english revision - wordpress.com a persuasive essay from one of your plans. allow yourself...

Mrs Whelan’s English Revision Guide

Mrs Whelan’s English Revision

Foundation Paper Tuesday 4th June 2013


Section A This section is testing your READING skills. You are tested on your ability to:

What to expect: There are three reading sources on which the questions are based. All three reading sources are used in the exam and all three are ‘unseen’. There are four questions.

Question 1a refers to the first source, called Item 1, and will test your ability to retrieve information and ideas from the source text.

Question 1b refers to the first source, called Item 1, and will test your ability to retrieve, understand and interpret (use PEE)

Question 2 refers to the second of the sources, called Item 2, and will test your ability to understand and interpret in an extract from a biography or piece of travel writing/journalism

Question 3 refers to the third source, called Item 3, and will test your ability to explore the effectiveness of language in the source text. You will need to identify and explain a range of language features

Question 4 refers to the third source together with one of the other sources chosen by you. This tests your ability to compare the presentational features of two texts

How many marks are they worth? Q1a= 4 marks (5 mins) Q1b= 4 marks (5 mins) Q2= 8 marks (10 mins) Q3= 12 marks (15 mins) Q4= 12 marks (15 mins)

Approaching Section A

read the entire question paper through once- you have 15 minutes reading time so use it!

scan each source text a second time before attempting to write an answer

remember that some questions carry more marks than others

manage your time! Rushed or unfinished answers will lose marks

read the question properly and focus on what you are being asked

present your own comments, explanations and analysis about the texts in your answers

support all of your ideas with appropriate quotations from the text, making sure you quote in full- (PEE on your page!)


Section B In this section there are two writing questions and you must answer both! You are being tested on your ability to:

i. Communicate clearly, effectively and imaginatively, using and adapting forms and selecting vocabulary appropriate to task and purpose in ways which engage the reader

ii. Organise information and ideas into structured and sequenced sentences, paragraphs and whole texts, using a variety of linguistic and structural features to support cohesion and overall coherence

iii. Use a range of sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate punctuation and spelling.

The first writing question is focused on writing to inform and perhaps describe The second writing question is focused on writing to persuade or to argue a point of view How many marks are they worth? Q5= 16 marks (25 mins) Q6= 24 marks (35 mins) Tackling Section B

Think about PURPOSE

Think about AUDIENCE

Think about the FORM you are writing in

Manage your time

You are marked on ‘content and organisation’ and ‘accuracy’ so focus on: paragraphing, different sentence structures, spelling, punctuation, interesting vocabulary, original ideas, conveying your ideas to the audience in an engaging way, topic sentences, cohesive techniques (e.g connectives)


Q1a (4 marks) RETRIEVAL SKILLS

Retrieval means to pick out information

Q1 will always require you to retrieve information from text 1. You need to be able to pick out the important information. You will need to write in full sentences and you should NOT interpret or include your own opinions for Q1a You might be given questions which tell you to: ‘list four things’ or ‘identify four points’. Task:

1) In the box below, make notes about HOW you would retrieve information from a text

Q3 (8 marks)

This student got full marks for his/her Q1a answer last summer.


Q1b AND Q2 (4 and 8 marks) RETRIEVE, UNDERSTAND AND INTERPRET

In this question you need to show you can understand what is going on. You can do this by using PEE. Interpreting means taking what you can see and having your own opinion about what it really means. You should try to use quotes to help support your interpretations. For Q1b you need to make at least 2 PEE points. For Q2 you should aim to make at least 3 points. In both questions you NEED to make inferences. You might get questions like: ‘What was interesting and unusual’ ‘Explain how…’ ‘Explain what you learn’ ‘How does…’ The exam board has defined what they mean by ‘interpret’:

• Inferring meaning from a text • Commenting on parts of a text• Explaining meaning and implications• Using words / ideas other than those in the text• ‘Reading between the lines’• Making connections between parts of a text• BUT not moving beyond the text

Task: In the box below, set out the stages of a DEVELOPED PEE you could use to answer this type of question


This student got full marks for Q1b on the June 2012 paper


This student managed to get an impressive 7 out of 8 for Q2 of the June 2012 paper

Pay attention to the examiner’s comment at the end of the answer…


Q3 LANGUAGE This is the tricky one! Most students find this question the hardest so you should spend a lot of time revising for it. On the foundation paper you will need to use PEE to explore how and why a writer has used certain words/phrases. The examiner will want to see that you can identify language techniques (using accurate terminology) and that you can then give examples with a full explanation of effects. You must be able to explain the effects of language upon the readers. Usually the question will give you one or two specific focuses, for example: ‘How does the writer use language to inform and persuade?’ If you are given this type of question, it is important that you deal with both parts mentioned. TASK: Choose a non-fiction text and complete the table below.

Language Technique Example Effect on Reader


TASK: Choose a second text and complete the following

Linguistic Feature Evidence Effect?

AUDIENCE

PURPOSE

GENRE

EFFECTIVE VOCABULARY

IMAGERY

DIFFERENT SENTENCE LENGTHS


This student response to Q3 of the June 2012 paper gained him/her 10 out of 12 marks.


Q4 PRESENTATION

The PRESENTATION questions require you to really think about the effects certain presentational techniques create. On the foundation paper you will need to compare Item 3 with ONE other text of your choice. Think carefully about which text you choose! Remember that this isn’t about feature-spotting; it is about thinking how the presentation adds to the overall effect of the text. You should think about the sub-text (hidden messages) as well as obvious points. *TIP* The question will usually tell you what to look for so try to focus on those specific areas Task: Look at the text below and complete the table

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=stop+smoking+campaign&hl=en&safe=vss&tbo=d&biw=1280&bih=907&tbm=isch&tbnid=wC4iJ5jnoLnbVM:&imgrefurl=http://adverlab.blogspot.com/2009/02/working-on-anti-smoking-campaign.html&docid=xiFBB5x33JLGwM&imgurl=http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XJseql2u5l0/SZDHGa-EEvI/AAAAAAAAEyE/V7YDxuNVTfw/s400/smoker-campaign.jpg&w=400&h=240&ei=GVe_UM3_LMWg0QXak4HYBQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=830&vpy=595&dur=6996&hovh=174&hovw=290&tx=157&ty=79&sig=111399158489843454867&page=2&tbnh=150&tbnw=254&start=39&ndsp=47&ved=1t:429,r:45,s:0,i:222


Impact and Links to the Text

Feature 1

Impact/effect

Links to the text

Feature 2

Impact/effect

Links to the text

Feature 3

Impact/effect

Links to the text


This response to Q4 gained 11 out of 12


Q5 and Q6 These two questions are worth 20% of your overall English grade so, whatever you do, don’t leave yourself short of time with them!

Each question will require you to write for a particular purpose

and for a particular audience. Each question will ask you to write

in a specific form.

1. Highlight or underline the PAF (purpose, audience, form) in the

question to remind yourself what you should be doing 2. Focus on the technical stuff. You need to keep a close eye on:

spelling, punctuation, paragraphing and cohesion. 3. Think about how you can use language for effect. Try to use a

range of interesting words and images. 4. If you are being asked to write persuasively, try to remember a

range of persuasive writing techniques you can use. 5. Remember that an examiner will mark 300 versions of each

question! How can you make your work stand out?

Have a look at these two examples of top answers from the summer 2012 exam:


Write down the things you have noticed about these two answers:


English Language: suggested revision tasks

1. Study an advertisement in a magazine or newspaper or on the internet. Decide who the audience is, and how you know, what is the advert trying to say and how it says it. Think carefully about the words and images that have been used. Think about the size of the picture and the words – what effect is the advert trying to have on you? Jot down some words to describe the effect you think the advertiser is trying to create and then use a thesaurus and develop and extend your vocabulary.

2. Read a newspaper report from The Guardian, The Times, The Independent or The Telegraph. Use Appendix 2 as a guide and complete an analysis of the report.

3. Using Appendix 3 create a poster to go up in your bedroom of the features you might expect to find in a persuasive text.

4. Go on to the BBC Bitesize web site, English section and complete the Reading Non-Fiction Texts section: Getting started, genre, audience, purpose, language, information, style, tone.

5. Use Appendix 4 and compare two texts; one must be an information leaflet and the other a newspaper report from a tabloid web site or newspaper (e.g. The Sun, News of the World, Daily Mail, Mirror).

6. Go onto the BBC Bitesize Web site, Reading Non-Fiction Texts section and complete the comparative exercise and the comparative exam question.

7. Here is the opening to an essay: ‘Write a persuasive article for a teenage fashion magazine about whether following fashion is important’. Whether or not you choose to follow fashion depends very much on you. Some people like to wear whatever is cheapest. Others want things that are warm or practical and others want to look like they’ve just stepped off the catwalk or out of a high street shop. Some people just HAVE to be seen in the latest gear – whatever the cost. Using your poster from task 3, rewrite this so it is really punchy and persuasive – remember who your audience is and what your purpose is.

8. Read an information or a persuasive leaflet and complete Appendix 2, identifying the audience, purpose, use of fact and opinion, the language and the layout. What do you think is the writer’s intention?

9. Plan a response to this question: Write an article for a newsletter in which you aim to persuade your readers that animals should be released from any form of captivity. This question could account for up to 15% of your final GCSE English grade. Have a look at Appendix 6; identify where you are and what you need to do to go up a grade.

10. Write a persuasive essay from one of your plans. Allow yourself twenty-five minutes to write it, then using Appendix 3 and then 7, check it.

11. Take an advert from a magazine and make notes about how it communicates; focus especially on the picture or pictures. Think about the graphology – remember someone has been paid a lot of money to communicate to their audience and persuade them to buy the product – why have they made the advert look like this?

12. Look outside your bedroom window. List four things you can see. For each thing, describe how it looks, sounds, tastes and smells. Write four sentences, each one beginning with either an adverb, or an adjective, or an exciting and dramatic finite verb (e.g. Whirling across the road, the leaves brushed the tarmac, bruising the cold concrete with the fresh, acrid smell of decomposing life.)

13. Compile a list of five simple verbs: e.g. walk, sit, eat, drink, laugh. Then imagine four different types of people: a soldier dying on the battlefield in World War 1, a chav, a ten year old landmine victim from Afghanistan and a middle aged career woman with four children. The rest of this activity will take about half an hour, so don’t rush it. Using as many words as you can, focusing on the verbs, describe how each of those people would perform each of those verbs. When your list is complete, share it with someone else, and see if you can add more. The skill in writing descriptively, which accounts for 15% of your English Language GCSE, is being able to visualize and empathise with what you are trying to write about. Thought track each of those characters. How does a ten year old landmine victim feel when they try to walk or sit or eat or drink and do they laugh? Perhaps you have now come up with more vocabulary and ideas – add them to your list.

14. Plan this essay in 15 minutes: Journeys can be exciting, boring, or a mixture of both. Describe a journey you have made, so that the reader can imagine it clearly. Focus on vocabulary choices, using a thesaurus, and building up detail and description through the choice of subordinate clauses. Remember to make it interesting: it’s good to have a hook at the beginning e.g. It was a matter of life and death; arriving on time was essential.

15. Read a Sunday paper. Choose a substantial article and using Appendix 2, analyse the effectiveness of the article. Allow yourself twenty five minutes and write an essay which explains how the writer communicates with the reader.


Why not add some of your own here?

16. Timed practice: Allow 45 minutes for planning and writing this essay: Write to the Examination Board and persuade them to award GCSEs on controlled assessment grades alone, and to stop all examinations. Write four paragraphs and then check your work against Appendices 3, 6 and 7. What do you need to do to improve your work? Get on and do it. Share the best parts of your essay with someone else in the house – they’ll probably enjoy it: I’ll bet you’re lovely to live with right now.

17. Allow 45 minutes to plan and answer this question: Describe your ideal holiday location.

18. Use Appendix 5 to see what sort of grade you got for task 17. What do you need to do to improve?

19. Choose an online article from www.thedailymail.co.uk and www.thedailymash.co.uk and make notes on the different ways language and layout are used.

20. Find a charity advert (a leaflet or an online text) and explain how language has been used to persuade/inform.

21. Find an article which interests you on www.nationalgeographic.com/uk and explain how the writer uses language for effect.

22. Make revision cards for as many language features as you can and write definitions/examples on the back.

23. Go to www.biography.com and find a biography of a famous person you are interested in. Make notes on the way language is used to inform.

24. Ask your teacher for a previous year’s exam paper you can use.

http://www.thedailymail.co.uk/

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/uk

http://www.biography.com/


Appendix 2: APOLLO analysis of a print media text – English Paper 1 Section A

WHAT TO LOOK FOR EVIDENCE

AUDIENCE Who is the piece aimed at and how do you know?

PURPOSE What is the writer trying to achieve? Is he/she persuading, informing, entertaining, arguing, explaining?

OPINION/FACT How much of this article can be proved, and how much is it just the writer’s opinion? What effect does that have on you? What do you think he is trying to achieve?

LANGUAGE Is the language emotive? Is it factual? Does it use quotations from people, statistics, expert opinions, poetic devices, exaggerations?

LAYOUT How has it been laid out on the page? Is there a headline? What about sub headings? Pictures, comments, diagrams, charts? What is happening in the pictures that have been used? Why do you think they have been chosen?

OWN OPINION- CONCLUSION What do you think of it?


Appendix 3: Comparing two media texts – English Paper 1 Section A

WHAT TO LOOK FOR TEXT 1 TEXT 2

AUDIENCE Who is the piece aimed at and how do you know?

PURPOSE What is the writer trying to achieve? Is he persuading, informing, entertaining, arguing, explaining?

OPINION/FACT How much of this article can be proved, and how much is it just the writer’s opinion? What effect does that have on you? What do you think he is trying to achieve?

LANGUAGE Is the language emotive? Is it factual? Does it use quotations from people, statistics, expert opinions, poetic devices, exaggerations?

LAYOUT How has it been laid out on the page? Is there a headline? What about sub headings? Pictures, comments, diagrams, charts? What is happening in the pictures that have been used, why do you think they have been chosen?

OWN OPINION- CONCLUSION What do you think of it

Appendix 5: How to improve your grade for writing in your English Language Exam


Current grade bracket What you need to do to improve

G/F You use straightforward vocabulary and usually write in basic sentences. You don’t always punctuate accurately.

Spend time learning basic spellings. Vary your writing and aim to use a range of sentences – short and long. Always allow time before the end of the exam to check your work; aim to make at least three corrections per answer.

E/D Your spelling is generally accurate and you plan your writing. You can use some interesting vocabulary and you use different types of sentences sometimes.

Develop a bigger range of sentence structures; try beginning with subordinate clauses of time or place, perhaps with an adverb or adjective instead, or, if you are writing descriptively or persuasively, a non finite verb is a lively and exciting start. Try to connect your ideas and use discourse markers to signal to the reader that you are making a new point. Try to use more exciting words; planning and building up a range of words before you start your writing is a good idea. Organise your ideas into paragraphs that are introduced with a topic sentence. Remember to start a new paragraph every time you have a new idea.

C/B Your writing is well controlled and you have a good grasp of paragraphing.

Use a varied style making sure that you are clear about your audience and purpose. Try to entertain and surprise the reader with well chosen words – take a few risks with vocabulary, e.g. Jordan has a big chest = Jordan is voluptuous, curvaceous, siren-like, scantily clad and sexy, pneumatic. OR Brad Pitt is cute = Brad is an admired sex symbol, handsome, a bankable box office attraction, anodyne and talentless. Use plenty of sentence variety, begin your complex sentences with subordinate clauses and don’t be scared to break up long sentences with simple ones. Use semi colons in your extended sentences, allowing you to build up ideas and remain clear, and use colons for dramatic effect in writing to entertain, or before a list or quotation in other writing.

A/A* You can write in a range of styles, very accurately, using a variety of impressive vocabulary.

Be experimental. Choose words that help the reader visualise your ideas, extend and develop them fully, adopting different perspectives. Use a range of punctuation and sentence variety, located in writing that is structured and linked within paragraphs.


Appendix 6:

EDITING TIPS English Both Papers Section B

THESE ARE THINGS TO CHECK FOR IN YOUR WRITING TO GET MAXIMUM MARKS

Examiners are impressed by students who correct their work, so don’t be afraid to cross things out and make changes: it shows you are a thoughtful writer.

Make sure you keep changes as neat as possible and that your corrections are clear.

Does it make sense? Have I included full stops, semi-colons and commas? Also check for speech marks, colons, question marks and apostrophes. Don’t use exclamation marks unless it is an emergency. Could I vary the sort of sentences I’ve used? Maybe I could start with subordinate clauses and make the sentences more descriptive and detailed. Do any of the words I’ve written look as though they’re not quite right? If so, try writing them again on a piece of rough paper, spelling them differently; keep trying until it looks right and then correct it in your essay. Have I divided my work up into paragraphs? If not, read it carefully and decide where you think the breaks ought to go. After the last word of the sentence that you want to end your paragraph, mark // and then NP which will tell the examiner that you want to begin a new paragraph. Have I included all that I wanted to say? If not, mark the spot where you want to add something with a * and then make the same mark at the end of your essay, where you have some space, and write the extra points and ideas you wish to make by this second mark.


English Language Unit 1 Section B: Writing Spend 25 minutes on the first task (inform / explain / describe) Past paper questions:

Write a letter which you hope will be published in your local newspaper. Inform

readers what leisure facilities are available for young people and families in your

area and explain how you think they could be improved

Sometimes decisions have to be made. Describe a decision that you, or someone

you know, had to make and explain the consequences. Your piece will appear in

the Real Lives section of your local newspaper.

Write a brief article for a website of your choice telling your readers about an

interesting or unusual journey or travel experience you have had. Explain why it

was memorable.

Spend 35 minutes on the second task (argue / persuade) Past paper questions:

‘Life is too easy for young people today. They lack challenges and don’t have to

fight for anything.’ Write an article for a magazine of your choice which persuades

your readers that this statement is either right or wrong.

Many people believe that it is our duty to cut back on our use of the world’s

resources, and that we must invest in greener forms of energy for the future –

whatever the cost. Write an article for an environmental website which argues for

or against this idea.

Your school or college is inviting entries for a writing competition. The topic is

“dangerous sports activities and pastimes are selfish, often put others at risk and

should be discouraged.” Write your entry arguing for or against this view.

Generic features of A*-C writing include:

correct punctuation - full stops, capital letters, apostrophes, commas, semi

colons,

correct spelling of homophones – there/their/they’re, where/were/we’re,

your/you’re, etc

paragraphs – to organize time, ideas, topics,

variety of vocabulary – interesting – engaging – fascinating – diverting –

arresting

variety of sentencing – short sentence – even a one word sentence for dramatic

effect or emphasis, long sentences that begin with an ‘ing’ verb, connective, time,

place, adverb, noun, adjective.

coherent structure – beginning, middle, end

english revision - wordpress.com a persuasive essay from one of your plans. allow yourself...

Documents