In my opinion, English is one of the hardest subjects to consistently get good grades in. This is because it’s so subjective: what seems like a perfectly good essay to one teacher might be the worst garbage another teacher has seen. However, using this advice, you can consistently get great grades in English!
- Use language techniques
- Read widely
- Have a paragraph structure
- Memorising quotes
- Know some techniques
Use language techniques
Writing fiction for good grades isn’t the same as writing fiction for a good book. When writing a short story in your English class, you need to use as many techniques – similies, metaphors, personification – as possible. Try not to write exactly what is happening, but use your imagination to describe the scene in more figurative ways.
Read widely
Not only will reading a lot improve your grammar and vocabulary, but it’ll also help you figure out what you like and don’t like, so that you can include this in your English work. The next time you read a book, try to notice the different techniques the author uses in their work, and ask yourself if you like it or not. If you do, consider adding it to your next short story in English class!
Have a paragraph structure
For analytical essays, it’s imperative that you have a ready-to-use paragraph structure. Not only will it make your writing flow better, but it’ll also make you write faster, since you already vaguely know what you’re going to say. A lot of students use Point-Evidence-Explanation, but I like to use Point-Evidence-Technique-Analysis-Link, since specifying the technique and relating back to the context of the text can help you achieve higher marks.
Memorising quotes
For those of you doing the English Literature GCSE, memorising quotes in non-negotiable for good grades. No, you don’t need to know 50 quotes from each of the three books, but you do need to memorise a few versatile quotes that you can use for many different themes and characters. I like to create acronyms to help me remember my quotes, and I use Quizlet to practice my memory of them.
Know some techniques
In order to get the grade 8s and 9s on your English GCSEs, you need to memorise the names of some high-level techniques like caesura and synaesthesia. Learn to recognise them in writing, and know the effect that they create on a reader to uplevel your analysis!
