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GCSE English Language help

I have I think 5 weeks until the first GCSE exam, and I've been getting 2s and 3s in English Language, and if I fail I have to retake it next year. I'm not even illiterate or anything, I'm just really quite awful at English and I'm kinda freaking out??? Is there any hope left for me at this point with this little time left?? Anyone have any tips for revising English Lang? (edexcel specifically)
(p.s. I'm also getting 3s in a most other subjects, I can barely revise before getting distracted, and I am totally freaking out with 5 weeks to go. Welp.)

Reply 1

iceified

For paper 1:
Questions 1 and 2 are very straightforward but focus on the line references they give you!
Question 3: pick a quote and talk about the simple things: the words, the punctuation used and how that makes you feel.
Question 4: talk about how the extract's use of the setting and the events and the characters are used to make it a good story. Make sure you judge them and give degrees of success (very successfully, not so successfully, adequately)
Creative writing: use the two pictures they give you and be imaginative about it! Make sure you use a range of long and short sentences and paragraphs and that the story has a beginning middle and end.

For paper 2:
Question 3: similar to question 1 in paper 1
Question 6: similar to question 4 paper 1
Question 7a: look for the similarities between the two extracts given. Talk about the simple things and give 2 quotations to back it
Question 7b: this is a little more difficult, but it really is like question 3 for both extracts but using words like 'also' and 'on the other hand' when talking about the different extracts.
Transnational writing: choose the one that you are more familiar with, if you read magazines/newspapers then choose that if it comes up then you will be more aware of the formatting. If it is a speech, imagine giving an assembly or recall assemblies you have seen.

Hope this is clear.

Reply 2

baeornot

¡PLAN PLAN PLAN!

My english teacher marked Q5’s last year, and she said as soon as she saw a plan - she knew it was going to be a good story.

As Question 5s are particularly weighty, I would definitely revise them. Grab a random picture up from the internet and plan both a description and narrative, then get another picture up and do the same thing. If it is a description, plan the different metaphors or similes you could use as you may forget really good ones that you come up with due to the stress whilst writing it - so make sure you make a note! Also, don’t follow the images biblically. If it is a beach, you could do a description of a stormy beach and strong waves, or a peaceful beach. AS LONG AS IT ISN’T RIDICULOUSLY DIFFERENT like aliens landing or something - this will set you apart from the rest of the UK and will work in your favour.

In regards to Narratives, to improve this read some books. I know this sounds horrible to some, but if you find a good book that you know will interest you (so if you liked 13 reasons why, read the book) you will learn new metaphors, similes and how to structure a story.

I hope this helps?