Struggling English

Louiseh714

I'm really stuck on how to study for English. Last year I used to write one essay per poet learn it off and then fit it into any title that came up in tests but I never got an excellent mark! Is there anyway to study for English excluding learning an essay off?

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I used to struggle at English. C3 to D2 mostly. This year for poetry I took a new approach and planned each essay out.(Say imagery, Id pick out images and write them along with a short explanation on a refill page) Id work through the page and expand on the points. This brought my grade up to A2 level, and I have a certain aspect of a poet on a refill page or two for future revision.

This may or may not help you, but I can expand or clarify any of my points if you don't understand.

robman60

Definitely do not learn anything off. Questions in English can be quite specific and a one size fits all approach is not suitable. It's also blatantly obvious to an examiner if you've attempted to "force" and answer to suit a question.

As the above poster said, preparation is key. For any of the longer questions (50+ marks) try to do a small plan. I used to think this was a redundant idea but then every so often I'd hit a wall a page and a half in and it's just too risky an approach as if you "crash" on exam day, you're in a bad situation.

My plan is usually 5-8 lines of information so I have a vague idea how my piece will progress. I stress vague as the plan's primary purpose is to collect your thoughts.

For poetry, I try to dissect each poem after doing it. The notes in A New Anthology of Poetry are fantastic and I find reading their analysis after having studied it yourself is hugely beneficial to your comprehension of the piece. It's time-consuming, but you'll reap the rewards if you put in some effort now.