Dropping to Ordinary English

Snegg

As you're probably well aware, we're coming into the business end of the season.

I really have no other option than to drop to Ordinary Level English. I haven't done a tap of work for it over the past two years and I failed both mock papers miserably.

My teacher has only covered the higher course (I'll probably be the only one in the class doing ordinary level), and so I really have no idea what I need to know for pass.

Do I need three texts for the comparative, or will two do?
Do I need quotes, or is power phrasing enough?
Do the same number of poets come up?
Any other advice?

And also, do you think that doing Ordinary Level English in the Leaving will look bad in the future? It's not that I'm terrible at the subject, I've just never enjoyed it or worked at it.

Cheers!

thelad95

The business end of the season? You realise you're doing exams,not playing football

spurious

Be very careful dropping at this stage. Your timing will be all over the place.
You need some serious work on old OL papers. Don't make the mistake of thinking you will find it easy just because it's OL.

Saxo

Hello sorry for bringing back up an old thread, but I too am thinking about dropping to OL. Spurious, can you explain about the timing? I am incredibly worried about HL as I only got 40% in my pre but I didn't do a poetry question at all and only wrote a few pages for the other questions on paper 2. I don't know any of the poems at all and I feel it may be in my best interest to drop down.

CiaraRedmond

For paper one you should spend 30 minutes on question A and B, and an hour and a half for the essay.That gives ten minutes to read the paper at the start and the end. Paper two will be harder for timing, an hour should be spent on both the single text and the comparative, 40 minutes for the prescribed poetry and 20 for the unseen, with ten minutes to read the paper at the start and the end. You don't need a third comparative, two will do! The poetry is different at OL, one poem is printed on the paper and you are questioned on it, you do not need to know about the poet or compare the poem with another. If you use correct English you can pass the exam, but you'll obviously need some knowledge of the course!

Saxo

CiaraRedmond wrote: »

For paper one you should spend 30 minutes on question A and B, and an hour and a half for the essay.That gives ten minutes to read the paper at the start and the end. Paper two will be harder for timing, an hour should be spent on both the single text and the comparative, 40 minutes for the prescribed poetry and 20 for the unseen, with ten minutes to read the paper at the start and the end. You don't need a third comparative, two will do! The poetry is different at OL, one poem is printed on the paper and you are questioned on it, you do not need to know about the poet or compare the poem with another. If you use correct English you can pass the exam, but you'll obviously need some knowledge of the course!

Doing a comparative and a single text in an hour I can only assume we don't have to write as much as higher level for those, would I be correct in saying that? I know Macbeth inside out I've been doing it since 3rd year and I know HMMTB? really well also. :P would knowing these two really well suffice for ordinary level? I was advised to stay at higher but realistically I can't see myself doing very well in it. I just want to pass my exams.

CiaraRedmond

For the comparative you are asked about one text first, that should be about two pages. Then you have to compare that text with another and that should be two pages also. Knowing two texts is fine, just as long as you stick to the timing and answer all the questions you'll be grand. If you are unsure you should just ask yourself do you want to fail honours or pass at ordinary. If I was you I would drop

Saxo

I think I'll drop down, thanks for your advice. hoping for at least a B in OL.

CiaraRedmond

No problem, sure it'll be grand ::D