box | Stem | Answer | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chocolate made from | cocoa beans | The first sentence says so directly. |
| 2 | has rich | velvety texture | The first of the two qualities. |
| 3 | has rich | deep complex flavours | The second quality, joined by and. |
| 4 | symbol of | indulgence | "has become a symbol of indulgence". |
Notice three things.
- Every answer is lifted from the paragraph, in the paragraph's own words.
- Boxes 2 and 3 are filled from the two items joined by "and". Whenever a stem has two boxes, look for an and.
- Nothing is added. "Captivates the senses" is interesting but no box asks for it, so it is left out.
Working Method and Common Mistakes
A method you can follow in the exam
- Read the paragraph once, fully.
- Read the stems in the skeleton and count the boxes.
- Underline in the paragraph the phrase that answers each stem, in order.
- Copy the phrases into the boxes, shortening them to two to four words.
- Read the chart back as sentences: Chocolate made from cocoa beans; has rich velvety texture and deep complex flavours; symbol of indulgence. If it reads sensibly, it is right.
If the paper asks for linear notes instead
Some papers print a title and blank headings rather than boxes. Then use this shape, with short phrases and standard abbreviations (e.g., &, i.e., govt., no.):
Title: Chocolate
- Source 1.1 cocoa beans
- Qualities 2.1 rich velvety texture 2.2 deep complex flavours
- Status 3.1 symbol of indulgence
Give the notes a title, number the headings, indent the sub-headings, and keep every line a phrase.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Correction |
|---|---|
| Writing a full sentence in the box | Write only the phrase: cocoa beans, not Chocolate is made from cocoa beans. |
| Repeating the printed stem inside the box | The stem is already there; do not write it again. |
| Putting both qualities in one box | Two boxes mean two ideas. |
| Adding information from your own knowledge | Only what the paragraph says can be right. |
| Leaving a box empty | Half a mark is lost for nothing; copy the nearest phrase. |
| Rewriting the phrase in your own words | Lifting the paragraph's words is safer and faster. |
[Exam Tip] — Take thirty seconds to read the stems before you read the paragraph a second time. Once you know what the boxes want, the phrases jump out of the passage.