At the start of the exam, you will be asked a series of short-form questions that check your ability to read a question thoroughly.
Here are some of the most common mistakes that students make in this exam:
You need to read and re-read the questions you have been asked. Make sure that you are clear on what you have been asked before attempting to answer. You must be careful. It is going to be tempting to rush - don't!
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On Paper 1, you are asked a 6-mark question about how the writer uses language and structure. It is important to understand how to respond to this question, as it could be the difference between one grade and the next.
Step 1: Establish what you are being asked Too often, you are so keen to get on with it that you don't read the question properly - this is a HUGE mistake. It's really important to understand what you're being asked to look for. Compare:
Step 2: Annotate I cannot say this enough. In fact, it is so important that I'm going to put it in huge, bold, pink font: DO NOT SKIP THE ANNOTATION If you skip annotation, then you're basically preparing to fail. You absolutely must take the time (5 minutes or so) to read the text over and over until you understand it. Highlight language and structure in two different colours. Take the time to mark them with (L) and (S). This forms the basis of your plan. Step 3: Write your response Now you have your plan, this is the easy part. As this is a 6-mark question, you need to follow this basic build:
Step 4: Check your response Before you move on to the next question, please make sure you take the time to check that your response makes sense. It sounds simple, but you'd be surprised how many students fail to check their responses and miss confusing sentence structures and weird paragraphs. Check your work. Always. This paper is all about your ability to read a question properly and analyse a writer's choices. If you can do that, you're golden. Good luck! The second half of Paper 1 asks you to write something imaginative - usually an account of an experience, or a story, based on a theme or an image. This handy Powerpoint from tes.com allows you to randomly select a prompt image in order to develop your planning and quick-thinking skills. Each slide also has a handy checklist to ensure that you've remembered to use techniques that make your writing POP! Use these during revision when you want to practise generating ideas. |
In a Nutshell...This paper is a run-up to Paper 2. If you can master this, you're golden. ArchivesCategories
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