Is 2 main body paragraphs enough AQA GCSE English literature?

user01906002

I really struggle with timing in English and I'm scared I won't be able to finish. I am aiming for grade 6-7. My teacher has said that the overall quality of my writing is typically grade 7 level, but I'm worried if I don't write enough it could bring me down a lot. Say I managed a good introduction, 2 main body paragraphs (as typically we are advised 3) and a conclusion all of about this level would that be enough for at least a 6? (I need at least a 6 to go to the sixth form I want to go to.) Thanks

(edited 11 months ago)

Reply 1

Estele

Original post by user01906002

i really struggle with timing in english and i'm scared i won't be able to finish. I am aiming for grade 6-7. My teacher has said that the overall quality of my writing is typically grade 7 level, but i'm worried if i don't write enough it could bring me down a lot. Say i managed a good introduction, 2 main body paragraphs (as typically we are advised 3) and a conclusion all of about this level would that be enough for at least a 6? (i need at least a 6 to go to the sixth form i want to go to.) thanks

write faster!

Reply 2

yangoe

I personally think 2 isn't enough (speaking as someone who got 9s).

Do you know why you are slow? If you spend too much time thinking, then the issue is being prepared enough for the exam. If it's about being a slow writer, then if you don't do so already I'd suggest planning beforehand how much time you spend on each question, then in the exam write down when you need to finish each question so you know when to move on. Are your paragraphs potentially too long? if so practice making them shorter in the time you have up to your exam

When I did GCSE English lit, I never wrote introductions, which never impacted my marks. The main body is the important part, so avoid spending too much time on your intro (or just don't write one if you're comfortable with that). Definitely aim for 3 paragraphs, since people working at a higher level will be aiming for 4, even 5 paragraphs. 3 should be good if you want a 6, but 2 sounds risky.

Hope this helps! I'm only speaking from personal experience so my advice may be unreliable

Reply 3

SagaciousSag

Original post by user01906002

Personally, something to help with not being able to write quickly is choosing quotes with lots of analysis and having a strong introduction. You should use your introduction to guide your essay, as that will make it easier to write more and write quicker.

For example, if you discuss how the author presents a character as (quality), (quality) and (quality) in order to do (writer’s intention), then you can centre your paragraphs around the qualities. By doing this, all you have to do is analyse the effect of the quotes and relate it back to the writer’s intentions and contextual factors.

Therefore, if you write good introductions for predicted questions and choose quotes that can apply to a range of characters/themes, you should have a solid grade 7 essay.

Also, if you have an introduction, you don’t need a conclusion to get the marks (and vice versa), so perhaps you could write 3 slightly shorter paragraphs as opposed to 2 normal-length paragraphs, an introduction and a conclusion.