How can I better at English?

Hi, I am near the end of year 9, I have chosen my GCSE’s and bracing myself for year 10. I am pretty good at all the subjects I am taking but English is my exception. I can barely understand Shakespeare and I don’t really enjoy English at all. I always don’t know what to annotate or what to say. When I do end up writing something, I trip up on words and end up crossing half of my things out. With creative writing a similar the same thing happens However I need to somehow get better so I can do well. The minimum grade I want is a 6, because I need that for sixth form. Basically a get it done and never look back kind of situation. What methods would you recommend to help me get better? I am willing to put in the work, I just don’t know where to start. I am in top set so I must be doing something right… but I never get the grades I want and have no idea how to achieve them. I would really appreciate some help.

Hi, I am near the end of year 9, I have chosen my GCSE’s and bracing myself for year 10. I am pretty good at all the subjects I am taking but English is my exception. I can barely understand Shakespeare and I don’t really enjoy English at all. I always don’t know what to annotate or what to say. When I do end up writing something, I trip up on words and end up crossing half of my things out. With creative writing a similar the same thing happens However I need to somehow get better so I can do well. The minimum grade I want is a 6, because I need that for sixth form. Basically a get it done and never look back kind of situation. What methods would you recommend to help me get better? I am willing to put in the work, I just don’t know where to start. I am in top set so I must be doing something right… but I never get the grades I want and have no idea how to achieve them. I would really appreciate some help.

If you really want to start very early, find out what texts (most likely something along the lines of: Jane Eyre/Macbeth/Jelyll and Hide/Lord of the Flies etc) you will do for GCSEs and write some quotes to memorise as they are some of the main things for Literature. You want loads of quotes with meanings so you can give the conceptual meaning. Doing my GCSEs very soon - 2 weeks - and so I understand what you will have to do. You'll do fine!

It's been a few years since I've been at school but I do remember how grueling it was to get through.

My advice is to maybe find some fictional books that you really enjoy and read those? You will subconsciously learn a lot about grammar and interesting ways to structure sentences when you read books so I think that that should help with creative writing and comprehension.

When you read, you should be critical and think about why the author has decided write passages in such deliberate ways. Reading other people's analyses on passages and things can be really helpful as well as it will allow you to know what to look for when you need to analyze something yourself.

You should also learn more about the context and culture around a piece of writing as this would also help you with understanding analogies that authors create in their writing.
I know that it may be difficult but try using your imagination to understand what they are saying as there is no wrong answers in interpretation. So as long as you justify it well, you will get points. You aren't born with imagination, you have to practice using it to get good at imagining things if that makes sense!!!

And remember, you will get to where you need to be in time! You are only in year 9 and your exams are in year 11. They are for 16 year olds because they have 2 years more of knowledge than you so you are doing well, just pay attention in class and don't skip any!

(Take this from some who was in all set 1s yet got D-A in class work but came out of their GCSEs with A/A*/8s)

I hope that helps!!

Thank you, I will try to give that a go, memorising is more my style than improvising. Good luck on your GCSE’s!