English

Details of exam

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 Analysis of structural features 4 Express your own views of the text, quoting to support your ideas

8

20

Total marks: 40

Timing: Question 1: 6 minutes Question 2: 12 minutes Question 3: 12 minutes Question 4: 30 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: 5 minutes plan, 35 minutes write, 5 minutes check

Topics to revise

• Reading and comprehension • Creative writing • General: vocabulary, spelling, punctuation and grammar

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).

‘Magic Carpet’ Knowledge Organiser

You have a copy of a Year 9 ‘magic carpet’ knowledge organiser in Sparkjar. 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

1. Read through your homework in your exercise book. Do you repeat the same words (e.g. ‘nice’)? Use a thesaurus app to make lists of other words that you might use. 2. Make a list of new vocabulary that you come across in your regular reading in your exercise book. Try and use these words. 3. The best way to increase your vocabulary is to read as widely as possible outside the classroom.

Spelling

1. Read through your homework in your exercise book. 2. Review classwork on spelling rules, advice on how to learn spellings, homophones, etc. 3. Learn the spelling of a few words a day.

Punctuation and Grammar

1. Read through the work from your VSPaG lessons. Learn terminology and revise how you used the punctuation and sentence structures to enhance meaning. 2. Read through your homework in your exercise book: • If you have done additional VSPaG work (e.g. revising TipTop paragraphing rules), review that. • If your teacher has corrected your use of grammar, learn the correction(s). • Give yourself grammar targets, so that you do not repeat the same mistakes.

Other tips

Look at interesting pictures and practise planning for ten minutes.

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

The SPaG support is also fantastic: http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/english