Year 11 Mock Exam Feedback

Having looked at your recent mock exams, I thought it might be useful to jot down some of the typical errors, which occurred in both the English Language and English Literature Papers. Hopefully this will help you in your revision for the real thing.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Question 1 (The Interview)

  • The detail of the passage was not used enough in the responses given. You cannot write a general answer about rock climbing, in this case. Instead, the answers must be rooted in a very close reading of the passage.
  • Many responses were far too short. To get 20 marks you must make a substantial number of points.
  • Do not add lots of extra questions to the 3 they give you.
Question 2 (The effects of the writer's choice of words and phrases)
  • Several students wrote far too little. Some wrote far too much.
  • You must highlight 10 words or phrases and comment on their effect.
  • It must be written out as two continuous paragraphs of prose and not as a series of notes.
  • You must describe the effect. This is the key word. It is not enough to say, for example, that "Describing the climber as Tarzan makes him sound like Tarzan...."
  • Do not add your own personal feelings. Some responses included phrases like, "I really liked the way he described him as being like Tarzan..."
Question 3 (Summary)
  • Too many students failed to make the 15 points needed across the 2 summaries.
  • It is essential that you answer the specific summary question asked and not good enough just to give a general summary of the whole passage.
  • There was still far to much copying out of whole chunks of the passage, despite the emphasis placed on using your own words. Some answers even contained quotations.
  • Do not add personal reflections on the content being summarised.
ENGLISH LITERATURE
  • A huge number of students did not have their books.
  • There is a definite need for nearly all students to use more quotations. Make them brief and to the point and ensure they really support your points.
  • You must open a passage question (* question) by placing that extract in context. Where does it appear? What has just happened and what happens as a consequence of this passage?
  • You must answer and use the words of the actual question. Many responses were simply summaries of the passage.
  • The passage question and the "dagger" questions must include a significant amount of very close focus on individual words and phrases and their effect.
  • You must aim to write a minimum of 2 sides per essay to make the number of points required to get a good mark.
  • Read the passage questions very closely to ensure a proper understanding. This was not always the case.
  • If a "dagger" question offers 2 points of view on a character and asks which one you feel is more truthful a description you must still acknowledge some arguments in favour of the alternative view put forward.

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