1. Key Language Concepts
✔ Understand tone and how it shapes meaning
✔ Recognise connotations and how words create different effects
✔ Infer meaning from a text (read between the lines)
✔ Know what denotation means (literal meaning of words)
✔ Understand what "conveys" means and how to explain it clearly
2. Sentence Structure & Writing Skills
✔ Use a variety of sentence starters to improve fluency
✔ Write simple, compound, and complex sentences confidently
✔ Ensure sentences are not longer than 13 words for clarity
✔ Use a wide range of vocabulary (including words from different subjects)
✔ Understand what a relative clause is and how to use it correctly
3. Answering Language / Structure Questions
✔ Know how to answer language questions effectively
✔ Identify and know at least 10 figurative language techniques (e.g., simile, metaphor, alliteration)
✔ Understand at least 8 structure words (e.g., contrast, shift, repetition)
✔ Know how to Embed quotes
✔ Analyse key words in a quote deeply, rather than just explaining the quote
✔ Write clear topic sentences that introduce each paragraph’s main idea
✔ Structure paragraphs correctly with evidence and explanation
✔ Recognise the writer’s perspective and explain how it affects the text
✔ KNOW - You can all relevant devices and techniques for Question 4 on Paper 1
4. Persuasive Writing & Exam Formats
✔ Know the different types of persuasive writing and their conventions:
📨 Letter (formal tone, structured address)
🎤 Speech (engaging, rhetorical questions, direct address)
🖥️ Blog post (conversational yet informative)
📰 Newspaper article (headline, factual tone, quotes)
📢 Advertisement (persuasive techniques, catchy language)
✔ For Question 5 on Paper 2, focus on selecting and using key information effectively
✔ Remember that the information needed is already in the exam paper—use it wisely
5. Exam Strategy & Time Management
✔ Skim-read the text first to get a general idea, then read the questions. After that, re-read the text carefully while annotating.
✔ Underline key parts of the question before reading the text fully to stay focused on what is being asked.
✔ Recognise that most answers can be found in the text—underline key details and use them effectively in responses.
✔ Be aware of the total exam time and allocate time wisely for each question to avoid rushing or running out of time.
✔ The key to success is completing the paper—don’t leave any questions unanswered, even if it means making an educated guess.
✔ Start by reading the text, then answer Question 1. After that, move to the highest-mark question first Q5 (or follow a method that works best for you).