English Language - Exam Guide and Q4 tips

Hi all,

As you know, the next English Paper is THE BIG ONE!

Here's my exam guide:

You can find a past paper and mark scheme here. 

I have a series of powerpoints dealing with each question in turn. You can find these here, here and here.


Question 4 is the really tricky one, as you can see from this graph:

The key to standing out from the crowd on this paper is by being one of the 21% of students who answer Q4 well. The only way to do it is practise, practise, practise!

Tips for Q4:

1) Memorise this... and practise searching for these techniques (esp. the ones in bold):

2)  Remember the keys words in the question: language and its effects.

3) In order to make the most of your comparisons, be prepared to use both of these key words as starting points for comparison:

4) Using language as a starting point for comparison
   eg:

• Both writer's start with long, list-like sentences in order to....   
• In both articles, the writers use metaphor to illustrate their points...
• In Source 3, there is a lexical chain of words which remind us of movie monsters...
• Whereas in Ssource 2, the writer uses a string of powerful verbs to...
• Both writers use alliteration to good effect... 
• The language in Source 3 is often colloquial...
• In comparison, the language of Source 1 is fairly formal. However, there are exceptions...

5) Using effects as a starting point for comparion
    eg:  

• At the start of Source 3, the writer builds tension before revealing the subject of the article...
• Similarly, the writer of Source 1 is trying to build interest...
• Both texts have a humorous tone in places...
• Both writers use hyperbole in order to persuade the reader...
• Source 3 ends with a feeling of triumph...
• In contrast, Source 2 ends with a sense of resignation... 

 REMEMBER, when starting with effects, make sure you comment on language after the quote to explain how the writer's techniques helped achieve those effects.

 6) Follow up your quotes by analysing (ZOOM IN):

• The word ___________ has connotations of...
• The word __________ has the effect of...
• This suggests...
• This use of imagery has the effect of...
• The use of the short sentence at this point is particularly effective because...
• The writer's use of assonance has the effect of...
• This has an impact on the reader because... 

 7) Structuring your response:

I'm always a little wary of giving students a set structure. This is because it entirely depends on the combination of texts in front of you. A structure like DAFOREST is limiting in that it just picks out a few arbitrary techniques in a weird order - and some of them aren't language. It's a structure to scrape you a C.

If I was pushed to recommend a structure, it's probably be this:

1) Start by comparing the effect of the openings of the extracts and how they suit the purpose of the text (eg. building tension/interest, shock, persuasion, describing etc)
2) Write about word choices in the two sources
3) Write about imagery (similes/metaphors/personification) or comparisons used to illustrate.
4) Write about sound effects such as alliteration and assonance in the two texts.
5) Comment on the use of sentence structures (long, short, lists, repetition etc.)
6) If there's time, end by commenting on how the endings of the texts are effective. 


It's very likely that you won't have time to do all this, but you don't have to. This structure will give you plenty to write about and will keep you on task. Starting with effects gives you a nice way in to any combination of texts. 

Finally, a very useful resource can be found here: a past paper (your mock?) with example Band 4 answers (with examiners comments).



I hope this helps. Feel free to send me stuff to mark! And get in touch if you are unsure about anything.


Mr M 

English Language Paper Prep

Hi,

Here are some useful links to support your prep for the English Language paper:

http://mrmuraleeenglish.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/the-english-carousel-week-13.html

http://mrmuraleeenglish.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/the-english-carousel-lesson-23.html

http://mrmuraleeenglish.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/the-english-carousel-lesson-33.html

http://mrmuraleeenglish.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/another-practice-paper.html


I'll be updating my advice about question 4 later.



Mr M

Build your vocab power! Grrrr!!!

Hi all,

Here are a couple of nice resources for all you logophiles (that's a lover of words) to help you build up a stockpile of bombastic terms to wow the examiner!

First, this word wheel is particularly useful for those thoughts and feelings questions in the English Language paper (Q3). Click it to make it bigger.

Even better, see the 9-page doc below. Why not print it off and learn as many as you can?


Enjoy!


Mr M

PS. I'm also a bit of a fan of this: the Academic Word List.

Analyse This...

Hi,

Here is a good article to practise your skills of language analysis for the English Language paper. There are loads of good language features to discuss here.

Don't forget that in the exam the language question (Q4) also involves comparison.

I will upload some notes on this text later so you can compare what you found...


Here is a reminder of the kind of things you ought to be looking for:

Mr M

Exam Guides

Hello again,

Here are my guides to your three exams. 

In the coming days, I'll post some past papers so that you can get a feel for each paper.

Please check the exam dates against your exam timetables and let me know if I've got anything wrong....

I've put these guides in the order that you'll sit the papers:

I hope these help. 

If you have any questions about your English exams, please feel free to comment here or ask me via Twitter.



Mr M

Final reminder: Question 4

Hi,

Just one final word about the language paper tomorrow.

The document below outlines my advice on how to structure your response to question 4. But please remember, although this approach involves starting with effects, you still have to compare the ways in which the two writers use language.

So...

Make sure that you do the following (at least):

• compare how the writers use words/phrases for effect (analyse)
• compare how the writers use simile/metaphor/comparisons
• compare examples of short/long/list-like sentences + comment on effect
• try to find an example of how sound contributes to effect (eg. alliteration, assonance etc)

You should find and highlight interesting language features as you read so that you can concentrate on structuring your comparative response. Don't start writing until you know what you're going to compare in terms of language and effects.

Best of luck.

If you have any further questions, comment or tweet.


Mr M

English Language: The final (and biggest) hurdle...

Hi all,

The blog's gone quiet since the end of English Lit - mainly because everything I've got to say about English Language is already on here. 
Click EngLang here -------------->

For updates and advice in the lead up to the exam - or if you've got any questions - follow us on Twitter.

Remember, there's loads of other advice and revision material out there. Try Mr Bruff's YouTube clips: foundation tier (C) here; higher tier (A*) here.

Most of you know that this exam is hard - and it's the qualification that everyone wants to know about. Look at the graph. If you can nail Q4, you set yourself apart from the majority and massively boost your chances of success. Practice is vital. Don't kid yourself that you can't revise for it.


Please comment or tweet if you have any concerns or questions.


Get revising!



Mr M



 

Updated: GCSE English Language and English Literature Exam Guides

Hi,

Here are my updated guides to your three exam papers in the order that you will sit them:

 

I hope these help. You can find past papers here (just click the qualification you want and then 'past papers and mark schemes' from the menu on the left of the screen) or elsewhere on this blog.


Mr M

Another practice paper

Hi,

A couple of you asked for another English Language Paper to have a bash at. I quite like this one:







Feel free to give me more marking to do!

Remember, the resources and advice from the carousel lessons can be found here and here.

Coming soon: new exam guides.


Get to work!


Mr M

Easter Homework

Hello all,

Here are your two options for Easter homework. This is in addition to your revision which you should be doing anyway. More on this later in my next post.

You should choose your task based on your needs. If the English Language Paper is still causing you problems, this should be your top priority. If you feel you've done enough English Lang, have a go at a poetry question.

The deadline is the first lesson back after Easter.

Homework options:

Option 1 - More English Language Practice

Using the reading material I gave you, answer the following questions in your diagnostic book. You should at least do Qs 2 and 4, preferably all 4:

1) What do you understand from the article about the issues of children and the outdoors?
2) Explain how the headline and picture, with caption, are effective and how they link to the text.
3) Explain some of the thoughts and feelings the writer has during his journey to the pyramids.
4) Compare the ways in which language is used for effect in the two texts. Give some examples and analyse the effects.

Remember - Qs 1, 2 and 3 are worth 8 marks and you should write for 12-14 mins. Q4 is worth 16 marks and you should spend 20-25 mins on it.

By all means, have a go at the writing section too, if you like!


Option 2 - Character and Voice

Choose from one of the following questions:

• Compare the ways poets present feelings of grief in Portrait of a Deaf Man and one other poem from Character and Voice.
• Compare the ways poets present relationships between men and women in Les Grands Seigneurs and one other poem from Character and Voice.

You need to write for 45 minutes.

Need help? Here are some useful docs. First, the exam paper for Option 1:

In terms of poetry, you might find some resources to help get you started here, here and in the docs below:





Happy Easter!

Mr M

The English Carousel - Lesson 3/3

Hi,

In the final week of the English Carousel, we looked at Section B of the English Language Paper (writing).







Here's the powerpoint:


And here's the handout:


Please browse by topic on the right of the page for more Section B resources and advice.


I hope you found the sessions useful.


Mr M 


COMING SOON: Exam Guides, Easter Revision advice, and for my class, Easter homework!

The English Carousel - Lesson 2/3

Hello,

As you can see from the graph here, if there's one thing you can do to make a difference in terms of preparing for the English Language paper, it's make sure you can do Q4. I can't stress this enough. There's only one way to make sure: PRACTISE, PRACTISE, PRACTISE!

This was the main focus of this week's session. Scroll down and you will find two useful docs: the powerpoint from the lesson, and my alternative guide to Q4.

You can find the exam paper which relates to my worked example here.

See you next week - our focus will be writing.

Mr M

Sun Vampires - English Lang Qs 1, 2 and 4

Hi,

Here are the results of a recent Additional English lesson looking at the Sun Vampires article.

The task was to show how the text could be used for the following questions in Section A of the English Language paper:

1) Understanding
2) Presentation
4) Language

The text was not suitable for Q3 (inference).

Question 1: Understanding

Question 2: Presentation

Question 4: Comparing language

Good work, girls.


Mr M

More English Language Paper help

Hi,

I recently received an email from the exam board with a few helpful (I think) resources. 

Below is a series of tasks designed to help you get your head around the reading section in a step-by-step way. These tasks help you develop the skills needed for section A, but it does not give you practice at actually answering the extended answer exam questions. It's more like a series of exercises.

So, you may find this more useful if you are struggling with Section A. It isn't a replacement for exam practice; it's an extra:




Hope it helps. If you are struggling with a particular question, you need more practice. It won't magically come good in the exam. Please let me know if you need more past papers to work on. There are more English Section A resources here and here and here.

I'll be blogging about My Last Duchess at some point over the weekend. Monday's poem is The Horse Whisperer - read it please.


Mr M

The English Carousel - Week 1/3

Hello,

I hope you all got something out of today's session. Any feedback is appreciated. Today, the focus was on Qs 1 and 2 of Section A of the English Language Paper.

Here are some resources to help reinforce the messages from Week 1.

First of all, here's the powerpoint. Thanks to Mrs T for this:

 

 I also referred back to your mock on a few occasions during the lesson. Here's a reminder of the mock exam insert, as well as a series of marked top-band answers:



I also did my own model answer to Q4 from the exam. You can find it here.

There's another practice paper, with mark scheme and model answer here.

In the next week or so, I'll be updating my GCSE English Exam Guides. Last year's version is here, but there will be a few changes.

Hope this helps. Please leave a comment if you have any queries.

Newbies - please enter your email address in the box on the right of the page for regular updates when new posts are added.


Mr M

Homework - English Language Paper - Question 4

Hello all,

Start with effects on the reader - then quote - then comment on language

13 lessons left - but that includes one where I'm at a meeting (tomorrow) and a couple that GCSE artists will miss due to their exam. 

Your homework is to:

1) Do Q4 of the Jan 2013 English Language Paper using the method outlined in the doc below. Time limit: 30 mins.

2) Write a comment at the bottom of this post to give me your feedback on how this method worked for you. This is hugely important to me in terms of understanding the impact of doing the question this way.

Here's the doc in case you need it or want to share it:

 

In other news:

1) I forgot to mention what's happening in Wellbeing. For the next three weeks, you'll be in English. Bonus! You'll be in groups based on the grade you are aiming for, and you'll be working on how to hit that grade on the English Language Paper.

2) On Monday, you'll be reading and studying 'Casehistory: Alison' in my absence. Make sure you get the work done tomorrow. We'll make notes on the poem on Tuesday.


Good luck with the homework - it's hugely important that you get this right and I really see what you can do. If you've aleady done it, please leave your comment below now.



Mr M

Build your vocab power! Grrr!

Hi all,

Nearly there with Inspector. Then just 11 poems to go - speed poetry style!

I'm also going to share a new approach to that horrible, overwhelming, onerous and burdensome Question 4 from the English Language Paper.

In the meantime, here's a nice resource for all you logophiles (that's a lover of words) to help you build up a stockpile of bombastic terms to wow the examiner!


Enjoy!


Mr M

Half-term homework: Practice Paper

Hi all,

This is a really important piece of homework. 

We don't get enough time to work on exam skills for English Language because of the vast amount of Lit we have to do - and yet it is arguably the most important exam you'll sit. In order to maximise your chances in the final exam, you need to go in confident about what is being asked of you - and safe in the knowledge that you've succeeded before. So please do your best. 

Need help? My exam guides can be found here.


Your half-term homework (to be done in your diagnostic books) is this:

• Do questions 1, 2 and 3 of the Jan 2013 English Language Paper
• Remember, each question is worth 8 marks and you should spend 10-15 minutes per question.

Here are the questions:

1) What do you understand about the Amazon tribe and the issues it faces? (Source 1)
2) Explain how the headline and picture are effective and how they link to the text. (Source 2)
3) Explain the thoughts and feelings the writer has during his encounter with the bear. (Source 3)

Here is the full version of paper and insert, in case you want to see them:


Apart from this, the next best use of revision time for now will be to re-read 'An Inspector Calls'. This will help you prepare for the CA more than anything else. 

And of course, please browse the rest of the site.


Good luck - and have a good half-term!


Mr M 

PS. Please add a comment below or feel free to email me if you need any help or revision advice. 

Mock Exam Post-Mortem: Question 4 Model Answer

Hi,

Forget that mock exam burger. This is a burger:

Here's the mark scheme for your mock:


Sorry - I forgot to copy my answer to the language comparison question for you. Here it is:

English Language - June 2013:

Question 4 (Language Comparison) – Model Answer

Source 1 and Source 3 have very different audiences and purposes. Source 1 is an opinion piece from the Guardian’s Life and Style section which is written to both inform and persuade. Source 3 is a piece of travel writing, and like most literary non-fiction, its dual purpose is to inform and entertain.

Despite these differences, there is a clear connection between the language of these two texts – they are both written, at least in part, in the first person, and as a result, they both convey their information with opinions and personal touches. For instance, Source 1 uses language to make the writer’s view clear very early on. He claims that changing people’s diets will ‘quite easily’ deal with the demands of the projected population of ‘9.2 billion’ in 40 years’ time. The juxtaposition of this dismissive and simple phrase with this huge number seems bizarre, but the bold and confident tone of the writer helps to set out his persuasive message. Later, he says he will be ‘dropping’ meat once a week. This informal use of language again makes his sacrifice seem simple in order to persuade others; dropping requires no effort.

In Source 3, the writer’s unique perspective is offered through some vivid descriptive phrases. Initially, there is a sense of the writer’s wonder at the peace and beauty of the scene, as the stars are described as ‘crystal stars glimmering’. The image of the ‘flat black sky’ as a ‘tarpaulin’ could be seen as comforting and safe, or alternatively, it could give an early indication of the sense of claustrophobia she hints at later due to the intransigence of Muhammed. Within the same paragraph, the use of the words ‘squalid’, ‘belched’ and ‘blackened’ suggest a sense of disgust when moving from the silence of the desert to the pollution of the towns. The description of the air as ‘brittle’ as she grinds it between her teeth makes it sound as if the atmosphere is breaking up and contaminating everything.

Source 1 also contains a number of interesting descriptive phrases, often informal and subjective. Eating meat is described humorously as ‘animal munching’, making our eating habits sound ridiculous and over the top. More hyperbole soon arrives with the phrase ‘Brazilian rainforest-fed burgers’ which serves to crudely put together two key issues in the piece: meat-consumption and deforestation. Further examples of informal language in the piece are ‘guzzlers’, which highlights our insatiable appetite for meat, and the description of meat as ‘red stuff’. This phrase reinforces the casual attitude of ‘quite easily’ from earlier in the piece. The writer is trying to persuade the reader by insisting that his sacrifice is no big deal.

The writer of Source 3 uses plenty of simple sentences for effect. The first sentence (‘The density of night’) suggests a sense of awe in front of a sublime scene which requires no further words to express. Similarly, short sentences are used elsewhere to create a sense of the author’s wonder at a different way of life – often in the form of questions like ‘or were they immune to it?’ These short questions allow us to experience the writer’s thoughts as they pop into her head. In source 1, the writer also uses short sentences to emphasise simple truths that he wants to stand out. In the final paragraph, a pair of short sentences are used to empower the reader to change their ways: ‘One day off the red stuff? Not so great a hardship, really.’

Near the end of Source 3, the writer uses a long complex sentence (including four semi-colons) to create a sense of monotony and repetition before the writer expresses further frustrations about being trapped in the car. However, a pair of short sentences bring us towards a tense ending of the passage, with the writer emphasising her frustrations through a near-rhyming pair of verbs (‘inched’, ‘itching’) to show the awkward contrast between what is happening and the what the writer wants to happen.