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English advanced paper 1 Short answer Tips? (1 Viewer)

stormii

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hi, here are my tips as someone who performs extremely well in short answers:

- read all of the questions first, then the texts, so that you know what to look for.

- you have 2.25 mins per mark in short answers, so use that as a guide to quickly calculate approximately how long you will spend on each question as you approach it

- if you can’t think of any techniques, use ‘cheat codes’ that are applicable everywhere e.g. tone, modality, syntax, imagery (most of the time), etc.

- read exemplar short answers

- use the vocabulary of the question and CONSISTENTLY LINK BACK to it

- for longer responses (however, I do this for all my short answers even the 3 markers), quickly plan out your response with your techniques and points and make sure you know which quotes you’re using

- the number of techniques doesn’t matter if your analysis is sophisticated, but a general rule to be very safe is 1 less technique than the marks e.g. 2 techniques for 3 marks

- most important thing is to practice. don’t think it’s too late - spam short answer questions and ideally submit for feedback from teachers or friends or compare with exemplar responses.

you've got this, good luck.
Thank you so much! Do you do your responses in order? or highest marks And then lowest marks? Also do you suggest doing short answer before long-response?
 

stormii

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Omg thank you I spend most of my precious Exam time identifying the techniques and comprehending what the whole text is about but not trying to read everything. Do you think I should start with most marks first or shortest?
also do you think enjambment as a technique is fine by itself? For poems?
what about ambiguity as a language technique?
 

synthesisFR

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also do you think enjambment as a technique is fine by itself? For poems?
uh depends on how u analyse it and what ur justifying using this. rlly depends on that basically.

what about ambiguity as a language technique?
i would say say abstract diction instead, but tbh i wouldn't rlly use it like there r so much better things u would find in ambiguous extracts
 

athena.

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Thank you so much! Do you do your responses in order? or highest marks And then lowest marks? Also do you suggest doing short answer before long-response?
no worries - i do mine in order, lowest to highest marks, and personally, i do short answer before long, but this varies for everyone and overall these things don’t really matter for your marks.
 
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no worries - i do mine in order, lowest to highest marks, and personally, i do short answer before long, but this varies for everyone and overall these things don’t really matter for your marks.
During reading time, are you looking for specific techniques or just focusing on understanding the text? (or both) and how do you go about answering comparative questions? Like if you have to choose one of the previous texts how do you say something different about it?
 

stormii

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During reading time, are you looking for specific techniques or just focusing on understanding the text? (or both) and how do you go about answering comparative questions? Like if you have to choose one of the previous texts how do you say something different about it?
not too sure I need help too but for the comparison ones, maybe for comparing you can just say e,.g about coming of age question:
"although text 2 shares the similar human experience of coming of age as text 1, however, text 2 emphasises that coming of age can be different for different genders, rather than universally same"

idk but I think that's how I would try to tackle it. like just look for even the most little aspect that is different within the same idea. if that even makes sense lol.
 
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