English Language

Details of exam

Paper: GCSE English Language, Paper 1

One exam of 1 hour and 45 minutes:

Section A: Reading and Comprehension (1 hour)

A series of comprehension questions based on a literature extract:

Task

Marks

1 Find 4 facts from a short part of the extract: quote and explain 4

2 Quote and analyse language from a short part of the extract, using relevant terminology 8 3 Quote and analyse the structure of the text, using relevant terminology 8 4 Express your own views of the text, quoting to support your ideas 20

Total marks: 40

Timing: 1½ minutes per mark. E.g. For question 1: 4 ÷ 2 =2. Therefore 4 + 2 = 6 minutes.

Section B: Creative writing (45 minutes)

This exam assesses your ability to narrate and/or describe. You will choose ONE of two written tasks: a. Either respond to a question about a picture b. Or respond to a written instruction

40 marks: • 24 marks for content (sequencing of ideas, structural features, interesting description, organisation of ideas into paragraphs with linking words and phrases) • 16 marks for spelling, punctuation, grammar, sophisticated vocabulary and range of sentences

Timing: 10 minutes plan, 30 minutes write, 5 minutes check.

Topics to revise

• Reading and comprehension • Descriptive/narrative • Past responses to the exam paper • Writing • General: vocabulary, spelling, punctuation and grammar • To improve your understanding of unseen extracts, you should read as much as possible

Revision tasks to be completed

Reading and Comprehension Revision

• Read the practice exams that you have already done, including CATs. • What are your targets? • Write a list of targets (e.g. use quotation marks, zoom in on words, and answer in more detail). • Rewrite answers to questions, so that you are responding to your targets.

‘Magic Carpet’ Knowledge Organiser

You have a copy of your ‘magic carpet’ knowledge organiser in Sparkjar and in your English file. This breaks down each part of the exam. Study it carefully, so that you feel confident with: A) What each question is assessing. B) How to answer it. C) Key vocabulary (terminology)

General Topics to Revise

Vocabulary

• Read through your homework in your files. Do you repeat the same words (e.g. ‘nice’)? Use a thesaurus app to make lists of other words that you might use. • Make a list of new vocabulary that you come across in your regular reading outside the classroom or in the GCSE English texts. Try and use these words. • The best way to increase your vocabulary is to read as widely as possible outside the classroom.

Spelling

• Read through your writing tasks in your file. • Review spelling rules, advice on how to learn spellings, homophones, etc. • Create a list of spellings to learn and learn them! • Learn the spelling of a few words a day.

Punctuation and Grammar

• Read through corrected work and learn the corrections. • Give yourself grammar targets, so that you do not repeat the same mistakes.

Other tips

Online GCSE Resources

Watch some of these Mr Bruff videos and make notes of anything new that you learn. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqGFsWf-P-cAlttmXkEvJXCxqT-ZzFqAN

Written Accuracy

• Further revision for spelling, punctuation and grammar is in ‘Mr Bruff’s Guide to Grammar’, which is in Sparkjar topics. • See also Mrs SPaG’s YouTube channel, particularly the punctuation and sentences playlists: • https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoCdErKcORry5IbQ6SALl9g/playlists • Alternative quick SPaG support: https://www.grammarbook.com/#google_vignette

Oxford Dictionaries

Spellings is an invaluable website for practising tricky and/or irregular spellings. A small notebook and committing to learning around five of the spellings from this list per week could significantly help you in your English attainment. https:// en.oxforddictionaries.com/spelling/common-misspellings

BBC Bitesize

Contains a range of activities and resources to support your development in English: http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/ subjects/z3kw2hv