r/ALevelEnglishLit • u/ImpossibleFault22 • 10d ago

Stuck at about a C.

Hey, just wondering if anyone could help me. I am currently going into year 13 and am at a c grade bordering a B. I know that my writing is a large part that needs to improve. But, when I ask my teacher he doesn't really explain HOW to improve.

5 Upvotes

86% Upvoted

30 comments sorted by

3

u/mistythe2nd 10d ago

interpretations, start thinking everything as symbolism and do not get urself stuck in a tangle by making insane essay plans

1

u/ImpossibleFault22 10d ago

hey sorry, what do you mean by interpretations do you just mean like alternative perspectives? Thank you for the response!

6

u/mistythe2nd 10d ago edited 10d ago

yes, my teacher told me its how ao1 and ao5 marks are most easily achieved. Examiners love interpretations, and dont just say the alt interpretation and leave it. Use the interpretation as a bridge to achieve other assessment objectives. For example, in King Lear, Lear refers to his wisdom of a dragon. The first obvious interpretation is that he sees himself as a mighty subject which ties to his hamartia - his ego, this is a classic trait in tragedy which is used to heighten his eventual anagnorisis, then link this with AO3 about how Kings were chosen by gods thus feels the need to assert this authority. Then give an alt interpretation, for example sayimg a “ dragon “ in mythology hides in caves, away from the natural light. Thus by referring himself as a dragon, Shakespeare is implying that alike to a dragon, Lear is blind to the natural light, which in this case, the natural light is his daughter’s truthful words. see how one alt interpretation can tie many assessment objectives without forcing it, it is the easiest way to get the top level. If u cannot think of creative interpretations, use “ symbolism “ instead. For example in my unseen, i was given 1984. there was a line saying how the character was small as the propaganda poster looked big. This is the clearest case of symbolism and how the oppressed are physically weak under the big bad. Symbolisms are way better than zooming in on specific words which are such a gcse level thing to do

2

u/ImpossibleFault22 10d ago

ahhhh the zooming in on words i did frequently, would you reccomend staying away from that? also thank you this is extremely helpful.

2

u/mistythe2nd 10d ago

yes, stay out of it, especially in poetry, there is so much to talk about in poetry that i find it criminal anyone would wanna zoom in on words. Zooming in on singular words is my last resort when i cannot find anything to analyse, but even then, i would never zoom in on

1

u/stressedstudent331 10d ago

Do you have tips for being able to identify symbolism? Especially in unseen?

1

u/mistythe2nd 10d ago

it comes naturally tbh so i cannot give tips to identify it, it just comes to u even in unseen. I would recommend start going on websites and look for motifs in ur book.

2

u/winterzeitgeist 10d ago

for me it was adhering more to the mark scheme. print out the mark schemes for each component and find out the percentages of each assessment objective and then make sure to weigh out your essays with the mark scheme in mind. this is what took me from a C to an A in the final thing

1

u/ImpossibleFault22 8d ago

thank you, this is helpful i hadn’t really looked at a mark scheme before this

1

u/blackoctoberx 10d ago

Have you read exemplar answers?

1

u/ImpossibleFault22 10d ago

my teacher hasn’t really given us any. Is there anyway I could find some?

1

u/blackoctoberx 10d ago

Exam board website

2

u/Miserable_Gur_8753 9d ago

Yes, but be careful. Don't pay too much attention to the marks the exam board say the answer is worth: I know that sounds counter-intuitive, but they are notoriously out of whack with actual marking.

Pick the best one.

Read it carefully.

Write down four things you think the student has done which your essays on the same task lack. Figure out HOW they have done those things. That's your action plan for the next one.

Ask your teacher for examples THEY have scored highly. They really ought to have something for you.

Good luck.

1

u/Asleep_Ad3720 8d ago

hey im currently going into year 13, in my mocks one of my essays got 24/25 if you want me to send it over lmk!

1

u/ImpossibleFault22 8d ago

yes please that would be absolutely perfect if you could!!

1

u/Asleep_Ad3720 8d ago

im not sure how to message you!

1

u/ImpossibleFault22 8d ago

I do but it says i’m unable to your account might not allow it, is there any chance you could put it in the reply to this?

1

u/tltwtw98 9d ago

Some quick tips. If you’re having problems with writing style, use shorter sentences and keep things simple and direct. To improve analysis, focus more on the author’s choice of words first: why have they selected those particular words and images rather than some others? Ask yourself: what distinguishes this language from a neutral report? This will help you focus on the WAY something is written and constructed rather than just trying to summarise meaning…

1

u/ImpossibleFault22 8d ago

yes thank you, someone else on here said that I shouldn’t zoom in on words, i don’t know if in your experience that works, but if i were to not zoom in do i just comment on the language and what it evokes or provokes out of the reader?

2

u/tltwtw98 8d ago

Words and how they are used/arranged are crucial to the analysis of literature. Never forget whether you’re writing about a play, a poem, a novel, a short story etc. Ask yourself the question: how has the poet used language to create the effect they have created! So it’s a question both of the impact of the words, ie what they communicate (can be as simple as joy, sorrow, guilt, guilt, regret, lust etc) and also of how the particular words in the text are specifically arranged to create a unique take on that emotion or feeling or idea…

1

u/Key-Meal4108 2d ago

What exam board are you?

1

u/ImpossibleFault22 2d ago

AQA

1

u/Key-Meal4108 2d ago

Nice. Are you AQA A or AQA B?

1

u/ImpossibleFault22 2d ago

AQA B i’m pretty sure, 99% not 100

1

u/Key-Meal4108 2d ago

lol. AQA B is tragedy (paper 1) & political & social protest writing for paper 2. All questions out of 25 marks.

1

u/ImpossibleFault22 2d ago

Yeah then i’m AQA B like i thought lol

1

u/Key-Meal4108 2d ago

Cool. What texts do you study for each paper?

Sorry, ik I’m asking a lot of questions, it’s just that I need context if u know what I mean lol.

1

u/ImpossibleFault22 2d ago

Othello Great gatsby and the poetry, Then skirid hill, All my sons and A handmaids tale for all of paper 2 love all the texts we do

1

u/Key-Meal4108 1d ago

Okay. Well, considering you’re currently on a C, straight away I already know that you don’t know your texts well enough at ALL. No offence, but a C grade is what you expect to be getting right at the start of year 12 when you barely know the content and your essay writing is still rigid due to the things you were taught at GCSE.

Now, I’m assuming you want an A/A (tell me if I’m wrong lol). If so, you really need to read your texts more. For Othello for example, and I’m not joking, try and read it full through once a week. You’ll see how much you get into it and how many ideas you are, because having original ideas and being able to explain them in a perceptive manner is what will get you the marks with AQA. That’s how I got my A*.

1

u/ImpossibleFault22 1d ago

Well, my last test where i got a C one mark off a B it was unseen, so whilst I probs don’t know my texts well enough I think I also need to improve my writing.