Ambitious GCSE vocabulary
11 Plus, 13 Plus, Other School Entrance, University Admissions, English & Maths
October 30th, 2024
Mastering ambitious vocabulary is something all students should have in preparation for their GCSE English exams. This can be a difficult skill to manage, particularly if reading is not something you regularly do. This piece looks at the importance of vocabulary across both English Language and Literature GCSE exams.
Does Vocabulary Matter in English Language Paper 1?
Vocabulary does matter, whichever GCSE examination board you are sitting your exams for. Paper 1 will either concentrate on fiction or non-fiction, depending on the board, and you will receive a certain number of marks for spelling, punctuation and grammar, alongside content. The content mark is where vocabulary comes in, and ambitious vocabulary will certainly help to improve your mark.
How Important is Vocabulary for English Language Paper 2?
Whether English Language Paper 2 concentrates on non-fiction or fiction, vocabulary is still important. Tone is crucial in a free writing task, and clear and concise vocabulary can help to establish both tone and mood for your piece of writing. Some exam boards ask for creative writing based on a picture, and some for transactional or personal writing based on a topic. For all these questions, ambitious vocabulary is one component which will help you to achieve higher marks.
Why Vocabulary is Vital for GCSE English Literature
GCSE English Literature requires you to analyse texts and to establish a critical response. For the top bands across all exam boards, a personal response is also required, which means something that is personal to you and preferably has not been said before. Extensive and ambitious vocabulary will help you to achieve this, as you will sound authoritative and confident when discussing both poetry and prose.
Using Vocabulary Effectively in Exams
It may be useful, particularly if English is not your first language, to have a word bank and practise with this to start with. You could also develop your vocabulary through use of a thesaurus online, looking for synonyms and replacing your own words with these until they become normalised for you. Finally, do as much reading as you can; both fiction and non-fiction will help to improve your vocabulary. Above all, do remember to express yourself clearly. No-one likes struggling to understand something they are reading, especially a busy examiner with hundreds of papers to mark! Sometimes this can mean using simple language alongside more complex terminology.
Resources for Further Reading:
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- Reading for Pleasure by Michael Rosen
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11 Plus, 13 Plus, Other School Entrance, University Admissions, English & Maths
Holly studied at Durham University where she gained a degree in English Literature and Music, and then moved to London where she gained...
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English (2009)
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