Hallow'en Macbeth Revision

First of all a couple of apologies:

1) This is later than intended as I badly broke my thumb at the beginning of the holidays and had to have surgery to re-attach it to my hand.

2) Any typos are down to left handed typing.

Your Macbeth / Browning assessment is fast approaching and you need to remind yourself of some of the key parts of your assessment.

We've focused on 8 key skills:

Making effective points
Using and embedding appropriate quotations
Paraphrasing text
Analysing text
Evaluating Writer's Intentions
Linking to contextual details
Comparing
Linking all points to the question

For you to gain a C or above, you'll need to show all skills up to analysis, link to context and compare.

Here is a post helping you develop analytical and evaluative answers.

This post is going to focus on your context and essay construction:

First of all you won't be successful if you don't know what happens in the play. Use http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/macbeth_1_1.html to help you revise what is happening in the scenes you've taken your key quotations from.

Context


Remember that your context can be one of three things:

1) History
2) Writer's Specific use of Devices
3) Audience

History is relevant context if your quotation illuminates something specific about the time the text was written or set.

Writer's Specific use vof devices is useful in showing your knowledge of the writer but can only really be mentioned once.

Audience reaction (modern or of the time) is one you will probably use the most.

Shakespeare:

1) Revise your information aboiut King James 1.

2) Be sure you revise how Shakespeare uses Soliloquy (all your quotations come from soliloquies or asides), Aside, Blank Verse, Rhymed Verse , Prose

3) Think about how the audience would react to the changes to Macbeth as a character.

Browning

1) Revise your ideas of Patriarchy and the conservative nature of Victorian society.

2) Revise Browning's use of Dramatic Monologue (here is a nice little explanation)

3) Think about how the reader would react.

Ideally you should be linking to context in every paragraph.

Essay Construction

You should have a variety of points. We've talked about broad range of things succh as - self destruction, greed, arrogance but you have a lot of different types within these areas:

Ambition
Jealousy
Paranoia
Deceit
Over Confidence
Foolishness

You should also remember that you are writing a whole essay not separate paragraphs. Your paragraphs should probably take us through Macbeth chronologically comparing your quotations consistently to the Browning poems but more importantly you should be using phrases such as:

Macbeth's weaknesses develop in the next scene...

We see Macbeth's paranoia increase in...

Act 5 Scene 5 brings Macbeth to the climax of his destruction...

All in all you are well prepared for this - you just need to remember the key skills you've worked hard to develop all half term.

Good Luck

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Argument Writing Grade Ladder - Ladders, Pyramids and Cherries

The grade ladders have been useful in targeting top level skills and applying them in our work. 

This is a particularly effective way at building your grade because it gives you a hierarchy. If you think of the ladder as a pyramid (too many metaphors?) then you will find most of Rung 1 in your work with examples of higher level skills as you go through to Rung 5  where you will be showing judicious (well judged) examples of top level devices, sentences, punctuation, paragraphs and vocabulary (the cherry on the top of the cake if you will- somebody stop me with these metaphors!).

Overall - it is a good way to plan and benchmark your work. Make sure you try to use examples of as much the skills as possible (as long as they make sense). Happy preparation and enjoy.

If you are interested - you can test your knowledge of each rung by looking at my take on the Scottish Referendum below. Post the quotations and the features they contain in the comments section.

Paragraphs	Rung
The content of paragraphs is shaped for effect exploring and returning to arguments.	5
Paragraphs are linked cohesively by discourse markers	4
Paragraphs contain a range of facts and opinions.	3
Paragraphs focus on one piece of information with a clear topic sentence	2
Work is Paragraphed	1

Sentences	Rung
Sentence lengths are crafted for effect with use of high level structural devices such as anaphora and parison.	5
Sentences include adverbial clauses prepositions and noun phrases.	4
Sentences balance interrogative, exclamatory, declarative and imperative to convey an argument.	3
Sentences are mostly complex.	2
Sentences contain subject, finite verb and object.	1

Devices	Rung
Work shows evidence of choice of devices for specific effect. (Could include Irony or Satire)	5
Work includes Anecdotes, Hyperbole and Triadic Structure.	4
Work includes Persuasive Devices Rhetorical Questions, Personal Pronouns)	3
Work is balanced with positive and negative metaphors to show opinions.	2
Work use Adjectives and Adverbs.	1

Vocabulary	Rung
Judicious use of complex Negative and Positive Language show balance but hints at a preference.	5
Highly Complex language used accurately and where appropriate throughout.	4
Vocabulary includes subordinators to show balance and language of the expert.	3
Vocabulary clearly shows point of view.	2
Every day vocabulary is used accurately (including Spelling)	1

Punctuation	Rung
Accurate use of the full range of punctuation including more complex punctuation used for effect. (Semi-colon and Colon)	5
Accurate use of punctuation with ellipsis, dashes and brackets used for effect.	4
Accurate use of punctuation with question marks and exclamation marks used for effect.	3
Accurate use of simple punctuation including commas.	2
Accurate use of Capital Letters and full stops.	1

Should Scotland become an Independent Country?

After a well fought referendum campaign from both sides of the debate, the one thing that is clear is that the question of Scottish independence is yet to be fully answered. On one side we have the YES campaign who appeal to the heart with arguments of geographical autonomy, nationalism and patriotism; the NO campaign appeal to the head with arguments of history, family and finance. Both sides argued with passion that the fate of a nation lay together or apart; as a whole or fraction; united or disunited. Now that the dust has settled, are we any closer to the right answer?

The crux of the argument from the unionists was that Scotland did not have the monetary power to go it alone. No one wants to see five million people look hungrily over the border as the welfare state, pensions and the NHS fell apart around it. It was fundamental that they proved that Scotland would be worse off without the U.K. The irony here is that in proving that Scotland needed the support of the United Kingdom, the NO campaign may have sparked the independence debate in England. An overlooked but undoubtedly important idea within the debate was would the rest of Great Britain have been worse off without Scotland?

Here is where the YES campaign fought. They attempted to prove that Scotland would be a wealthy utopia creating a fair and equal society where everyone prospered. Reaching out to the all corners of Scotland, they created a narrative of prosperity where people would be better off each year to the same amount of money as the NO campaign said they would lose: in the ‘People’s Republic of Scotland’ no one would go without and everyone would be equal. It was a view of a society you should believe in. It was a view of a society you could believe in and they persuaded 45% of the voters that it was a model of society you can achieve.

However, the mudslinging of modern politics sullied the views put forward by both sides. Although the NO campaign highlighted that Scotland may not be able to afford a state of the art NHS and crumbling hospitals would be common place, the Conservative and Labour parties had presided over a dismantling of the NHS that left many hospitals running at huge losses. While the YES campaign pointed out appalling child poverty in areas of Scotland, they neglected to highlight they’ve had the devolved power to deal with this since 2007.

As the referendum drew closer, the back and forth of claim and counter claim became tedious leading the majority of voters to take to finding the facts and discussing these in the pubs, clubs and social networks. The negativity of the NO campaign (can a NO campaign be anything but negative?) put me and many voters off. Don’t tell me what I will lose if I vote no, tell me what I will gain!

In the end, I believed that Scotland could cope alone and should have the ambition to do so. I wanted a society that was shaped by those with the nation’s interests at their heart. I wanted a society that was driven to innovate rather than complacently relying on others and I wanted a new nation that my daughter could shape rather than become a cog in an out-dated and under-reformed elitist institution. For me, it was simple: I wanted a nation that looked after everyone and only the YES campaign gave me that option. Scotland should be an independent country.

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Writing MOT 2014

You will now be receiving your writing MOT that evaluates the skills you have shown in coursework drafts and classwork. Below are the criteria for accessing each grade so you can reference this as you work through your re-drafts.

The key academic language referenced in the vocabulary section is found here

Below E Grade

Spelling - Your work contains frequent errors in simple spelling.

Punctuation - You often use commas where you should use full stops and may miss out capital letters in proper nouns or at the beginning of sentences. 

Vocabulary - You mostly use informal language in your work. You are able to recognise and use fewer than 100 common academic words. 

Sentence Structures - Your sentences are rarely broken up with punctuation.

Devices - Your work sometimes contains adjectives / adverbs to add detail. 

Paragraphs - You often forget to paragraph.


Grammar - You write the way you would speak without modifying your work. You might use informal words like 'kinda' or 'gonna' and sometimes your work doesn't make grammatical sense 'leaving the house.'.

E Grade

Spelling - You make regular errors with simple words and often make mistakes with homophones such as 'their, there and there'.

Punctuation - You use simple punctuation in your work but often use commas where you should use full stops and may miss out capital letters in proper nouns or at the beginning of sentences. You may miss out question marks in questions.

Vocabulary - You use everyday words consistently but often use some informal language in your work. You are able to recognise and use 100 - 134 common academic words

Sentence Structures - Your sentences are mostly simple or compound and you don't always punctuate your longer sentences accurately. Your complex sentences mostly have subordinate clauses at the end of the sentence.

Devices - Your work will contain adjectives / adverbs to add detail. You do not use devices for effect.

Paragraphs - You break your work into even sized chunks of text without organising your work into paragraphs of similar topics. Paragraphs are often single sentences that need breaking up with punctuation.


Grammar- You write the way you would speak without modifying your work. You might use informal words like 'kinda' or 'gonna' and you often mix your tenses without meaning to.

D Grade

Spelling - You can spell most simple words correctly and sometimes make mistakes with homophones such as 'their, there and there'.

Punctuation - You use simple punctuation in your work but often use commas where you should use full stops and may miss out capital letters in proper nouns or at the beginning of sentences.

Vocabulary - You use everyday words consistently but don't always consider the effect of the words you use. You are able to recognise and use between 135 - 174 common academic words.

Sentence Structures - Your sentences are mostly accurate but you don't think about the effect of the sentences you choose. Your complex sentences mostly rely on subordinate clauses at the beginning of your sentences.

Devices - Your work will contain adjectives / adverbs for effect and you may use some similes / rhetorical questions. You do not use devices for effect.

Paragraphs - You break your work into logical blocks but these are not always correct.


Grammar - Your writing is mostly informal and you might make mistakes with agreement such as 'we was' instead of 'we were'.

C Grade

Spelling - Your spelling across all common words and words with increasingly complex patterns is accurate. When your spelling is incorrect it is close.

Punctuation - You use a range of punctuation accurately but have errors in your use of semi-colons, colons, dashes.

Vocabulary - You use everyday words consistently and use vocabulary to achieve effects. You are able to recognise and use 175 - 214 common academic words.

Sentence Structures - You write using a range of sentence types and lengths and strive to create effects with your use of sentences which you often achieve. You can create sentences with subordinate, adverbial and embedded clauses.

Devices - You understand which devices are appropriate for the purpose of your text and often use these for effect.

Paragraphs - Paragraphs have clear topic sentences and are split into logical blocks though not always accurately.

Grammar - Your writing is more formal. You are able to use the correct form of the verb for the subject of your sentence but often write in a colloquial way e.g. 'Any things identified will be removed.' rather than  'Any objects that are identified will be removed.'


'There was this man' rather than 'There was a man.'

B Grade

Spelling - Your spelling is always accurate including words with complex patterns. Your only errors are more unusual words.

Punctuation - You use a full range of punctuation in your work accurately and often for effect.

Vocabulary - You your vocabulary is always used for effect and you are using some more complex vocabulary. You are able to recognise and use 215 - 254 common academic words.

Sentence Structures - Your sentences structures are always accurate and mostly used for effect. You are able to use longer and shorter sentences to create tension / indicate tone. You are able to create complex compound sentences.

Devices - Your are able to use a range of devices and match these to the purpose of tasks to consistently create effects. You may use devices such as oxymoron, hyperbole, triadic structure confidently for effect.

Paragraphs - Paragraphs have clear topic sentences and are mostly accurate with attempts to vary length for effect.


Grammar - Your writing is formal and confident. You may make errors in nouns / verbs such as 'practice / practise' 'effect / affect' 'advice / advise'.

A Grade

Spelling - Your spelling is always accurate including words with complex patterns. You often spell unusual words accurately.

Punctuation - You use a full range of punctuation accurately and for effect.

Vocabulary - You are able to use a range of high level vocabulary for effect but the construction of the word might not be appropriate in the context of the sentence. You are able to recognise and use 255 - 299 common academic words.

Sentence Structures - Your sentences are well chosen, varied and used for specific effects. You are able to develop multi-clause complex compound sentences.

Devices - Your work will contains a range of more sophisticated devices that are appropriate to the purpose of the task. These may include extended metaphors, semantic field and paradox.

Paragraphs - Paragraphs are always accurate with clearly signaled arguments and variation in length for effect. You may use your paragraphs to juxtapose content.


Grammar - Your writing is always in a formal tone. You may make mistakes such as 'could of' instead of 'could have' or mix up fewer and less.

A* Grade

Spelling - Your spelling is always accurate including high level sophisticated vocabulary

Punctuation - You use a full range of punctuation accurately creating subtle / sophisticated effects.

Vocabulary - You are able to use a range of high level vocabulary for effect which is always used appropriately and for effect. You are able to recognise and use more than 300 common academic words.

Sentence Structures - Your sentences are well chosen, varied and used for specific effects. You are able to create multi clause complex compound sentences. You achieve sophisticated effects with the construction of your sentences often juxtaposing ideas or using structural devices such as anaphora or parison.

Devices - Your work will contains a range of more sophisticated devices that are appropriate to the purpose of the task. These may include extended metaphors, semantic field and paradox. You are able to subtly vary the tone of your work with your choices.

Paragraphs - Paragraphs are always accurate with clearly signaled arguments, variation in length and juxtaposition of paragraphs for deliberate effect.


Grammar - Your are able to write effectively in a formal register but have the ability to use an informal register to vary tone and pathos for sophisticated effects.

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IGCSE Coursework - Travel Writing

As we move towards the first drafts of the coursework, here is an exemplar piece of work and a self assessment scheme.

A revision activity you could try is using the self assessment descriptors to assess the piece of work below and use it to assess the writing you have completed in class and as homework. 

Write down which rungs you think this piece hits and assess where you think you are in the comments below.

Paragraphs	Rung
The content of paragraphs is shaped for effect.	5
Paragraphs are linked cohesively by discourse markers	4
Paragraphs contain mostly descriptive detail.	3
Paragraphs focus on one piece of information with a clear topic sentence	2
Work is Paragraphed	1

Sentences	Rung
Sentence lengths are crafted for effect	5
Sentences include adverbial clauses	4
Sentences include prepositions and noun phrases.	3
Sentences are mostly complex.	2
Sentences contain subject, verb and object.	1

Vocabulary	Rung
Judicious use of Negative language serves to emphasise Positive Language through contrast.	5
Highly Complex language used accurately and where appropriate throughout.	4
Vocabulary includes lexis of Travel Writing and is accurately used.	3
Vocabulary creates positive connotations.	2
Every day vocabulary is used accurately (including Spelling)	1

Devices	Rung
Work shows evidence of choice of devices for specific effects avoiding cliché. (Could include Semantic Field or Extended Metaphor)	5
Work includes Comparatives, Superlatives, Modal Verbs and Imperatives.	4
Work includes Figurative Language (Metaphor / Simile, Oxymoron)	3
Work Targets 5 Senses	2
Work use Adjectives and Adverbs.	1

Punctuation	Rung
Accurate use of the full range of punctuation including more complex punctuation used for effect. (Semi-colon and Colon)	5
Accurate use of punctuation with ellipsis, dashes and brackets used for effect.	4
Accurate use of punctuation with question marks and exclamation marks used for effect.	3
Accurate use of simple punctuation including commas.	2
Accurate use of Capital Letters and full stops.	1

As you step off the aeroplane having landed in Croatia, you can sense things are going to be different. There is a blast of warm air, which if it happened in London, would cause nothing but aggravation but here it caresses your skin and whispers “relax”. This is the first blessed flirtation with one of the most beautiful countries on the planet.

You find, as you explore further, that Croatia is a country of contrasts. The people, the landscape and the climate encapsulate a mesmerising experience that you would struggle to replicate in any other country of the world.

Monolithic mountains guard the coastline dropping away sharply to the delicate shore. Islands moated by emerald green waters provide havens for wildlife and the occasional adventurous tourist. Inland the castellated mountains provide lush springs and streams that create fertile plains that stretch infinitely towards the horizon. Along these streams, waterfalls stand as imposing gateways to the historic farm lands beyond.

“Dobro dan!”

The guttural tone of the border guard would suggest you have arrived in a dystopian novel; however his smile betrays the authority of his tone. You emerge from Zadar airport into a crush for the final spaces on the only bus into town. Amid the throng of anxious tourists, you could feel claustrophobic, but again the air re-assures you that everything will be alright.

Croatia is really an island nation so forget about staying put, there is a lot to explore. Renowned as the jewel in the crown of Croatia’s coastal cluster is an uninhabited archipelago:

Kornati…

Explored only by the hardiest of sailors 100 year ago, you must take advantage of the advances in nautical technology and book yourself on one of the more sedentary tourist boat trips. Cliffs leap up from the sea forming imposing warnings to foolhardy ships yet behind these barriers are luxurious lagoons heated by only the sun to create an oasis of calm. Secluded olive groves provide the ideal place for a picnic and coves dappled with stepping stones provide an idyllic spot to cool off.

With the islands securely ticked off in your travel log, head inland towards the Krka National Park. Unlike Plitvice which perhaps holds the most spectacular waterfalls in the Adriatic, you can swim under the cascading waterfalls of Krka without being troubled by water snakes. The water here has been used to work the mills of the area but now you are more likely to find quaint market stalls and sumptuous fruit as the locals cash in on the tourist boom. You may find this more commercial than rustic but still, there is nothing like emerging from the crystalline water to relax in the shade.

Perhaps on the surface Croatia is a rough diamond. The language and expressive nature of the locals always seem to suggest you are going to be carted off in the back of a military vehicle but their carefully constructed smiles let you know that all is well and you are very welcome. Embrace your inner pioneer and look for the polish in amongst all those sharp edges!

Final Hint - Here is a nice little table to help you vary your complex sentences:

Start with an adjective or noun phrase.	E.G. Simple and easy to use, the London Underground.
Start with a preposition.	E.G. Behind the bleak exterior, you will find a magical menagerie of artefacts
Start with an 'ing' verb	E.G. Rafting down the Tara river, I felt euphoria seep into my bones.
Start with a simile.	Like a tidal wave, the sheer beauty hit me with wave after wave of beautiful smells.
Start with a subordinator	Although people consider Albania to be hellish, you will find the beauty of the country mesmerising.

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Year 10 - Revising for your Poetry Exam

As part of your revision for the last three weeks before the exam, this post gives you some practice questions and exercises you can do as part of your revision.

First of all if you are struggling with analysis here is a post which talks you through the key stages. See this post before you move on. 

6 steps to top level thinking

Questions to check I have enough depth in my analysis

If you are unsure about the requirements of the exam then you should take a look at the two posts below:

The Unit 2 Exam and Advice

What to do to get your grades

In addition there is a great 2hr 40 minute Youtube video that covers each of the poems in detail. You can skip through for poems you are unsure of:

The link is HERE if you would rather watch in Youtube.

So what else do you need to consider?

You need to ensure you have the accurate skills and content to access your top band marks:

Content 

Points that answer the question

Choose an effective poem to compare to

3-4 Quotations per poem

Comparative connectives (Both similarities and differences)

Appropriate terminology and devices (don't get hung up on these though - your analysis is worth more marks.

Skills

Paraphrasing Quotations

Analysing Quotations

Evaluating Quotations

Effective Linking to the Question

Written Accuracy

A lot of the differences between the top bands come down to how your writing sounds so ensure you have.

A Formal Academic Register

Accurate Sentence Structures

Accurate Punctuation of Sentences

Accurate Spelling

Wide use of Language of the Expert (Terminology and Sophistication of Expression)

See HERE for tips on sounding like an expert.

Things you should be familiar with:

Forms of Poems

Dramatic Monologue

Elegy

Sonnet

Structural Terms

Stanza

Rhythm (Syllabic Pattern)

Rhyme

Enjambment

Caesura

Juxtaposition of Ideas

Devices

Simile

Metaphor

Alliteration

Extended Metaphor

Personification

Sibilance 

Imagery

You should also have prepared poems that you think link well - see HERE for a sheet.

Then comes actually sitting down to revise - how much, how often and what.

This post should help you with exam stress and revision:

Exam Stress and Revision

Top candidates will be able to access their quotations quickly so they don't have to waste time searching and can get into the nuts and bolts of writing very quickly developing more points overall.

Create a list of 5 key quotations for each poem. These quotations should fit most questions.

Each year the examiner produces a report on how students performed in the exam. The post below summarises what the examiner says makes successful answers. Read this and make notes on what you should do.

Examiner's Report and Advice

Then practice writing.

I'd recommend an exam question each week for both papers. You can try any of the ones below.

How does the poet present the idea of isolation in 'The Hunchback in the Park' and another poem of your choice?

How does the poet present desperation in 'Give' and another poem of your choice?

How does the poet present identity in 'Singh Song' and another poem of your choice?

How does the poet present power in 'My Last Duchess and another poem of your choice?

How does the poet present the idea of characters who have choices in the poem Give and another poem of your choice?

Here is an unseen poem for you to tackle:

What is the poet's attitude to different classes and how does she present that attitude to the reader?

a song in the front yard

I’ve stayed in the front yard all my life.
I want a peek at the back
Where it’s rough and untended and hungry weed grows. 
A girl gets sick of a rose.

I want to go in the back yard now 
And maybe down the alley,
To where the charity children play. 
I want a good time today.

They do some wonderful things.
They have some wonderful fun.
My mother sneers, but I say it’s fine
How they don’t have to go in at quarter to nine. 
My mother, she tells me that Johnnie Mae 
Will grow up to be a bad woman.
That George’ll be taken to Jail soon or late
(On account of last winter he sold our back gate).

But I say it’s fine. Honest, I do.
And I’d like to be a bad woman, too,
And wear the brave stockings of night-black lace 
And strut down the streets with paint on my face. 

Gwendolyn Brooks

How does the poet present the idea of life in her poem?

The Summer Day
by Mary Oliver
Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean-
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down-
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life? 

Last of all, we all need a slice of luck in exams so prepare well and make your own luck.I wish you all the best!

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The last Exam question a week post- AQA

You are now 6 weeks away from your exam - have completed your Controlled Assessments and three mock exams and you now are fine tuning your skills for the main event.

Hopefully you've looked at any disappointing results as positives and worked out where you went wrong and how to put things right.

At this point I can point you to this post  on marginal gains and remind you that an improvement of one mark per question is an improvement of a grade when you add these together.

The last post has the questions you should attempt and some tips no mistakes I have seen from your mock exams.

First of all here are your sources:

Source 1 - Kenya To Deploy Drones in All National Parks

Source 2  - Google Glasses

Source 3 - The Toughest Expedition of my Life

Question 1 - What do you understand about the issue of Poaching in Kenya's National Parks? (Source 1)

This question is gradually improving. Remember 3-4 quotations with inferences linked to the key words in the question.

Key Mistake from Mock - Inferences should be in your own words not repeating the words from the text and for the sophisticated band your inference should make a connection that is not expressly written in the text.

Question 2 - Explain how the Headline, the sub-headline and the picture are effective and how they link to the text. (Source 2)

You need to anlayse one or two features of the Headline and the picture. Each point your make should have a specific link to a quotation from the text.

Key Mistake from the Mock - Not linking your analysis to specific quotations from the main text and jumping straight to colour in the picture. Remember only use colour if it is a clear choice of the article - don't forget scale is also important.

Question 3 - Explain some of the thoughts and feelings of the writer about his Atlantic rowing adventure.

3-4 Quotations needed here. Link your inferences to thoughts and feelings.

Key Mistake from the Mock - Not covering thoughts and inferences simply re-stating what is in the text. Sophisticated tip - if your quotation has a device in it, mention it!

Question 4 - Compare some of the ways the writers use language for effect. (Source three and either Source 1 or Source 2).

This question has seen the biggest improvement. Remember you need 3-4 quotations from each text analysed focusing on effect and evaluated for the top band.


Key Mistake from the Mock - The device is not important the effect is. Don't technique spot, tell the examiner what the language suggests. Sophisticated Band tip - Only focus on individual words; you don't have to write down lengthy quotations.


Question 5 - Describe an experience where you had to show mental toughness and explain how you overcame it for an online teen blog.

5 - 6 paragraphs needed here. Remember your variety hand to ensure you include all the relevant details of writing.

Key Mistake from the Mock - Remember your purpose(s). Your writing needs to be decriptive, informative , explanatory or a combination of purposes. Tick each purpose in the question as you meet it.

Question 6 - 'If we continue to take nature for granted, we will soon be the only living organisms left on the planet'.

Argue for or against prioritising nature for a newspaper article.

Here you need 7-8 paragraphs. Remember your variety hand to ensure you include all the relevant details of writing.

Key Mistake from Mock - Not showing balance in your argument. Even if it asks you to argue for or against, the purpose of Argue means you still need to show balance.

Remember your exam questions are due in every Wednesday.

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