How to attain a Level 9 / A* in GCSE English
Language.
No matter which Examination Board you are registered with there are
fundamental elements of your approach to the paper that will elevate your
grade. The calibre of your language is something that will have developed
over the years and clearly having excellent English language skills is not
something that can be learnt in the eleventh hour. By focusing on the following
points however you will attain your best possible grade / level.Exam boards
such as Cambridge, Pearson Edexcel, and AQA offer the IGCSE English Language,
which assesses candidates’ reading and writing abilities through a variety of question
types and textual formats. The qualification is typically divided into two papers: one
focuses on reading comprehension, while the other is dedicated to writing skills.
Familiarise yourself with the exam papers
This means knowing:
● How long each exam is and how long to spend on each question
● How many marks each question and each exam paper is worth
● What percentage of the GCSE each exam paper is worth:
○ For example, with AQA and OCR, each paper is worth an equal 50% of your
GCSE
○ Whereas with Eduqas and Edexcel, one paper is worth 40% and the other is
worth 60%
● Which paper is the “fiction” paper (normally Paper 1) and which is the “non-fiction”
paper (normally Paper 2)
● In which order the questions are asked, and what skills are being assessed for each
question
(i) use ambitious/ advanced/ sophisticated vocabulary. When answering
the questions the first words that come into your mind, although
technically accurate, may not be the best words. Look at the following
examples:
If you are including a dialogue in a narrative essay try substituting
the words “he said” for something more impressive:
He uttered
He declared
He pronounced
, He announced
He proclaimed
He muttered
He vociferated
He communicated
He whispered
He stated
He reported
He affirmed
He confirmed
He confessed
He maintained
He remarked
He interjected
Instead of writing “she walked” write:
She strolled
She ambled
She meandered
She marched
She paced
She wandered
She trudged
She sauntered
She traipsed
Here are some other synonymous words that will elevate your
grade:
Big - enormous, gigantic, colossal
Small - miniature, miniscule
Happy - delighted, elated, excited, joyful, overjoyed
Sad - despondent,crest-fallen, dismayed
Kind - generous, benevolent, good-hearted, considerate,altruistic, magnanimous
Shy - timid, apprehensive
Polite - courteous, civil, gracious
Messy - unkempt, disordered, in disarray
Language.
No matter which Examination Board you are registered with there are
fundamental elements of your approach to the paper that will elevate your
grade. The calibre of your language is something that will have developed
over the years and clearly having excellent English language skills is not
something that can be learnt in the eleventh hour. By focusing on the following
points however you will attain your best possible grade / level.Exam boards
such as Cambridge, Pearson Edexcel, and AQA offer the IGCSE English Language,
which assesses candidates’ reading and writing abilities through a variety of question
types and textual formats. The qualification is typically divided into two papers: one
focuses on reading comprehension, while the other is dedicated to writing skills.
Familiarise yourself with the exam papers
This means knowing:
● How long each exam is and how long to spend on each question
● How many marks each question and each exam paper is worth
● What percentage of the GCSE each exam paper is worth:
○ For example, with AQA and OCR, each paper is worth an equal 50% of your
GCSE
○ Whereas with Eduqas and Edexcel, one paper is worth 40% and the other is
worth 60%
● Which paper is the “fiction” paper (normally Paper 1) and which is the “non-fiction”
paper (normally Paper 2)
● In which order the questions are asked, and what skills are being assessed for each
question
(i) use ambitious/ advanced/ sophisticated vocabulary. When answering
the questions the first words that come into your mind, although
technically accurate, may not be the best words. Look at the following
examples:
If you are including a dialogue in a narrative essay try substituting
the words “he said” for something more impressive:
He uttered
He declared
He pronounced
, He announced
He proclaimed
He muttered
He vociferated
He communicated
He whispered
He stated
He reported
He affirmed
He confirmed
He confessed
He maintained
He remarked
He interjected
Instead of writing “she walked” write:
She strolled
She ambled
She meandered
She marched
She paced
She wandered
She trudged
She sauntered
She traipsed
Here are some other synonymous words that will elevate your
grade:
Big - enormous, gigantic, colossal
Small - miniature, miniscule
Happy - delighted, elated, excited, joyful, overjoyed
Sad - despondent,crest-fallen, dismayed
Kind - generous, benevolent, good-hearted, considerate,altruistic, magnanimous
Shy - timid, apprehensive
Polite - courteous, civil, gracious
Messy - unkempt, disordered, in disarray
