Gcse Writing - Higher Tier (edexcel)

GCSE writing

Higher tier

The writing paper is worth 25% of your overall GCSE grade, and although it requires the most effort, with the right technique it is the easiest paper of all four (speaking, listening and reading papers have their own approaches which we will discuss in another article.)

If there is one thing students must understand is that this paper is not for them to say what they want to say, they are here to show what they can do and tick the boxes.

1. Structure of the exam

The paper is divided in 3 questions: short writing, long writing, translation into French.

Both writing questions offer 2 theme options for student to chose from. They must only do ONE short writing and ONE long writing. The students are instructed to cover the content of FOUR bullet point for question ONE and another FOUR bullet points for question TWO.

The short writing is the crossover question from the foundation paper. It is worth 20 marks and the language used for this question does not need to be complex.

The long writing however requires great grammatical accuracy and a variety of complex, uncommon vocabulary and structures. This section is worth 28 marks.

The translation into French is worth 12 marks and is heavily focused on key vocabulary and tense changes.

2. Technique

For both writing questions, students are given the option between TWO questions or themes. They must only answer ONE for each. To choose, students should look at the themes as well as the 4 bullet points, to ensure they understand what content to cover.

Once students have picked the option they are the most comfortable, they must NOT start writing straight away but plan. This step is the key to reaching the higher grades.

2.1 planning Q1 - short writing

Students are instructed to cover 4 bullet points IN FRENCH in 80-90 words.

The bullet points will indicate the content as well as the tense that needs to be used. These will be in French, and therefore it is essential that students take time to find the tense for each one BEFORE translating them. Finding the tense first will ensure the translation is accurate.

Once students know what tense to use and what content to cover, they need to plan each paragraph.

ONE PARAGRAPH FOR EACH BULLET POINT to ensure the content is covered.

Only 80-90 words for this question, so roughly 20w per paragraph, that’s enough.

Here’s how to construct each paragraph:

1 time phrase

2 verbs in the correct tense + relevant details

1 opinion

Student should plan these elements for each bullet point before they start writing. This will ensure consistency and correct use of tense, and it will help avoid repetition of verbs and adjectives. Once all bullet points are planned, it’s time to write the 4 paragraphs.

Example:

En général, je voyage en France avec ma famille et nous visitons des monuments. A mon avis c’est fantastique. (20w)

Repeat for all bullet points.

2.2 Question 2 - Long writing.

The technique here is very similar. Students need to answer the four bullet points in 130-150 words, so this time they should aim for 40w per paragraph. Again, ONE PARAGRAPH PER BULLET POINT.

This time, the construction needs to be more complex:

1 time phrase

3 verbs + relevant details

1 opinion (intensifier + adjective)

1 justification

It is imperative that they justify their opinion for each paragraph. As they plan, students aiming for the top grades should think of where they can include the super complex structures they have learnt.

Example:

Quand j’avais 6 ans, je suis allé en France avec mes parents. Nous avons visité beaucoup de monuments célèbres et nous avons acheté des beaux souvenirs. Pour moi c’était absolument merveilleux car j’ai appris beaucoup de choses sur la culture française. (42w)

This paragraph ticks all the boxes, but can be made even better, by using negative structures and complex phrases. See how little amendments can elevate this paragraph:

Quand j’avais 6 ans, je suis allé en France avec mes parents. Nous avons visité beaucoup de monuments célèbres mais nous n’avons pas pu voir la Tour Eiffel car nous avions oublié d’acheter les tickets. C’était triste mais j’ai passé des moments mémorables quand même. (47w)

2.3 Question 3 - translation

Once again, planning this question is essential and too often overlooked.

This question is testing student’s vocabulary knowledge as well as their understanding of the different tenses.

Students should spend a moment annotating the different verbs, writing both what tense they are in and how they are going to translate them. This step is forcing them to think about the pronoun needed, and the auxiliary and verb ending associated, without being distracted by other elements. They should also spots the different adjectives and decide if they need to use the feminine, masculine, or plural form.

Conclusion

The writing paper doesn’t have to be daunting. Plan each question and stick to your plan, you will avoid unnecessary mistakes and ensure you tick all the boxes.

Q1: Time phrase + 2 different verbs + opinion

Q2: Time phrase + 3 different verbs + opinion + justification

Q3: tenses + adj form + key vocabulary

Bonne chance.