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Struggling in English

Hi,

I am struggling in English and I was wondering is there any good resource out there that can improve my English, I'm consistently getting B's in my coursework which is worrying.

I don't know how to improve, alot of people have told me to read but is there anything else I can do alongside reading.

Thanks,

All advice will be considered.
Much appreciated.

Reply 1

JollyGreenAtheist

Don't use apostrophes for plurals.

There, that's step one.

Reply 2

Cephalus

What exam board is it?

Reply 3

kka25

, and ; will be a good start :smile:

Reply 4

Jabberwox

what's wrong with B's? :s-smilie:

I mean, obviously you'd prefer A's, but B to me doesn't indicate you're struggling badly...

Reply 5

Suzanathema

Which exam board are you with? You should go on their website and download their specification, which will tell you what you need to do to reach a B, or an A, or an A*. If you struggle, ask your teacher to show you the spec. Knowing what you are being graded against will give you ideas of things to include in your writing.

Reply 6

Kallisto

Entertainment Forum Helper

I improve my English by doing. I write English comments here on TSR and I listen to English films. That is the best method to improve the understanding (in my opinion).

Reply 7

HighwayUnicorn

What year are you in? If you are in GCSE I could PM you some of my GCSE essays which were all graded A* and you could just look at the technique.

Make sure you raise consistent arguments throughout your essays. PEE (point, example, explain) is a basic guide for anything English. Compare and contrast a lot too. If you can, expand on the vocabulary a little to polish up the writing which would take you to the top, but really examiners are just looking for the actual substance.

Reply 8

Kallisto

Entertainment Forum Helper

I stick to it. To deepen your skills in English it's the best to write and speak so much with English speakers as you can. Practice is better than theory.

Reply 9

zed963

I'm doing WJEC GCSE English.

Reply 10

BethanyJane

Original post by zed963

I'm doing WJEC GCSE English.

I also did WJEC GCSE English Literature and English Language. Firstly, have you finished your GCSEs or are you taking them next year? Is it the coursework, or the general school work that you're struggling with? :smile:

Sorry, I just realised it's the coursework! For LANG or LIT? :smile:

Reply 11

zed963

Original post by BethanyJane

Sorry, I just realised it's the coursework! For LANG or LIT? :smile:

Yes it is the coursework and the exam.

I'm taking the gcse next year as well I'm in year 11 next year so I've already done a year.

Reply 12

BethanyJane

Original post by zed963

Yes it is the coursework and the exam.

I'm taking the gcse next year as well I'm in year 11 next year so I've already done a year.

You essentially need to know your core texts back to front! For example mine were "Of Mice and Men" and "An Inspector Calls" - This thread may be beneficial - http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2002944

If you look on the WJEC website it will show the marking criteria on LAN and LIT. You must hit the top bands to achieve As and A*s. It will explain what you must do. Start revision early! Something I should of done. In terms of coursework, keep drafting. That is surely the best way to improve. The more you read, the better you get. If you want more help, it may be beneficial to hire a tutor! :smile: