Revising English For Anxious People

How to study for english if you are a maths-minded or anxious person.

English can be difficult to study or improve if you are a more structured and formulaic learner. The beauty of english is that it is totally subjective and you have free reign to be creative and express your own opinions without the constraints of rules or regulations to follow like in maths or science. However, if you are a maths or science person who finds solace in rules, why not try creating a formula for your english exams? This technique is also fantastic for people who get flustered or anxious during an exam as it helps to break down the steps to avoid feeling overwhelmed.

Each exam will have a set of assessment objectives (may be named slightly different depending on the exam board) and this is how you should begin your formula. There will be a certain amount of marks allowed for each AO, so this is roughly the percentage of your essay that you should have focussed on each one. For example, your AO s may be as such:

AO1: terminology and concepts

AO2: analysis

AO3: context

AO4: connections

AO5: critical interpretations

The mark scheme of one of your essays means that 30% is allowed for AO1, 25% AO2, 25% AO3, 10% AO4 and 10% AO5. This has now given you a rough structure to your essay, telling you that you should be spending more time analysing and unpicking your main text rather than making connections or adding critical comments.

Make sure you are comfortable with each AO and how they are marked, and be aware the percentages will likely change based on each question.

Next, make yourself a rough timescale to follow for each question so you know how much time you need for reading, planning and writing.

Then write yourself a step by step guide of how you should go about the question. Here is an example from a closed text exam:

Read the question and highlight all the keywords including any adverbs or premodifiers.

Plan two arguments containing quotes, critics and engage with all keywords.

Include links between texts.

Some may find it helpful to break down each paragraph into key sentences and note down any key ideas to include.

Finally, write a list of all your key words and phrases that you should use in every essay. This can act as a checklist at the end as well to make sure that you have covered all essential areas.

Here is an example of a finished formula for an exam (A-level English Literature, Wjec Eduqas, component 3, unseen prose):

Component 3: Unseen, 2 hoursUnseen Prose (1880-1910):

Assesses AO1 (15 marks), AO2 (15 marks), AO3 (10 marks), AO5 (10 marks)

You will be given an extract from a novel published between 1880-1910. You have 1 hour and 15 minutes for this section so spend roughly 20 minutes reading, annotating and planning.

Read the extract once not annotating to get an idea of the story, tone and characters. Read a second time and highlight any features that leap out that you could form an argument around.

Read and highlight the supporting extracts to get an idea of opinions surrounding the text.

Select three clear arguments on either:

The Narrator

Setting

Characterisation

Story line (how the story moves: beginning, middle, end, analepsis, prolepsis etc)

Plot structure (resolution, climax etc)

Language and Imagery

Purpose

Reread again and select around 3 key quotations for each paragraph to analyse in detail.

Select quotes from the supporting extracts to engage with in each paragraph and note some alternate readings (eg feminist, marxist, post-colonial).

Note some context of the period in which it was written.

In every essay:

Note the narrative voice (omniscient, first person, etc)

Clear topic sentences to introduce arguments

Include an introduction focussing on plot and themes in the extract, perhaps bring in a small quote from the supporting extracts.

Use premodifiers!

Now you have condensed a 3-4 page essay into less than half a page, amazing! Hopefully this will help any anxious or maths-minded people unpick their english exams and make them easier to understand. Remember, english is fun and creative so try and enjoy studying these fantastic books, plays and poems! Good luck!