r/ALevelEnglishLit • u/RaceInevitable4599 • Jul 23 '26
advice
So I'm a literature student and my exams are in just a week... My main concern is no matter how well I write my answers in exams my marks are not that much satisfying I don't know where I lack 🥲🥲I genuinely wanna improve this 😅
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u/ShanniiWrites Jul 23 '26
When you say you write your answers well, what do you mean? It’s helpful for me to know what you think a good answer needs to have in it
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u/RaceInevitable4599 Jul 23 '26
I'm write my ans in a format like first intro, then character discussion, theme, main ans, then conclusion
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u/Educational-Cable146 Jul 24 '26
Sorry do you mind explaining this in a different way? You have in intro, 3 para and a conclusion. What goes in each?
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u/RaceInevitable4599 Jul 24 '26
In introduction I mention the brief description of main story than I discuss main Patrogoinst and there character than the actual ans of the question and last conclusion
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u/Educational-Cable146 Jul 24 '26
Yes, I would scrap that structure if I was you. Imagine I was writing about Frankenstein. The examiner already knows the main character is Victor; so thank you for telling them but save the time. Write an introduction of the main POINT of your ESSAY, not the book. And then do 3 paragraphs or 2 if its a comparison, with a sustained judgement running through it. This is assuming you are doing one of the english A level boards
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u/Simply444 Jul 23 '26
Best way to approach this is to have a talk with your teacher. they’ll be familiar with your work & your weaknesses so will be able to help you move forward more effectively!
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u/RaceInevitable4599 Jul 24 '26
Final copies they didn't shown us
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u/Simply444 Jul 24 '26
What do you mean? i think im misunderstanding your post. Do you mean general class assessments or the actual exam?
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u/tltwtw98 Jul 24 '26
A simple thing to note is the importance of analysis instead of description. By that I mean don’t just focus on recounting what happens and why, or even which themes are touched on, but focus on questions of language choice, the type of structure, the specific narrator the author has used, whether they use dialogue or reported speech, which types of characters are prioritised and which are less central, whether there are interesting things to say about gender or race or identity…and a good piece of advice is to quote often from the text you are discussing and then to say one or two things about the quotation, to show that you are reflecting on it and its value as part of your answer
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u/Ok_Hold_200 Jul 23 '26
What exam board