Help with english exams?

ryanch09

Hi everybody i recently had my english christmas exam. For some reason however i have trouble writing a lot for a question. for example most of the questions i answered on the paper we got were about 5 lines long. It's really frustrating me because i know my teacher expects everyone to do a couple of pages. I don't know why but i just can't think of a lot to write. Anybody have ideas that will help me write more?

Thanks!

Closed ac

Prepare you answer for a few minutes before you start writing, make out bullet points on a rough worksheet to know what you should include in your answer and start writing.

Moi!

I always use this to hep me answer qs:

Point,
Quote,
Explain.

Just state the whole point and then quote it from whatever your answering your question from and then just expand on your answer- explaining your answer in a lot more depth so it makes sense for someone reading it.

In English you can basically repeat what you're saying a lot in your answers, just using different words or ways of saying your point.

Hope this helps!!

bluejay14

I usually just waffle and go around in circles changing the words:D

But appart from that I try to use Point
Analysis
Support
so basically the same as Moi!

It's like geography :Feature
Explanation
Example
Diagram

youlooksilly

just do what moi does and learn off loads of quotes and 3/4 of a page suddenly seems alot shorter =D

ryanch09

ok thanks for the tips. just did my english mocks a couple of days ago. got about 5 pages for paper 1 + 7 pages for paper 2. got report back and apparantely i still need to improve or else i'll have to move down to ordinary level which i really dont want to do.! I think my main problem is structuring my answers and putting the right words down on paper. Any more useful tips here im really going crazy with anxiety!

Thanks!

qwerty2

There's not much more I can add from everyone else apart from PQE; Point, Quote, Explain!! It'll come with practice. Before answering each questions see how many marks it is. For my JC (last year) I used every 5 marks as a new paragraph/point (roughly). PM me if you want sample answers/notes etc!

WanderingSoul

The Layout of a Paragraph

The layout for an analysis question is:

1. Point - State your point or idea.
2. Example/Quote - Give a relevant quote or example.
3. Explain - Analyze and explain the quote or example. Try to mention a technique if you can.

Let's take the question "Explain how a particular atmosphere was created in scene in your studied novel":

Point: The author creates an atmosphere of tension and confusion during this scene.
Example: "The shadow loomed over me and I ran. I ran through the woods; looking but not seeing, listening but not hearing."
Explain: The use of negative words such as 'loomed' and 'shadow' creates an atmosphere of tension as it portrays a dark image. The repetition of the verb 'ran' further highlights the atmosphere of tension as it portrays distress. Furthermore, the author juxtaposes words creating oxymorons as seen in the latter sentence of the quotation. The use of oxymorons creates an atmosphere of confusion.

Obviously though, don't actually write "Point, Example, Explain" in the middle of your paragraph, though it's no harm of you write the initials in the margin (so you don't forget a part).

Understand the Question

As silly as this sounds, make sure you understand the question; if they say "Describe" they are looking for something different than if they were to say "Explain".

Answering the Question (Keywords)

Again as silly as this may sound, don't forget to the answer the question. It's very easy to waffle for a page but you won't get any marks unless it is relevant. To try and make sure you don't waffle try to use the keywords in the question.

For example, in the question "Explain how a particular atmosphere was created in scene in your studied novel" the keywords are "Explain/created" and "atmosphere". Because the phrase "Explain how it was created" was used I have to make sure I mention techniques (words in green). The word "atmosphere" was used so I also have to try to use that word to keep my answer relevant (it is shown in red).

*When you go into an exam, one of the first things you should do is underline, circle or highlight keywords in questions.*

So in my "explain" section of the paragraph I have to use techniques and the word atmosphere:

"The use of negative words such as 'loomed' and 'shadow' creates an atmosphere of tension as it portrays a dark image. The repetition of the verb 'ran' further highlights the atmosphere of tension as it portrays distress. Furthermore, the author juxtaposes words creating oxymorons as seen in the latter sentence of the quotation. The use of oxymorons creates an atmosphere of confusion."

Vocabulary & Knowledge of Techniques

To make answering English questions easier try to build up your vocabulary. You can easily do this by subscribing to a "Word of the Day" email subscription list which will send you a random word daily which you van then learn. You can subscribe to one here.

Another way to learn new words is to simply read more books.

It is also helpful to know some techniques or terms such as:

Adjective
Adverbs
Alliteration
Assonance
Colloquial Language
Consonance
Foreshadowing
Formal Language
Imagery
Juxtaposition
Lists
Metaphor
Multi-clause Sentences
Nouns
Onomatopoeia
Personification
Pronouns
Punctuation () . , ; : " ' - ...
Repetition
Rhetorical Questions
Similes
Single Clause Sentences
Symbolism
Tempo
Tone
Verbs

Can anybody think of anymore?

WanderingSoul

General Notes on Functional Writing

In Functional Writing it is important you focus on accuracy, clarity and structure.

It is worth 30 marks, so it is a good idea to spend 30 minutes on it.

It can include; letters, reports and speeches.

It is marked on:

• Content
• Structure
• Expression
• Mechanics
• Register

Writing a Speech

• Address the audience (be creative: particulary when talking to other students).
• In each paragraph: "Say what you're going to say, Say it, Say what you said."
• Link paragraphs

Techniques;

• Repetition (of either a word or a phrase)
• Deliberate use of certain pronouns (we, you, us)
• Stories (personalization) ("Imagine if . . ." etc.)
• Facts / Statistics
• Key phrases (as above "don't let it bog you down!" etc.)
• Metaphors (apparently a cage and fishing are good to use)
• Rhetorical Questions
• Lists
• Alliteration
• Single Clause Sentences for emphisis
• Connective/Link Words

Writing a Letter

Format



^You don't have to include the second address.^

Paragraphs

You should have an opening and closing paragraph and several middle paragraphs where you will make most of your points.

As a rule of thumb: start a new paragraph after every point (or few points) or at the start of outlining a new event.

Remember

Remember to make sure whether it is a "friendly" or formal letter and change your language accordingly.

WanderingSoul

I'll type up some notes on Personal Writing and Comprehensions tomorrow.

I hope those helped.

spurious

Treat the examiner like an idiot. Point out and explain EVERYTHING.
This applies to many subjects. If you don't write it down, you can't get marks for it.

Jackobyte

We always used:

Make the point (state your answer)
Explain the point (expand on your answer)
Prove the point (show the examiner why this answer is correct using quotes, etc.)
Confirm the point (reiterate your point eg. It is clear from this evidence that...)

More or less the same as everyone else's answer format.