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CIE IGCSE English Language

Does anyone have some tips for the Argumentative/Descriptive/Narrative writing section? I'm a lot better at writing about other passages rather than coming up with something good myself and I'm trying to get A*.
Reply 1
Avatar for danconway
danconway
14
Don't do narrative unless you're amazing at writing stories. You can't come up with a good short story in the allotted time.

If you do argumentative/discursive, make it bold and use engaging language and really force your opinions upon the examiner. Use a bold opener: go on the Daily Mail website and read their articles (or the comments section!).

If you do descriptive, use as many similes, metaphors and other pieces of engaging language as you can, and make the description interesting – use your imagination!
Reply 2
Avatar for danconway
danconway
14
Here's one piece I wrote that my English teacher marked:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/1wc2n4m6vzvle4q/Scan%202%20Feb%202014%2013_24.pdf

So apparently this is A* standard. Use it how you wish.
Reply 3
Avatar for Bazbaz
Bazbaz
10
Original post by lawrencefrape1
Does anyone have some tips for the Argumentative/Descriptive/Narrative writing section? I'm a lot better at writing about other passages rather than coming up with something good myself and I'm trying to get A*.


What do you mean by this? Do you mean the 1st 2nd or 3rd section? coursework or exam?
Reply 4
Avatar for Bazbaz
Bazbaz
10
Original post by danconway
Here's one piece I wrote that my English teacher marked:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/1wc2n4m6vzvle4q/Scan%202%20Feb%202014%2013_24.pdf

So apparently this is A* standard. Use it how you wish.


Oh my gosh, I've never seen an exam paper that looks like this... (i DO do cie igcse English Language)

EDIT: I didn't realise there were two different papers to chose from, phew, I was getting worried.
(edited 10 years ago)
Reply 5
Avatar for danconway
danconway
14
Original post by Bazbaz
Oh my gosh, I've never seen an exam paper that looks like this... (i DO do cie igcse English Language)

EDIT: I didn't realise there were two different papers to chose from, phew, I was getting worried.


aha what do you mean by two different papers? This is the paper you do, right?

edit: oh you're not the OP; you don't take this paper — you do coursework?
(edited 10 years ago)
Reply 6
Avatar for Bazbaz
Bazbaz
10
Original post by danconway
aha what do you mean by two different papers? This is the paper you do, right?

edit: oh you're not the OP; you don't take this paper — you do coursework?


Yeah I do coursework, we only switched to IGCSE at the beginning of year 11, I just got really worried there for a minute :/
Reply 7
Avatar for Brian1997
Brian1997
I am the other way round exactly. Who has any good hints for the directed writing Qs (eg paper 2 and paper 3 both q1)
Reply 8
Avatar for Daleksecond
Daleksecond
English Confidence Rating: 3/5

I am doing CIE 0500. No coursework. No optional parts.

I think, personally, being not a great student, that Argumentative/Discursive is easy to write. Which is why CIE is getting rid of this option next year. Sorry, current Year 10s.

It requires more logical thinking than huge vocabulary with writer's skills. In our school, only the 2 top sets are allowed to do descriptive writing.

Good Luck!
Reply 9
Avatar for Daleksecond
Daleksecond
Original post by Brian1997
I am the other way round exactly. Who has any good hints for the directed writing Qs (eg paper 2 and paper 3 both q1)



Read Examiner's Reports?

Good Luck.
Original post by Daleksecond
English Confidence Rating: 3/5

I am doing CIE 0500. No coursework. No optional parts.

I think, personally, being not a great student, that Argumentative/Discursive is easy to write. Which is why CIE is getting rid of this option next year. Sorry, current Year 10s.

It requires more logical thinking than huge vocabulary with writer's skills. In our school, only the 2 top sets are allowed to do descriptive writing.

Good Luck!


Well, to be fair to CIE, they're just stopping people from doing the same option twice: the directed writing is usually pretty discursive, isn't it? So you might as well show that you can write fictional passages too.

But CIE have been having a real clear up - to be honest, I think it can only be good for the qualification.
Original post by danconway
Well, to be fair to CIE, they're just stopping people from doing the same option twice: the directed writing is usually pretty discursive, isn't it? So you might as well show that you can write fictional passages too.

But CIE have been having a real clear up - to be honest, I think it can only be good for the qualification.



Which is the reason that it is easy... LOL. It is cheating in a way, but a good way to gain marks. Have you seen the 2015 iGCSE specification? They have to write at least 400 words more, and it is in 3 Exams(40%, 40% and 20%) rather than 2 now of 50% each.

Are you doing CIE now? Could I add you as a friend?
Original post by Daleksecond
Which is the reason that it is easy... LOL. It is cheating in a way, but a good way to gain marks. Have you seen the 2015 iGCSE specification? They have to write at least 400 words more, and it is in 3 Exams(40%, 40% and 20%) rather than 2 now of 50% each.

Are you doing CIE now? Could I add you as a friend?


Yeh go for it.
Three exams? The 0500 spec still has two (and the optional speaking and listening), but the 0522 state school spec has a compulsory Speaking/Listening unit.

But yeh, I agree, they're toughening it up.

And on English Literature, next year, you can't bring texts into the examination! It's: 1 closed book exam (poetry and prose), 1 open book exam (drama), and the unseen. That's ridiculous. But oh well.

Yep, I'm doing CIE – but only for English. I'm doing Edexcel for science and French, and normal GCSE (OCR, AQA and Edexcel) for Latin, Drama and Music.

Has someone started the Lit thread? [edit: I just did :smile: ]
(edited 10 years ago)
Reply 13
Avatar for Spelly456
Spelly456
2
Original post by danconway
Yeh go for it.
Three exams? The 0500 spec still has two (and the optional speaking and listening), but the 0522 state school spec has a compulsory Speaking/Listening unit.

But yeh, I agree, they're toughening it up.

And on English Literature, next year, you can't bring texts into the examination! It's: 1 closed book exam (poetry and prose), 1 open book exam (drama), and the unseen. That's ridiculous. But oh well.

Yep, I'm doing CIE – but only for English. I'm doing Edexcel for science and French, and normal GCSE (OCR, AQA and Edexcel) for Latin, Drama and Music.

Has someone started the Lit thread? [edit: I just did :smile: ]


What's so easy about the discursive writing over the narrative or descriptive? My teacher has been discouraging us from doing a discursive since she said it requires a lot of facts/ extra knowledge. Is she right? If not, how would you write a good discursive essay? Thanks.
Original post by Spelly456
What's so easy about the discursive writing over the narrative or descriptive? My teacher has been discouraging us from doing a discursive since she said it requires a lot of facts/ extra knowledge. Is she right? If not, how would you write a good discursive essay? Thanks.


Well, I guess you just need general English. Especially if English is your second language, and you are doing it as your First...(Damn you, school!) I guess, there is almost a template formed in my mind whenever I write a argumentative/discursive essay.

It differs from person to person.

And as always, Good Luck.
Reply 15
Avatar for C0balt
C0balt
16
Oh you guys are doing the alternative to coursework one? Imo coursework is much easier. You have whole year to come up with a story (technically it was a month for me but you could get a year) and you can edit them o.o

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