GCSE English Literature help.

Reply 1

frostyy

17

In my opinion - and I got A* in these - it's not really that much about the content, but making yourself sound sophisticated and interesting. You have to keep your writing easy to read, so that it follows a certain flow, but allows the examiner/teacher to see your knowledge of the language and how intelligent you are as a person. After all, everyone's analysis and interpretation is different, so relying on subjectively concludable information from the source, would be completely ridiculous of the exam board.
What you can do to make yourself sound clever is use some enthralling (there you go, you get that one free :biggrin:

!) vocabulary and (that's what I do) try to make the sentences that you write longer - and I don't mean that you should create something that doesn't make sense, but rather a piece of writing that will, but will have so much information firing at the reader at the same time, that it would make him lost in his own thoughts, so that he will subconsciously think that he is too stupid to understand it; hence, you'll look smarter than him in his own eyes, which should grant you extra respect :] I know that sounds dodgy, but trust me, it's good info right here ;P

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 2

OP

Original post by frostyy

In my opinion - and I got A* in these - it's not really that much about the content, but making yourself sound sophisticated and interesting. You have to keep your writing easy to read, so that it follows a certain flow, but allows the examiner/teacher to see your knowledge of the language and how intelligent you are as a person. After all, everyone's analysis and interpretation is different, so relying on subjectively concludable information from the source, would be completely ridiculous of the exam board.
What you can do to make yourself sound clever is use some enthralling (there you go, you get that one free :biggrin:

!) vocabulary and (that's what I do) try to make the sentences that you write longer - and I don't mean that you should create something that doesn't make sense, but rather a piece of writing that will, but will have so much information firing at the reader at the same time, that it would make him lost in his own thoughts, so that he will subconsciously think that he is too stupid to understand it; hence, you'll look smarter than him in his own eyes, which should grant you extra respect :] I know that sounds dodgy, but trust me, it's good info right here ;P

fanks m8

So what you're saying is that there's more emphasis placed on essay writing style and vocabulary than actually analysis and content? Interesting... :colone:

Reply 3

OP

Bump! Anyone else got any tips to offer? :redface:

Reply 4

Zen-Ali

8

I got an A* last year; I haven't done work related to it in quite some time, but when it comes to the analysing of poems it can be entirely arbitrary and nonsensical—as long as you provide some justification for your reasoning, it is acceptable. In addition, my teacher commented that higher grades are awarded to (at least in my experience) candidates that specifically pick out a single word and analyse that, rather than a phrase or two.

GCSE English is not about one's intelligence (or lack thereof), but rather how efficient one is at spouting elegant nonsense. :colone:

Reply 5

OP

Original post by Zen-Ali

I got an A* last year; I haven't done work related to it in quite some time, but when it comes to the analysing of poems it can be entirely arbitrary and nonsensical—as long as you provide some justification for your reasoning, it is acceptable. In addition, my teacher commented that higher grades are awarded to (at least in my experience) candidates that specifically pick out a single word and analyse that, rather than a phrase or two.

GCSE English is not about one's intelligence (or lack thereof), but rather how efficient one is at spouting elegant nonsense. :colone:

Spoiler

Reply 6

Zen-Ali

8

Original post by majmuh24

Spoiler

[Indent]Prolixity is a curse—my R.E teacher criticised my work as being littered with 'purple prose'.

I'll link you to some stuff on FB. ;--)[/Indent]

Reply 7

becketts

6

For poems I generally use a technique like "LIST" (language, imagery, structure and tone) and then write a paragraph (using PEE) on each factor. That is generally enough to get a good grade. Also, you could suggest alternative viewpoints.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 8

OP

Original post by becketts

For poems I generally use a technique like "LIST" (language, imagery, structure and tone) and then write a paragraph (using PEE) on each factor. That is generally enough to get a good grade. Also, you could suggest alternative viewpoints.

Will do, although it's hard enough for me to come up with even one good viewpoint, lol

Thanks for helping! :biggrin:

Reply 9

frostyy

17

For interesting vocabulary, just think of words that you would use normally - for example, 'clever'.
You go to google.co.uk, type 'clever, synonyms,' and a bunch of cool and sophisticated words should pop up. Before you use them, check their definition by clicking on them, as sometimes they may mean something a little bit different from what you have been expecting.

eg//
Good synonyms for clever: proficient, sagacious, or if you're describing a child - precocious.

Peace.

Reply 10

Hertz

11

Pro tip for everything in english: Make no sense in what you say towards the text...but make it make sense. If that makes sense. And use big words instead of common ones. Also write posh. Thus therein doth ....

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Reply 11

OP

Original post by Hertz

Pro tip for everything in english: Make no sense in what you say towards the text...but make it make sense. If that makes sense. And use big words instead of common ones. Also write posh. Thus therein doth ....

Posted from TSR Mobile

I think I know what you mean, I try to make up complete BS to seek really deep and find some obscure way to link it in, and I'm trying to expand my vocabulary as well, lol

Thanks for helping :biggrin: