GCSE English Language Study Group 2023-2024

•

Add an emotion to the picture. For example if you get a zoo, then write about 'Zoo of Misery' or 'Zoo of happiness', whatever emotion fits you best. The picture is only a prompt, like a recommendation. If the sky is blue, don’t hesitate to change it to black or purple depending on your emotions.

•

Structure! In media res, start with a single sentence? Your goal is to hook in the examiner at first glance. They’re going to see hundreds of papers, make sure you start with something captivating. Similarly, end on a strong note. Make it cyclical, linear, non-linear, interactive, make sure they go wow.

•

Paragraphs.

•

Don't use cliches! For example when you are describing, let us say a sky, don't use 'the sky was as blue as a sapphire', make stuff up! My favorite line whenever I'm writing a description is 'the sky casted it's miserable grey hue across the vastness as narcoleptic clouds drifting hazily through the sky in a futile attempt to smother the sun.' It's also advisable to use a set phrase that you start with to start with so you get into the flow quickly.

•

Add movement. A description may start seeming like a list, so I normally add movement into an image, whether it be a simple page/leaf/litter flying about in the wind OR a person simply walking. Try not to get too overboard with this and turn it into a plot though- restrict what it can do.

•

Motifs! Use a song lyric or a book quote to help you along, or maybe a memorable phrase. I tend to use Leigh Bardugo’s quote ‘The water here and sees, the ice does not forgive.’ You don’t need to explicitly mention it, but try and link it back to your theme/ quote throughout.

•

If you run out of stuff to say, then think about the past. If you’re writing about, again, a miserable zoo, then what was it like before? Happy? Sad? Write about that!

•

Sentence structure, vocabulary, figurative language. Use thesaurus, create word banks.

•

Punctuation! I cannot stress how much people like semicolons. I normally write out a checklist of all punctuation on top to check if I have them all somewhere in my writing at least once.

•

Make a brief plan.

•

Finally, I prefer to do my Q5 in the beginning, 45 mins. One question = 40 marks, so might as well do it first to maximize my chances.

•

Add an emotion to the picture. For example if you get a zoo, then write about 'Zoo of Misery' or 'Zoo of happiness', whatever emotion fits you best. The picture is only a prompt, like a recommendation. If the sky is blue, don’t hesitate to change it to black or purple depending on your emotions.

•

Structure! In media res, start with a single sentence? Your goal is to hook in the examiner at first glance. They’re going to see hundreds of papers, make sure you start with something captivating. Similarly, end on a strong note. Make it cyclical, linear, non-linear, interactive, make sure they go wow.

•

Paragraphs.

•

Don't use cliches! For example when you are describing, let us say a sky, don't use 'the sky was as blue as a sapphire', make stuff up! My favorite line whenever I'm writing a description is 'the sky casted it's miserable grey hue across the vastness as narcoleptic clouds drifting hazily through the sky in a futile attempt to smother the sun.' It's also advisable to use a set phrase that you start with to start with so you get into the flow quickly.

•

Add movement. A description may start seeming like a list, so I normally add movement into an image, whether it be a simple page/leaf/litter flying about in the wind OR a person simply walking. Try not to get too overboard with this and turn it into a plot though- restrict what it can do.

•

Motifs! Use a song lyric or a book quote to help you along, or maybe a memorable phrase. I tend to use Leigh Bardugo’s quote ‘The water here and sees, the ice does not forgive.’ You don’t need to explicitly mention it, but try and link it back to your theme/ quote throughout.

•

If you run out of stuff to say, then think about the past. If you’re writing about, again, a miserable zoo, then what was it like before? Happy? Sad? Write about that!

•

Sentence structure, vocabulary, figurative language. Use thesaurus, create word banks.

•

Punctuation! I cannot stress how much people like semicolons. I normally write out a checklist of all punctuation on top to check if I have them all somewhere in my writing at least once.

•

Make a brief plan.

•

Finally, I prefer to do my Q5 in the beginning, 45 mins. One question = 40 marks, so might as well do it first to maximize my chances.

•

Make sure you write a lot: around 4 pages! Less than that may be an issue.