How the course is assessed
Exam boards differ in the detail, so start by finding out which specification your school entered you for: AQA, Edexcel or OCR. Ask your teacher if you are not sure. Everything below is deliberately board-neutral.
In general terms, English Language asks you to do two things under timed conditions: read texts closely and write for a purpose. AQA, for example, describes two equally balanced papers on its GCSE English 8700 page: one titled Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing, the other Writers' Viewpoints and Perspectives. It also lists spoken language as a separately endorsed unit. Pearson publishes the Edexcel GCSE English Language (2015) specification and OCR publishes English Language (9-1) J351. Paper lengths, mark totals and weightings sit in those specifications, so check them there rather than trusting a summary.
Common mistakes
- Spotting techniques without explaining their effect. Naming a metaphor earns little unless you say what it makes a reader picture or feel.
- Retelling the extract instead of analysing choices of words and structure.
- Writing a long plan and then running out of time to write.
- Choosing an ambitious word and getting its meaning slightly wrong. Precise and plain beats showy.
- Skipping a final proofread, so careless spelling and punctuation slips cost marks you had already earned.
- Ignoring audience and purpose in transactional tasks, such as using a chatty tone in a formal letter.
Reading the question first
Before you read an extract, read the question and the bullet points or focus lines that come with it. They tell you where to look, and they stop you from annotating everything. Underline the command word, such as explain, compare, evaluate or write, and decide what a complete answer would contain. Spend your first few minutes on this and the rest of the paper tends to feel more manageable.
Timing matters as much as content. Divide the total time by the marks available and give each question roughly that share, leaving a few minutes at the end for checking. Practise with a clock, because the habit of moving on is a skill in its own right.
A four-week plan
This is a pattern, not a prescription. Stretch it over more weeks if your exams are further away, and squeeze it by dropping the weakest area into two sessions instead of four.
Week 1: reading fiction
Practise annotating short unseen extracts that you find yourself. Work on what the opening sets up, how focus shifts, and how the ending is shaped. Write two or three well-developed paragraphs each session rather than a full answer.
Week 2: non-fiction and viewpoints
Read opinion pieces, travel writing and letters or diaries from different periods. Practise summarising what two writers think, then comparing how they put it across.
Week 3: writing
Alternate descriptive or narrative pieces with transactional pieces such as letters, articles and speeches. Time each one, and finish every attempt with a proofread.
Week 4: timed practice and repair
Sit full past papers under timed conditions, mark them against the board's published mark scheme, and list three specific things to fix. Log the results in the review planner and schedule the repairs.
One technique for each area
Reading unseen fiction
Use a three-step loop: pick a short quotation, name what a word or device does, then say what effect that has on the reader. Choose one or two key words inside the quotation and zoom in on them. Then step back and ask why the writer placed this moment where they did.
Non-fiction and viewpoints
Separate what a writer states from what they imply. Underline words that reveal attitude, such as admiring, sceptical or resigned. When comparing two texts, keep a short running list of points where they agree and differ, and write about both writers inside the same paragraph.
Creative writing
Plan small. Choose a single moment, one setting and one change in mood. Aim for a few controlled images rather than every technique you know. Vary sentence length on purpose, and use one short sentence where it will land hardest.
Transactional writing
Before drafting, write three notes: who is reading, what you want them to do or think, and what tone fits. Then choose a clear structure, such as a strong opening, three developed points and a firm closing line. Keep your register consistent from first line to last.
Spelling, punctuation and grammar
Keep a personal error list from your marked work and test yourself on it. Learn the handful of marks you use constantly, such as commas, apostrophes, semicolons and speech punctuation, until they are automatic. Our glossary and quiz are a good place to check the terms.
Making the practice stick
Practise with real past papers from your board: the past papers tool helps you keep track of which you have done. Turn terminology and your own error list into cards with the flashcards tool. Plan review sessions with the review planner. Short, regular sessions with a clear target are easier to fit around school than occasional long ones. Stop each session by writing down what you will do next, so starting the following one takes no effort.
If you feel stuck
Pick one paragraph from a past answer, rewrite it, and ask someone to read it with you. A second pair of eyes often shows quickly whether your point is clear. If you would like regular feedback on your writing, a tutor can mark pieces with you and explain what to change.
Part of the GCSE English Language revision set: the glossary of key terms and self-marking quiz.